Utopian Ashes
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Robert "Bobby" Gillespie (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead singer, founding member, and primary lyricist of the alternative rock band
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
. He was also the drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain in the mid-1980s. In October 2021, Gillespie published his memoir ''Tenement Kid''.


Early life

Born in Springburn and moved to the south side district of Mount Florida in Glasgow aged 10, he attended King's Park Secondary School. His father is Bob Gillespie, a former
SOGAT The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) was a British trade union in the printing industry. History SOGAT was formed in 1966 by the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers and the National Society of Operative Pr ...
union official and Labour Party candidate in the 1988 Govan by-election, won by the
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
's Jim Sillars.


Career


The Jesus and Mary Chain

Gillespie played drums for the band The Jesus and Mary Chain. Prior to The Jesus and Mary Chain, he worked as a roadie for Altered Images and played bass in The Wake. Gillespie was a friend of The Jesus and Mary Chain's bassist Douglas Hart, who asked Gillespie to join the band after their original drummer had left following the release of their debut single in 1984. Gillespie's style of drumming was minimal, with his drum kit consisting only of a snare and a floor tom, which he played standing up, an idea he borrowed from The Velvet Underground drummer Moe Tucker. Gillespie has also said that he played only two drums due to his own lack of ability as a drummer. Gillespie played on the band's debut LP, '' Psychocandy'', which was released in 1985 to critical acclaim. By this time Gillespie had already released a single, albeit to little attention, with his own band
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
. Throughout his days as a drummer Gillespie had continued to work at Primal Scream, the band he started along with guitarist Jim Beattie in 1982. By early 1986, Gillespie had played his last show with The Jesus and Mary Chain and left to devote his attentions to Primal Scream.


Primal Scream, collaboration and autobiography

The band signed to Creation Records in 1985, and over the next year, they released a pair of singles. However, Primal Scream did not really take off until the middle of 1986, when Gillespie left the Jesus and Mary Chain and guitarists Andrew Innes and
Robert Young Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob, or Bobby Young may refer to: Academics * R. A. Young (Robert Arthur Young, 1871–1959), British physician * Robert J. C. Young (born 1950), British cultural critic and historian * Robert J. Young (born 1942), Canadian h ...
joined the band. The B-side "Velocity Girl" wound up on '' NMEs C86 cassette compilation, a collection of underground pop groups that defined the UK's mid-'80s indie pop scene. After the band rejected the initial version of debut album, '' Sonic Flower Groove'', recorded with
Stephen Street Stephen Brian Street (born 29 March 1960 in Hackney, London) is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths, The Cranberries and Blur. Street collaborated with Morrissey on his debut album ''Viva Hate'' following the spl ...
, they re-recorded the album with Mayo Thompson, and the record was released in 1987 on the Creation subsidiary Elevation. The album was well received in the British indie community, as was its 1989 follow-up, ''
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
'', which demonstrated hard rock influences from The Rolling Stones and
New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...
to The Stooges and MC5. As the 1980s drew to a close, Britain's underground music scene became dominated by the burgeoning
acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...
scene. Primal Scream became fascinated with the new dance music, and they asked a friend, a DJ named Andrew Weatherall, to remix a track from Primal Scream, "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have". Weatherall reworked the song, adding a heavy bass groove echoing dub, deleting most of the original instrumentation (including the layers of guitars), and interjecting layers of samples, including lines of
Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...
's dialogue from '' The Wild Angels''. The new mix was retitled "Loaded", and it became a sensation. "Come Together", the first single from their forthcoming third album, was in much the same vein, and was similarly praised. For their third album, ''
Screamadelica ''Screamadelica'' is the third studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was first released on 23 September 1991 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and on 8 October 1991 in the United States by Sire Records. The album marked a ...
'', Primal Scream worked with Andrew Weatherall and
Hugo Nicolson Hugo Nicolson is an English record producer and engineer, who has worked on records for artists including Primal Scream, Embrace, David Holmes, Shack, Julian Cope, and his sister, Claire Nicolson (musician) who also performs under the pseudonym ...
, the pair who designed the sound of the album. They also worked with The Orb and former The Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller. The resulting album was a kaleidoscopic, neo-psychedelic fusion of dance, dub, techno, acid house, pop, and rock, and it was greeted with favorable reviews in the UK. Released in the spring of 1991, ''Screamadelica'' was one of the records credited for bringing techno and
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
into the pop mainstream. The album was a success, winning the first Mercury Music Prize in 1992. The fourth album, '' Give Out But Don't Give Up'', marked a departure for the band from its original sound, experimenting instead with Stones-influenced
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
. The album was not well received, and it was a relative commercial failure. It hurt the group's reputation as innovators, a situation they reacted to with the title track to the hit 1996 film ''
Trainspotting Trainspotting may refer to: * Trainspotting (hobby), an amateur interest in railways/railroads * ''Trainspotting'' (novel), a 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh ** ''Trainspotting'' (film), a 1996 film based on the novel *** ''Trainspotting'' (soundtr ...
'', a return to the dance stylings of ''Screamadelica''. The band continued to work on their next album, entitled '' Vanishing Point'', over the course of 1996, releasing it to positive reviews in the summer of 1997. The ultra-aggressive ''
XTRMNTR ''XTRMNTR'' (pronounced "Exterminator") is the sixth studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was first released on 31 January 2000 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and on 2 May 2000 in the United States by Astralwerks. It pe ...
'' followed in the spring of 2000. Two years later Primal Scream released '' Evil Heat'', an album in line with ''XTRMNTR'', and in 2006 ''
Riot City Blues ''Riot City Blues'' is the eighth studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream, released on 5 June 2006 by Columbia Records. It peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart. With this album, the band left behind the electronic elements they ha ...
'' came out. 2008 saw the release of '' Beautiful Future''. In January 2010, Primal Scream started work on their new album, '' More Light'', which was released in May 2013. In March 2016, ''Chaosmosis'' was released, album containing well received songs such as "100% or Nothing", "Trippin' on Your Love". In July 2021, he released ''Utopian Ashes'', a duet album with
Jehnny Beth Jehnny Beth (born Camille Berthomier, 24 December 1984), is a French musician, singer-songwriter, producer, presenter and actress, best known as half of the duo John & Jehn and front woman of the English rock band Savages. Her debut solo album ...
; it was issued under the banner of both artists "Bobby Gillepsie and Jehnny Beth". ''Utopian Ashes'' was met with "generally positive reviews" with a rate of 80 out of 100 from music critics. Two videos featuring the duo were shot to promote the singles "Chase it Down" and "Remember We Were Lovers" and uploaded on YouTube. Gillespie's book, ''Tenement Kid'', a memoir relating his childhood in 1960s Springburn Glasgow, the discovering of punk, then his realization as an artist, until the release of ''Screamadelica'', was published in late 2021. The book was released to critical acclaim: '' the Scotsman'' wrote that "Gillespie’s autobiography is written with both passion and eloquence", while '' the Irish Times'' wrote that ''Tenement Kid'' was "a thrilling read". '' The Times'' reviewed it as an "elegantly written tale": Will Hodgkinson said that "the Primal Scream frontman writes movingly about his troubled youth".


