The New 'Tommyboy' Sneaker Pimps Biography

Sneaker Pimps 2002

Four years ago, the future of electronic music in the United States was heavy with promise. While some feel the potential went largely unfulfilled, the smart ones know that era spawned its share of artists who will continue to make wonderful, important music for years to come. Sneaker Pimps are a case in point. After making their mark with the successful, critically-acclaimed Becoming X, in 1997, and later with the album Splinter, the group return with their third full-length album and first for Tommy Boy Music, Bloodsport. The title of Sneaker Pimps latest album conjures up an unruly image but it belies the melodic assemblage of the music inside. "It's a title meant to evoke love and how relationships can sometimes be a brutal emotional pursuit," says the group's Liam Howe. "The record, musically, has a certain prettiness to it. But the emotions flowing underneath, in the writing of the songs, can at times be quite savage. We like that contrast." Since debuting with Becoming X, Sneaker Pimps have traveled an interesting journey that has included lineup changes and new directions in their sound. Through it all, the English quartet has been anchored by a foundation of good songwriting and willful execution. During the hey-day of the U.S.' first big push of electronica, Sneaker Pimps were one of the few artists who saw the value in crafting songs instead of just loops of beats. "It's always been about the song for us," acknowledges fellow member David Westlake. "Our thinking is that if you couldn't sit down with an acoustic guitar and do the song, it wasn't worth doing." Becoming X was recorded in just a few weeks in 1997, when the band featured Chris Corner, Liam Howe, David Westlake, Joe Wilson and singer Kelli Dayton. The album earned a wave of accolades from across Europe and the US, especially for addictive singles like "Tesko Suicide" and "Spin Spin Sugar." After an intense international touring schedule that left the band away from their friends and family for months, the group parted with Dayton. "We originally did the demos with Chris singing on the songs," recalls Howe. "We recorded them with Kelli and it sounded right with her on those songs. We never wanted to push the idea of a 'lead singer' because the focus was always the music, but the album did well and it suddenly just ran away with itself." Without Dayton, the band reverted back to its original lineup, as debuted at Reading, England in 1995. For their second full-length release, Splinter (released in Europe in 1999), Sneaker Pimps took on a bolder and rockier aesthetic. It was a darker, more introspective sound and something Westlake explains was good for the well roundedness of the group: "It was the right thing for the time and we enjoyed it. It was something different." On Bloodsport, Sneaker Pimps have gone back to expressing their songs in an electronic context. Merging their technical knowledge of studio equipment and the roots of their traditional songwriting, Bloodsport reveals a versatile group, much like their predecessors Depeche Mode that is engaging in its range of output. "We always like to keep moving and playing with our sound," explains Howe. "This album is a lot like an amalgamation of our previous albums, an electronic album but still very organic." To make Bloodsport, the group packed their studio and headed towards the French country. "It was blissful," Westlake remembers. "Being away from London, the industry, the temptations and distractions." Adds Howe, "It was very useful to be isolated like that, to have a total clean slate and record with no interruption. There were no telephones and no way to get in contact with us. It was a tiny little village. Luckily, it had a bar or else we would've gone mad." The album was recorded in just under a year, with Westlake and Wilson gathering samples and grooves and Corner and Howe writing songs. "Kiro TV" opens the album and it's a song the group feels sets the tone for their current sound. Appropriately, it also opens Sneaker Pimps live show. "It's like an electronically controlled version of a punk song," describes Westlake of the track's many layers of beats, vocal wails and guitar bursts. "It's dirty and dense, similar to 'Tesko Suicide' from the first album. It works really well live." The first single, "Sick" is an up-tempo anthem about identity, says Howe. "It's about reinventing yourself because you feel people get bored or sick of you too quickly. In a relationship, when it's going down the tubes, you try so hard to be attractive to the other person and you contort your identity to please them." Underneath the floating melody of "Small Town Witch" you'll find a story of small-town resentment. "Me, Chris and our mate Ian (Pickering, lyricist) grew up in the northeast (of England)," says Howe. "And there's a feeling of anti-success in these small towns. We used to go back quite a lot and people sometimes resent any success you may have. It's quite bizarre." Underscoring the efforts of their album, Sneaker Pimps have also been producing and remixing for other artists recently. They recently co-wrote and co-produced two tracks for Natalie Imbruglia. Also, they remixed the Cher cover song, "Take Me Home," by Sophie Ellis Bextor. The voice on the international dance hit "Groovejet" from Spiller, Bextor debuted at #2 on the UK singles chart with the track.

But it is their latest full-length, Bloodsport, which is their proudest achievement, says Westlake. "We're really keen to be back in the dance environment, to push towards the groove again."

