Belle and Sebastian

Belle & Sebastian是一支獨(dú)立流行樂(lè)隊(duì)，1996年一月成立于蘇格蘭格拉斯高。Belle & Sebastian與諸如The Smiths和Felt這類有影響力的獨(dú)立樂(lè)隊(duì)有很多共同之處，也受到了北方靈歌(northern soul)與放客(funk)音樂(lè)的影響。
在Jeepster Records廠牌下發(fā)行了一些專輯和EP之后，他們現(xiàn)在簽約于英國(guó)的Rough Trade Records廠牌和美國(guó)的Matador Records廠牌。
    這個(gè)樂(lè)隊(duì)取名于一個(gè)法國(guó)兒童電視系列劇，是說(shuō)一個(gè)小男孩和他的狗是怎么互相珍愛(ài)的，可以說(shuō)Belle & Sebastian也相當(dāng)難能可貴，然而“難能可貴”可以是一個(gè)用來(lái)罵人的字眼，Belle & Sebastian卻不具有這個(gè)字眼言外之意的那層貶義的意思——他們內(nèi)向化卻不孤立化，美麗卻不懦弱，他們創(chuàng)作的旋律燦爛精致，聽(tīng)上去完整而統(tǒng)一。樂(lè)隊(duì)在吉他手兼主唱Stuart Murdoch帶領(lǐng)下，前后一共發(fā)行了7張唱片，并打造出一種類似于60年代流行樂(lè)以及民謠搖滾的親密無(wú)間卻又莊嚴(yán)宏偉的音樂(lè)，然而Murdoch的才華不僅僅體現(xiàn)在奇思怪想和超現(xiàn)實(shí)主義上，不安憂慮卻充滿情感的描繪更讓歌曲無(wú)不反映出一種切實(shí)的現(xiàn)實(shí)感。
樂(lè)隊(duì)成員
在隊(duì)成員:
Stuart Murdoch: 1996–至今 (主唱，吉他和鍵盤)
Stevie Jackson: 1996–至今 (伴唱和吉他)
Chris Geddes: 1996–至今 (鍵盤)
Richard Colburn: 1996–至今 (鼓)
Sarah Martin: 1997–至今 (小提琴，鍵盤，吉他和伴唱)
Mick Cooke: 1998–至今 (小號(hào)和貝司)
Bobby Kildea: 2001–至今 (吉他和貝司)
前成員:
Isobel Campbell: 1996–2002 (伴唱和大提琴)
Stuart David: 1996–2000 (貝斯)
Kyle Burkett: 2000-2001 (伴唱和吉他)
Andrew Maxson: 2000-2001 (貝斯)
大事記
(1996-1997) 組隊(duì)與成名
　　
在 Stuart Murdoch 遇到男低音 Stuart David之后，Belle & Sebastian于1996年一月在格拉斯高成立了。 他們與Stow 大學(xué)的音樂(lè)教授Pilar Duplack一起錄制了一些demo,這些demo被該大學(xué)的音樂(lè)商業(yè)廠牌收錄在以Electric Honey為名義每年發(fā)行的一張唱片中。他們創(chuàng)作了一些單曲之后，加之這家廠牌對(duì)這些demo印象實(shí)在很深，Belle & Sebastian (名字來(lái)源于法國(guó)作家Cécile Aubry創(chuàng)作的一本兒童讀物Belle et Sébastien)便錄制了一張完整專輯：Tigermilk。傳言說(shuō)“Belle”是指Isobel (Campbell)，“Sebastian”指代Stuart (Murdoch)，因?yàn)樵贗sobel 2002年離隊(duì)之前他們已結(jié)婚多年。然而，Stuart Murdoch 否認(rèn)了這一點(diǎn)。
Tigermilk在三天之內(nèi)就錄好了，一開(kāi)始只準(zhǔn)備了1000張塑膠拷貝盤。這些最開(kāi)始的拷貝現(xiàn)在已要價(jià)400英鎊了。到那時(shí)，樂(lè)隊(duì)又新增了一些成員，Stevie Jackson (吉他和伴唱), Isobel Campbell (大提琴和伴唱), Chris Geddes (鍵盤)， Richard Colburn (鼓)。
首張專輯成功之后，Belle & Sebastian 于1996年8月簽約Jeepster Records。三月之后，第二張專輯If You’re Feeling Sinister發(fā)行。
在此張專輯錄制之前，Sarah Martin (小提琴，伴唱)加入到樂(lè)隊(duì)中。接下來(lái)，在1997年他們發(fā)行了一系列的EP。這些EP的第一張是Dog on Wheels，其中包含了正式組隊(duì)前錄制的四首小樣。實(shí)際上，演奏這些歌曲的長(zhǎng)期隊(duì)員只包括Murdoch, David, and Mick Cooke ，后者在當(dāng)時(shí)表演小號(hào)，而且?guī)啄曛蟛耪饺腙?duì)。此張EP在英國(guó)流行榜上排到了第59名。
接下來(lái)，EP Lazy Line Painter Jane 在七月發(fā)行.。這張EP在一個(gè)教堂里錄制，并邀Monica Queen獻(xiàn)聲。可惜的是，這張EP差一點(diǎn)就進(jìn)入了UK榜前40，排到了第41名。1997年的最后一張EP是發(fā)行于十月的3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light。此EP同時(shí)被NME和Melody Maker列為每周一歌，而且一度達(dá)到了第32名，因此也成為樂(lè)隊(duì)的首個(gè)40大歌曲。
(1998-2002) 在Jeepster廠牌下繼續(xù)取得成功
1998年專輯 The Boy with the Arab Strap 發(fā)行，排到了UK專輯榜的第12名。專輯錄制過(guò)程中，小號(hào)手Mick Cooke被邀正式進(jìn)隊(duì)。發(fā)行這張專輯不久，樂(lè)隊(duì)就在全音音樂(lè)獎(jiǎng)（BRIT Awards）上獲得最佳新晉樂(lè)隊(duì)獎(jiǎng)，打敗了競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手Steps。接下來(lái)樂(lè)隊(duì)又發(fā)行了EPThis Is Just a Modern Rock Song。
