Sneaker Pimps

Last updated

Sneaker Pimps
Origin Hartlepool, County Durham, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1994–2005
  • 2015–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Website sneakerpimpsmusic.com

Sneaker Pimps are an English electronic music band, formed in Hartlepool in 1994. [1] They are best known for their debut album, Becoming X (1996), and its singles "6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar". The band takes its name from an article the Beastie Boys published in their Grand Royal magazine about a man they hired to track down classic sneakers. [2]

Contents

The band was founded by electronic musician Liam Howe and guitarist Chris Corner. They later recruited Kelli Ali (then known as Kelli Dayton) as lead singer, [3] [4] plus guitarist Joe Wilson and drummer Dave Westlake as backup musicians. After Becoming X , the band decided to replace Ali with Corner on vocals. [5] Wilson and Westlake departed in 2002. In 2016 Howe and Corner revived the group after a lengthy hiatus. [6] [7] In 2021, they began releasing new music. [8]

History

Chris Corner and Liam Howe met as teenagers in the 1980s, [1] both taking an interest in recording and studio experimentation. They banded together under the name F.R.I.S.K. and produced the Soul of Indiscretion EP, an early example of what became known as trip hop. The mix of beats and acoustic folk sounds was further explored on two more instrumental EPs: F.R.I.S.K. and World as a Cone. They were signed to Clean Up Records. [9] [10] The duo also worked as DJs and producers under the name Line of Flight. [11]

Howe and Corner launched Sneaker Pimps as a recording group in 1994. [12] The following year, they recruited Ian Pickering to help write lyrics for what would become Sneaker Pimps' debut album, Becoming X . [7] Corner recorded vocals for several demo tracks, but the band decided the kind of music they were writing would better suit a female voice. [13] At their manager's suggestion, they saw Kelli Ali (then known as Kelli Dayton) performing in a pub with her band The Lumieres, [12] and invited her to sing on some demos, including an early version of "6 Underground". [9] [14] She soon joined the band, and the demos won the group a contract with Virgin Records. [14] The group was presented as a trio featuring Howe, Corner, and Ali; while bassist Joe Wilson and drummer Dave Westlake were added as supporting musicians. [2]

Released in 1996, Becoming X sold over one million copies. [13] The band toured for two years to support the album, including gigs alongside Aphex Twin. [15] A "grueling" tour of the US strained relations within the band, [16] and Howe left the tour prematurely. [14] A remix album, Becoming Remixed , followed in 1998.

Howe and Corner then developed their own studio, also called Line of Flight after their earlier production work, and began sessions for the second Sneaker Pimps album. [2] [14] Kelli Ali had taken a break after the Becoming X tour and was away traveling, so Corner sang on the new demos. [14] When Ali returned, she was told by Howe and Corner that her voice was no longer considered suitable for their new music, and that Corner's voice was a better fit. [9] [17] Due to other ongoing personality conflicts and the band's concern about being stereotyped as a faddish female-fronted trip-hop act, [2] [5] Ali was fired and Corner took over on lead vocals.

This significant lineup change caused Virgin Records to drop the band. [2] Their second album Splinter was released in the UK on Clean Up Records in 1999, and failed to match the commercial success of Becoming X. [18] New songs were premiered during a 2001 European tour opening for Placebo. [9] Their third album Bloodsport was released on Tommy Boy Records in 2002. [18] Howe and Corner also gained notice by writing and producing for other artists, including Natalie Imbruglia, and for remixing songs under the name Line of Flight. [3]

In 2002, Joe Wilson and Dave Westlake left Sneaker Pimps. [19] [20] In 2003, a fourth Sneaker Pimps album was demoed but shelved. The album, which started as the soundtrack for an abandoned indie film project called Blind Michael, [7] is referred to in fan circles as SP4. [7] [21] Corner then launched the solo project IAMX, [22] which included several songs from the SP4 project. [23] [24] After some additional cancelled projects, [25] [26] in 2006 Howe and Corner recorded some new demo tracks with an unidentified female singer; the tracks turned up on a MiniDisc found in a bar in Russia and are now commonly referred to as SP5 demos. The tracks were leaked online and were later confirmed to be legitimate new Sneaker Pimps songs. [7] [27]

After several years of side projects, Howe hinted in 2015 that Sneaker Pimps may reform. [28] Corner confirmed the reunion in 2016, [29] and as of early 2019 they were reportedly working on a new album. [6] Deluxe box sets of previous albums and two new studio albums were announced to be released variously across 2021. [30]

In May 2021, the band announced a new album entitled Squaring the Circle . [8] The album was produced at Sawtooth Studios in Pioneertown, California and The Tower Studios in London. [8] Main vocals are shared by Corner and "featured artist" Simonne Jones. [31] Five of the songs originate from the SP5 demos, "Lifeline" (originally "Samaritan"), "Child in the Dark" (originally "Satellite"), So Far Gone (originally "Sun Ate the Moon"), "Come Like the Cure" (originally "Elias") and "No Show" (originally "Rush").

