| Songs from the Red Room | ||||
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| Released | 16 November 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2002–2005 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 59:17 | |||
| Label | SF, Palare | |||
| Producer |
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| Shakespears Sister chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Songs from the Red Room | ||||
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Songs from the Red Room is the fourth studio album by British pop-rock project Shakespears Sister, released in November 2009 through SF Records.
Songs from the Red Room was originally planned for release in 2005, under Siobhan Fahey's own name and the title Bad Blood. [1] This release never came to surface however, and was only released four years later as Shakespears Sister, after Fahey revived the project the same year. On 11 May 2010, the album was re-released containing a bonus disc for the first time through major retailers, such as Amazon. [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? |   [3] |
| BBC Music | (favourable) [4] |
| Daily Express |   [5] |
| The Fly |  [6] |
| The Independent | (favourable) [3] |
| musicOMH | [7] |
| NME | [8] |
| Q | [3] |
| The Quietus |  [3] |
| The Scotsman | [3] |
Jaime Gill of BBC Music gave Songs from the Red Room a positive review, praising Fahey's musical creativity yet also criticising the album's long-delayed release, saying "Songs From the Red Room often sounds dated, and unfashionably late to the party when it should have been first." (S)he concluded the review with calling the album "inconsistent, haphazard, dark and occasionally touched by pop genius. Rather like Fahey herself, in fact." [4] Simon Gage of the Daily Express panned the album in his short review, saying "this second outing, without Marcella, is quite another kettle of fish, so wilfully avant-garde in a way Goldfrapp did much better (and earlier) that it makes you dream of the original SS. Or better still, Bananarama." [5] Iain Moffat of The Fly noted both the album and Fahey's musical variety, opening "Post-punk pop goddess, neo-glam eccentric, nu-electro siren… Siobhan Fahey's been many things in her time, but never all of them on the same album before." [6]
Simon Price of The Independent doubted Fahey's intentions behind crediting the album as "Shakespears Sister", but also said "[Fahey's] spiky electro-rock has its moments, notably "Was It Worth It", which reunites Fahey with Terry Hall for the first time since those Fun Boy Three and Bananarama days." [3] Ben Hogwood of musicOMH , whilst noting Marcella Detroit being voted off Popstar to Operastar , said that "Good though Detroit is, it's Fahey who provided a lot of the attitude in the duo – and listening to this album, much that has been good about Shakespears Sister remains." He heavily criticised the album's lack of consistency, saying "What stops this album from ultimately achieving that revenge is its lack of a common voice", but went on to call Fahey a "fiercely creative force." [7] Luke Turner of NME noted the album's difference in sound, saying "The histrionics of [Stay] are replaced by nail-scratch electronics, Siobhan Fahey's voice flapping above turrets of synths manned by robots in pointy brassieres. It's a slightly kitsch success." [8]
Jude Rogers of The Quietus gave the album a positive and lengthy review, citing Shakespears Sister's history and success with "Stay", and reviewing each individual track and how they worked within the whole album, highlighting "A Loaded Gun" as "terrifying and poppy" and going on to lament that "Fahey will always be remembered for the song that destroyed her, and not the career that should have followed it, and the drive that should have made her a pioneering artist. For now, we have Songs From The Red Room, and a 51-year-old woman raging brilliantly against the dying of the light." [3]
"Bitter Pill" was released as the album's first single in October 2002 under Fahey's own name. It was her first and only release with record label God Made Me Hardcore. The single version has an electronic sound, while the remixed album version is more rock-oriented. The next single, "Pulsatron", was released in February 2005 through Fahey's own label, SF Records. The version that appears on the album, the Whitey Mix, differs from the Vocal Mix single version in that it is slightly re-arranged and omits the chorus. The Whitey Mix does however appear as a track on the 2005 12" and CD single formats. "Bad Blood" was released as the album's third single in October 2005, again under Fahey's own name. "It's a Trip" was released in April 2010 to promote the release of the deluxe edition of the album, this time under the name Shakespears Sister. [9] Technically, this was the first Shakespears Sister single in 14 years.
