The Long Blondes are an English
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
band formed in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals),
Kate Jackson
Lucy Kate Jackson (born October 29, 1948) is an American actress and television producer, known for her television roles as Sabrina Duncan in the series ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1979) and Amanda King in the series ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King ...
(lead vocals) and Screech Louder (real name Mark Turvey, drums).
After several critically acclaimed singles, they released their debut album, ''
Someone to Drive You Home'', on
Rough Trade Records in November 2006. Their second album, ''
Couples
Couple or couples may refer to :
Basic meaning
*Couple (app), a mobile app which provides a mobile messaging service for two people
*Couple (mechanics), a system of forces with a resultant moment but no resultant force
*Couple (relationship), tw ...
'', was produced by
Erol Alkan
Erol Alkan (born 30 May 1974) is an English DJ and producer of Turkish Cypriot descent. He grew up in Archway in North London.
Career
DJ and club promoter
In 1993, Erol Alkan started DJing in various indie nightclubs in London. His fir ...
and released in April 2008. On 20 October 2008, due to the unexpected illness of their primary songwriter and lead guitarist, Dorian Cox, the band announced their amicable split via a message on their website, the same day their singles compilation, ''
"Singles"'' was released. In 2021, The Long Blondes reunited as a duo composed of Jackson and Cox.
Career
The band was formed in 2003 in Sheffield, United Kingdom. All the members were attending, or had attended university in the city.
The following quote appeared on their website and served as an introduction to the Long Blondes; "Our shared influences include
The Mael Brothers,
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...
and
The Bewlay Brothers. We do not listen to
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
,
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
,
Jimi Hendrix,
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...
or
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
. We chose an instrument each and learnt to play it.". The band have stated that the original inspiration for The Long Blondes was to form a fantasy pop group: "
Nico
Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pl ...
,
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.
Nancy Sinatr ...
,
Diana Dors
Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer.
Dors came to public notice as a blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Dors was p ...
and
Barbara Windsor
Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''. . Sexy and literate, flippant and heartbreaking all at once." Singer Kate Jackson was inspired by bands with front women like
Siouxsie and the Banshees and
Blondie.
Independent releases
In July 2004, The Long Blondes released their debut single "
New Idols
"New Idols" is the first single to be released by Sheffield band The Long Blondes. It was released on Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation
Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation, or Thee SPC, is an independent record label based in Sheff ...
" on the local
Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation
Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation, or Thee SPC, is an independent record label based in Sheffield, UK. It is one of the most influential labels in the Yorkshire area, having given early breaks and support to many bands in the so-called Ne ...
label. This was followed by singles "
Autonomy Boy" and "
Giddy Stratospheres
"Giddy Stratospheres" was a 7-inch single only release by Sheffield band the Long Blondes. It was released on 29 November 2004, on Angular Records. The single was accompanied by two B-sides, "Polly" and "Darts". The single was re-released in 200 ...
", on
Angular. In 2005, they released further singles, "
Appropriation (By Any Other Name)
"Appropriation (By Any Other Name)" is a 7-inch single and CD release by Sheffield band the Long Blondes. It was released on June 13, 2005 on Angular Records. The song is a homage to Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo. it has been said that this song ...
" and "
Separated By Motorways", the latter being produced by
Paul Epworth and released on his own Good & Evil label. These releases were met with a positive critical reaction and growing media attention.
Still unsigned, in February 2006 the band were recipients of the
NME Philip Hall Radar Award, which in previous years was won by
Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
Fr ...
and
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 2000 as Parva, releasing one studio album, ''22'', in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation the band h ...
. Further adding to their reputation, the band were named by ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' and ''
Vogue'' as "the best unsigned band in the UK". As they were unsigned, during the early success of the band, members remained working in various
day job
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any oth ...
s; Jackson sold
vintage clothing on
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
, Cox was working in the
University of Sheffield
, mottoeng = To discover the causes of things
, established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions:
– Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield
, type = Pu ...
Department of Law, Hollis in the
Media Studies department of a nearby college, Chaplin in a
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
art library and Louder in the
Home Office.
