Voice of the Beehive: Let It Bee (Double Album Anniversary Edition) reviewed

Album Review

Voice Of The Beehive – Let It Bee   (London Records)

Gatefold vinyl and double CD

Out now

‘Marking the 35th anniversary of one of the 80’s most era defining albums..?’ More of a brilliant pop anomaly rather than typically 80’s, says Ged Babey, of the sister-led guitar-band who should’ve gone on to bigger things. 

Reissued in special new packages, ‘Let It Bee’ will be available as a 2x CD in digipak with 36 page booklet, ‘Bee-sides’, live tracks and demos. Or, as a 1x LP gatefold honey yellow vinyl with new liner notes from Tracey Belland.

I had almost forgotten how good Voice of the Beehive were. A great live band too.

At the time, 1988, they were never quite regarded as ‘cutting edge’ or ultra cool, like the Jesus and Mary Chain or Cocteau Twins say. But a riot of colour, positivity and catchy tunes they were a Kids TV and Top of the Pops kind of band  – meaning more fun and exciting than any one else on the show, with a hint of unpredictability with their unrehearsed ‘dance routines’.

I Say Nothing and Don’t Call Me Baby were the two Big Hits – and sound timelessly brilliant still, but the less successful I Walk The Earth tops them both.

The original Let It Bee album I had on cassette and it spent more time in my wife’s in-car tape-deck than on the home-stereo. Appropriately enough perhaps as the last track was the superb There’s A Barbarian In The Back of my Car – a co-write with Zodiac Mindwarp – and the most rockin’ song on the album, complete with curiously bleeped out expletive.

Voice of The Beehive also had a mellow and melancholy side with the slower, melodic Sorrow Floats and The Man In The Moon.   They were as much a throwback to the Sixties harmony of bands like the Mamas & The Papas as a sparky Go-Go’s influenced new wave band.  The success of kooky one-offs the B-52’s meant there was bound to be an audience for them and the Madness connection meant instant attention from radio and music press.

Cynically perhaps, they were viewed as a music-biz band rather than struggling independent artists like say, the Primitives, but at least they weren’t artless, obvious fame-chasers like Transvision Vamp. The country influence and layered harmonies meant they had more of a kinship with the late, great Kirsty MacColl. With the benefit of hindsight, Voice of the Beehive, were a fantastic and under-appreciated band.

As the press release says…

Formed by sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland in California in 1986 the duo fled the sleazy politics of the American music industry in favour of exploring the British indie scene. Teaming up with ex-Madness members Mark Bedford and Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate along with Mike Jones and Martin Brett, they formed Voice Of The Beehive. With a sunny exterior of sparkling guitars, an energetic rhythm section and lyrics that reveal both youthful optimism and a cutting cynicism, they went on to score a series of five top 40 hits.

With its acerbic wit, sexual politics and outsider energy, ‘Let It Bee’ kicks against the pricks with all the self-empowered potency of the contemporary pop firmament.

The powerful live chops of the band, combined with the energy and stage presence of Tracey and Melissa, made Voice of the Beehive indie darlings and one of the hottest live bands on the London scene. Those two swinging Californian ponytails, dressed in the day’s finest dayglo, bangles, and Doc Martens, made Voice of The Beehive irresistible to record label drones circling the honey pot. Under the wing manager Andy Ross, they released debut single Just a City on his Food label and then signed to London Records for their debut album.

As well as being constants in music weeklies NME and Melody Maker, the sister’s vibrant clothes and engaging personalities were made for late 80s TV, with the TV AM couch, Top of the Pops and a hungover appearance on seminal children’s TV show The Wide Awake Club, helping propel their singles I Say Nothing and Don’t Call Me Baby into the Top 40.

There was a lot more to the band than met the eye, as particularly the 2 CD edition reveals:

Their choice of cover versions on various sessions and b-sides were indicative of a breadth in taste and an ear for a song they could make their own.  The Velvet Undergrounds Jesus is a spine-tingly beautiful version and the Comsat Angels Independence Day takes a cult classic and gives it pop sparkle whilst retaining it’s angst and cool.

A version of Blondies In The Flesh is note perfect but can’t improve on perfection, just match it.  A version of Five Feet High & Rising is fun but a cover of Led Zeppelin’s D’ya Maker is a puzzling idea which turns a naff song into gold.

I never knew that the Beehive sisters had a dad who was previously in American doo-wop act The Four Preps, which explains their love of all kinds of styles of music from across the decades.  This was the bands strength, but perhaps partly why they didn’t have more success. They didn’t hop aboard any passing trends or bandwagons and stuck to traditional decent song-writing.

The press release notes the ‘sexual politics’ in the sisters lyrics.  It was pretty much taken for granted in the 80’s that young women ‘inspired by punk’ to some extent, had a no-bullshit attitude to sexism.  The songs are more relatable accounts of relationships with Don’t Call Me Baby being about friendship with an ex with a new girlfriend, rather than a millie-tant diatribe. I Say Nothing disses indiscreet gossip-girls. The song lyrics were smart, sussed and cool basically.

Tattoo Song is very interesting from a socio-historical viewpoint – the female narrator wants a tattoo of her loved-ones face instead of a wedding – so that when he is (inevitably gone or) away she can remember his face. Pre-dating the celeb tattoo boom and mainstreaming of ink.

The fantastic sleeve notes by Tracy give background to the songs and the bands back-story.  There is a great tale about Zodiac Mindwarp, who was a complete sweetie it turns out.

There are some decent live versions and the odd unreleased track, like Cartoon City and overall this is a really strong reissue – nostalgia and timeless music. A band who were not as widely appreciated as they should’ve been and the expanded Let It Bee seems to contain all their best work.  It’s a buzz, cock.

Buy from choice of outlets

All words Ged Babey

Source: louderthanwar.com