‘Simon Diamond’: The Coral song James Skelly calls their best
For over two decades, The Coral has stood as a musical force, weaving their unique sound through the tapestry of the music industry. Throughout this enduring journey, the band has not only weathered the test of time but has also basked in the glow of monumental success. Explore the captivating tale of The Coral’s musical odyssey, a narrative that unfolds over two eventful decades marked by creativity, resilience, and unparalleled achievements.
Together, they’ve never worried about sticking to one specific sound throughout their careers, given they were happy to branch out into the world of concept albums last year with their spaghetti western concept record, Sea of Mirrors. As such, it is hard to define what would be considered The Coral’s classic style of play, but that didn’t stop James Skelly from voicing his opinion on it.
The band initially came together in 1996 as school friends, where they started playing music in the basement of Flat Foot Sams pub in Hoylake. Several different influences were playing into the kind of music they were keen on making, and the variety of sounds in one of his favourite songs is why James Skelly refers to it as “top”.
‘Simon Diamond’ was first released as an EP and then on the band’s 2002 debut studio album. They were spotted playing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool by Alan Willis, who signed them to Deltasonic Records after enjoying their eclectic style. What they ended up recording for the debut was a fun mix that perfectly embodied why Willis was so interested in them. Simon Diamond stood out as it was a sea shanty mixed with psychedelic rock with a narrative running through it.
“This is definitely in my top Coral tunes,” said Skelly when asked about the track, “in a way, it’s the ultimate Coral tune. It started out as a joke when we were kids, about this guy who worked in my Mum and Dad’s pub, and musically, it’s kind of like the Beach Boys crossed with the Wicker Man, crossed with a bit of dub, kind of everything we were into.”
He continued, “We recorded it in Pink Studios in Liverpool at the same session as Shadows Fall. No one seemed to have that Edward Lear British thing going on; no one except us seemed to be doing it since Syd Barrett and The Beatles.”
The idea of a band who have been playing for over two decades and have made a massive amount of music throughout that time having a distinguishable sound is fascinating. When you have been making music and performing together for that long, what your sound can do and what people consider the pinnacle of your work changes depending on who you ask.
That being said, when you consider the actual band members, it’s hardly a surprise that they identify more strongly with the older music as it reminds them of why they started the band in the first place. That doesn’t necessarily mean the music is their favourite, but it is what they believe to be uncompromisingly them. In that sense, Skelly is right that ‘Simon Diamond’ is indeed a top Coral tune.
