Spirea X

After six years in the band, Jim Beattie left Primal Scream in 1988.[1] Two years later he formed Spirea X, the name taken from a Primal Scream b-side (an instrumental track that he had written), announcing "We're going to do it...by having better songs, better melodies, better arrangements, better everything. By sheer force of ideas".[1] The band's first demo prompted 4AD to sign them, their first release eagerly anticipated, with BBC Two's Snub TV featuring an interview with them and a couple of live tracks before they had released a single. The band's original bass player and guitarist (The McGovern brothers) soon left, with guitarist Robert forming cult underground Glasgow punk band Dresden and his bass playing brother Tony becoming a well established member of Glasgow band Texas. Jamie O'Donnell and Thomas McGurk joining Beattie, his girlfriend Judith Boyle, and Andy Kerr in 1991.[1] Debut EP Chlorine Dream was released in April 1991, the title track inspired by the life of Brian Jones.[2] This was followed up by "Speed Reaction" and the album Fireblade Skies (the name taken from a volume of Arthur Rimbaud's poetry),[2] both in 1991. Fireblade Skies met with positive critical reaction, Lime Lizard's Nick Terry stating: "If Jim Beattie's last longplaying endeavour, Primal Scream's Sonic Flower Groove, was a thoroughly flawed masterpiece, he's found his groove with Fireblade Skies".[3] Beattie was known for his self-confidence, verging on arrogance, once proclaiming himself to be God, and stating "David Icke is my bestest friend",[4] later saying "Yeah, I thought I was God before, but now I feel more like Jesus".[5] Beattie rejected comparisons with other bands of the era, stating "I don't think we fit in anywhere, really", and "I don't think we're egotistical like Ride are. I don't need to be egotistical, because I've got the music to back it up".[4]

The band was subsequently reduced to a duo of Beattie and Boyle, and were dropped by 4AD in 1992, the band splitting the following year.[2]

Beattie and Boyle resurfaced in 1994 with a new band, Adventures in Stereo.