My Bloody Valentine Timeline
Kevin Patrick Shields /
This very basic timeline is taken from Turn My Head Into Sound, but it's really just a list. The book is over 100,000 words and gives you the context to really understand why this is a compelling story, and it has nothing to do with bankrupting Creation. It is all rather clinical without the context, quotes, and anecdotes that tie it all together. And Wikipedia and Youtube are no substitutes either. Even some 'facts' on Wikipedia were reported incorrectly at the time of the citation. And Youtube has no gatekeeping of any sort.
Despite some mediocre EPs in the UK, their very first album by the original line-up, This Is Your Bloody Valentine, shows them integrating their influences - before hearing the Jesus and Mary Chain - into something worthwhile. It's discussed with more context in the book.
As we open on 1987, the band consists of Kevin Shields, Colm O Cíosóig, Dave Conway, and Debbie Googe who are part of the squatting scene in London. Although the Sunny Sundae Smile EP shows a bit of progress, the results continue to be stilted and don't reflect their live sound. Dave Conway leaves of his own volition as he isn’t interested in the more melodic direction Kevin Shields is headed in after hearing the Jesus and Mary Chain, preferring to explore his interest in writing.
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Bilinda Butcher joins (playing one show with Joe Byfield on lead vocals before he is fired), changing the whole balance of the band. Shields is finally in a position where he must take over the songwriting in a much more fundamental way.
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The Strawberry Wine single is released on November 9th, followed by the Ecstasy mini-album on November 23rd. These releases are an aberration in most ways from every other recording before or since with their 60’s beat, big tambourines, and Byrds jingle-jangle from his recently acquired twelve-string.
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After finding their true voice on Creation in 1988, they received pushback labeling them as opportunistic from a few corners which continued unabated even after the release of the celebrated Glider EP. One wonders how things might have played out had the band been able to prevent Lazy from re-releasing their 1987 recordings as Ecstasy and Wine in 1989, without the band's knowledge or input. Or might things have gone differently if they followed up on plans to change their name when Butcher came aboard. They thought it immaterial at the time because their following was so small.
Likely from late 1987, these pics first appeared in Woosh!.
These promotional CDs by Reaction Red were manufactured in 1993 but never went further than the prototypes seen here. The songs are from the same digital sources used in 1989 for Ecstasy & Wine. The Sunny Sundae Smile CD also made it as far as a CD prototype from a Swedish company in 1997, but got no further.
After being blown away by My Bloody Valentine’s live show, Alan McGee and Dick Green (owners of Creation Records) offered them the chance to record a one-off EP with no input or expectations from the label, resulting in the You Made Me Realise EP. Recorded in the Spring in five days at Bark Studio, a mid-priced studio owned and run by Brian O'Shaughnessy. Their first EP for Creation is released on August 8th. It becomes known in common parlance as the You Made Me Realise EP although it was actually untitled. We couldn’t begin to touch on the how and why everything fell into place so perfectly. Best left to the book.
Bark would continue to be a go-to studio for Creation and other ambitious indie labels due to O'Shaughnessy's abilities to make great recordings while keeping prices down. He would help to shape the music we all know today, including Primal Scream's 'Loaded,' one of many seminal recordings done due in part to his contributions. (In a misunderstanding, David Cavanagh would say MBV's first EP for Creation was recorded to videotape in his Creation Records bio, The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes are Hungry for the Prize. In fact, it was recorded to a two track Sony DAT machine which was replacing 1/4" tape machines due to their new lower price point. This was one of many misunderstandings resulting from Cavanagh never interviewing members of the band.)
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After finally making a record they felt completely satisfied with along with it attendant press, MBV make their next recordings over six weeks at two studios. (It was not recorded in two weeks as erroneously reported by Simon Reynolds and repeated on Wikipedia.)The Feed Me With Your Kiss EP is released on October 31st after a short delay due to manufacturing difficulties. Isn’t Anything is released on November 21. It goes to #1 on UK Indie Charts in December.
Cover of The Catalogue, February 1989.
The band heads back to the studio in February for their first proper sessions for Creation since completing Isn’t Anything. Just prior to these sessions they recorded Sugar which is released on a free flexi with The Catalogue magazine to accompany their interview at Blackwing Recording Studios. It was actually recorded quickly using mostly borrowed studio time specifically for the magazine.
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They later expressed dissatisfaction with these sessions at Blackwing and only one song (Moon Song) will be released in the near future. A second EP is recorded later in the year, and also discarded. Some of the tracks from these two EPs will have to wait to be released as bonus tracks in 2012 and 2021.
