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<TITLE>Belle and Sebastian FAQ</TITLE>
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<META NAME="Description" CONTENT="All the frequently asked questions relating to belle and sebastian and their workings on the net">
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<B>1. What is "Tigermilk", where can I get it, will it be released?</B>
<B>2. Who's in the band?</B>
<B>3. Who are the people that run this, the label and other things we've found?</B>
<B>4. Other releases, forthcoming releases?</B>
<P><B>1. What is "Tigermilk", where can I get it, will it be released?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>Let's deal with this all in one go, "Tigermilk" is the first album by Belle and Sebastian. It was recorded as part of the Stow College project. Each year the college releases a single that is chosen by it's class, in Belle and Sebastian's case they made an album. They had not only more songs than previous bands, but also more members. "Tigermilk" was eventually recorded and released in the early part of 1996. It came out on vinyl only and as a release of 1,000 copies. Initially the album was only available via mail-order, but some 400 copies made their way to shops in Glasgow and via 3MV distribution to other little indies in the UK. Tigermilk has been unavailable since the last copies were sold in late 1996, there are intentions to re-release the album, and people have requested that it's done on CD this time. "Tigermilk" will finally be re-released when it is deemed the right time to do so, though it's pretty likely that it will have new artwork gracing the sleeve when it reappears.</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
<P><B>2. Who's in the band?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>There are seven/eight members of Belle and Sebastian, sort of depending on the weather and other things. The members are as follows (in alphabetical order and including Mick, the occasional extra):<BR>
<UL><LI>Isobel Campbell: cello/fun instruments/vocals
<LI>Richard Colburn: percussion and things that get hit
<LI>Mick Cooke: trumpet and maybe guitar
<LI>Stuart David: bass guitar/accordian/spoken bits
<LI>Chris Geddes: keyboards upon keyboards
<LI>Stevie Jackson: lead guitar/vocals
<LI>Sarah Martin: violin/novelty instruments/recorder
<LI>Stuart Murdoch: acoustic guitar/vocals</UL><BR>
Stuart Murdoch is the main writer, however Stevie and Isobel have both
written new songs for the third album.</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
<P><B>3. Who are the people that run this, the label and other things we've found?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>Mark Jones and Stef D'Andrea are the ones that run Jeepster Recordings Ltd. They have help from Katrina House and Jo D'Andrea. Katrina also works on the fanclub, giving a hand to David Kitchen. David in the meantime is responsible for this site as well as working on the fanclub (which covers the info service, mail order and merchandise at gigs), and Paul Mitchell runs the 'Sinister' mailing list and the Sinister archive. Andy Dean runs the Tweenet resource and archives and Stuart David (from the band) runs the official Belle and Sebastian site. Neil Robertson runs Banchory Management which is the bands office. All in all we're a happy lot, rarely meet (indeed some of us have never met) and we all dearly love the band. This is why we do all of this, it is also why if you have any questions we'll be here to try and answer them.</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
<P><B>4. Other releases, forthcoming releases?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>To date, Belle and Sebastian have released 2 LP's and 3 EP's.<BR>
"Tigermilk" an LP on Electric Honey Records - May 1996<BR>
"If You're Feeling Sinister" an LP on Jeepster Records - November 1996<BR>
"Dog On Wheels" an EP on Jeepster Records - April 1997<BR>
"Lazy Line Painter Jane" an EP on Jeepster Records - July 1997<BR>
"3..6..9 Seconds Of Light" an EP on Jeepster Records - October 1997<BR>
Forthcoming releases include a new album that is currently being mixed and a preceding single which will possibly contain the epic "Modern Rock Song".</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
<P><B>5. Belle and Sebastian's history?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>Katrina wrote a biography of Belle and Sebastian for possible inclusion in the Rough Guide series of music books. This seems quite an appropriate place to publish anyway considering it's of interest to everyone. <A HREF="biog.htm">So here it is</A>.</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
<P><B>6. So where did they get their name?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>There are several stories of where Belle and Sebastian got their name. A lot of people have assumed that the name came from the black and white film of the same name about a boy called Sebastian and a dog named Belle. This film was later turned into a cartoon, which it seems is what everyone remembers. In fact the name originated from Stuart Murdoch via a tale he had written about a girl named Isobel and a boy called Sebastian. Both young and full of life, they enjoyed coffee, supermarkets and walking hand in hand. In the story they formed a band with some recruited members and made some tapes. In real life Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David had been forming the band as we know them and were seeking a name. They played with a few ideas before settling on naming themselves after their fictional entity, and so the name Belle and Sebastian was born.</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
<P><B>7. When and where are they touring? When can I see a gig?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>All tours are announced on the front page of our <A HREF="http://www.totalweb.co.uk/bluesoda/" target="_top">site</A>. But if you really want to know then you can mail <A HREF="mailto:jeepster.uk@virgin.net">Katrina</A> at Jeepster Records, but it is unlikely that the reply will be "yes, they're playing in your local venue tomorrow and tickets are still available".</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
<P><B>8. You've mentioned a mailing list, what is it and how do I subscribe?</B>
<BLOCKQUOTE>The 'Sinister' mailing list is run by Honey. It is an e-mail based list, meaning that you have to subscribe, unsubscribe, etc by e-mail. After subscribing you can send mail to the list or just 'lurk' by simply reading what other people have written. You don't have to have e-mail access to read the list though, there is a comprehensive searchable archive on the 'Sinister' site that you can search through whenever you wish.</BLOCKQUOTE></P>
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