Spacemen 3
Encyclopedia
Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock
band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire
by Peter Kember
and Jason Pierce
. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic). Spacemen 3 came to prominence on the independent music scene around 1989, gaining a cult following. However, they disbanded shortly afterwards, releasing their final studio album posthumously in 1991 after an acrimonious split. They gained a reputation as a ‘drug band’ due to the members’ drug taking habits and the candid interviews and outspoken views of Kember about recreational drug use
. Kember and Pierce were the only members common to all line-ups of the band. Pierce has enjoyed considerable success with his subsequent band, Spiritualized
. Spacemen 3 were sometimes compared to Loop
, much to Kember's annoyance.
and Jason Pierce
. They met at Rugby Art College in Rugby, Warwickshire
in Autumn 1982, both aged 16, and became close friends. Pierce was in a band called Indian Scalp, but he left them near the end of 1982 in order to collaborate with Kember. The two guitarists recruited drummer Tim Morris, who played with a couple of other bands and had a rehearsal space at his parental home which they used. Shortly afterwards they were joined by an acquaintance, Pete Bain
, on bass. Morris and Bain had previously played together in a band called Noise on Independent Street. Pierce handled lead vocal duties. Now a 4-piece, the band originally adopted the name The Spacemen. Their first live performances occurred around winter 1982/83, playing at a party and then at a couple of gigs they managed to get at a local bar; at the latter their set included a 20-minute version of the one-chord song "O.D. Catastrophe".
In Autumn 1983, Pierce, having finished his course at Rugby Art College, started attending an art school in Maidstone
, Kent
. This prompted Bain and Morris to leave and join a new local band, The Push, being formed by Gavin Wissen. Kember and Pierce recruited a replacement drummer, Nicholas "Natty" Brooker. They continued without a bassist and Pierce would regularly return to Rugby for rehearsals. In early 1984, they only performed at a few local, low key venues. Still a trio, they changed their name to Spacemen 3. Kember explained:
Despite having played fewer than ten gigs, Spacemen 3 decided to produce a demo tape. In 1984 they made their first studio recordings at the home studio
of Dave Sheriff in Rugby. This material - which included early iterations of the songs "Walkin’ with Jesus", "Come Down Easy" and "Thing'll Never be the Same" – was used for a short demo tape entitled For All The Fucked Up Children Of The World We Give You Spacemen 3. They got a few hundred cassette copies made and produced their own artwork and booklet to accompany it, selling the tapes for £1 at a local record shop. Spacemen 3’s music at this stage had a loose, swampy Blues feel; some songs included harmonica and slide guitar, and their style sounded akin to The Cramps
. These early demo recordings, which Kember later recalled as being "really dreadful", would later be released unofficially in 1995 on the Sympathy for the Record Industry
label, thus providing an insight into the band’s embryonic sound.
Around 1984 and 1985, Spacemen 3 were doing gigs every two or three months on the local Rugby/Northampton
/Coventry
circuit, and had a regular spot at The Black Lion public house
in Northampton. Their gigs had an ‘anti performance’ element: Kember and Pierce would play their guitars sitting down and would barely acknowledge the audience. They would illuminate the stage with some cheap, old optokinetic disco light-show equipment which they had acquired, providing a psychedelic
backdrop. Kember:
By summer 1985, Spacemen 3 were headlining at The Black Lion and becoming one of the biggest local bands. Around this time they started to co-host a weekly club night together with another local band, Gavin Wissen's 'The Cogs of Tyme'. 'The Reverberation Club’, as it was called, was held at The Blitz public house in Rugby on Thursdays. "50s, 60s and 70s punk" records were played and it soon provided a live venue for Spacemen 3 and various other local bands. At one their gigs at The Black Lion in 1985, they came to the attention of Pat Fish
, the leader of the recording band The Jazz Butcher; he felt Spacemen 3 were "extraordinary" and "like nothing else".
to an audience of less than ten people. Nevertheless, encouraged by the support of Pat Fish, they determined that they ought to record a new demo tape. By this time they had reconfigured and honed their musical style, and their repertoire consisted of newer songs and re-worked older ones. "The band’s sound had crystallised into the intense, hypnotic, overloaded psychedelia which characterised their early [record] output, and which would serve as a template for their live act throughout their existence" (Ian Edmond, Record Collector
).
At Pierce's instigation, Pete Bain
rejoined the band on bass in order to fill out their sound. Despite being a 4-piece again, they would retain the name 'Spacemen 3'. Kember and Pierce opted to upgrade their guitar equipment ahead of recording the new demos. Kember purchased a Burns Jazz electric guitar
and 1960s Vox Conqueror amplifier
; whilst Pierce bought a Fender Telecaster
and a 1970s HH amplifier. Both of their new amplifiers included distortion/fuzz and tremolo
; these two effects were key components of Spacemen 3's signature sound.
In January 1986, Spacemen 3 attended the home studio of Carlo Morocco at Piddington, outside Northampton
, to record their new demo tape. They spent three-and-a-half days at the 16-track studio. Recording live as a group, with minimal overdubs, they managed to get demos for approximately seven songs. Kember and Pierce handled the production. These "fine set of performances" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic) would later be unofficially released as the vinyl album Taking Drug to Make Music to Take Drugs To on the Father Yod label in 1990 (albeit described incorrectly as “rehearsals in Rugby”).
Spacemen 3 managed to obtain a record deal shortly after producing their new demos. Pat Fish
had given a copy of the demo tape to Dave Barker, the owner of the independent record label
Glass Records, to whom Fish’s band The Jazz Butcher were signed. Spacemen 3 signed a three-year, two-album recording contract with Glass Records
in early 1986.
, at the studios of Bob Lamb in the King’s Heath area of Birmingham
. By this time, they had already started to write some ‘softer’ songs, but they decided that the album should consist entirely of ‘heavier’, older material. With a recording budget of less than £1,000, they completed the album in five days, with the last two days dedicated to mixing. Attempts at recording the title song "Walkin’ with Jesus (Sound of Confusion)" were unsuccessful and abandoned.
It was originally intended that Pat Fish would produce the album, but due to his touring commitments with his band, The Jazz Butcher, it was instead produced by Bob Lamb. However, Lamb refused to allow Kember or Pierce near the production desk. Kember would later reveal, "He [Lamb] had no affinity with our type of music at all and was quite domineering". Both Kember and Pierce were unhappy with the production on the album, feeling it suffered from Lamb’s unsympathetic production; they later went on record as saying they much preferred their versions on the Northampton demo tape.
The seven-track Sound of Confusion album had a heavy psychedelic style with a strong Stooges
influence. It was "a full on, fuzzed up drone of relentless guitar pounding" (Ian Edmond, Record Collector), with a "rough garage energy " and "minimal, bluntly entrancing riffs" (Ned Raggett, Allmusic). A NME
review of the 1990 re-release recalled of the album: "It's a lo-fi, mostly low-key affair, the sound of the band finding their feet... It doesn't quite attain the critical mass to transcend its basis in the most rudimentary garage punk of the Sixties... Side Two is pretty much one long tribute to The Stooges... Sound of Confusion probably felt like a revelation, to the few who heard it at the time."
Spacemen 3's debut album and first release, Sound of Confusion was released in July 1986. The cover artwork included shots of the band illuminated by their light-show equipment. The album was not received well, making little impression. Publicity for the album suffered from lack of funding by Glass Records.
During 1986, Spacemen 3 made live performances every few weeks. These continued to occur at local venues, with the exception of gigs in Chesterfield, Birmingham and, in August, their first appearance in London. The latter gig saw them receive their first reviews in both NME and Sounds
.
To follow up their album, Spacemen 3 made their first single: "Walkin' with Jesus". This was recorded at Carlos Morocco's studio outside Northampton. For the title track they re-mixed the version they had recorded at their previous session at Morocco's studio, from the demo tape they had recorded there. For the B-side, they recorded "Feel So Good", a newer composition, and re-recorded a 17-minute "Rollercoaster". This single was the first Spacemen 3 record that Peter Kember and Jason Pierce produced; the duo handled all future production. The "Walkin' with Jesus" single was released in November 1986. It received decent reviews from NME and Sounds, and peaked at #46 in Sounds indie chart.
It was in 1986 that guitarist Peter Kember started to use his long-term alias 'Sonic Boom'. He had earlier employed the aliases 'Mainliner' and 'Peter Gunn'. Bassist Pete Bain also adopted his alias: 'Bassman' or 'Pete Bassman'.
Towards the end of 1986 the behaviour of Spacemen 3's drummer, Natty Brooker, became increasingly eccentric and bizarre. His refusal to wear shoes, even when playing the bass drum, led to arguments and Brooker left the band. Stewart 'Rosco' Roswell
, a housemate of Pierce's and Brooker's, was recruited as the latter's replacement. Although Roswell was originally only a temporary appointment and was not a recognised drummer at the outset, he remained in the band for over a year.
. This was recorded at Paul Atkins’ VHF Studios, near Rugby. VHF had been recommended to the band by in-house sound engineer Graham Walker with whom they had worked with previously when recording their very first demo tape. The first set of demo recordings they made at VHF Studios relating to the new album were dubbed the ‘Out Of It Sessions’. Procurable only as bootleg
, this work shows the transition in Spacemen 3’s musical style that was occurring around winter 1986/87.
VHF Studios’ 8-track facilities needed updating though, and a deal was agreed that Spacemen 3 would receive a large amount of studio time in return for financing new 16-track recording and mixing equipment at VHF, at a cost of around £3,000. Spacemen 3 would spend over eight months at VHF Studios. Importantly, this allowed them generous time to experiment, and develop and refine their sound and material in a studio setting. They were assisted by sound engineer Graham Walker. In the album liner notes
of Forged Prescriptions, a re-release of The Perfect Prescription, Kember recalled:
Whilst working on the new album, a single, "Transparent Radiation", was recorded; this was released in July 1987. "Transparent Radiation" was awarded Single of the Week by Sounds. The B-side included "Ecstasy Symphony", a new experimental piece using an organ
drone multi-tracked and fed through various effects
(this would presage some of Peter Kember's later work and his interest in analogue synthesisers).
The Perfect Prescription album was completed in September 1987 and released the same month.
Kember described it as a "kind of a concept album, it’s about our better and worse experiences with drugs". Produced by Kember and Pierce, they agreed to restrict the amount of guitar overdubs in order that it would be easier to replicate the songs live. The Perfect Prescription received little critical attention, being better received in the United States. However, it represented Kember and Pierce’s "collaborative zenith" (Erik Morse), and the album "is practically a best-of in all but name" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic).
The Perfect Prescription "marked a serious artistic development, drawing deeper from gospel, ambient, and spiritual music, granting a serenity and depth to their spaced-out garage psychedelia" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic). Although retaining the same minimalist approach, Spacemen 3's sound was now sparser and mellower. Extra textures and complexity were evident, provided by overdubs and additional instrumentation
, with the organ
sound of the VHF Studio’s Farfisa
being a significant introduction. The instrumental palette was also extended with acoustic guitar
, violin
(from local musician Owen John) and saxophone
and trumpet
(from members of The Jazz Butcher) being used on some songs. Much of the album did not feature drums. This was the first album on which Kember contributed lead vocals.
Spacemen 3 performed live on about twenty occasions during 1987. This included several gigs in Holland and Belgium in March, and a few dates in London, Sheffield and Leeds later on in the year.
Relations between Peter Kember and Jason Pierce were beginning to suffer as a result of Pierce's romantic relationship with Kate Radley
, whom he had been dating since Summer 1987. Kember resented the amount of time his song-writing partner was spending with her at his expense.
A UK tour in Spring 1988 used stand-in drummers to fulfil live dates. Roswell's departure was followed by that of Pete Bain at the end of May. A replacement bassist was immediately appointed: Will Carruthers, a friend of the band who had recently been playing in another Rugby group, 'The Cogs of Tyme'.
In July 1988, Spacemen 3's third single, "Take Me to the Other Side", was released. The title track was from The Perfect Prescription album. The single received good press and was NMEs Single of the Week.
Spacemen 3 were keen to be freed from their recording contract with Glass Records who were in financial difficulty and owed them royalties. Although they had produced the requisite two albums, there was still a year remaining on their contract. A deal was reached whereby, in return for providing a live album, their contractual obligations would be deemed to have been met and they would be allowed to leave. Accordingly, Performance was released in July 1988. This seven-track live album was a recording of their gig at the Melkweg
venue, Amsterdam, on 6 February 1988. (Three songs previously unreleased were withheld and excluded however.)
Following their departure from Glass Records, Spacemen 3 were without a record deal. The only offer they received was from the prominent independent label Creation Records
. However, Creation owner Alan McGee
- a keen fan of the band - was only able to offer a one album deal and with no advance. This was not pursued.
It was at this juncture that Kember and Pierce chose to enter into a contractual relationship with Gerald Palmer, a Northamptonshire
businessman and concert promoter who had already been functioning recently as Spacemen 3's de facto
manager. This tripartite business partnership had the following terms: Palmer would own the master tapes of all future recordings, the rights of which would be licensed to record labels for release; touring and recording costs etc would be financed by Palmer, who would give Kember and Pierce an advance of £1,000 each; and, in return, all profits would be split 50:50: 50% for Palmer, and 50% for Kember and Pierce and other band members. Significantly, this contract was only with Kember and Pierce, meaning Spacemen 3 as a legal and financial entity would, in essence, constitute only the two of them together with Palmer. In addition, Palmer became Spacemen 3's manager.
type, almost delay
-like effect, and Kember would use it heavily on Spacemen 3's future output. One of his first compositions featuring this effect was the eponymous "Repeater" (a.k.a. "How Does It Feel?"). "Repeater" and two other new songs also composed by Kember - "Revolution" and "Suicide" - were debuted on the European tour in early 1988. All three songs would feature on the next studio album, Playing With Fire
. Around Spring 1988 Kember was using his 4-track recorder to develop his ideas and several songs for the next album.
