The Best Bee-Side Band
I first got into Voice of the Beehive after hearing their single "Monsters and Angels" on a particularly significant day of my freshman year of high school, in the fall of 1991. I immediately went to Musicland in The Mall in Hays, Kansas, to purchase the album Honey Lingers (yes, that's a play on the word cunnilingus - say it with a British accent!) which included that song.
From there, I fell in love with the album and played it to death. While it's a top-notch album, it's also fairly short - clocking in at just over a half hour. Soon, I needed some more Beehive in my life and was lucky enough to find their debut album, Let It Bee, on vinyl at my local record store (GB Records) and because it was a used promo copy, I paid around $1 for it - which was great since I was a broke teenager! I thought Let It Bee was a little more raw, and had some strange songs on it, but I thought it showcased the girls' vocal harmonies even better than Honey Lingers. After that, I was hooked!
Sadly, though, for the rest of high school, there was no new Voice of the Beehive music. I would go to Musicland, or GB Records, or the record store in whatever town I was in, and search the "V" section hoping to find something new or that I didn't have. This was pre-internet of course, so information on the band was scarce. I had almost given up hope, but then, my freshman year in college, I had gone to Mexico over Spring Break to visit Sergio (a foreign exchange student who had lived with us). When I landed back in Wichita, my bags were not there. The airline told me I should check back in an hour or two, so I had to kill some time. I drove to the nearest mall, went to the music store, and went to the "V" section of the cassette singles. And, much to my utter amazement, were several copies of a single called "Scary Kisses" by Voice of the Beehive. (Actually, there was a typo on the spine of the case, which read "Scary Kkisses".)
I about fell over! I didn't even care that my bags may have been missing, this was all I needed! I quickly went to the album section to see if there was a new album too, but there wasn't, so I just bought the single quickly and ran to my car to listen to it. I was absolutely in love with the song - still one of my favorites to this day - and I was just so ecstatic. I loved the b-side, "Blue in Paradise," too, which ended up being an album track - which was rare for Voice of the Beehive, because most of their singles had exclusive b-sides.
Which brings us to the point of this blog post. Eventually, I did buy the album Sex & Misery which was released in 1996, a few months after "Scary Kisses." By this time, the Internet was "a thing" so I started collecting everything Beehive that I could find and afford. I ended up discovering that there was so much more to this band than what was released on albums. In fact, the final count I come up with for non-album tracks released by the band is around 27 (more if you include collaborations, remixes and demos). Considering their three studio albums contained 32 songs, these b-sides essentially double their canon.
Therefore, I crown Voice of the Beehive as the #1 b-side band of all time, at least for me! Let's take a listen to all their non-album tracks, shall we?!
7 Shocks - b-side of "Just a City" 7" + 12", March 1987
When I was in high school or college, I found someone who was selling VHS compilations of various bands' television appearances and music videos that he or she had made. I believe there were 3 volumes of VOTB tapes, but they were on the pricey side so I just got the first two volumes. The tapes contained several live shows from British TV, so several of these b-sides I heard first from these live performances. This was one of the songs I had wondered "why wasn't this on an album?" - a thought I would have about MANY bee-sides. This really shows the spirit of the group back in their first days. A really great, fun song! I don't think I got to hear the studio version until I lived in LA and found it on vinyl.
D'Yer Mak'Er - b-side of "Just a City" 12", April 1987
This is a cover of a Led Zepplin song. The title always confused me until I was able to Google it and find out that, because it's got a Reggae vibe, the band named it in the British phonetic pronunciation of "Jamaica". So there, you learned something new. The song itself was another one I had first heard from the live VHS tapes. Not one of my favorite covers that they do, but kinda fun when you can watch them performing it.
The Things You See When You Don't Have Your Gun (Live at ULU) - b-side of "I Say Nothing" 7" +12" initial release, October 1987
This one is a mystery to me as it doesn't seem there is a studio version, even though it's one of my favorite songs! It's so fun and dirty! The bass is awesome! I kept thinking I could find a studio recording somewhere but I never have. Surely it exists...
