Fab reissue of a fab album from a fab band that kickstarted my fab career
One night in the spring of 1992, I ventured to Metropolis nightclub in Fremantle where a tightly performing outfit named Voice of the Beehive were playing live. As their name suggested, these girls sung sweet retro-sounding pop melodies, and were dressed in kitsch ’60s attire, from the tops of their up-dos to the base of their platform heels. After their performance, I snuck backstage through a pair of thick velvet curtains to discover a trio of characters sitting cross-legged on the carpet, looking as though they were smoking more than the average cigarette. I was invited to join in on their pow-wow and introduced myself to singers Tracey Bryn and Melissa Belland of the band, and to a guy named Michael Dwyer, then editor of music magazine, X-Press.
For some reason I got to talking about how I had performed in an amateur drag contest the night before. The segue to this might have been the glitter falling from my hair, like magical pink and gold dandruff, that evolved into the (now) four of us chatting about drag and dress-ups.
Suffice to say the girls gave me great drag advice. “Don’t forget to bend the lashes,” insisted Melissa in a generous autograph penned on a paper napkin.
I was in such rapturous conversation with these musos, I didn’t realise there was also a member or two of ’80s ska band Madness in the room who’d performed with the Beehive that night. Madness, indeed.
The next day, I phoned Michael and we talked about an opportunity for me to review new record releases for the popular Perth street magazine. And so began my career in music journalism. So, in effect, I have the girls from Voice of the Beehive to thank for what has been an amazing career so far.
It’s with great pleasure this week, then, that I learnt that Voice of the Beehive have reissued their sophomore LP, Honey Lingers, an album that I’ve always loved. The title alone I’ve always thought was cunning (say it slowly and see what it rhymes with).
Originally released in August 1991, Honey Lingers was the band’s second consecutive Top 20 album, reaching Silver sales in the UK. Fully remastered, the new editions are released on limited edition pink vinyl LP and expanded 2CD.
Songs on the album include bittersweet single Monsters and Angels, lush track Beauty To My Eyes, and the familiar confection, the Beehives’ cover of pop classic I Think I Love You.
“I played Honey Lingers the other day for the first time in years and I have to admit that not only do I love it, but I prefer it to (first album) Let It Bee,” writes vocalist Tracey in the album’s sleeve notes. “To me, it’s like a psychotic melodic patchwork of every single emotion we were having… It spits, cries, shags, and dances and that was what we felt like we were doing as we toured, did television, press and general promotion all over the globe.”
The globe thanks you for it. Oh, and thank you Tracey and Melissa and Michael for being a mini part of my entrée into the magical world of music.
‘Honey Lingers’, pink vinyl LP and expanded 2CD, is available to order here.
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