Recording for Spacemen 3's third studio album, Playing With Fire, started in June 1988. Their new manager, Gerald Palmer, booked ARK Studios in Cornwall
for a month. These sessions were not particularly productive however and they left a week early. ARK Studios only had 8-track facilities and some of Spacemen 3's recordings were accidentally wiped by the in-house sound engineer. Rough demos were managed for Kember's "Honey" and Pierce's "Lord Can You Hear Me?". They still did not have a drummer at this point.
New bassist Will Carruthers made his first live appearance with Spacemen 3 at London Dingwalls
on 20 June, where they were supported by My Bloody Valentine. It was after this gig that a confrontation occurred between Kember and Pierce and his girlfriend, Kate Radley. Tired of Radley's persistent presence around the band of late - at recording sessions, touring and backstage at gigs - Kember enforced an agreed 'no girls on the bus' policy and barred Radley from boarding the tour van, leaving Pierce and Radley to find their own way home.
Recording for Playing With Fire recommenced; they returned to VHF Studios, outside Rugby, where they had recorded The Perfect Prescription. By now, song-writing duo Peter Kember and Jason Pierce were formulating new song ideas entirely separate from one another. Both their personal and working relationships were beginning to disintegrate. Pierce's romance with Kate Radley was impacting on his time with the band and his contributions. Of the eventual tracks on Playing With Fire, six were Kember's compositions, whilst only three were Pierce's. The recording process for this album was different: individual parts were recorded separately, which meant band members did not have to be present at the same time.
On 19 August, Spacemen 3 gave an unusual live performance. Palmer had booked them to provide 'An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music' in the foyer of the Waterman's Art Centre
in Brentford, London, to accompany a film night. Kember, Pierce and Carruthers were joined by Rugby musician Steve Evans. They played a 45-minute jam
, based around a single chord strummed by Evans, featuring riffs from some of the songs from their as yet unreleased Playing With Fire material. This performance was recorded and was later released, in 1990, as Dreamweapon
.
After initial plans to use drummers from The Weather Prophets
and Thee Hypnotics
for the recording of Playing With Fire, a permanent drummer was recruited in late August: Jonny Mattock. Mattock had been playing in a Northampton band called 'The Apple Creation’. He was recommended by future Spacemen 3 guitarist Mark Refoy
. Mattock made his live debut on 24 August at a gig at the Riverside in Hammersmith, London, and contributed to the new album. The new rhythm section of Carruthers and Mattock would remain constant throughout of the rest of Spacemen 3's existence.
In Summer 1988, Spacemen 3 managed to obtain a two-album deal with independent label, Fire Records
. Kember and Pierce argued over the choice of song for their first single with Fire. Agreement was eventually reached on "Revolution". At a gig 15 November 1988, advertised as 'Sonic Boom and Jason of Spacemen 3', only Kember and Carruthers performed; Pierce spent the whole time at the bar with Kate Radley, whom he was now living with.
The single "Revolution" was released in November 1988. The title track was a powerful, anthemic "mind-melting crunch" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic). "'Revolution' was the chest-tearing noise that propelled them from complete obscurity to the cultosphere of young indie rock godz" (Jack Barron, NME, 29/7/1989). The single peaked in the top 10 of the indie charts, representing Spacemen 3's highest chart position yet, and was voted by radio listeners for inclusion in John Peel
's end-of-year Festive Fifty
. Awarded Single of the Week by the Melody Maker
, it was extremely well received by the music press whose general attitude towards the band changed at this juncture:
Spacemen 3 "became the indie phenomenon of late 1988" (Erik Morse). They were receiving more media attention and got their first cover story, in Melody Makers 19 November 1988 issue. Peter Kember effectively become the sole spokesperson for Spacemen 3, giving numerous interviews. These provided for controversy and journalistic focus due to Kember's candid openness about his drug taking habits and his forthright views on recreational drug use. On one occasion, Kember invited his interviewer to accompany him as he collected his methadone
prescription. Kember was regularly described in the music papers, incorrectly, as the "leader" of Spacemen 3, although he had not helped in this portrayal: in the Melody Maker article referred to above, Kember had stated: "This band is my design and the rest are totally into it."
Completion of the Playing With Fire album was delayed due to recording delays and a dispute about song-writing credits. At a meeting at Fire Records' London office, Peter Kember proffered his name for single writing credits for six of the album's nine songs; however, Jason Pierce countered, demanding joint credits for three of those songs due to the guitar parts he had contributed to them. An argument led to Kember attempting to hit Pierce and a scuffle ensued. An impasse resulted; Pierce threatened to pull his songs from the album if his demands were not met. Manager Gerald Palmer mediated to resolve the feud. At a very tense four-hour meeting, of fierce arguments and recriminations between Kember and Pierce, Palmer finally managed to obtain a compromise with Kember conceding split song-writing credits for 'Suicide'.
offered Kember a generous one-off album deal which he accepted. Kember finished recordings for his debut solo album and single in March 1989, prior to the commencement of Spacemen 3's European tour. Other members of Spacemen 3, including Pierce, as well as other musicians, had contributed sessions. Release of Kember's solo album (Spectrum) and single - under the moniker of Kember's alias, Sonic Boom - were put on hold in order to avoid a marketing clash with Playing With Fire.
With the exception of "Revolution" and "Suicide", the other songs on the album were mellower and softer than Spacemen 3's previous work, continuing the development of their previous album. "Playing With Fire...shows another side of Spacemen 3 - a slower, melancholic, blissfully refined pop band" (Ron Rom, Sounds). The band "created glazed, liquid songs with subtle arrangements and sheer reveling in aural joys...[Playing With Fire is] a feast of sound" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic).
The Playing With Fire album was distributed in the United States on Bomp! Records
, the label of Greg Shaw
, who paid $10,000 for the rights. Spacemen 3 were popular in America and a prospective US tour was planned to start in September 1989. Greg Shaw organised the tour and dates were finalised in August.
In February–March 1989, Spacemen 3 undertook a four-week UK tour comprising 21 dates, coinciding with the new album's release. Comments from gig reviews included:
At the start of the UK tour Kate Radley was again travelling in the tour van, thus causing tension between Kember and Pierce. After a several gigs, Kember told Pierce this could not continue. For the rest of the UK dates Pierce and Radley, now living in a new flat together, made their own way to gigs.
The UK tour was shortly followed by an extensive and gruelling four-week tour of continental Europe in April–May 1989. This incorporated 22 dates across Holland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria and Italy. (Radley was not present on this tour.) Setlists remained more or less consistent around this period. For the purposes of live performances, Spacemen 3 played their more powerful or heavier - and therefore mostly older - songs, featuring little from Playing With Fire; although the odd softer song was played occasionally. Sets typically ended with the song "Suicide" which could last up to 45 minutes.
Spacemen 3 used the short break between the UK and European tours in Spring 1989 as an opportunity to record a new single. Two songs were recorded, at VHF Studios: "Hypnotized", a new song by Pierce, who had recently acquired his own 4-track recorder; and "Just To See You Smile", by Kember. The songwriters spent a day's session on each other's song, although Kember's contribution to "Hypnotized" was not ultimately used. Kember accused Pierce of copying his sounds; he felt the flutter multi-tap reverb on "Hypnotized" was the same as he had employed on "Honey" and "Let Me Down Gently" on Playing With Fire.
Whilst Spacemen 3 were on tour in Europe in April-May 1989, manager Gerald Palmer prepared the new single for release. Without consulting Kember or Pierce, Palmer mastered the tracks, had the sleeve artwork designed, and selected "Hypnotized" for the A-side. When Kember found out he was furious; however, Palmer refused to postpone the pressing of the single. A resulting feud permanently damaged Kember and Palmer's working relationship.
When Spacemen 3 returned to England from their European tour at the end of May 1989, there was tension between Kember and Pierce. In June, Spacemen 3 played ten UK gigs. Initially, Pierce was making his own way to these dates, but when he instead used the tour van there was a bad atmosphere between Kember and Pierce.
The single "Hypnotized"
was released on 3 July 1989. It was their "most anticipated release yet" (Erik Morse) and immediately charted inside the top 10 of the NME and Melody Maker indie charts. It was Sounds Single of the Week. After two weeks, Hypnotized reached #1 on the Melody Maker indie chart, and #2 on the NME indie chart (second only to The Stone Roses
' "She Bangs The Drums
"). It was voted #33 in John Peel
's end of year Festive Fifty
.
A third guitarist, Mark Refoy
, had been recruited at the beginning of Summer 1989, to play on later live dates and work on the next album. Refoy had been a friend and keen fan of the band for several years, and had contributed to Kember's solo album. He was guitarist in the indie band 'The Tell-tale Hearts' who had disbanded in 1987. Refoy made his first live performance with Spacemen 3 at their Rugby 'homecoming' gig on 20 July.
On 23 July, Spacemen 3 played their biggest headlining gig at The Town & Country Club
, London, a 2,000-capacity venue. On 22 August, they played a warm-up gig at Subterranea, London, for the Reading Festival, their first festival gig. Spacemen 3 played at the Reading Festival on 25 August 1989. This would transpire to be their last ever live performance.
At the beginning of September 1989, Spacemen 3 were about to undertake a substantial tour of the United States - despite disagreement between Kember and Pierce as to whether Kate Radley could accompany them. The tour schedule had been finalised and they were due to be in America for the rest of the year, playing about 50 gigs. The band had grievances with their manager Gerald Palmer, such as perceived lack of monies being received, and summoned him to a meeting at VHF Studios. The meeting, which was secretly recorded, involved intense arguments and accusations, and nothing was resolved. In an interview in 1991, Kember described Palmer as "the most devious guy I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet".
A few days later Kember and Pierce met Palmer again and sacked him. However, Palmer's partnership agreement with Kember and Pierce meant that he was contractually still effectively one third of Spacemen 3. Palmer had already incurred at least £10,000 in recording expenses for the next album. In response to his dismissal as manager, he decided to withdraw his commitment to finance the US tour. The imminent US tour was therefore cancelled at the eleventh hour. Tour posters had already been printed. The considerable time and money Bomp! Records' Greg Shaw had expended in preparing the tour was wasted.
The official explanation at the time - and that reported in the UK music press - was that the US tour had been cancelled because they had not been able to obtain work permits due to the drug convictions of band members. However, it has since transpired that this was not the case: work permits had been obtained for the band, albeit with difficulty.
Recording for Spacemen 3's fourth studio album, Recurring
, had commenced at the beginning of August 1989, again at VHF Studios. According to Mark Refoy, Kember and Pierce rarely appeared at the studio at the same time and there was "quite a tense atmosphere" between them. When work recommenced after the Reading Festival, Kember and Pierce were recording separately from one another. Pierce contributed guitar parts to Kember's songs, but Kember did not play on any of Pierce's songs. When Kember heard Pierce's demos, he again renewed his claim that he was copying his sounds and effects, and accused Pierce's "Billy Whizz" of being a composition he had written several years prior. The two were now estranged and working completely separately. They agreed to have separate sides of the album for their own songs, all of which they had written and composed individually. The other three band members - Carruthers, Mattock and Refoy - were called in to contribute sessions when required.
In late September, Kember made a solo performance at a gig supporting The Telescopes
. Kember and Pierce agreed to be in the studio together to record a cover of Mudhoney
's "When Tomorrow Hits", for a prospective split single with Mudhoney. When Kember heard Mudhoney's version of "Revolution", with altered lyrics, he was offended and this collaborative Sub Pop
release was called off however. The recording of "When Tomorrow Hits" was the last occasion Kember and Pierce would work together. A disconsolate Will Carruthers left the band at this point, fed up with the discord and lack of remuneration.
Recording for the album proceeded slowly and was still ongoing in Autumn 1989, by which point Kember had used two to three times the amount of studio time as Pierce. According to band members, Kember's behaviour was becoming increasingly obsessive and erratic. He was regularly missing booked studio slots. In late October, Kember's debut solo single, "Angel" was released. It received a lukewarm reception.
On 14 November 1989, the four remaining Spacemen 3 band members met to discuss finishing the album and arranging future live dates. The meeting was unproductive. Reportedly, Kember and Pierce both said little. Jonny Mattock told Kember he was difficult to work with. Mattock and Mark Refoy, both peeved, left the meeting prematurely and effectively resigned from Spacemen 3. In December, Gerald Palmer attempted to mediate between his business partners, Kember and Pierce, meeting them individually because Pierce reportedly refused contact with Kember.
, had been ongoing for several months. The poor intra-band relations had remained secret for the sake of outward appearance. By October 1989, the latest offer from Dedicated was a five-album, multi-million dollar deal, with a £60,000 advance. Palmer had expended £15,000 on legal fees, and because he had managed to negotiate out the standard Leaving Member Clause, Kember and Pierce were in a 'win-win situation'.
In December, the three met to arrange signing the Dedicated record deal. Pierce insisted that Kember sign an agreement stating that the two of them had equal rights to Spacemen 3, to mutually protect them by preventing either party potentially claiming ownership of the Spacemen 3 name should the other quit. Coerced by the attraction of his portion of the Dedicated advance, Kember signed it. Mattock claims Kember attacked Pierce in the street the next morning. At the beginning of 1990, Kember and Pierce attended the London offices of Dedicated separately to sign the record contract. A few days later, at a dinner with Dedicated executives, Kember and Pierce were cordial with the other guests but didn't talk with one another. The pretence was kept up until the end; Palmer did not inform Dedicated about the band breaking up until March.
of his songs in January 1990. However, Peter Kember's side of the album was far from ready, and he resorted to calling on the help of Richard Formby, a producer. According to Formby, when he arrived, Kember's recording was only half done; some songs were incomplete, and two had to be re-recorded from scratch.
In January 1990, Kember's side project and debut solo album, Spectrum (Sonic Boom), was released. Recorded nearly a year previously, Kember had used the project as a vehicle for a group of melancholic themed songs, having decided to save his more upbeat work for Spacemen 3 and Recurring. The Spectrum album was advertised as being by the "founder member/leader of Spacemen 3".
