Voice of the Beehive
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1986) - Mark Bedford -- bass - Melissa Brooke Belland -- vocals - Martin Brett (aka Brett Martini) -- bass - Tracey Byrn Belland -- vocals, rhythm guitar - Mike Jones -- guitar - Daniel Woodgate -- drums, percussion
line up 2 (1986-1992) - Melissa Brooke Belland -- vocals NEW - Martin Brett (aka Brett Martini) -- bass (replaced Mark Bedford) - Tracey Byrn Belland -- vocals, rhythm guitar - Mike Jones -- guitar - Daniel Woodgate -- drums, percussion
line up 2 (1992-96) - Melissa Brooke Belland -- vocals - Tracey Byrn Belland -- vocals, rhythm guitar
supporting musicians (1995) - Jolyon Dixon -- guitar - Caroline Lavelle -- cello - KeithMoore -- guitar - Stuart Ross -- drums, percussion - Steve Sidelnyk -- percussion - Peter-JohnVettese -- keyboards - John Wakefield -- bass
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- Butterfield 8 (Mark Bedford) - Madness (Mark Bedford and Daniel Woodgate) - Brett Martini (solo efforts)
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Genre: rock Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Honey Lingers Company: London Catalog:
77036 Country/State: US/UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: -- Catalog ID: -- Price: --
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"Honey Lingers" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Monsters and Angels (Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 3:38 rating; **** stars If you are ever looking for an example of "ear candy" then slap 'Monsters and Angels' on your turntable. A sterling example of a top-40 tune (that somehow escaped mainstream success), the tune had everything that late-'90s radio should have been looking for - criminally catchy melody; sweet vocals and just enough crunch to keep it from being sappy. 2.) Adonis Blue (Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 3:40 rating; **** stars 'Adonis Blue' showed the sisters could toughen up their sound to compete with the best of their contemporaries - think first class Go-Gos, or The Bangles at their best. 3.) I Think I Love You (Tony Romeo) - 3:13 4.) Look At Me (Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 3:03 rating; **** stars While there simply aren't many bad Voice of the Beehive songs, I've always loved them when the hit the rock accelerator. Complete with plenty of jangle guitar and some hysterical lyrics, this was one of the classic performances. 5.) Beauty To My Eyes (Tracey Bryn) - 3:10 rating; **** stars Exemplified by the sweet ballad 'Beauty To My Eyes, Byrn could effortlessly teach a masters class in crafting the perfect pop song. Another one with a hook that buried itself into you head and would not leave.
(side 2) 1.) Just Like You (Martin Brett - Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 3:22 rating: *** stars Hum, when did I put on The B-52s album? Seriously, 'Just Like You' bore more than a passing resemblance to that band. In fact these guys were lucky to not have been slapped with an infringement suit by Fred Schneider and the rest of the band. 2.) Little Gods (Marvin Etzoni) - 2:37 rating: *** stars The album's one cover tune, as much as I love their pop moves, 'Little Gods' was a bit too much of a good thing. Offering a mix of '60s girl group and '90s pop, this was dangerous to diabetics. 3.) I'm Shooting Cupid (Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) -3:11 rating; **** stars In my humble opinion, I'm Shooting Cupid' was one of the band's best and overlooked performances. Sweet melody, irresistible refrain, wonderful vocals, and interesting lyrics ... what wasn't there to love? 4.) Say It (Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 2:28 rating; **** stars Jangle-rock at it's best and the lyrics were a hoot ("ignore my weakness for boys and noisy bands ." 5.) Perfect Place (Brooks - Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 3:33 rating: *** stars Another shimmering, radio-friendly pop tune with a lyric that should have made you reflect on life in generation. And yet it somehow came across as shallow and self-serving. But that angelic refrain ... It was released as a single with a slightly different arrangement. YouTube has the promotional video that was released with the single: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pJjzpxlzzc - 1981's 'Perfect Place' b/w 'Perfect Place' (London catalog number CDP 534) In the UK it was released as part of a four track, 10" EP: - 1981's 'Perfect Place' / 'Shine Away' b/w 'SIt Down (live) and 'Trust me' (live) (London catalog number LONT 312)
Brushing aside any concerns about a "sophomore slump," Honey Lingers was a rare achievement, an album in which virtually any song could have been a single. (It also boasts one of the most covertly sexy titles in recording history.) From the delightfully infectious "Monsters And Angels" to the introspective "Perfect Place," the beautiful melodies, harmonies, and production of the album are immediately apparent. Repeated listening also reveals complex lyrics, which, in contrast to their sweet sound, are at times quite biting. The follow up to "Monsters And Angels," the first single from the album, was a cover of "I Think I Love You," made famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) by the Partridge Family. The cover of the single featured a scene of infernal passion, and the 12" version of the song was called the "Orgy Mix." This theme was adopted for a short tour of the UK in 1991, playfully titled "Orgy Under The Underworld," a Bacchanalian festival of music and sex, the details of which are probably best left to the imagination...
