| Elizabeth Fraser | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Elizabeth Davidson Fraser |
| Born | 29 August 1963 Grangemouth, Scotland |
| Genres | Gothic rock, Ambient, Dreampop, Ethereal wave |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Associated acts | Cocteau Twins This Mortal Coil Massive Attack |
| Website | Official website |
Elizabeth Davidson Fraser (born 29 August 1963, Grangemouth)[1] is a Scottish singer best known as the vocalist for the pioneer alternative rock group Cocteau Twins. Described by critic Jason Ankeny as "an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions,"[2] Fraser's distinctive singing earned much critical praise. She was once described as "the voice of God."[3] Fraser's singing veers between semi-comprehensible lyrics and abstract mouth music; fans have oft-debated the inspiration and meaning of her lyrics, but over the years Fraser has been reluctant to discuss such topics.[4] Fraser has a soprano vocal range.[5]
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Fraser was the vocalist and lyricist in Cocteau Twins, a group founded in 1981 by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie. At the time, she was 17 years old, and had never thought of herself as a singer. Guthrie and Heggie noticed her dancing at a club one night, and asked her to join their band.[4] After an on-off phase, the band recorded some tracks which were sent as demos to John Peel and Ivo Watts-Russell of 4AD which led to their being signed by the London-based label and a successful career in music.[6] Fraser and Guthrie formed a relationship, and had a daughter, Lucy Belle, in 1989. Guthrie liberally used drugs and alcohol through the years,[7] and Fraser suffered a nervous breakdown during the recording of Four-Calendar Café.[8] The couple broke up in 1992, still opting to continue a musical relationship until 1998, when Cocteau Twins were disbanded.
Fraser had an intense personal relationship with singer Jeff Buckley [9] and recorded a duet with him, "All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun", written by Buckley but never released commercially. She speaks candidly about their relationship in the BBC documentary, Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You.[10]
Cocteau Twins were due to perform for the North American Coachella Festival on 30 April 2005, but cancelled on 16 March 2005.
During the years of working as part of Cocteau Twins, Fraser also collaborated with numerous artists, appearing on 4AD house band This Mortal Coil's first release along with her bandmates where her notable contributions included a cover version of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren", and providing one-off vocals for acts such as Felt (Primitive Painters), Dif Juz (Extractions LP), the Future Sound of London (Lifeforms EP), the Wolfgang Press, Ian McCulloch and others.
After the breakup of Cocteau Twins in 1998, Fraser continued to collaborate with a range of performers, including The Future Sound of London, Elliot Goldenthal, Craig Armstrong, Massive Attack (including extensive tours performing with the band in 2006), and Peter Gabriel's millennium project OVO.
She has subsequently contributed to the soundtracks of several films, such as, In Dreams, Cruel Intentions, The Winter Guest and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (also uncredited in the soundtrack of the Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD), and has occasionally appeared as a guest artist on other musicians' projects. In 2005, she also participated in Yann Tiersen's album Les Retrouvailles. She sings in two pieces: "Kala" and "Mary".
Aside from the work with other artists, Fraser's solo career has been quiet. In 2000, a white label recording, Underwater, was released in a limited edition of only 200 copies. She contributed a cover version of "At Last I am Free" (originally by '70s band Chic, covered by Robert Wyatt) on the 2003 album Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before, a celebration of 25 year of Rough Trade Records. In 2004, Fraser was invited to participate in a unique audio exhibit, "Shhh...", at London's Victoria and Albert Museum for which she produced a piece called "Expectant Mood", which has not been made commercially available. Fraser has reportedly signed to Blanco y Negro Records,[11] but little is known about the progress of an officially released solo album. In December 2006 New Music Express magazine reported that her solo album was due for release in early 2007. The album would have contained eight tracks, one of which is to be a cover version. No titles were announced and the album was never released. Its current status is unknown.
In November 2009 Fraser released a solo single, '"Moses", available on 12" and download through Rough Trade. The single was recorded some time ago with her partner of more than a decade – Massive Attack's drummer Damon Reece, and close friend Jake Drake-Brockman - and was a memorial to Jake Drake-Brockman.[12][13]
The official website Elizabethfraser.com was initially created by a fan, but was taken over by Fraser's management company on 22 March 2007. As of 30 November 2009[update], the new site content is updated with news on the release for the new single "Moses".
Elizabeth Fraser lives with her partner, musician Damon Reece (from the band Lupine Howl), in Bristol. She has two daughters, Lucy Belle Guthrie, her daughter with Robin Guthrie and Lily, her daughter with Damon Reece.
| Artist | Album | Track(s) | Date | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massive Attack | Collected | "Silent Spring" | 2006 | EMI | |
| Yann Tiersen | Les Retrouvailles | "Mary", "Kala" | 14 June 2005 | EMI | B000852GIQ |
| Various artists (compilation) | Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before... | "At Last I Am Free" | 7 October 2003 | Rough Trade | |
| Howard Shore | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | "Isengard Unleashed" | 10 December 2002 | Warner Brothers | |
| Howard Shore | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | "Lothlórien: The Lament for Gandalf" | 20 November 2001 | Warner Brothers | |
| Peter Gabriel | OVO | "Downside Up", "Make Tomorrow" | 8 August 2000 | EMI | |
| Elliot Goldenthal; Elizabeth Fraser | In Dreams (soundtrack) | "Dream Baby" | 12 January 1999 | EMI | |
| Simon Raymonde | Blame Someone Else | "Worship Me" | 1998 | Bella Union | Bella CD1 |
| Massive Attack | Mezzanine | "Teardrop", "Black Milk", "Group Four" | 1998 | Virgin | |
| Michael Kamen | The Winter Guest | "Take Me With You" | 13 January 1998 | Universal | |
| Craig Armstrong | The Space Between Us | "This Love" | 24 February 1998 | Melankolic | |
| The Bathers | Sunpowder | "Danger in Love", "The Dutch Venus", "Angel on Ruskin", "The Night is Young" | 1995 | Marina | |
| Moose | Live A Little, Love A Lot | "Play God" | 1995 | Play It Again Sam Records | BIAS 320 CD |
| The Future Sound of London | Lifeforms [Remixes] EP | "Lifeforms 1-5 and 7" | 29 July 1994 | Astralwerks | ASW 6114-2 |
| Medicine | Sounds of Medicine | "Time Baby 3" | 1994 | Beggars Banquet | ARBCDM 8 |
| Ian McCulloch | Mysterio | "Heaven's Gate" | 1992 | Sire Records | 9 26684-2 |
| Ian McCulloch | Candleland | "Candleland" | 1989 | Sire Records | 9 26012-2 |
| Dif Juz | Extractions | "Love Insane" | 1985 | 4AD | CAD 505 |
| Felt | Primitive Painters/Cathedral | "Primitive Painters" | 1985 | Cherry Red | 12 CHERRY 89 |
| The Wolfgang Press | Scarecrow | "Respect" | 1984 | 4AD | BAD 409 |
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