Shakespeare's Sister
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Shakespears Sister (originally Shakespeare’s Sister) was a synth-pop-rock band formed by former Bananarama singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey in 1988.
It was Fahey’s first musical project since leaving Bananarama. Later in 1989, backing vocalist Marcella Detroit was featured more as London Records presented the band as a duo. The name is taken from the title of the song “Shakespeare’s Sister” by The Smiths, which in turn refers to a section of Virginia Woolf’s feminist essay A Room of One’s Own, in which Woolf argues that if William Shakespeare had a sister of equal genius, as a woman she would not have had the opportunity to make use of it.
The band’s name lost its final “e” when a friend making a woodcut logo for Fahey misspelt the most common modern spelling of Shakespeare. The cover of the first album, Sacred Heart, clearly includes an apostrophe (i.e. Shakespear’s Sister), but this too was subsequently lost.
Fahey - Detroit era
Originally conceived as a Fahey solo project, Shakespears Sister first release was the double A-sided single “Break My Heart (You Really)”/”Heroine” in October 1988, which failed to chart.
In 1989, with Shakespears Sister now presented as a duo of Fahey with Marcella Detroit, the next single, “You’re History”, became a top ten hit in the UK. The debut album, Sacred Heart, also went top ten, though further singles taken from the album were less successful.
Taking some time off due to both members’ pregnancies, Shakespears Sister returned in late 1991 with the release of the single “Goodbye Cruel World”, which peaked at number 59 in the UK Singles Chart. However, in early 1992, the duo released what would become their biggest hit single, “Stay”.
It was Fahey’s first musical project since leaving Bananarama. Later in 1989, backing vocalist Marcella Detroit was featured more as London Records presented the band as a duo. The name is taken from the title of the song “Shakespeare’s Sister” by The Smiths, which in turn refers to a section of Virginia Woolf’s feminist essay A Room of One’s Own, in which Woolf argues that if William Shakespeare had a sister of equal genius, as a woman she would not have had the opportunity to make use of it.
The band’s name lost its final “e” when a friend making a woodcut logo for Fahey misspelt the most common modern spelling of Shakespeare. The cover of the first album, Sacred Heart, clearly includes an apostrophe (i.e. Shakespear’s Sister), but this too was subsequently lost.
Fahey - Detroit era
Originally conceived as a Fahey solo project, Shakespears Sister first release was the double A-sided single “Break My Heart (You Really)”/”Heroine” in October 1988, which failed to chart.
In 1989, with Shakespears Sister now presented as a duo of Fahey with Marcella Detroit, the next single, “You’re History”, became a top ten hit in the UK. The debut album, Sacred Heart, also went top ten, though further singles taken from the album were less successful.
Taking some time off due to both members’ pregnancies, Shakespears Sister returned in late 1991 with the release of the single “Goodbye Cruel World”, which peaked at number 59 in the UK Singles Chart. However, in early 1992, the duo released what would become their biggest hit single, “Stay”.
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verdena wrote:
this is the wrong tag... check the album covers... correct is Shakespear's Sister... no "e"
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Behg wrote:
"Stay" is such a haunting track <3
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bigwillch wrote:
No-one listens to Shakespeare's Sister anymore? Disgrace
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ultraviolet160, LowTech9, tjbfl and 21 other people added Shakespeare's Sister to their libraries. Monday evening
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rise_again tagged Shakespeare's Sister with ‘goth pop’. November 2009
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rise_again, lastothy, saydee1612 and 69 other people added Shakespeare's Sister to their libraries. November 2009
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