Belly (the band)

(from wikipedia)

Country Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Years active 1991–1996
Genres Alternative
Dream Pop
Labels Sire/Reprise
Members Tanya Donelly (guitar/vocals)
Thomas Gorman (organ/guitar)
Fred Abong (bass) (1991-1993)
Gail Greenwood (bass) (1993-1996)
Chris Gorman (drums)
Belly was a rock band formed in 1991 by former Throwing Muses members Tanya Donelly (also in The Breeders with Kim Deal) and Fred Abong. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the band consisted of Tanya Donelly on lead vocals, Fred Abong on bass, Tom Gorman on guitar, and Chris Gorman on drums. The band had an alternative rock sound that was uniquely mixed with both a twist of pop-reminiscent, haunted, melodies, (much like those of Julee Cruise and the Cocteau Twins) and an occasional country music-like twang, which made it popular with college students searching for indie rock bands.


[edit] Rise to stardom
Donelly's unique voice helped bring out both fury and sweetness, a talent that attracted the teenage misfits similar to those who helped The Cure to become so famous in the 1980s. Quickly rocketing to more wide-spread popularity with their EP Slow Dust (1992), Belly made number one in the British indie chart. Soon after, their single "Feed the Tree" made the top 40 in the British chart and their first album, Star (1993), got good reviews from newspapers and rock magazines and nabbed them a larger audience when it hit number two in the British chart.

In the United States, the album was RIAA Certified Gold, largely based on the success of "Feed the Tree," on Modern Rock radio stations and MTV, where the video was featured as part of MTV's Buzz Bin videos and Alternative Nation video show for much of 1993. Two follow-up singles were released, "Gepetto" and "Slow Dog," but neither matched the initial success of "Feed the Tree." Star was consequently nominated for two Grammys.


[edit] King Era
Just after the release of Star, bassist Fred Abong left and was replaced by Gail Greenwood. According to an MTV News report at the time, Greenwood was originally a guitar player in a Boston-area metal band before being recruited to play bass in Belly. She became a main attraction at their shows, her hair wildly flying into her face as she stormed around the stage. The live sound of the band evolved to accommodate her style, with its shows featuring more electric guitar than before and less of the dreamy quality of its 1st album.

As a result, the group's next album, King (1995), was more rock and roll-oriented. The album was not a popular success and the band was stuck between mainstream and underground acceptance. King, saw its numerous singles fail to sustain any significant airplay on Modern Rock radio. The videos for "Now They'll Sleep" and "Super Connected" received little airplay on MTV outside of limited airings on 120 Minutes. Belly graced the April 20, 1995, cover of Rolling Stone magazine.[1]

By 1997, Donelly had decided to break up the band. Donelly has since released several albums as a solo artist.


[edit] Discography
Albums

Star (1993)
King (1995)
Sweet Ride: The Best of Belly (2002)
Singles

Now They'll Sleep (1995)
Are You Experienced (1994)
Feed The Tree (1993)

Compilations

Generation X
Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (1993)
Double Shot: Pop Alternative (2000)
Lifetime Intimate Portrait: Women In Rock (1999)
Out Of Bounds: A Journey Through Modern Rock (1999)
The Rolling Stone Women In Rock Collection (1998)
Safe And Sound (1996)
A Bunch O' Hits: The Best Rock...Volume 1 (1996)
In Defense Of Animals, Volume 2 (1996)
Twister (1996)
UMPF (1995)
Mallrats (1995)
Sharks Patrol These Waters (1995)
This Is Fort Apache (1995)
Tank Girl (1995)
Just Say Roe (Just Say Yes Vol. 7) (1994)
With Honors (1994)
Stone Free: Tribute To Jimi Hendrix (1993)

[edit] References
^ Belly - RS 706 (April 20, 1995). Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-03-04.
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