Also in January, Pierce was developing ideas for forming a new band or side project of his own. He invited Spacemen 3 compatriots, Refoy, Carruthers and Mattock, to jam and rehearse with him at a small church hall and his flat. Initially it was informal, but this was origin of Pierce's Spacemen 3 'splinter' band, Spiritualized
, comprising all the same members as Spacemen 3 except for Kember. In February 1990, this new grouping recorded "Anyway That You Want Me". This was recorded at VHF Studios; the purpose of these sessions was kept secret from Kember who was still working there. Speaking in 1991, Pierce explained the purpose of starting Spiritualized:
Kember continued on completing his Recurring material. His indecision and constant remixing was prolonging the recording of the album. Gerald Palmer was still funding the studio time, and warned Kember to finish. Eventually, intolerant of any more delays, Palmer attended VHF Studios. He seized Kember's tapes, carrying out a previous threat, and chose the final mixes for release. There were reportedly dozens of different mixes for each song.
In June 1990, Spiritualized released their debut single, "Anyway That You Want Me". This was a cover of a song by The Troggs which Spacemen 3 had demoed in 1988 during their Playing With Fire sessions. The single's cover sleeve, which had no text on it, controversially bore a sticker saying "Spacemen 3". Furthermore, adverts for the single featured the Spacemen 3 logo.
The release of the Spiritualized single was the first Kember had definite knowledge of the band's existence. The circumstances surrounding the single and its marketing prompted Kember to announce that he was leaving Spacemen 3 and that the band no longer existed. Kember, interviewed in 1991:
In the latter half of 1990, Pierce's new band, Spiritualized
, toured around the UK. They performed songs from the then as yet unreleased Recurring, as well as new material. Spiritualized signed a record deal with Dedicated and recorded their debut album in Winter 1990/91.
The last Spacemen 3 album, Recurring
, was finally released in February 1991. Although the band had not officially disbanded, for all intents and purposes it was a posthumous release. The two sides of the album - one by Kember (A-side), the other by Pierce (B-side) - reflected the split between the band's two main personnel.
The songs on Recurring had been composed in 1989. It expanded on the sounds of the previous, Playing With Fire album. Musically, it was richer and lusher, but Kember and Pierce's respective halves of Recurring were distinctly different and presaged the solo material which they were already working on by the time of the album's release. Kember's side demonstrated his pop and ambient sensibilities; Pierce's side indicated his sympathy for gospel and blues music and his interest in lush production.
In 1991 Kember and Pierce were pursuing their musical careers with their own bands, Spectrum
and Spiritualized
respectively. The release of Recurring prompted renewed press speculation about the future of Spacemen 3. No official statement explained why, or confirmed whether, Spacemen 3 had broken up. The fall-out was covered in the music press:
and E.A.R.
. Jason Pierce (alias 'J. Spaceman') remains the leader and creative force, and only constant member, of the alternative band Spiritualized
who have achieved significant critical acclaim and commercial success. Both Kember and Pierce continue to perform some Spacemen 3 songs live (e.g. "Transparent Radiation", "Revolution", "Suicide", "Set Me Free", "Che" and "Let Me Down Gently" [Kember]; and "Walkin' with Jesus", "Amen" and "Lord Can You Hear Me?" [Pierce]).
Will Carruthers, Jonny Mattock and Mark Refoy formed Spiritualized with Pierce in early 1990. Carruthers left the band after the first album in 1992; followed by Mattock and Refoy in 1994. Refoy then fronted Slipstream
who released two albums. Refoy played guitar for the Pet Shop Boys
on their live tour in 2007. Will Carruthers took a hiatus from the music industry after leaving Spiritualized; but subsequently has worked with Kember, recorded two solo albums as Freelovebabies, and has most recently toured with The Brian Jonestown Massacre
. Carruthers, Mattock and Refoy have also collaborated on projects together.
After leaving Spacemen 3 in 1988, both Pete Bain
and Stewart Roswell ('Rosco')
joined the neo-psychedelic band Darkside
who released several albums. Following the end of Darkside, Bain formed 'Alphastone', and has assisted Kember on some of the latter's solo projects. As of 2010 he provides vocals and guitar in 'The Urgz'. Stewart Roswell (alias Sterling Roswell) released a solo album, The Psychedelic Ubik, in 2004.
In the early 1990s, early Spacemen 3 drummer Natty Brooker played bass under the alias 'Mr Ugly' in Garage rock band 'The Guaranteed Ugly', with Gavin Wissen. They released two albums. Brooker provided cover artwork for Spacemen 3's Recurring album and early Spiritualized releases.
In 2008, Jason Pierce revealed that he had refused an offer to reform for a festival performance. He said: "Why would I do that? I mean, I would have liked to go and watch the Battle of Waterloo when it happened but that doesn't mean I'm going to go and sit in a field somewere and watch people act it out.". In 2009, approaches were again made for a reunited Spacemen 3 to appear at a summer festival, at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival
; however, Pierce quashed rumours saying he "wasn't interested" and added, "The split was so acrimonious and my view of him [Kember] hasn't changed. No, I've not mellowed about him."
In an interview in June 2011, Kember revealed that Jason Pierce and himself had not had contact since 1990 or 1991. Kember stated, "Well, I've been in touch with him, but he's never gotten back in touch with me. I sent my best wishes and stuff, but nothing back. I have a feeling that isn't going to change, after all this time". He added that although he would be interested in a Spacemen 3 reunion in principle, he thought the realistic chances of it occurring were "zilch".
A partial and unofficial 'reunion' of Spacemen 3 occurred on 15 July 2010 at a benefit gig dubbed 'A Reunion of Friends', organised for former Spacemen 3 drummer Natty Brooker (diagnosed with terminal cancer), at the Hoxton Bar and Grill in London where there was a retrospective exhibition of his artwork. Will Carruthers said of the event, "This is as close as you’ll get to a Spacemen 3 reunion, trust me."The participants were: Peter Kember (keyboard/guitar/vocals); Will Carruthers (bass); Jonny Mattock (drums); Mark Refoy (guitar); a guitarist from Kember's touring Spectrum band; and guest appearances from Pat Fish
(vocals), and Kevin Shields
(guitar) of My Bloody Valentine. They played a 45-minute set comprising the songs 'Walkin' with Jesus', 'Revolution' and 'Suicide'.
effects and wah-wah
, the employment of 'power chords' and simple riffs, harmonic overtones and drones
, softly sung/spoken vocals, and sparse or monolithic drumming. Their earlier record releases were guitar 'heavy', sounding Stooges
-esque and "a bit like a punked-up garage rock band" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic); whilst their later work was mostly sparser and softer with more textural techniques and augmented by organs, resulting in "their signature trance-like neo-psychedelia" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic). Kember described it as "very hypnotic and minimal; every track has a drone all the way through it".
Spacemen 3 were adherent's to the "minimal is maximal" philosophy of Alan Vega
. This minimalist musical approach typically represented compositions consisting of the repetition of simple riffs based around the progression of only two or three chords, or simply using just one chord. Kember has articulated the maxim: "One chord best, two chords cool, three chords okay, four chords average".
Spacemen 3 had the dictum "taking drugs to make music". In interviews, Kember often stated the importance of recreational drug use
in his lifestyle and in inspiring his and Pierce's song-writing. Kember candidly admitted to his frequent drug taking - including cannabis
, LSD
, magic mushrooms, MDMA, amphetamine
and cocaine
- and being a former heroin addict. Much of Spacemen 3's music concerned documenting the drug experience and conveying the related feelings. In NMEs 2011 list, the '50 Druggiest Albums' of all-time, Spacemen 3's Northampton Demos release, Taking Drugs to Take Music to Take Drugs..., was ranked #23.
Kember was a keen record collector from the of age of 11 or 12; some of the first records he purchased included albums by The Velvet Underground
. Pierce: "When I was 14, I bought The Stooges
’ Raw Power
and I listened to nothing but that for a year". Spacemen 3's early gig posters would often make explicit references to their sound being inspired by The Stooges, The Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones
. In 1988, Kember said, "Groups like Suicide
or the MC5
are like my favorite stuff in the world". Pierce said, "Early on, we were listening to The Stooges, then came Suicide, then we’d start listening to Sun Ra
, and pick up on all these lateral threads that ran between them".
Spacemen 3 were "fanatical musical magpies". In addition to the Protopunk
of New York's The Velvet Underground and Suicide, and Detroit’s The Stooges and MC5, Kember's and Pierce's musical influences included: US 60s Psychedelic rock
, such as The Thirteenth Floor Elevators; US 60s Garage rock
; 60s British Invasion
bands; Rock n' Roll; Buddy Holly
; Surf music
; The Beach Boys
; early, seminal Electronic music
, e.g. Silver Apples, Delia Derbyshire
and Laurie Anderson
; Krautrock
; The Gun Club, The Cramps
and Tav Falco
’s Panther Burns; early Chicago blues
, e.g. Bo Diddley
, John Lee Hooker
, Muddy Waters
and Howlin’ Wolf; early Delta blues
; gospel
and early Staple Singers; Otis Reading; the production techniques of Brian Wilson
, Joe Meek
and Phil Spector
; and the avant-garde jazz
and free jazz
of Sun Ra
and John Coltrane
.
Spacemen 3 recorded and performed numerous covers and re-workings of other band's songs, particularly earlier on in their history, and this was indicative of their influences. Examples include songs by the following bands and artists: The Stooges, MC5, The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Roky Erikson, The Red Krayola, Glenn Campbell
(of The Misunderstood), The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Suicide, Bo Diddley, The Rolling Stones, The Troggs, The Yardbirds, and The Sonics. The song "Hey Man" (a.k.a. "Amen") is based on a Gospel
traditional. The song "Come Down Easy" is derivative of a Blues traditional. Spacemen 3 performed an instrumental song live with a pronounced Bo Diddley style rhythm, dubbed "Bo Diddley Jam". The Spacemen 3 song "Suicide" was a clear acknowledgement of one of their influences: when performed live it was usually introduced as "this song is dedicated to Martin Rev
and Alan Vega
– Suicide
".
Kember was also interested in drone music
and everyday ambient sounds such as those created by electric razors, washing machines, lawnmowers, planes, motor engines and passing cars.
† The Perfect Prescription || § Recurring || ‡ "Girl On Fire" (demo) ||
Other:
s Stephen Dalton referred to Spacemen 3 as "one of the most influential underground bands of the last decade".
Spacemen 3's style and sound has influenced many artists, on both sides of the Atlantic, including some bands belonging to the Shoegaze scene. E.g. My Bloody Valentine, Chapterhouse
, Slowdive
. Ride
, Six By Seven
, Mogwai
, Bardo Pond
, Yume Bitsu
, 7% Solution, Lockgroove, Luna
, Windy & Carl
, Five Way Mirror, The Third Eye Foundation, American Analog Set, Black Mountain
, Flying Saucer Attack
, Asteroid No. 4, The Brian Jonestown Massacre
, Colorsound, The Warlocks
, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
, The Morning After Girls
, Scarling, and Wooden Shjips
.
"Hordes of bands would rank Playing with Fire
[Spacemen 3's third studio album] as the equal (or better) of psychedelia's '60s/'70s forebears" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic). It represented "a blueprint for the next generation of ambient drone, space rock acts" (Laura Hightower).
In 1998, a tribute album
to Spacemen 3 was released by the Rocket Girl label. A Tribute To Spacemen 3 included covers by bands such as Mogwai
, Low
, Bowery Electric
and Bardo Pond
. The album liner notes stated: "There are so many current bands who draw their influences from Spacemen 3 that now seems an appropriate time to show tribute to this underrated band."
In 2004, US journalist Erik Morse
's biography of the band’s life and work, Spacemen 3 & The Birth of Spiritualized, was published.
Singles & EPs
gig, Amsterdam
, 1988, excluded from Performance album]"Hypnotized
" (Fire) 1989 - UK #85
"Big City
" (Fire) 1991 - UK #88
Studio albums
(Glass) 1986 The Perfect Prescription
(Glass) 1987
(Fire) 1989
(Fire) 1991 - UK
#46
Live albums
(Cheree) 1990 ['An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music' performance at Waterman Art Centre, London, 1988] Live In Europe 1989 (Space Age) / Spacemen Are Go! (Bomp!) 1995 [recorded during 1989 European tour]
Compilation albums Translucent Flashbacks - The Glass Singles
(Fire) 1995 [First three singles]
Special re-release albums Playing with Fire
(Space Age) 1999 [Playing with Fire plus alternate versions etc from same sessions; double CD] Forged Prescriptions
(Space Age) 2004 [Perfect Prescription alternate mixes plus alternate versions etc from same sessions; double CD]
Unofficial albums
Notes re: releases since band disbanded
In the two decades following the break-up of Spacemen 3, a large amount of previously unreleased recordings has been released, adding significantly to the Spacemen 3 canon. This material includes: live recordings; demos; earlier iterations of certain songs; alternate versions of many songs; some unfinished work; and some entirely previously unreleased songs. These releases have been both official and unofficial, and some have been issued by the Kember/Palmer-affiliated label Space Age Recordings.
Losing Touch with Your Mind, an unofficial release of 1991, was a compilation of alternate song versions and rare releases. The 1993 re-release of Dreamweapon
on the Sympathy For The Record Industry label - which included the intriguing live 44-minute Eastern-inspired drone music
performance at the Waterman Art Centre, Hammersmith, London, of August 1988 - was augmented with a previously unreleased recording of a jam.
1995 saw the unofficial release of the band's first demo tape: For All the Fucked Up Children of This World We Give You Spacemen 3. Dating to 1984, this provided an interesting insight into the band's earliest work and "rougher" sound. These recordings pre-dated the other early demos previously made available on the 1990 unofficial, Father Yod release entitled Taking Drug to Make Music to Take Drugs To.