Independence Day - b-side of "I Say Nothing" 12", October 1987
This is probably my favorite cover that VOTB does, and they even still did it live in 2003 when I finally got to see them. It also was my introduction to Comsat Angels who wrote and originally performed the song, a very underrated band from Sheffield, which connects VOTB to Human League - my all-time favorite band. In the mid-80's, two members of Comsat Angels even performed as part of Human League at a benefit concert that was sort of the Human League's alternative to being part of Band Aid. I think Tracey has really made this song her own though when she performs it. This song is also part of the Radio 1 Sessions (The Evening Show) live album which was released on CD.
Any Day Of The Week - b-side of "I Say Nothing" 12" midja pack, October 1987
This is probably the most rare of all the b-sides. I never knew it existed until one day, probably around 2002, when I was shopping at Amoeba Records in Hollywood and found this 12" for an extremely reasonable price and about fell over when I read the tracklisting. I was convinced I had heard every officially released VOTB song by this point, and here was one I had never heard of! It's actually not a very strong track, but still notable for its rarity.
This Weak - b-side of "I Walk The Earth" 7", February 1988
Although this was initially a b-side, I know it more as one of the bonus tracks on the US CD version of Let It Bee, which I didn't obtain until college because I initially only owned it on vinyl. It's a catchy tune with some cool drums on it. The music doesn't really seem to match the lyrics very well though, as the tune is so upbeat and the lyrics are kind of sad.
Jesus... - b-side of "I Walk The Earth" 7" special Travel Pack, February 1988
This is a cover of a Lou Reed song, and until I met Dylan and started listening to music that he would play for me, I hadn't realized that they did something cool by making kind of an early "mash-up" when they brought in a bit from "Waiting For My Man" near the end of the song. This was also included as a bonus track on the US CD Let It Bee and a live version was included on the Radio 1 Sessions. Their version is much prettier than the original.
No Green Blues - b-side of "I Walk The Earth" 7" special Travel Pack, February 1988
I first heard this song on the Radio 1 Sessions and it's very catchy in its live incarnation but I am more partial to the studio recording. They used to do this song live a lot too, so I might have actually first heard it on the VHS tapes. Tracey likes to use the word 'blue' in her lyrics (see also: Blue in Paradise, Adonis Blue). Great guitar in this song, and I love the line "the money that you spend makes somebody else richer, every penny that you spend contributes to the pressure."
Jump This Way - b-side of "Don't Call Me Baby" 7", May 1988
This one is very catchy but kinda throwaway, which is why it's a perfect b-side. It's also very fun when performed live (as on the Radio 1 Sessions). I really like the opening guitar riff.
Goodbye Tonight - b-side of "Don't Call Me Baby" 12" and deluxe 7" pack, May 1988
This is MY FAVORITE bee-side, and possibly my favorite VOTB song of all time. Tracey had some insightful words about it which she posted to the "I Love Voice of the Beehive" Facebook group which detailed her state of mind during the writing and recording of this song. You can definitely feel the emotion in her voice and in her words. Because of this, the song really touched me when I was dating my first ever boyfriend (before I was out to almost anyone). During that time, I had to do a lot of sneaking around and much of the time that I got to spend with Dustin was late at night or at times when I was very tired from working 2 jobs and going to college, and driving between his house and mine. So there were a lot of sad "goodbyes" and tired goodbyes etc. And then I would sing this song in the car (with a cassette tape of the song dubbed from vinyl) and it wouldn't seem so bad.
In The Flesh - b-side of "I Say Nothing" 12" re-release, July 1988
VOTB channeling Blondie?!? Sign me up! I love Blondie's version of this song, but I almost think that Tracey & Missy put more raw human emotion into the song than Debbie did. It's also kind of a different sound for each band, as it's more of a 60's girl group sound, which oddly suits both of them surprisingly well.
Tattoo Song - b-side of "I Walk The Earth" 12" re-release, October 1988
The first time I heard this song, I think I kind of laughed, because the lyrics were very unique and almost a little silly, but after listening to it more it really grew on me. It's actually a sweet sentiment that I have used later in life. I hadn't really noticed before how elaborate the recording of the song actually is, until I was reading somewhere how Tracey described how this song was supposed to be much more than just a b-side originally. It's a really interesting story if you can track it down. But it's even greater to hear the live acoustic version that Tracey and Missy perform as part of the live DVD that was recorded during the 2003 reunion tour.