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Also in February, Ecstasy and Wine is compiled and released by Lazy Record’s Wayne Morris as a 12” and CD without their permission or knowledge, confusing fans they meet on tour who initially believe it to be a new recording.
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They leave the studio to tour in support of Isn’t Anything, making converts everywhere they play in Europe. Creation is disappointed that no new single was recorded to promote during the tour, seeing it as a missed opportunity.
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Upon returning to the studio after their US tour, Shields undergoes a major change in the way he will approach recording. He realizes they will have to work harder and take more time to experiment if they want to continue progressing. MBV decide that they will no longer let arbitrary deadlines be a determining factor as to when they will finish a project.
Shields' new way of working, at his own pace, bears fruit although Creation is kept in the dark until February 1990 when Shields lets Alan McGee hear a rough mix of Soon, with no melody or vocals. McGee is blown away and his faith in the band is reinvigorated. Sire signs a North American distribution deal with My Bloody Valentine through Creation Records in January (which is announced in August.)​ The Glider EP is released in April and Soon garners the band a new level of attention.
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While working on Glider, O Cíosóig has a type of nervous breakdown in late 1989 affecting his ability to play. This is due in part to personal issues exacerbated by being made homeless due to Creation's tiny monthly stipend. They solve the problem by sampling him, which works well with the different rhythmic profile featured on Glider, Tremolo, and Loveless. He is well enough to play when they do a short tour in support of Glider in 1990.
Bootlegs from this time also feature I Only Said and When You Sleep, confirming that most of Loveless had been written by 1989, although only a few songs were completely recorded. The pace of recording continues to slow down through the summer, with a great deal of time spent sampling guitar feedback looking for unique segments, which can really only be properly covered in the biography.
The Tremolo EP is released in February and reaches the top of Indie Chart in the UK on February 20th. Shields listens to every promotional tape of Tremolo sent out for quality control anticipating the calls that will come. When the complaints come in to Creation that the tape must be warped, Creation is ready, explaining that nothing is wrong with the recordings.
Loveless is released by Creation in November in the typical formats in addition to mini-disc.
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My Bloody Valentine do short tours of Australia, Japan, and the UK to support the album at the end of 1991, with more shows planned for 1992.
The five person line-up in late 1991. The band hire flautist Anna Quimby (far right) who unleashed a torrent of sound, according to reviews.
At the time of its original release in 1991, Shields only wanted the album released on CD and Mini-Disc, due to the accurate signal reproduction and lack of transients.
Creation drops My Bloody Valentine in January.
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The band continues on the road as a four piece, relying on a small amount of publishing money with Creation out of the picture. They cannot get the most basic equipment to play the Loveless songs properly in the live arena. The band is seen investing copious amounts of time and energy during their soundcheck to get things sounding their best, although Shields remains unsatisfied. He comments it is the one area of this whole endeavor that is sub-par and it pains him to play under these circumstances.
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After touring for eight months and with many suitors to choose from, My Bloody Valentine eventually signs with Island Records working out a contract with A & R man Nigel Coxon and Managing Director Marc Marot in October. Shields expects to have their next record out by October of 1993 believing that having access to their own studio and being properly capitalized will solve some of the fundamental issues that slowed them down in the past.
My Bloody Valentine’s cover of the James Bond theme We Have All the Time in the World is released on a charity compilation, Peace Together, and is their first release for Island. Engineered by Guy Fixsen, it is done before they begin to build out their own studio.​
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Shields closes on a house in Streatham in March that will contain their studio and a place to reside for himself and Bilinda. Inspired by the drum ‘n’ bass recordings he and Colm hear on pirate radio, Shields has plans for an ambitious drum and bass project, what he calls his Skyscraper Music. First, they buy a newly produced recording console but run into major problems with the console itself and integrating the console into the wiring of the house.
Major problems with their recording desk take up valuable time and momentum. By this point they cannot record, and have little to show for the money they spent. Debbie and Colm move into the house in an attempt to economize and Shields begins selling off equipment to raise funds.
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Island hears about their predicament through Ann Marie Shields and steps in - in a show of support - bailing the band out with a large cash infusion and a £5,000 monthly retainer which is all money above and beyond what was stipulated in their contract. This is in keeping with Island's and Marot's philosophy to give truly original artists all the support they need to make music. Eventually MBV are able to return the defective console and replace it with a reliable mixing board.