Members

In the studio, the band regularly swapped instruments. As Corner explained during the recording sessions for Bloodsport, "we tend towards jobs, but generally we can mix and match. If we get bored of one aspect, someone else jumps in the seat. Gone are the days where it’s like 'You’re the drummer, I’m the synth player." [3] When playing live, however, their roles were more fixed:

Current members

Contributors and former members

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
UK
[34] 		UK
Indie
[35] 		AUS
[36] 		AUT
[37] 		CAN
[38] 		SCO
[39] 		US
[40] 		US
Heat.
[41]
Becoming X 27—55—80471111
Splinter
  • Released: 25 October 1999
  • Label: Clean-up (#CUP040)
  • Formats: CD, LP
8013——————
Bloodsport
  • Released: 22 January 2002
  • Label: Tommy Boy (#TB1532)
  • Formats: CD, LP
———68————
Squaring the Circle
  • Released: 10 September 2021 [43]
  • Label: Unfall [43] (#ORP006)
  • Formats: CD, Digital, LP
————————
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

EPs

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
UK
[34] 		UK
Dance
[48] 		UK
Indie
[49] 		AUS
[36] 		CAN
Dance
[50] 		EUR
[51] 		SCO
[52] 		US
[53] 		US
Dance
[54] 		US
Alt.
[55]
1996"Tesko Suicide"——————————Becoming X
"Roll On"——————————
"6 Underground"15——62——1745—7
1997"Spin Spin Sugar"211—12626728872—
"6 Underground" (re-issue)910———6711———
"Post-Modern Sleaze"224—143——22———
1998"Spin Spin Sugar" (re-issue)4639———70———
1999"Low Five"39238———47———Splinter
"Ten to Twenty"56389———68———
2001"7th High" (with Double 99)114—————————
2002"Sick"100—24—————16—Bloodsport
"Bloodsport"——————————
"Loretta Young Silks"——————————
2021"Squaring the Circle"——————————Squaring the Circle
"Fighter"——————————
"Alibis"——————————
2022"Love Me Stupid" (Simonne Jones Remix)——————————Rework Collection 3
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Promo singles

Other appearances

Music videos

YearTitleDirectorNotes
1996"Tesko Suicide"Liam Howe and Joe WilsonReleased on the 2001 DVD The Videos.
"Spin Spin Sugar"Toby Tremlett
1997"6 Underground"
"Post-Modern Sleaze" Howard Greenhalgh
1999"Low Five"Tom Gidley
2002"Sick"Simon Smyth
"Loretta Young Silks"Liam HoweFeaturing Honor Blackman
2004"First and Careless Rapture"[ citation needed ]Chris CornerUnreleased
"Missile"[ citation needed ]
(do not confuse with IAMX single)		Unknown
2021"Fighter"Chris CornerFeaturing Janine Gezang (IAMX) as fighter.
"Alibis"Chris Corner"A combination of animated still scanned photography and macro video." [56]
2022"Love Me Stupid (Simonne Jones Remix)"Chris Corner

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6 Underground (song)</span> 1996 single by Sneaker Pimps

"6 Underground" is a song by the English band Sneaker Pimps from their debut studio album, Becoming X (1996). First released as a single in the United Kingdom in September 1996 by Clean-up Records, the song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and had moderate radio airplay in the United States, where it was shipped to modern rock and dance stations in February 1997. After the song was used in the 1997 American film The Saint, radio stations began playing "6 Underground" more frequently. The single was re-released in May 1997, when it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the song peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number seven on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Kelli Ali, also known as Kelli Dayton, is a British vocalist, guitarist and painter who was formerly the lead singer of the trip hop group Sneaker Pimps before going on to a solo career.

<i>Becoming X</i> 1996 studio album by Sneaker Pimps

Becoming X is the debut studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps. It was released on 19 August 1996 in the United Kingdom by Clean Up Records and on 25 February 1997 in the United States by Virgin Records. The album marked the only appearance of Kelli Dayton as lead singer before she was asked to leave the band; Chris Corner replaced her for the band's subsequent albums.

