While Belle and Sebastian's sound is most frequently associated with the work of primary frontman Stuart Murdoch, the Scottish indie pop collective is by no means a dictatorship, as various members have taken turns on lead vocals over the years. This is particularly apparent on the band's latest compilation, The Third Eye Centre, on which more than half of the tracks are sung by someone other than Murdoch.
To celebrate the release of this rarities compilation, we've assembled a list of our 10 favourite Belle and Sebastian songs fronted by someone other than Stuart Murdoch. We should point out that many of these songs feature prominent vocal harmonies from Murdoch, but in every case, he largely takes a backseat and allows one of his bandmates a moment in the spotlight. That's why we left off the magical "Lazy Line Painter Jane," which finds Murdoch splitting vocal dutiies with guest singer Monica Queen more or less evenly.
So while Murdoch's songs remain the crux of Belle and Sebastian's catalogue, these tunes show that his collaborators have plenty of great ideas of their own and have always remained a critical component of Belle and Sebastian.
Top 10 Belle and Sebastian Songs Fronted by Someone Other Than Stuart Murdoch:
10. "Winter Wooskie" (Stuart David)
Former member Stuart David is known for his spoken word contributions to songs like "A Century of Elvis" and "A Space Boy Dream," but he tries his hand at singing on the charming "Winter Wooskie" from 2000's Legal Man single. His voice isn't strong or confident, but it's more than capable of carrying this pleasant bubblegum ditty.
9. "Waiting for the Moon to Rise" (Sarah Martin)
Multi-instrumentalist Sarah Martin's voice didn't feature heavily on the band's early works, but she stepped up to the mic for "Waiting for the Moon to Rise," one of the stronger cuts from 2000's hit-or-miss Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant. The song's soft flute, acoustic plucking and subtle reverb give it a hint of baroque elegance that distinguishes itself from the band's usually plaintive folk and pop stylings.
8. "Legal Man" (The Maisonettes)
Belle and Sebastian's tendency for genre parody doesn't always pay off, but this psychedelic 2000 single is a wonderfully fluffy bit of fun. With pattering bongos, electric guitar twang and hokey group-sung hooks like "L-O-V-E love, it's coming back," it's only a shame that this came out three years too late to be included in 1997's Austin Powers. It's difficult to identify anyone as the singer of this one, since all the vocals are group-sung; the Maisonettes are named on the front cover, while singer Rozanne Suarez is listed in the credits.
7. "To Be Myself Completely" (Stevie Jackson)
Belle and Sebastian's 2006 album The Life Pursuit is perhaps their brightest, most pop-centric work to date, and Stevie Jackson's "To Be Myself Completely" embodies that sound perfectly. With peppy rhythms and sunshine-streaked vocal harmonies, it's perhaps his catchiest contribution to any of the band's LPs, in addition to being his most confident vocal performance ever.
6. "Family Tree" (Isobel Campbell)
Rarely has a defiant anthem of non-conformity sounded quite so frail as Isobel Campbell's "Family Tree" from Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant. Her voice is high and soft as she sings a melody simple enough to be a nursery rhyme, all the while sweetly sneering at her peers and whispering, "I'm here in a cage / With a bottle of rage / And a family like the mafia."
5. "Jonathan David" (Stevie Jackson)
Stevie Jackson has frequently exhibited a fondness for pop oldies, and his vintage-style songcraft shines on the restlessly energetic 2001 single "Jonathan David." The melodies soar and tumble while hooks are piled on top of perky drums, bouncy piano and lush harmonies, meaning that you'll scarcely have time to catch your breath during the brisk three-minute runtime.
4. "Asleep on a Sunbeam" (Sarah Martin)
On 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Sarah Martin's "Asleep on a Sunbeam" is somewhat overshadowed by being sandwiched between the staggering "Piazza, New York Catcher" and "I'm a Cuckoo." Nevertheless, the heart-lifting melodies and swelling horns bubble with a restrained excitement that perfectly embodies the AM pop leanings of the group's work in the past decade. We should point out that Murdoch's voice features heavily on this tune, and he even briefly takes the lead in the third verse, but this is mostly Martin's show.
3. "Seymour Stein" (Stevie Jackson)
Stevie Jackson's beautifully bummed-out breakup lament from 1998's The Boy with the Arab Strap takes its name from the record exec who co-founded Sire Records, but at its core, it's all about romantic longing. It's a bittersweet resignation of defeat that's by far Jackson's most emotionally arresting contribution to the band's oeuvre, as he sings, "I heard dinner went well / You liked Chris's jacket."
2. "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" (Isobel Campbell)
The brilliant "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" from The Boy with the Arab Strap finds Isobel Campbell sounding a lot like Murdoch's female counterpart. Her voice, with its lilting inflection and faint lisp, bears a distinct similarity to Murdoch's, and this perfectly complements the lyrics' blend of cynical wit and sincere melancholy (a trick that has long been at the core of Belle and Sebastian's style). It also helps that the song's whirling organ, chiming electric guitar and mournful violin are drop-dead gorgeous.
1. "I Didn't See It Coming" (Sarah Martin)
Surprisingly, on 2010's Belle and Sebastian Write About Love, the album's best cut wasn't primarily fronted by Murdoch. Instead, the Sarah Martin-led "I Didn't See It Coming" steals the show with its honey-dipped melody and brilliantly plaintive lyrics, as Martin concedes, "Every word's a whisper without you." The pitter-patting rhythms anchor an arrangement that subtly swells and builds, eventually shifting into a Murdoch-sung bridge before returning to Martin's hook in the final moments, all of which makes for Belle and Sebastian's most satisfying payoffs. For a twist on this brilliant track, be sure to check out Richard X's club-ready mix from The Third Eye Centre; though it lacks the subtlety of the original's gradual buildup, Martin's gentle coos provide the perfect counterpoint to Richard X's bubblegum dance beats.
