Voice Of The Beehive

The vibrant pop outfit Voice of the Beehive took shape under the leadership of California-born sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland, whose father Bruce Belland had performed with the chart-topping 1950s vocal ensemble the Four Preps. Following a show-business upbringing that featured appearances in multiple television commercials, Tracey Bryn eventually moved to London, where Melissa Brooke Belland later followed; the siblings soon became familiar faces within the city’s rock circles. Their involvement with Bill Drummond’s 1987 solo album The Man preceded the formation of Voice of the Beehive, a name drawn from a Bette Davis motion picture.

With the addition of guitarist Mike Jones and two former members of Madness—Mark Bedford on bass and Daniel Woodgate on drums—the group cut its earliest demo recordings and issued the debut singles “Just a City,” “I Say Nothing,” and “I Walk the Earth,” drawing favorable comparisons to Blondie and the Bangles. Once Bedford departed to establish Butterfield 8, Martin Brett joined in time to help complete the first full-length release, Let It Bee, which yielded the U.K. successes “Don’t Call Me Baby” and “The Man in the Moon.” The follow-up, 1991’s Honey Lingers, also performed well, producing the notable tracks “Monsters and Angels,” “I Think I Love You,” and “Perfect Place.”

An extended break ensued as the lineup gradually dissolved, leaving only the Belland sisters, who were subsequently dropped by their record company. After enduring several personal hardships, the pair returned to California and began composing fresh material, reemerging in 1996 with the emotionally charged Sex & Misery—originally titled Disastrous Relationships, Disillusionment, Depression & Death. Its lead single, “Scary Kisses,” delivered Voice of the Beehive’s strongest U.S. chart showing to that point.