Pale Saints

All Music Guide:

Ethereal pop band the Pale Saints formed in Leeds, England, in 1987. Ian Masters (bass/vocals), Chris Cooper (drums), and Graeme Naysmith (guitar) were signed by Ivo Watts-Russell to his 4AD label on the strength of their first London appearance. The three-song Barging into the Presence of God was released two years later, receiving praise for its lead track, the melancholy "Sight of You" (which was later covered by Oxford's Ride for a radio session). In 1990, the debut LP The Comforts of Madness appeared in the bins, produced separately by Gil Norton (Echo & the Bunnymen, Pixies) and John Fryer (Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode). Categorized within the current shoegaze scene with My Bloody Valentine and Lush, the billowy Comforts of Madness had just about all the features of the subgenre, as well as a bizarre experimental bent. Masters' boyish vocals also stood out, not needing any production treatments to carry a wispy, levitational quality.

Meriel Barham, who was thanked for guitars and vocals on 1990's Half Life single, joined as a full member by the end of the year. Barham had been Lush's original vocalist (when they were calling themselves the Babymakers), recording a demo that was viewed as awful by all parties involved. The Pale Saints had been performing with a second guitarist, but wanted a permanent fourth member. Lush's Miki Berenyi suggested Barham to the band, and they obliged. Ace producer Hugh Jones lent his skills for 1992's In Ribbons. Yet another Bunnymen associate (the Pale Saints were obviously big fans of them, though you wouldn't know from their recordings), Jones captured a power and liveliness that Norton and Fryer didn't provide. Stronger musically and sound-wise, In Ribbons was another excellent album, though it sacrificed some of the band's original charms and quirks in favor of more pop accessibility. This and a growing disdain for touring led to Masters' departure in 1993. The remaining members replaced him with session hand and former Heart Throbs bassist Colleen Browne.

Many were surprised that the band continued, especially under the same name; mainly due to Masters' twists on facts and fun with the press, the Pale Saints were considered his band. Interviews with the later lineup would reveal that the band was more of a democratic process than originally perceived. Obviously -- why would Masters leave a band that he had control over to gain more control? Continuing their allegiance with Hugh Jones, 1994's Slow Buildings ended up being the band's final album. Lacking from the absence of Masters, the album also lacked focus. After touring, the band called it quits prior to 1997. The eccentric Masters continued to work under a vast array of guises, most notably paring up with A.C. Temple's Chris Trout for Spoonfed Hybrid and His Name Is Alive's Warren Defever for the lovely ESP Summer. Cooper and Naysmith continued with Lorimer, and Browne resumed her utility work for the likes of Warm Jets and Rialto.

Wikipedia:

Pale Saints were a British alternative rock band formed in 1987 by Ian Masters (bass/vocals), Graeme Naysmith (guitar), and Chris Cooper (drums) in Leeds, England. The group began as a jangly indie pop band, influenced by Primal Scream's early sound.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

History[edit]

By the time they recorded their first EP, Barging Into the Presence of God released in 1989, the band went into a direction that displayed a mix of Ian Masters' choirboy-like vocals along with dark atmospheric and noisy pop tunes. Ashley Horner from Edsel Auctioneer briefly joined the band on guitar in the same year. The band was signed to 4AD Records records after their first London show, by the label's chief Ivo Watts-Russell.

The group's first album, The Comforts of Madness, was released in 1990, and reached the top 40 of the UK Albums Chart. The album's tracks were produced by John Fryer and Gil Norton. The album includes a cover version of "Fell From the Sun" by Opal.

In late 1990, Meriel Barham, the original vocalist of Lush, joined the band as second guitarist and vocalist. Barham contributed backing vocals and guitars to the Half-Life EP, then joined permanently for the Nancy Sinatra cover "Kinky Love", which gave the band a minor hit single as part of Flesh Balloon EP. In 1992 the band recorded their second full-length album, In Ribbons, which was produced by Hugh Jones. Ian Masters left the band in 1993. Former Heart Throbs bassist Colleen Browne joined afterwards.

Sticking with producer Hugh Jones, the group released the EP Fine Friend in mid-1994 followed by their third album Slow Buildings.

The group toured Europe and the United States in late autumn of 1994. Their final studio recording was a version of "Jersey Girl" for the Tom Waits tribute album Step Right Up. Meriel Barham departed in September 1995 and the group eventually disbanded in 1996.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

Post-band projects[edit]

Masters continues to create music, often of an experimental nature. His first project after Pale Saints was Spoonfed Hybrid with former A.C. Temple member Chris Trout. They released their self-titled debut album in 1993, and their second album, Hibernation Shock was released in 1996. In 1994, Masters teamed up with His Name Is Alive auteur Warren Defever and they began to release music as ESP Summer. In autumn 1998, Masters released a 7-inch EP under the name Friendly Science Orchestra entitled Miniature Album, which became an NME 'Single of the Week'. As of 2005, Masters lived in Japan. His current projects, including Wingdisk with Mark Tranmer of Gnac and The Montgolfier Brothers, can be viewed on his website, The Institute of Spoons.

Naysmith and Cooper formed Lorimer, and later continued working together in the Leeds band The Terminals. The band released a single in December 2006, entitled "Dictator" on Double Dragon Records. The band changed name again to Cyanide Pills and by 2011 had released 5 singles and 1 album on Damaged Goods Records. Naysmith and Cooper are currently working on a new project of atmospheric instrumental music under the name The Program.

Barham has gone on to record melodic electronica under the name Kuchen. She has released two albums on the Karaoke Kalk label: Kids with Sticks in 2001 and the collaboration Kuchen Meets Mapstation in 2003 with Stefan Schneider of To Rococo Rot (who also records as Mapstation).

Horner is a film producer based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Browne went on to play with Warm Jets, Rialto, and White Hotel before briefly returning to Canada in 2001, then relocating to San Francisco in 2002. There she played with local rock noir chanteuse Rykarda Parasol, appearing on her "Here She Comes" EP and "Our Hearts First Meet" album.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).

Equipment[edit]

Guitar Rig & Signal Flow[edit]

A detailed gear diagram of Graeme Naysmith's 1991 Pale Saints guitar rig is well-documented.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist}} template (see the help page).