Shirley Manson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shirley Manson | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Shirley Ann Manson | |
| Born | August 26, 1966 (age 40) | |
| Origin | Edinburgh, Scotland | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar | |
| Associated acts |
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, Angelfish , Garbage | |
Shirley Ann Manson[1][2] (born August 26, 1966) is a Scottish musician, the lead vocalist of the band Garbage.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Manson is the second of three daughters. She has an older sister, Lindy-Jayne and a younger sister, Sarah. Her father is a geneticist and her mother is a former big band singer. At age seven, Shirley began learning the piano, later attending the City of Edinburgh Music School where she also joined the school's theatre group.
At school, she was regularly bullied, and inflicted self harm. Children teased her because of her red hair and large, popping eyes. She sometimes returned home after school bloody and bruised from the bullying. The incessant teasing and bullying led her into a deep depression and drove her to cutting.
[edit] Music
Her first experience with music was with the bands Autumn 1904 and Wild Indians. When she was 16, Shirley joined Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie [1], where she sang backup vocals and played the keyboards. She remained in the band for a decade until they split in 1992. After the split, Shirley and two other members of the band formed Angelfish, this time she was the lead singer. Angelfish released a self titled album and one single, 'Suffocate Me'.
[edit] Garbage
After seeing 'Suffocate Me' on MTV, Steve Marker was impressed and wanted Shirley to front his band Garbage. After two auditions, Shirley became the lead singer in 1994.
Manson immediately set about re-writing the lyrics to the band's already written songs. The resulting collaborative efforts became Garbage, the band's debut album, which would go on to sell five million copies worldwide, earning double platinum certifications in UK, US and Australia. The album produced hit singles and breakthrough hits such as "Queer", "Stupid Girl", "Only Happy When It Rains" and "Vow".
By the time their second album, Version 2.0, was being recorded in the band's own studio, Manson had become the band's primary lyricist, but was still regarded by many as simply the face of Garbage. As a regular musical contributor and guitarist (her orange Fender Stratocaster is named 'Rita'), she felt great disappointment at the general perception of her role in the group.
After her brief role as a model for Calvin Klein and the confidence that composer David Arnold had shown her while co-producing the theme for James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough", Shirley began to write more self-reflective lyrics, which ended up on the band's third album, beautifulgarbage.
Garbage briefly dissolved in 2003 due to in-fighting. After resolving their problems, they reformed to record their fourth album, Bleed Like Me, which was released in April of 2005. The album reached the top five in the US, and overall sold well around the world.
As of October 2005, Garbage is on an indefinite hiatus due to the fact that the band has been constantly producing and promoting albums and touring for the past decade. According to Manson the current situation between the band's members is "good"[2].
On the 6 July 2006 Garbage concert broadcast on PBS's SoundStage she said: "Thank you, girls! Now go and start some bands, okay?" — to the young female fans in the front row (who sang and danced along to all the songs).
[edit] Solo
Since Garbage is currently on an indefinite hiatus, fans have speculated whether or not Manson will record a solo CD. This issue was finally confirmed on 1 March 2006, when record producer David Arnold's official website announced that "David has just completed writing and producing with Shirley Manson, lead singer of Garbage, for her new upcoming project". Later, the fan site Garbage Disco Box reported that this project was the writing and recording of a song[3]. Billboard.com reported that she intends to record a solo album but she insists that Garbage has not broken up.
Manson revealed to the Sunday Times on 2 July 2006[4] that she had contacted Paul Buchanan of Scottish group Blue Nile to write with her for her solo album. "I thought he’d be very moody and introverted, but he’s not like that at all. He’s quite outgoing and charming. Neither of us has ever written with anybody else before. It’s going to be strange. We’ll see how it goes — it could be a complete unmitigated disaster.”
Manson met up with Buchanan at his Glasgow studio in July 2006 to begin their work together. Manson had previously stated on her online journal[5] that "there's nobody quite like Paul Buchanan to bring the bleakness out in me".
Paul Buchanan spoke to the Sunday Mail on 29 October, 2006, and revealed that as well as working with Arnold, and himself, Manson has also teamed up with White Stripes frontman Jack White and Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan to help write "stunning tunes" for her debut, as well as confirming the record would be released in 2007.[6]
"I knew Shirley's work from her days in Scottish bands Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie and Angelfish and had heard the records she'd made with Garbage. But we'd never met so I couldn't believe it when this rather formal email arrived saying, 'Dear Mr. Buchanan...' The fact Shirley was motivated to ask me to write songs made it worth pursuing. I was worried my music wouldn't fit in with the rocky stuff Jack White and Billy Corgan would come up with but Shirley said, 'Don't worry, I want you to do what you do'. Sometimes the unlikeliest combinations work best - it gets you out the comfort zone."
"I made a conscious effort to write the songs from Shirley's perspective. It only took five minutes to compose them but I'd had six weeks to come up with ideas. Shirley is keen to bounce ideas off different people after taking a break from Garbage." Buchanan also said.
Buchanan and Manson will enter the studio together in December 2006 to record tracks for her album.[7]
On 18 November, 2006, Paul Buchanan revealed Manson was also working with Beck on her new album.
