You and Your Sister
"You and Your Sister" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Chris Bell, that appears on his only solo album I Am the Cosmos. It was released as a B-side to Bell's only single "I Am the Cosmos." The song is very similar in composition, vocals, and guitar playing to Big Star's "Thirteen," which Bell co-wrote with bandmate Alex Chilton,[1] as it is also an acoustic love ballad.[2] It features backing vocals by Chilton.[3]
"You and Your Sister" | |
---|---|
Cover of the 1978 US single | |
Single by Chris Bell | |
from the album I Am the Cosmos | |
A-side | "I Am The Cosmos" |
Released | 1978 |
Genre | |
Length | 3:14 |
Label |
|
Songwriter(s) | Chris Bell |
Producer(s) | Chris Bell |
Mark Deming of Allmusic described it as a "sweet, guileless love song" that "represents the sincerity and emotional innocence that Bell brought to his brief tenure in the band Big Star" that "make[s] more emotional sense than literal sense" [3] and as "one of the great unknown love songs in the pop canon, a luminous and fragile ballad almost otherworldly in its beauty." [4]
Two alternate versions of the song appear on the 1992 I Am the Cosmos release, an "acoustic version" and a "country version." [4] It was covered by This Mortal Coil on the 1991 album Blood, along with "I Am the Cosmos",[5] by Seana Carmody on the 2007 album Barn Songs,[6] and by Mike Daly on A Tribute to Big Star.[7] It was also included in the 2009 Big Star box-set release Keep an Eye on the Sky.[8]and by the singer James Yorkston on his album The Cellardyke Recording and Wassailling Society in 2014.
References
- Ruhlmann, William. "#1 Record - Big Star". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- "Infinite Play: Chris Bell, "You and Your Sister"". Popdose. 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- Deming, Mark. "You and Your Sister". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- Ankeny, Jason (1992-02-21). "I Am the Cosmos - Chris Bell". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- Mason, Stewart (1991-05-13). "Blood - This Mortal Coil". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- "Barn Songs - Seana Carmody". 2007.
- Birchmeier, Jason (2001-11-13). "A Tribute to Big Star - Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- Thomas, Stephen (2009-09-15). "Keep an Eye on the Sky - Big Star". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-02.