36 Chambers Nike Dunk High

I have two more releases from Dubhead (Soundclash Series 1 & 2) & all the Dububerflow from those postings (All Nation Rockers, The Love Grocer, Etherealites & three more), but this just happened to come up.

Guess that pungent aroma is Morcheeba wafting on the breeze. Aid00 over at Welcome to Wherever You Are blog just posted several Morcheeba items.

 A few years back, I posted up Morcheeba’s Part of the Process. That posting got a big response (even two heads-up from Brotherhood of Dub OGs Ib & Jonder, both non-triphoppers) & one commenter hinted at more...well...cheeba as well as a request for Sneaker Pimps Becoming X. Sneaker Pimps are in my top ten trip-hop bands, but I felt at the time that Becoming was quite readily available elsewhere & so declined to follow up on the request. I briefly considered posting up Becoming RemiXed, but decided it was also around the interweb, so...

The other day I was reading an article about the Beastie Boys & their X-Large & sneaker love. The article used the term "sneaker pimp" to describe some nameless individual the Boys paid to dig for old-skool deadstock tennies. This leads full-circle back to Sneaker Pimps. According to Chris Corner (guitar, synthesizer, vocals), the band  took their name from said article.

Becoming X was SP's most popular release, due in large to the vocal stylings of Kelli Dayton. After the Becoming X tour, there was a parting of the ways between the boys (Corner, Howe, Pikering et. al) & Kelli. Splinter followed in 1999 & Bloodsport in 2001. Bloodsport has many of my favorite tracks, including the hyper-great "Loretta Young Silks".

Here is the album version of that song from Bloodsport, a trio of acoustic versions of other SP tunes, & the previously unreleased "Miami Counting".

Sneaker Pimps - Loretta Young Silks, Splinter Industries SP007CD, 2002.

all decryption codes in comments

Loretta Young Silks (Album version)
Empathy Low (acoustic)
M'aidez (acoustic)
Loretta Young Silks (acoustic)
Miami Counting

When SP were putting the finishing touches on Becoming X, they were still in search of a female vocalist. In a bar in Birmingham, they heard the band The Lumieres, a proto-pixie-punk group.
Kelli Dayton was the singer, songwriter, & guitar player. They talked her into working with them & Becoming X was the result.

Here is an ultra-rare three-track seven inch single from The Lumieres.

The Lumieres - Cinder Hearts 7", 199?.

Side A -
Cinder Hearts

Side B -
Starry Eyes
In the Blue (Special Murder Version)

Kelli Dayton has been using her father's last name Ali for her solo releases since leaving the Pimps. Here is her second solo release (I wanted to post this but couldn’t resist the super hot cover from Tigermouth above).

Kelli Ali - Psychic Cat, One Little Indian US OLI335, 2004.

Hot Lips
Psychic Cat
Speakers
Home Honey I’m High
Ideal
In Praise of Shadows
Graffiti Boy
Groupie
Voyeur
Last Boy on Earth


Back to the Sneaker Pimps.

Here is the SP4 demos from 2004. This was originally given to a record label, only to be refused thus making it unreleased. It's initial name was Recall, but was altered to SP4. This rejected fourth album was released on the Sneaker Pimps website, back when it was functioning.

Sneaker Pimps - SP4, not on a label, 2004

First & Careless Rapture
This Will Make You Love Again
Song of Imaginary Beings
One Method
Lolita
Ma Fille Concrete
Deviate
Kiss & Swallow
Sailor
Tigers
Mercy
Subway
Polaroids
Naked but Safe
Missile

Many of the songs on this album were reworked for the first two IAMX albums. Chris Corner was becoming X, now he is...I AM X he declares. Taken from Kiss & Swallow / The Alternative, IAMX's first two releases, the I am X versions of SP4 tunes (plus two bonus tracks).

IAMX - Song(s) of IAMXinary Being(s), Assorted Tastes.

This Will Make You Love Again
Song of Imaginary Beings - The Alternative

Kiss & Swallow
Sailor
Mercy
I Polaroids
Naked but Safe - Kiss & Swallow

Song of Imaginary Beings (instrumental)
Kiss & Swallow (Moonbootica mix)

Back in 2005/2006, a music player was found in a Russian bar, it contained seven tracks which were suspected to be from the Sneaker Pimps. The tracks circulated the web for years with uncertainty, but several years ago, Liam Howe (keyboards) confirmed that they are indeed SP tunes. Howe referred to them as The Magnificent Seven. The vocalist on the tracks remains unknown. Here is the mp3 rip of the album.

Sneaker Pimps - SP5: The Magnificent Seven, not on a label, 2006.

Samaritan
Sun Ate the Moon
Rush
The Shutdown
Satelite
Elias
Girl in a Box

Enjoy,
NØ