You and Your Sister

This Mortal Coil

About You and Your Sister

"You and Your Sister" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Chris Bell, that appears on his only solo album I Am the Cosmos. It was released as a B-side to Bell's only single "I Am the Cosmos." The song is very similar in composition, vocals, and guitar playing to Big Star's "Thirteen," which Bell co-wrote with band mate Alex Chilton, as it is also an acoustic love ballad. It features backing vocals by Chilton. Mark Deming of Allmusic described it as a "sweet, guileless love song" that "represents the sincerity and emotional innocence that Bell brought to his brief tenure in the band Big Star" that "make[s] more emotional sense than literal sense" and as "one of the great unknown love songs in the pop canon, a luminous and fragile ballad almost otherworldly in its beauty. " Two alternate versions of the song appear on the 1992 I Am the Cosmos release, an "acoustic version" and a "country version." It was covered by This Mortal Coil on the 1991 album Blood, along with "I Am the Cosmos", by Seana Carmody on the 2007 album Barn Songs, and by Mike Daly on A Tribute to Big Star. It was also included in the 2009 Big Star box-set release Keep an Eye on the Sky. more »

Year:: 2007
: 3:14
: 107 Views

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This Mortal Coil

This Mortal Coil was a gothic dream pop supergroup led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were technically the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating cast of supporting artists, many of whom were signed to, or otherwise associated with, 4AD. About half of the songs released were cover versions, often of 1960s and 1970s psychedelic and folk acts. On each of the band's three LPs, at least one song would also be a cover of a 4AD artist, and most of the original songs were instrumentals. more »

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11 facts about this song

Release and Artist "You and Your Sister" is a song originally written and performed by Chris Bell, one of the founding members of Big Star, an influential rock band from the 1970s. It featured on Bell's posthumous solo album, "I Am the Cosmos."
Cover Version This song gained even more popularity when the band This Mortal Coil gave it a new twist in a cover version. Their version included on the groups’ debut album "It'll End in Tears" in 1984.
Featuring Artists The version by This Mortal Coil features vocals by Kim Deal of The Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. Their soft, enchanting voices contribute to the ethereal and haunting quality of the version.
Album Launch "I Am the Cosmos," the album in which the Chris Bell's version appears, was released in 1992, around 13 years after his fatal car accident in 1978. Bell had initially released only a single of the title track "I Am The Cosmos" / "You and Your Sister" from the album in 1978.
Genre Both Big Star and Chris Bell's work, including the song "You and Your Sister," fall under the Power Pop genre, a style that draws its influence from British Invasion bands like The Beatles and The Who.
Lyrics The lyrics of "You And Your Sister" focus on complex emotions and relationships. It's a song about longing and unrequited love yet possessing an underlying sense of optimism.
Legacy Despite Big Star being labeled as a "commercial failure" during their active years, they later achieved cult status. The song "You and Your Sister," among others, is an example of Bell's influential songwriting skill and the enduring power of his work.
Tragic Backdrop Chris Bell's untimely demise gives an added layer of melancholy to "I Am the Cosmos" and "You and Your Sister." He did not live to see the posthumous success and admiration his work received.
Last Recording "You and Your Sister" was the last song that Chris Bell recorded for his album "I Am the Cosmos." This song is believed to be one of his best solo works.
Notable Covers Besides the cover by This Mortal Coil, "You and Your Sister" has also been covered by artists like The Posies and The Watson Twins, attesting to the enduring appeal of the song.
Dedication In 2009, an album named "Thank You, Friends: Big Star's Third Live...And More" was released. It was a tribute to the music of Big Star, and it featured a rendition of "You and Your Sister."

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"You and Your Sister Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/10227448/This+Mortal+Coil/You+and+Your+Sister>.

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