Everything I Had - b-side of "I Walk The Earth" 12" re-release, October 1988
This is a crunchy, rocky number with cool lyrics and I bet it would have been included on "Let It Bee" but maybe they thought it the message was too similar to "What You Have Is Enough" which is just a slightly better song. It also has a musical homage to another song at the very end of it, I can't think of what it is, but I think it may be a Kinks song? VOTB was quite fond of quoting musical passages from other songs.
Only If You Want To - b-side of "Monsters and Angels" 7"/cassette single, May 1991
This is one of the only b-sides that I actually heard back at the time when it was out. As I mentioned, I had heard "Monsters and Angels" on the radio in 1991 and bought the album that day. So, later, I bought the cassette single which included this song. It's not really one of my favorites and I think its easy to see why it didn't make the album.
Waitress - a-side, track two, "Monsters and Angels" 12", May 1991
I didn't hear this song until much later, however, since it's only on the 12" which would have been difficult for me to track down, much less afford, back in the day. It's also one of my lesser favorite b-sides as the lyrics are pretty literal. However, it is a song that often comes to mind when I am in a diner.
Pocketsize - b-side of "Monsters and Angels" 12", May 1991
Out of the three "M&A" b-sides, this is my favorite, and is in the same vein as "There's a Barbarian in the Back of my Car." I have always thought this would be a great song for a drag routine but have never worked one up for it - yet! In the live VHS tapes, this is a really fun song when performed live, and I'm a little surprised it wasn't included on Honey Lingers.
Something About God - b-side of "I Think I Love You" 7", September 1991
This one doesn't stand out too much to me. It's pleasant and I liked the kind of acoustic guitar vibe to it. I definitely identify with the lyrics, although it's hard for me to understand the last line of the chorus. I think it's "save me from the sacred times" but I'm not sure. Othwerise, most of the sentiments lines up with my own personal feelings on religion and spirituality.
Sit Down (Live) b-side of "Perfect Place" 7", December 1991
This was a neat bridge between my musical world and my brother's, at a time when we were finally starting to build bridges as we formed our first band together. This is a cover of a song by James, who I had never heard of, but somehow put it together that it was one of the bands my brother liked, and he was complimentary of the VOTB version so that was nice. This is a really great cover that retains the spirit of the original but adds the beehive flavor quite nicely.
Shine Away - b-side of "Perfect Place" 7", December 1991
In brushing up on some of these songs for this piece, I was playing this song in the car the other day and my partner exclaimed "Power Pop!" This is one of my favorite b-sides from the "Honey Lingers" era, which I actually first obtained as the b-side to the "Adonis Blue" US promo CD single. I'm not sure what happened with that being a US single, as I think it could have been as big or even bigger than "Monsters & Angels." Anyway, I love this song and have always identified with the lyrics. I love the line "Oh, there are ghosts, and they live within the soul."
Inconsistencies - b-side of "Angel Come Down" CD single, August 1995
This is my favorite of the "Sex & Misery" era b-sides and one of my all-time favorite VOTB tracks. I played it to death back in the day, and even had conceived an elaborate music video for it with angels and demons in cages. When I used to play it, my brother would insist that he had heard it somewhere before, which I always highly doubted since I had to import the CD single from the UK to hear it myself. Immediately I recognized the little musical interlude that occurs between "Love Locked Inside" and "Playing House" on the album as a part of this track. I wondered, why did they decide to just include that bit, and not the whole song? Well, I was finally able to ask Tracey this burning question when I was fortunate enough to meet her backstage during their 2003 reunion tour, but the answer "Oh, it was just for fun" - was a bit anti-climactic! Anyway, this song was heavily in the territory of the new VOTB sound - since by this time it was just the two girls, working with producer Peter John Vettese (who has worked with many stars including Annie Lennox with her hit "Walking on Broken Glass"). The new sound featured more emphasis on synthesizers, strings, drum loops and piano, which was totally fine by me!
Cartoon City - b-side of "Angel Come Down" CD single, August 1995
I like this song almost as much as "Inconsistencies," which made the "Angel Come Down" CD single well worth the purchase price. This one is more rocky and retains more of the original VOTB sound from the first two albums. I love the picture that this song paints, although I've never been able to figure out the lyric on the last line of the chorus, right before "find it hard to concentrate."
