Guest Writer: Someguy
Switching Genres, Overcoming Odds: Everything But The Girl
Posted by: steve | From: June 20, 2004
Okay, I don't want this to sound epic, but while creating 10 albums between 1982 and 2000, Tracy Thorne (12/06/62) and Ben Watt (09/26/62) of Everything But The Girl (EBTG) thoroughly confused their fans. They accomplished what many musicians could only dream: selling hundreds of thousands of albums, but somehow doing it in a way that challenged their listeners to journey with them through decades of inconsistency.
Initially releasing a smattering of albums consisting of what many consider to be "folksy-acoustic" but what I think to be "acid-jazz / light-jazz / female lead / adult contemporary," EBTG transitioned ungracefully at the end of their career toward female lead drum n' bass electronic with heavy house and ambient influences. It was in 1994 when the English duo released Amplified Heart and they garnered their first listen by many soon-to-be-fans, including myself. However, it wasn't until 1996 and their release of Walking Wounded that EBTG would thoroughly confound their following . . . and the WORLD. Influenced heavily by Massive Attack, Thorne was quoted as saying, "Even we got a bit bored with what we were doing [previous to Walking Wounded]. We felt, for the time being, we'd gone as far as we possibly could doing what we were doing. With this new material, it is like hearing a new group."
Indeed, Tracy, it is. Walking Wounded: totally a gateway album. Watt, on the brink of death due to a rare intestine disease, programmed beats and organized much of the science-music production of the album. Thorne added her classic vocals to the electronic mix in a less-ben-gibbard/more-mia-doi-todd fashion and Walking Wounded was in the can. However, it didn't sell compared to the previous outings of easy listening that the couple had bequeathed to the public.
Yet, the faux inaccessibility thought harrowing and scandalous by many proved breathtakingly necessary by at-the-time novice electronic music listeners like me. To this day I listen to this album several times per week. I have secret friends whom I identify with in relation to this album, this band.
Ben Watt is still alive. He only has three feet of intestine left. Everything But The Girl produced one follow-up to Walking Wounded called Tempremental, after which the group decided - amicably - to work on other projects. Watt co-founded the West London night club, Lazy Dog, where he was rumored to DJ on a regular rotation. He now runs a record label called Buzzin' Fly Records, which seems to focus on saxophone-based electronica. The group, graciously, has left their amazingly vintage website online.
When I started listening to EBTG, I had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Somehow listening to this band in my headphones in hospital rooms and reading Ben Watt's book about his fight with disease helped me think of music in a new way. Indeed, it helped me get more into experimentation in music. EBTG brought a mildly-progressive approach to electronic vocalist music that deserves recognition of being The Greatest Band of All Time.
Zac,
Yes. I believe that p:ano Nic told me about them, but I have failed to posses any albums or even hear samples. I am a little timid as well. Is this Tracey's first band? I got my 50-year-old white Republican boss into EBTG and he ended-up buying the whole discography. Thus, I have listened to some of their early, early solo work as well as their "acoustic" album which brings to mind a relaxed atmosphere live album with ben on guitar and tracey on a bar stool singing in what might be hammer pants. i find myself listening to these albums not nearly as regularly as the latter EBTG material, but they are still incredibly informative.
Posted by: someguy at June 20, 2004 05:31 PM
yeah, Marine Girls is Tracey's first band—and I've heard it's akin to her pre-EBTG solo record—but supposedly better. can't really vouch for it, though.
Posted by: zac at June 20, 2004 06:54 PM
zac i think with your affinity for girls groups you would love the marine girls.I too love tracy's solo album. i used to buy every used copy of it i could find and give it to people but then it got reissued. oh i highly reccomend what i think is the very first release of ebtg which is a 12" single on cherry records with a cover of "night and day". so so so good.
Posted by: curt at June 21, 2004 09:39 AM
the early records don't sound 'adult contemporary'... not unless you think bossanova (antonio carlos jobin & stan getz style) is 'adult contemporary'.
furthermore, tracey guested with the style council on their first proper albumn. that is so solid.
the early stuff is where it's at.. although tracey's voice has gotten so good with the years. apparently, she's raising a family now, and no more records are forthcoming. damn.
Posted by: rick at June 21, 2004 08:38 PM
dear rick, please be nice to our guest writers. greatest band of all time is clearly entirely subjective.
your comments are appreciated and welcomed. just gotta have my guest writers back.
Posted by: Steve Schroeder at June 21, 2004 08:45 PM
Oh, dude, yeah. Gosh, I didn't mean "adult contemporary" to be a negative description. Moreover, I meant it to highlight the differences in their early work vs. their beatz work. Also, I listen to much of this a.c. music. In fact, I am listening to EBTG's Acoustic album right now and it is crazy a.c. I am sorry if you are offended by what I consider to be a certain genre. That was not my intention. Writing about music is weird like that. Being positive is good.
Posted by: someguy at June 23, 2004 09:26 AM
The best ever - but where have they gone now? Lost their way in my opinion - would love them to go back a few years
Posted by: steve hurry at June 7, 2005 06:45 AM
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Hey Someguy, are you into Marine Girls? They've been recommended to me a half-dozen times, but I've never had the guts to buy the album.
Posted by: zac at June 20, 2004 12:40 PM