The Pipettes
Pop / Bubblegum Pop
The Pipettes were formed in mid-2003 by singer-songwriter and promoter Monster Bobby with the intention of reviving the Phil Spector pop sound and giving it a modern twist, after noticing the reaction girl group songs got during his DJ sets. In collaboration with singer, poet, and photographer Julia Clark-Lowes, who was inspired by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty's The Manual, he recruited friends from and around the local music scene. The Pipettes, as they were to become, were all first introduced to each other by Bobby at The Basketmakers pub in Brighton.
The group have been called an experiment in manufactured pop, although the members' take is that they "manufactured" themselves. Their name, which is a reference to a laboratory instrument, is a nod to the experimental origins of the group. It should be noted that the groups' name is pronounced the same way as the instrument in British English: /p? 'p?t/ -- not /pai 'p?t/, as in American English. The male backing musicians, "The Cassette" never appear in interviews or photoshoots, emphasising the role of the singers. The three frontwomen wear polka dot dresses with synchronised choreography being a major part of their live shows, whereas The Cassette can be seeing wearing knitted tanktops with their initials sewn onto them. Additionally, despite their "manufactured" origins, all songs are credited to The Pipettes as a whole. Generally one member has a concept and basic outline for a song, on which the other members subsequently have an input as to arrangement or lyric changes. As a result all members share credit on their original songs.
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