You And Your Dumb Club - b-side of "Scary Kisses" CD Single, March 1996
Having been so in love with the UK CD single of "Angel Come Down" I had really high hopes when I imported the "Scary Kisses" CD single since it too had two exclusive b-sides. While the quality of both the b-sides is not, to me, on the same level as the previous two, this one has funny lyrics and a rockin' sound to it. It's definitely fun, and when I play it in the car I like to crank it up, and the lyrics definitely will remind you of someone or a group of people you know. It doesn't fit very well into the sound of the album, which is probably why it was only used as a b-side. The production is done really well and Tracey and Missy sound like they're having a lot more fun here than on some of the album tracks.
Time On All Fours - b-side of "Scary Kisses" CD Single, March 1996
Something about the music, instrumentation and arrangement of this one just doesn't really work, which is too bad because it could have been a really nice track. Of course, for a b-side, it's still pretty cool, showing a different sound to the band.
Stupid Boy - from "Bee-Sides" rare and unreleased tracks CD, 2003
When I heard that the band would be selling a CD of b-sides and unreleased tracks on their 2003 reunion tour, I was amazed that there could be anything left that I hadn't heard! And yes, out of the compilations 12 tracks, only the four tracks detailed here were completely new to me, but how did this one fall through the cracks? This is CLASSIC Beehive, with a driving beat, great lyrics and an addictive melody. Definitely could have been a single in its own right, or at least a brilliant addition to "Honey Lingers" which seems to be the era it was recorded in. Perhaps they were saving it for something that never materialized.
Doriah - from "Bee-Sides", 2003
This is an energetic, fun song but I can see how it didn't end up on an album. I like the line "Guitars ring and angels sing for Doriah, on psychedelic wings." After I heard this song, I actually met a girl named Doriah (I think her name was spelled slightly different) and when I told her there was a song with her name she couldn't believe it! So I sent her the mp3 and she thanked me very much.
Modern Heart - from "Bee-Sides", 2003
Another cute track that's just missing a little something. Definitely as good as some of the other b-sides, it kind of feels in the same vein as "Only if You Want To." The production is pretty raw on this one.
Baby Don't Stay - from "Bee-Sides", 2003
I'm not sure if this was recorded during "Honey Lingers" or before, but it's got a heavier sound to it and again, sounds like it's missing something, but it does have some clever lyrics and could have been a decent track with a little more work.
Perhaps I have missed a song, but at this point I'm fairly confident I've heard all the Beehive that there is to hear. Will there ever be a new Bee-side? Only time will tell...
*In doing this blog, I did notice the wild variety in fonts, logos, designs and "looks" used across these single releases (all photos by me, from my collection). Looking back, I think their marketing would have been more effective if the artwork had been more consistent. As fun as it is for a collector to see all the various styles represented by the cover art, it may have confused the record buying public when every release seemed to have a different appearance. Food for thought!
From there, I fell in love with the album and played it to death. While it's a top-notch album, it's also fairly short - clocking in at just over a half hour. Soon, I needed some more Beehive in my life and was lucky enough to find their debut album, Let It Bee, on vinyl at my local record store (GB Records) and because it was a used promo copy, I paid around $1 for it - which was great since I was a broke teenager! I thought Let It Bee was a little more raw, and had some strange songs on it, but I thought it showcased the girls' vocal harmonies even better than Honey Lingers. After that, I was hooked!
Sadly, though, for the rest of high school, there was no new Voice of the Beehive music. I would go to Musicland, or GB Records, or the record store in whatever town I was in, and search the "V" section hoping to find something new or that I didn't have. This was pre-internet of course, so information on the band was scarce. I had almost given up hope, but then, my freshman year in college, I had gone to Mexico over Spring Break to visit Sergio (a foreign exchange student who had lived with us). When I landed back in Wichita, my bags were not there. The airline told me I should check back in an hour or two, so I had to kill some time. I drove to the nearest mall, went to the music store, and went to the "V" section of the cassette singles. And, much to my utter amazement, were several copies of a single called "Scary Kisses" by Voice of the Beehive. (Actually, there was a typo on the spine of the case, which read "Scary Kkisses".)
