The Cocteau Twins performed a number of times live for BBC radio. These sessions, all consisting of three or four songs, were luckily recorded for posterity, and in 1999 eight of them were compiled and released under the title BBC Sessions.

The first two sessions are from the Garlands era. The first one is interesting because it contains two songs from their then forthcoming EP Lullabies as well. The second one features two otherwise unreleased tracks as well as some guest vocals from Cindytalk singer Gordon Sharp. This session was earlier included in some of the CD versions of Garlands as well.

Sessions three to five are all from the Head Over Heels period. In session three we are treated to a short cover of the jazz classic Strange Fruit, the fourth contains an otherwise unreleased instrumental track, My Hue And Cry. The fifth session was a live performance rather than a true session, and its three tracks were all played before in either of the two previous sessions.

The sixth session, featuring material from Treasure, is arguably the most interesting one, with very beautiful versions of such tracks as Ivo and Otterley.

A big time gap of over 12 years separates the last two sessions from the previous ones. They were both recorded in the Milk & Kisses era, and indeed five out of their seven songs are from that album. Still, session seven also features a version of Golden-Vein, a track previously released on their Twinlights EP, and in session eight we unexpectedly encounter a live version of Fifty-Fifty Clown from their (then long past) Heaven Or Las Vegas period.

Wax And Wane

As one of their most accessible yet technically not too complicated songs from their first album Wax And Wane was an obvious song to play live, so it is no surprise it was included in their first BBC session. The band manage to reproduce the original quite faithfully, and succeed well in conveying the enthusiasm that defines the song. A not too revolutionary yet very enjoyable version.

Garlands

When selecting songs for their first BBC session the band obviously didn't want to play songs with hardly any vocals. The title track, lyrically the most accessible one from Garlands must have been an easy choice.

Robin's very distorted guitar and some clearly prerecorded drums provide a lengthy and somewhat mechanical intro, but once Liz starts singing the song really comes alive. From there on the band succeed in approaching the sound quality of their studio version very well. Not everything is exactly like the original - notice how Liz lengthens the word rosary every other line for instance. But mostly they faithfully reproduce the album track. Which hardly needed any improvement anyway.

The amazing thing is that so early in their career they already managed to stay so close to the original while performing live. On the other hand one could argue of course that on Garlands they succeeded in capturing their live sound very well.

Alas Dies Laughing

This track was recorded before the studio version was released. Although there are no big differences this version does not quite have such elaborate guitar effects as the final studio version was to have. It therefore seems likely that the song as it was played here had almost reached its final version but still had a few minor improvements before it was put on Lullabies.

Feathers-Oar-Blades

The first of the Cocteau Twins' BBC sessions was recorded before Lullabies was released. This means we are given an impression of how Feathers-Oar-Blades was gradually shaped.

A quick comparison with the studio version shows a significant difference in length of play: the studio version is almost twice as long. It might be that the band wilfully shortened the song to make it more appealing to a radio audience. Then again the Cocteau Twins are not exactly known for making too many concessions to their music in order to please their fans, so we may as well assume we are hearing the song as it stood at the time.

So exactly which bits are missing? This earlier version already has most of the song's earlier parts in place. The quick guitar is there, be it slightly slower than it would eventually turn out to be. The vocals sound very similar and the drum machine is programmed exactly alike. But this take completely lacks the creative guitar interlude that makes the Lullabies version into such an attractive song. Instead Liz just sings on and immediately goes on to finish the track.

Still, there's something really worthwile to be found in this version as well. Rather than using a simple fade-out as they would do in the final version the guitar is suddenly given lots of echo in the last few seconds and the song is provided with quite a convincing end, that would not have been out of place on Lullabies either.

Hearsay Please

Over the first half minute faint noises make you wonder whether the track has actually started, but after that a cascade of unexpectedly loud guitars makes it clear that Hearsay Please is everything but a quiet track. Instead it's a joyous song, lively, very quick and easy to remember.

Heavy guitars in very tight rhythms featured in many early Cocteau songs, and as such this track is a prime example. There is some pretty heavy percussion occasionally too. Well over a minute into the song Liz enters the contest. She has to sing pretty forcefully to get on a par with bass and guitars but even at full volume she still manages to put in many a vibrato as well.

The song remains loud throughout - a steady wall of guitars with lots of tambourine and bass support keep things going, while Liz takes care of most of the variations with several different melodies. Finally towards the end there is a clever change of key resulting in a very neat conclusion.

