A musical appreciation thread on The Cocteau Twins (CT) who were a major influence on Prince.
The first link I ever made between Prince & the CT was during the Parade Tour in 1986.
I attended one of his London shows only to hear the angelic sound of the CT over the PA.
The first link I ever made between Prince & the CT was during the Parade Tour in 1986.
I attended one of his London shows only to hear the angelic sound of the CT over the PA.
Of course, prior to that gig, I was already familiar with the CT.
They were the press darlings of the independent U.K. music scene in the 80’s.
Not well known outside of the indie scene but if you were into the alternative music scene, then you knew about them.
They were the press darlings of the independent U.K. music scene in the 80’s.
Not well known outside of the indie scene but if you were into the alternative music scene, then you knew about them.
My friend Neil & I loved the CT & we would always be playing the “Treasure” or “Victorialand” albums non-stop alongside Black Celebration by Depeche Mode.
Unfortunately Neil wasn’t that into Prince 😢
Unfortunately Neil wasn’t that into Prince 😢
I went to see Prince at Wembley Arena on Thursday 14 August 1986 on the final night of the Parade Tour in the UK.
Another friend, Anastasia (Anna Stesia, you couldn’t make this shit up) accompanied me.
Let me remind you we are talking about Parade here & not Lovesexy 🤣
Another friend, Anastasia (Anna Stesia, you couldn’t make this shit up) accompanied me.
Let me remind you we are talking about Parade here & not Lovesexy 🤣
We lived in Birmingham and so we boarded a special coach that had been arranged to bus Purple People from the Midlands to the gig in London.
We were all excited about seeing Prince Live for the first time in our lives & so it was big party atmosphere on the Purple Bus.
We were all excited about seeing Prince Live for the first time in our lives & so it was big party atmosphere on the Purple Bus.
We arrive at Wembley Arena, buy some merchandise & settle in.
Much to my amazement & delight I hear the strains of the CT being played over the PA system.
I was ecstatic, as I always am, when I hear great music in a public space when you least expect it.
Much to my amazement & delight I hear the strains of the CT being played over the PA system.
I was ecstatic, as I always am, when I hear great music in a public space when you least expect it.
It never crossed my mind, not even for a minute that Prince had anything to do with the CT playing on the PA.
I just thought an employee at the arena or a stage hand had good taste in music & was playing a tape of the CT over the PA.
If I worked there I would do the same.
I just thought an employee at the arena or a stage hand had good taste in music & was playing a tape of the CT over the PA.
If I worked there I would do the same.
It was the 1st time we were seeing Prince Live on his 1st UK tour.
We never knew about his penchant for curating pre & post show music as there was no prior precedent.
Thus, to me, it was inconceivable that the CT playing in the background could in any way be connected to him.
We never knew about his penchant for curating pre & post show music as there was no prior precedent.
Thus, to me, it was inconceivable that the CT playing in the background could in any way be connected to him.
So the show commences & Anastasia & I are having the time of our lives, Prince is mind blowing & magnificent & we get our first taste of him Live.
We were fortunate enough 2 be there on the night when Sting & Ronnie Wood made a guest appearance for his cover of Stones “Miss You”
We were fortunate enough 2 be there on the night when Sting & Ronnie Wood made a guest appearance for his cover of Stones “Miss You”
Gig over, our hearts sink, lights go on & before we even have the chance to comprehend what we had just witnessed we again hear the beautiful & heavenly strains of the CT over the PA.
So we reluctantly head out of the Arena to get on the coach back to Birmingham.
So we reluctantly head out of the Arena to get on the coach back to Birmingham.
I didn’t make any connection between Prince & CT playing over the PA, as there was no link to be made between this small Scottish band & this huge American superstar.
No parallel could be drawn between his music & theirs.
They were of 2 completely different worlds.
No parallel could be drawn between his music & theirs.
They were of 2 completely different worlds.
It was a year or so later that I made the Prince & CT connection when he mentioned the CT in an interview.
I couldn’t believe it & immediately my mind went back to the Parade gig.
It blew my mind.
Then it hit me, it was Prince playing the CT over the PA at that gig!
I couldn’t believe it & immediately my mind went back to the Parade gig.
It blew my mind.
Then it hit me, it was Prince playing the CT over the PA at that gig!
This was a mind f***!
How & when did Prince get into the CT.
They were at opposite ends of the music spectrum. Their style of music & image bore no relation, no similarity & no connection.
How did their vastly different worlds collide!
How & when did Prince get into the CT.
They were at opposite ends of the music spectrum. Their style of music & image bore no relation, no similarity & no connection.
How did their vastly different worlds collide!
It was inexplicable that Prince would listen 2 the CT, let alone play CT over the PA.
At that time you never heard about Superstars loving weird indie music.
Other superstars of that time, MJ & Madonna would never have mentioned or played such weird music.
It was unheard of.
At that time you never heard about Superstars loving weird indie music.
Other superstars of that time, MJ & Madonna would never have mentioned or played such weird music.
It was unheard of.
Prince invented Alternative R&B & this was partially due to his open embrace of weird alternative sounds.
Childish Gambino, Neptunes, Pharell, Miguel, F Ocean, & Weeknd all owe their existence to Prince.
The Weeknd admitted that he owed a huge debt & said:
Childish Gambino, Neptunes, Pharell, Miguel, F Ocean, & Weeknd all owe their existence to Prince.
