Spiritualized

Origins

Spiritualized formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, around Jason Pierce, often known as J. Spaceman. Pierce had started Spacemen 3 in Rugby with Peter Kember, and for the new group he asked bassist Will Carruthers, drummer Jonny Mattock and guitarist Mark Refoy to join him, with Steve Evans on keyboards. Kate Radley took over the keyboard parts for the second single. The band took its name from the text on the label of a bottle. A clause meant the new band had to keep the Spacemen 3 recording contract with Dedicated Records.

The first release, in 1990, was a cover of "Anyway That You Want Me". The debut album, Lazer Guided Melodies, came out on Dedicated on 30 March 1992. It was recorded between November 1990 and July 1991 at studios in Rugby, Bath and Northamptonshire and mixed by Pierce in London in January 1992. Its twelve songs are segued into four cross-faded suites, marked red, green, blue and black on the vinyl edition, and it reached number 27 on the UK chart. Reviewing the 2021 reissue, Pitchfork's Ben Cardew called it "one of the most gentle rock records of its time", and The Quietus said its cosmic prettiness anticipated dream pop.

Pure Phase

Pure Phase followed on 28 March 1995. It was made at Moles Studio in Bath with Pierce producing and the Balanescu Quartet adding strings, and the band was credited on the cover as Spiritualized Electric Mainline before returning to its usual name. By then the group had shrunk to a core of Pierce, Radley and Sean Cook. The record has an unusual construction. Pierce mixed the songs twice, could not choose between the mixes and decided to play both together, so the two tape copies were cut into sections and realigned by hand every eight bars or so. Pierce told The Quietus in 2021 that it was probably his favorite of the records he has made.

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

Work on Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space began in the summer of 1995, when Pierce and Cook started demos at Moles with engineer Trevor Curwen. Pierce then worked with engineer Darren Allison from late January 1996, recording a gospel choir at The Church Studios in London and adding strings from the Balanescu Quartet at Olympic Studios. Dr. John played piano and sang on Cop Shoot Cop…, recorded in the United States.

Dedicated released the album on 16 June 1997, produced by Pierce and John Coxon. It reached number four on the UK chart, and NME named it album of the year for 1997. The special edition came in a box made to look like prescription medicine, designed by Pierce with Mark Farrow. Singles followed: Electricity in July 1997, then I Think I'm in Love and Come Together in 1998, the year Broken Heart was also re-recorded at Abbey Road for an EP. The title track appeared in the film Vanilla Sky in 2001.

In October and December 2009 they played the album in full as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties Don't Look Back series, and a remastered edition appeared on 30 November 2009. Pitchfork's Grayson Haver Currin wrote in 2010 that Pierce "unequivocally reached the height of his recorded powers" on it.

Later albums

Let It Come Down appeared on Arista on 17 September 2001 after four years of work. It was recorded at Abbey Road and AIR Studios in London with 115 session musicians, including an orchestra and the London Community Gospel Choir, and reached number three in the UK. Amazing Grace followed in 2003 with a more stripped-down sound. By 1999 the band centered on Pierce, guitarist Doggen Foster and drummer Kevin Bales.

Songs in A&E came out on 26 May 2008, and Pitchfork's Mike McGonigal called it "certainly Spiritualized's best work in 10 years". Sweet Heart Sweet Light arrived in April 2012. And Nothing Hurt was released on 7 September 2018, produced by Pierce, and reached number 11 in the UK. Everything Was Beautiful, a companion made from the same demo sessions, followed in 2022.

In 2021 a reissue program on Fat Possum began with the first two albums. Stereogum ranked the catalog in 2013 and put Ladies and Gentlemen first, calling it "a perfect album".