Jesus and Mary Chain look for break
Chris Morris / Billboard
16.07.1994
16.07.1994
Jesus and Mary Chain look for break; band returns with acoustic set on American
LOS ANGELES - American Recordings believes that with the Aug. 23 release of the Jesus & Mary Chain's acoustic - oriented "Stoned and Dethroned," the Scottish modern rock band should finally recieve its just commercial desserts.
"The Mary Chain are due," says American A&R exec. Marc Geiger. "They are one of the most influential bands from the mid-80's that are still vital, and it's time for us to have a hit with them."
The Chain still hasn't gone over the top at modern rock radio, despite its high - profile stint on the Lollapalooza tour in 1992.
Modern rock KROQ Los Angeles MD Darcy Fulmer says, "The station hasn't had a big hit record with them yet . . . I think the real core listeners know them, but the average KROQ listener hasn't made a bond with them yet."
Still, nothing that a current Bud Light beer commercial uses a cut from the Chain's 1992 American label debut "Honey's Dead," Fulmer adds, "There's always a potential."
The East Kilbride - bred unit, which burst into the U.K. rock scene in 1984 with it's brazen, feedback soaked sound, may have it's best shot yet in the U.S. with "Stoned and Dethroned," on which amp noise is eschewed in favor of a muted, highly melodic approach.
Guitarist/vocalist Jim Reid, who co - writes the bands songs with his guitar playing brother William says, "We'd written all these songs with the idea of doing an acoustic album."
The more subdued style, Reid says, appeared on some English single B sides. "We quite liked how some of those things turned out. We've always meant to do an album in that style . . . And also, everybody's gone grunge - crazy at the moment."
He adds, "We've always tried different styles and stuff and leave it at that."
The first track off the album is "Sometimes Always," which goes to college, modern rock, and adult alternative July 25. The track features a vocals by Hope Sandoval, the dreamy voiced singer in L.A.'s Mazzy Star. Reid says the collaboration "came from the fact that we just like her voice. A couple of years ago we'd ask her to do this, with the idea of doing a duet. We asked her through Geoff Travis, who manages her. He said yes, she was into doing it . . . It was only with this record that the time was right."
Reid says the clip for the track, directed by Sophie Muller, was shot in "a bar in California, with me and Hope and the rest of the band doing what we do well, naturally - sit in a bar and get drunk. Then there's another part of me and William and [bassist] Ben [Lurie] just ridin' around in a big car in the desert."
Geiger says he expects an American tour to commence in October, five or six weeks after the album's release.
"We're going to do a tour, hopefully, with Mazzy Star," Geiger says. "That's the plan. We have an acoustic based tour . . . I think this tour with Mazzy Star is exactly what they should do, and it's a really cool thing. I'm excited to see them play a little acoustic, too."
Asked if he feels the band will benefit today from it's exposure at Lollapalooza two years ago, Geiger - who is one of the touring festival's key organizers - confesses, "Nope, nope, nope. Lollapalooza may have been an error for them. I don't think that it inspired the Mary Chain, and I think that Lollapalooza works better for bands that aren't quite as introverted."
Reid concurs. "It wasn't for us. We didn't realize that until we got there, but almost immediatly it was obvious that we weren't gonna' do well. Things like going on in broad daylight and stuff - we hadn't really thought about that enough, and we got there, and we're standing at 2 in the afternoon on stage, no light show to hide behind and stuff. We just thought it was a bit of a mistake for us."
He adds, "This is going to sound horrible - I hope you know what I mean - but we don't make a connection with the audience. A lot of people take that the wrong way - they think in some way we're being cool to the audience, and it's not the way way it is. I find that anythings that happens on a stage has to be natural, and we're all quite shy people. What we do is, we go on that stage and we just play songs."
LOS ANGELES - American Recordings believes that with the Aug. 23 release of the Jesus & Mary Chain's acoustic - oriented "Stoned and Dethroned," the Scottish modern rock band should finally recieve its just commercial desserts.
"The Mary Chain are due," says American A&R exec. Marc Geiger. "They are one of the most influential bands from the mid-80's that are still vital, and it's time for us to have a hit with them."
The Chain still hasn't gone over the top at modern rock radio, despite its high - profile stint on the Lollapalooza tour in 1992.
Modern rock KROQ Los Angeles MD Darcy Fulmer says, "The station hasn't had a big hit record with them yet . . . I think the real core listeners know them, but the average KROQ listener hasn't made a bond with them yet."
Still, nothing that a current Bud Light beer commercial uses a cut from the Chain's 1992 American label debut "Honey's Dead," Fulmer adds, "There's always a potential."
The East Kilbride - bred unit, which burst into the U.K. rock scene in 1984 with it's brazen, feedback soaked sound, may have it's best shot yet in the U.S. with "Stoned and Dethroned," on which amp noise is eschewed in favor of a muted, highly melodic approach.
Guitarist/vocalist Jim Reid, who co - writes the bands songs with his guitar playing brother William says, "We'd written all these songs with the idea of doing an acoustic album."
The more subdued style, Reid says, appeared on some English single B sides. "We quite liked how some of those things turned out. We've always meant to do an album in that style . . . And also, everybody's gone grunge - crazy at the moment."
He adds, "We've always tried different styles and stuff and leave it at that."
The first track off the album is "Sometimes Always," which goes to college, modern rock, and adult alternative July 25. The track features a vocals by Hope Sandoval, the dreamy voiced singer in L.A.'s Mazzy Star. Reid says the collaboration "came from the fact that we just like her voice. A couple of years ago we'd ask her to do this, with the idea of doing a duet. We asked her through Geoff Travis, who manages her. He said yes, she was into doing it . . . It was only with this record that the time was right."
Reid says the clip for the track, directed by Sophie Muller, was shot in "a bar in California, with me and Hope and the rest of the band doing what we do well, naturally - sit in a bar and get drunk. Then there's another part of me and William and [bassist] Ben [Lurie] just ridin' around in a big car in the desert."
Geiger says he expects an American tour to commence in October, five or six weeks after the album's release.
"We're going to do a tour, hopefully, with Mazzy Star," Geiger says. "That's the plan. We have an acoustic based tour . . . I think this tour with Mazzy Star is exactly what they should do, and it's a really cool thing. I'm excited to see them play a little acoustic, too."
Asked if he feels the band will benefit today from it's exposure at Lollapalooza two years ago, Geiger - who is one of the touring festival's key organizers - confesses, "Nope, nope, nope. Lollapalooza may have been an error for them. I don't think that it inspired the Mary Chain, and I think that Lollapalooza works better for bands that aren't quite as introverted."
Reid concurs. "It wasn't for us. We didn't realize that until we got there, but almost immediatly it was obvious that we weren't gonna' do well. Things like going on in broad daylight and stuff - we hadn't really thought about that enough, and we got there, and we're standing at 2 in the afternoon on stage, no light show to hide behind and stuff. We just thought it was a bit of a mistake for us."
He adds, "This is going to sound horrible - I hope you know what I mean - but we don't make a connection with the audience. A lot of people take that the wrong way - they think in some way we're being cool to the audience, and it's not the way way it is. I find that anythings that happens on a stage has to be natural, and we're all quite shy people. What we do is, we go on that stage and we just play songs."