The Sneaker Pimps Discography

Ten Little Indians Label Listing

Cup002s
F.R.I.S.K. - 'Take The Sun Away' 12" April 1993Cup003s
Line Of Flight - 'World As A Cone' 12" Ep September 1993Cup006
Hunch - 'Is This The Place' 12" (Produced By Line Of Flight) June 1994Cup007s
August - 'Pushin' And Shovin'' 12" (Featuring Line Of Flight Remix) September 1994Cup009s
Hunch - 'Goodtimer' 12" (Produced By Line Of Flight) May 1995Cup013s
Hunch - 'Template' 12" (Produced By Line Of Flight) February 1996Cup017s
Sneaker Pimps - 'Tesko Suicide' CD/10" And Limited Twelve, April 1996Cup019
Sneaker Pimps - 'Roll On' Limited Edition Numbered 7"/12"/CD, June 1996Cup020
Sneaker Pimps - 'Becoming X' The Album, CD/LP/MC, August 1996Cup023
Sneaker Pimps - 'Six Underground' CD/12", 12" Mixes By Nellee Hooper, Andrew Weatherall, Fila Brazilia, September 1996
CD 1 Includes 2 New Tracks, "Precious" And A Cover Of Steve Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home"
CD 2 Includes Mixes By Nellee Hooper, Andrew Weatherall, Fila BraziliaCup033
Sneaker Pimps - 'Spin Spin Sugar' 7"/12"/CD February 1997Cup036
Sneaker Pimps - 'Six Underground' 7"/12"/CD May 1997

F.R.I.S.K. "Take The Sun Away"

12"Produced By Line Of FlightReleased April 1993Clean Up Cup002s

Line Of Flight "World As A Cone"

12" EpReleased September 1993Clean Up Cup003s

Hunch "Is This The Place" -12"

Produced By Line Of FlightReleased June 1994Clean Up Cup006s

August - "Pushin & Shovin" 12"

12" Single Featuring Line Of Flight Remix Released September 1994 On Clean Up In The UK.1. Pushin & Shovin2. Questions3. Pushin & Shovin (Line Of Flight Mix)4. Questions (Acoustic)

(All Tracks Written By Helen Cox And Mark David Gray)

Hunch - "Goodtimer Ep"

12" Single Produced By Line Of Flight Released May 1995 On Clean Up In The UK.1. Goodtimer2. Plant Life3. Visible From Space4. Champignons5. Goodtimer (Line Of Flight Mix)(Produced By Line Of FlightAll Tracks By Chris Tate Except "Goodtimer (Line Of Flight Mix)" By Chris Tate And Line Of Flight)

Hunch - "Template" 12"

12" Single Produced By Line Of Flight Released February 1996 On Clean Up In The UK.1. Template2. Visible From Space (Aqua Sky Remix)(Produced By Line Of FlightAll Tracks Written By Chris Tate)

Sneaker Pimps "Tesko Suicide"

CD/10" And Limited 12"Released April 15 1996Tesko SuicideCleanNo More

Sneaker Pimps "Roll On"

Limited Edition Numbered 7"/12"/CDReleased June 3rd 1996
Roll On / Johnny

CD Single:Roll On / Johnny / In The Blue / Roll On (Line Of Flight Mix)

Sneaker Pimps-Becoming X CD / LP / MC - Aug 19 1996

Low Place Like Home

Tesko Suicide

6 Underground

Becoming X

Spin Spin Sugar

Post-Modern Sleaze

Waterbaby

Roll On

Wasted Early Sunday Morning

Walking Zero

How Do

6 Underground Rewired

CD Single Released In Three Versions By Clean Up In The UK.

1. 6 Underground (Nellee Hoopers Edit)

2. 6 Underground (Album Version)

3. Can't Find My Home

4. Precious

(Track 1 - Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering, Produced By Line Of Flight And Jim Abbiss, Mixed By Nellee Hooper, Keyboards And Programming By Marius De Vries

Track 2 - Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering, Produced By Line Of Flight And Jim Abbiss

Track 3 - Written By Steve Winwood, Produced By Line Of Flight

Track 4 - Written By Kelli Dayton, Produced By Line Of Flight)

6 Underground Rewired

CD Single Released In Three Versions On September 30, 1996 By Clean Up.

1. 6 Underground (Two Lone Swordsmen Vocal Mix)

2. 6 Underground (Nellee Hooper's Dub)

3. 6 Underground (Two Lone Swordsmen Instrumental Mix)

4. 6 Underground (Fila Brazillias Samba

)(All Tracks Produced By Line Of Flight And Jim Abbiss

All Tracks Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering

Tracks 1 & 3 - Additional Production And Remix By Andrew Weatherall And Keith Tenniswood

Track 2 - Mixed By Nelle Hooper, Keyboards And Programming By Marius De Vries

Track 4 - Additional Production And Remix By Fila Brazillia)

6 Underground Rewired

CD Single Released In Three Versions By Clean Up In The UK.

