Primal Scream facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Primal Scream
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Primal Scream performing in Southampton in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
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| Members |
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Primal Scream is a Scottish rock band. It was started in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (who sings) and Jim Beattie (who plays guitar). The band's current members are Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums). Barrie Cadogan has also played with the band since 2006.
Primal Scream played live from 1982 to 1984. But they became more famous after Bobby Gillespie left his role as drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain. The band was important in the indie pop music scene in the mid-1980s. Later, they changed their sound. They added more garage rock influences. Then, they mixed in dance music with their 1991 album, Screamadelica. This album made them very popular. The band has kept trying out different music styles. They have explored blues, trip hop, and industrial rock. Their latest album, Chaosmosis, came out in 2016.
The Band's Journey
How Primal Scream Started (1982–1984)
Bobby Gillespie grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. He met Robert Young at school. Bobby and his friend Alan McGee loved punk rock. They joined a punk band called The Drains in 1978. Andrew Innes was also in that band. The Drains didn't last long. Andrew and Alan moved to London, but Bobby stayed in Glasgow.
After punk music changed, Bobby felt bored with new music styles. He met another school friend, Jim Beattie. They started making "noise tapes" together. Bobby would hit dustbin lids, and Jim played guitar. They soon began playing songs by other bands. Then, they wrote their own songs. Bobby said the band "didn't really exist" at first. They called themselves Primal Scream. This name comes from a type of cry used in a therapy called primal therapy. Primal Scream played their first live show in 1982.
First Albums and New Sounds (1984–1989)
Their first song was "The Orchard." After this, Bobby Gillespie joined The Jesus and Mary Chain as their drummer. He played in both bands for a while. Primal Scream then added more members. Robert Young joined on bass, Stuart May on guitar, Tom McGurk on drums, and Martin St. John on tambourine. This group signed with Creation Records. They released their first single, "All Fall Down," which people liked.
Bobby was later asked to choose between Primal Scream and The Jesus and Mary Chain. He chose Primal Scream. Stuart May left and Paul Harte joined. The band released "Crystal Crescent." Its B-side, "Velocity Girl," was on a famous music collection called C86. This made them linked to the "C86" music scene. However, the band didn't like this. Bobby said other bands in that scene "can't play their instruments."
The band toured in 1986. Bobby felt their shows were missing something. They signed with a new record label, Elevation Records. Before recording their first album, their drummer Tom McGurk left. They used other musicians to help record. The recording sessions were stopped.
Paul Harte was then replaced by Andrew Innes. They found a new drummer, Gavin Skinner. With this new group, they recorded their first album, Sonic Flower Groove. It cost a lot of money to make. The album reached number 62 on the UK charts. But many reviews were not good. This caused problems in the band. Jim Beattie and Gavin Skinner left.
The band, now Bobby, Andrew, and Robert Young, moved to Brighton. Robert switched to guitar. They got a new bassist, Henry Olsen, and a new drummer, Phillip "Toby" Tomanov. They changed their music style. It became more like hard rock. Bobby said they "had found rock 'n' roll." They signed with Creation Records again. They released a new single, "Ivy, Ivy, Ivy." This was followed by their album, Primal Scream. This new sound got mixed reviews. Many old fans were confused by the change.
Becoming Famous with Screamadelica (1990–1992)
The band discovered acid house music in 1988. At first, they weren't sure about it. But they started to like it and went to raves. They met DJ Andrew Weatherall at a rave. He was given a song called "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have" to remix. Weatherall added a drum beat and samples from other songs. The new song, "Loaded," became a big hit. It reached number 16 in the UK. Another single, "Come Together," also did well.
The band went into the studio with Andrew Weatherall and other producers. Martin Duffy joined as a full-time keyboard player. They released two more singles, "Higher Than The Sun" and "Don't Fight It, Feel It." The album Screamadelica was released in late 1991. It got great reviews and was a commercial success. It reached number eight in the UK charts. The album won the first Mercury Music Prize.
The band toured to support the album. They played at the Glastonbury festival.
Give Out But Don't Give Up (1992–1995)
The band started working on their fourth album in 1992. In March 1994, the first song from the new album, "Rocks," came out. It was their highest-charting single, reaching number seven in the UK. The album Give Out But Don't Give Up was released in May. Reviews were mixed. Some liked the band's new sound, which was influenced by The Rolling Stones. Others thought it was not very original. Two more singles, "Jailbird" and "(I'm Gonna) Cry Myself Blind," were released.
During the tour for this album, the band members had disagreements. Their tour in America, where they supported Depeche Mode, was very difficult. After the tour, the band was quiet for a long time. Bobby Gillespie wasn't sure if the band would continue.
Vanishing Point and XTRMNTR (1996–2005)
After a break, the band came back with new members. Gary "Mani" Mounfield from The Stone Roses joined as the new bassist. Paul Mulraney became the new drummer. Mani joining helped the band feel excited again. They recorded the album in their own studio.
The music on this album was different. It had a complex dance and dub rhythm. It was darker but reminded some of Screamadelica. Some songs were inspired by the 1971 film Vanishing Point. Bobby Gillespie said they wanted to make a new soundtrack for the movie. The first single, "Kowalski," came out in May 1997. It reached number 8 in the UK. The album, Vanishing Point, was released in July. It helped the band become popular again. It got good reviews. The song from the film Trainspotting also helped the band's fame.
