The story of Belle & Sebastian started in 1996. It was formed in Glasgow by Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David. After finding five more members, the musicians began working on the first album, Tigermilk. A significant part of the material had been written by Murdoch before the origin of the band during his escape to London. It took the group as short as three days to record the whole album and release only one thousand of its copies on vinyl discs. This work received praiseful reviews and became the key to a contract with Jeepster. The young Scottish talents did not waste their time and released their second album, If You're Feeling Sinister, the same year. Despite the recognition from critics, it did not have good sales. Meanwhile, Belle & Sebastian became one of the most promising and original outfits in the UK. Shortly after this release, they toured the USA briefly. In 1997, the band spent much time producing their old records on the EPs Dog On Wheels, Lazy Line Painter Jane, and 3..6..9 Seconds Of Light. Besides, they gave a number of concerts in London as part of preparation to a massive tour in the States.
Belle & Sebastian acquired a distinctive status of stars in 1998 after receiving an award as the best new group at the Brit Awards ceremony. Soon, they released the single The Boy With The Arab Strap debuting twelfth in the charts. Tired after an active start, the band slowed down in 1999. The only big event to occur in that year was the Bowlie Weekender festival arranged by Belle & Sebastian themselves. It gave them a chance to perform before a big crowd along with a number of prominent groups. In 2000, they released their first album to hit Top 10, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant. This long player was given a warm welcome by the local fans, as well the the separate single Legal Man released the same year. Despite this success, one of the band’s founders, Stuart David presumed to leave showbiz and took up writing. Belle & Sebastian started 2001 by releasing two internationally acclaimed singles Jonathan David, and I'm Waking Up To Us, and touring Japan, Brazil and the USA. They kept on performing in 2002 and visited Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Norway, Canada, Germany, Greece and the States again. Although the band gained global recognition, it was hard enough to find information on or the pictures of its members. They did not like being featured in press and did not give extensive interviews. It was one of the reasons of moderate commercial success gained by the band’s albums.
Before releasing the subsequent album, Belle & Sebastian moved from the UK label Jeepster Records to Matador Records in the USA. The smashing 2003 album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, got the group nominated for Ivor Novello, and Mercury Prise, yet eventually won by other performances. With a packed concert schedule, Belle & Sebastian did not visit the studio as often as before. The following album, The Life Pursuit, saw light only in three years and appeared another brilliant work from the Scottish stars. It was promoted with a huge streak of concerts including a striking show in Los Angeles with a philharmonic. In 2008, they released The BBC Sessions, a collection of songs written from 1996 to 2001.
Natalie 2005
For sure, Natalie fits right into the contemporary pop star template circa summer 2005, and there's a wealth of pop star-worthy music here
