CAUSE I LIKE THEM BOTH

Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins picks her favourite singer
Arun Starkey
MON 7TH NOV 2022

The 1980s and 1990s were brimming with unique vocalists that raised the bar for everyone else moving forwards. Björk, PJ Harvey, Siouxsie Sioux, Jeff Buckley and even Kurt Cobain rank amongst the most original vocalists in music. Although those aforementioned names remain stellar performers, none can eclipse Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins in the realm of individualism.

Active between 1979 and 1997, the Scottish band enjoyed a career that saw them become revered by everyone from popstars to those on the fringes of the arts. Whilst each band member brought something different to the fold, with Robin Guthrie having a successful career as a solo artist after their split, the definitive aspect is that of Fraser’s otherworldly vocals.

Notably, her soprano vocal range is bolstered by a varied style of writing that features straightforward English, semi-comprehensible lines and abstract mouth music at different points, augmenting the ethereal music. Wanting her approach to be as dream-like as possible, for some tracks, Fraser revealed that she used foreign words without knowing what they meant, with them only holding meaning for Fraser herself.

Given that Fraser’s work is so original, fans have often sought to understand a little more about her inspiration. When a discussion surrounding favourite singers was raised by Melody Maker in November 1993, Fraser made the reveal. Unsurprisingly, she chose an equally unique vocalist, Nina Simone, noting her artistic skill and depth as a human being. Fraser made it clear that she finds solace in Simone’s work, as they share similarities, with both enduring what she described as “a rough life”.

Fraser said: “Robin was going ‘Björk! Björk! Choose Björk!’ but I didn’t give in. I chose Nina Simone because she’s played such a big part of my life recently. Lawrence from Felt made me a tape with ‘Nuff Said on one side and Baltimore on the other. I thought it was brilliant then. But now… I’ve developed much more, both a singer and in my own life.”

Fraser continued: “Nina Simone… she’s, she’s just done so much. I don’t know much about her life but that doesn’t bother me, because I’ve learnt so much about her through her material. She’s so vulnerable. And I can really relate to that. A lot of her songs are about being fallible. She’s a really dysfunctional person. And dysfunctional people are attracted to each other. I guess that’s why I am attracted to her. We both had a rough life. She’s familiar.”

Fraser then turned her attention to her favourite Simone tracks, with 1959’s version of ‘Wild is the Wind’ her personal highlight: “I adore her versions of ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ and ‘Four Women’. Perhaps because I’m having a sad day. And so my favourite song is Nina Simone’s version of ‘Wild is the Wind.’ And I’ll probably play it quite a lot today. Especially the live version; this live version I’ve got is just fucking, I don’t know, I just haven’t got the vocabulary. I mostly listen to Nina Simone when I am feeling really raw. The more raw I feel, the more I relate to her”.

She added: “And when she sings, when she performs, she tends to get very caught up in what’s she’s singing about. When you listen to Nina Simone, she’s so vulnerable. And because you’re implicated in her plight, you automatically share it. I don’t really do that with people. And I want to do that, and so I guess I am using her with which to do that.”

Concluding her account, Fraser briefly touched on Simone’s sexuality and its positive impact on her and other women: “I’d like to talk about Nina Simone’s sexuality, but I am very much out of my depth there,” she said. “In fact, I think Nina Simone is going to be a way of finding out more about my sexuality, and how I fit in with other women, you know, in my world. I don’t know what kind of impact I’ve had in it. Or what kind of impact it’s had on me. But I know I get a lot of help from the experiences she sings about.”