<i>Splinter</i> (Sneaker Pimps album) 1999 album by Sneaker Pimps

Splinter is the second studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released on 25 October 1999 through record labels Clean Up and Virgin.

<i>Becoming Remixed</i> 1998 remix album by Sneaker Pimps

Becoming Remixed is a remix album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released on 10 March 1998 by Virgin Records. It serves as a companion piece to the band's 1996 debut Becoming X, and was originally limited to 30,000 copies.

<i>Bloodsport</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Sneaker Pimps

Bloodsport is the third studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps. It was released on 22 January 2002, through record label Tommy Boy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IAMX</span> Chris Corner solo musical project

IAMX is the solo musical project of Chris Corner founded in 2002 in London, England after the hiatus of his former band Sneaker Pimps. It is an independent music project with a secondary focus on the experimentation of visual art.

<i>Kiss + Swallow</i> 2004 studio album by IAMX

Kiss + Swallow is the debut album by IAMX and was released on 13 July 2004. It mostly consists of tracks that were recorded for the unreleased fourth studio album by Sneaker Pimps, which is dubbed "SP4" by the fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Corner</span> Musical artist

Christopher Anthony Corner is an English record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, singer and video artist. He was a founding member of the band Sneaker Pimps alongside Liam Howe, and is now active with his solo project IAMX.

<i>Big Calm</i> 1998 studio album by Morcheeba

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"Faster Kill Pussycat" is the first single from British producer Oakenfold's second studio album, A Lively Mind (2006). The song features American actress Brittany Murphy's vocals and was co-written by singer-songwriter Kelli Ali. The title of the track is a play on the title of the 1965 film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.

<i>The Alternative</i> (album) 2006 studio album by IAMX

The Alternative is the second album by English musical artist IAMX, released on 28 April 2006 in Europe and a year later in the UK and Ireland. It was re-issued on Metropolis Records in the US on 6 May 2008. It is the second IAMX album to contain tracks intended for the aborted Sneaker Pimps album SP4. 2008 US editions differ significantly from the original 2006 version. Many of the songs were significantly re-recorded or remixed, most noticeably "The Negative Sex" and "Spit It Out", as well as "The Alternative", "Nightlife" and "Song of Imaginary Beings". "This Will Make You Love Again" is among a handful of songs to have been edited to include vocals by Janine Gezang. The re-released versions also include a string version of "Spit It Out" as a hidden track. The original album and the reissues also have different covers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Hard Road Out of Hell</span> 1997 single by Marilyn Manson and Sneaker Pimps

"Long Hard Road Out of Hell" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson and British trip hop band Sneaker Pimps. It was released as a single from the soundtrack to the 1997 motion picture Spawn. An arena rock and gothic rock song, "Long Hard Road Out of Hell" was written by Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez and produced by Manson and Sean Beavan. Its lyrics are about self-loathing and its title is derived from John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667). After the track was written, the Sneaker Pimps' Kelli Ali was recruited to perform background vocals on it, as the Spawn soundtrack featured collaborations between hard rock artists and electronic music artists. The Sneaker Pimps were dissatisfied with the final track and wanted a remix of it to be released as a single instead; conversely, Manson deemed it a personal favorite.

Jim Abbiss is a British music producer, best known for his work on records including the debut album of Editors, Arctic Monkeys' Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Kasabian's Kasabian and Empire, Ladytron's Witching Hour and Ladytron, Sneaker Pimps' debut Becoming X, and Adele's 19, and 21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spin Spin Sugar</span> 1997 single by Sneaker Pimps

"Spin Spin Sugar" is a song by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released in March 1997 by Clean Up as the fourth single from their debut studio album, Becoming X (1996). The album version is typical of the Sneaker Pimps in both style and format; there is a driving bass line produced by a synthesizer keyboard which is accompanied by a second synthesizer loop playing above it. Kelli Dayton provides the vocals.

Liam Coverdale Howe is an English record producer, musician and songwriter. Since co-founding electronic music band Sneaker Pimps in 1996, he has been a producer for Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, FKA Twigs, Ellie Goulding, and Tom Vek.

<i>Open All Night</i> (Marc Almond album) 1999 studio album by Marc Almond

Open All Night is the tenth solo studio album by the British singer-songwriter Marc Almond. It was released by Blue Star Music in March 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post-Modern Sleaze</span> Single by Sneaker Pimps

"Post-Modern Sleaze" is a single released by British trip hop band Sneaker Pimps in 1997 from their debut album Becoming X. It reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and number 143 in Australia.

