- Spirea X
Infobox musical artist
Name = Spirea X
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Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin =Glasgow ,Scotland
Genre =indie rock
Years_active = 1990-1993
Label =4AD
Associated_acts =Primal Scream ,Adventures in Stereo
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members = Jim Beattie
Judith Boyle
Andy Kerr
Thomas McGurk
Jamie O'DonnellSpirea X were an
indie rock band fromGlasgow ,Scotland , formed byPrimal Scream founding member Jim Beattie in 1990.History
After six years in the band, Jim Beattie left Primal Scream in 1988.cite book |last=Larkin |first=Colin |title=The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music |year= 1992 |publisher=Guinness Publishing |isbn=0-85112-579-4 ] Two years later he formed Spirea X, the name taken from a Primal Scream b-side (an instrumental track that he had written), announcing "We're going to do it...by having better songs, better melodies, better arrangements, better everything. By sheer force of ideas". The band's first demo prompted
4AD to sign them, their first release eagerly anticipated, withBBC 2 's "Snub TV " featuring an interview with them and a couple of live tracks before they had released a single. The band's original bass player and guitarist soon left, Jamie O'Donnell and Thomas McGurk joining Beattie, his girlfriend Judith Boyle, and Andy Kerr in 1991. Debut EP "Chlorine Dream" was released in April 1991, the title track inspired by the life ofBrian Jones .cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |title=The Great Alternative & Indie Discography |year= 1999 |publisher=Canongate |isbn=0-86241-913-1 ] This was followed up by "Speed Reaction" and the album "Fireblade Skies" (the name taken from a volume ofArthur Rimbaud 's poetry), both in 1991. "Fireblade Skies" met with positive critical reaction, Lime Lizard's Nick Terry stating: "If Jim Beattie's last longplaying endeavour, Primal Scream's "Sonic Flower Groove", was a thoroughly flawed masterpiece, he's found his groove with "Fireblade Skies".Terry, Nick (1991) "Fireblade Skies (review)", Lime Lizard, November 1991, p.48] Beattie was known for his self-confidence, verging on arrogance, once proclaiming himself to beGod , and stating "David Icke is my bestest friend",Terry, Nick (1991) "Spirea X: Nothing Happened Yesterday", Lime Lizard, November 1991, p.64-66] later saying "Yeah, I thought I was God before, but now I feel more likeJesus ". [Robb, John (1991) "XDirectory (Spirea X feature)", Indiecator, Issue 3, p. 48-49] Beattie rejected comparisons with other bands of the era, stating "I don't think we fit in anywhere, really", and "I don't think we're egotistical like Ride are. I don't need to be egotistical, because I've got the music to back it up".The band was subsequently reduced to a duo of Beattie and Boyle, and were dropped by 4AD in 1992, the band splitting the following year.
Beattie and Boyle resurfaced in 1994 with a new band,
Adventures in Stereo .Discography
ingles/EPs
*"Chlorine Dream" (1991) 4AD
*"Speed Reaction" (1991) 4ADAlbums
*"Fireblade Skies" (1991) 4AD
References
External links
* [http://www.scaruffi.com/vol6/spireax.html Spirea X at "The History of Rock Music"]
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