Everything but the Girl

  • Hull, England
    hometown
  • Alternative
    genre
  • 1982
    started
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About Everything but the Girl

Official Site: http://ebtg.com/


Originating at the turn of the 1980s as a leader of the lite-jazz movement, Everything but the Girl became an unlikely success story more than a decade later, emerging at the vanguard of the fusion between pop and electronica. Founded in 1982 by Hull University students Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, the duo took their name from a sign placed in the window of a local furniture shop, which claimed "for your bedroom needs, we sell everything but the girl." At the time of their formation, both vocalist Thorn and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Watt were already signed independently to the Cherry Red label; Thorn was a member of the sublime Marine Girls, while Watt had issued several solo singles and also collaborated with Robert Wyatt.

Everything but the Girl debuted in 1982 with a samba interpretation of Cole Porter's "Night and Day"; the single was a success on the U.K. independent charts, but the duo nonetheless went on hiatus as Thorn recorded a solo EP, A Distant Shore, while Watt checked in with the full-length North Marine Drive in 1983. EBTG soon reunited to record a cover of the Jam's "English Rose" for an NME sampler; the track so impressed former Jam frontman Paul Weller that he invited the duo to contribute to the 1984 LP Cafe Bleu, the debut from his new project, the Style Council.

Everything but the Girl's own beguiling 1984 debut, Eden, followed on the heels of the single "Each and Every One," a U.K. Top 40 hit. The jazz-pop confections of the group's early work gave way to shimmering jangle rock by the time of 1985's Love Not Money, while a subtle country influence crept into the mix for 1986's lush, orchestral Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. The beautifully spare Idlewild followed in 1988, spawning the single "I Don't Want to Talk About It," a poignant cover of a song by the late Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten which became EBTG's biggest hit to date, landing at the number three spot on the British charts.

Watt and Thorn traveled to Los Angeles to record 1990's slick, commercial The Language of Life, produced by Tommy LiPuma and featuring a guest appearance by jazz great Stan Getz. After a return to pop textures with 1991's Worldwide, Everything but the Girl mounted a series of club performances which resulted in 1992's Acoustic, a spartan set of covers (including Elvis Costello's "Alison," Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than the Rest," and Mickey & Sylvia's "Love Is Strange") which presaged the coming ascendancy of the "Unplugged" concept. In the wake of the record's release, Watt fell prey to Churg-Strauss Syndrome, a rare auto-immune system disease which brought him to the brink of death; after a year in recovery, he wrote several new songs which the duo recorded for inclusion on Home Movies, a 1993 hits collection.

In 1994, EBTG collaborated with trip-hop innovators Massive Attack on their LP Protection; Thorn's vocal turn highlighted the hit title track, and the cinematic Massive Attack sound clearly informed Everything but the Girl's own 1994 effort, Amplified Heart, another strong and eclectic outing featuring an appearance by guitar great Richard Thompson. In 1995 the soulful single "Missing" was innovatively remixed by Todd Terry, and after first becoming a club sensation the track blossomed as a major international hit, reaching the number two position on the U.S. pop charts. More importantly, Terry's remix, combined with the lessons of the Massive Attack sessions, launched the duo into an entirely new -- and equally satisfying -- musical direction: with 1996's brilliant Walking Wounded, Everything but the Girl dove headfirst into electronica, crafting sophisticated, assured excursions into trip-hop and drum'n'bass. In 1999, the duo reappeared with Temperamental. Back to Mine was issued by Ultra in spring 2001. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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Music

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  • Wrong
    everything-but-the-girl
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    Wrong
  • Five Fathoms
    everything-but-the-girl
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    Five Fathoms
  • 3201
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    • Missing
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/0/5/5/0/5/994950550.mp3
    • Come On Home
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/8/8/1/8/2/247728188.mp3
    • Missing (CL McSpadden Unreleased Powerhouse Mix)
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/4/9/9/1/111419945.mp3
    • Driving
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/9/7/5/0/5/994950579.mp3
    • We Walk The Same Line
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/6/3/9/9/4/994949936.mp3
    • Each And Every One
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/0/2/9/8/247489202.mp3

Photos

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  • Rhino/Sire
    Everything but the Girl
    Rhino/Sire
    Richard Haughton

