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Beth Orton

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Elizabeth Caroline Orton[1], commonly known as Beth Orton, (born December 14, 1970), is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter. Known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica, she was initially recognized for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s--but these were not Orton's first recordings. She released a solo album, Superpinkymandy, in 1993. Since the album was only released in Japan, it unfortunately went largely unnoticed. Her second solo album, Trailer Park, garnered much critical acclaim in 1996. With the release of the albums Central Reservation (1999) and the 2001 UK top 10 album Daybreaker, Beth developed a devoted fan base with her unique sound and inimitably soulful voice. On her 2006 release, Comfort of Strangers, she has moved towards a more folk-based sound and away from the electronic sound of past albums. American movies and TV shows such as Felicity, How to Deal, and Vanilla Sky have featured her music and provided her with exposure to an American mainstream audience. After over 10 years, the popularity and recognition she has earned in the UK is finally manifesting itself in America.

Beth Orton

Early career

Perhaps best described as a folk/electronica artist, the six-foot-tall Orton was born in East Dereham, Norfolk, but raised on a pig farm in Norwich for her formative years, before moving to East London at age fourteen. Her father, an architectural draftsman, left her mother when Beth was eleven, and she lived with her mother, an artist and political activist, and her two brothers, her father dying shortly afterwards.[2][3] Her mother died from cancer in 1989, when Beth was aged 19,[4], which led to her travelling to Thailand for a short period, residing with Buddhist nuns. Orton found success as a musician relatively late, having first worked at menial jobs such as waitressing at Pizza Hut and even owning her own catering company.[5] She was also more interested in acting during her early career, having enrolled at the Anna Scher Theatre School, and she spent some time touring Une Saison en Enfer with a fringe theatre company throughout the UK, Russia and Ukraine, playing Rimbaud's lover.[6]

Singing career

Early work

Her first contribution in music came when she met William Orbit at a London nightclub, when he tried to borrow a cigarette from her. They began a relationship shortly after, and before long he invited her to do some spoken word for his current Strange Cargo project, but she drunkenly decided to sing also. Possibly the best-known work from that time is "Water from a Vine Leaf", which she co-wrote and which was released as a limited-edition single. It was also at this time that Orbit and Orton covered John Martyn's "Don't Wanna Know 'Bout Evil", which was not only the first song that they recorded together, but also the first release as a duet called Spill in Japan, which was also re-released in 1997 in the UK.

SuperPinkyMandy

File:DWKAE.jpg
Beth and William Orbit on the cover of Don't Wanna Know 'Bout Evil

Shortly after, Orton and Orbit began experimenting to pull an L.P. together. "Don't Wanna Know 'Bout Evil" became the first track on that album, called SuperPinkyMandy, named after a rag doll which she bought at a jumble sale at the age of six.[7] The album was released in Japan alone, in extremely limited numbers (popularly quoted as between 1000 and 5000 copies pressed), which makes it a rare and sought after commodity. The sound is very much Orbit's, but several songs were co-written, and some tracks were later recycled (albeit in very different versions): "She Cries Your Name", for what she now considers her debut album (Trailer Park), while "Yesterday's Gone" evolved to become "Montok Point" for the fourth Strange Cargo release Hinterland in 1995, which featured Beth on several tracks as vocalist, and also included an alternative version of "She Cries Your Name".

It was roughly at this time that she met Ed and Tom of the Chemical Brothers in a pub, and began the first in a series of collaborations, supplying vocals to the track "Alive Alone" on 1995's Exit Planet Dust.

Trailer Park

Her first solo release, a cover of The Ronettes' "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" was released, again in extremely limited numbers, in mid 1996, and was followed by "She Cries Your Name", shortly before the release of what she herself considers to be her debut L.P. Trailer Park, released on Heavenly Records on 19th October 1996. This release earned her nominations for two BRIT Awards (best British newcomer, best British female), and the Mercury Music Prize in 1997, was well received by critics, and sold modestly well, shifting 300,000 copies and peaking at #68 in the UK. The album was produced by Andrew Weatherall, whom she selected based on his production of one of her favourite records at the time, Primal Scream's Screamadelica. The album was far removed from her previous work, with a lot more pop/folk tunes present, although there were more than a few hints of her electronic roots. She began to tour this record, first supporting acts such as The Beautiful South, and appearing with Ron Sexsmith, before breaking out on her own. In June 1997, she had her first UK Top 40 hit single, with a reissue of "She Cries Your Name".

