Secret Shine

Secret Shine are a British shoegazing band formed in the early 1990s, who were signed to Sarah Records. Although early releases with both Sarah and A Turntable Friend followed the more linear Sarah pop stylings, the 1992 release Untouched broke into unapologetic shoegazing territory, earning the band many comparisons with Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine.

Secret Shine
In performance, 2009
Background information
Also known asAmelia's Dream
OriginBristol
GenresIndie rock, shoegazing, dream pop
Years active1991–1996
2004–present
LabelsSarah
A Turntable Friend
Clairecords
Razorblade
Associated actsJunkie
Collide
Dreamscape
MembersScott Purnell
Jamie Gingell
Kathryn Smith
Dean Purnell
Tom Adams
Past membersNick Dyte
Paul Vowles
Dean Tyler
Tim Morris
Richy Lee

Career

1990 to 1996

The group originally formed under the name Amelia's Dream.[1] After sending a 3-song demo to Sarah Records, Scott Purnell and Jamie Gingell recorded their first single for the label, After Years. After recruiting three more members (Nick Dyte, Dean Purnell, and Paul Vowles) they recorded the Unbearable single for the A Turntable Friend label in Germany. The addition of Dean Tyler to the lineup resulted in the Ephemeral single on Sarah. Later, Jamie and Scott recorded some demos that became the Untouched album.

In 1993 the album, along with the Loveblind single, was recorded and released. The addition of vocalist Kathryn Smith to the band added a new dimension, and this period saw them enter the Indie charts and become part of the burgeoning shoegazing scene.

Untouched tracks:

  • 1. Suck Me Down
  • 2. Temporal
  • 3. Spellbound
  • 4. So Close I Come
  • 5. Into the Ether
  • 6. Toward the Sky
  • 7. Underworld
  • 8. Sun Warmed Water

Just as things were starting to grow, Jamie and Scott felt it was necessary to go back to University for their final year, which slowed things down somewhat. After University, however, the band got back together and recorded the Greater than God EP, which they regard as their most accomplished work 1.

After the recording of the Each to the Other flexidisc, Dean Tyler left the band, followed by Nick Dyte. Tim Morris joined, on drums, the rest of the lineup being Jamie (vocals and bass), Scott (guitars), Dean Purnell (guitars), and Kathryn (vocals). The single Wasted Away was recorded, released on Spoiler Records as Sarah had recently folded. After playing a gig in Oxford in early 1996, the band decided to call it a day, though they never officially split.

2004 to Present

In 2004, a retrospective collection called After Years was released by the Tonevendor label, containing all their Sarah material (apart from the first single, and including the Untouched album).

Though not the main reason for the band reforming, it was certainly a "catalyst" 2. To begin with, events were fluid. Scott left for a while, and, tragically, Tim Morris died. This made the band get back together again, and as a tribute to Tim they recorded the 8-song, acoustic Morris album.

Morris tracks:

  • 1. You are inside
  • 2. Lost all your friends
  • 3. Loveblind
  • 4. Silver machine
  • 5. Take me slowly
  • 6. Ignite the air
  • 7. Tim's song
  • 8. Decay

The band are still together. Their album All of The Stars was released 8 April 2008.[2] And the album The Beginning and the End, featuring 12 new songs, was released 5 January 2011.

In October 2014 Secret Shine signed with shoegaze and dreampop record label Saint Marie Records.[3] The new full-length album, There Is Only Now, was released on 17 March 2017.[4]

On 25 June 2020 the band self-released a new single Ember. [5] In interview around the time of this release the band said that this was intended to be the first of 5 single releases during 2020-2021 that would be combined with further new tracks to form a new album in 2021. This would mark the band's 30th Anniversary. [6]

Discography

Albums
Title Label & Cat# Date Format(s)
Untouched Sarah 615 March 1993 LP, CD
After Years Tonevendor February 2004 CD
Morris - Acoustic Tribute Album None May 2005 CD
All of the Stars Clairecords FERN074 April 2008 CD
The Beginning and the End Secret Shine shine01 (Self-Released) January 2011 CD
There Is Only Now Saint Marie Records March 2017 LP, CD

EPs
Title Label & Cat# Date Format(s)
After Years Sarah 53 September 1991 7"
Greater than God Sarah 89 May 1994 10" & CD
Elemental Razorblade RZ01 February 2006 CD
Beyond Sea and Sky Razorblade RZ03 October 2006 CD

Singles
Title Label & Cat# Date Format(s)
Unbearable
My only friend		 A Turntable Friend 007 September 1991 7"
Ephemeral -
Honey sweet
Secret shine		 Sarah 61 April 1992 7"
Loveblind
Way too high
Honey sweet (CD only)		 Sarah 71 April 1993 7" & CD
Wasted Away
Wish Coming True		 Spoiler SSS001 February 1995 7"
Each to the Other
Jennifer
(Split single with 'Collide')		 Swirl 01 February 1996 Flexidisc
Ember self-released June 2020 Digital download and streaming

Tracks on Compilations
Album Title Label & Cat# Track(s)
There And Back Again Lane Sarah 100 Temporal
Battery Point Sarah 359 Deep Thinker
Gaol Ferry Bridge Sarah 530 Loveblind
Fountain Island Sarah 583 Grey Skies
Engine Common Sarah 628 Honey Sweet
In this Place called Nowhere Quattro 2011, Sarah Japan After Years
La Rue Du Chat Qui Peche Quattro 2024, Sarah Japan Loveblind
Temporal
Birth of the True Sugarfrost Frosty2 Take me Slowly
Test Tones Vol. 1.1 Clairecords FERN 035 Way Too High
Dear Future King Records KICM 3239 Dear Future

References
  1. Secret Shine at Allmusic
  2. Review of All of the Stars. Pop Matters, 8 January 2009.
  3. "Secret Shine Joins Saint Marie". Saint Marie Records. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  4. "There Is Only Now CD Album, by Secret Shine". Secret Shine. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  5. "https://twitter.com/secretshineuk/status/1271867207891537920". Twitter. Retrieved 3 November 2020. External link in |title= (help)
  6. King, George (19 July 2020). "INTERVIEW: Secret Shine 'Ember' see their dark dream pop bliss perfected". Louder Than War. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
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