Suede (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Suede | |
|---|---|
 Suede, Royal Albert Hall, 2010. From left to right: Brett Anderson, Richard Oakes, Neil Codling, Mat Osman, and Simon Gilbert. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The London Suede (USA) |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock, Glam rock, Britpop |
| Years active | 1989–2003, 2010–present |
| Labels | Nude, Columbia, Sony BMG |
| Associated acts | The Tears, Futon, McAlmont and Butler, Elastica |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Brett Anderson Mat Osman Simon Gilbert Richard Oakes Neil Codling | |
| Past members | |
| Justine Frischmann Bernard Butler Justin Welch Mike Joyce Alex Lee | |
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitaristBernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their glam rock-inspired debut album, Suede, went to the top of the charts, became the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years and won the Mercury Music Prize, helping kick-start the Britpopmovement. However, the band's lush follow-up, Dog Man Star (1994), saw Suede distance themselves from their Britpop peers. Although it is often regarded as the band's masterpiece, the recording sessions for Dog Man Star were fraught with difficulty, and ended with Butler departing the band after heated arguments with Anderson.
In 1996 following the recruitment of Richard Oakes and later keyboardist Neil Codling, Suede went on to greater commercial success with Coming Up. The album charted at number one in the UK, producing five top ten singles and became their biggest-selling album worldwide. In 1997, Anderson became addicted to crack and heroin. Despite problems within the band, Suede's fourth album Head Music (1999) was a British chart-topper. Suede's final album, A New Morning (2002), their first after the collapse of Nude Records, was a commercial disappointment, and the group disbanded the following year. After much speculation Suede reformed in 2010 for a series of concerts.
[edit]History
[edit]Formation and early years: 1989-1991
Brett Anderson and Justine Frischmann met in 1989 while studying at University College London and became a couple soon afterwards.[1] Together with Anderson's childhood friend Mat Osman, they decided they had a core of a band, and spent hours a day playing covers of The Beatles, The Smiths, and David Bowie.[2] After deciding that neither Anderson nor Frischmann had the skill to be a lead guitarist, the group placed an advert in NME seeking to fill the position.[2] It ran in the magazine's 28 October 1989 issue: "Young guitar player needed by London based band. Smiths, Commotions, Bowie, PSB's. No Musos. Some things are more important than ability. Call Brett." The advert secured interest from nineteen-year-old Bernard Butler, who soon auditioned to join the group.[3] The group settled on the name Suede; lacking a drummer, the band initially used a drum machine.[4] Despite Frischmann's efforts as the group's de facto manager, the group primarily scored small-scale gigs around London's Camden Town area.[5]
Suede's first breakthrough came with their second demo Specially Suede which they sent to compete in Demo Clash, a radio show onGreater London Radio run by DJ Gary Crowley. "Wonderful Sometimes" won Demo Clash for five Sundays in a row during 1990, leading to a record contract with the Brighton-based indie label RML.[6] The song featured on a cassette compilation in April 1990 representing Suede's first official release.[7] After a series of gigs with an unreliable drum machine, Suede decided to recruit a full-time drummer.Justin Welch briefly fulfilled the role as drummer, though he only lasted six weeks, before joining Crawley band Spitfire.[8] After Welch's departure, Suede placed another advert seeking a replacement. To the group's surprise, the ad was answered by former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce. Joyce reluctantly turned down the role of drummer as he felt Suede still had to forge their own identity. He felt that by being in a band that had similarities to the Smiths, he would have done them more harm than good.[9] Joyce stayed long enough to record two songs with the group, which were set to be released as the "Be My God"/"Art" single on RML Records. The band was dissatisfied with the result, and most of the 500 copies pressed were destroyed.[10] In June 1990 Suede found a permanent drummer,Simon Gilbert, through former manager Ricky Gervais. Both worked at the ULU. After hearing their demo and realising the band were devoid of a drummer, Gilbert asked to audition.[11]
By 1991, Anderson and Frischmann had broken up; Frischmann started dating Damon Albarn of the group Blur. Frischmann believed the group could accommodate the new situation.[12] However the situation grew tense; Butler recalled, "She'd turn up late for rehearsals and say the worst thing in the world - 'I've been on a Blur video shoot.' That was when it ended, really. I think it was the day after she said that that Brett phoned me up and said, 'I've kicked her out.'" (The pair later reconciled, with Anderson saying, "I hate the thought of investing all this time in someone and they just disappear and all that time slips down the drain." At June 1997's Reading Festival, Frischmann performed "Implement Yeah!" with Suede.)
After Frischmann's departure, the character of the group changed. "If Justine hadn't left the band", Anderson said, "I don't think we'd have got anywhere. It was a combination of being personally motivated, and the chemistry being right once she'd left." Anderson and Butler became close friends and began writing several new songs together.[13] However, the band's music was out-of-step with the music of their London contemporaries as well as the American grunge bands. Anderson said, "For the whole of 1991, A&R men wouldn't give us a second look."[14]
Through the end of 1991 and early 1992, Suede received a number of favourable mentions in the music press, garnering them slots at shows hosted by NME and attended by significant musical figures such as former Smiths singer Morrissey. One of the gigs at the ULU in October 1991, which caught the attention of the media was Frischmann's final gig.[15] John Mulvey of the NME, the journalist who first wrote about Suede was at the ULU gig. He said "They had charm, aggression, and... if not exactly eroticism, then something a little bit dangerous and exciting."[16]