Amazingly no studio version was ever released of Hearsay Please. It's not too much of a loss though since the quality of this BBC recording is simply excellent.

Dear Heart

This is one of a few songs that apparently never had a studio version - at least only the BBC Sessions version was ever released. It's also one of two songs with Gordon Sharp from Cindytalk as an additional vocalist (Hazel from the same BBC session is the other one), the only two times that such a thing ever happened in Cocteau history.

Sharp's contributions are fairly minimal in this song though. He sings what might best be described as a background vocal during the first 45 seconds of the song, before Liz actually takes the limelight. But when she does, she does so with a stunning conviction. This is a great vocal performance by Liz, who at this stage of her career was really growing towards her role as a supreme vocalist. Her contributions, especially in the chorus, are wonderfully strong (and it helps that the phrase Dear Heart is a great one to deliver). At some places a bit of echo further enhances her impressive vocal impact.

That's only half the story of the song though, because the other two band members are in equally inspired form. The bass lines from Will Heggie are weaving all around, and Robin plays his guitar in the best Garlands traditions: fairly distorted, wailing at length, but always creative and interesting. And although it starts out rather slowly the track gets ever livelier as it progresses due to Robin's increasingly complex guitar patterns.

A great song, that might well have been included on Garlands or Lullabies, but perhaps it was composed after those two, and admittedly it wouldn't quite have fitted on any subsequent studio release. Still, if a studio version of Dear Heart had ever been recorded it probably wouldn't have sounded much better than this one.

Blind Dumb Deaf

This version is near identical to the studio version. The vocals use less overdub, the bass is played with some kind of echoing effect and the guitar sounds a bit flatter, but an unsuspecting listener might not even note the difference.

Hazel

The original version of Hazel rocks as few other Cocteau tracks do, but this stunning version manages to surpass it, mostly due to the great vocal contributions by Gordon Sharp, vocalist with Cindytalk.

It would seem virtually impossible to compete with Liz on the vocal level, and to his credit Gordon Sharp doesn't try to emulate Liz' parts. Instead he delivers some straightforward but extremely effective background vocals, mostly consisting of the single line to the outside.... The band apparently chose to gradually shift the emphasis between the two vocalists, which works wonderfully well. In the first parts Liz is singing on her own, but Gordon gradually increases his contributions. Midway through the two have a mesmerizing vocal exchange, and in the final parts Gordon gives a fabulous demonstration of how to end a song with some desolate vocals.

The result of all these vocal fireworks is an incredible version of an already great track.

The Tinderbox (Of A Heart)

The band incredibly manage to reproduce the spellbinding beauty of the original version. Given the complexity of the song they of course had to play substantial parts of it from tape. But those really familiar with the original track may feel this great live version somehow has an undefinably different flavour. It takes a bit of careful listening to find out there are a few subtle changes in the background vocals. On the original these sound like

Strange Fruit

The Cocteau Twins were well known to occasionally incorporate jazz influences into some of their earlier work. Multifoiled is probably the best example, several songs from Tiny Dynamine show similar effects. On this BBC session they even performed a cover version of this well known jazz classic.

This highly controversial song was originally performed by the very talented black jazz singer Billie Holiday as long ago as 1939. The song is a cynical and bitter attack on the prejudices against black people in the southern states of America. The dramatic lyrics, although cleverly never really mentioning the heart of the matter, clearly tell a story of frustration, anger and despair:

The band, just consisting of Robin and Liz at the time, deliver a short, very straightforward version of the song, making it sound as dark and pessimistic as indeed it should. Most remarkable is that Liz in this case sings her lyrics very clear and easy to understand - perhaps she felt the message in this case was too important to render it incomprehensible.

Apart from the two Christmas songs on their Snow EP this is the only time the Cocteau Twins ever recorded a cover version, which probably is a good indication how strongly they felt about this song.

Hitherto

This recording is not really all that different from their studio version. The sound is sometimes a bit less perfect, but it is actually more amazing how well Liz can reproduce her long drawn out notes in such a different environment.

Two months later during Saturday night live the band delivered this song in an even livelier version.

From The Flagstones

This BBC version stays quite close to the original. Liz sings excellently, although the vocal overdubs were obviously prerecorded. The initial tinkling sounds were replaced by an ominous bass rumble, but the background chorus effects were firmly in place. A very good live version.

