The Shell

The Shell can refer to one of two groups: 1. An independent band from Switzerland 2. A Motown-influenced band from Southend that released one single through EMI in 1966, produced by Tim Rice. 1. the shell is an independent rockband based In St.Gallen, east Switzerland. Patrice Lambeau (singer, guitarrist and songwriter) and Michael Frommenwiler (bass) decide in spring `96 to form a band. The unsucessful search for any ambitious musicians in their small, quiet hometown makes them move to San Francisco for half a year in '98. With an american drummer they play around a dozen gigs in the vivid clubscene of Frisco. Back in Switzerland they start to search again for the two missing pieces of the shell-puzzle. But it takes another 1 1/2 years untill they find Roger Cadalbert (drummer) and Raphael Cernelc (guitarist). To grow together, to work seriously on the songs and to get live experience the shell decides right away to get to the place where it's at. In july 2000 they move to London where they get involved in the scene for 7 months. Daily rehearsals and frequent gigs in well known clubs are just as part of it as lots of discussions about the identity of the band. Back home, febuary 2001, they introduce themselves to their hometown. After lots of media attention they pull an audience of over 600 people to their first live performance in the Grabenhalle St.Gallen. The day after the shell goes to Stuttgart to record three demo-songs. «trinity», «sink or swim» and "searching beyond the sun" are soon heard on the local radio station. After shows at well-known events as the open-air festival St.Gallen, Pully for noise, Montreux-jazz, Zeltfestival – support of bush – the shell rocks in front of 25000 people at festival-giant Rock am See – with Nickelback, nofx, puddle of mud, toten Hosen. On january 2003, the shell wins the national breakthru contest at sold out Volkshaus in Zurich. They sign an exclusive contract to universal, switzerland. With indie-expert Mario Thaler (slut, notwist, console) the shell produce their debut in munichs uphon studios. On january 26th 2004, the shell release «powered by the people» in switzerland. Soon after, „streewise" and „all on ist way" top the charts of swiss alternative-radio-stations and the videoclip of „not in my name" gets in heavy rotation on vivaswizz. In fall 2004 the shell gets anounced best newcomer 2004 by universal/citydisc. To write new songs, the shell moves into a farmerhouse in toscany/italy on october 2004. the band split from guitarist Raphael Cernelc and keep on working as a three-piece the following production period. The new song-material gets the attention of british producer Phil Vinall (Placebo,Radiohead,Pulp), who's soon after in charge of the shell's production in hamburg and malaga. 'Feel free' is due to release early spring 2006 in germany,austria and switzerland. For the following live-situation, the shell gets supported by the professional musicians Sacha Leuenberger(guitars) and Christian Riesen (keyboards). On May 5 2006 they play for their hometown St.Gallen once again. 2. The Shell were originally named "The Marvin Lois Enterprise", but the name was changed when they signed with EMI in 1966, having been discovered by Tim Rice, who produced their only single. When the disc ("Goodbye Little Girl" b/w "A Little Bit of Lovin'") failed to chart, the act was dropped by EMI. Both released tracks, along with a previously unissued track (also produced by Rice) were released on CD on the Tim Rice retrospective, "That's My Story". Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.