Sidi Bou Said (band)
Encyclopedia
Sidi Bou Said were a London
based rock band
, who existed during the 1990s. Their music combined an indie rock
/folk sound with complex arrangements and literate lyrics. They were often compared to Throwing Muses
and the Pixies, with whom they shared a taste for sometimes uncomfortable lyrical themes - murder, religion, the workings of the human body and surrealist stories and films. Their name comes from a town in Tunisia
.
Sidi Bou Said had two album
s produced by members of Cardiacs
, and were regular contributors to their stage shows and recordings. In 2001, they briefly reformed, with an additional guitarist under the name Tetra, and played a one-off reunion gig as Sidi Bou Said on 15 December 2005 at The Water Rats, London.
c/w Romp on 7 inch; c/w Romp/Wild on 12 inch/CD
""Thing" (1994 Ultimate Records TOPP023)
c/w Lukewarm on 7 inch; c/w Lukewarm/These Things on CD
c/w Throwing Myself Off A Building (acoustic)/On My Tongue (acoustic)/My Secret Garden (acoustic) on 10 inch; c/w Slitty Gap/Throwing Myself Off A Building (acoustic) on CD
c/w Faster (acoustic) on 7 inch; c/w Blood/Faster (plus vite) on CD
c/w Red Bus Rover on 7 inch picture disc; c/w Fishy/Funnybody on CD
c/w Obsessive/New Skin/Long, Long, Long on CD1; c/w Obsessive/Head in Sand/Sylvie on CD2
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, who existed during the 1990s. Their music combined an indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
/folk sound with complex arrangements and literate lyrics. They were often compared to Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the...
and the Pixies, with whom they shared a taste for sometimes uncomfortable lyrical themes - murder, religion, the workings of the human body and surrealist stories and films. Their name comes from a town in Tunisia
Sidi Bou Said
Sidi Bou Said is a town in northern Tunisia located about 20 km from the capital, Tunis.The town got its name for a Muslim religious figure who lived there, Abou Said ibn Khalef ibn Yahia Ettamini el Beji . The town itself is a tourist attraction as it is known for the extensive use of blue and...
.
Sidi Bou Said had two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s produced by members of Cardiacs
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...
, and were regular contributors to their stage shows and recordings. In 2001, they briefly reformed, with an additional guitarist under the name Tetra, and played a one-off reunion gig as Sidi Bou Said on 15 December 2005 at The Water Rats, London.
Albums
- Broooch (1993 Ultimate Records TOPPLP005/TOPPCD005) The first 1000 LPs came with a free 7 inch "Vapona" / "River Man" - TOPPLP005S
- "Urge" / "My Cat is my Bridesmaid" / "Handstand" / "Goblin Market" / "Thing" / "Glassmouth" / "Taste" / "Terrible Secret" / "Mary Mary" / "Dracula" / "Three Sides" / "Fallow"
- Bodies (1995 Ultimate Records TOPPLP034/TOPPCD034) The first 1000 LPs came in a gatefold sleeve with lyrics - TOPPLP034S
- "Hyde" / "Practise Walking" / "Wormee/Magnet" / "Bovary" / "Big Yellow Taxidermist" / "Ode To Drink" / "Brittle" / "Lefthanded" / "Slitty Gap" / "Nurse" / "Sicky Vomit
- Entertain (1995 Ultimate Records TOPPMLP040) Limited edition LP recorded live at The Garage, London 31 August 1995
- "Buzz" / "Magnet" / "Slitty Gap" / "Goblin Market" / "Ode To Drink" / "Big Yellow Taxidermist"
- Obsessive (1997 Ultimate Records TOPPLP053/TOPPCD053)
- "Obsessive" / "Like You" / "Stopper" / "Funnybody" / "Zazie (Dans Le Metro)" / "Minotaur" / "Harold and Maude" / "Bridge Song" / "Bella" / "Rat King" / "Seams Undone" / "20,000 Horses"
- The CD was packaged in a jewel case that has a small six-sided die in the spine. The CD booklet folds out so that the lyrics & album information are on one side, and on the back is a game board for "OBSESSIVE: A game of death and paranoia for 2 to 6 players". There is also an insert with 6 rat-shaped playing pieces you can cut out for playing the game.
Singles
- Twilight Eyes* (1993 Ultimate Records TOPP014)
- "Buzz" / "Faster" on limited edition 7 inch/CD; c/w Buzz/Faster/Glow-Worm (live) on 12 inch
- "Three Sides" (1993 Ultimate Records TOPP017)
c/w Romp on 7 inch; c/w Romp/Wild on 12 inch/CD
""Thing" (1994 Ultimate Records TOPP023)
c/w Lukewarm on 7 inch; c/w Lukewarm/These Things on CD
- "Wormee" (1995 Ultimate Records TOPP031)
c/w Throwing Myself Off A Building (acoustic)/On My Tongue (acoustic)/My Secret Garden (acoustic) on 10 inch; c/w Slitty Gap/Throwing Myself Off A Building (acoustic) on CD
- "Ode To Drink" (1995 Ultimate Records TOPP037)
c/w Faster (acoustic) on 7 inch; c/w Blood/Faster (plus vite) on CD
- "Funnybody" (radio edit) (1996 Ultimate Records TOPP050)
c/w Red Bus Rover on 7 inch picture disc; c/w Fishy/Funnybody on CD
- "Like You" (1997 Ultimate Records TOPP057)
c/w Obsessive/New Skin/Long, Long, Long on CD1; c/w Obsessive/Head in Sand/Sylvie on CD2