''Someone to Drive You Home''
On 13 April 2006 they signed to
Rough Trade Records and began recording their debut album over the summer with
Steve Mackey
Stephen Patrick Mackey (born 10 November 1966) is an English musician and record producer best known as the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Pulp, which he joined in 1989. As a record producer, he has produced songs and albums by ...
, the bassist with
Pulp
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
Engineering
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Molded pulp, a packaging material
...
. The album was preceded by the singles "
Weekend Without Makeup" in July and "
Once and Never Again", which was released on 23 October and debuted at number 30 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The song was named the 15th best track of 2006 by ''NME''.
''
Someone to Drive You Home'' was released in November 2006. The music was written by the band collectively while the majority of the lyrics were written by Cox with Jackson completing the lyrics for "Separated by Motorways" and "Madame Ray". Critical reception was generally positive with the ''NME'' calling it "fantasy pop, performed to perfection" in a 9/10 review. Reviews picked up on the predominant themes of the album; outsider status, popular culture references from the 1950s and 60s and relationships from a female perspective. Other reviews indicated the numerous inspirations for the work. For example, a four-star review in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said that "if talent borrows but genius steals ... the Long Blondes should be taking their
Mensa tests", comparing the album's style to Franz Ferdinand and 80s indie-pop band
The Flatmates.
Some noted the impact of Jackson's voice; Colin Roberts of ''
Drowned in Sound'' said "her delivery is like a
public address call across a Sunday marketplace" while ''The Guardian'' said it was "marvellously belting, if unsubtle".
A 3-star review in ''
Uncut
Uncut may refer to:
* ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship
* ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997
* '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'' magazine recognised the ambition of the band's sound, advising that they should acquire "a ruthless pop producer, one who can coax them out of their indie-pop dowdiness – like
Blondie needed
Mike Chapman
Michael Donald Chapman (born 13 April 1947) is an Australian-American record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including The Sweet, Suz ...
, like
ABC needed
Horn." They appeared at a number of UK festivals over the summer of 2006, including the
Carling Weekend. In 2007, they played on the Other Stage at the
Glastonbury Festival.
''"Couples"'' and ''"Singles"''
After an extended European tour, in October 2007 The Long Blondes began work on their second album with producer
Erol Alkan
Erol Alkan (born 30 May 1974) is an English DJ and producer of Turkish Cypriot descent. He grew up in Archway in North London.
Career
DJ and club promoter
In 1993, Erol Alkan started DJing in various indie nightclubs in London. His fir ...
, who had previously produced their more
dance orientated b-sides such as "Five Ways To End It" and "Fulwood Babylon". On 19 December 2007, it was announced that the new album's title would be ''
"Couples"''. The title alludes to the David Bowie album ''
"Heroes"'' and also to a loose theme of the album as a "big breakup album". Before the album was released, all five members created their own cryptic promo videos explaining the inspiration behind "Couples".
The band stated that the album drew influences from
Italo disco
Italo disco (variously capitalized, and sometimes hyphenated as Italo-disco) is a music genre which originated in Italy in the late 1970s and was mainly produced in the early 1980s. Italo disco evolved from the then-current underground dance, p ...
revival acts such as
Glass Candy and the
Italians Do It Better label. and
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group ...
. Cox stated that "...there's something really innocent about Abba videos... really kinda funny, futuristic but old fashioned at the same time and that's how we see our music on this album.".
[ ]
''"Couples"'' was released on 7 April 2008, preceded by a single, "
Century", released on 24 March 2008.
The album reached number 48 in the
UK album chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. The album was generally well received by critics. ''Click Music'' gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 and said it was "a worthy contender for record of the year". ''The Guardian'' gave the album another 4-star review, noting the album's shift in style – saying that some tracks shared "more with the cinematic perfection of
Kylie Minogue's "
Confide in Me" than the
kitchen sink dramas of Pulp". A mixed 6/10 review in ''NME'' said the album was "not terrible, but disappointing" and "whereas once they sang of suburban boredom tempered with the thrill of escape, now they’ve started to sound like they’d be happy to stay put". After "Century", the next song to be taken off the album was "
Guilt
Guilt may refer to:
*Guilt (emotion), an emotion that occurs when a person feels that they have violated a moral standard
*Culpability, a legal term
*Guilt (law), a legal term
Music
* ''Guilt'' (album), a 2009 album by Mims
* "Guilt" (The Long Bl ...