1999年，樂(lè)隊(duì)主辦了他們自己的音樂(lè)節(jié)，Bowlie Weekender。在樂(lè)隊(duì)開(kāi)始準(zhǔn)備下一張唱片時(shí)，Tigermilk也由Jeepster發(fā)行了完整版本。新專輯叫做Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant，這也成為樂(lè)隊(duì)的首張UK榜前10專輯。未收錄的一只單曲Legal Man排到了15名，而且也使得他們首次在Top of the Pops中亮相。
隨著樂(lè)隊(duì)的知名度在世界范圍內(nèi)的提高，他們的音樂(lè)開(kāi)始頻頻的出現(xiàn)在電影和電視中。2000 年的一部電影High Fidelity 提到了樂(lè)隊(duì)的名字并且穿插了專輯The Boy with the Arab Strap 中的一首歌Seymour Stein 的片段。開(kāi)始與2001年的英國(guó)劇集Teachers 在許多場(chǎng)景中都用到了他們的音樂(lè)，包括主題曲。
Stuart David 不久離開(kāi)了樂(lè)隊(duì)并開(kāi)始專注于他的個(gè)人計(jì)劃Looper和他的書(shū)籍，后者包括了The Idle Thoughts of a Daydreamer. Stuart David的位置由V-Twin的Bobby Kildea 替代。單曲Jonathan David（Stevie Jackson演唱）于2001年七月發(fā)行，緊接著樂(lè)隊(duì)又在九月發(fā)行了I’m Waking Up to Us。這首曲子貌似描述了Murdoch和Campbell關(guān)系的破裂，但Murdoch 在2006年的專輯The Life Pursuit中的文案里否認(rèn)了這一點(diǎn)。EP”I’m Waking Up to Us”中，樂(lè)隊(duì)首次起用了海外制作人Mike Hurst。2002年的大部分時(shí)間里樂(lè)隊(duì)都在巡演并且錄制了一張?jiān)晭?，Storytelling (由Todd Solondz執(zhí)導(dǎo)的Storytelling原聲). Isobel在2002年北美巡演中途宣布離隊(duì)。
(2003-至今) Rough Trade廠牌下的發(fā)展
樂(lè)隊(duì)在2002年離開(kāi)Jeepster并簽約了Rough Trade Records.。B&S在2003里完成了專輯Dear Catastrophe Waitress，由 Trevor Horn制作。這張專輯與前四張專輯相比，后期制作的成分加重了。一部記錄性質(zhì)的DVD, Fans Only在2003年十月由Jeepster發(fā)行，包括了增加的視頻，現(xiàn)場(chǎng)片段和未發(fā)行的電影剪輯。取自專輯Catastrophe Waitress中的一首Step into My Office, Baby在2003年11月發(fā)行，而這將成為他們第一首取自專輯的單曲EP。
I’m a Cuckoo成為取自專輯的第二首單曲, 和以前的那些單曲EP相比，在電臺(tái)的播放頻率大大增加。而這也成為他們排名最高的一首單曲——排到了UK榜的第14名。EPBooks 隨之發(fā)行, a double A-side single lead by “Wrapped Up in Books” From Dear Catastrophe Waitress and the new “Your Cover’s Blown”.這張EP成為樂(lè)隊(duì)的第三首TOP20，與此同時(shí)，樂(lè)隊(duì)同時(shí)被Mercury Music Prize 和Ivor Novello Award提名。2005年一月, B&S在由The List發(fā)起的一次投票中被選為蘇格蘭最偉大的樂(lè)隊(duì)，打敗了Simple Minds, Idlewild, Travis, Franz Ferdinand和 The Proclaimers。
2005年四月，樂(lè)隊(duì)成員跟隨英國(guó)慈善組織War on Want到訪了以色列和巴勒斯坦。隨后，樂(lè)隊(duì)錄制了由此次旅程所激發(fā)的一首歌曲The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House，而這后來(lái)成為2006年發(fā)行的一張B-side 專輯Funny Little Frog中的一首歌。.Push Barman to Open Old Wounds, 這是一張于2005年五月由Jeepster發(fā)行的單曲EP合輯，當(dāng)時(shí)樂(lè)隊(duì)正在加州錄制他們的第七張專輯。The Life Pursuit成為他們的新專輯，由Tony Hoffer擔(dān)當(dāng)制作人。在2006年2月發(fā)行后，該張專輯成為他們排名最高的一張，UK榜排到第8，美國(guó)Billboard 200榜排到第65位。之前發(fā)行的Funny Little Frog也成為他們最高的單曲排名歌曲——第13名。
2006年6月，樂(lè)團(tuán)與洛杉磯交響樂(lè)團(tuán)合作，在好萊塢露天劇場(chǎng)進(jìn)行了一次歷史性的表演。18000張門票銷售一空，開(kāi)場(chǎng)暖場(chǎng)樂(lè)隊(duì)是The Shins，該樂(lè)隊(duì)的成員將之看作標(biāo)志性的事件，用Stevie Jackson的話來(lái)講就是“人生中最震撼的時(shí)刻。”
2006年10月，樂(lè)團(tuán)成員參與了一張名為Colours Are Brighter的為孩子們準(zhǔn)備的專輯的制作， Franz Ferdinand 和 The Kooks也參與其中。
樂(lè)團(tuán)計(jì)劃發(fā)表一張?jiān)?996至2001年表演的Radio One sessions的集結(jié)。
音樂(lè)作品
專輯
Tigermilk (1996)
If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)
The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998)
