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Cocteau Twins
7,989,314 plays (257,939 listeners)
Grangemouth, United Kingdom (1979 – 1997)
Cocteau Twins were an innovative and very influential Scottish band. They built a sound based on woozy atmospherics and singer Elizabeth Fraser’s unmatchable vocals, most of which featured lyrics of made-up words and words plucked at random from the dictionary.
Forming in 1979 in Grangemouth, Scotland, their first release was Garlands in 1982 on 4AD Records, which was received well. Founding member Will Heggie left the group in 1983, prior to the release of their second full-length, Head Over Heels, that enjoyed more commercial and critical success than their first.
In 1983, the two remaining members, Fraser and Robin Guthrie, were part of the first album recorded by This Mortal Coil, a supergroup put together by Ivo Watts-Russell, head of 4AD Records. The pair had a hit with a cover of Tim Buckley’s Song to the Siren, and met Simon Raymonde, who joined the band on bass.
In April ‘84 they released Pearly Dewdrops’ Drop, the 12-inch that included The Spangle Maker. It was their first to reach the national top 40. When it peaked at 29 they were asked to play Top Of The Pops, but turned it down.
The 1984 album Treasure followed, peaking at 29 on the UK album chart.
A musical sidestep was to follow, as the Twins recorded a collaborative effort with minimalist composer Harold Budd, The Moon And The Melodies in 1985, and then a year later their next album, Victorialand, was recorded without Raymonde (who was working on the second This Mortal Coil album) or drums. The resulting album is possibly the most ambient of all their releases. Victorialand hit the UK album chart top 10, their biggest hit to date.
Forming in 1979 in Grangemouth, Scotland, their first release was Garlands in 1982 on 4AD Records, which was received well. Founding member Will Heggie left the group in 1983, prior to the release of their second full-length, Head Over Heels, that enjoyed more commercial and critical success than their first.
In 1983, the two remaining members, Fraser and Robin Guthrie, were part of the first album recorded by This Mortal Coil, a supergroup put together by Ivo Watts-Russell, head of 4AD Records. The pair had a hit with a cover of Tim Buckley’s Song to the Siren, and met Simon Raymonde, who joined the band on bass.
In April ‘84 they released Pearly Dewdrops’ Drop, the 12-inch that included The Spangle Maker. It was their first to reach the national top 40. When it peaked at 29 they were asked to play Top Of The Pops, but turned it down.
The 1984 album Treasure followed, peaking at 29 on the UK album chart.
A musical sidestep was to follow, as the Twins recorded a collaborative effort with minimalist composer Harold Budd, The Moon And The Melodies in 1985, and then a year later their next album, Victorialand, was recorded without Raymonde (who was working on the second This Mortal Coil album) or drums. The resulting album is possibly the most ambient of all their releases. Victorialand hit the UK album chart top 10, their biggest hit to date.
Top Albums
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Treasure
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Heaven or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
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Four-Calendar Cafe
Cocteau TwinsBuy- Download Album
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Blue Bell Knoll
Cocteau TwinsBuy- Download Album
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Shoutbox
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kirkfgylling wrote:
Can one of you Cock2 Twins fans recommend an album that is closest to Heaven or Las Vegas?
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SoRuthless wrote:
during the winter, Heaven Or Las Vegas never leaves me.
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Micjen wrote:
nothing i genuinely dislike about this band. such solid output
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flurr-flarr- wrote:
best band ever [4]
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riigo wrote:
cock toe twins
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ativke wrote:
You're all like ;xxxxx
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Astral_JL wrote:
my friend keeps saying "cocktail twins", but i don't correct her, i just sort of laugh on the inside.
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deruizz wrote:
espectaculares... sin duda unos adelantados a su epoca
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3fingeredben wrote:
Perhaps my favorite band, when I really do some soul-searching.
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Intercepted wrote:
'Blue Bell Knoll' is undoubtely my favourite album altough I've been listening more to 'Heaven or Las Vegas' lately. Anyway, they're amazing, remarkable in every single song. Reminds me of my childhood. :)
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perzus wrote:
best band ever [3] luv them 1 of my faves
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thuzica wrote:
Needs a different display picture [2]
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salvador-rudy wrote:
best band ever [2]
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tragicvenus wrote:
Needs a different display picture! Her face is cut off in the thumbnail.
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rainy-dog wrote:
need-fire is a million times better than anything on milk & kisses
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emidark wrote:
best band ever
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android1985 wrote:
Victorialand needs to go up. NOW.
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DesireeGomez wrote:
Pink Opaque is pretty amazing as well.
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DesireeGomez wrote:
Four Calendar is beautiful, I concur below.
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MrLJM wrote:
It only took Bluebeard for me to fall in love with this band. I don't know why people slag off Four-Calendar Café so much, it's a lovely album. Ok, it's not as good as Head over Heels, but it's hardly awful.
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Recent Activity
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LucindaMartinez, miguelcuezzo, k-man2006 and 4 other people added Cocteau Twins to their libraries. 29 minutes ago
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ancameme tagged Cocteau Twins with ‘get this’. yesterday evening
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Greasealease, karelinanton, rored and 15 other people added Cocteau Twins to their libraries. yesterday evening
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LihinianZissou wrote about Cocteau Twins – Treasure in a deleted journal. yesterday afternoon
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LihinianZissou wrote about Cocteau Twins in a deleted journal. yesterday afternoon
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LihinianZissou wrote about Cocteau Twins – Four-Calendar Café in a deleted journal. yesterday afternoon
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LihinianZissou wrote about Cocteau Twins – Victorialand in a deleted journal. yesterday afternoon
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LihinianZissou wrote about Cocteau Twins – Milk & Kisses in a deleted journal. yesterday afternoon
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LihinianZissou wrote about Cocteau Twins – Four-Calendar Café in My record collection. yesterday afternoon
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LihinianZissou wrote about Cocteau Twins – Treasure in My record collection. yesterday afternoon
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Groups (332)
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Elizabeth Fraser
201 members
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Robin Guthrie
52 members
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This Mortal Coil
141 members
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Love Made Visible - The Delays Group -
28 members
-
gazers
48 members
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