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As in the past, Colm and Kevin had gone it alone initially when dealing with a new technology, in this case drum and bass drum programming. In late 1995, they will get finally get some hands-on lessons from much more experienced musicians in this field. It is only at this very late date they realize that they should have been using time-stretching techniques in conjunction with a small number of samples, as opposed to trying to program each individual rhythm running through the song, beat by beat.
It may have just been an informal demo, but Colm and Simon Johns were onto something. (Released 1998)
Excellent single from Snowpony, produced by John McEntire of Tortoise fame.
Interviews with Shields have him recounting the studio issues and creative issues holding them back. Shields acknowledges Island's unwavering support.
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Colm leaves the band and moves out of their home/studio in June 1995, but remains in London without any other projects lined up. His collaboration with Simon Johns [soon to become the bass player for Stereolab] that is released as a 7" (under the name Clear Spot) is essentially just a demo they worked up. Colm abandons that project when the opportunity to work with Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Starr comes along and he joins her in San Francisco.
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Deb leaves the band in November of 1995 after also reaching her breaking point. She later forms Snowpony in early ’96 with girlfriend Katherine Gifford.
Island A & R head Nigel Coxon says categorically that a record will be released this year. Shields confirms this in an interview saying that fans should expect an EP this year but he is unsure when the album will be released.
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Despite his public narrative, Shields has abandoned the Skyscraper Music concept deciding the songs feel labored and are missing the spark that makes his music vital.
Kevin and Bilinda, now the only members of the band, begin recording from scratch. These new recordings begun in late 1996 will consist of four to six months work and will form about 30% of the m b v album which won’t be released until 2013. Shields mentioned in later interviews that the the melodies were all composed during this period at Island, excepting the lead off song which was written and recorded from scratch in 2012. Some see m b v as two EPs while others have spoken of it as three EPs with three songs each. Although there is something connecting these songs, it does not feel anything like one thought out statement. For that reason, I do not consider it the follow-up to Loveless.
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My Bloody Valentine’s cover of Wire’s Map Ref 41° N 93° W is released on March 11th. This will be the last proper new recording by the band until 2013.
Shields and Butcher confirm that Shields isolates himself in their home for a host of reasons for what may have been as long as a year beginning sometime in 1996 and continuing through 1997, but he never completely lost contact with the world as his remix work and other side-projects attest to. Part of his time is spent alone in his bedroom exploring consciousness and his particularly unique relationship with hypnagogia.
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Shields and Island reach an impasse as Shields insists on controlling all elements of the process despite a lack of progress. He will not take any of the suggestions offered by anyone at Island. Island's Managing Director Marot warns Shields that they will cut off funds if they can't find a way forward. Island, unwilling to throw good money after bad, follows through as Shields still has nothing to show for the support and money Island have invested in him.
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Bilinda leaves their shared home, feeling she must get herself well before anything else. She spells out how conflicted she felt at the time in her first in-depth interview in 2004, making it clear she was prepared to begin recording again with Shields whenever he should call.
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With Island pulling all monetary support and Butcher's departure, My Bloody Valentine was over for the time being. Shields got by doing remix work and other side projects and eventually joins Primal Scream.
Shields quits My Bloody Valentine in a legal maneuver in order to work on other projects. After trying many avenues to get him to accept help and/or release some of the music recorded on Island and Sire's dime, they releases Shields (along with the My Bloody Valentine name) in late 2003. He is completely free of Island/Universal and Sire/WEA both in terms of any monetary debt and to record and release music.
In collaboration with Brian Reitzell (who demonstrates an amazing amount of patience and commitment to Shields), the Lost In Translation Soundtrack is released and features four new Kevin Shields songs and one song from Loveless. Reitzell sees the Primal Scream gig as both a help and hindrance to Shields, as it helps support him but is keeping him from working on his own material.
This is the best soundtrack Reitzel did with Sofia Coppola, before he began composing full time. This worked perfectly with the film and stands on its own. Shields was brought in early in the process by Coppola and Reitzel, before shooting even began. Hats off to Brian Reitzell. Any fan of soundtracks should own this album.
Shields leaves Primal Scream around this time to work on his My Bloody Valentine projects full time.
Shields does an important collaboration with Patti Smith, entitled The Coral Sea, that sees him pick back up his 'glide guitar' techniques for the first time since 1997.
With the world finally catching up with MBV's unique vision over the last fifteen years and lucrative offers to play live on the table, the Valentines begin the process of preparing to tour with financial backing from Barry Hogan of All Tomorrow’s Parties. Shields sees this as their first opportunity to finally buy a proper PA and all the other equipment needed to finally project the music in a live setting as he always envisioned.
Reunion shows begin in London and continue through 2009.