The 1994 re-release of the Taking Drug to Make Music to Take Drugs To (Northampton Demos) album included several previously unreleased alternate song versions and other bonus tracks.
Two live albums were released in 1995: Live In Europe 1989 (also released in 1995 as Spacemen Are Go! on the Bomp! label, but without 'Take Me to the Other Side' and an alternate take of 'Suicide') which represented the first release of the band's live work from their lengthy 1989 contintental tour; and Revolution or Heroin, a bootleg of performances from the band's 1988 gig at the University of London Students Union. The former has been described as "far better than the more ragged earlier Spacemen 3 live album, 1988's Performance (Stewart Mason, AllMusic).
In 1999, Spacemen 3's third studio album, Playing with Fire
, was given a special, 10th-anniversary re-release. This official double disc release comprised all the original recordings together with previously unreleased alternate versions, demos and covers (e.g. The Perfect Disaster's "Girl on Fire" and The Troggs' "Anyway That You Want Me") from the same studio sessions. This re-release has been described as the "definitive" version of the Playing with Fire
album.
In 2004, Spacemen 3's second studio album, The Perfect Prescription
, was also given the special re-release treatment. The double disc official release, entitled Forged Prescriptions
, comprised alternate mixes of the original album tracks together with previously unreleased alternate versions, demos and covers (e.g. The Spades' "We Sell Soul" and The Troggs' "I Want You") from the same studio sessions. Kember's liner notes explain that the alternative mixes represent the more multi-layered versions which he and Pierce agreed not to use because they would be unable to satisfactorily reproduce their sound live.
A bootleg
called the Out of it Sessions comprises demo recordings of early iterations of songs from The Perfect Prescription
album.
In 2005, Kember produced and released his own limited edition, double disc album, How the Blues Should've Turned Out. This wholly comprised previously unreleased material, including alternate versions, rough demos, unfinished work, etc.
Outer Limits (Spacemen 3 fan magazine), Issues 1 & 2, 1991 (Two-part article re: early history of Spacemen 3).
NME, Melody Maker, Sounds, Vox etc. - articles, interviews, album reviews, etc.
AllMusic website, www.allmusic.com
Record Collector magazine, Issue 285, May 2003 - Spacemen 3 feature. (original version available online here: http://www.spacemen3.co.uk/pages/recordcollector/rcspacemen.htm)
AllMusic www.allmusic.com - Spacemen 3 profile including biography by Stephen Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/artist/spacemen-3-p5489
'Spacemen 3' article, Sonic Boom website http://www.sonic-boom.info/spacemen3.php
about.com - Spacemen 3 profile including biography by Andrew Carew http://altmusic.about.com/od/artists/a/spacemen3.htm
Discographies (detailed):
Selected interviews:
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
by Peter Kember
Peter Kember
Peter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
and Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce , also known as J. Spaceman or Spaceman, is an English musician. He was formerly the joint leader – with Peter Kember – of the alternative rock band Spacemen 3, and is now the leader and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized.In between his work with Spiritualized...
. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic). Spacemen 3 came to prominence on the independent music scene around 1989, gaining a cult following. However, they disbanded shortly afterwards, releasing their final studio album posthumously in 1991 after an acrimonious split. They gained a reputation as a ‘drug band’ due to the members’ drug taking habits and the candid interviews and outspoken views of Kember about recreational drug use
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
. Kember and Pierce were the only members common to all line-ups of the band. Pierce has enjoyed considerable success with his subsequent band, Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
. Spacemen 3 were sometimes compared to Loop
Loop (band)
Loop was a South London band founded in 1986 by Robert Hampson and his wife, Bex, and active until 1991.-Career:The band was formed in 1986 by Robert Hampson , with wife Bex on drums. Bex was soon replaced by John Wills and Glen Ray, with James Endeacott on guitar...
, much to Kember's annoyance.
Formation and early years (1982-85)
The creative and song-writing force throughout Spacemen 3's history were Peter KemberPeter Kember
Peter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
and Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce , also known as J. Spaceman or Spaceman, is an English musician. He was formerly the joint leader – with Peter Kember – of the alternative rock band Spacemen 3, and is now the leader and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized.In between his work with Spiritualized...
. They met at Rugby Art College in Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
in Autumn 1982, both aged 16, and became close friends. Pierce was in a band called Indian Scalp, but he left them near the end of 1982 in order to collaborate with Kember. The two guitarists recruited drummer Tim Morris, who played with a couple of other bands and had a rehearsal space at his parental home which they used. Shortly afterwards they were joined by an acquaintance, Pete Bain
The Darkside
The Darkside were an indie rock band formed in 1989 by former members of Spacemen 3. After releasing two studio albums they split up in 1993.-History:...
, on bass. Morris and Bain had previously played together in a band called Noise on Independent Street. Pierce handled lead vocal duties. Now a 4-piece, the band originally adopted the name The Spacemen. Their first live performances occurred around winter 1982/83, playing at a party and then at a couple of gigs they managed to get at a local bar; at the latter their set included a 20-minute version of the one-chord song "O.D. Catastrophe".
In Autumn 1983, Pierce, having finished his course at Rugby Art College, started attending an art school in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. This prompted Bain and Morris to leave and join a new local band, The Push, being formed by Gavin Wissen. Kember and Pierce recruited a replacement drummer, Nicholas "Natty" Brooker. They continued without a bassist and Pierce would regularly return to Rugby for rehearsals. In early 1984, they only performed at a few local, low key venues. Still a trio, they changed their name to Spacemen 3. Kember explained:
Despite having played fewer than ten gigs, Spacemen 3 decided to produce a demo tape. In 1984 they made their first studio recordings at the home studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
of Dave Sheriff in Rugby. This material - which included early iterations of the songs "Walkin’ with Jesus", "Come Down Easy" and "Thing'll Never be the Same" – was used for a short demo tape entitled For All The Fucked Up Children Of The World We Give You Spacemen 3. They got a few hundred cassette copies made and produced their own artwork and booklet to accompany it, selling the tapes for £1 at a local record shop. Spacemen 3’s music at this stage had a loose, swampy Blues feel; some songs included harmonica and slide guitar, and their style sounded akin to The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
. These early demo recordings, which Kember later recalled as being "really dreadful", would later be released unofficially in 1995 on the Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
label, thus providing an insight into the band’s embryonic sound.
Around 1984 and 1985, Spacemen 3 were doing gigs every two or three months on the local Rugby/Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
/Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
circuit, and had a regular spot at The Black Lion public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Northampton. Their gigs had an ‘anti performance’ element: Kember and Pierce would play their guitars sitting down and would barely acknowledge the audience. They would illuminate the stage with some cheap, old optokinetic disco light-show equipment which they had acquired, providing a psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
backdrop. Kember:
By summer 1985, Spacemen 3 were headlining at The Black Lion and becoming one of the biggest local bands. Around this time they started to co-host a weekly club night together with another local band, Gavin Wissen's 'The Cogs of Tyme'. 'The Reverberation Club’, as it was called, was held at The Blitz public house in Rugby on Thursdays. "50s, 60s and 70s punk" records were played and it soon provided a live venue for Spacemen 3 and various other local bands. At one their gigs at The Black Lion in 1985, they came to the attention of Pat Fish
Pat Fish
Pat Fish is an English musician best known for his work as a member of the band The Jazz Butcher. -Early career:...
, the leader of the recording band The Jazz Butcher; he felt Spacemen 3 were "extraordinary" and "like nothing else".
'Northampton Demos'
In November 1985, Spacemen 3 played a gig at a leisure centre in CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
to an audience of less than ten people. Nevertheless, encouraged by the support of Pat Fish, they determined that they ought to record a new demo tape. By this time they had reconfigured and honed their musical style, and their repertoire consisted of newer songs and re-worked older ones. "The band’s sound had crystallised into the intense, hypnotic, overloaded psychedelia which characterised their early [record] output, and which would serve as a template for their live act throughout their existence" (Ian Edmond, Record Collector
Record Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
).
At Pierce's instigation, Pete Bain
The Darkside
The Darkside were an indie rock band formed in 1989 by former members of Spacemen 3. After releasing two studio albums they split up in 1993.-History:...
rejoined the band on bass in order to fill out their sound. Despite being a 4-piece again, they would retain the name 'Spacemen 3'. Kember and Pierce opted to upgrade their guitar equipment ahead of recording the new demos. Kember purchased a Burns Jazz electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and 1960s Vox Conqueror amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
; whilst Pierce bought a Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
and a 1970s HH amplifier. Both of their new amplifiers included distortion/fuzz and tremolo
Tremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
; these two effects were key components of Spacemen 3's signature sound.
In January 1986, Spacemen 3 attended the home studio of Carlo Morocco at Piddington, outside Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, to record their new demo tape. They spent three-and-a-half days at the 16-track studio. Recording live as a group, with minimal overdubs, they managed to get demos for approximately seven songs. Kember and Pierce handled the production. These "fine set of performances" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic) would later be unofficially released as the vinyl album Taking Drug to Make Music to Take Drugs To on the Father Yod label in 1990 (albeit described incorrectly as “rehearsals in Rugby”).
Spacemen 3 managed to obtain a record deal shortly after producing their new demos. Pat Fish
Pat Fish
Pat Fish is an English musician best known for his work as a member of the band The Jazz Butcher. -Early career:...
had given a copy of the demo tape to Dave Barker, the owner of the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Glass Records, to whom Fish’s band The Jazz Butcher were signed. Spacemen 3 signed a three-year, two-album recording contract with Glass Records
Glass Records
Glass Records was a British independent record label which operated from 1981 to 1989, if GLASS 001 and GLASS 002 were issued in 1979 and 1980 respectively.Glass was one of the circuit of key London-based indie labels of the 1980s...
in early 1986.
Debut album
Spacemen 3 were sent to record their first album, Sound of ConfusionSound of Confusion
1994 re-issue bonus tracks...
, at the studios of Bob Lamb in the King’s Heath area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. By this time, they had already started to write some ‘softer’ songs, but they decided that the album should consist entirely of ‘heavier’, older material. With a recording budget of less than £1,000, they completed the album in five days, with the last two days dedicated to mixing. Attempts at recording the title song "Walkin’ with Jesus (Sound of Confusion)" were unsuccessful and abandoned.
It was originally intended that Pat Fish would produce the album, but due to his touring commitments with his band, The Jazz Butcher, it was instead produced by Bob Lamb. However, Lamb refused to allow Kember or Pierce near the production desk. Kember would later reveal, "He [Lamb] had no affinity with our type of music at all and was quite domineering". Both Kember and Pierce were unhappy with the production on the album, feeling it suffered from Lamb’s unsympathetic production; they later went on record as saying they much preferred their versions on the Northampton demo tape.
The seven-track Sound of Confusion album had a heavy psychedelic style with a strong Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
influence. It was "a full on, fuzzed up drone of relentless guitar pounding" (Ian Edmond, Record Collector), with a "rough garage energy " and "minimal, bluntly entrancing riffs" (Ned Raggett, Allmusic). A NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
review of the 1990 re-release recalled of the album: "It's a lo-fi, mostly low-key affair, the sound of the band finding their feet... It doesn't quite attain the critical mass to transcend its basis in the most rudimentary garage punk of the Sixties... Side Two is pretty much one long tribute to The Stooges... Sound of Confusion probably felt like a revelation, to the few who heard it at the time."
Spacemen 3's debut album and first release, Sound of Confusion was released in July 1986. The cover artwork included shots of the band illuminated by their light-show equipment. The album was not received well, making little impression. Publicity for the album suffered from lack of funding by Glass Records.
During 1986, Spacemen 3 made live performances every few weeks. These continued to occur at local venues, with the exception of gigs in Chesterfield, Birmingham and, in August, their first appearance in London. The latter gig saw them receive their first reviews in both NME and Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
.
To follow up their album, Spacemen 3 made their first single: "Walkin' with Jesus". This was recorded at Carlos Morocco's studio outside Northampton. For the title track they re-mixed the version they had recorded at their previous session at Morocco's studio, from the demo tape they had recorded there. For the B-side, they recorded "Feel So Good", a newer composition, and re-recorded a 17-minute "Rollercoaster". This single was the first Spacemen 3 record that Peter Kember and Jason Pierce produced; the duo handled all future production. The "Walkin' with Jesus" single was released in November 1986. It received decent reviews from NME and Sounds, and peaked at #46 in Sounds indie chart.
It was in 1986 that guitarist Peter Kember started to use his long-term alias 'Sonic Boom'. He had earlier employed the aliases 'Mainliner' and 'Peter Gunn'. Bassist Pete Bain also adopted his alias: 'Bassman' or 'Pete Bassman'.
Towards the end of 1986 the behaviour of Spacemen 3's drummer, Natty Brooker, became increasingly eccentric and bizarre. His refusal to wear shoes, even when playing the bass drum, led to arguments and Brooker left the band. Stewart 'Rosco' Roswell
Sterling Roswell
Sterling Roswell is a British musician, and best known as being a former member of Spacemen 3. Real name: Stewart Roswell.-Career:...
, a housemate of Pierce's and Brooker's, was recruited as the latter's replacement. Although Roswell was originally only a temporary appointment and was not a recognised drummer at the outset, he remained in the band for over a year.
1987
In January 1987, Spacemen 3 commenced work on their second album, The Perfect PrescriptionThe Perfect Prescription
1989 re-issue Adds b-sides from the "Take Me To The Other Side" single as bonus tracks:1995 re-issue Adds two tracks from the "Walkin' With Jesus" single and the Transparent Radiation EP as bonus tracks:...
. This was recorded at Paul Atkins’ VHF Studios, near Rugby. VHF had been recommended to the band by in-house sound engineer Graham Walker with whom they had worked with previously when recording their very first demo tape. The first set of demo recordings they made at VHF Studios relating to the new album were dubbed the ‘Out Of It Sessions’. Procurable only as bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
, this work shows the transition in Spacemen 3’s musical style that was occurring around winter 1986/87.