Manson is also to appear on Eric Avery's forthcoming solo album, as well as with him on a cover version of a John Lennon track on an Amnesty International charity compilation.[8]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio Albums
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie (credited with backing vocals and keyboards)
- Good Deeds and Dirty Rags (1988)
- Fish Heads and Tails (1989)
- Hammer and Tongs (1991)
- Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie (1992) (US release)
- Five (1993)
Angelfish (Lead vocals and guitar)
Garbage (Songwriter, lead vocals and guitar)
Solo
- As Yet Untitled (TBC/2007)
[edit] Other Appearances
- Fun Lovin' Criminals "Korean Bodega (Aero Mexicana Remix)" (originally from 100% Colombian) (1999) (Guest vocals)
- Marilyn Manson & Shirley Manson "Don't You Want Me" (remains unreleased) (2004) (duet)
- Queens Of The Stone Age "You Got A Killer Scene There, Man..." (from Lullabies to Paralyze) (2005) (Backing vocals)
- Eric Avery's forthcoming solo album, due out 2007.
- Amnesty International various artist compilation album, due out 2007.
[edit] Trivia
- In November 2006 she was named Scotland's most eligible woman in the annual list compiled by the Scotland on Sunday newspaper.[3]
- Despite her singing voice featuring an American vernacular and accent, she has a Scottish accent when simply speaking.
- Shirley Manson was briefly a model for Calvin Klein's 1999 celebrity musician campaign, which also featured Dolores O'Riordan, Melissa Auf der Maur and Kim Gordon. It was the first time she would appear in public without makeup.
- On 7 September 1996 Manson married the sculptor Eddie Farrell. They separated in 2001, which led Shirley to cut her hair short and dye it blonde. They are now divorced.
- In 2000, she revealed that she had the condition body dysmorphia, and used to inflict self harm as a teenager [9].
- She actively participates in various AIDS charities: one notable occurrence was her appearance alongside Elton John and Mary J. Blige in the MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam campaign. She is also a patron of the Edinburgh-based charity, Waverley Care, and co-hosted a fundraiser for it in January 2004.
- Manson includes Siouxsie & the Banshees and Frank Sinatra amongst her musical idols, as well as Debbie Harry - with whom she performed in September 2004 at a breast cancer benefit in Los Angeles. They performed two duets - Wayne Wonder's "Bounce Along", and Blondie's "Call Me".
- She spends much of her time at the band's base in Wisconsin, although she does own a house in her native Edinburgh.
- For most of Garbage's career, Shirley Manson was not actually signed to Mushroom/A&E Records - she was still signed to Radioactive Records, home of Angelfish and Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie.
- She supports Hibernian F.C. and is a die-hard fan of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.
- Has no relation to Charles Manson or Marilyn Manson. However, Marilyn and Shirley met at a Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert, and covered Human League's song "Don't You Want Me" which has not been released on any of their respective band's records.
- Manson is close friends with singer Gwen Stefani.
- In 2003, Manson underwent potentially risky surgery to remove a cyst from her vocal cords, which she came through without complications. By the end of the 1990s, she also successfully had a tumor removed from her left breast.
- Her father was a member of the research team which cloned Dolly the sheep.
- Shirley appeared in She Wants Revenge's music video, "These Things"
- She delivered the introduction speech for the 2006 induction of Blondie into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- Also in 2006, Manson shared the stage with The Pretenders at a performance for VH1 Classics.
- Shirley got her driver's license at age 39.
- Interviewed for the upcoming documentary CUT: Teens and Self Injury, by Wendy Schneider.
- Says her favourite album is The Beatles "The White Album", because she was being masturbated by a close friend when she first heard it.
- Appeared in the show Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode "66 Curses" where Space Ghost eats each guest and then his cast but passes on eating Shirley.
- Was quoted in an interview as saying "I hate boys who are frightened of pee and shit and menstrual blood… I want a man who will let me pee in his belly button"[4]. The Garbage song "When I Grow Up" contains the lyrics "Happy Hours/Golden Showers"
[edit] Notes and References
- ^ Shirley Manson's BMI entries
- ^ Shirley Manson's ASCAP entries
- ^ The Eligibles 2006 - top 50 women, Scotland on Sunday, 19 November 2006
- ^ Garbage, interview with Shirley Manson
[edit] External links
- Official Website Garbage
- Shirleyworld - Unofficial Forum
- Shirley Manson at the Internet Movie Database
- Shirley Manson at MusicBrainz
- The Independent:Interview, March 2005
| Garbage |
| Butch Vig | Shirley Manson | Duke Erikson | Steve Marker |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums and extended plays: Garbage | Version 2.0 | beautifulgarbage | Bleed Like Me | Absolute Garbage |
| Singles: "Vow" | "Subhuman" | "Only Happy When It Rains" | "Queer" | "Stupid Girl" | "Milk" | "#1 Crush" | "Push It" | "I Think I'm Paranoid" | "Special" | "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" | "When I Grow Up" | "You Look So Fine" | "The World is Not Enough" | "Androgyny" | "Cherry Lips" | "Breaking Up the Girl" | "Shut Your Mouth" | "Why Do You Love Me" | "Bleed Like Me" | "Sex Is Not the Enemy" | "Run Baby Run" |
| Videography |
| Videos and DVDs: Garbage Video | Live at Eagles Ballroom 2002 |
| Related articles |
| Alternative rock | Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie | Angelfish | The World Is Not Enough | Mushroom Records | Almo Sounds | Interscope Records |
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