", which was released on 7" and
digital download.
On 9 June 2008, the band posted on their official website that Cox had fallen ill and that he had to be rushed to hospital, which meant that they had to cancel all their live appearances until the end of July.
The band were due to play a support slot on
Duran Duran's ''Red Carpet Massacre tour'' at the
Birmingham NIA and the
O2 Arena in London and on the John Peel stage at
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...
.
After ''"Couples"'', the band decided to release a compilation of their rare early 7" singles, which was titled ''
"Singles"'' on 20 October 2008 on Angular Records. The twelve track album collected all of the songs from the band's first singles. The version of "Separated By Motorways" differs from the single version produced by Paul Epworth, instead the group opted to include the demo version instead. The compilation also featured one previously unreleased song – "Peterborough". ''"Singles"'' was named the 25th best album of 2008 by ''
Artrocker'' magazine.
Breakup and post-breakup
On 20 October 2008, Guitarist Dorian Cox posted a message on their official website that the band had split up. The main motivation for the break-up was Cox's stroke in June 2008, which resulted in a swath of cancelled gigs. Cox thanked fans for their support and goodwill. "We have decided to call it a day," he wrote. "The main reason for this is that I suffered from a stroke in June and unfortunately I do not know when/if I will be well enough to play the guitar again. On behalf of the band I'd like to say a big thank you to anyone who ever came to one of our shows, bought one of our records or danced to one of our songs in a club." The announcement was made the same day their compilation ''"Singles"'' was released, with the inside of the rear album art also containing news of the break-up. Upon their split, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' wrote an article entitled "Why music will miss the Long Blondes".
It was reported on 1 December 2008 that Cox was undergoing physiotherapy for his paralysis and is still hoping to get back to playing guitar.
Jackson has been working on her debut solo album with producer and ex-
Suede
Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...
guitarist
Bernard Butler. She will be working under the name Madame Ray (after the song on ''Someone To Drive You Home''). Jackson has said that the sound of the album first tended towards
country rock but has now become a "big pop record". She released the album 'British Road Movies' in early 2016.
Dorian Cox's new band is called Unmade Bed and have made a number of songs available on-line.
Hollis continues to play in The Bon Bon Club, a band she formed with Louder. Their debut single features three cover versions—"Lullaby" by
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
, "Love Is Blind" by
Pulp
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
Engineering
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Molded pulp, a packaging material
...
and "Romantic Rights" by
Death From Above 1979. It was released through
Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation
Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation, or Thee SPC, is an independent record label based in Sheffield, UK. It is one of the most influential labels in the Yorkshire area, having given early breaks and support to many bands in the so-called Ne ...
on 23 June 2008. The 7" single was limited to 500 copies.
Hollis also plays with Nature Set and their first single 7" has been published by
Elefant Records in 2011.
Reunion
On the 17th of December 2021, Kate Jackson and Dorian Cox reformed The Long Blondes as a duo to perform at the opening of an art installation by Jackson in Leicester, England. In early 2022 it was confirmed on a podcast interview with Martyn Ware that Jackson and Cox had begun work on a new album by The Long Blondes. In April 2022 it was announced that the duo would be making their official live debut at Green Man Festival in Powys, Wales in the summer. The band actually played their first reunion gig in Salford on July 8th 2022.
On August 11th, 2022, Jackson announced she would be stepping away from the Long Blondes due to allegations made against Cox by his ex-girlfriend Victoria Lane via social media until the matter was resolved by the police.
Musical style
Influences
The Long Blondes' songs reflect a number of influences, including 60s pop,
Buzzcocks,
The Fall, The
Ramones,
Suede
Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...
,
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
and
new wave. Jackson's vocals have been compared to
Ari Up
Ariane Daniele Forster (17 January 1962 – 20 October 2010), known by her stage name Ari Up, was a German vocalist best known as a member of the English punk rock band the Slits.
Biography
Ari Up was born in Munich, West Germany. Both her pare ...
of
The Slits,
Deborah Harry of
Blondie and Lesley Woods of
Au Pairs. The music features angular guitars and prominent bass guitar lines. However, the band themselves claim somewhat more eclectic influences than their sound suggests, citing
Burt Bacharach,
Holland-Dozier-Holland,
Chinn
Chinn is a surname, originating both in England and among overseas Chinese communities.
