news

NEWS goes HERE robertbobertson@yahoo.com

ROUNDUP:
16th November 2000

Arista is preparing something called a 'DVD Single' of Electricity and Come Together. This is exclusively in the united states as well as (?) Canada. :) The disc will feature the videos for the two songs, as well as the electronic press kit which I believe is a new one, not the one Jason used to have on the .com address. (Which should be updated soon). Sorry, btw, for my absence! :)

4th September 2000

Lazer Guided Melodies, Pure Phase, and Royal Albert Hall Live are being reissued inexpensively by BMG, and Ladies and Gentlemen will receive a limited reissue at the same price. This reissue only affects Europe and as no singles are being reissued the only point of interest is that the new Lazer Guided Melodies CDs may not have the Angel Sigh defect. This is from BMG Backstage.

BMG is also currently working on the new Spiritualized.com website - which currently contains a Net Names holding page.

7-31-00
From NME:

JASON PIERCE has finished recording the new SPIRITUALIZED album and is
                   about to start mixing the as-yet-untitled release - despite widespread
                   rumours that he'd sacked his latest band and had scrapped all his new
                   recordings to date.

                   A spokesperson said Pierce had been mixing the album in London's Abbey
                   Road studios since last month (June) - and revealed the sound was
                   "massive" and once again featured an orchestra and a choir.

                   Pierce is now apparently in the process of having a month off to reflect
                   on his work so far, then re-enter the studio and hopefully have the whole
                   package completed by the end of October. The album will then come out
                   early 2001, though a single may appear by the end of the year.

                   Commenting on rumours of yet another split and supposed scrapping of work,
                   the spokesperson said: "That's complete bollocks. The album will not now
                   be released this year, but that's because Jason's a perfectionist and he's
                   not just got to get the music right, he's got to plan the whole concept,
                   packaging and everything."

                   "What I've heard so far is absolutely blinding. It's just a massive sound.
                   It's a huge orchestral sound, there's gospel choirs, ordinary choirs, it's
                   just remarkable. But what's really struck me is that is actually a pop
                   record and you can really hear Jason's vocals this time."

A pop record? Naah.

7-24-00
Jason's girlfriend, Juliette, has apparently just given birth to a baby girl named Poppy. (A heroin reference? No :-) God know where major Spiritualized webmaster Chris Barrus got this information from...but I trust him...
7-7-00
Julian Cope has leaked -- perhaps accidentally -- that he will be unable to tour because, you guessed it, his backup band is busy with Jason. Cope also revealed the title of Jason's new record -- according to him, the fourth Spiritualized studio LP will be called "DON'T JUST DO SOMETHING, SIT THERE." This may be a joke. Nonetheless the relevant portion of Cope's remarks read:
"Safe to say there won't be a band with me,
as Jason 'Slow Train Coming' Spaceman still hasn't finished the
Spiritualized album and requires them all for permanent psychological back
up. He says the new album is gonna be called Don't Just Do Something, Sit
There, which is apt - he mixes one track per week then freaks out and starts
all over again. "
5-25-00
Thighpaulsandra (keyboardist Tim Lewis) has confirmed that the album's release date is now delayed to early to mid 2001. No explanation was offered about the delay, but he has advertised his upcoming solo album, I Thighpaulsandra (due soon).
5-17-00
NME has written a rather prominent article dealing with the impending (October 2000) release of Spiritualized's as-yet-untitled new album. Apparently recording is completed and Jason is now going to Air Studios to record choirs for the backup tracks, and should be done imminently with his new band. The article also mentions Lupine Howl's upcoming album, as well as their single due soon. Here is the link to the nme article:
5-16-00
Audio is now available from the Ashcroft single. Click on the graphic below or this text to listen.
4-25-00
Richard Ashcroft has released a single in North America titled "Song For the Lovers". The cover, as noted in the previous news entry, features Ashcroft kissing his wife, former Spiritualized keyboardist and Jason's squeeze Kate Radley. Here is the cover:

Sample lyric: "You take me from the madness/The awe-inspiring sadness/Take me to the places where the air is clean". Similar to Take Your Time? I think so. Not that we'll make this site into a mere gossip rag, oh no. :)
3-27-00
RICHARD ASHCROFT (erstwhile of The Verve)'s wife, former Spiritualized keyboardist KATE RADLEY has given birth to Ashcroft's son, Sonny. He was born on March 23rd at 10:30 AM, and weighs 9lb 1 oz.
2-15-00
BMG BACKSTAGE has announced that the new album will be released in APRIL 2000. Click here to read the article.
1-19-00
: not much. recording marches on. for old news and stuff, scroll down.
Jason has finally unveiled his complete lineup for the new band. He clears up who they are and reveals thighpaulsandra's real name in a handydandy nme article which was written over the holiday. unfortunately i've misplaced that article so i'll have to go visit nme again to find it. it's coming soon.
RECENT LIVE APPEARANCES:
COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL.
now if you wanna see a setlist, here it is, but very very crumpled. God knows where the nofispiritualized reader got it from.
Hereitis:
(Now you can clicky on it to see it better can't you)

ALSO THE FLUX FESTIVAL which i think nme reviewed. you know where to look but i'm not taking you there.
June 1999--Jason has just fired the entire core of SPIRITUALIZED as we know them, save for himself and Ray Moonshake (Sax player.) Here is a handy NME article:

SPIRITUALIZED's Jason Pierce has sacked the majority of his band. Lead guitarist Mike Mooney telephoned NME to say he had received a letter from Jason terminating his employment last week, together with drummer Damon Reece, who's been with the band since 1994, and bassist/ harmonica player Sean Cook, who has been a mainstay of Spiritualized since 1992, shortly after they emerged from the ashes of Spacemen 3. The letter arrived just weeks after the trio had signed a contract of employment, leaving them "devastated". Only saxophonist Ray Dickaty, who's been in the band for a year but did not sign the contract, is left in the line-up. It now appears that keyboard player Kate Radley, Pierce's ex-girlfriend and now Richard Ashcroft's wife, left some time ago, although none of the now sacked band members will comment on her assumed departure. A spokesman for Spiritualized told NME that even he had not heard from Pierce in the past six months and had no means of contacting him. The trio's official comment was: "In the past few days, we have received notice that we are no longer members of Spiritualized as the notice of dismissal shows. No official reason has been given for the termination. We have asked questions but have received no answers." The letter to each of them signed by Pierce read: "I refer to the agreement between us dated May 10, 1999. Pursuant to which you provided your service to me as a member of Spiritualized. "Pursuant to sub clause 1D of the agreement, kindly treat this letter as constituting my one month's notice to you to terminate the term of the agreement." Mooney, who joined the band in 1996 just after they finished recording 'Ladies And Gentlemen...', said: "Basically, it means that we've been completely fucked. It's really sad, because between us, we've put more than 18 years into this. "We signed the employment contract thinking we were about to start recording a new album. We had no idea this was about to happen. We're gutted, absolutely devastated." It's not known if Pierce has written any new material. Mooney said the last time the band had been together was last summer, just after Pierce was diagnosed as suffering from 'nervous exhaustion', when they added final touches to last year's live album. Mooney continued that he'd not heard anything from him since Ð until last week. He added that the sacked trio were now seeking legal advice. Spiritualized's manager Frank Gironda, of the LA-based Lookout Management, declined to comment on the matter. However, he did confirm that Jason was in the studio working on a new Spiritualized album.
let's all head back now