Strawberry Switchblade: История шотландского поп-дуэта

Scottish pop duo

Strawberry Switchblade were a Scottish pop duo formed in Glasgow in 1981 by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, best known for their song "Since Yesterday" from 1985, and their flamboyant clothing with bows and polka dots.

The punk movement expanded rapidly in the United Kingdom in 1976. At the time, Rose McDowall and Jill Bryson were part of the bohemian art scene who adored the New York Dolls and who followed Scottish punk band Nu Sonics (later Orange Juice) during their career, with McDowall playing and recording with Paisley punk band The Poems. Bryson studied for four years at the Glasgow School of Art where she achieved a BA honours degree in mixed media. As friends, McDowall and Bryson socialised in Glasgow pubs, catching many local bands at the time. One of these bands was Orange Juice, fronted by Edwyn Collins. Members of New Pop and Orange Juice had recorded a live version of "Felicity" as a flexi disc and intended to release it. A fanzine, to be titled Strawberry Switchblade after a James Kirk song, was planned to promote the flexi disc but never materialised. The "Felicity" flexi disc was eventually released in conjunction with the debut Orange Juice single, "Falling and Laughing". McDowall was later given the name by James Kirk. The band's very first incarnation, an all female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow's Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends Janis Goodlet and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry Switchblade played at a John Peel gig in Scotland, and he invited them to record a session for his BBC Radio 1 show in October 1982. They also recorded a session for David Jensen's Radio 1 show three days later. On both sessions the band were augmented by James Kirk from Orange Juice on bass and Shahid Sarwar from The Recognitions on drums.

In late 1984 their second single, "Since Yesterday", was released. Having been given a large marketing push over the festive period, it became a UK top ten hit in early 1985, peaking at number 5, and also met with success in Europe and Japan. Their cover version of "Sunday Morning" (originally by Velvet Underground) was released as an extra track on the 12" of "Since Yesterday". It was not included on any of the Strawberry Switchblade albums. The track's opening fanfare came from the fourth movement of Sibelius's Symphony No. 5.

In March 1985 they released their next single, "Let Her Go". Following the release of their eponymous album in April, in May 1985 they released a further single, the ballad "Who Knows What Love Is", one of two tracks on the album produced by Phil Thornalley of The Cure. Their fifth single, an electro pop cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene", was issued in September 1985 in the UK and Japan.

McDowall continued in music, playing with many neofolk bands and performing in and around Glasgow, alongside old and new friends associated with her current representation, Night School Records, including Michael Kasparis, cellist Jo Quail, and McDowall’s son Bobi Lee. In 2018 2019, Rose McDowall and Shawn Pinchbeck provided the soundtrack for the film “Far From the Apple Tree”. In July 2013, after a break of almost 30 years from music, Bryson returned to songwriting in a new band called The Shapists (named after the fictitious art movement in the film The Rebel), that includes her daughter Jessie Frost.

The discography of Strawberry Switchblade consists of one studio album, two compilation albums, one extended play, seven singles, thirteen b sides and four music videos.

YearTitleAlbumChart positionsUK IE JPNL 1983 "Trees and Flowers" — – 3 – – – 1984 "Since Yesterday" Strawberry Switchblade 5 – 6 – 24 1985 "Let Her Go" 59 – – – – "Who Knows What Love Is?" 84 – – – – "Ecstasy (Apple of My Eye)" (released in Japan only) The 12" Album – – – 71 – "Jolene" — 53 – – 90 – 1986 "I Can Feel" (released in Japan only) – – – – – "–" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.