1. 6 Underground (Columbian Mix)

2. 6 Underground (Bluebottle Mix)

3. 6 Underground (Hunch Mix

)4. 6 Underground (Rewire Mix)

(All Tracks Produced By Line Of Flight And Jim Abbiss

All Tracks Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering

Tracks 1, 2 & 4 - Additional Production And Remix By Line Of Flight

Track 3 - Additional Production And Remix By Line Of Flight And Chris Tate)

Spin Spin Sugar

Released On February 24, 1997 By Clean Up Records."Walk The Rain" Is Unavailable Elsewhere.

Part 1 Of A 2 CD Set.

1. Spin Spin Sugar (Radio Edit)

2. Spin Spin Sugar (Album Mix)

3. Walk The Rain

4. How Do

(All Tracks Produced By Line Of Flight )

Track 1 - Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering, Additional Production By Mark 'Spike' Stent For Ssd

Track 2 - Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering, Contains Sample From Luciano Berio's 'Visage'Taken From The Album 'Electronic Music' (P)1963 Universal Edition A.G. Vienna

Track 3 - Written By Kelli Dayton

Track 4 - Traditional, (Special Voice Contribution By Britt Eckland)

Spin Spin Sugar

Part 2 Of A 2 CD Set.

1. Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Dark Garage Mix)

2. Spin Spin Sugar (Farley + Heller's Fire Island Vocal Mix)

3. Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Dark Garage Instrumental Mix)

4. Spin Spin Sugar (Phluide's Creeping Vine Mix)

(Originally Produced By Line Of Flight )

Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering

Tracks 1 & 3 - Remix By Armand Van Helden For X-Mix Productions

Track 2 - Remix And Additional Production By Terry Farley And Pete Heller

Track 4 - Remix And Additional Production By Phluide)

Sneaker Pimps - Spin Spin Sugar 7" / 12"
(Promo With A Double 12") + 2 CD Singles - Feb 24 1997

Double 12" (Cup033p)

Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Dark Garage Mix)

Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Bonus Dub)

Spin Spin Sugar (Farley & Heller's Fire Island Vocal Mix)

Spin Spin Sugar (Farley & Heller's Fire Island Instrumental Mix)

CD1 (Cup033CDs - 894160 2 2)

Spin Spin Sugar (Radio Edit)

Spin Spin Sugar (Album Mix)

Walk The Rain

How Do

CD2 (Cup033CDm)

Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Dark Garage Mix)

Spin Spin Sugar (Farley + Heller's Fire Island Vocal Mix)

Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Dark Garage Instrumental Mix)

Spin Spin Sugar (Phluide's Creeping Vine Mix)

Spin Spin Sugar (Album Mix)

Six Underground (From The Movie "The Saint" - New Remixes)

2 CD Singles - May 1997:

Cup036CDm
Sneak's Kicker Mix (Remix By Dj Sneak)
Nush Mix (Remix By Boy Foy)
Attica's Puma States Remix (Remix By Attica Blues)
The Perfecto Dub (Remix By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne)
Jamie Myerson's Dub (Remix By Jamie Myerson)

Cup036CDs

Nellee Hoopers Edit (Remix By Nellee Hooper)

The Perfecto Mix (Remix By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne)

The Umbrellas Of Ladywell Mix #1 (Remix By Simon Warner & Richard Benbow)

The Umbrellas Of Ladywell Mix #2 (Remix By Simon Warner & Richard Benbow)

Richard H. Kirk Mix (Remix By Richard H. Kirk)

Post Modern Sleaze

Album Version

Reprazent Mix

The Salt City Orchestra Night Club Mix

Underdog Mix

Sneak's -A- Pimp Mix

Spawn The Album (Epic / Immortal - Soundtrack )

Duet With Marilyn Manson -

"Long Hard Road Out Of Hell"

From The Movie "A Life Less Ordinary":

Velvet Divorce

US Releases

Becoming Remixed [Limited Edition]

Released By Virgin On March 10, 1998.