Musicianship

Although Gillespie only sings and plays occasional percussion onstage with Primal Scream, throughout his career he has played a number of different instruments, most notably drums with The Jesus and Mary Chain and bass guitar with The Wake. On Primal Scream's 2013 album '' More Light'', he is credited with a number of keyboard instruments along with drums and percussion, and he played synthesizer on one of The Wake's singles. Additionally, he is shown playing guitar briefly in the music video for " You Trip Me Up" by The Jesus and Mary Chain, and twelve-string guitar on Primal Scream's single "Gentle Tuesday", and, although able to play these instruments, did not play them on either recording. Gillespie is credited with guitar on the track "Gravitational Waves (Drifter's Song)", the b-side to the Record Store Day 2016 release Mantra for a State of Mind.


Discography


Studio albums

*2021 – ''Utopian Ashes'' (Bobby Gillespie and
Jehnny Beth Jehnny Beth (born Camille Berthomier, 24 December 1984), is a French musician, singer-songwriter, producer, presenter and actress, best known as half of the duo John & Jehn and front woman of the English rock band Savages. Her debut solo album ...
)


Personal life

Gillespie married stylist Katy England at St. Margaret's Church,
Betley Betley is a village and civil parish in the Newcastle district of Staffordshire, England, about halfway between Newcastle-under-Lyme and Nantwich. Betley forms a continual linear settlement with Wrinehill. SchoolBetley School Transport Betley l ...
on 29 July 2006. It was attended by
Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...
and village resident Doreen Angell sang in the choir. They have two children together, Wolf (born in 2001) and Lux (born in 2004). He is a supporter of Celtic F.C.


Politics

Gillespie defaced a Make Poverty History poster signed by all the acts at the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
in 2005. Gillespie scribbled over this and wrote "Make Israel History." Gillespie later said that he did this in support of
Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
, and when questioned on whether he was
anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
, he responded "There's Israeli and Jewish people who support the Palestinian cause as well. We did a lot of work for the Hoping Foundation to raise money for children in the Palestinian refugee camps and the lady who got us involved is Bella Freud, Lucian Freud's daughter and Sigmund Freud's great granddaughter. They had to flee Austria to escape Nazi persecution, and she believes in the Palestinian cause. To say we're anti-Semitic is a smear, so you'd better watch what you're saying. Because you oppose one country's government's policies doesn't mean to say that you hate all the people from that country. I don't like Bush or Putin or Tony Blair, but I don't hate American, Russian or British people. Most people are just trying hard to get by." In 2012 he stated that he believed the British coalition government were reactionary quasi-fascists. The statement was prompted by the use of Primal Scream's song "Rocks" at the Conservative Party Conference. In 2016, Gillespie, during a break due to a technical issue, said, "I'm no comedian but should I tell a joke?", before saying to the room: "What do you call a Conservative MP that's been stabbed to death? A beautiful fucking thing". In 2019, Gillespie called
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
a "total prostitute" for agreeing to perform at that year's
Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
which took place in Tel Aviv, Israel. Gillespie said: "Madonna would do anything for money, you know, she's a total prostitute. And I've got nothing against prostitutes. The whole thing is set up to normalise the state of Israel, and its disgraceful treatment of the Palestinian people. By going to perform in Israel what you do is you normalise that. Primal Scream would never perform in Israel. I think Madonna is just desperate for publicity, desperate for the money. They pay very, very well". in January 2021, Gillespie declared his support for the
Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...
movement, saying that Scotland's exit from the UK was "inevitable", however he also said "I don't see myself as a nationalist, as that leads to Fascism".


References


External links


official websitePrimal Scream
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Bobby 1962 births Scottish people of Irish descent Living people Musicians from Glasgow People educated at Kings Park Secondary School Primal Scream members 21st-century Scottish male singers The Jesus and Mary Chain members Scottish drummers British male drummers Scottish bass guitarists Scottish rock guitarists Male bass guitarists
Bobby Gillespie Robert "Bobby" Gillespie (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead singer, founding member, and primary lyricist of the alternative rock band Primal Scream. He was also ...
Scottish tenors Anti-Zionism in the United Kingdom 20th-century Scottish male singers