I about fell over! I didn't even care that my bags may have been missing, this was all I needed! I quickly went to the album section to see if there was a new album too, but there wasn't, so I just bought the single quickly and ran to my car to listen to it. I was absolutely in love with the song - still one of my favorites to this day - and I was just so ecstatic. I loved the b-side, "Blue in Paradise," too, which ended up being an album track - which was rare for Voice of the Beehive, because most of their singles had exclusive b-sides.
Which brings us to the point of this blog post. Eventually, I did buy the album Sex & Misery which was released in 1996, a few months after "Scary Kisses." By this time, the Internet was "a thing" so I started collecting everything Beehive that I could find and afford. I ended up discovering that there was so much more to this band than what was released on albums. In fact, the final count I come up with for non-album tracks released by the band is around 27 (more if you include collaborations, remixes and demos). Considering their three studio albums contained 32 songs, these b-sides essentially double their canon.
Therefore, I crown Voice of the Beehive as the #1 b-side band of all time, at least for me! Let's take a listen to all their non-album tracks, shall we?!
When I was in high school or college, I found someone who was selling VHS compilations of various bands' television appearances and music videos that he or she had made. I believe there were 3 volumes of VOTB tapes, but they were on the pricey side so I just got the first two volumes. The tapes contained several live shows from British TV, so several of these b-sides I heard first from these live performances. This was one of the songs I had wondered "why wasn't this on an album?" - a thought I would have about MANY bee-sides. This really shows the spirit of the group back in their first days. A really great, fun song! I don't think I got to hear the studio version until I lived in LA and found it on vinyl.
D'Yer Mak'Er - b-side of "Just a City" 12", April 1987
This is a cover of a Led Zepplin song. The title always confused me until I was able to Google it and find out that, because it's got a Reggae vibe, the band named it in the British phonetic pronunciation of "Jamaica". So there, you learned something new. The song itself was another one I had first heard from the live VHS tapes. Not one of my favorite covers that they do, but kinda fun when you can watch them performing it.
This one is a mystery to me as it doesn't seem there is a studio version, even though it's one of my favorite songs! It's so fun and dirty! The bass is awesome! I kept thinking I could find a studio recording somewhere but I never have. Surely it exists...
Independence Day - b-side of "I Say Nothing" 12", October 1987
This is probably my favorite cover that VOTB does, and they even still did it live in 2003 when I finally got to see them. It also was my introduction to Comsat Angels who wrote and originally performed the song, a very underrated band from Sheffield, which connects VOTB to Human League - my all-time favorite band. In the mid-80's, two members of Comsat Angels even performed as part of Human League at a benefit concert that was sort of the Human League's alternative to being part of Band Aid. I think Tracey has really made this song her own though when she performs it. This song is also part of the Radio 1 Sessions (The Evening Show) live album which was released on CD.
This is probably the most rare of all the b-sides. I never knew it existed until one day, probably around 2002, when I was shopping at Amoeba Records in Hollywood and found this 12" for an extremely reasonable price and about fell over when I read the tracklisting. I was convinced I had heard every officially released VOTB song by this point, and here was one I had never heard of! It's actually not a very strong track, but still notable for its rarity.
This Weak - b-side of "I Walk The Earth" 7", February 1988
Although this was initially a b-side, I know it more as one of the bonus tracks on the US CD version of Let It Bee, which I didn't obtain until college because I initially only owned it on vinyl. It's a catchy tune with some cool drums on it. The music doesn't really seem to match the lyrics very well though, as the tune is so upbeat and the lyrics are kind of sad.
This is a cover of a Lou Reed song, and until I met Dylan and started listening to music that he would play for me, I hadn't realized that they did something cool by making kind of an early "mash-up" when they brought in a bit from "Waiting For My Man" near the end of the song. This was also included as a bonus track on the US CD Let It Bee and a live version was included on the Radio 1 Sessions. Their version is much prettier than the original.
No Green Blues - b-side of "I Walk The Earth" 7" special Travel Pack, February 1988
I first heard this song on the Radio 1 Sessions and it's very catchy in its live incarnation but I am more partial to the studio recording. They used to do this song live a lot too, so I might have actually first heard it on the VHS tapes. Tracey likes to use the word 'blue' in her lyrics (see also: Blue in Paradise, Adonis Blue). Great guitar in this song, and I love the line "the money that you spend makes somebody else richer, every penny that you spend contributes to the pressure."
