Primal Scream
Formed
Members
Bobby Gillespie (vocals), Jim Beattie (guitar, 1982-87), Robert Young (guitar, bass, 1984-2006), Thomas McGurk (drums, 1984-86), Martin St. John (percussion, 1985-87), Paul Harte (guitar, 1985-86), Stuart May (guitar, 1986), Andrew Innes (guitar, 1987-present), Gavin Skinner (drums, 1987), Henry Olsen (bass, 1988-95), Toby Toman (drums, 1988-94), Denise Johnson (vocals, 1990-95), Martin Duffy (keyboards, 1991-2022), Steve Sidelnyk (drums, 1994-95), Mani (bass, 1996-2011), Paul Mulreany (drums, 1997), Darrin Mooney (drums, 1997-present), Kevin Shields (guitar, 1999-2006), Jim Hunt (saxophone, 1999-?), Duncan Mackay (trumpet, 1999-?), Barrie Cadogan (guitar, 2006-present), Debbie Googe (bass, 2012), Simone Butler (bass, 2012-present)
Related Artists
British Meat Scene, Church of Raism, Faction, Hibee-Nation, My Bloody Valentine, Spirea X, Los Terrorpinos
Also Known As
PRMLSCRM
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Reverberations (Travelling in Time): BBC Radio Sessions & Creation Singles 1985-86 [archival, live sessions]
2023
Biography
Warming up for The Jesus and Mary Chain, the band in which Gillespie played drums from 1984 to 1986, Primal Scream played their first gig on October 11th, 1984. They signed to Creation Records, released a string of psychedelic singles from 1985 to 1987, and became a cult band. However, the band's debut album, Sonic Flower Groove (1987), was no success.
After the album, the original Primal Scream more or less disbanded. Gillespie, Young (now on guitar) and guitarist Andrew Innes moved to Brighton and reincarnated Primal Scream as a hard rock group. An eponymous album, released in 1989 and featuring pianist Martin Duffy (of Felt), was as un-notable as its predecessor. Around the same time, Primal Scream had discovered ecstasy and the Acid House scene.
In 1990, the band scored its first true hit with "Loaded", house DJ Andrew Weatherall's remix of a track from the previous album. With their subsequent recordings, Primal Scream combined rock and house, also adding elements from genres such as soul, disco, dub, and gospel. The album Screamadelica, released in 1991 and partly produced by Weatherall, was one of the most colourful albums of the era and marked their breakthrough.
After spending some years partying over the success, Primal Scream moved to Memphis and recorded Give Out But Don't Give Up (1994), featuring funk legend George Clinton. Far less original than Screamadelica, Give Out contained rock and roll with funk and Southern influences. It gave them one of their biggest hits, "Rocks". After that album, some members (the rhythm section and singer Denise Johnson) left the band or were fired, and Primal Scream was declared finished by the press.
With Gary "Mani" Mounfield of The Stone Roses on bass guitar, Primal Scream returned in 1997 with Vanishing Point, heavily influenced by Dub and Krautrock, and more experimental than Give Out. They began their collaboration with My Bloody Valentine mastermind Kevin Shields in 1998, and Shields had a strong influence on the following two albums.
Musically, XTRMNTR (2000) was their most complex album to date. Heavily electronic, it drew from free jazz and Detroit rock, and also had aggressive and political lyrics. Xtrmntr recieved generally positive reviews. Its follow-up, Evil Heat (2002), followed a relatively similar path.
After a hiatus of sorts, Primal Scream returned in 2006 with "Country Girl", their highest charting single yet. The following album, Riot City Blues, was another return to more traditional rock and roll, released to mixed reviews. The same year, longtime guitarist Robert "Throb" Young left the band. The band's ninth album, Beautiful Future, which was more of a pop album, was released in 2008, again to mixed reviews.
After a major tour, Mani revealed that he was leaving the band to rejoin the newly reformed Stone Roses in 2011. The band added Debbie Googe to the lineup for a short time, and replaced her with Simone Butler in 2012. The band's tenth album, More Light was released in 2013 to positive acclaim.
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