The Vaselines are an alternative rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in Glasgow in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on bass and drums respectively from the band Secession. McKee had formerly been a member of a band named The Pretty Flowers with Duglas T. Stewart (later formed BMX Bandits), Norman Blake (later formed Teenage Fanclub), Janice McBride and Sean Dickson (later formed Soup Dragons). Eugene Kelly had formerly played in The Famous Monsters.
The group formed in 1986, and released two short EPs, Son of a Gun, which featured a cover of Divine's "You Think You're a Man" on its B-side, and Dying for It, which featured the songs "Molly's Lips" and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam," both of which Nirvana would later cover. In 1989 they released their first album, Dum-Dum, on 53rd and 3rd Records. The band broke up shortly after its release. They briefly reformed in 1990 to open for Nirvana when they played in Edinburgh.
Kelly went on to found the band Captain America (later renamed Eugenius after legal threats from Marvel Comics), supporting Nirvana on their UK tour. Following solo performances Kelly released the album Man Alive in 2004. McKee founded the band Suckle and released her first solo album, Sunny Moon, in 2006. In the summer of 2006, McKee and Kelly took to the stage together for the first time since 1990 to perform a set of Vaselines songs, as part of a joint tour to promote their individual solo albums. The Vaselines reformed (minus the old rhythm section) on 24 April 2008 for a charity show for the Malawi Orphan Support group at Glasgow's MONO venue. Invitation was by word-of-mouth with no press announcements.
Links To Peel[]
Peel received a copy of the band's first single, Son of a Gun, which he played on his show. However on his Peel 065 (BFBS) show, Peel felt the band's name was better than their record:
"Of course, at one time it would've been impossible to play records by this ensemble on the radio because their name is a commercial product. The Vaselines, and I have to confess it's a better name than it is a record, having heard it again: I'm not entirely convinced by that. My favourite band, actually, who gave a commercial product their name (or vice versa) was a band from Brighton a few years ago called the Lillettes."
The band's Son Of A Gun track later on was covered by Nirvana who played the song in a Peel Session recorded on 1990-10-21 and broadcast on 03 November 1990 (repeated on 22 April 1994). Kurt Cobain (Nirvana's singer) and his wife Courtney Love (singer of Hole) named their daughter Francis Bean after Vaselines' guitarist Frances McKee who later on formed Suckle, who got regular airplay on Peel's show in the late 90's and early 00's, especially their live show at Chemikal Underground's label's 5th birthday, that got broadcast on 14 March 2000.
Shows Played[]
The Vaselines-Son Of a Gun
- 1987
- 13 July 1987: Son Of A Gun (12") 53rd & 3rd
- 31 July 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 065 (BFBS)): 'Son Of A Gun (12")' (53rd & 3rd) (JP: "Of course, at one time it would've been impossible to play records by this ensemble on the radio because their name is a commercial product. The Vaselines, and I have to confess it's a better name than it is a record, having heard it again: I'm not entirely convinced by that. My favourite band, actually, who gave a commercial product their name (or vice versa) was a band from Brighton a few years ago called the Lillettes.")
- 1988
- 02 March 1988: Dying For It (12") 53rd & 3rd
Covered[]
(The list below was compiled only from the Cover Versions page of this site. Please add more information if known.)
Artist | Track | First Known Play
- Nirvana: Molly's Lips (session) 03 November 1990
- Nirvana: Son Of A Gun (session) 03 November 1990
- Pooh Sticks: Dying For It 24 February 1989 (BFBS)