1. Spin Spin Sugar - (Armand's Dark Garage Mix)

2. Walking Zero - (Tuff & Jam Unda-Vybe Vocal)

3. Post-Modern Sleaze - (The Salt City Orchestra Nightclub Mix)

4. Spin Spin Sugar - (Armand's Bonus Dub)

5. Post-Modern Sleaze - (Reprazent Mix

)6. 6 Underground - (Perfecto Mix)

7. Tesko Suicide - (Americruiser Mix)

8. Roll On - (Fold Mix Mix)

9. 6 Underground - (The Umbrellas Of Ladywell Mix #2)

10. Post-Modern Sleaze - (Flight From Nashville)

Becoming X CD - February 25, 1997
1. Low Place Like Home

2. Tesko Suicide

3. 6 Underground

4. Becoming X

5. Spin Spin Suga

r6. Post-Modern Sleaze

7. Waterbaby

8. Roll On

9.Wasted Early Sunday Morning

10. Walking Zero

11. How Do

12. 6 Undergound (Nellee Hooper Edit)

6 UndergroundReleased By Virgin On March 2, 1997.

"6 Underground" Is Also Featured On The Soundtrack To "The Saint."

1. 6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit)

2. 6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Dub)

3. 6 Underground (Bluebottle Mix)

(All Tracks Produced By Line Of Flight And Jim Abbiss

Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering/Barry

"6 Underground" Embodies Portions Of "Golden Girl" Performed And Written By John Barry

Tracks 1 & 2 - Mixed By Nellee Hooper

Track 2 - Keyboards And Programming By Marius De Vries

Track 3 - Additional Production And Remix By Line Of Flight)

Tesko Suicide/Post-Modern Sleaze

Debut CD Single Released In America By Virgin On Jan. 12, 1997.

The Tracks "Johnny" And "Tesko Suicide (Americruiser Mix)" Are Unavailable Elsewhere.

1. Tesko Suicide (LP Edit)

2. Post-Modern Sleeze

3. Johnny

4. Tesko Suicide (Americruiser Mix)

(All Tracks Produced By Line Of Flight

All Tracks Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering Except "Johnny" Which Is Traditional

Track 4 - Remixed By Eli Janney With Steve Raskin)

1999 - UK Releases

Splinter - Released October 25, 1999

1. Half Life

2. Low Five

3. Lightning Field

4. Curl

5. Destroying Angel

6. Empathy

7. Superbug

8. Flowers And Silence

9. Cute Sushi Lunches

10. Ten To Twenty

11. Splinter

12. Wife By Two Thousand

(All Tracks Written By Howe/Corner/Pickering;

Produced By Line Of Flight;Recorded At Line Of Flight;

Mixed By Mark 'Spike' Stent At Olympic Studios, London;

Additional Vocals By Sarah MCDonnell And Sue Denim)

Ten To Twenty Pt. 1 - Released October 18, 1999

1. Ten To Twenty (Album Version)

2. Perfect One

3. Virgin

Ten To Twenty Pt. 2 - Released October 18, 1999

1. Erick Morillo, Jose Nunez, And Richard F. Vox Mix

2. Funk Force Intergalactic Dub

3. Hefner Mix

Low Five Pt.1 - Released August 1999

1. Low Five

2. Diving

3. Unattach

Track 1 Written By Corner/Howe/Pickering

Track 2 Written By Wilson

Track 3 Written By Westlake

Produced By Line Of Flight

Low Five Pt. 2 - Released August 1999

1. Tee's Freeze Vocal Mix

2. Tee's Freeze Instrumental Mix

3. Dronez Dub

Original Version Written By Corner/Howe/Pickering

Produced By Line Of Flight

Tracks 1 And 2 Additional Production And Remix By Todd Terry For Big Management Ltd. Nyc

Engineered By Bill Klatt,

Edited By Matthias Heilbronn

Track 3 Remixed And Reconstructed By The Dronez Aka Erick "More" Morillo, Harry "Choo-Choo" Romero& Jose Nunez For Double Platinum Productions, Nj

Low Five Promo 12" #1

1. The Dronez Vocal Mix (Only On This Promo 12")

2. Dronez Dub.

Low Five Promo 12" #2

A1. Interfearence Remix

A2. Interfearence Dub

Aa1. Zero 7 Mix

Aa2. Interfearence 'Low' Instrumental

Written By Corner/Howe/Pickering.

Produced By Line Of Flight.

Tracks A1/A2/Aa2 - Remixed & Additional Production By Interfearence

.Track Aa1 - Remixed By Zero 7.

Low Five Promo 12" #3

1. Tee's Freeze Mix

2. Tee's Freeze Instrumental.

2001 Releases

Bloodsport Promo 12" - White Label

1 White Friar Vocal

White Friar Dub

Bloodsport (Advanced - Oct 2001)

[ Officially Released By Tommyboy Records - April 2002 ]

Kiro Tv

Sick

Small Town Witch

Black Sheep

Loretta Young Silks

M'aidez

The Fuel

Bloodsport

Think Harder

Blue Movie

Grazes

Sick - CD Single 1

Sick - Album

Sick - Xmen Vocal

Sick - Video

Sick - CD Single 2

Sick - Dom T Main Mix

Sick - Gonzales Games Remix

After Every Party I Die