https://www.bristol247.com/culture/music/30...ished-sympathy/

 

So one of my favourite singles of the 1990s was released this week exactly 30 years ago.

At the time the group were known as just ‘Massive’ because of the ongoing Gulf War and their protest against the conflict. Incidentally the band name was taken from some graffiti which was used as the name for their club nights that the collective (originally - The Wild Bunch) organised in Prince St, and the 3 members that emerged out of that collective became Massive Attack.

I only first heard of this single when Radio 1 did a special ‘Best tracks ever’ countdown at Christmas in 1998 or 1999?

It was at #1 and I remember my Mum being really happy and saying it was her favourite song of all time. I wanted to know more and so she let me borrow her cassette copy of ‘Blue Lines’

I definitely didn’t appreciate it at the time but as I’ve got older I’ve realised how much this album was a game changer and how iconic its biggest single “Unfinished Sympathy” was. It only charted at #13 at the time but it helped to bring the Bristol group into the spotlight and it still defines them to this day.

 

The track, written by Massive Attack’s Daddy G, 3D and Mushroom with vocalist Shara Nelson and producer Jonny Dollar, was recorded in the Coach House Studio, with the strings orchestrated by Wil Malone later added at a recording session in London’s famous Abbey Road Studios, and mixed at Matrix Studios in London.

 

The orchestra did not come cheap, however, and the band went so overbudget that they had to to sell their car in order to pay for those strings.

My mum also has 'Blue Lines' on cassette, that mutual maternal taste *.* :lol: fantastic song of course :wub:

Total classic, as was the less appreciated Safe From Harm. Shara Nelson & Massive Attack both continued to be very good away from each other, but were generally not quite as special as when they worked together, a couple of tracks excepted.

Massive Attack is one of the best bands in the history of music. I was a big fan since day 1 and bought all their albums.

Blue Lines is amazing but think they even got better with time and Protection and Mezzanine are probably my favourite albums from them.

They've released so many masterpieces throughout the years and collaborated with so many great singers, especially Tracy Thorn from EBTG

and Liz Frasier from Cocteau Twins lady but also Sinead O'Connor, Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval etc.

This is simply a classic. Iconic, sublime, so many superlatives.

Beautiful song, still so powerful and distinctive. I listened to Blue Lines as well and I can't imagine how ahead of it's time it would've sounded then, you still hear it's influences today in modern UK hip hop and dance.

Just :wub: :wub:

 

Absolutely love them, and this is such a seminal piece of music.

indeed, one of those tracks that are going to be remembered forever and will be listened in 50/100 years time, I am sure. Although, I love their collabs with Tracey Thorn more simply because I am in love with everything connected with EBTG

Absolutely love this track. It was one of those songs that people knew and liked but could never find because nobody had any idea what it was called, I used to regularly play it in one of my first jobs and people would ask me what it was - I also remember being in my local record store aged about 13 and somebody asking for the "soul without a heart, body without a mind" song and me being able to tell them what it was *.* ^_^

 

I struggle to name a favourite Massive Attack song, this is definitely up there but they have so many great tracks that it's almost impossible to choose.

Sounds like "child-labour to save wages shocker" headlines in the local newspaper, but well done on being so well-informed at 13. Just jealous of course, I wish I could have worked in a record shop at 13, I had to spend evenings babysitting little kids and tots to get money for records, slaving away watching TV for a few hours. Mine was at RAF Swinderby, yours wouldn't have been near that area as well would it....? :D

 

(we never went to Newark for records, always Lincoln)

 

 

good thing is despite being only one week in the top 20 (at number #13)

it's certified double platinum,, so at least sales of 600k

well that was in 2001, so probably some more since then

I remember it coming second in the best songs of the millennium countdown on Radio 1 I think on NYE 1999. It's a great record and "Blue Lines" is one of my favourite albums of all time.

I remember it coming second in the best songs of the millennium countdown on Radio 1 I think on NYE 1999. It's a great record and "Blue Lines" is one of my favourite albums of all time.

 

It came first the year before: http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/uk_radio.htm

 

That was the chart I remember listening to - think it was Jo Whiley announcing it? I could be wrong, obviously it was very 1998 biased.

It came first the year before:

 

That was the chart I remember listening to - think it was Jo Whiley announcing it? I could be wrong, obviously it was very 1998 biased.

 

I never listened to that one. I'm not 100% sure it was Radio 1 as I was in someone else's car, but number one was "Smells Like Teen Spirit" so given that's number two on that list it probably was Radio 1.

It's nice song but it doesn't give me the same experience that it gives everyone else in this thread. I do prefer Safe from Harm.

There was a documentary on Radio 4 about Unfinished Sympathy last Saturday which you can listen to on BBC Sounds, the link is below. It doesn't feature the band members. Instead, random people explain how the song played a part in their lives. I think the most interesting part is a producer deconstructing the track and explaining where the samples come from.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00120hq

Absolute classic! :wub:

There was a documentary on Radio 4 about Unfinished Sympathy last Saturday which you can listen to on BBC Sounds, the link is below. It doesn't feature the band members. Instead, random people explain how the song played a part in their lives. I think the most interesting part is a producer deconstructing the track and explaining where the samples come from.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00120hq

 

Ooh thanks for the heads-up Rollo - I'll send it to my Mum too as she'll love hearing that I think!

Unfinished Sympathy is a beautiful and amazing song.

 

A controversial opinion I have about their Massive Attack's biggest UK hit Teardrop, though. I find it boring :(.

Edited December 1, 20213 yr by 30 Spells Snakey

good thing is despite being only one week in the top 20 (at number #13)

it's certified double platinum,, so at least sales of 600k

well that was in 2001, so probably some more since then

 

It’s 4 weeks in top 20. 51-31-17-{13}-16-20-31-45-56 was its full chart run. One of the best songs of all time. It only made 13 but to be fair it wasn’t the type of record that could be a massive smash. Too out there and classically influenced.