In March 2011, The Red Room Sessions EP was released exclusively on digital format through their website. [10] The six-track EP consists of demos and alternate versions of songs from Songs from the Red Room and an original song "Ned", which was later included on Cosmic Dancer.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pulsatron" (Whitey Mix) | Siobhan Fahey, Clare Kenny, Stephen Gallifent, William Blanchard | Siobhan Fahey, Stephen "Gully" Gallifent, Nathan J. Whitey | 4:40 |
| 2. | "Bad Blood" | Fahey, Kenny, Gallifent, Blanchard | Fahey, Gully | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Was It Worth It?" (with Terry Hall) | Fahey, Terry Hall, Gallifent, Blanchard | Fahey, Gully | 4:17 |
| 4. | "It's a Trip" | Fahey, Gallifent, Marco Pirroni | Fahey, Gully | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Hot Room" | Linda Lamb | Fahey, Gully | 4:42 |
| 6. | "A Man in Uniform" | Fahey, Daniel Miller, Frank Tovey | Fahey, Gully | 3:37 |
| 7. | "You're Alone" | Fahey, Kenny, Gallifent | Fahey, Gully | 4:22 |
| 8. | "Bitter Pill" | Fahey, Kenny, Gallifent, Blanchard | Fahey, Gully | 4:50 |
| 9. | "Cold" | Fahey | Fahey, Gully | 4:02 |
| 10. | "You're Not Yourself" | Fahey, Kenny, Gallifent | Fahey, Gully | 3:29 |
| 11. | "A Loaded Gun" | Fahey, Kenny, Gallifant | Fahey, Gully | 5:12 |
| 12. | "Bad Blood" (Jagz Kooner Mix – AT Edit) (bonus track) | Fahey, Kenny, Gallifent, Blanchard | Fahey, Gully, Jagz Kooner | 4:59 |
| 13. | "Pulsatron" (Gully Mix) (bonus track) | Fahey, Kenny, Gallifent, Blanchard | Fahey, Gully | 3:15 |
| 14. | "Cold" (Death in Vegas Mix) (bonus track) | Fahey | Fahey, Death in Vegas | 3:56 |
| Total length: | 59:17 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Someone Else's Girl" | Fahey | Fahey, Gully | 4:10 |
| Total length: | 63:27 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "White Rabbit" (Agent Provocateur Mix) | Grace Slick | Fahey, Gully | 3:38 |
| 2. | "She's Lost Control" | Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner | Agent Provocateur | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Cold" (Demo) | Fahey | Fahey, Gully | 3:57 |
| 4. | "My World Is Empty Without You" | Holland–Dozier–Holland | Fahey, Gully, Clare Kenny, William Blanchard | 4:13 |
| 5. | "War (Fear Is Real)" | Fahey, Gallifent, Pablo Clements | Gully, Pablo Clements | 4:23 |
| 6. | "I'll Be Your Mirror" | Lou Reed | Fahey, Gully | 4:27 |
| 7. | "Someone Else's Girl" | Fahey | Fahey, Gully | 4:10 |
| 8. | "Baby It's You" | Burt Bacharach, Mack David, Barney Williams | Gully, Blanchard | 2:46 |
| Total length: | 31:13 | |||
Bananarama are an English pop group formed in London in 1980. The group, originally a trio, consisted of friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Their success on both pop and dance charts saw them listed in the Guinness World Records for achieving the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. Between 1982 and 2009, they had 32 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart.
Siobhan Maire Deirdre Fahey is an Irish singer whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the British girl group Bananarama, who have had ten top-10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later formed the musical act Shakespears Sister, who had a UK number one hit with the 1992 single "Stay". Fahey joined the other original members of Bananarama for a 2017 UK tour, and, in 2018, a North America and Europe tour.
Jacquie O'Sullivan is an English singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group Bananarama from 1988 until 1991, replacing Siobhan Fahey, who left in early 1988. The line-up with O'Sullivan had UK top five hits with "I Want You Back" (1988) and a cover of The Beatles' "Help!" (1989), recorded with comedy duo French and Saunders for the charity Comic Relief. In 1989, O'Sullivan joined the group on their first world tour. Prior to Bananarama, O'Sullivan was the lead singer of the band Shillelagh Sisters.
Marcella Levy, known professionally as Marcy Levy and Marcella Detroit, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She co-wrote the 1977 Eric Clapton hit "Lay Down Sally" and released her debut studio album Marcella in 1982. She joined Shakespears Sister in 1988 with ex-Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey. Their first two studio albums, Sacred Heart (1989), and Hormonally Yours (1992), both reached the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. Detroit sang the lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay", which spent eight consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1992. Detroit left the band in 1993 and had a UK top 20 hit with "I Believe" in 1994. She formed the Marcy Levy Band in 2002, and finished third in the 2010 ITV series Popstar to Operastar.
Hormonally Yours is the second studio album by British pop-rock act Shakespears Sister, released on 17 February 1992 by London Records. The album went on to become a critical and commercial success, and is their best-selling album to date. Hormonally Yours peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified double platinum by the BPI, spending 55 weeks on the chart. The album spawned five singles, three of which reached the UK top 20. The album's second single, "Stay" became the group's best-selling single, topping the UK Singles Chart for eight consecutive weeks. It also peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The Greatest Hits Collection is a compilation album released by Bananarama which features their single releases and greatest hits. It was issued by London Records in 1988, eight months after the departure of group member Siobhan Fahey. The track listing differed between versions released in the United States and Canada, as well as those released throughout Europe and other territories.
"Stay" is a song by UK-based pop act Shakespears Sister, released in January 1992 by London Records as the second single from their second album, Hormonally Yours (1992). The single was written by Siobhan Fahey, Marcella Detroit, and Dave Stewart, and became a massive hit. It is the duo's first and only number-one single in numerous territories, including the UK, where it topped the UK Singles Chart for eight consecutive weeks and was the fourth-biggest-selling single of 1992. "Stay" also reached No. 1 in Sweden and in band member Siobhan Fahey's birthplace, Ireland. It was a transatlantic hit as well, reaching No. 4 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. Its music video was directed by Sophie Muller and drew inspirations from the 1953 film Cat-Women of the Moon. At the 1993 Brit Awards "Stay" won the award for British Video of the Year.
