Andy Bell (Welsh musician)

Did You Know?

• Bell was previously married to Swedish singer Idha Övelius.
• He has a daughter named Leia and a son named Leon from his first marriage.
• Bell currently resides in London.

Career

Andy Bell’s musical journey began when he met guitarist Mark Gardener at Cheney School in Oxford. The pair later connected with drummer Laurence Colbert and bassist Steve Queralt while studying Foundation Studies in Art and Design at Banbury in 1988. Still based at Banbury, the four-piece recorded a demo tape featuring the songs “Chelsea Girl” and “Drive Blind.” In February 1989, Ride stepped in as a last-minute replacement for a cancelled student union show at Oxford Polytechnic, catching the eye of Alan McGee. After opening for The Soup Dragons later that year, McGee signed them to Creation Records—a pivotal moment for Bell.

Between January and September 1990, Ride released three EPs: Ride, Play, and Fall. These EPs found modest chart success but earned enough critical acclaim to make the band a favourite among music journalists. The first two EPs were bundled together as Smile in 1992, while the Fall EP was later added to CD versions of their debut album, Nowhere, which came out in October 1990. Nowhere was hailed as a critical triumph, with the press calling Ride “the brightest hope” for 1991. Bell wrote several tracks on that album, including “Seagull,” “Kaleidoscope,” “In a Different Place,” “Polar Bear,” “Dreams Burn Down,” “Paralysed,” and “Vapour Trail.”

A rumour in early 1991 claimed that Robert Smith of The Cure would not perform at the Great British Music Weekend unless Ride were also on the bill. Ride did end up playing the event alongside The Wedding Present, Carter USM, and The Cure. The band’s second LP, Going Blank Again, arrived in March 1992. Critics and fans alike praised the twin rhythm guitars of Bell and Gardener—both distorted, both using wah-wah pedals, and both feeding into each other’s sound. Bell contributed “Not Fazed,” “Chrome Waves,” “Time Of Her Time,” “Cool Your Boots,” and “Making Judy Smile” to that record.