Central Reservation

 
Beth at Lilith Fair 1999

She toured that summer with Lilith Fair, as well as releasing the Best Bit EP, improving on her previous best chart position, reaching #38 in the UK. Central Reservation, her second album (proper), helped Orton build on the success of her debut. Although retaining the electronic edge of the former, this record showed a notably more acoustic side with several tracks consisting purely of Beth's vocal accompanied by a solitary acoustic guitar, with subject matters becoming more introspective, including "Pass in Time", a song about the death of her mother. Despite this style, the album still provided more polished moments such as lead single "Stolen Car" and the electro melancholy of "Stars All Seem to Weep" or the jazz-and-strings-tinged "Sweetest Decline", songs which cut a much deeper mark than the more glossy feel of her debut. The album also featured notable contributions from folk musician Terry Callier, Dr. Robert and Ben Harper. Two tracks were also produced by Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl.

The album earned Orton a second Mercury Music Prize nomination and the Best Female Artist award at the 2000 BRIT Awards.

Daybreaker

 
Beth performing in Bristol, 2002

In July 2002 she released the album Daybreaker, which again blended the early electronica style, with up tempo pop songs and acoustic ballads. It featured guest appearances from musicians such as The Chemical Brothers, Emmylou Harris, whom she met at Lilith Fair, Ryan Adams and Four Tet. It was a great commercial success, reaching the top 8 of the UK album chart, but received largely positive from the press, ranging from "Her best work yet" from Mojo magazine[8], the NME (8/10) [9], Rolling Stone[10] and The Guardian, but receiving a more lukewarm reception from Q[11] (Despite this she was nominated for the Q award for best album). This was followed in 2003 by an U.S. only release on American label Astralwerks, The Other Side of Daybreak, an album consisting mainly of b-sides and remixes of songs from Daybreaker, created by artists such as Roots Manuva. She also contributed a song to the War Child charity, for their Hope compilation album that year.

A "best of" double album, entitled Pass In Time, was released in 2003. It represented Orton's extensive and diverse musical career through previously unreleased songs, b-sides, and rarities (such as "Where Do You Go" from Superpinkymandy), as well as collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers. The highlight of her career arguably came on 31 March 2003, when she played to a packed Royal Albert Hall in London on the last date of her worldwide Daybreaker tour. In addition, she played a tribute concert to Elliott Smith in November.

Comfort of Strangers

Orton's fourth studio album Comfort of Strangers was released in February 2006. The North American release through Astralwerks, the UK release coming through EMI-UK. The release sees her move away from the electronica element that she is usually associated with, to a more stripped down traditional alt-folk album. This followed an extended absence since her previous release, partially a result of several failed production attempts, and the parting of ways between her and Heavenly[12]. The final album was produced by the respected musician Jim O'Rourke.

Band

Her consistent band since 1999's Central Reservation has been guitarist Ted Barnes, keyboardist Sean Read, ex-Sandals drummer Will Blanchard and former Red Snapper member Ali Friend on bass. However, this has changed, as Ali and Ted have moved on to form their own band Clayhill, and in addition Ted has pursued his own projects, with Beth guesting on his solo debut album, Short Scenes. Only Sean remains in her current live band, although Clayhill have played as the support act on both her UK and US tours to promote Comfort of Strangers. Her current band consists of Leroy Bach, drummer Matt Johnson and upcoming guitarist Emmett Kelly.

Personal life

Orton has been romantically linked with a number of high profile musicians, including William Orbit and Ryan Adams.[13]

A well-known sufferer from Crohn's Disease[14], she recently revealed she had not suffered serious symptoms in the last three years, following a strict analysis of what she ate.[15]

Orton gave birth to a daughter in mid-December 2006.[16]. She cancelled her September 2006 UK tour because of her pregnancy.[17]

She is a well known opponent of the War on Terror, and played at the One Big No concert in March 2003 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, organised by Emily Eavis.[18]

In the Telegraph interview she revealed that in the past she had shunned several opportunities to raise her public profile, on ethical grounds. Such opportunities included becoming the face of Calvin Klein, representing the Gap (which, according to some sources, use sweatshops to manufacture their clothes), and promoting the sales of her records at Starbucks coffee outlets. While she is a supporter of Fairtrade, she has subsequently relented on this last stance.