VHF Studios’ 8-track facilities needed updating though, and a deal was agreed that Spacemen 3 would receive a large amount of studio time in return for financing new 16-track recording and mixing equipment at VHF, at a cost of around £3,000. Spacemen 3 would spend over eight months at VHF Studios. Importantly, this allowed them generous time to experiment, and develop and refine their sound and material in a studio setting. They were assisted by sound engineer Graham Walker. In the album liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
of Forged Prescriptions, a re-release of The Perfect Prescription, Kember recalled:
Whilst working on the new album, a single, "Transparent Radiation", was recorded; this was released in July 1987. "Transparent Radiation" was awarded Single of the Week by Sounds. The B-side included "Ecstasy Symphony", a new experimental piece using an organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
drone multi-tracked and fed through various effects
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
(this would presage some of Peter Kember's later work and his interest in analogue synthesisers).
The Perfect Prescription album was completed in September 1987 and released the same month.
Kember described it as a "kind of a concept album, it’s about our better and worse experiences with drugs". Produced by Kember and Pierce, they agreed to restrict the amount of guitar overdubs in order that it would be easier to replicate the songs live. The Perfect Prescription received little critical attention, being better received in the United States. However, it represented Kember and Pierce’s "collaborative zenith" (Erik Morse), and the album "is practically a best-of in all but name" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic).
The Perfect Prescription "marked a serious artistic development, drawing deeper from gospel, ambient, and spiritual music, granting a serenity and depth to their spaced-out garage psychedelia" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic). Although retaining the same minimalist approach, Spacemen 3's sound was now sparser and mellower. Extra textures and complexity were evident, provided by overdubs and additional instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
, with the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
sound of the VHF Studio’s Farfisa
Farfisa
Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
being a significant introduction. The instrumental palette was also extended with acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
(from local musician Owen John) and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(from members of The Jazz Butcher) being used on some songs. Much of the album did not feature drums. This was the first album on which Kember contributed lead vocals.
Spacemen 3 performed live on about twenty occasions during 1987. This included several gigs in Holland and Belgium in March, and a few dates in London, Sheffield and Leeds later on in the year.
1988
In January–February 1988, Spacemen 3 undertook a six-week tour of continental Europe, encompassing Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland and Belgium. Comprising nearly thirty gigs, the tour saw tensions and discontent arise between band members. After they returned to England, drummer Stewart Roswell quit.Relations between Peter Kember and Jason Pierce were beginning to suffer as a result of Pierce's romantic relationship with Kate Radley
Kate Radley
Kate Radley was a keyboard player for the British rock band Spiritualized, and was, for part of her tenure with the band, in a long-term relationship with the band's frontman and principal creative force, Jason Pierce...
, whom he had been dating since Summer 1987. Kember resented the amount of time his song-writing partner was spending with her at his expense.
A UK tour in Spring 1988 used stand-in drummers to fulfil live dates. Roswell's departure was followed by that of Pete Bain at the end of May. A replacement bassist was immediately appointed: Will Carruthers, a friend of the band who had recently been playing in another Rugby group, 'The Cogs of Tyme'.
In July 1988, Spacemen 3's third single, "Take Me to the Other Side", was released. The title track was from The Perfect Prescription album. The single received good press and was NMEs Single of the Week.
Spacemen 3 were keen to be freed from their recording contract with Glass Records who were in financial difficulty and owed them royalties. Although they had produced the requisite two albums, there was still a year remaining on their contract. A deal was reached whereby, in return for providing a live album, their contractual obligations would be deemed to have been met and they would be allowed to leave. Accordingly, Performance was released in July 1988. This seven-track live album was a recording of their gig at the Melkweg
Melkweg
The Melkweg is a popular music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is located on the Lijnbaansgracht, near the Leidseplein, a prime nightlife center of Amsterdam. It is housed in a former warehouse and is divided into a number of spaces of varying sizes...
venue, Amsterdam, on 6 February 1988. (Three songs previously unreleased were withheld and excluded however.)
Following their departure from Glass Records, Spacemen 3 were without a record deal. The only offer they received was from the prominent independent label Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
. However, Creation owner Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
- a keen fan of the band - was only able to offer a one album deal and with no advance. This was not pursued.
It was at this juncture that Kember and Pierce chose to enter into a contractual relationship with Gerald Palmer, a Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
businessman and concert promoter who had already been functioning recently as Spacemen 3's de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
manager. This tripartite business partnership had the following terms: Palmer would own the master tapes of all future recordings, the rights of which would be licensed to record labels for release; touring and recording costs etc would be financed by Palmer, who would give Kember and Pierce an advance of £1,000 each; and, in return, all profits would be split 50:50: 50% for Palmer, and 50% for Kember and Pierce and other band members. Significantly, this contract was only with Kember and Pierce, meaning Spacemen 3 as a legal and financial entity would, in essence, constitute only the two of them together with Palmer. In addition, Palmer became Spacemen 3's manager.
1988
Peter Kember had purchased an unusual electric guitar near the end of 1987: a Vox Starsteam made in the late 1960s. This guitar incorporated several in-built effects, including fuzz and Repeat Percussion (or Repeater). The latter was a unique tremoloTremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
type, almost delay
Delay (audio effect)
Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...
-like effect, and Kember would use it heavily on Spacemen 3's future output. One of his first compositions featuring this effect was the eponymous "Repeater" (a.k.a. "How Does It Feel?"). "Repeater" and two other new songs also composed by Kember - "Revolution" and "Suicide" - were debuted on the European tour in early 1988. All three songs would feature on the next studio album, Playing With Fire
Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3 album)
Playing With Fire is the penultimate studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single...
. Around Spring 1988 Kember was using his 4-track recorder to develop his ideas and several songs for the next album.
Recording for Spacemen 3's third studio album, Playing With Fire, started in June 1988. Their new manager, Gerald Palmer, booked ARK Studios in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
for a month. These sessions were not particularly productive however and they left a week early. ARK Studios only had 8-track facilities and some of Spacemen 3's recordings were accidentally wiped by the in-house sound engineer. Rough demos were managed for Kember's "Honey" and Pierce's "Lord Can You Hear Me?". They still did not have a drummer at this point.
New bassist Will Carruthers made his first live appearance with Spacemen 3 at London Dingwalls
Dingwalls
Dingwalls is a venue adjacent to Camden Lock in London, England. It houses bars, cafes, clubs . The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, T.E...
on 20 June, where they were supported by My Bloody Valentine. It was after this gig that a confrontation occurred between Kember and Pierce and his girlfriend, Kate Radley. Tired of Radley's persistent presence around the band of late - at recording sessions, touring and backstage at gigs - Kember enforced an agreed 'no girls on the bus' policy and barred Radley from boarding the tour van, leaving Pierce and Radley to find their own way home.
Recording for Playing With Fire recommenced; they returned to VHF Studios, outside Rugby, where they had recorded The Perfect Prescription. By now, song-writing duo Peter Kember and Jason Pierce were formulating new song ideas entirely separate from one another. Both their personal and working relationships were beginning to disintegrate. Pierce's romance with Kate Radley was impacting on his time with the band and his contributions. Of the eventual tracks on Playing With Fire, six were Kember's compositions, whilst only three were Pierce's. The recording process for this album was different: individual parts were recorded separately, which meant band members did not have to be present at the same time.
On 19 August, Spacemen 3 gave an unusual live performance. Palmer had booked them to provide 'An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music' in the foyer of the Waterman's Art Centre
Watermans Arts Centre
Watermans Art Centre is a multipurpose arts centre. It is located in Brentford, alongside the banks of the River Thames overlooking Kew Gardens.It includes a 239 seat theatre and a 125 seat cinema.-External links:* - Official site...
in Brentford, London, to accompany a film night. Kember, Pierce and Carruthers were joined by Rugby musician Steve Evans. They played a 45-minute jam
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
, based around a single chord strummed by Evans, featuring riffs from some of the songs from their as yet unreleased Playing With Fire material. This performance was recorded and was later released, in 1990, as Dreamweapon
Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music
2004 re-issue -References:...
.
After initial plans to use drummers from The Weather Prophets
The Weather Prophets
The Weather Prophets were a British indie band formed in London in 1986 after the break-up of The Loft. After two studio albums, the band split up, with singer Peter Astor going on to a solo career.- History :...
and Thee Hypnotics
Thee Hypnotics
Thee Hypnotics were a 1990s British garage/psychedelic/hard rock band. They were part of the early alternative rock scene, releasing two full-length albums and an EP from 1989-1990 before taking an enforced hiatus due to their drummer breaking his back in a car accident while they were on tour in...
for the recording of Playing With Fire, a permanent drummer was recruited in late August: Jonny Mattock. Mattock had been playing in a Northampton band called 'The Apple Creation’. He was recommended by future Spacemen 3 guitarist Mark Refoy
Slipstream (band)
Slipstream were formed in 1994 after Mark Refoy left Spiritualized. The band consisted of Ian Anderson on guitar, Gary Lennon on bass, Steve Beswick on drums and occasional appearances from Jonny Mattock who had also stopped drumming for Spiritualized later that year...
. Mattock made his live debut on 24 August at a gig at the Riverside in Hammersmith, London, and contributed to the new album. The new rhythm section of Carruthers and Mattock would remain constant throughout of the rest of Spacemen 3's existence.
In Summer 1988, Spacemen 3 managed to obtain a two-album deal with independent label, Fire Records
Fire Records (UK)
Fire Records is an independent record label in London, England. The label was founded by Clive Solomon in 1986 and is currently run by James Nicholls.-Current roster:*Giant Sand*Guided By Voices*Howe Gelb*Josephine Foster*Wooden Wand*Bobby Conn...
. Kember and Pierce argued over the choice of song for their first single with Fire. Agreement was eventually reached on "Revolution". At a gig 15 November 1988, advertised as 'Sonic Boom and Jason of Spacemen 3', only Kember and Carruthers performed; Pierce spent the whole time at the bar with Kate Radley, whom he was now living with.
The single "Revolution" was released in November 1988. The title track was a powerful, anthemic "mind-melting crunch" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic). "'Revolution' was the chest-tearing noise that propelled them from complete obscurity to the cultosphere of young indie rock godz" (Jack Barron, NME, 29/7/1989). The single peaked in the top 10 of the indie charts, representing Spacemen 3's highest chart position yet, and was voted by radio listeners for inclusion in John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's end-of-year Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
. Awarded Single of the Week by the Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, it was extremely well received by the music press whose general attitude towards the band changed at this juncture:
Spacemen 3 "became the indie phenomenon of late 1988" (Erik Morse). They were receiving more media attention and got their first cover story, in Melody Makers 19 November 1988 issue. Peter Kember effectively become the sole spokesperson for Spacemen 3, giving numerous interviews. These provided for controversy and journalistic focus due to Kember's candid openness about his drug taking habits and his forthright views on recreational drug use. On one occasion, Kember invited his interviewer to accompany him as he collected his methadone
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
prescription. Kember was regularly described in the music papers, incorrectly, as the "leader" of Spacemen 3, although he had not helped in this portrayal: in the Melody Maker article referred to above, Kember had stated: "This band is my design and the rest are totally into it."
Completion of the Playing With Fire album was delayed due to recording delays and a dispute about song-writing credits. At a meeting at Fire Records' London office, Peter Kember proffered his name for single writing credits for six of the album's nine songs; however, Jason Pierce countered, demanding joint credits for three of those songs due to the guitar parts he had contributed to them. An argument led to Kember attempting to hit Pierce and a scuffle ensued. An impasse resulted; Pierce threatened to pull his songs from the album if his demands were not met. Manager Gerald Palmer mediated to resolve the feud. At a very tense four-hour meeting, of fierce arguments and recriminations between Kember and Pierce, Palmer finally managed to obtain a compromise with Kember conceding split song-writing credits for 'Suicide'.
Sonic Boom solo project
In late 1988, Peter Kember was already working on new material for post Playing With Fire. His productivity meant he had a surfeit of songs, and he advised his bandmates of his intention to produce a solo album. New indie label Silvertone RecordsSilvertone Records (1980)
Silvertone Records is a current British record label, owned by Zomba Music Group. The first and most famous signing to the label was The Stone Roses in the late 1980s, with whom they later had a lengthy legal battle. Other acts signed to the label during its history include Jars of Clay, The Men...
offered Kember a generous one-off album deal which he accepted. Kember finished recordings for his debut solo album and single in March 1989, prior to the commencement of Spacemen 3's European tour. Other members of Spacemen 3, including Pierce, as well as other musicians, had contributed sessions. Release of Kember's solo album (Spectrum) and single - under the moniker of Kember's alias, Sonic Boom - were put on hold in order to avoid a marketing clash with Playing With Fire.
1989:
Playing With Fire album release and tour Spacemen 3's eagerly awaited Playing With Fire album was finally released on 27 February 1989. The album's front cover sleeve bore the slogan, "Purity, Love, Suicide, Accuracy, Revolution". Playing With Fire was Spacemen 3's first record to chart and one of the breakthrough indie albums of the year. Within weeks of its release, it was #1 in both the NME and Melody Maker indie charts. It was "their most critically and commercially successful album" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic). Reviews were extremely positive and the album garnered wide critical acclaim:With the exception of "Revolution" and "Suicide", the other songs on the album were mellower and softer than Spacemen 3's previous work, continuing the development of their previous album. "Playing With Fire...shows another side of Spacemen 3 - a slower, melancholic, blissfully refined pop band" (Ron Rom, Sounds). The band "created glazed, liquid songs with subtle arrangements and sheer reveling in aural joys...[Playing With Fire is] a feast of sound" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic).
The Playing With Fire album was distributed in the United States on Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...
, the label of Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw was a Los Angeles-based fanzine publisher, music historian and record label owner. He grew up near San Francisco, California.It was as a young teenager that he started writing about rock and roll music...