 The last single from Honey Lingers was "Perfect Place," a mediation on altruism. Despite this kind outlook, the coming years would hold many difficulties for the band. Tracey and Melissa both faced the end of long-term relationships, the death of close friends, the loss of band members, and end of their association with London Records. Despite the series of misfortunes the band was enduring, they managed to contribute a version of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" to a 1993 EMI collection of covers of the song, collaborating with Jimmy Sommerville of the Bronski Beat and Communards. oney Lingers is the second album from alternative rock band Voice of the Beehive. Released in 1991 on London Records, the album earned positive reviews from music critics and was a success on U.S. college radio stations. The album peaked at #17 in the UK upon its debut on 24 August 1991,[2] and #68 in Australia in July 1992.[3] The first single, "Monsters and Angels", became the band's first entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #74.[4] It also was the band's second top-twenty single in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #17.[2] "Monsters and Angels" peaked at #72 on the Australian ARIA singles chart,[3] and was their sole top-ten single on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number eight.[5] The title of the album is a play on the words of the sexual act of cunnilingus. The album includes a cover version of The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You", which became their biggest hit in Australia, peaking at #12.[6] Track listing[edit]
Singles[edit]
Responding to a difficult promotional experience for Let It Bee, Voice of the Beehive ignored the ground they'd made in Britain and refocused their energies toward America. The result was 1991's Honey Lingers, a tighter, glossier sophomore LP periodically highlighted by absurd label interference. Where Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland's sugared harmonies were too insistent in the past, here the camp had been toned down and the band's approach to B-52's modern rock more accessible and likable. One had to wonder what "I'm Shooting Cupid" would sound like with its reportedly excised sped-up verses intact or how singles "Monsters and Angels" and "Perfect Place" would work without the warmth of the over-production. As it turned out, if much of the album was manipulated after the fact by an insecure label, it was one of the few times in indie pop history when the illusion of a band in full confidence suggested a greater importance than the reality. This 10 track album opens with the chugging guitar and beat of lead single Monsters And Angels. Sisters Tracey Bryn Belland andMelissa Brooke Belland soon arrive. Their delicately soft vocals work wonderfully well together on this gentle pop song. There’s moments that remind me of the softer moments of Shakespear’s Sister. I don’t remember this being a single, but it understandably fared well in 1991, reaching #17 in the UK, and becoming their biggest hit. A rapid round of snare drum introduces next track Adonis Blue, and it’s straight into guitars and vocals. Here, the duo make this song sound like something you’d find on a Heather Nova album. There’s some nice vocal harmonies in the chorus. The guitar is light enough to allow the sisters ample room to do plenty of soft ‘oooh‘s. This is quite a nice warm, summery song. Next up is second single I Think I Love You, a cover of The Partridge Family‘s 1970 debut single. The song is an inspired cover, and vocally the chorus is really catchy, but the rest of the song is quite difficult and downbeat. Legendary producer Don Was is in control here, and that more than likely helped this song find the success it did – a moderate hit at #25 – and it is the only song of theirs that I’d ever heard of. This is followed by Look At Me, which is a heavier more rock track, but it’s far catchier, and at times it makes me think of the kind of slightly punk pop chaos that you’d find in the B-52s. There’s some pretty fantastic roaring guitar in this track. Fifth track, Beauty To My Eyes is a nice gentle strum-along track. There’s plenty more here that reminds me of Heather Nova again, and also carries some slight country music nods. Whilst Tracey and Melissa’s vocals are dreamy, breathy, and light here, and the song is generally just ‘nice’, the song isn’t particularly catchy. Up next is Just Like You, which seems to have the B-52s Love Shack beats to it. There’s a great little riff at the start, and the it’s a great start for this up-beat pop song. This really should have been a single. It’s pop, catchy, and funky too. This is flawless. What feels like a saccharine 50’s cover, Little Gods isn’t. It was written by Marvin Etzioni (Lisa Loeb, Maria McKee, Dixie Chicks, Toad The Wet Sprocket amongst others) and it flows pretty well. The sisters make easy work of the slightly twee lyrics here, and the song lasts a mere 2m 37s. I’m Shooting Cupid follows this, opening like an R.E.M song (think Shiny Happy People). There’s plenty of space given to Tracy and Melissa to show off their vocal power, pitched against a wall of acoustic guitar and backing vocals. It’s definitely a grower, and by the time of the guitar solo in the middle, I was tapping my foot along and prepared for a sing-a-long chorus. Penultimate song Say It feels like the weakest song here. The vocals seem to be slightly muted, and the sister’s bandmates meander their way through the song. There’s a slight country music feeling to this, until the piano arrives at about 1m 40s, from which point the song seems to take on an extra strength and redeem itself. The album closes with third and final single Perfect Place. This is a much more gentle song, and a good choice to close the album with. Vocals really shine here, in solo and harmonies making this pop-lite song a bit of a contrast to some of the earlier tracks. This was their penultimate charting single in the UK, scraping in at #37. Over all, this album still stands up quite well, and there’s little here that feels dated or awkward to listen to 14yrs later. PWL producers Ian Curnow and Phil Harding joined the likes of Don Was on this album, which makes it feel odd that it didn’t fare as well as some of their other work. Still, it’s a nice enough album, that might have fared better with the single release of Just Like You, and more songs like it. WHERE ARE VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE NOW?Voice Of The Beehive continued to record and release singles after this album. Only one – 1995’s Angel Come Down single – charted in the UK, stalling at #103. Three further singles and album Sex & Misery from 1996 all failed to chart. The group disbanded in 1996.
