Geoff Barrow, the instrumentalist for the band Portishead, turned 48 today.
Portishead was named after the small coastal town near Bristol where Barrow grew up.
Geoff Barrow and Beth Gibbons met during a coffee break at an Enterprise Allowance course in February 1991. That year they recorded their first song for the album, “It Could Be Sweet”. They then met Adrian Utley while they were recording at the Coach House Studios in Bristol, and Utley heard the first song Barrow and Gibbons had recorded, and began to exchange ideas on music. The resulting first album by Portishead, Dummy, was released in 1994.
During the same period Barrow was making a name for himself as a remixer, working with such artists as Primal Scream, Paul Weller, Gabrielle and Depeche Mode. In addition, Barrow had produced a track for Tricky and written songs for Neneh Cherry.
The video here, Portishead performing the slow burn, haunting, and bone chilling “Only You”. And the distinctive “it’s like that”, that’s Barrow scratching.
Happy birthday Geoff Barrow yes yes yo!
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Featured image via elmundo.es
