Belly (band)

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This article is about the rock band Belly. For other meanings of Belly, see Belly.
Belly
Origin Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Genre(s) Alternative
Dream Pop
Years active 1991–1996
Label(s) Sire/Reprise, 4AD
Former members
Tanya Donelly
Thomas Gorman
Fred Abong
Gail Greenwood
Chris Gorman

Belly was a rock band formed in 1991 by former Throwing Muses members Tanya Donelly (who was also in The Breeders with Kim Deal) and Fred Abong. The band was based in Boston, Massachusetts, though all the original members grew up in Newport, Rhode Island. The band consisted of Donelly on lead vocals and guitar, Abong on bass guitar, Tom Gorman on guitar, and Chris Gorman on drums. Tom and Chris, who were brothers, were childhood friends of Donelly's; they had previously played in the hardcore punk band Verbal Assault.

Contents

[edit] Star

Donelly named the band "Belly" because she thought the word was "both pretty and ugly". [1] Their EP Slow Dust (1992), made number one on 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 hit number two on 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

Just after the release of Star, bassist Fred Abong left and was replaced by Gail Greenwood. 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 appeared on the April 20, 1995, cover of Rolling Stone magazine.[1]

In 1995, Belly was one of the support bands for R.E.M. on their world tour.

In 1996, Donelly broke up the band; she has since released several solo albums.

[edit] Discography

Albums

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

EPs

  • Slow Dust (1992)

Singles

  • Super Connected (1995)
  • Now They'll Sleep (1995)
  • Seal My Fate (1995)
  • Are You Experienced (1994)
  • Feed The Tree (1993)
  • Gepetto (1993)

Compilations

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

[edit] References

  1. ^ Belly - RS 706 (April 20, 1995). Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-03-04.