Bobby Gillespie
Bobby Gillespie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Gillespie June 22, 1961 Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Lead vocalist and founding member of Primal Scream; former drummer of The Jesus and Mary Chain; bassist for The Wake |
| Notable work | Autobiography "Tenement Kid" (2021) |
Robert Gillespie (; born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish artist known for his roles as a musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He serves as the lead vocalist, founding figure, chief lyricist, and the only member to have remained consistently with the alternative rock group Primal Scream. In the mid-1980s, he was the drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain, departing after their debut album Psychocandy was released. Additionally, he previously played bass for The Wake.
In October 2021, Gillespie released his autobiography titled Tenement Kid.
Early life
Born in Springburn, Gillespie relocated at age 10 to the Mount Florida area on Glasgow’s south side. He attended King's Park Secondary School. His father, Bob Gillespie, was a former official of the SOGAT union and stood as a candidate for the Labour Party in the 1988 Govan by-election.
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Gillespie’s tenure as drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain followed earlier roles including working as a roadie for Altered Images and playing bass with The Wake. Through his friendship with bassist Douglas Hart, he joined The Jesus and Mary Chain after their original drummer exited post-release of their 1984 debut single. His drumming style was minimalist, utilizing only a snare drum and floor tom while standing—a technique inspired by Moe Tucker of the Velvet Underground. Gillespie acknowledged that his limited skill led him to this simplified approach.
He contributed to the band’s critically praised debut album, Psychocandy (1985). During this period, Gillespie had already issued a single with his own ensemble, Primal Scream, which he co-founded alongside guitarist Jim Beattie in 1982. By early 1986, Gillespie departed The Jesus and Mary Chain to dedicate himself fully to Primal Scream after receiving an ultimatum from the Reid brothers. He later reflected that although he initially did not thoroughly enjoy being part of Primal Scream, it offered greater artistic freedom compared to his previous band.
Primal Scream, collaborations, and memoir
Primal Scream secured a contract with Creation Records in 1985, releasing several singles before gaining momentum in 1986 when Gillespie left The Jesus and Mary Chain and guitarists Andrew Innes and Robert Young joined the lineup. Their B-side track "Velocity Girl" was featured on the influential NME C86 compilation, establishing their presence within the UK indie pop scene. After rejecting an initial version of their debut album Sonic Flower Groove, they re-recorded it with producer Mayo Thompson; it was released in 1987 under Creation’s Elevation label. Both this album and its 1989 follow-up titled Primal Scream exhibited hard rock influences reminiscent of The Rolling Stones and MC5.
By the late 1980s, acid house music was dominating Britain’s underground scene. Primal Scream embraced this movement by engaging DJ Andrew Weatherall to remix "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have". Weatherall transformed it into "Loaded", a successful track that minimized guitar elements while layering dub effects and samples—including dialogue from The Wild Angels. Their subsequent single "Come Together" further blended dance rhythms with rock elements.
For their third album, Screamadelica (1991), Primal Scream collaborated with Weatherall, Hugo Nicolson, The Orb, and former Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller. This record combined styles such as dance, dub, techno, acid house, pop, and rock, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success. It won the first Mercury Music Prize in 1992 and played a significant role in bringing techno and house music into mainstream pop culture.
Their fourth studio effort, Give Out But Don't Give Up, leaned towards Stones-inspired hard rock but failed commercially, impacting their reputation for innovation. The band returned to dance influences with a track featured on the 1996 Trainspotting soundtrack. Later albums included Vanishing Point (1997), which received praise for its aggressive tone; followed by XTRMNTR (2000); Evil Heat (2002); Riot City Blues (2006); and Beautiful Future (2008).
In 2002, Gillespie curated New Order’s box set Retro, contributing live recordings and sleeve notes. Work on Primal Scream’s album More Light began in 2010 and culminated with its release in 2013. Gillespie also appeared on Brazilian group CSS’s 2011 single "Hits Me Like a Rock", featured in the video game FIFA 12.
Primal Scream’s 2016 release Chaosmosis included well-received songs such as "100% or Nothing" and "Trippin' on Your Love". In July 2021, Gillespie partnered with Jehnny Beth for a duet album entitled Utopian Ashes, credited to both artists. The album garnered generally favorable reviews, achieving an 80/100 score on Metacritic. Music videos supporting singles "Chase it Down" and "Remember We Were Lovers" accompanied its launch.
Gillespie’s memoir Tenement Kid, published late in 2021, details his upbringing in Glasgow during the 1960s, his discovery of punk music, artistic growth, and the creation of Screamadelica. The book was widely praised for its passionate storytelling and eloquence.
In 2023, Gillespie lent his vocals to three tracks—"This Is What It Is (To Be Free)", "Ghosted at Home", and "Country of the Blind"—on the album Los Angeles, a collaboration between Lol Tolhurst, Budgie, and Jacknife Lee.
Musicianship
While Gillespie mainly contributes vocals and occasional percussion during live performances with Primal Scream, his musical talents extend to multiple instruments across his career. He has played drums for The Jesus and Mary Chain and handled bass guitar duties with The Wake. On Primal Scream's 2013 release More Light, Gillespie is credited with keyboards, drums, and percussion, and he also played synthesizer on a single by The Wake. In The Jesus and Mary Chain's "You Trip Me Up" video, he makes a brief appearance playing guitar, and he is seen with a twelve-string guitar in Primal Scream's "Gentle Tuesday" video, although he did not perform these instruments on the actual recordings. Additionally, Gillespie is credited for guitar work on "Gravitational Waves (Drifter's Song)," the b-side of the 2016 Record Store Day release Mantra for a State of Mind.
Studio albums
- 2021 – Utopian Ashes (collaboration between Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth)
Personal life
On 29 July 2006, Gillespie wed stylist Katy England at St. Margaret's Church in Betley. The couple has two children: Wolf, born in 2001, and Lux, born in 2004.
Politics
In 2005, Gillespie altered a Make Poverty History poster at the Glastonbury Festival, inscribing "Make Israel History" as an expression of solidarity with Palestine. He rejected accusations of antisemitism, clarifying that opposing governmental policies should not be conflated with animosity toward its population. Gillespie also underscored his charitable involvement supporting Palestinian refugees through the Hoping Foundation.
In 2012, he labeled the British coalition government as reactionary quasi-fascists following the Conservative Party’s use of Primal Scream’s track "Rocks" at their conference.
During a 2016 performance break, Gillespie provoked controversy by making a joke about a Conservative MP being stabbed to death.
In 2019, he condemned Madonna as a "total prostitute" for her Eurovision performance in Tel Aviv, accusing her of legitimizing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and declaring that Primal Scream would refuse to perform in Israel.
By January 2021, Gillespie expressed support for Scottish independence while distancing himself from nationalism due to its association with fascism.
Prior to the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he publicly backed Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn over Labour for Islington North, describing Corbyn as “a great British patriot who wants the best for everybody.”