Cocteau Twins were a Scottish dream pop band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde in 1983. The group earned critical praise for their distinctive ethereal sound and the soprano vocals of Fraser, whose lyrics often abandon recognisable language. They pioneered the 1980s alternative rock subgenre of dream pop.
Head over Heels is the second studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. The album was released in October 1983 by 4AD, and was their first album as a duo of Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie. It featured the band's signature sound of "Guthrie’s lush guitars under Fraser’s mostly wordless vocals" and is considered an archetype of early ethereal wave music.
Elizabeth Davidson Fraser, also known as Liz Fraser, is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician. Hailing from Grangemouth, Scotland, she is best known as the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins and on several tracks on Massive Attack's album Mezzanine. She has a soprano vocal range. She was described by critic Jason Ankeny as "an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions".
Garlands is the debut studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released 1 September 1982 on 4AD. It peaked in the top 5 of the UK Independent Albums Chart, and received support from BBC Radio 1 radio host John Peel.
Robin Andrew Guthrie is a Scottish musician, songwriter, composer, record producer and audio engineer, best known as the co-founder of the alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has performed guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments, in addition to programming, sampling and sound processing.
Sunburst and Snowblind is the third EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was released on 7 November 1983 by 4AD. The EP features "Sugar Hiccup", from the album Head over Heels, as well as three other tracks.
Stars and Topsoil – A Collection (1982–1990) is a compilation album by the Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released on the 4AD label in October 2000. The album featured tracks released during the group's time on 4AD between 1982 and 1990, covering every Cocteau Twins album from Garlands through Heaven or Las Vegas. The collection peaked at No. 63 on the UK Albums Chart.
"Peppermint Pig" is a song by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was released as both a single and 12" EP on 4 April 1983 by record label 4AD. Musically, the material was similar to their previous release, the 1982 EP Lullabies. It was the last release to feature original bassist Will Heggie.
Aikea-Guinea is a March 1985 7" single and 12" EP by Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD. The 7" featured two non-album tracks, while the EP added two more.
Tiny Dynamine is an EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD Records. The EP featured four non-album tracks. It was issued on 15 November 1985, two weeks prior to another EP, Echoes in a Shallow Bay. The two EP sets, which featured complementary artwork, were also released as a combined double EP in a gatefold cover and as an eight-track CD. The EP was reissued in 1991 as part of The Box Set and in 2005 as part of the singles/EP collection Lullabies to Violaine.
The Spangle Maker is an EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD in April 1984. It was the first recording to be issued after bassist Simon Raymonde joined the band. The EP featured two versions of "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops", and two B-sides. All three songs appeared in the band's live set.
The Pink Opaque is a 1986 compilation album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, composed of tracks recorded between 1982 and 1985. A joint release by the UK-based 4AD and the American Relativity Records, it was their first official U.S. release.
Lullabies is an EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was released on 1 October 1982, just a month after their debut album, Garlands. The EP contained three non-album tracks, and featured a louder and more driving sound than the album.
Twinlights is a 1995 EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released in September 1995 by Fontana Records. It was issued along with the EP Otherness as a teaser for the album Milk and Kisses. It is a mainly acoustic recording, with AllMusic referring to it as "being as close to an "unplugged" effort as the Twins ever got." The EP was originally released on CD as well as a 2x7" vinyl set.
Lullabies to Violaine is a Cocteau Twins boxset released by 4AD Records in October 2005. Comprising four CDs, the boxset collects the tracks from every Cocteau Twins EP from Lullabies to Violaine. It was also released as two separate double CD packs.
Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust is an EP released in 1983 by This Mortal Coil, a supergroup assembled by Ivo Watts-Russell for his record label, 4AD.
Snow is a 1993 EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released in December 1993 on Fontana Records. It contains cover versions of the Christmas standards "Frosty the Snowman" and "Winter Wonderland". It is out of print, though its tracks appear on the compilation Lullabies to Violaine.
The Box Set is a 1991 collection of EPs by the Scottish band Cocteau Twins. It collects their non-album releases up until that time. It also contains a bonus disc including songs from throughout their history which have not been otherwise released on Cocteau Twins releases.
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