Voice of the Beehive

Last updated

Voice of the Beehive
OriginLondon, United Kingdom
Genres Alternative, pop rock
Years active1986 (1986)–1996 (1996) (reunions: 2003, 2017)
Labels Food, London, East West, Discovery
Past membersTracey Bryn
Melissa Brooke Belland
Mike Jones
Mark Bedford
Daniel Woodgate
Martin Brett
Brad Nack
Tom Fenner
Website voiceofthebeehive.com

Voice of the Beehive were an Anglo-American alternative pop rock band formed in London in 1986.

Contents

The group featured Californian lead vocalist sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland (daughters of The Four Preps singer Bruce Belland). They teamed with British musicians Mike Jones, Martin Brett, and Daniel Woodgate – a former member of Madness. The band took their name from the Greek meaning of the name Melissa, meaning honey bee. [1]

Career

The band had five Top 40 singles from two albums in the UK. [2] Their biggest commercial success came with the singles "I Say Nothing", "Don't Call Me Baby", "Monsters and Angels" and "I Think I Love You", taken from albums Let It Bee and Honey Lingers . Sex & Misery , a third album, was released in 1996; [3] by this point sisters Tracey and Melissa were the sole group members. The band reformed in 2003 to play a two-week UK tour.

The members of Voice of the Beehive have continued to perform sporadically but still release albums, singles & merchandise. Tracey Bryn is a teacher in Laguna Beach, California. Melissa Belland runs her own company Made in Heaven, also in Laguna Beach. Martin Brett ran Brett Dempsey Music Productions in London and joined I, Ludicrous on bass guitar in 2008. In 2011, he released his first solo single "Lover's Lane" under his original punk name Brett Martini. He also trained to become a facial hair specialist for film, theatre, and television in 2010. Daniel "Woody" Woodgate still plays drums in Madness. Mike Jones lives in Norwich, England and still plays guitar.

In October 2017, Bryn and Belland reformed with the original line-up to play a pair of concert dates in London, including the '80s/'90s revival show Indie Daze 4. [4] [5] [6]

Band members

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
UK
[7]
AUS
[8]
NZ
[9]
Let It Bee
  • Released: 20 June 1988
  • Label: London
  • Formats: CD, LP, Cassette tape
135340
Honey Lingers
  • Released: 12 August 1991
  • Label: London
  • Formats: CD, LP, MC
1768
Sex & Misery
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Live albums

TitleAlbum details
Don't Call Me Baby
  • Released: July 2008
  • Label: Secret
  • Formats: CD
Access All Areas
  • Released: 25 September 2015
  • Label: Edsel
  • Formats: CD+DVD, digital download

Compilation albums

TitleAlbum details
A Portrait
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: London
  • Formats: CD
  • Canada-only release
The Best of Voice of the Beehive
  • Released: 1997
  • Label: London
  • Formats: CD
Bee-Sides
  • Released: 2003
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: CD
  • Limited release only available through the band's website

Video albums

TitleAlbum details
Don't Call Me Baby – Live
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Secret Films
  • Formats: DVD

EPs

TitleEP details
The Radio 1 Sessions – The Evening Show
  • Released: January 1989
  • Label: Strange Fruit/Nighttracks
  • Formats: 12", CD

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[7]
UK Indie
[10]
AUS
[8]
CAN
[11] [12]
IRE
[13]
NZ
[9]
US
[14]
US Alt
[15]
"Just a City"198720Let It Bee
"I Say Nothing"4573
"I Walk the Earth"198842
"Don't Call Me Baby"15481525
"I Say Nothing" (reissue)2211
"I Walk the Earth" (reissue)46
"Man in the Moon"93
"Monsters and Angels"19911772748Honey Lingers
"I Think I Love You"2512
"Perfect Place"3731
"Angel Come Down"199586Sex & Misery
"Scary Kisses"19963577
"Heavenly"
"So Hard"66
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Other appearances

Voice of the Beehive provided harmonies on Bill Drummond's album The Man (1986).

An early version of "Beat of Love" was featured on the London Records compilation Giant (1987).

Melissa and Tracey contributed a cover of "Five Feet High and Rising" to the Johnny Cash tribute album Til Things Are Brighter (1988), credited as Tracey & Melissa Beehive.

In 1993, Voice of the Beehive contributed a cover version of "Gimme Shelter" with Jimmy Somerville to an EP released to raise funds for the Putting Our House in Order homeless initiative. The single, which contained different duet versions of the song on each format, peaked at No. 23 in the UK, [16] and No. 214 in Australia. [8]

Notes

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