Whither Colourbox?

[reddragdiva]

Just been playing "The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme" on repeat. They submitted it as the 1986 England World Cup theme, it was rejected, they released it anyway. Weirdly plastic, but reeking of ambition. And you can tell Gillian Gilbert was familiar with it hearing her work for sport show soundtracks, which, of course, culminated in "World In Motion".

Colourbox were a primitive dance band in the '80s, trying to make music somewhat beyond the technology they had to hand. They dithered along on 4AD from 1982 until 1987. They finally had a big hit with "Pump Up The Volume", a collaboration with A.R. Kane under the name M|A|R|R|S. This tore the band apart; they said "we'll never record for 4AD again", 4AD said "you can't say that, you have a contract!" and they said "if you like." And they never released another note.

(A.R. Kane were similarly pissed off, but successfully decamped to Rough Trade.)

So. What the hell ever happened to them all?

• 4AD discography.
• Full discography including compilations and some promos.
• Discography with sleeve images.
• The Colourbox samples list.
• The M|A|R|R|S FAQ.

Comments

[trayce.livejournal.com]

I was always suprised they were even on 4AD - at the time, they just didn't seem to fit the 4AD canon, though I'm sure Ivo had plans of some sort :) When you take Colourbox and AR Kane seperately, MARRS seems like a very strange end result I must say.

Have you heard "Just Give 'em Whiskey" by colourbox? Its a great song.

Speaking of "wither 4AD bands", I do wonder where Dif Juz disappeared to. I mean, I know they did disappear - its a pity because they were bloody brilliant jazz musicians, doing something innovativewith the genre (shoegazer jazz!).

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Thing is, loads of 4AD bands weren't all that stereotypically 4ADish. You could even make a case that the best ones were the least obviously 4AD, especially if you're a mental Throwing Muses fan like myself.

[reddragdiva]

I think they had a sound. But the Throwing Muses came in for the second 4AD sound - when they transmuted into a guitar pop label in the late '80s. (Belly! Ultra Vivid Scene! P*x**s!)

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

I saw Belly play at WPI (the college I now work at) a year or so before they got big. They played a halloween show in masks, and it was a decent show, but they were assholes afterwards.

[reddragdiva]

I heard their first 12" knowing nothing at all about them, and was blown away by what a damn fine guitar pop record it was. Keep in mind that I was in Perth in the late '80s, which indie scene was the GODDAMN KING of guitar pop wonderment. So yeah, that was a really good rekerd.

[trayce.livejournal.com]

Yeah the first Belly album was nifty. They were shite live though. They had some metal band bass player chick barging around onstage like she was in L7 (and in fact I think she indeed went to L7 after belly, heh). Compared to the Muses, it was really dull. They played with Juliana Hatfield and she blew em off the stage.

[trayce.livejournal.com]

Agree totally, but I was thinking, as David pointed out, that at the time Colourbox were big(ish) there rather was "a sound" - cf the Lonely is an Eyesore compilation. It was after that, that the US influences etc came into play and we got the Muses, Pixies, Red House Painters etc.

And you're a mental Throwing Muses fan too? *gasp, swoon* :D Kristin is my HERO!

[reddragdiva]

I do believe you've nailed it: it was the 'Merkins.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Yep, you're right, twas the americans that changed them. For the better I think, at least initially. I really miss the late eighties/early nineties 4AD stuff, especially given the state of the label now. It's nice that they're putting out Mr Darn13ll3's records and that, but the rest of the current roster's looking a bit thin.

[zotz]

I take it we're all going to go see the Muses?

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

I was just reminded by this thread that I need to get a ticket. I think I'll go into Stargreen on Thursday and pick one up.

[zotz]

Excellent. I'll see you there, then. Annoyingly, the album isn't out until the next week.

[trayce.livejournal.com]

Dammit. I bet they aren't going to tour Australia, are they? I heard they were doing some reunion thing. &^%%#! Still, I've seen 'em live quite a few times, so I can live with that... *sobs quietly*

[zotz]

Hard to say. They said they weren't going to tour at all, but they've turned up.

[cybermuppet.livejournal.com]

I think you could probably ask the same sort of question for a great many band that were on 4AD.(was quite by coincidence listening to Lush earlier - another 4AD band)

On a related note, I can remember goint to see a Vaughen Oliver/V23 exhibition a few years ago. V23 did the graphic art for a lot of 4AD releases - certainly including The Pixies, Lush and many more. Quite amasing stuff which you might well miss as a CD cover, but when presented in a totally different environment of a gallery feels completely different.

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

The one track on Lonely is an eyesore doesn't really stand out in my memory, and that's really all I ever heard of them. Are their other albums worth a listen?

[reddragdiva]

Colourbox can be characterised as flawed but talented. The available recordings are the album, the mini-album and the compilation; you'd probably find the compilation of sufficient interest to be happy to have bought it.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Hem-hem, isn't it Colorbox? Or is this just the result of me remembering a hilarious IRC conversation which occured several years ago and therefore distorting the fax?

Probably the former.

HAHA YOU INDIE SADDOES HAHA!

[reddragdiva]

No, no, definitely spelt propahly. 'U' and everything.

"HAHA YOU INDIE SADDOES HAHA!"

At least we're not goths. Oh, hold on ...

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Teehee! Ensnared by your own wordz! Trapped! TRAPPED!!

There was some GOTH MUSIC being played in the pub last night, I did not recognise it despite the jeers of my peers (what a GREBT song title) so I have not CROSSED OVER to the dark side yet thank gothnessI mean GOODNESS!

[markeris.livejournal.com]

Colorbox+++

It`s nice to have records that you dither about putting in your ethereal or dub reggae collections.