, who paid $10,000 for the rights. Spacemen 3 were popular in America and a prospective US tour was planned to start in September 1989. Greg Shaw organised the tour and dates were finalised in August.
In February–March 1989, Spacemen 3 undertook a four-week UK tour comprising 21 dates, coinciding with the new album's release. Comments from gig reviews included:
At the start of the UK tour Kate Radley was again travelling in the tour van, thus causing tension between Kember and Pierce. After a several gigs, Kember told Pierce this could not continue. For the rest of the UK dates Pierce and Radley, now living in a new flat together, made their own way to gigs.
The UK tour was shortly followed by an extensive and gruelling four-week tour of continental Europe in April–May 1989. This incorporated 22 dates across Holland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria and Italy. (Radley was not present on this tour.) Setlists remained more or less consistent around this period. For the purposes of live performances, Spacemen 3 played their more powerful or heavier - and therefore mostly older - songs, featuring little from Playing With Fire; although the odd softer song was played occasionally. Sets typically ended with the song "Suicide" which could last up to 45 minutes.
1989
At the beginning of 1989 Spacemen 3 had been one of the "hottest indie band in England" (Erik Morse) and were gaining the attention of major US record labels. However, despite their success in winter 1988/99, their prospects were very different less than a year later. The personal and working relationship between Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, still the principal members of the band, would completely disintegrate, leading to Spacemen 3 to eventually disband.Spacemen 3 used the short break between the UK and European tours in Spring 1989 as an opportunity to record a new single. Two songs were recorded, at VHF Studios: "Hypnotized", a new song by Pierce, who had recently acquired his own 4-track recorder; and "Just To See You Smile", by Kember. The songwriters spent a day's session on each other's song, although Kember's contribution to "Hypnotized" was not ultimately used. Kember accused Pierce of copying his sounds; he felt the flutter multi-tap reverb on "Hypnotized" was the same as he had employed on "Honey" and "Let Me Down Gently" on Playing With Fire.
Whilst Spacemen 3 were on tour in Europe in April-May 1989, manager Gerald Palmer prepared the new single for release. Without consulting Kember or Pierce, Palmer mastered the tracks, had the sleeve artwork designed, and selected "Hypnotized" for the A-side. When Kember found out he was furious; however, Palmer refused to postpone the pressing of the single. A resulting feud permanently damaged Kember and Palmer's working relationship.
When Spacemen 3 returned to England from their European tour at the end of May 1989, there was tension between Kember and Pierce. In June, Spacemen 3 played ten UK gigs. Initially, Pierce was making his own way to these dates, but when he instead used the tour van there was a bad atmosphere between Kember and Pierce.
The single "Hypnotized"
Hypnotized (Spacemen 3 song)
12" and CDS -Spacemen 3:*Sonic Boom – vocals, guitar, keyboards, producer*Jason – guitar, vocals, organ, producer*Willie - bass*Jon – drums-Additional personnel:*Alex Green - saxophone*Owen John- violin*Paul Adkins - engineer...
was released on 3 July 1989. It was their "most anticipated release yet" (Erik Morse) and immediately charted inside the top 10 of the NME and Melody Maker indie charts. It was Sounds Single of the Week. After two weeks, Hypnotized reached #1 on the Melody Maker indie chart, and #2 on the NME indie chart (second only to The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
' "She Bangs The Drums
She Bangs The Drums
"She Bangs the Drums" was the second single from The Stone Roses' debut album. It was released in the UK, Japan, and Germany. The single was their first Top 40 hit, peaking at #36 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1989. A reissue in March 1990 improved by two places.The single used a noticeably...
"). It was voted #33 in John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's end of year Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
.
A third guitarist, Mark Refoy
Slipstream (band)
Slipstream were formed in 1994 after Mark Refoy left Spiritualized. The band consisted of Ian Anderson on guitar, Gary Lennon on bass, Steve Beswick on drums and occasional appearances from Jonny Mattock who had also stopped drumming for Spiritualized later that year...
, had been recruited at the beginning of Summer 1989, to play on later live dates and work on the next album. Refoy had been a friend and keen fan of the band for several years, and had contributed to Kember's solo album. He was guitarist in the indie band 'The Tell-tale Hearts' who had disbanded in 1987. Refoy made his first live performance with Spacemen 3 at their Rugby 'homecoming' gig on 20 July.
On 23 July, Spacemen 3 played their biggest headlining gig at The Town & Country Club
The Town & Country Club
The Town & Country Club was a 2,100 capacity theatre-style venue in Kentish Town in North London, England. The venue was built in 1934 and was originally an art deco cinema....
, London, a 2,000-capacity venue. On 22 August, they played a warm-up gig at Subterranea, London, for the Reading Festival, their first festival gig. Spacemen 3 played at the Reading Festival on 25 August 1989. This would transpire to be their last ever live performance.
At the beginning of September 1989, Spacemen 3 were about to undertake a substantial tour of the United States - despite disagreement between Kember and Pierce as to whether Kate Radley could accompany them. The tour schedule had been finalised and they were due to be in America for the rest of the year, playing about 50 gigs. The band had grievances with their manager Gerald Palmer, such as perceived lack of monies being received, and summoned him to a meeting at VHF Studios. The meeting, which was secretly recorded, involved intense arguments and accusations, and nothing was resolved. In an interview in 1991, Kember described Palmer as "the most devious guy I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet".
A few days later Kember and Pierce met Palmer again and sacked him. However, Palmer's partnership agreement with Kember and Pierce meant that he was contractually still effectively one third of Spacemen 3. Palmer had already incurred at least £10,000 in recording expenses for the next album. In response to his dismissal as manager, he decided to withdraw his commitment to finance the US tour. The imminent US tour was therefore cancelled at the eleventh hour. Tour posters had already been printed. The considerable time and money Bomp! Records' Greg Shaw had expended in preparing the tour was wasted.
The official explanation at the time - and that reported in the UK music press - was that the US tour had been cancelled because they had not been able to obtain work permits due to the drug convictions of band members. However, it has since transpired that this was not the case: work permits had been obtained for the band, albeit with difficulty.
Recording for Spacemen 3's fourth studio album, Recurring
Recurring (album)
Recurring was the fourth and final Spacemen 3 studio album, finally released in February 1991, some time after the band had broken up...
, had commenced at the beginning of August 1989, again at VHF Studios. According to Mark Refoy, Kember and Pierce rarely appeared at the studio at the same time and there was "quite a tense atmosphere" between them. When work recommenced after the Reading Festival, Kember and Pierce were recording separately from one another. Pierce contributed guitar parts to Kember's songs, but Kember did not play on any of Pierce's songs. When Kember heard Pierce's demos, he again renewed his claim that he was copying his sounds and effects, and accused Pierce's "Billy Whizz" of being a composition he had written several years prior. The two were now estranged and working completely separately. They agreed to have separate sides of the album for their own songs, all of which they had written and composed individually. The other three band members - Carruthers, Mattock and Refoy - were called in to contribute sessions when required.
In late September, Kember made a solo performance at a gig supporting The Telescopes
The Telescopes
The Telescopes were formed in 1987 by Stephen Lawrie and could best be described as a noise/space rock band - the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Spacemen 3 being influences and contemporaries.-History:...
. Kember and Pierce agreed to be in the studio together to record a cover of Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
's "When Tomorrow Hits", for a prospective split single with Mudhoney. When Kember heard Mudhoney's version of "Revolution", with altered lyrics, he was offended and this collaborative Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
release was called off however. The recording of "When Tomorrow Hits" was the last occasion Kember and Pierce would work together. A disconsolate Will Carruthers left the band at this point, fed up with the discord and lack of remuneration.
Recording for the album proceeded slowly and was still ongoing in Autumn 1989, by which point Kember had used two to three times the amount of studio time as Pierce. According to band members, Kember's behaviour was becoming increasingly obsessive and erratic. He was regularly missing booked studio slots. In late October, Kember's debut solo single, "Angel" was released. It received a lukewarm reception.
On 14 November 1989, the four remaining Spacemen 3 band members met to discuss finishing the album and arranging future live dates. The meeting was unproductive. Reportedly, Kember and Pierce both said little. Jonny Mattock told Kember he was difficult to work with. Mattock and Mark Refoy, both peeved, left the meeting prematurely and effectively resigned from Spacemen 3. In December, Gerald Palmer attempted to mediate between his business partners, Kember and Pierce, meeting them individually because Pierce reportedly refused contact with Kember.
Dedicated record deal
During 1989, Gerald Palmer had been courting interest and offers from US major record labels. Palmer had been postponing a decision hoping the US tour would lever improved offers. Negotiations with Dedicated, a satellite label of BMGBMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
, had been ongoing for several months. The poor intra-band relations had remained secret for the sake of outward appearance. By October 1989, the latest offer from Dedicated was a five-album, multi-million dollar deal, with a £60,000 advance. Palmer had expended £15,000 on legal fees, and because he had managed to negotiate out the standard Leaving Member Clause, Kember and Pierce were in a 'win-win situation'.
In December, the three met to arrange signing the Dedicated record deal. Pierce insisted that Kember sign an agreement stating that the two of them had equal rights to Spacemen 3, to mutually protect them by preventing either party potentially claiming ownership of the Spacemen 3 name should the other quit. Coerced by the attraction of his portion of the Dedicated advance, Kember signed it. Mattock claims Kember attacked Pierce in the street the next morning. At the beginning of 1990, Kember and Pierce attended the London offices of Dedicated separately to sign the record contract. A few days later, at a dinner with Dedicated executives, Kember and Pierce were cordial with the other guests but didn't talk with one another. The pretence was kept up until the end; Palmer did not inform Dedicated about the band breaking up until March.
1990
In late 1989, Jason Pierce, dissatisfied with his mixes at VHF Studios, took his recordings for the Recurring album to Battery Studios, London. Assisted by engineer/producer Anjali Dutt, Pierce completed final remixesRemixeS
RemixeS is a compilation of French singer Mylène Farmer's singles by various famous DJ's, including JXL, Felix Da Housecat and Paul Oakenfold.-Brackground, writing and release:...
of his songs in January 1990. However, Peter Kember's side of the album was far from ready, and he resorted to calling on the help of Richard Formby, a producer. According to Formby, when he arrived, Kember's recording was only half done; some songs were incomplete, and two had to be re-recorded from scratch.
In January 1990, Kember's side project and debut solo album, Spectrum (Sonic Boom), was released. Recorded nearly a year previously, Kember had used the project as a vehicle for a group of melancholic themed songs, having decided to save his more upbeat work for Spacemen 3 and Recurring. The Spectrum album was advertised as being by the "founder member/leader of Spacemen 3".
Also in January, Pierce was developing ideas for forming a new band or side project of his own. He invited Spacemen 3 compatriots, Refoy, Carruthers and Mattock, to jam and rehearse with him at a small church hall and his flat. Initially it was informal, but this was origin of Pierce's Spacemen 3 'splinter' band, Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
, comprising all the same members as Spacemen 3 except for Kember. In February 1990, this new grouping recorded "Anyway That You Want Me". This was recorded at VHF Studios; the purpose of these sessions was kept secret from Kember who was still working there. Speaking in 1991, Pierce explained the purpose of starting Spiritualized:
Kember continued on completing his Recurring material. His indecision and constant remixing was prolonging the recording of the album. Gerald Palmer was still funding the studio time, and warned Kember to finish. Eventually, intolerant of any more delays, Palmer attended VHF Studios. He seized Kember's tapes, carrying out a previous threat, and chose the final mixes for release. There were reportedly dozens of different mixes for each song.
In June 1990, Spiritualized released their debut single, "Anyway That You Want Me". This was a cover of a song by The Troggs which Spacemen 3 had demoed in 1988 during their Playing With Fire sessions. The single's cover sleeve, which had no text on it, controversially bore a sticker saying "Spacemen 3". Furthermore, adverts for the single featured the Spacemen 3 logo.
The release of the Spiritualized single was the first Kember had definite knowledge of the band's existence. The circumstances surrounding the single and its marketing prompted Kember to announce that he was leaving Spacemen 3 and that the band no longer existed. Kember, interviewed in 1991:
In the latter half of 1990, Pierce's new band, Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
, toured around the UK. They performed songs from the then as yet unreleased Recurring, as well as new material. Spiritualized signed a record deal with Dedicated and recorded their debut album in Winter 1990/91.
1991
In January 1991, the Spacemen 3 single "Big City"/"Drive" was released. Both songs from the double A-side single were from the soon-to-released Recurring. Kember and Pierce had been due to be at the studio for the mastering of the single, however Pierce did not attend. At that point the two had hardly spoken face to face in over six months. Kember decided to fade out several minutes of Pierce's song from the single, "Drive".The last Spacemen 3 album, Recurring
Recurring (album)
Recurring was the fourth and final Spacemen 3 studio album, finally released in February 1991, some time after the band had broken up...
, was finally released in February 1991. Although the band had not officially disbanded, for all intents and purposes it was a posthumous release. The two sides of the album - one by Kember (A-side), the other by Pierce (B-side) - reflected the split between the band's two main personnel.
The songs on Recurring had been composed in 1989. It expanded on the sounds of the previous, Playing With Fire album. Musically, it was richer and lusher, but Kember and Pierce's respective halves of Recurring were distinctly different and presaged the solo material which they were already working on by the time of the album's release. Kember's side demonstrated his pop and ambient sensibilities; Pierce's side indicated his sympathy for gospel and blues music and his interest in lush production.
In 1991 Kember and Pierce were pursuing their musical careers with their own bands, Spectrum
Peter Kember
Peter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
and Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
respectively. The release of Recurring prompted renewed press speculation about the future of Spacemen 3. No official statement explained why, or confirmed whether, Spacemen 3 had broken up. The fall-out was covered in the music press:
Band members' activities post Spacemen 3
Most members of Spacemen 3 have continued to produce music and record either collaboratively or in solo projects. Peter Kember (alias 'Sonic Boom') has had a solo career producing work under the monikers SpectrumPeter Kember
Peter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
and E.A.R.
