''Echoes in a Shallow Bay'' is an EP by Scottish

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

Cocteau Twins Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock music, rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981. In 19 ...

, released on 4AD. The EP featured four non-album tracks. It was issued on 29 November 1985, two weeks after another EP, ''

Tiny Dynamine ''Tiny Dynamine'' is an Extended play, EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD Records. The EP featured four non-album tracks. It was issued on 15 November 1985, two weeks prior to another EP, ''Echoes in a Shallow B ...

''. The two EP sets, which featured complementary artwork, were also released as a combined double EP in a gatefold cover, and as an eight-track CD. The EP was reissued in 1991 as part of '' The Box Set'' and in 2005 as part of the singles/EP collection '' Lullabies to Violaine''. A new vinyl version, sourced from digital files created from a new transfer of the original analogue tapes, was released in 2015, combined with the ''Tiny Dynamine'' EP.

Background

The band did not originally intend to release these songs to the general public, presumably explaining the decision to release the material on EPs, rather than as what would have been their fourth album. The tracks on ''Tiny Dynamine'' and ''Echoes in a Shallow Bay'' were initially recorded to test the production capacities of a new studio. When the band decided the material was strong enough for release, they completed the recording process and issued the finished product on two EPs. "Pale Clouded White" was performed live. A remastered version of the song appeared on the 2000 compilation ''

Stars and Topsoil ''Stars and Topsoil – A Collection (1982–1990)'' is a compilation album by the Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released on the 4AD label on October 16, 2000. The album featured tracks released during the group's time on 4AD between 1982 and 1 ...

''. Several of the titles on the two EPs have some link with

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

(butterflies and moths). The

great spangled fritillary The great spangled fritillary (''Speyeria cybele'') is a North American butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Description Its wingspan ranges from . It is characterized by its orange colour above with five black dashes near forewing base and sev ...

is a butterfly, and while there is no pale clouded white, there is a

pale clouded yellow ''Colias hyale'', the pale clouded yellow, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae, (also known as the yellows and whites) which is found in most of Europe and large parts of the Palearctic. It is a rare migrant to the British Isles and Scandinavia ...

(as well as several groups of butterflies commonly known as

whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

), while ''mellonella'' is the

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

of the wax moth ''

Galleria mellonella ''Galleria mellonella'', the greater wax moth or honeycomb moth, is a moth of the family Pyralidae. ''G. mellonella'' is found throughout the world. It is one of two species of wax moths, with the other being the lesser wax moth. ''G. mellonella' ...

''. The lyrics of this track consist of Fraser reciting the scientific names of the families of British moths. Lepidoptera eggs do not have shells, though.

Track listing

All songs written by Cocteau Twins. # "Great Spangled Fritillary" – 4:02 # "Melonella" – 4:05 # "Pale Clouded White" – 4:59 # "Eggs and Their Shells" – 3:06

Personnel

Elizabeth Fraser Elizabeth Davidson Fraser (born 29 August 1963) is a Scottish singer. She was the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins, who achieved success in the UK from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. Their studio albums '' Victorialand'' (1986) and '' H ...

– vocals *

Robin Guthrie Robin Andrew Guthrie (born 4 January 1962) is a Scottish musician, songwriter, composer, record producer and audio engineer, best known as the co-founder of the post punk alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has ...

– guitar *

Simon Raymonde Simon Philip Raymonde (born 3 April 1962) is an English musician and record producer. He is the son of the late arranger and composer Ivor Raymonde. He is best known as the bass guitarist and keyboard player with the Scottish band Cocteau Twins ...

– bass guitar Produced by Cocteau Twins.

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cocteau Twins albums 1985 EPs 4AD EPs UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles