Cinerama – in concert at Maida Vale – Presented by John Peel – January 9, 2002 – BBC Radio 1 –
Cinerama in concert at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios tonight – recorded for and presented by John Peel, live on January 9, 2002.
Cinerama are an English indie pop band, headed up by David Gedge, the frontman for The Wedding Present. The band is known for combining rock guitar music with string and woodwind sounds. Originally formed in 1998 while on a break from The Wedding Present, Cinerama started as a duo of Gedge and his then-girlfriend Sally Murrell. The initial releases were a break from previous Gedge records as they featured soundtrack-like arrangements and string and woodwind accompaniment. Live performances included a lot of musicians to play these orchestral/pop songs. Over the years though the sound changed back to more of a rock sound, especially once some of The Wedding Present songs were incorporated into the live set.
Around 2003 Murrell and Gedge split up and she then left the band. Eventually during the recording of what became Take Fountain, Gedge decided that the sound had changed so much that it would be better released under The Wedding Present name, and so Cinerama were finished although the same musicians carried on.
Most Wedding Present set lists in recent years have included at least one Cinerama song.
Although the band officially no longer exists, a band perform a short set under the name Cinerama at each of David Gedge’s “At the edge of..” festivals. The line up usually comprises the current Wedding Present lineup but with the musicians switching their usual instruments.
On 18 May 2015, they released a re-vamped version of the Wedding Present’s album Valentina. The re-recording of a Wedding Present long player by Cinerama had been a long term ambition of David Gedge.
For a reminder of the early Cinerama, here is their 2002 Maida Vale session, complete with David Gedge recovering from a nasty cold and having some strained notes here and there.
Enjoy!
