Things from the forest die here / But I don't /
Dead forest things are offered here / But I'm not

Garlands evergreen / Forget-me-not wreaths /
Chaplets see me drugged / I could die in the rosary

When Mama was moth / I took bulb form

Glass candle grenades are popping / Still we'll not keel over

Tinderbox of a heart / Left a shell is all

Fig up my love paramour / Ooze out and away onehow

In April 1998 Simon Raymonde clarified the situation somewhat. He said "we have no plans to make any more records together as [Cocteau Twins]...we have 3/4 of a record finished but it will not see the light of day for some time yet i fear. robin & I have a small independent label where will continue to find eclectic and interesting bands to release as well as be a platform for our own music. liz is planning on a pop career i think."

For more information on what the ex-members of the Cocteau twins have been up to, please have a look at the whatever happened to... part of this FAQ.

Elizabeth Reynolds:

" I always assumed that the name 'Cocteau Twins' was a reference to Jean Cocteau's novel Les Enfants Terribles. The book is about two orphaned adolescents - a brother and sister - who live in their own insular, dreamlike world. It certainly seems to fit.

I've heard Liz and Robin's explanation about their gay friends who liked Jean Cocteau, but I really can't believe they weren't aware of the Les Enfants Terribles connection - the sister in the book was even named Elizabeth. "

Brant Nelson:

" The song 'The Cocteau Twins' was one they had in their live show before their first album Life In A Day. It was eventually recorded with different lyrics and the title changed to "No Cure" for Life In A Day. The music remained the same. Probably the only place the original song exists is on a live tape Robin Guthrie has, and Robin tells me that the original lyrics were about 'two gay men who were into Jean Cocteau,' thus the origin of the rumor that that's where the Cocteaus got their name, 'from two gay friends who were into Jean Cocteau,' something which Robin said himself in an interview ages ago. Well, it's true in sort of a skewed sense, but it's really that they took their name from this old unreleased Simple Minds song. "

" My duets? I did Candleland with Ian Mcculloch and Primitive Painters with Felt. I would like to sing with everybody. Primitive Painters came about because I knew Lawrence. I fucking think it's...oh God! I was so young! You see, I want to get to the stage where I can really take responsibility for what I've done. I ought to be proud of that? Well...but I don't! You see, I just want it all. I want to be at my most mature at any one time, rather than in the next God knows how many years.

Someone said they could get me a duet with Van Morrison. He's an odd bugger, through! I'd be terrified of him, even though he's probably a teddy bear really! I'd love to sing with Jeff Buckley - Tim Buckley's son. He is currently making his first album, and if it's anything like a radio session I heard by him, it should be amazing. He's written this song called 'Grace', which literally makes the hair on my neck stand on end. I was sweating like a fucking June bride when I first heard him. Music has never done that to me before. "

Here's a limited discography:

This Mortal Coil

Sixteen Days, Gathering Dust (1983, from the 12'') Song to the Siren (1983, from the 7'' and It'll End in Tears) Another Day (1984, from It'll End in Tears)

Dif Juz

Love Insane (1985, from Extractions)

Felt

Primitive Painters, from Ignite the Seven Cannons album (1985) and Primitive Painters EP (1985). Also on The Day the Rain Came Down, on the EP, apparently but not easy to hear her contribution.

Craig Armstrong

This Love (1998, from The Space Between Us)

Massive Attack

Teardrop, Black Milk and Group Four, from the album Mezzanine (1998).

The Wolfgang Press

Respect, from the album The Wolfgang Press and other Tall Stories (1985). Also 'I Am the Crime', from the album Standing Up Straight (1986).

Medicine

Time Baby 3, from the EP Sounds of Medicine, which is also on the soundtrack album to the film The Crow.

Ian McCulloch

Candleland on the Candleland LP (1989) and EP (1990). The EP version is somewhat different. Also the track 'Heaven's Gate' on the Mysterio album, produced by Robin Guthrie.

Future Sound of London

Lifeforms EP (1994), but not on the LP.

Moose

A song on their Live a little love a lot album.

Fuel

Butterfly Knife on the Timeless EP.

Peace Together

Be Still on a charity record for Northern Ireland troubles.

Michael Kamen / Alan Rickman

Take Me with You from the soundtrack to the film The Winter Guest.

Simon Raymonde

Vocals on the Blame Someone Else album.

Bom

Sour Foot Dub, a b-side to their Roach 7'' single.

You might like to see either the Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance web sites for further recommendations, which have discographies, reviews and some song snippets.