An even greater version was delivered several months later at Saturday night live

Sugar Hiccup

Several months after the release over Head Over Heels the band delivered Sugar Hiccup live for a BBC session. They stayed quite close to the original and yet there are a number of interesting differences. The sound is definitely sharper and less 'perfect', there are many more echoes, especially in the vocal department, and occasionally we hear much louder drums. The final part contains an interesting twist in the main theme and features a strong and very conclusive drum riff. All in all these give the song exactly the extra bit of variation and liveliness that the original version so conspicuously lacks.

In Our Angelhood

Although one would never mistake this track for another there are two major differences between this recording of In Our Angelhood and the original one from Head Over Heels.

Firstly the song lasts almost one minute longer. The band added a nice introduction and also lengthened the final part of the song with a few repetitions and a real ending rather than using a fade-out as they did on the studio version.

The main difference though are the extra background vocals by Liz during the chorus and the final part. Though not very loud they form the perfect counterbalance to the rather aggressive guitars and lead vocals that give the song its new-wave character.

All in all the band succeeded in creating a much more elaborate and lighthearted version of a song that originally was quite short and concise. Which one to prefer is surely a matter of taste.

My Hue And Cry

Take two guitar themes, play each of them a number of times, alternate those parts, and you've got a song. You dont even need a vocalist. Isn't making music easy? Of course there is a snag. It takes two really strong guitar themes to make an interesting song. They also need to work together, to complement each other, to interact.

And of course that is exactly what is happening here. The first theme is like a challenge. It is played with a rising pitch. The way it ends, on a high note, it asks a question. Poses a problem. It really needs an answer. The second theme solves the problem. It is longer, twice as long really. Its pitch rises a bit, then comes down again. It provides the answer, releases the tension set up by the first theme.

The song's cleverness doesn't stop there. Each theme is being played during three intervals. But notice how the parts of the first theme gradually get shorter, whereas the second's theme contributions get longer. In other words: as the song progresses there are fewer questions and more answers! It is also interesting to note that the drums play a vital part despite the fact the Cocteau Twins never featured a drummer.

This pulsating instrumental track was never put on a studio record, so it is really fortunate this excellent BBC Session recording was kept for posterity.

Musette And Drums

This recording manages to reproduce this emotionally charged song wonderfully well. The first half is quite close to the studio version but in the latter parts Liz vocally takes over some of the effects originally delivered on the guitar. The original fade-out was replaced by a very convincing end as well. It's simply an excellent performance of one of their best songs - what more could one ask?

Hitherto

With its expressive vocals and prominent guitar Hitherto is a song that lends itself well to live performances. Compared to the version played a few months earlier during a BBC session this track paints a totally different picture. A much rawer and sometimes distorted guitar provides a perfect setting for Liz showing little if any restraint. Her vocals are highly emotional, and several passionate outbursts give the song a definite live feeling and a much more primitive appeal. Although the song is essentially the same many may well prefer this version's basic approach and rougher nature to the more perfect studio version.

From The Flagstones

Much more exuberant than the studio version this live performance sizzles and vibrates with raw energy. Heavy percussion and growling guitars give the song a much darker image. Liz' emphatic vocals deliver an emotional landscape that the rather laidback studio version never even hinted at, all the more impressive since no vocal overdubs were used in this case. A truly fantastic performance, and one that gives the song an extra dimension or two.

Musette And Drums

This Saturday night live performance incredibly sounds even more emotional than the original. Liz at times sounds like she is about to burst into tears, and the guitar could not possibly have been played with more empathy. The end is more similar to the original version than to the version they played a few months earlier at a BBC Session, except for the very effective way the song suddenly ends. It must have been an absolute treat to be in the audience that night.

Pepper-Tree

The original of Pepper-Tree sees the Cocteau Twins at their mystical best. Mesmerizing rhythms and gorgeous melodies breathtakingly woven together. So it sure takes some courage to try and play such a song outside the safety of the studio.

And although they don't quite accomplish their studio perfection, it works! True, the track is showing a slightly different complexion. The song is less peaceful, but a bit more edgy, a bit more energetic. They did it by playing a much sharper and rawer guitar, with very clear additional vibrating echo effects. They also left out the final clock sound and replaced it with a simple chord. But they kept some vocal overdubs (obviously from some kind of tape device), and the fantastic drum riffs and keyboard effects were left untouched as well.

The bottom line is that the magic from the track is still abundantly present. Some may prefer the gentleness of the studio version, others may rather want to hear this livelier effort. No matter which version you prefer, Pepper-Tree will forever remain one of their all time great tracks.

