Sidi Bou Said (band)

Sidi Bou Said were a London-based alternative rock band, who existed during the 1990s, formed by Claire Lemmon, Lee Howton, Gayl Harrison and Melanie Woods.^[1] Their music combined an indie rock/folk sound with complex arrangements and literate lyrics. They were often compared to Throwing Muses and the Pixies, with whom they shared a taste for sometimes uncomfortable lyrical themes - murder, religion, the workings of the human body and surrealist stories and films. Their name comes from a town in Tunisia.

Sidi Bou Said's debut album was produced by Tim Friese-Greene. Their next two albums were produced by members of Cardiacs, and they were regular contributors to their stage shows and recordings. In 2001, they briefly reformed, with an additional guitarist under the name Tetra, and played a one-off reunion gig as Sidi Bou Said on 15 December 2005 at The Water Rats, London.

Discography

Albums

• Broooch (1993 Ultimate Records TOPPLP005/TOPPCD005) The first 1000 LPs came with a free 7 inch "Vapona" / "River Man" - TOPPLP005S
  • "Urge" / "My Cat is my Bridesmaid" / "Handstand" / "Goblin Market" / "Thing" / "Glassmouth" / "Taste" / "Terrible Secret" / "Mary Mary" / "Dracula" / "Three Sides" / "Fallow"
• Bodies (1995 Ultimate Records TOPPLP034/TOPPCD034) The first 1000 LPs came in a gatefold sleeve with lyrics - TOPPLP034S
  • "Hyde" / "Practise Walking" / "Wormee/Magnet" / "Bovary" / "Big Yellow Taxidermist" / "Ode To Drink" / "Brittle" / "Lefthanded" / "Slitty Gap" / "Nurse" / "Sicky Vomit"
• Entertain (1995 Ultimate Records TOPPMLP040) Limited edition LP recorded live at The Garage, London 31 August 1995
  • "Buzz" / "Magnet" / "Slitty Gap" / "Goblin Market" / "Ode To Drink" / "Big Yellow Taxidermist"
• Obsessive (1997 Ultimate Records TOPPLP053/TOPPCD053)
  • "Obsessive" / "Like You" / "Stopper" / "Funnybody" / "Zazie (Dans Le Metro)" / "Minotaur" / "Harold and Maude" / "Bridge Song" / "Bella" / "Rat King" / "Seams Undone" / "20,000 Horses"
  • The CD was packaged in a jewel case that has a small six-sided die in the spine. The CD booklet folds out so that the lyrics & album information are on one side, and on the back is a game board for "OBSESSIVE: A game of death and paranoia for 2 to 6 players". There is also an insert with 6 rat-shaped playing pieces you can cut out for playing the game.

Singles

• "Twilight Eyes" (1993 Ultimate Records TOPP014)
• "Buzz" / "Faster" on limited edition 7 inch/CD; c/w Buzz/Faster/Glow-Worm (live) on 12 inch
• "Three Sides" (1993 Ultimate Records TOPP017)

c/w Romp on 7 inch; c/w Romp/Wild on 12 inch/CD

• "Thing" (1994 Ultimate Records TOPP023)
• c/w Lukewarm on 7 inch; c/w Lukewarm/These Things on CD
• "Wormee" (1995 Ultimate Records TOPP031)

c/w Throwing Myself Off A Building (acoustic)/On My Tongue (acoustic)/My Secret Garden (acoustic) on 10 inch; c/w Slitty Gap/Throwing Myself Off A Building (acoustic) on CD

• "Ode To Drink" (1995 Ultimate Records TOPP037)

c/w Faster (acoustic) on 7 inch; c/w Blood/Faster (plus vite) on CD

• "Funnybody" (radio edit) (1996 Ultimate Records TOPP050)

c/w Red Bus Rover on 7 inch picture disc; c/w Fishy/Funnybody on CD

• "Like You" (1997 Ultimate Records TOPP057)

c/w Obsessive/New Skin/Long, Long, Long on CD1; c/w Obsessive/Head in Sand/Sylvie on CD2

References