This one is very catchy but kinda throwaway, which is why it's a perfect b-side. It's also very fun when performed live (as on the Radio 1 Sessions). I really like the opening guitar riff.
Goodbye Tonight - b-side of "Don't Call Me Baby" 12" and deluxe 7" pack, May 1988
This is MY FAVORITE bee-side, and possibly my favorite VOTB song of all time. Tracey had some insightful words about it which she posted to the "I Love Voice of the Beehive" Facebook group which detailed her state of mind during the writing and recording of this song. You can definitely feel the emotion in her voice and in her words. Because of this, the song really touched me when I was dating my first ever boyfriend (before I was out to almost anyone). During that time, I had to do a lot of sneaking around and much of the time that I got to spend with Dustin was late at night or at times when I was very tired from working 2 jobs and going to college, and driving between his house and mine. So there were a lot of sad "goodbyes" and tired goodbyes etc. And then I would sing this song in the car (with a cassette tape of the song dubbed from vinyl) and it wouldn't seem so bad.
In The Flesh - b-side of "I Say Nothing" 12" re-release, July 1988
VOTB channeling Blondie?!? Sign me up! I love Blondie's version of this song, but I almost think that Tracey & Missy put more raw human emotion into the song than Debbie did. It's also kind of a different sound for each band, as it's more of a 60's girl group sound, which oddly suits both of them surprisingly well.
The first time I heard this song, I think I kind of laughed, because the lyrics were very unique and almost a little silly, but after listening to it more it really grew on me. It's actually a sweet sentiment that I have used later in life. I hadn't really noticed before how elaborate the recording of the song actually is, until I was reading somewhere how Tracey described how this song was supposed to be much more than just a b-side originally. It's a really interesting story if you can track it down. But it's even greater to hear the live acoustic version that Tracey and Missy perform as part of the live DVD that was recorded during the 2003 reunion tour.
This is a crunchy, rocky number with cool lyrics and I bet it would have been included on "Let It Bee" but maybe they thought it the message was too similar to "What You Have Is Enough" which is just a slightly better song. It also has a musical homage to another song at the very end of it, I can't think of what it is, but I think it may be a Kinks song? VOTB was quite fond of quoting musical passages from other songs.
This is one of the only b-sides that I actually heard back at the time when it was out. As I mentioned, I had heard "Monsters and Angels" on the radio in 1991 and bought the album that day. So, later, I bought the cassette single which included this song. It's not really one of my favorites and I think its easy to see why it didn't make the album.
Waitress - a-side, track two, "Monsters and Angels" 12", May 1991
I didn't hear this song until much later, however, since it's only on the 12" which would have been difficult for me to track down, much less afford, back in the day. It's also one of my lesser favorite b-sides as the lyrics are pretty literal. However, it is a song that often comes to mind when I am in a diner.
Out of the three "M&A" b-sides, this is my favorite, and is in the same vein as "There's a Barbarian in the Back of my Car." I have always thought this would be a great song for a drag routine but have never worked one up for it - yet! In the live VHS tapes, this is a really fun song when performed live, and I'm a little surprised it wasn't included on Honey Lingers.
Something About God - b-side of "I Think I Love You" 7", September 1991
This one doesn't stand out too much to me. It's pleasant and I liked the kind of acoustic guitar vibe to it. I definitely identify with the lyrics, although it's hard for me to understand the last line of the chorus. I think it's "save me from the sacred times" but I'm not sure. Othwerise, most of the sentiments lines up with my own personal feelings on religion and spirituality.
This was a neat bridge between my musical world and my brother's, at a time when we were finally starting to build bridges as we formed our first band together. This is a cover of a song by James, who I had never heard of, but somehow put it together that it was one of the bands my brother liked, and he was complimentary of the VOTB version so that was nice. This is a really great cover that retains the spirit of the original but adds the beehive flavor quite nicely.
Shine Away - b-side of "Perfect Place" 7", December 1991
In brushing up on some of these songs for this piece, I was playing this song in the car the other day and my partner exclaimed "Power Pop!" This is one of my favorite b-sides from the "Honey Lingers" era, which I actually first obtained as the b-side to the "Adonis Blue" US promo CD single. I'm not sure what happened with that being a US single, as I think it could have been as big or even bigger than "Monsters & Angels." Anyway, I love this song and have always identified with the lyrics. I love the line "Oh, there are ghosts, and they live within the soul."