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Genre: rock Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Sex & Misery Company: Discovery Catalog:
77036 Country/State: US/UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: -- Catalog ID: -- Price: -- |
It's a shame the music business and the buying public didn't turn Voice of the Beehive into massive stars.
Unfortunately for the band, 1996's "Sex & Misery" seems to have been one of those albums snake bitten from its inception. A series of business, personal and personnel issues saw work on the album repeatedly delayed. In fact, the album's working title was "Disastrous Relationships, Disillusionment, Depression & Death". On the business front, the band grew increasing frustrated with London Records which they saw as being unwilling to support them. Trying to escape their recording contract proved a long and painful experience. Simultaneously, on the personal front both Belland and Byrn were dealing with nasty breakups (check out the bitter 'Playing House' and the disturbing 'I'm Still In Love'). By the time it was completed and released, five years had gone by since the release of their previously album. Along with the extended delay went the ability to employee their band - bassist Martin Brent, guitarist Mike Jones, and drummer Daniel Woodgate (who returned to Madness) all handed in their notices, leaving Voice of the Beehive a duo built around Bryn and sister Belland. The extended break also cost the group much of their audience. Adding to their problems, having finally gotten out of their contract with London and signed with EastWest Records, they discovered their new label was no more supportive. The company floated a "test" CD single, but when it failed to sell, the company dropped Voice of the Beehive and pulling the plug on the album.
- 1996's 'Angel Come Down' b/w 'Inconsistencies' and 'Cartoon City' (EastWest catalog number YZ 973CD) # 86 UK pop charts
EastWest subsequently changed direction and released the album in the UK. but offered virtually no promotional support. Warner Brother's Discovery imprint released the album in the States, but again did little to support the collection, or the band and quickly dropped them from its record roster.
Produced
by Peter-John Vettese, 'Sex & Money" is one of those
"what-if" albums. Given the background circumstance in which
it was recorded, the fact Belland and Bryn were ab
"Sex & Misery" track listing: 1.) Scary Kisses (Tracey Bryn - Peter-John Vettese) - 4:12 rating: **** stars As good as anything in their earlier catalog, 'Scary Kisses' had everything you look for in a top-40 hit. The melody was mesmerizing. The vocals glistened. The title refrain hook was as sticky as flypaper. Pure ear candy. The song was one of two singles originally floated as a CD single prior to the album being released. You had to wonder why it met with public indifference. There was also an accompanying promotional video (which seeming simply recycled earlier videos): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=413tgSi5SCQ
- 1995's 'Scary Kisses' b/w 'You and Your Dumb Club' and 'Time On All Fours' (EastWest catalog number EW017CD) - 1996's 'Scary Kisses' b/w 'Blue In Paradise (Discovery catalog number 74528) # 77 US pop charts 2.) New Day (Melissa Brooke Belland - Tracey Bryn - Peter-John Vettese) - 4:05 3.) Angel Come Down (Tracey Bryn - Peter-John Vettese)- 3:54 rating: **** stars The harp opening made you wonder if you'd accidentally slipped on an Enya album, but when Belland's voice kicked in, 'Angel Come Down' started to show what a talented songwriter sister Tracey was. sounding like a tribute to a dead friend, you had to wonder if The Coors got some of their patented sound from this one. As mentioned, EastWest floated this one as a single in advance of the album. YouTube has the accompanying Gregg Cihangir Masuak produced promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTkfCsPAoqo 4.) Moon of Dust (Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 3:58 5.) I'm Still In Love (Tracey Bryn - Peter-John Vettese) - 4:27 It may have sounded like a standard VOTB pop song, but the lyrics, hinting at domestic abuse were truly disconcerting. 6.) Love Locked Inside (Tracey Bryn - Zodiac Mindwarp) - 4:07 7.) Playing House (Matt Brent - Tracey Bryn) - 3:27 rating: **** stars And for those folks who didn't think they were capable of recording anything other than lightweight pop forth, there was the acidic 'Playing House'. Clearly inspired by their recent romantic entanglements, the song literally dripped discontent and unhappiness. The song also appeared as the 'B' side to their US 'So Hard' single. Taken from a July, 2017 performance at London's Forum, YouTube has a live, if rather raw performance of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-c5dTiS74 8.) Heavenly (Tracey Bryn - Mike Jones) - 3:31 rating: **** stars Even their most predictable songs have a sterling quality - in this case hearing the title refrain was wonderful. Throw in a great guitar solo and you had to wonder why it wasn't a massive hit. Imagine The Corrs without their Irish edge. Complete with promo video (which seemingly cannibalized earlier videos), the song was released as a UK CD single: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pPZbfKx7HU