Peter Kember
Peter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
. Jason Pierce (alias 'J. Spaceman') remains the leader and creative force, and only constant member, of the alternative band Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
who have achieved significant critical acclaim and commercial success. Both Kember and Pierce continue to perform some Spacemen 3 songs live (e.g. "Transparent Radiation", "Revolution", "Suicide", "Set Me Free", "Che" and "Let Me Down Gently" [Kember]; and "Walkin' with Jesus", "Amen" and "Lord Can You Hear Me?" [Pierce]).
Will Carruthers, Jonny Mattock and Mark Refoy formed Spiritualized with Pierce in early 1990. Carruthers left the band after the first album in 1992; followed by Mattock and Refoy in 1994. Refoy then fronted Slipstream
Slipstream (band)
Slipstream were formed in 1994 after Mark Refoy left Spiritualized. The band consisted of Ian Anderson on guitar, Gary Lennon on bass, Steve Beswick on drums and occasional appearances from Jonny Mattock who had also stopped drumming for Spiritualized later that year...
who released two albums. Refoy played guitar for the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
on their live tour in 2007. Will Carruthers took a hiatus from the music industry after leaving Spiritualized; but subsequently has worked with Kember, recorded two solo albums as Freelovebabies, and has most recently toured with The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American eclectic musical group led by Anton Newcombe, whose music spans multiple genres including psychedelia, electronica, folk music, blues, experimental music, and many others....
. Carruthers, Mattock and Refoy have also collaborated on projects together.
After leaving Spacemen 3 in 1988, both Pete Bain
The Darkside
The Darkside were an indie rock band formed in 1989 by former members of Spacemen 3. After releasing two studio albums they split up in 1993.-History:...
and Stewart Roswell ('Rosco')
Sterling Roswell
Sterling Roswell is a British musician, and best known as being a former member of Spacemen 3. Real name: Stewart Roswell.-Career:...
joined the neo-psychedelic band Darkside
The Darkside
The Darkside were an indie rock band formed in 1989 by former members of Spacemen 3. After releasing two studio albums they split up in 1993.-History:...
who released several albums. Following the end of Darkside, Bain formed 'Alphastone', and has assisted Kember on some of the latter's solo projects. As of 2010 he provides vocals and guitar in 'The Urgz'. Stewart Roswell (alias Sterling Roswell) released a solo album, The Psychedelic Ubik, in 2004.
In the early 1990s, early Spacemen 3 drummer Natty Brooker played bass under the alias 'Mr Ugly' in Garage rock band 'The Guaranteed Ugly', with Gavin Wissen. They released two albums. Brooker provided cover artwork for Spacemen 3's Recurring album and early Spiritualized releases.
Reunion prospects and relations between Kember and Pierce
In 2004 Peter Kember stated: "I saw Jason [Pierce] live in LA on the tour... I sent Jason a note - a peace offering with my new email, phone and address - but nothing so far. I would actually very much like to work with him again." In an interview the following year, on the possibility of a reunion, Kember said: "Reunions suck on the whole. Reforming is different. I'd like to think that Jason [Pierce] might consider working on stuff in the future, but there are far from likely signs of that at present."In 2008, Jason Pierce revealed that he had refused an offer to reform for a festival performance. He said: "Why would I do that? I mean, I would have liked to go and watch the Battle of Waterloo when it happened but that doesn't mean I'm going to go and sit in a field somewere and watch people act it out.". In 2009, approaches were again made for a reunited Spacemen 3 to appear at a summer festival, at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
; however, Pierce quashed rumours saying he "wasn't interested" and added, "The split was so acrimonious and my view of him [Kember] hasn't changed. No, I've not mellowed about him."
In an interview in June 2011, Kember revealed that Jason Pierce and himself had not had contact since 1990 or 1991. Kember stated, "Well, I've been in touch with him, but he's never gotten back in touch with me. I sent my best wishes and stuff, but nothing back. I have a feeling that isn't going to change, after all this time". He added that although he would be interested in a Spacemen 3 reunion in principle, he thought the realistic chances of it occurring were "zilch".
A partial and unofficial 'reunion' of Spacemen 3 occurred on 15 July 2010 at a benefit gig dubbed 'A Reunion of Friends', organised for former Spacemen 3 drummer Natty Brooker (diagnosed with terminal cancer), at the Hoxton Bar and Grill in London where there was a retrospective exhibition of his artwork. Will Carruthers said of the event, "This is as close as you’ll get to a Spacemen 3 reunion, trust me."The participants were: Peter Kember (keyboard/guitar/vocals); Will Carruthers (bass); Jonny Mattock (drums); Mark Refoy (guitar); a guitarist from Kember's touring Spectrum band; and guest appearances from Pat Fish
Pat Fish
Pat Fish is an English musician best known for his work as a member of the band The Jazz Butcher. -Early career:...
(vocals), and Kevin Shields
Kevin Shields
Kevin Patrick Shields is an American-born, Irish vocalist, guitarist, and producer of alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine....
(guitar) of My Bloody Valentine. They played a 45-minute set comprising the songs 'Walkin' with Jesus', 'Revolution' and 'Suicide'.
Musical style and influences
Sonically, Spacemen 3's music was characterised by fuzzy and distorted electric guitars, stuttering tremoloTremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
effects and wah-wah
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
, the employment of 'power chords' and simple riffs, harmonic overtones and drones
Drone (music)
In music, a drone is a harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout most or all of a piece. The word drone is also used to refer to any part of a musical instrument that is just used to produce such an effect.-A musical effect:A drone...
, softly sung/spoken vocals, and sparse or monolithic drumming. Their earlier record releases were guitar 'heavy', sounding Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
-esque and "a bit like a punked-up garage rock band" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic); whilst their later work was mostly sparser and softer with more textural techniques and augmented by organs, resulting in "their signature trance-like neo-psychedelia" (Stephen Erlewine, AllMusic). Kember described it as "very hypnotic and minimal; every track has a drone all the way through it".
Spacemen 3 were adherent's to the "minimal is maximal" philosophy of Alan Vega
Alan Vega
Alan Vega For several years other sources stated that he was born in 1948 – see 'Myth' section is an American vocalist, primarily known for his work with electronic protopunk duo, Suicide...
. This minimalist musical approach typically represented compositions consisting of the repetition of simple riffs based around the progression of only two or three chords, or simply using just one chord. Kember has articulated the maxim: "One chord best, two chords cool, three chords okay, four chords average".
Spacemen 3 had the dictum "taking drugs to make music". In interviews, Kember often stated the importance of recreational drug use
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
in his lifestyle and in inspiring his and Pierce's song-writing. Kember candidly admitted to his frequent drug taking - including cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, magic mushrooms, MDMA, amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
- and being a former heroin addict. Much of Spacemen 3's music concerned documenting the drug experience and conveying the related feelings. In NMEs 2011 list, the '50 Druggiest Albums' of all-time, Spacemen 3's Northampton Demos release, Taking Drugs to Take Music to Take Drugs..., was ranked #23.
Kember was a keen record collector from the of age of 11 or 12; some of the first records he purchased included albums by The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
. Pierce: "When I was 14, I bought The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
’ Raw Power
Raw Power
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
and I listened to nothing but that for a year". Spacemen 3's early gig posters would often make explicit references to their sound being inspired by The Stooges, The Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. In 1988, Kember said, "Groups like Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
or the MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
are like my favorite stuff in the world". Pierce said, "Early on, we were listening to The Stooges, then came Suicide, then we’d start listening to Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
, and pick up on all these lateral threads that ran between them".
Spacemen 3 were "fanatical musical magpies". In addition to the Protopunk
Protopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
of New York's The Velvet Underground and Suicide, and Detroit’s The Stooges and MC5, Kember's and Pierce's musical influences included: US 60s Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, such as The Thirteenth Floor Elevators; US 60s Garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
; 60s British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
bands; Rock n' Roll; Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
; Surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
; The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
; early, seminal Electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, e.g. Silver Apples, Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
and Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson
Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
; Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
; The Gun Club, The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
and Tav Falco
Tav Falco
Tav Falco is an American-born musical performer, performance artist, actor, filmmaker, and photographer. He has led the psychedelic rock-and-roll group Tav Falco's Panther Burns since 1979...
’s Panther Burns; early Chicago blues
Chicago blues
The Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums,...
, e.g. Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
, Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
and Howlin’ Wolf; early Delta blues
Delta blues
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
; gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
and early Staple Singers; Otis Reading; the production techniques of Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
and Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
; and the avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. Avant-jazz often sounds very similar to free jazz, but differs in that, despite its distinct departure from traditional harmony, it has a predetermined structure over which ...
and free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
of Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
and John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
.
Spacemen 3 recorded and performed numerous covers and re-workings of other band's songs, particularly earlier on in their history, and this was indicative of their influences. Examples include songs by the following bands and artists: The Stooges, MC5, The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Roky Erikson, The Red Krayola, Glenn Campbell
Glenn Ross Campbell
Glenn Ross Campbell born in 1946, is a child prodigy steel guitarist, most noted for being lead guitarist of cult band, The Misunderstood. The Misunderstood were a psychedelic rock band originating from Riverside, California in the mid-1960s...
(of The Misunderstood), The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Suicide, Bo Diddley, The Rolling Stones, The Troggs, The Yardbirds, and The Sonics. The song "Hey Man" (a.k.a. "Amen") is based on a Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
traditional. The song "Come Down Easy" is derivative of a Blues traditional. Spacemen 3 performed an instrumental song live with a pronounced Bo Diddley style rhythm, dubbed "Bo Diddley Jam". The Spacemen 3 song "Suicide" was a clear acknowledgement of one of their influences: when performed live it was usually introduced as "this song is dedicated to Martin Rev
Martin Rev
Martin Rev is an American musician and the instrumentalist in the electronic proto-punk band, Suicide. He also has a solo career and has released several solo albums for a number of labels, including ROIR and Puu...
and Alan Vega
Alan Vega
Alan Vega For several years other sources stated that he was born in 1948 – see 'Myth' section is an American vocalist, primarily known for his work with electronic protopunk duo, Suicide...
– Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
".
Kember was also interested in drone music
Drone music
Drone music is a minimalist musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained or repeated sounds, notes, or tone-clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics...
and everyday ambient sounds such as those created by electric razors, washing machines, lawnmowers, planes, motor engines and passing cars.
Instruments
- Electric guitars (Kember/Pierce/Refoy)
- Acoustic guitars (Kember/Pierce/Refoy)
- FarfisaFarfisaFarfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
organ - unidentified model/s (Kember/Pierce) - Vox Super ContinentalVox ContinentalThe Vox Continental is a transistor-based combo organ that was introduced in 1962. Known for its thin, bright, breathy sound, the "Connie," as it was affectionately known, was designed to be used by touring musicians...
organ, c. 1960s (Kember/Pierce) - Keyboards - unidentified (Kember/Pierce)
- Electric bass guitar (Bain/Carruthers/Kember)
- Drums/percussion (Morris/Brooker/Roswell/Mattock)
- Harmonica (Pierce)
- Electric Saz or BaglamaBaglamathumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
(Kember) - SitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
(Pierce)
Sessions contributed at studio recordings
- Violin - Owen John. † §
- Cello - Josephine WiggsJosephine WiggsJosephine Wiggs is an indie/alternative rock musician, noted for her work with the bands The Perfect Disaster, The Breeders, and Dusty Trails....
(of The Perfect DisasterThe Perfect DisasterThe Perfect Disaster were an alternative rock band from London, England, formed in 1980; they released four albums before splitting up in 1991. The only constant member was singer/guitarist Phil Parfitt.-History:...
). ‡ - Saxophone - Pat Fish (of The Jazz Butcher). §
- Saxophone - Alex Green (of The Jazz Butcher). † §
- Trumpet - Mick Manning (of The Jazz Butcher). †
- Flute - Pat Fish (of The Jazz Butcher). §
- Guitars/keyboards - Richard Formby. §
† The Perfect Prescription || § Recurring || ‡ "Girl On Fire" (demo) ||
Temporary musicians for live performances
Stand-in drummers, Spring/Summer 1988:- Dave Morgan (of The Weather Prophets). 5 gigs, March 1988.
- Either Malcolm Catto or Martin Langshaw (of The Perfect DisasterThe Perfect DisasterThe Perfect Disaster were an alternative rock band from London, England, formed in 1980; they released four albums before splitting up in 1991. The only constant member was singer/guitarist Phil Parfitt.-History:...
). 6 gigs, March-April 1988. - (unknown.) A few gigs, April-May 1988.
- Thierry. A few gigs, May-July 1988.
Other:
- Steve Evans - electric guitar. Date/Event: 19/08/1988. 'An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music' at Waterman's Art Centre, London.
Legacy
"Spacemen 3 were one of the most revolutionary UK guitar bands" (Ian Edmond, Record Collector). They produced "some of the most visceral and psychedelic music of all time...and set a sonic template that influenced a generation, inspiring countless bands" (Julian Woolsey, Rock Edition). Writing in Spring 1991, just after the band had split, VoxVox (magazine)
Vox was a British music magazine, first issued in October 1990. It was published by IPC Media, and was later billed as a monthly sister-magazine to IPC's music weekly, the NME....
s Stephen Dalton referred to Spacemen 3 as "one of the most influential underground bands of the last decade".
Spacemen 3's style and sound has influenced many artists, on both sides of the Atlantic, including some bands belonging to the Shoegaze scene. E.g. My Bloody Valentine, Chapterhouse
Chapterhouse
For the religious buildings, see Chapter houseChapterhouse are a British shoegazing band originally of the early 1990s, from Reading, Berkshire, England. Formed in 1987 by Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman, the band began performing alongside Spacemen 3...
, Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
. Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
, Six By Seven
Six by Seven
Six By Seven were a Nottingham-based rock band who consisted of Chris Olley on vocals and guitars, James Flower on keyboards, Sam Hempton on guitar and Christian Davis on drums...
, Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
, Bardo Pond
Bardo Pond
Bardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London based label Fire Records. The current members are Michael Gibbons , John Gibbons , Isobel Sollenberger , Clint Takeda , Jason Kourkonis , and Aaron Igler...
, Yume Bitsu
Yume Bitsu
Yume Bitsu , was a psychedelic rock/space rock band from Portland, Oregon active between 1995 and 2002.Their debut Giant Surface Music Falling to Earth Like Jewels From the Sky was self-released in 1998 and was re-released by BaBaBing! Records in 1999...
, 7% Solution, Lockgroove, Luna
Luna (band)
Luna was a dream pop/indie pop band formed in 1991 by Dean Wareham after the breakup of Galaxie 500, with Stanley Demeski and Justin Harwood...
, Windy & Carl
Windy & Carl
-Overview:Cited as "A leading light of the Michigan space-rock scene" by Allmusic, the minimalist group formed in 1993 around the core husband-and-wife duo of guitarist Carl Hultgren and bassist/singer Windy Weber...
, Five Way Mirror, The Third Eye Foundation, American Analog Set, Black Mountain
Black Mountain
-Australia:*Black Mountain , a mountain in Canberra*Black Mountain, New South Wales, a village in Guyra Shire, New South Wales*Black Mountain, Queensland, a small town in Queensland...
, Flying Saucer Attack
Flying Saucer Attack
Flying Saucer Attack was an experimental space rock band that formed in Bristol, England in 1992. David Pearce was the core member of the group, and Rachel Brook was a member for most of the band's lifetime....
, Asteroid No. 4, The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American eclectic musical group led by Anton Newcombe, whose music spans multiple genres including psychedelia, electronica, folk music, blues, experimental music, and many others....
, Colorsound, The Warlocks
The Warlocks
The Warlocks are an American rock band based out of Los Angeles. Their music has been defined as neo-psychedelia, but much of it spans multiple genres.-Music:...
, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for their garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia sound. They are influenced by bands such as: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, T...
, The Morning After Girls
The Morning After Girls
The Morning After Girls are an Australian neo-psychedelia band. The group was originally formed in Melbourne, Victoria around 2003 by founding members Sacha Lucashenko and Martin B. Sleeman , who relocated the group to New York City in 2008...
, Scarling, and Wooden Shjips
Wooden Shjips
Wooden Shjips is a space rock/psychedelic rock band from San Francisco, USA.Their sound has been described as experimental, minimalist, drone rock, and "spacey psychedelic rock". They have been compared to Suicide, The Velvet Underground, The Doors, Soft Machine and Guru Guru...
.
"Hordes of bands would rank Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3 album)
Playing With Fire is the penultimate studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single...
[Spacemen 3's third studio album] as the equal (or better) of psychedelia's '60s/'70s forebears" (Ned Raggett, AllMusic). It represented "a blueprint for the next generation of ambient drone, space rock acts" (Laura Hightower).
In 1998, a tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
to Spacemen 3 was released by the Rocket Girl label. A Tribute To Spacemen 3 included covers by bands such as Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
, Low
Low (band)
Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
, Bowery Electric
Bowery Electric
Bowery Electric was an American indie band formed in New York's East Village in 1992 by Lawrence Chandler and Martha Schwendener.-Music:Bowery Electric's music defies easy classification...
and Bardo Pond
Bardo Pond
Bardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London based label Fire Records. The current members are Michael Gibbons , John Gibbons , Isobel Sollenberger , Clint Takeda , Jason Kourkonis , and Aaron Igler...
. The album liner notes stated: "There are so many current bands who draw their influences from Spacemen 3 that now seems an appropriate time to show tribute to this underrated band."
In 2004, US journalist Erik Morse
Erik Morse
Erik Morse , is an American underground author, rock writer and journalist.Morse was born and grew up in the small town of Conroe, Texas near a farm site where Beat writers Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs once lived in the 1940s...
's biography of the band’s life and work, Spacemen 3 & The Birth of Spiritualized, was published.
Discography
Note: Dates indicate original year of release.Singles & EPs
- "Walkin' With Jesus" (Glass) 1986
- "Transparent RadiationTransparent Radiation-Spacemen 3:*Sonic Boom – vocals, guitar, producer*Jason – guitar, vocals, organ, producer*Bassman – bass*Rosco – drums...
" (Glass) 1987 - "Take Me To The Other SideTake Me To The Other Side-Spacemen 3:*Sonic Boom – vocals, guitar, producer*Jason – guitar, vocals, organ, producer*Pete "Bassman" Bain - bass guitar*Rosco – drums-Additional personnel:*Alex Green - saxophone*Mick Manning - trumpet*Graham Walker - engineer...
" (Glass) 1988 - "Revolution" (Fire) 1988
- (untitled) aka "Threebie 3" (Fierce) 1989 [Special limited edition, mail order offer with
Melkweg
The Melkweg is a popular music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is located on the Lijnbaansgracht, near the Leidseplein, a prime nightlife center of Amsterdam. It is housed in a former warehouse and is divided into a number of spaces of varying sizes...
gig, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, 1988, excluded from Performance album]
Hypnotized (Spacemen 3 song)
12" and CDS -Spacemen 3:*Sonic Boom – vocals, guitar, keyboards, producer*Jason – guitar, vocals, organ, producer*Willie - bass*Jon – drums-Additional personnel:*Alex Green - saxophone*Owen John- violin*Paul Adkins - engineer...
" (Fire) 1989 - UK #85
Big City (Spacemen 3 song)
12" CDS Remix 12" -Spacemen 3:*Sonic Boom – vocals, guitar, keyboards, producer*Jason – guitar, vocals, organ, producer*Will Carruthers - bass*Jon Mattock – drums...
" (Fire) 1991 - UK #88
Studio albums
Sound of Confusion
1994 re-issue bonus tracks...
(Glass) 1986 The Perfect Prescription
The Perfect Prescription
1989 re-issue Adds b-sides from the "Take Me To The Other Side" single as bonus tracks:1995 re-issue Adds two tracks from the "Walkin' With Jesus" single and the Transparent Radiation EP as bonus tracks:...
(Glass) 1987
Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3 album)
Playing With Fire is the penultimate studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single...
(Fire) 1989
Recurring (album)
Recurring was the fourth and final Spacemen 3 studio album, finally released in February 1991, some time after the band had broken up...
(Fire) 1991 - UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#46
Live albums
Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music
2004 re-issue -References:...
(Cheree) 1990 ['An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music' performance at Waterman Art Centre, London, 1988] Live In Europe 1989 (Space Age) / Spacemen Are Go! (Bomp!) 1995 [recorded during 1989 European tour]
Compilation albums Translucent Flashbacks - The Glass Singles
Translucent Flashbacks - The Singles
Translucent Flashbacks is a compilation album released in 1995 and combines the first three Spacemen 3 singles and all their B-sides. The singles which were released on Glass Records between 1986 & 1988 are "Walkin' With Jesus", Transparent Radiation EP and "Take Me To The Other Side".Different...
(Fire) 1995 [First three singles]
Special re-release albums Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3 album)
Playing With Fire is the penultimate studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single...
(Space Age) 1999 [Playing with Fire plus alternate versions etc from same sessions; double CD] Forged Prescriptions
Forged Prescriptions
Forged Prescriptions is a 2-CD album by Spacemen 3, containing the entirety of their album The Perfect Prescription as well as alternate and demo versions of the same songs, and some previously unreleased tracks....
(Space Age) 2004 [Perfect Prescription alternate mixes plus alternate versions etc from same sessions; double CD]
Unofficial albums
Notes re: releases since band disbanded
In the two decades following the break-up of Spacemen 3, a large amount of previously unreleased recordings has been released, adding significantly to the Spacemen 3 canon. This material includes: live recordings; demos; earlier iterations of certain songs; alternate versions of many songs; some unfinished work; and some entirely previously unreleased songs. These releases have been both official and unofficial, and some have been issued by the Kember/Palmer-affiliated label Space Age Recordings.
Losing Touch with Your Mind, an unofficial release of 1991, was a compilation of alternate song versions and rare releases. The 1993 re-release of Dreamweapon
Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music
2004 re-issue -References:...
on the Sympathy For The Record Industry label - which included the intriguing live 44-minute Eastern-inspired drone music
Drone music
Drone music is a minimalist musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained or repeated sounds, notes, or tone-clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics...
performance at the Waterman Art Centre, Hammersmith, London, of August 1988 - was augmented with a previously unreleased recording of a jam.
1995 saw the unofficial release of the band's first demo tape: For All the Fucked Up Children of This World We Give You Spacemen 3. Dating to 1984, this provided an interesting insight into the band's earliest work and "rougher" sound. These recordings pre-dated the other early demos previously made available on the 1990 unofficial, Father Yod release entitled Taking Drug to Make Music to Take Drugs To.
The 1994 re-release of the Taking Drug to Make Music to Take Drugs To (Northampton Demos) album included several previously unreleased alternate song versions and other bonus tracks.
Two live albums were released in 1995: Live In Europe 1989 (also released in 1995 as Spacemen Are Go! on the Bomp! label, but without 'Take Me to the Other Side' and an alternate take of 'Suicide') which represented the first release of the band's live work from their lengthy 1989 contintental tour; and Revolution or Heroin, a bootleg of performances from the band's 1988 gig at the University of London Students Union. The former has been described as "far better than the more ragged earlier Spacemen 3 live album, 1988's Performance (Stewart Mason, AllMusic).
In 1999, Spacemen 3's third studio album, Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3 album)
Playing With Fire is the penultimate studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single...
, was given a special, 10th-anniversary re-release. This official double disc release comprised all the original recordings together with previously unreleased alternate versions, demos and covers (e.g. The Perfect Disaster's "Girl on Fire" and The Troggs' "Anyway That You Want Me") from the same studio sessions. This re-release has been described as the "definitive" version of the Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3 album)
Playing With Fire is the penultimate studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single...
album.
In 2004, Spacemen 3's second studio album, The Perfect Prescription
The Perfect Prescription
1989 re-issue Adds b-sides from the "Take Me To The Other Side" single as bonus tracks:1995 re-issue Adds two tracks from the "Walkin' With Jesus" single and the Transparent Radiation EP as bonus tracks:...
, was also given the special re-release treatment. The double disc official release, entitled Forged Prescriptions
Forged Prescriptions
Forged Prescriptions is a 2-CD album by Spacemen 3, containing the entirety of their album The Perfect Prescription as well as alternate and demo versions of the same songs, and some previously unreleased tracks....
, comprised alternate mixes of the original album tracks together with previously unreleased alternate versions, demos and covers (e.g. The Spades' "We Sell Soul" and The Troggs' "I Want You") from the same studio sessions. Kember's liner notes explain that the alternative mixes represent the more multi-layered versions which he and Pierce agreed not to use because they would be unable to satisfactorily reproduce their sound live.
A bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
called the Out of it Sessions comprises demo recordings of early iterations of songs from The Perfect Prescription
The Perfect Prescription
1989 re-issue Adds b-sides from the "Take Me To The Other Side" single as bonus tracks:1995 re-issue Adds two tracks from the "Walkin' With Jesus" single and the Transparent Radiation EP as bonus tracks:...
album.
In 2005, Kember produced and released his own limited edition, double disc album, How the Blues Should've Turned Out. This wholly comprised previously unreleased material, including alternate versions, rough demos, unfinished work, etc.
See also
- SpiritualizedSpiritualizedSpiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
- Sonic BoomPeter KemberPeter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
- Spectrum
- E.A.R.
- DarksideThe DarksideThe Darkside were an indie rock band formed in 1989 by former members of Spacemen 3. After releasing two studio albums they split up in 1993.-History:...
- SlipstreamSlipstream (band)Slipstream were formed in 1994 after Mark Refoy left Spiritualized. The band consisted of Ian Anderson on guitar, Gary Lennon on bass, Steve Beswick on drums and occasional appearances from Jonny Mattock who had also stopped drumming for Spiritualized later that year...
Sources
}}Further reading
Biographies:- Morse, Erik (2005). Spacemen 3 & the Birth of Spiritualized
Discographies (detailed):
- Record Collector magazine, Issue 285, May 2003 - Spacemen 3 feature. (original version available online here: http://www.spacemen3.co.uk/pages/recordcollector/rcspacemen.htm).
Selected interviews:
- Forced Exposure magazine, Issue 14, Autumn 1988 - article by Nigel Cross and Byron Coley and interviews with Peter Kember 1987/88.
- Conflict, Issue 48, Summer 1988 - interview with Peter Kember.
- Melody Maker, 19/11/1988 edition - interview with Peter Kember.
- NME, 29/7/1989 edition - interview with Peter Kember.
- Sounds, 09/02/1991 edition - John Robb article and interviews with Peter Kember and Jason Pierce.
- Vox, April 1991 edition - Stephen Dalton article and interviews with Peter Kember and Jason Pierce.
- 3:AM Magazine, October 2002 - interview with Peter Kember. http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/taking-drugs-to-make-music-to-take-drugs-to/
External links
- Sonic Boom’s official website
- Spiritualized official website
- Spacemen 3 fan website, www.spacemen3.co.uk 'I have a Passion Sweet Lord...'
- Spacemen 3 fan website/blog
- Spacemen 3 message board section on official Spiritualized website
- Reaction of Peter Kember to Erik Morse's Spacemen 3 biography. 3:AM Magazine, 10/04/2004.http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/for-all-the-fucked-up-children-of-this-world/
- Televised interview with Spacemen 3 on Transmission (Channel 4), c. 1989 (Youtube video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uJj7mWqI7E
- Televised interview with Spacemen 3, c. 1989 (Youtube video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fld9tHcJW38&feature=related
- Televised interview with Spacemen 3 on Rapido (BBC2), c. 1991 (Youtube video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMBcKTNm7XQ