This is my favorite of the "Sex & Misery" era b-sides and one of my all-time favorite VOTB tracks. I played it to death back in the day, and even had conceived an elaborate music video for it with angels and demons in cages. When I used to play it, my brother would insist that he had heard it somewhere before, which I always highly doubted since I had to import the CD single from the UK to hear it myself. Immediately I recognized the little musical interlude that occurs between "Love Locked Inside" and "Playing House" on the album as a part of this track. I wondered, why did they decide to just include that bit, and not the whole song? Well, I was finally able to ask Tracey this burning question when I was fortunate enough to meet her backstage during their 2003 reunion tour, but the answer "Oh, it was just for fun" - was a bit anti-climactic! Anyway, this song was heavily in the territory of the new VOTB sound - since by this time it was just the two girls, working with producer Peter John Vettese (who has worked with many stars including Annie Lennox with her hit "Walking on Broken Glass"). The new sound featured more emphasis on synthesizers, strings, drum loops and piano, which was totally fine by me!
Cartoon City - b-side of "Angel Come Down" CD single, August 1995
I like this song almost as much as "Inconsistencies," which made the "Angel Come Down" CD single well worth the purchase price. This one is more rocky and retains more of the original VOTB sound from the first two albums. I love the picture that this song paints, although I've never been able to figure out the lyric on the last line of the chorus, right before "find it hard to concentrate."
Having been so in love with the UK CD single of "Angel Come Down" I had really high hopes when I imported the "Scary Kisses" CD single since it too had two exclusive b-sides. While the quality of both the b-sides is not, to me, on the same level as the previous two, this one has funny lyrics and a rockin' sound to it. It's definitely fun, and when I play it in the car I like to crank it up, and the lyrics definitely will remind you of someone or a group of people you know. It doesn't fit very well into the sound of the album, which is probably why it was only used as a b-side. The production is done really well and Tracey and Missy sound like they're having a lot more fun here than on some of the album tracks.
Something about the music, instrumentation and arrangement of this one just doesn't really work, which is too bad because it could have been a really nice track. Of course, for a b-side, it's still pretty cool, showing a different sound to the band.
Stupid Boy - from "Bee-Sides" rare and unreleased tracks CD, 2003
When I heard that the band would be selling a CD of b-sides and unreleased tracks on their 2003 reunion tour, I was amazed that there could be anything left that I hadn't heard! And yes, out of the compilations 12 tracks, only the four tracks detailed here were completely new to me, but how did this one fall through the cracks? This is CLASSIC Beehive, with a driving beat, great lyrics and an addictive melody. Definitely could have been a single in its own right, or at least a brilliant addition to "Honey Lingers" which seems to be the era it was recorded in. Perhaps they were saving it for something that never materialized.
This is an energetic, fun song but I can see how it didn't end up on an album. I like the line "Guitars ring and angels sing for Doriah, on psychedelic wings." After I heard this song, I actually met a girl named Doriah (I think her name was spelled slightly different) and when I told her there was a song with her name she couldn't believe it! So I sent her the mp3 and she thanked me very much.
Modern Heart - from "Bee-Sides", 2003
Another cute track that's just missing a little something. Definitely as good as some of the other b-sides, it kind of feels in the same vein as "Only if You Want To." The production is pretty raw on this one.
Baby Don't Stay - from "Bee-Sides", 2003
I'm not sure if this was recorded during "Honey Lingers" or before, but it's got a heavier sound to it and again, sounds like it's missing something, but it does have some clever lyrics and could have been a decent track with a little more work.
Perhaps I have missed a song, but at this point I'm fairly confident I've heard all the Beehive that there is to hear. Will there ever be a new Bee-side? Only time will tell...
*In doing this blog, I did notice the wild variety in fonts, logos, designs and "looks" used across these single releases (all photos by me, from my collection). Looking back, I think their marketing would have been more effective if the artwork had been more consistent. As fun as it is for a collector to see all the various styles represented by the cover art, it may have confused the record buying public when every release seemed to have a different appearance. Food for thought!
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