Cinerama (band)
| Company type | Indie pop ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | David Gedge, Sally Murrell |
| Defunct | 2004 (initially) |
| Fate | Reestablished in 2015 |
Key people | David Gedge (lead vocals and guitar), Sally Murrell (keyboards and vocals) |
| Products | Studio albums, singles, live albums, DVDs |
| Website | www |
Cinerama is an English indie pop ensemble fronted by David Gedge, who is also the lead of The Wedding Present. Their sound merges rock guitar elements with arrangements featuring string and woodwind instruments.
Career
Established in 1998 as a partnership between David Gedge and Sally Murrell, Cinerama initially embraced a cinematic style characterized by strings and woodwinds, setting it apart from The Wedding Present’s approach. To replicate this orchestral texture live, the band expanded to include several additional musicians. Over time, their musical direction gravitated back toward rock, leading to the inclusion of Wedding Present tracks in their performances.
While working on the album that ultimately became Take Fountain, Gedge recognized that the evolving sound aligned more closely with The Wedding Present’s identity, prompting its release under that name.
Post 2004
Songs originally by Cinerama frequently appeared in The Wedding Present’s setlists. The band performed intermittently, often delivering brief appearances at Gedge’s "At the edge of.." festivals, typically featuring the active Wedding Present members swapping instruments.
On 18 May 2015, Cinerama unveiled a reimagined version of The Wedding Present’s Valentina, realizing a longstanding goal of Gedge’s. In December 2024, they followed up with Va Va Voom 25, a full-band re-recording of their debut album, recorded throughout 2023 and 2024.
Singles
- "Kerry Kerry" (Cooking Vinyl 1998) – reached No. 71 on the UK Singles Chart
- "Dance, Girl, Dance" (Cooking Vinyl 1998)
- "Pacific/King's Cross" (double A-side 7" vinyl / Elefant 1999)
- "Manhattan" (Scopitones 2000)
- "Wow" (Scopitones 2000)
- "Lollobrigida" (Scopitones 2000)
- "Your Charms" (Scopitones 2000)
- "Superman" (Scopitones 2001)
- "Health and Efficiency" (Scopitones 2001)
- "Quick, Before It Melts" (Scopitones 2002)
- "Careless" (Scopitones 2002)
- "Don't Touch That Dial" (Scopitones 2003)
- "It's Not You, It's Me" (GoMetric! Records 2004)
Albums
Studio albums
- Va Va Voom (Cooking Vinyl 1998)
- Disco Volante (Scopitones 2000)
- Torino (Scopitones 2002)
- Valentina (2015)
- Va Va Voom 25 (Scopitones / Clue, 2024)
Compilations
- This Is Cinerama (Cooking Vinyl compilation, 2000)
- John Peel Sessions (Scopitones compilation, 2001)
- Cinerama Holiday (Scopitones compilation, 2002)
- John Peel Sessions: Season 2 (Scopitones compilation, 2003)
- John Peel Sessions: Season 3 (Sanctuary compilation, 2007)
- The Complete Peel Sessions (triple album box set, Sanctuary 2007)
- Seven Wonders of the World (Scopitones compilation, 2014)
Live albums
- Live in Los Angeles (Scopitones 2002)
- Live in Belfast (Scopitones 2003)
- Live in New York (Download Album 2010)
- Live 2015 (Scopitones, 2015)
DVDs
- Get Up and Go (Scopitones 2004 release)
Members
The principal members of the band have been:
- David Gedge — lead vocals and guitar (1997–2004, 2009 to present)
- Sally Murrell — keyboards and vocals (1997–2003)
- Simon Cleave — guitar (1998–2004)
- Terry de Castro — bass, vocals, and guitar (1998–2004, with occasional involvement afterward)
- Bryan McLellan — drums (1998–2000)
- Simon Pearson — drums (2000) (passed away in 2023)
Over time, the group has incorporated various session musicians and touring artists playing instruments such as keyboards, flute, trumpet, and cello. These changes in personnel have supported both the band’s evolving artistic vision and live show arrangements.
Current lineup additions include:
- Rachael Wood — guitar (2023 to present)
- Emilie Geissmar-Wagstaff — flute (2023 to present)
- Robin Squirrell — cello (2023 to present)
- Vincenzo Lammi — drums (2023 to present)
- Paul Blackburn — bass (2023 to present)
- Charlotte Adolpho — keyboards (2023 to present)