A sad/emotive british Indie song from the 90s

[albie]

Yeah, entirely from the SoundCloud. And you weren't a million miles off with the lyrics about being young.

I actually couldn't remember the name of the song or artist myself, but I remembered the lyric "lifted up the mattress", which was specific enough to come up in a Google search.

If I'd just recalled that line...

https://www.lyrics.com/lyrics/lifted...oogle_vignette

Apparently it was mostly the work of bassist Keith Graham. Can't find him anywhere though. Would like to thank him.

[LilacLobster]

Yeah, entirely from the SoundCloud. And you weren't a million miles off with the lyrics about being young.

I actually couldn't remember the name of the song or artist myself, but I remembered the lyric "lifted up the mattress", which was specific enough to come up in a Google search.

[albie]

It's Tranquilizer by Geneva. Mentioned it in the post above yours.

MASSIVE DOPAMINE HIT.

That's it! Thank you. A joy to hear again after 30 years. Was it the singing I did? I can delete it off soundcloud now!

[TubThumper]

It's Tranquilizer by Geneva. Mentioned it in the post above yours.

Ah! Cool. I didn’t see your post

How on earth did you guess that? It does sound a bit like the sound file that albie uploaded on soundcloud. But everything else was false-memories. The band name and the lyrics were misremembered. You literally just went off the sound file. Well done

We just need albie to confirm now…

[LilacLobster]

I feel the same. I hate Reddit too.

Besides, no one has figured the song out on here yet. It’s bugging the hell out of me. I really do think I know it.

It's Tranquilizer by Geneva. Mentioned it in the post above yours.

[TubThumper]

I hate Reddit. You'd need the karma points to even get to start a thread!

I feel the same. I hate Reddit too.

Besides, no one has figured the song out on here yet. It’s bugging the hell out of me. I really do think I know it.

[LilacLobster]

I'm pretty sure the song you're looking for is Tranquilizer by Geneva.

https://youtu.be/pGiJiaOm3i8

[albie]

Tub Thumper…. There a couple of Reddit groups dedicated for tracking down and solving your problem. For 40 years I attempted to nail down a song I had on along lost c90 , taped from radio one’s “Rock on Saturday “. Even googling some remembered lyrics brought up no answers. Joined Reddit, asked the Question . Got the answer = One happy boy

I hate Reddit. You'd need the karma points to even get to start a thread!

[Semi42]

Tub Thumper…. There a couple of Reddit groups dedicated for tracking down and solving your problem. For 40 years I attempted to nail down a song I had on along lost c90 , taped from radio one’s “Rock on Saturday “. Even googling some remembered lyrics brought up no answers. Joined Reddit, asked the Question . Got the answer = One happy boy

[TubThumper]

No worries

[albie]

Beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

The patient is dead. And so is our search for this sad emotive British indie song from the 90s.

Thanks for keeping the search alive this long.

[TubThumper]

Interesting… the “almost feminine” vocal and lack of heavy guitar changes the search completely.

I now wonder if this is less indie and more late-90s slowcore with dream-pop tendencies.

Two bands suddenly come to mind:

Mojave 3 — especially tracks like “Love Songs on the Radio” or “Tomorrow’s Taken”

And a band called Spain. They had an album called The Blue Moods of Spain, which might explain your “blue” memory. Their stuff is unbelievably melancholy and very vocal-oriented. Try “Spiritual”.

Also worth checking these bands:
- Low
- Red House Painters

These are all “late-night Radio 1 once in your life” bands. Not mainstream. Quite underground.

If not, then I think I’ll give up too lol

[albie]

Hmmm… This is difficult.

Your humming helps a little though. It sounds very familiar indeed. At first glance, I thought of the guitar intro to Charming Man by The Smiths. But then I thought “too obvious”. I then thought of Iris by Goo Goo Dolls. But then I thought “too commercial”.

I then had a struggle… You say it wasn’t Shoegaze, but was more Dream Pop. Sometimes, those two genres can be interchangeable. If it was a 90’s track then it was more likely to be Shoegaze.

Was the song ethereal? Lots of heavy reverb? If yes, it would be Dream Pop. If it was similar, but changed to a more “heavy” guitar sound, then it was probably Shoegaze.

Judging on your humming alone, I have a band in mind, and also three songs by three separate bands:

The Verve. Typically, their first album A Storm In Heaven. Listen to Already There, Endless Life and Gravity Grave.

The other three songs I think match closely are:

• When The Sun Hits by Slowdive
• Pearl by Chapterhouse
• Vapour Trail by Ride

The latter of the three is interesting as there is a lyric “you are a vapour trail and in a deep blue sky”. This might match your idea that the band had “blue” in their title.

Let me know what you think.

The guitar I cannot recall so I assume it wasn't heavy. It was a vox oriented song. I like heavy guitar so would have noted if it was. The vox btw was almost feminine in sound and pitch. It isn't any of those you suggested. I know all those bands and their style. It wasn't mainstream at all.

I cannot even state if the band had a hit with it, but would be surprised if they hadn't. It was quality but VERY miserable. Morrisey wishes he could be as miserable as this.

Thanks anyway. I think I will just give up.

[TubThumper]

Hmmm… This is difficult.

Your humming helps a little though. It sounds very familiar indeed. At first glance, I thought of the guitar intro to Charming Man by The Smiths. But then I thought “too obvious”. I then thought of Iris by Goo Goo Dolls. But then I thought “too commercial”.

I then had a struggle… You say it wasn’t Shoegaze, but was more Dream Pop. Sometimes, those two genres can be interchangeable. If it was a 90’s track then it was more likely to be Shoegaze.

Was the song ethereal? Lots of heavy reverb? If yes, it would be Dream Pop. If it was similar, but changed to a more “heavy” guitar sound, then it was probably Shoegaze.

Judging on your humming alone, I have a band in mind, and also three songs by three separate bands:

The Verve. Typically, their first album A Storm In Heaven. Listen to Already There, Endless Life and Gravity Grave.

The other three songs I think match closely are:

• When The Sun Hits by Slowdive
• Pearl by Chapterhouse
• Vapour Trail by Ride

The latter of the three is interesting as there is a lyric “you are a vapour trail and in a deep blue sky”. This might match your idea that the band had “blue” in their title.

Let me know what you think.

[albie]

The title may be false memory. I think I tracked down the song by the lyrics alone sometime ago. But I've been on those websites that trace your missing song by snippets of lyrics. And a few days ago I recorded the tune by humming it and tried to track it that way with those other kind of sites that allow you to upload the tune. No go. It's so obscure it just does not show up. And yet it was such a good song.

Style of Indie? Not pop. Not rock. Shoegaze? no. Dream pop sounds right. It's none of those you suggested btw. I know most of them bands.

I'm no singer but I've uploaded my attempt to replicate the vox to Soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/fudgetusk/forgotten-song