Shelleyan Orphan
It was in 1980 when Caroline Crawley (vocals/clarinet) and Jemaur Tayle (acoustic guitar/vocals) first got together in their hometown of Bournemouth, England and discovered they had a mutual appreciation of the poet Shelley, so they took their name from his poem Spirit Of Solitude. Neither of them could read or write music, or play any of their chosen instruments so in 1982 Caroline quit her A-Level studies and they moved to London in search of a string section and oboist, with the intention of using these traditionally classical instruments along with the guitar and their two voices, in a pop context. Inspired by T-Rex, Nick Drake and Van Morrison, the self-taught duo found their musicians and touted themselves around London, until in June 1984 they won a Kid Jensen BBC radio session. Following a baffling support to the Jesus And Mary Chain at the ICA, where their classical ensemble shocked the assembled crowd, they were swiftly signed up by Rough Trade Records. Two sweet and mellow singles followed, Cavalry Of Cloud and Anatomy Of Love, both to reviews of poetic ecstasy, and after a memorable appearance on THE TUBE television programme, their controversial debut HELLEBORINE was released in May 1987. Its swirling romanticism was promptly dubbed ‘pretentious’ by the music press, gaining Shelleyan Orphan the title of Pre-Raphaelite Fruitcakes. The next two years were spent writing, recording and maturing their sound, and with the addition of more traditional rock instruments to their string orientated line-up, the band produced the more immediate and accessible CENTURY FLOWER. The album was a significant step forward, using unusual time signatures and baroque instrumentation to spectacular effect. The richly harmonic Shatter and superb Timeblind were among the highlights. Supporting the Cureacross Europe and America, they showed another side to their gentle image and betrayed a new found energy and exuberance.