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant (2000)
Storytelling (2002)
Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)
The Life Pursuit (2006)
現(xiàn)場(chǎng)專輯
If You’re Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican (2005)
合集
Lazy Line Painter Jane (boxset) (2000)
Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (2005)
Late Night Tales: Belle & Sebastian (2006)
單曲和EP
Dog on Wheels (1997)
Lazy Line Painter Jane (1997)
3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (1997)
This Is Just a Modern Rock Song (1998)
“Legal Man” (2000)
“Jonathan David” (2001)
“I’m Waking Up to Us” (2001)
“Step into My Office, Baby” (2003)
“I’m a Cuckoo” (2004) Books (2004)
“Cassaco Marron” (2006)
“Funny Little Frog” (2006)
“The Blues Are Still Blue” (2006)
“White Collar Boy” (2006)
“Are you coming over for Christmas?" (2007)
其他歌曲收集
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (trad. cover) on the Xfm charity compilation It’s A Cool, Cool Christmas, released November 20, 2000 on Jeepster Records
“Final Day” (Young Marble Giants cover) on the Rough Trade 25th-anniversary compilation Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before, released September 23, 2003 on Rough Trade Records
“Poupée de cire, poupée de son” (live Serge Gainsbourg cover) on the Fans Only DVD, released October 20, 2003 on Jeepster Records
“The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House” on the War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life, released September 9, 2005 on Independiente Records
“Cassaco Marron” (Trio Esperança cover) on the Belle & Sebastian-compiled album Late Night Tales: Belle & Sebastian, released on February 27, 2006 on Azuli Records, and as a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl single (b/w David Shrigley’s spoken-word piece
“When I Was a Little Girl”) released February 13, 2006, also on Azuli
“The Monkeys Are Breaking Out the Zoo,” a children’s song on the Save the Children charity album Colours Are Brighter, released October 16, 2006 on Rough Trade Records
DVDs
Fans Only（2003）
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
A band that takes its name from a French childrens television series about a boy and his dog would almost have to be precious, and to be certain, Belle & Sebastian are precious. But precious can be a damning word, and Belle & Sebastian dont have the negative qualities that the word connotes — they are private but not insular, pretty but not wimpy; they make gorgeous, delicate melodies sound full-bodied. Led by guitarist/vocalist Stuart Murdoch, the seven-piece band has an intimate, majestic sound that is equal parts folk-rock and 60s pop, but Murdochs gift for not only whimsy and surrealism, but also for odd, unsettling lyrical detail keeps the songs grounded in a tangible reality.
Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Belle & Sebastian released their first two albums in 1996 at the peak of the chamber pop movement. At first, some critics in Britains music weeklies tied the band into the subgenre, yet the group was too pretty, too delicate, to bear that label. Through their first two years of public existence, the band shielded their personalities, submitting publicity photos featuring a girl that wasnt in the band and reluctantly posing for photo shoots. Furthermore, they performed in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafes, but also homes, church halls, and libraries.
The idiosyncratic approach to building their career isnt surprising given Murdochs approach toward beginning a band. A longtime fan of Felt, Murdoch left Glasgow for London in the early 90s in hopes of finding the groups leader, Lawrence Hayward, but he never found his idol. Upon his return to Glasgow he enrolled in university and he began writing songs and short stories. While at school, he took a music business course where he decided to form a band and release a record for his final project (he had tried to form a band before to no success). For the project, he assembled the seven-piece Belle & Sebastian, featuring himself on guitar and vocals, choosing and recruiting members by instinct in a local all-night cafe in late 1995. He eventually found Sarah Martin (violin), Stevie Jackson (guitar), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Stuart David (bass), Richard Colburn (drums), and Isobel Campbell (cello). All seven members were college students, and all agreed that the idea behind the band was to stay on a small scale, to keep it as a project and not let the band run their lives; they even assumed they would release two albums and break up.
In May of 1996, Belle & Sebastian self-released their debut album, Tigermilk, on Electric Honey Records. Only 1,000 copies of the album, which was only pressed on vinyl, were released, but it unexpectedly became a sensation, earning terrific word of mouth throughout England. As a result, the band became slightly more than a school project — it became an actual band. If Youre Feeling Sinister, released on the independent Jeepster label, followed in November of 1996. By the time the album was released in America on the EMI subsidiary The Enclave, it had earned considerable critical acclaim in the U.K. — not only from music weeklies, but from newspapers like The Sunday Times and magazines like The Face — and a large cult following; by some accounts, Tigermilk was being sold for as much as 75 pounds. Over the course of 1997, word of mouth continued to grow in America, even as the band pulled out of an American tour because The Enclave went bankrupt and closed.
As the band cult continued to build in 1997, Belle & Sebastian released three EPs — Dog on Wheels (May), Lazy Line Painter Jane (July), and 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (October). Each subsequent EP placed higher on the indie charts and received great critical acclaim. By the end of the year, the group finalized an American deal with Matador Records, issuing The Boy With the Arab Strap in September 1998. The following year saw the eagerly anticipated wide re-release of Tigermilk, the album that started it all. Following completion of 2000s Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, Stuart David left Belle & Sebastian to focus full-time on his solo project, Looper. In 2001, the group released two EPs — Jonathan David and Im Waking Up to Us — and recorded the soundtrack for Todd Solondzs film Storytelling. Just before the soundtracks release in spring 2002, Belle & Sebastian embarked on a comprehensive tour of the United States and Canada before returning to Europe for the summer festival season. Midway through the tour, Isobel Campbell left the band, citing the usual differences.
Another major change that soon took place was the band leaving Jeepster and Matador to sign with Rough Trade, with their next record, late 2003s Dear Catastrophe Waitress, produced by the inimitable Trevor Horn (who also produced Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes, and scores of others). The record spawned the brilliant Step into My Office and Im a Cuckoo singles, the latter of which was the groups biggest U.K. hit, reaching number 14 in early 2004. After a long worldwide tour that found Belle & Sebastian reaching new levels of success, they retired to Scotland and began preparing for the recording of their fifth album, The Life Pursuit, released in 2006.