The Weeknd admitted that he owed a huge debt & said:
“Prince turned experimental music into pop music. ‘When Doves Cry’, the whole Purple Rain soundtrack - he was inspired by the Cocteau Twins and new wave pop and brought it into R&B when he first started, and then it became this cool, next-level, kind of hard-to-digest music.”
From the moment I discovered Prince loved the CT, their status immediately became ELEVATED.
The CT had become SACRED!
A new mystique surrounded them.
All because of that Prince connection.
The CT had become SACRED!
A new mystique surrounded them.
All because of that Prince connection.
Prince’s standing also became ELEVATED.
He was the coolest MF on the planet & he loved the same weirdo music that I loved.
Listening to the CT would never be the same again. Prince was with me, listening alongside me.
This became EMBEDDED in my mind.
He was the coolest MF on the planet & he loved the same weirdo music that I loved.
Listening to the CT would never be the same again. Prince was with me, listening alongside me.
This became EMBEDDED in my mind.
Prince loved the CT so much that he even sampled their track “Fifty Fifty Clown” from their album Heaven or Las Vegas on 2 of his songs, “Love..thy will be done” & “One of Us”.
The NPG also recorded a version of “Love… Thy Will Be Done” that featured the same sample.
It was slated for their 1994 album “Exodus” but it never made the final cut.
It was slated for their 1994 album “Exodus” but it never made the final cut.
CT reciprocated the love back to Prince in their own understated way.
To my ears, their track “Cico Buff” from 1988’s Blue Bell Knoll sounds similar to “Beautiful Ones”.
The opening to “Fotzepolitic” from 1993’s Heaven or Las Vegas album sounds like the intro to “Pop Life”.
To my ears, their track “Cico Buff” from 1988’s Blue Bell Knoll sounds similar to “Beautiful Ones”.
The opening to “Fotzepolitic” from 1993’s Heaven or Las Vegas album sounds like the intro to “Pop Life”.
Prince continued to mention CT throughout the years.
In 2014 in an unpublished Rolling Stone interview he said:
“What I like is stuff that I can’t do. That I would never do. Like the Cocteau Twins, I would never do that.”
In 2014 in an unpublished Rolling Stone interview he said:
“What I like is stuff that I can’t do. That I would never do. Like the Cocteau Twins, I would never do that.”
In an interview he did for Mojo mag in 2014, he said the 3rd 👁 Girl track “Tictactoe” was inspired by a night listening to the Cocteau Twins.
“We recorded it in Bryan Ferry’s studio in London, after a night of partying for which the Cocteau Twins was the soundtrack,”
“We recorded it in Bryan Ferry’s studio in London, after a night of partying for which the Cocteau Twins was the soundtrack,”
He added:
“You can’t understand the words of the Cocteau Twins songs, but their harmonies put you in a dreamlike state.”
The “Tictactoe” refrain from the 3rd 👁 G song actually reminds me of CT’s “Lorelei” which has a similar tic-tac-toe sounding refrain.
“You can’t understand the words of the Cocteau Twins songs, but their harmonies put you in a dreamlike state.”
The “Tictactoe” refrain from the 3rd 👁 G song actually reminds me of CT’s “Lorelei” which has a similar tic-tac-toe sounding refrain.
Even Jill Jones acknowledged Prince’s love for CT:
“All sorts of bands from that era, like Cocteau Twins were a big, big influence...he would listen 2 them, whether it be 2 study, 2 understand the rhythms. He would go 2 sleep listening 2 these records and you’d wake up 2 them”
“All sorts of bands from that era, like Cocteau Twins were a big, big influence...he would listen 2 them, whether it be 2 study, 2 understand the rhythms. He would go 2 sleep listening 2 these records and you’d wake up 2 them”
I had loved the CT before I knew Prince loved them but when I found out that he also loved them the CT achieved an almost untouchable, mythical, quasi religious status in my book.
I felt as though Prince & I were definitely reading the same sentence on the same page in the same book, we were on the same plane of consciousness, we were traversing the same dimensions ..
It warmed my heart that I shared this genuine love for the CT with Prince & whenever I listen to them, I always think of him.
I think, Prince, what did you hear?.. was it the ethereal guitar mood, was it the sonic cathedral of sound, was it the angelic voice, was it this other-worldly feeling that transported you to another dimension... was it all of these things...and more...
How did you feel Prince?...Did you smile when I smiled...did you cry when I cried... did you feel so totally alive as I did...Did her god like voice break you down & devastate you to the brink of self- destruction ...
What did you hear Prince?...that soothed you to sleep like a ghostly lullaby & then lulled you to your senses to awaken you..
Prince, what did you hear?...what did you feel..did we share the same feelings about the same songs at the same time...
What did you hear Prince?.. are you still hearing it?...are you still feeling it?....I hope so 💜...
I think of all of these things and more ...
I think of all of these things and more ...
Here are my 10 most favourite CT songs followed by 2 outstanding Liz Fraser collaborations with other artists that are as equally as beautiful as her work with the CT.
PANDORA
AIKEA-GUINEA
CICO BUFF
HOW TO BRING A BLUSH TO THE SNOW
OTTERLEY
THE THINNER THE AIR
ALICE
FIFTY FIFTY CLOWN
PEARLY- DEWDROPS’ DROPS
LORELEI
THIS LOVE
TEARDROP
Not only did Prince share my love for CT but he also introduced me to Andreas Vollenweider as I set out in my previous musical appreciation thread. In my next thread I will reveal another love we shared.
Here’s the Vollenweider link for those who are interested :
This can’t get any better than being given the nod approval by the bassist & keyboard player of the legendary Cocteau Twins - Simon Raymonde 💜