<i>Squaring the Circle</i> (album) 2021 album by Sneaker Pimps

Squaring the Circle is the fourth studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released on 10 September 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 "ONE LITTLE INDIAN | ARTISTS". www.indian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sneaker Pimps hometown, lineup, biography". Last.fm. Retrieved 8 January 2020.[ unreliable source? ]
  3. 1 2 3 "Sneaker Pimps". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Saturday Interview: Spreading the word on the secret fifth man - Ian Pickering; The Paul Groves Interview". Birmingham Post . 23 February 2002. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 Ali, Kelli. "Biography: Sneaker Pimps". Kelliali.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  6. 1 2 "IAMX is creating Music & Visuals". Patreon. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "50Q'S WITH IAN PICKERING". Sneaker Pimps Legacy. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 Pearis, Bill (21 May 2021). "Sneaker Pimps announce first record in nearly 20 years (watch a preview)". Brooklyn Vegan . Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Biography". Sneakerpimps.be. Archived from the original on 3 November 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "F.R.I.S.K." Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Patterson, Sylvia (April 1997). "Sneak Attack". Spin.
  12. 1 2 Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 316. ISBN   0-7535-0252-6.
  13. 1 2 "Amidio | Music alive". Amidio.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kelli Ali Psychic Cat Times - Sneaker Pimps". kelliali.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  15. ↑ "Sneaker Pimps". Pollstar.com. 6 October 1997. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015.
  16. ↑ Lester, Paul (15 December 2000). "Pop review: Sneaker Pimps". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  17. ↑ "ONE LITTLE INDIAN | ARTISTS". indian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Everything But the Girl". Vol. 12, no. 6. Campus Circle. 27 March 2002.
  19. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joewilson22/?originalSubdomain=uk [ dead link ]
  20. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwestlake/ [ dead link ]
  21. ↑ "Sneaker Pimps - SP4". Discogs.com. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "news". Sneakerpimps.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2003.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  23. ↑ "IAMX - Kiss + Swallow". Discogs.com. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  24. ↑ "IAMX - The Alternative". Discogs.com. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  25. ↑ https://www.sneakerpimpslegacy.com/give-it-another-angle [ permanent dead link ]
  26. ↑ "SNEAKERPIMPS.com :: official website". Archived from the original on 1 February 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  27. ↑ curtis8516 (19 June 2017), Sneaker Pimps - SP5 Demos , retrieved 8 January 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ↑ https://twitter.com/SneakerPimpsNow/status/594541947164962816 [ dead link ]
  29. ↑ IAMX [@IAMX] (24 April 2016). "I just created a new folder " (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ↑ "Sneaker Pimps Legacy | United Kingdom". Sneaker Pimps Legacy.
  31. ↑ "Squaring The Circle, by Sneaker Pimps". Sneaker Pimps. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  32. 1 2 3 Squaring The Circle | Sneaker Pimps (album). sneakerpimps.bandcamp.com
  33. ↑ SP4 | Sneaker Pimps Legacy
  34. 1 2 UK chart peaks:
  35. ↑ UK independent albums chart peaks:
  36. 1 2 Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
  37. ↑ "Austrian chart peaks". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  38. ↑ Canadian albums chart peaks:
  39. ↑ Scottish albums chart peaks:
  40. ↑ US albums chart peaks:
  41. ↑ US Heatseekers albums chart peaks:
  42. 1 2 "British certifications – Sneaker Pimps". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 26 March 2023.Type Sneaker Pimps in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  43. 1 2 Squaring the Circle by Sneaker Pimps on Apple Music Retrieved on 30 September 2021
  44. ↑ Rework Collection 1 | Sneaker Pimps. sneakerpimps.bandcamp.com, [retrieved 2021-09-10]
  45. ↑ Rework Collection 2 | Sneaker Pimps. sneakerpimps.bandcamp.com, [retrieved 2021-11-07]
  46. ↑ Rework Collection 3 | Sneaker Pimps. sneakerpimps.bandcamp.com, [retrieved 2022-05-26]
  47. ↑ Sneaker Pimps Twitter status on 27. May 2022, [retrieved 2022-05-28]
  48. ↑ UK dance singles chart peaks:
  49. ↑ Independent singles chart peaks:
  50. ↑ Canadian dance singles chart peaks:
  51. ↑ European singles chart peaks:
  52. ↑ Scottish singles chart peaks:
  53. ↑ US singles chart peaks:
  54. ↑ US dance singles chart peaks:
    • Spin Spin Sugar: Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 238.
    • "Sick". Billboard. 14 September 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  55. ↑ US modern rock singles chart peaks:
  56. ↑ "Sneaker Pimps 22 September 2021 on Facebook". Facebook .
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