After several false starts in 2004 and 2008, CD remasters are finally released of their whole Creation catalog after several run ins with different regimes at Sony (who bought out the rest of Creation Records in 1999).
EP’s 1988-1991, Isn’t Anything, and a two CD versions of Loveless are all released on CD.
The m b v album is released on February 2nd on the band’s website which promptly crashes. Some songs were initially recorded by Bilinda and Kevin in 1996 and 1997. Shields came upon them around 2004 and, realizing their true value for the first time, began reworking them over the intervening years.​ More live shows follow.
Remastered, fully-analog vinyl editions of Loveless and Isn’t Anything are created for the first time and released through the band’s website. Loveless is particularly time-consuming and expensive to create in analog form and requires a great deal of trial and error to recreate the segues that make the album flow. More live shows follow.
2021
My Bloody Valentine signs with Domino Record Company (one of the larger independent record companies) to serve as their distributor who re-release the remastered CD’s from 2012, m b v from 2013 and the remastered vinyl albums from 2018, which are all also still available on the band’s website. Their Creation recordings and m b v are also made available to streaming services for the first time.
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New versions of Isn’t Anything and Loveless are released on vinyl taken from uncompressed hi-resolution digital files. Also of note, two previously unreleased songs are added to the second CD of the new version of EP's 1988-1991. As the songs are unlisted, look for the Domino logo on the back to ensure you are getting a copy with the additional tracks. One is particularly noteworthy as discussed in the book.
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Shields gives several interviews in 2021, one of which on Double J indicates he is now planning an album, two or three EPs, and a double album. Additionally, we find out that while he has studios in both London and outside Dublin, where he resides with his wife Anna Davolio, a Danish model.
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FYI: none of the four Creation EP’s have been remastered or repressed on vinyl and remain out of print. Nor has the work for Lazy from 1987 been repressed or remastered in any format with the band's participation. (As discussed at length in the book, Ecstasy & Wine was released w/o the band's knowledge or participation.
2025-2026
The band play a series of eight shows in Dublin and the UK, along with one in Hong Kong in late 2025. Playing arenas for the first time, the light show along with the sound present a show the band couldn't have begun to imagine back in 1991 and 1992. Four shows will be done in Japan by February 9th, 2026, along with one in Spain in July. Setlist.FM is a good place to find out about MBV's shows.
This first band to use the name My Bloody Valentine was formed by Kevin Shields, Colm O Cíosóig, and Dave Conway in addition to a loose collection of friends who would show up at various gigs in Dublin. This first band known as My Bloody Valentine was an altogether different band then the world has come to know when Bilinda Butcher joined in 1987.
My Bloody Valentine is reduced to a four piece as Kevin, Colm, Dave, and Tina Durkin (who plays in the band mainly as a favor to boyfriend Dave) leave Dublin, following the advice from Virgin Prunes leader Gavin Friday, heading to the Netherlands and then Germany over the next year or so.
This is Your Bloody Valentine is released on Tycoon. The mini-album actually received good notices is easily the best release by this incarnation of the band when their main influences revolved around the feel of bands like the Cramps, the Doors, Gun Club and the Birthday Party. The EPs in the UK - after Kevin heard the Jesus and Mary Chain - really change things up, and I assumed the worst about this album. But listening to it now, it's quite competent.
The Man You Love to Hate is released on Amigo. This primitively recorded live album is a cassette only release. Re-released in 2007. After a few detours, Kevin, Colm, Dave, and Tina move to London and become part of the squatting scene. Tina Durkin drops out of the band, only really having come along for the adventure with her boyfriend Dave.
Debbie Googe joins as their first proper bass player while the other members transition to London. Geek! is released in December on Fever. The band is not pleased with it, although the actual record sounds better than most of the needle drop files made from the vinyl.
It's unclear how much input the band had while recording this mini-album; we know they had very little input in mixing it. Despite all that, everything works. If you were a fan of the Birthday Party, Gun Club, and/or the Cramps then this Irish formulation is nothing to sneeze at.
The New Record by My Bloody Valentine (an EP) is released on Kaleidoscope Sound.
They sign with Lazy Records in late 1986 and soon enough realize it was a huge mistake as owner Wayne Morris wants to turn them into the next Primitives.​ The Sunny Sundae Smile EP is released in February on Lazy Records. (Recorded in Dec. 1986) This is the last recording with Dave Conway on vocals. Conway decides to leave the band in February due to his desire to write, stomach ailments and less interest in the musical direction of the band. This marks the end of recordings of this first iteration of My Bloody Valentine. To continue, go to top.