The band planned a tour, but had to delay it. This made people wonder if there were problems. Before the tour started, Paul Mulraney left. They had to use a drum machine for a while. Later, they hired Darrin Mooney as their new drummer, and the shows improved.
In 1998, the band released the "If They Move, Kill 'Em" EP. This was their first time working with Kevin Shields. He later joined the band on tour and influenced their sound. After the album, a collection of remixes from Vanishing Point was released as Echo Dek.
The band then started recording their sixth album. They wanted a harsher and angrier sound. Many songs had strong messages about society. Bobby Gillespie said they wanted to show "What it's like to be in Britain in this day and age." The album had many guest musicians, including the Chemical Brothers and New Order's Bernard Sumner. Kevin Shields also became a regular member.
The first single from XTRMNTR, "Swastika Eyes," came out in November 1999. It was a hit, reaching number 22 in the UK. XTRMNTR itself did well, reaching number 3. Critics liked its strong messages. In 2009, NME magazine called XTRMNTR one of the top albums of the decade.
In 2000, the band began recording their seventh album, Evil Heat, which came out in 2002. This album was not as political as the last one. Kevin Shields produced several songs. Andrew Weatherall also worked with the band again. Kate Moss sang on the single "Some Velvet Morning." Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant also appeared on the album. In 2003, a collection of their best-known songs and remixes, Dirty Hits, was released.
In June 2005, Primal Scream played at the Glastonbury Festival. Bobby Gillespie was very energetic during the show.
New Albums and Changes (2006–present)
Bobby Gillespie said the band was writing "euphoric rock 'n' roll songs" for their next album. They wanted to capture the energy of their live shows. They chose Youth as their producer.
The album's first single, "Country Girl," was released in May 2006. It was played often on the radio and reached number 5, their highest chart position ever. The album Riot City Blues came out in June and reached number five on the UK Album Charts. Reviews were mixed.
The band toured the UK and Europe to support the album. They released their first DVD, Riot City Blues Tour, in August 2007. It showed clips of their London performance, music videos, and an interview.
In 2006, Robert Young left the band. He was replaced by Barrie Cadogan. Robert Young sadly passed away in September 2014.
After touring for Screamadelica in 2011, Gary Mounfield left the band. His original band, The Stone Roses, was getting back together. Debbie Googe joined as his replacement for a short time. Simone Butler then became the band's bassist in 2012.
Primal Scream played at The Stone Roses' concert in Manchester in June 2012.
The band's tenth album, More Light, was released in May 2013. It was produced by David Holmes. The first song from the album was "2013." The first single was "It's Alright, It's OK." This song was also used in the movie Freaks of Nature (2015). The second single was "Invisible City."
Their eleventh album Chaosmosis was released in March 2016.
In 2018, the band announced they would release older recordings. These were made for Give Out But Don't Give Up in 1993. In May 2019, the band released a third collection of songs, Maximum Rock'n'Roll : The Singles. It included seventeen songs from 1986 to 2016.
In 2022, Primal Scream played at the Victorious Festival in Portsmouth. The band also sold rights to half of their older songs to BMG.
Martin Duffy passed away in December 2022.
In May 2023, Primal Scream announced they would perform as a larger band for their upcoming shows. They added members from the House Gospel Choir for backing vocals, Alex White on saxophone, and Terry Miles on keyboards.
Band Members
Current Members
- Bobby Gillespie – lead singer (1982–present)
- Andrew Innes – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1987–present)
- Darrin Mooney – drums, percussion (1997–present)
- Simone Butler – bass guitar, keyboards, percussion (2012–present)
Touring Members
- Terry Miles – keyboards (2023–present)
- Alex White – saxophone (2023–present)
Former Members
- Robert "Throb" Young – bass (1982–1988), guitar, keyboards (1988–2006; died 2014)
- Jim Beattie – guitar, keyboards (1982–1987)
- Tom McGurk – drums (1982–1987)
- Stuart May – guitar (1985–1986)
- Paul Harte – guitar (1986)
- Martin St. John – tambourine (1986–1987)
- Dave Morgan – drums (1987)
- Gavin Skinner – drums (1987–1988)
- Henry Olsen – bass (1988–1995)
- Phillip "Toby" Toman – drums (1988–1995)
- Martin Duffy – keyboards, synths, turntables (1989–2022; died 2022)
- Denise Johnson – backing vocals, co-lead vocals (1990–1995; died 2020)
- Mani – bass (1996–2011)
- Paul Mulreany – drums, programming (1996–1997)
- Kevin Shields – guitar, keyboards (1998–2006; guest)
- Barrie Cadogan – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (2006–2015)
- Debbie Googe – bass (2012)
Timeline
Albums by Primal Scream
- Sonic Flower Groove (1987)
- Primal Scream (1989)
- Screamadelica (1991)
- Give Out But Don't Give Up (1994)
- Vanishing Point (1997)
- XTRMNTR (2000)
- Evil Heat (2002)
- Riot City Blues (2006)
- Beautiful Future (2008)
- More Light (2013)
- Chaosmosis (2016)
See Also
In Spanish: Primal Scream para niños
- List of bands from Glasgow
- List of Scottish musicians