Sacred Heart is the debut studio album by British pop-rock act Shakespear's Sister, released on 21 August 1989 by FFRR Records. The album was recorded after Siobhan Fahey decided to leave the girl group Bananarama. Initially intended as a solo act for Fahey, Shakespear's Sister became a partnership of Fahey and Marcella Detroit during the making of the album. The album spawned four singles, including "You're History", released in July 1989, which reached No. 7 on the UK singles chart and was the first release to present the act as a duo. The album peaked at No. 9 on the UK albums chart, and was certificated gold by the BPI.
#3 is the third studio album released by British pop-rock music project Shakespears Sister, and the first to be released since the departure of Marcella Detroit in 1993. Originally scheduled for release in 1996, the album was shelved after the project's sole member, Siobhan Fahey, was dropped by London Records. London Records eventually gave the full rights of the album to Fahey in 2004, and the album was released through her website. Musically, #3 is a departure from the project's more pop-oriented previous albums, featuring a more rock and alternative-influenced sound. The album artwork was designed by Sarah Lucas, and in 2011, a two-disc expanded edition was released through major retailers. The album spawned the top 30 single, "I Can Drive".
"He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" is a soul song written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Edward Holland, Jr. in 1964. The song is notable in both a 1964 version by American Motown girl group the Velvelettes, and a 1982 hit version by British girl group Bananarama.
"A Trick of the Night" is a mid-tempo ballad recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It was written and produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain and released as the final single from Bananarama's album True Confessions.
"Preacher Man" is a song recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It appears on the group's fifth studio album, Pop Life (1991), and was released as the album's second single. The track was co-written and produced by Youth with additional production and remix by Shep Pettibone.
"You're History" is a song by British-based pop act Shakespears Sister, released in July 1989 as the second single from their debut album, Sacred Heart (1989). The song was the first release to present the act as a duo and their first chart hit, reaching number seven in the United Kingdom. Outside the UK, "You're History" reached number five in Finland and entered the top 40 in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Jewel is the second studio album by American singer Marcella Detroit, and her first since leaving band Shakespears Sister. It was released in March 1994 under London Records to moderate commercial success.
The discography of UK-based pop-rock act Shakespears Sister consists of four studio albums, five compilation albums, one EP, and seventeen singles. Originally a solo act consisting of ex-Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey, it eventually evolved into a duo between Fahey and Marcella Detroit. They released their debut studio album Sacred Heart in 1989, which reached number 9 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the BPI. The album's lead single, double A Side "Break My Heart / Heroine" did not chart, the second single however, "You're History", reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, and managed similar top 20 success internationally. Their next three singles, "Run Silent", "Dirty Mind", and "Goodbye Cruel World", all failed to peak within the UK top 50. The second single from Hormonally Yours, "Stay" was the group's first and only number 1, staying at the top position for 8 weeks. The song also reached number 1 in Ireland and Sweden, and peaked within the top 5 in several other territories. Hormonally Yours peaked at number 3 in the UK and was certified double platinum, and reached similar success in international territories. The fifth and final single from the album, "My 16th Apology", was not a commercial success due to both members being on hiatus at the time.
"Break My Heart (You Really)", also known as "Break My Heart", is a song by British pop act Shakespears Sister, released in 1988 as the lead single from their debut album Sacred Heart. "Break My Heart (You Really)" was released in most territories as a Double A-side with "Heroine", which according to Siobhan Fahey was to "give a more rounded picture of what I'm about". In North American territories however, both songs were released as separate A-side singles.
"I Don't Care" is a song by British-based female duo Shakespears Sister, released on 4 May 1992 as the third single from their second studio album, Hormonally Yours (1992). The song reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and had similar success internationally, reaching the top 20 in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. It also charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 55. Like several of Shakespears Sister's previous singles, it was heavily remixed for its release as a single, including re-recorded vocals and added instrumentals.
Shakespears Sister were an alternative pop and rock musical duo that was formed in 1988 by Irish singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey, a former member of Bananarama. Shakespears Sister was initially a solo act but became a duo by 1989, with the addition of American musician Marcella Detroit. Together they released two top-ten albums and a string of top-forty hits, including the 1992 single "Stay", which remained at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for eight weeks. Detroit was let go from the band in 1993, leaving Fahey as the sole member again, until the latter ended the project in 1996. After working under her own name for some years, Fahey revived the Shakespears Sister moniker in 2009. In 2019, Fahey and Detroit reunited as Shakespears Sister for a tour and released the singles "All the Queen's Horses" and "When She Finds You", and the EP Ride Again.
"Pulsatron" is a song by Siobhan Fahey, originally released in February 2005 from her debut solo album, which was later released as her project's fourth studio album Songs from the Red Room. The single peaked at number 95 on the UK Singles Chart, marking Fahey and Shakespears Sister's last appearance on mainstream charts.
Ride Again is an extended play by British-American pop-rock group Shakespears Sister, released on 25 October 2019. The EP features three new songs along with new mixes of the two previously released tracks from Singles Party (2019), "All the Queen's Horses" and "C U Next Tuesday".