News

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  • Everything but the Girl
    Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Is All Form, No Function
    MTV Hive
    June 19, 2013
    Don't let the title fool you, Kanye West stopped trying to emulate Jesus a long time ago. Peace and love can only take you to the periphery of the po...
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  • Everything but the Girl
    The L.A. Designers Behind Dimepiece Talk Miley Cyrus And How They Became A Celebrity Wardrobe Staple [Interview]
    MTV Style
    June 19, 2013
    Miley Cyrus, Cara Delevingne, and Jourdan Dunn in Dimepiece. Photo: Splash News/Dimepiece Tumblr /Getty Images Unless you've been living under a r...
    Read More
  • Everything but the Girl
    OFFSTAGE: The Voice Picks a Country Winner
    CMT News
    June 19, 2013
    (CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that's happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.) Country singe...
    Read More
  • Everything but the Girl
    The Pandas Are Coming! ...In Our EXCLUSIVE 'Theory Of Everything' Book Trailer
    Hollywood Crush
    June 19, 2013
    String theory physics, cute hipster fashion, 1980s hit music and shaman pandas to guide you through it all: This is the marvelous world of "The Theory...
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  • Everything but the Girl
    James LaRosa On Hit The Floor Episode Four's Full-Blown Watergasm
    VH1 Blog
    June 18, 2013
    This week's episode of Hit The Floor Ahsha learned how to be sexy ( in front of a camera ) and we learned a little bit more about our friend De...
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  • Everything but the Girl
    Kelly Rowland, Studio Killers, G.R.L. + More: 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week
    MTV Buzzworthy
    June 18, 2013
    It's Tuesday! Time for another round of "5 Must-Hear Pop Songs of the Week"! This week's roundup features a sultry cut from a Child of Destiny tha...
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  • Everything but the Girl
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    MTV News
    June 18, 2013
    MTV News has exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the superhero sequel, complete with action-packed shots from the film's new faces.
    Read More
  • Everything but the Girl
    What Else Did The Psychic Priestess Tell Mimi About Nikko?
    VH1 Blog
    June 18, 2013
    Remember when Mimi and Erica went to see the priestess who told her to let her relationship with Nikko die like a plant with no water? That wasn...
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  • Everything but the Girl
    CNN Debuts "Girl Rising": An Important Film About Women's Education
    MTV Act
    June 18, 2013
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  • Everything but the Girl
    Decoding Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Fashion Lyrics
    MTV Style
    June 18, 2013
    Kanye West recording "Yeezus." Photo: kanyewest.com We're firing up our credit cards this morning as we finally get the chance to cop Kanye W...
    Read More
  • Everything but the Girl
    Everything But the Girl Reissue Four Albums
    www.pitchfork.com
    British indie pop duo Everything But the Girl will reissue four albums on June 4: 1984's Eden, 1985's Love Not Money, 1986's Baby the Stars Shine Brig...
    Read More
  • Everything but the Girl
    Everything But the Girl's Tracey Thorn Covers White Stripes, Sufjan, Low, More on Christmas Album
    www.pitchfork.com
    Former Everything But the Girl singer Tracey Thorn is following up 2010's Love and Its Opposite with her very own Christmas album. Tinsel and Lights i...
    Read More

Discography

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  • Back to Mine (2001)
    Everything but the Girl
    Back to Mine (2001)
    Ultra Records
  • Temperamental (1999)
    Everything but the Girl
    Temperamental (1999)
    Atlantic
  • Walking Wounded (1996)
    Everything but the Girl
    Walking Wounded (1996)
    Atlantic
  • Amplified Heart (1994)
    Everything but the Girl
    Amplified Heart (1994)
    Atlantic
  • Acoustic (1992)
    Everything but the Girl
    Acoustic (1992)
    Atlantic
  • Worldwide (1991)
    Everything but the Girl
    Worldwide (1991)
    Atlantic
  • The Language of Life (1990)
    Everything but the Girl
    The Language of Life (1990)
    Atlantic
  • Idlewild (1988)
    Everything but the Girl
    Idlewild (1988)
    Sire Records
  • Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (1986)
    Everything but the Girl
    Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (1986)
    Sire Records
  • Love Not Money (1985)
    Everything but the Girl
    Love Not Money (1985)
    Sire Records
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