Beatrix

This live version quite resembles the studio version. The initial chord was replaced by a gentle fade-in, but after that the song is reproduced quite well. Simon plays a lot of extra notes on the bass, Liz adds a few frivolities to her vocals, but the guitar part (or did that come from tape?) is very similar to the original. A solid and enjoyable performance.

Ivo

Some tracks rely so heavily on studio techniques it takes quite a bit of courage to try and reproduce them live. The band nevertheless endeavoured to recreate the magic of Ivo - and although they obviously couldn't quite match their studio perfection the result is highly enjoyable.

The spellbinding introduction with the acoustic guitar fading in didn't make it to this version. Instead a number of drum beats shake everybody wide awake, but from there on the original is followed quite closely. They must have been using taped recordings to realize the vocal overdubs, and the acoustic guitars are played so perfectly they too may have been pre-recorded. But Liz "real" vocals sound excellent, the guitars sound great, and the song is almost as enchanting as the studio version. Even the complicated finale, with the loud guitar interlude, the return to the acoustic guitars and Liz' melancholic final notes is reproduced beautifully. It's a great effort.

Otterley

A few months after releasing Treasure the band performed Otterley at this BBC session. Although still quite a dreamy song this recording is certainly less 'hazy' than the studio version.

Amazingly the band decided to leave out the vocals and turn the song into a purely instrumental one. Another striking feature is a consistent sharp percussive sound, far more prominent here than on the original, which provides a much steadier rhythm. The guitars, central to the song now that the vocals are absent, are clearly played more emphatically as well.

The two versions of Otterley are not quite worlds apart, but the BBC version is definitely much more 'tangible' than the original one. Although probably unintentional this makes it a bit more accessible as well.

Serpentskirt

Fortunately this track was recorded with the excellent sound quality that it needs for its main guitar theme to blossom. Otherwise there is nothing particularly striking about this recording since the band faithfully reproduce the version as it was laid down on Milk & Kisses.

Golden-Vein

This version is not very different from the original but the band did put in extra background keyboards. These make the song quite a bit livelier and provide it with a fuller sound. An enjoyable addition.

Half-Gifts

This BBC version of Half-Gifts is really different from the studio version and has some elements in common with the acoustic version from Twinlights. The band decided to abandon the rather lacklustre guitar backgrounds from the original, and used a totally different arrangement. There's a piano in there somewhere, and we hear keyboards and light percussion and much more elaborate guitars. Liz rises to the occasion and emphatically enhances the dramatic effects of her performance. The result is a much stronger song, where the instumental parts and the vocals really come together in wonderful cooperation. Of all three versions of Half-Gifts this is definitely the most dynamic one.

Seekers Who Are Lovers

This version of Seekers Who Are lovers is not very different from the original version, but still presents a rather different atmosphere. The emotional background vocals are absent, but more importantly the song and in particular Liz' vocals sound much rawer and give the song an uneasy edge. Whereas the original breathes hope rather than despair this version is much closer to the latter. One wonders whether this in any way reflected the mood of one or more of the band's members.

Calfskin Smack

While the sound on this occasion is not quite as polished as in the studio version there's otherwise not that much difference. The band deliver a solid performance, and the extra heavy bass lines give the song a bit more depth, but the composition could still have used a few more sparks of inventiveness.

Fifty-Fifty Clown

The band unexpectedly played this song six years after recording the original. In view of the Cocteau Twins' constant search for innovation it should come as no surprise that after such a long time they did not simply reproduce the studio version. Totally different from the lighthearted original we are treated to an emphatic song played with conviction and energy.

Heavier and busier drums, and some added keyboard effect all help to turn the song into a much noisier track. Although there is no vocal overdub Liz' vocals sound stronger and more determined. The end of the song is also significant, the original fade-out being replaced by a firm and final bang.

This is the only instance from the BBC sessions collection where the band elected to play a song that had been recorded many years earlier. Given the interesting result that really is a pity.

Violaine

This version isn't all that different from the original, but somehow doesn't quite match the intensity of the studio version. Some of the instrumental parts (especially the initial ones) are a bit softer, but it's mostly Liz that uses a different approach. She replaced many of her lengthy wails by more regular vocals. And although the band had often used tapes to reproduce vocal overdubs they didn't in this case - which enhances the 'live' feeling of the recording, but of course makes it lose some complexity as well. A very fine live effort, but not quite at the sheer unreachable levels of the original.