Belly is a fully, 100% Rhode Island band. The four original members went to high school together in Newport, Rhode Island. And, well, they had some degree of success in the 1990s after leader (and my favorite doula) Tanya Donelly's stints in Throwing Muses (more on that in the second post) and the Breeders (more on THEM later this month, probably).
In fact, the debut album by Belly was supposed to be The Breeders's second album. Early demos of Star are clearly labelled "The Breeders". Tanya went in a different direction, and this song wasn't included in those demos - which may explain its unique sound.
To be clear, by all indications I have seen, Tanya didn't get kicked out of either previous band. She left both to focus on Belly of her own accord.
Although Fred Abong - also ex-Muses - was the bassist when the song was recorded (and therefore, his is the bass you hear), he had left the band soon after the release of Star and was replaced by Gail Greenwood by the time this video was made. That's her playing bass in the video. Thankfully, Greenwood is also from Rhode Island, although she had relocated to Boston when she was recruited.
By the way, Belly did break up.... but they got back together in the mid-2010's. Here they are - the Gorman brothers, Donelly and Greenwood - performing this song in the KEXP studios in 2018.
Lest you think I'm lying about them being back together, this is them in 2024.
I want you to focus not on Tanya - who is wonderful but please. I've said enough - but on Gail Greenwood. She brings JUST as much energy as she did in the 1990s.
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