To celebrate the release of this rarities compilation, we've assembled a list of our 10 favourite Belle and Sebastian songs fronted by someone other than Stuart Murdoch. We should point out that many of these songs feature prominent vocal harmonies from Murdoch, but in every case, he largely takes a backseat and allows one of his bandmates a moment in the spotlight. That's why we left off the magical "Lazy Line Painter Jane," which finds Murdoch splitting vocal dutiies with guest singer Monica Queen more or less evenly.
So while Murdoch's songs remain the crux of Belle and Sebastian's catalogue, these tunes show that his collaborators have plenty of great ideas of their own and have always remained a critical component of Belle and Sebastian.
Top 10 Belle and Sebastian Songs Fronted by Someone Other Than Stuart Murdoch:
10. "Winter Wooskie" (Stuart David)
Former member Stuart David is known for his spoken word contributions to songs like "A Century of Elvis" and "A Space Boy Dream," but he tries his hand at singing on the charming "Winter Wooskie" from 2000's Legal Man single. His voice isn't strong or confident, but it's more than capable of carrying this pleasant bubblegum ditty.
9. "Waiting for the Moon to Rise" (Sarah Martin)
Multi-instrumentalist Sarah Martin's voice didn't feature heavily on the band's early works, but she stepped up to the mic for "Waiting for the Moon to Rise," one of the stronger cuts from 2000's hit-or-miss Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant. The song's soft flute, acoustic plucking and subtle reverb give it a hint of baroque elegance that distinguishes itself from the band's usually plaintive folk and pop stylings.
8. "Legal Man" (The Maisonettes)
Belle and Sebastian's tendency for genre parody doesn't always pay off, but this psychedelic 2000 single is a wonderfully fluffy bit of fun. With pattering bongos, electric guitar twang and hokey group-sung hooks like "L-O-V-E love, it's coming back," it's only a shame that this came out three years too late to be included in 1997's Austin Powers. It's difficult to identify anyone as the singer of this one, since all the vocals are group-sung; the Maisonettes are named on the front cover, while singer Rozanne Suarez is listed in the credits.
7. "To Be Myself Completely" (Stevie Jackson)
Belle and Sebastian's 2006 album The Life Pursuit is perhaps their brightest, most pop-centric work to date, and Stevie Jackson's "To Be Myself Completely" embodies that sound perfectly. With peppy rhythms and sunshine-streaked vocal harmonies, it's perhaps his catchiest contribution to any of the band's LPs, in addition to being his most confident vocal performance ever.
6. "Family Tree" (Isobel Campbell)
Rarely has a defiant anthem of non-conformity sounded quite so frail as Isobel Campbell's "Family Tree" from Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant. Her voice is high and soft as she sings a melody simple enough to be a nursery rhyme, all the while sweetly sneering at her peers and whispering, "I'm here in a cage / With a bottle of rage / And a family like the mafia."
5. "Jonathan David" (Stevie Jackson)
Stevie Jackson has frequently exhibited a fondness for pop oldies, and his vintage-style songcraft shines on the restlessly energetic 2001 single "Jonathan David." The melodies soar and tumble while hooks are piled on top of perky drums, bouncy piano and lush harmonies, meaning that you'll scarcely have time to catch your breath during the brisk three-minute runtime.
4. "Asleep on a Sunbeam" (Sarah Martin)
On 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Sarah Martin's "Asleep on a Sunbeam" is somewhat overshadowed by being sandwiched between the staggering "Piazza, New York Catcher" and "I'm a Cuckoo." Nevertheless, the heart-lifting melodies and swelling horns bubble with a restrained excitement that perfectly embodies the AM pop leanings of the group's work in the past decade. We should point out that Murdoch's voice features heavily on this tune, and he even briefly takes the lead in the third verse, but this is mostly Martin's show.
3. "Seymour Stein" (Stevie Jackson)
Stevie Jackson's beautifully bummed-out breakup lament from 1998's The Boy with the Arab Strap takes its name from the record exec who co-founded Sire Records, but at its core, it's all about romantic longing. It's a bittersweet resignation of defeat that's by far Jackson's most emotionally arresting contribution to the band's oeuvre, as he sings, "I heard dinner went well / You liked Chris's jacket."
2. "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" (Isobel Campbell)
The brilliant "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" from The Boy with the Arab Strap finds Isobel Campbell sounding a lot like Murdoch's female counterpart. Her voice, with its lilting inflection and faint lisp, bears a distinct similarity to Murdoch's, and this perfectly complements the lyrics' blend of cynical wit and sincere melancholy (a trick that has long been at the core of Belle and Sebastian's style). It also helps that the song's whirling organ, chiming electric guitar and mournful violin are drop-dead gorgeous.
1. "I Didn't See It Coming" (Sarah Martin)
Surprisingly, on 2010's Belle and Sebastian Write About Love, the album's best cut wasn't primarily fronted by Murdoch. Instead, the Sarah Martin-led "I Didn't See It Coming" steals the show with its honey-dipped melody and brilliantly plaintive lyrics, as Martin concedes, "Every word's a whisper without you." The pitter-patting rhythms anchor an arrangement that subtly swells and builds, eventually shifting into a Murdoch-sung bridge before returning to Martin's hook in the final moments, all of which makes for Belle and Sebastian's most satisfying payoffs. For a twist on this brilliant track, be sure to check out Richard X's club-ready mix from The Third Eye Centre; though it lacks the subtlety of the original's gradual buildup, Martin's gentle coos provide the perfect counterpoint to Richard X's bubblegum dance beats.