All of her recent releases are subscribed to be "carbon neutral", whereby a tree is planted in a poor area of Mexico for every certain amount of units produced to offset the emissions generated when pressing the CDs, and other marketing paraphernalia.[19]

She has also been offered the opportunity to return to her first love, acting. Having played the lead female in the independent film Southlander, she was offered to audition for the role of John Cusack's girlfriend in the film High Fidelity, but didn't accept the invitation (the part went to Iben Hjejle). Beth also wrote music for the Erin Brockovich soundtrack. She does state that she would act, if an appropriate part came up for her.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Guest spots / rarities

  • Alive Alone - vocalist on the song from the Chemical Brothers' Exit Planet Dust.
  • Beautiful Way - a duet found on Beck's Midnite Vultures.
  • Brown Sugar - a duet with Ryan Adams, featured in a free CD from Uncut.
  • Dice - a Finley Quaye song sampling Beth's vocals from 'Roll The Dice', originally from her album SuperPinkyMandy.
  • Frankie - live recording of the Mississippi John Hurt folk ballad on the The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited compilation.
  • In Deep - vocalist on Red Snapper's album Reeled and Skinned.
  • Inside - guesting on New Buffalo's album The Last Beautiful Day.
  • Katie Cruel - a duet with Bert Jansch on his album Black Swan.
  • Kiss of the Bee - from Strange Cargo: Hinterland, with William Orbit.
  • Love Can Do - found on Terry Callier's Lifetime.
  • Million Town - from Strange Cargo: Hinterland, with William Orbit.
  • No Expectations - recorded with Beck, unreleased.
  • Ooh Child - a cover of the Five Stairsteps' song contributed to the Warchild charity's Hope compilation album.
  • She Cries Your Name - an early version from Strange Cargo: Hinterland, with William Orbit.
  • Sisters of Mercy - a cover of the Leonard Cohen song, for the Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man OST.
  • Snapper - vocalist on Red Snapper's album Reeled and Skinned.
  • Ted's Waltz (remaster) - an alternative version of her own song, appearing on her guitarist Ted Barnes' album, Short Scenes.
  • The State We're In - vocalist on the song from the Chemical Brothers' Come With Us.
  • Untouchable (Part 2) - a duet with Princess Superstar on her album Is.
  • Watch the Stars - a duet with Bert Jansch on his album Black Swan.
  • Water From a Vine Leaf - vocalist on the song from Strange Cargo III, with William Orbit.
  • When the Sun Comes Up - a duet with Bert Jansch on his album Black Swan.
  • Where Do I Begin - vocalist on the song from the Chemical Brothers' Dig Your Own Hole.
  • Wild World - a cover of the Cat Stevens' song, for the How To Deal OST.

Coming soon

  • Sunny Afternoon - a duet with Ray Davies on a tribute album to the Kinks' frontman

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "Search results". ASCAP ACE. Retrieved 2006-09-11.
  2. ^ Q Magazine, issue 56, page 202
  3. ^ "Emotional Rescue", Daily Telegraph, 28 January 2006, p32
  4. ^ "Emotional Rescue", Daily Telegraph, 28 January 2006, p35
  5. ^ An Interview With Beth Orton, Heavenly Recordings, BETH002, 1999
  6. ^ Beth Orton http://www.bethorton.mu/
  7. ^ Morning Becomes Eclectic, first aired 30 May 1997
  8. ^ New album reviews, Mojo Magazine, p.102,August 2002)
  9. ^ New album reviews, New Musical Express, p.33, 27 July 2002
  10. ^ New album reviews, Rolling Stone Magazine, p.72, 25 July, 2002
  11. ^ New album reviews, Q Magazine, p.132, August 2002
  12. ^ Beth Orton Bares All http://harpmagazine.com/articles/detail.cfm?article_id=3865
  13. ^ Smash it up!, http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=595, December 2003. Retrieved 11th September, 2006
  14. ^ Famous Ostomates & IBD Patients http://www.ostomy.evansville.net/celebrity.htm. retrieved 11th September 2006
  15. ^ "Emotional Rescue", Daily Telegraph, 28 January 2006, pp.32-37
  16. ^ http://forum.bethorton.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=1492
  17. ^ "Beth's pregnancy http://www.bethorton.org.uk/othernews.php retrieved 21st December, 2006
  18. ^ One Big NO, anti-war gig, 2003, http://www.virtualfestivals.com/festivals/festival.cfm?eventid=3023&dbtable=event&section=eventhome retrieved 11th September 2006
  19. ^ Carbon Neutral http://www.carbonneutral.com/shop/details.asp?productid=823&productname=Dedicate%20a%20Tree:%20Beth%20Orton retrieved 11th September 2006

See also

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