If you're interested in Slapp Happy, they've recently reformed and have a new album out called ca va which has been received well. See the Wire magazine issue 170, April 1998 for example.

Cindytalk sound rather different than that, and much of their output could be described as "industrial", more in the old pre-NIN sense. Very intense and very scary music that ranges from ferocious guitar grinding to spooky ambient piano, with Gordon Sharp's intense wail. If you can simultaneously like early Cocteau Twins, Throbbing Gristle, Harold Budd and the Swans, Cindytalk will be right up your alley. In This World is probably the best place to start. Their records are/have been re-released by Soleilmoon. Distributed by World Serpent Distribution in the UK.

In July 1998 Gordon Sharp has sung on a This Mortal Coil-like project called After The Flood, released on Aeterna records in Seattle. Windy and Carl, Labradford and Warren Defever also contribute to this. See the archive for more information.

"Brook invented the infinite guitar himself, probably because he loved the sound of the E-bow, which magnetically vibrates a guitar string without actually touching it (a well-known example of this sound is that high-pitched "whistling" melody line at the beginning of U2's "With Or Without You"). Perhaps he was frustrated at its relative cumbersomeness and/or because the player can only use the device on one string at a time. I believe he took a Stratocaster, removed one of the pickups, and replaced it with a pickup-sized device which works the same way as an E-bow [an extra pickup in the guitar's neck]...supposedly, there are [possibly] only three other infinite guitars in existence, which are owned by (I think) The Edge, Daniel Lanois, and Brian Eno."

Time Stereo has also several other ESP-... tapes (ESP Beetles, ESP Family, Live ESP). They feature Warren but not Ian, and are quite noisy.

timeSTEREO 28143 W. 8 Mile Livonia, Michigan MI 48152 USA F: (810) 473-9321 E: rec.coll@ix.netcom.com

Perdition Plastics 4216 North Damen Ave. Chicago IL 60618 USA E: perditionplastics@ameritech.net

Farrágo Records Box 13148 Houston, TX 77219 USA E: farrago@delphi.com

Karina Square 107 rue de Javel 75015 Paris FRANCE

" It was originally issued by 4AD on CD in 1987 (BAD 707CD); this did not come in a jewel case but in a paper/card gate-fold sleeve with a design similar to the 12" containing the remixes (BAD 707R). It included the four tracks of the two different UK 12"s.

At about the same the Canadians issued a CD using the same packaging (4AD/VERTIGO, 870 210-2) with six tracks (five mixes of Pump, one of Anitina). The Japanese put out two versions: 4AD/COLUMBIA, 20CY-2280 with 4 tracks and 4AD/COLUMBIA, 15CY-5012 with two tracks. The former had a sleeve design similar to the UK CD issue, the latter resembled the design of the regular UK 12''. Both came in slim jewel cases and featured all the stuff that usually comes with Japanese releases.

Finally, there is the US version on 4th & BROADWAY, CCD 452; this included five tracks (four versions of Pump and one of Anitina) and came in a card sleeve using the design of the regular 12''. All these should long be deleted.

In 1993 4AD reissued the CD. This time it came in a digipak and included only three tracks (two versions of Pump, one of Anitina). This one should still be available (through 4AD's mail-order catalog if you can't find it in a store near you.) In identical form this was released in Germany (4AD/ROUGH TRADE, RTD 120.1860.3) and probably Belgium (on Play It Again Sam). France put out two versions: 4AD/VIRGIN, 922492 with two tracks in a card picture sleeve and 4.A.D/VIRGIN, 922312 with four tracks in a digipak (identical to the UK release)."

Kenneth Sooley added some information about the Canadian release in 1993: "it was also re-released in 1993 in Canada by Polygram, using the UK catalogue number. as is common with Canadian 4AD releases, the CD is manufactured in Canada, but the packaging is imported from the UK."

More re-issues of this single were done in the US after the demise of the Warner's deal mid-1998. Richard Holtzman said: "(3 tracks listed but 5 appear on the CD, different versions mixes. Remember the US version of the song is slightly different because of some sample clearance issues, I think I like the UK version better, my 2 cents)"

1. Slowdive
2. Avalyn 1
3. Morningrise
4. She Calls
5. Losing Today
6. Shine
7. Albatross

The Lillies were a one-shot band consisting of members of Lush, Moose and the Cocteau Twins, who recorded one song (an homage to their favorite football team) for a flexi in an English music magazine. For die-hard collectors only.