- 1996's 'Heavenly' b/w 'Blue In Paradise' and 'Moonblind' (EastWest catalog number EW037CD)
9.) Blue In Paradise (Tracey Bryn - Andy Partridge) - 4:18 rating: *** stars Even if it hadn't been a good song, the glorious ballad 'Blue In Paradise' would have been interesting for having been co-written with XTC's Andy Partridge. Another one of their songs that also showed up as a 'B' side - this one on the flip side of the UK single 'Heavenly'. 10.) So Hard (Melissa Brooke Belland - Tracey Bryn) - 4:34 rating: **** stars It's easy to see why 'So Hard' was tapped as a single. The song exemplified everything that made Voice of the Beehive such a killer band - infectious melody; wonderful vocals (their voices blended in a way most groups could only pray fot), and a general sense of fun. As for the video, while it looked like they'd spent $10 on it, there was something mesmerizing (and simultaneously disturbing) seeing the sisters splashing around in an Los Angeles water aqueduct. I will admit they danced their little hearts out on this one. Hope they all showered afterwards.
The song was also tapped as a CD single, complete with promotion video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZB1xuMav3I
- 1996's 'So Hard' b/w 'Playing House' (Discovery catalog number 74542)
11.) Moonblind (Tracey Bryn - David Motion) - 5:06 rating: *** stars Sweet, if slightly anonymous ballad that got better as it built up to the ending. The song ended up serving as the "B" side to their 1995 'Heavenly' single.
With the release of "Sex & Misery" Voice of the Beehive basically came to an end. The sisters moved back to Lanuna Beach, California. Both are married, live next door to each other, and lead surprisingly normal lives as wives and mothers (Mielissa (Missy) has a daughter).
Melissa turned her attention to the arts, working nights in a local restaurant to finance her fairy figurines. She had a small website, but it seems to have become inactive.
Tracey returned to college, got a degree in education and became and art teacher.
They reunited the band for a two week UK tour in 2003 with The Wonder Stuff.
Surprised and encouraged by the audiences' interest in VOTB, bassist Brett and guitarist Jones tried to get Belland and Bryn to undertake additional touring. Family and job commitments limited their availability so Brett and Jones formed "Spirit of the Beehive" with a pair of replacements for the ladies. That moved apparently caused some bad blood between the parties, but they reunited and as sort of an abbreviated 30th anniversary, undertook two dates in October 2017, including playin at the Indie Daze concert at London's Forum.
They also have a small Facebook presence: https://www.facebook.com/VoiceOfTheBeehive/
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le to complete an album
was nothing short of miraculous. The fact so many of these songs were
so good was even more remarkable. For goodness sakes, Belland's liner
notes laid it out in black and white: "While
the days of "Honey Lingers" were bright and sweet, what followed
was tinged with sadness both professionally and personally. After
successfully extracting ourselves for out old record collection, my sister
and I decided to make a go of it alone. This album is the
result. Sing in grief at the loss of our innocence and band and in
celebration of our independent, each note was a labor of love."
Yeah, with the exceptions of 'Scary Kisses, and 'So Hard', much of the
outgoing playfulness that characterized their two earlier releases was gone,
replaced by darker themes ('Playing House' and 'Moon of Dust'). Still
the sisters remained gifted songwriters - virtually each of these eleven
tracks reflecting a memorable, radio-friendly melody. The album also
found them reaching out to some interesting collaborators, including Zodiac
Mindwarp ('Love
Locked Inside') and
XTC's Andy Partridge ('Blue In Paradise'). And how do you pick out
favorites given so many winners ?