Origins and statistics
As an English surname, it originated as a nickname for people with prominent chins, from Middle English or . It is also a spelling, ba ...
and
Chapman, and
Stock, Aitken and Waterman as influences.
The band named some of their actual influences and favourite bands. Chaplin's were
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...
,
Sweet
Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...
and
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they re ...
. Hollis's were
Belle and Sebastian,
ELO and The
Eagles. Cox's were
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group ...
and
The Fall. Louder's were
Scott Walker,
The Slits and
Captain Beaky. Jackson's were The Smiths,
The Fall and
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.
Nancy Sinatr ...
and
Lee Hazlewood
Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960 ...
. Screech Louder cited
Siouxsie and the Banshees, a group they were likened by the critics. Louder said about them: "
iouxsie and the Bansheesmade much more interesting records than any of the instant hits could manage, and they didn’t run out of ideas after the first few singles. Like
Pulp
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
Engineering
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Molded pulp, a packaging material
...
, they’re testament to the power of waiting".
Intertextual references
The Long Blondes are known for referencing films, singers, starlets and artists in their music. Screech Louder said that
Alfred Hitchcock was a big inspiration when it came to referencing films in their music, he said "the whole film noir thing is very important because it's stylish but there's depth to it as well".
Lyrics
* "Appropriation (By Any Other Name)" is a homage to Hitchcock's 1958 film ''
Vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
''. It has been said that the song is told from Judy's perspective, due to lines such as "When I met you, I never wore dresses like that''" & "''You can't have me, make me act the same". Lead singer Kate Jackson painted two different portraits for the CD single and 7" Vinyl, they both depicted Kim Novak's characters Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton.
* "Darts" mentions British darts player
Bobby George
Robert Francis George (born 16 December 1945) is an English television presenter and former professional darts player. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King ...
and darts commentator
Sid Waddell
Sid Waddell (10 August 1940 – 11 August 2012) was an English sports commentator and television personality. He was nicknamed the 'Voice of Darts' due to his fame as a darts commentator, and worked for Granada, Yorkshire, BBC and Sky Sports. D ...
.
* "Erin O'Connor" is a homage to
Erin O'Connor which also mentions fellow model,
Lily Cole. It begins with a line by
Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...
and
David Swift from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''.
.
* "I Liked The Boys" ends with "''Not the most original sentiment I've ever heard, so what's new''" which is a line from a radio show by
.
Whilst recording the second album, they found an old reel-to-reel radio recording and decided to use parts in some of their songs.
.
, one of their influences.
* "Lust in the Movies" mentions underground actresses such as 60's socialite and
. Also the repeated line "Nag nag nag" is a reference to the same repeated lyric in the song "
.
* "Swallow Tattoo" has a lyric ("you fill me with inertia") which is a reference to the parody pop band fronted by Peter Cook in ''
. The song also alludes to the
song "My Love Life". The song also mentions the character of C.C. 'Bud' Baxter from ''
''.
'' was released, all five members created their own cryptic promo videos "explaining" what the inspiration behind ''"Couples"'' was. Jackson explained who inspired the album cover, she found artist
to be the main inspiration.
.
* The front cover of their debut album ''Someone To Drive You Home'' is a painting by Kate Jackson of
'', with a Mark 3 Ford Cortina as her getaway car. The artwork inside the album sleeve is a painting of
''.
''.
, moving from 39 in 2005 to 7 in 2006. When questioned about her place in the first ''NME'' list by ''The Guardian'', Jackson remarked "Probably because they didn't have enough girls. It was so overrun with boring boys, they needed someone to bring a touch of glamour." Jackson describes her style as "Bonnie Parker meets a ''
'' girl".
*"Christmas Is Cancelled" was released by the band on a limited run of CD-Rs in Christmas 2004.
The Long Blondes were also known for their cheap and glamorous music videos. Their first proper music video was "Appropriation (By Any Other Name)" which was directed by ''Rupert Noble'', a music video director they regularly made videos with after.
honouring rising talent, which in previous years has accurately predicted big things for