1991 - 2000
Brian, Paul, Dom and Damien Rice form Juniper, having met in school. They go to college, play some weddings, 21st's and Bar Mitzvahs... and for a while have a Sunday night residency in the Kildrought Lounge and Bar, Celbridge. They meet Dave, who weans them off the Neil Diamond and Roxette covers. Band move into house in country, release EP, Manna, and two singles in Ireland. Damien leaves band, the others read about Chuck Yeager and his Right Stuff. They call the new band Bell X1. Bell X1 support Elliott Smith and Bon Jovi in the same 1 week period, leading to severe identity crisis, making small music with big hair. They make their first album, Neither Am I, in the summer/autumn of 1999 with Nick Seymour of Crowded House and release it in Ireland a year later, after much touring and a couple of old singles.
2001
Band take some time to indulge musical differences. Paul records and tours as drummer with Tipperary siren Gemma Hayes, Brian's away with Offaly hearthrob Mundy, and Dave and Dom join Richie Mullen of Lino Richie Carpets, Finglas, in touring cabaret show. Bell X1 regroup in late summer and write songs for what would become Music in Mouth in a house by the sea in Wexford.
2002
Second album recording starts in Ridge Farm studios in Surrey, with producer Jamie Cullum. After 4 weeks they move to the Fallout Shelter, London. The studio has no teapot!! Some moaning. The band take turns to make dinner. Some of it is shit. The world Cup happens. Mixing finishes in July and everyone goes away for a while. Come back and mix it all again. Borrow a friend's house in Kilkenny, record some more songs, play hurling, are laughed at by locals. Music in Mouth finally finished in December, a few days after the birth of Jamie's daughter Ellie, who was both conceived and born during the making of the record.
2003, 2004
The album Music in Mouth is released on July 21st 2003, to tremendous applause, and the band play with all sorts to try to flog it. Tom McRae, Keane, Starsailor, Aqualung and Snow Patrol show them the highways and byways of the UK and continental Europe. Songs from the record appear in many TV series, from Teachers to The OC, and at home the album goes double platinum, with four top 40 singles. In July 2004, the band gather in yet another house in Wexford to write a new record.
2005
Flock is recorded in Dublin and mixed in London, with Roger Becherian producing and Phil Hayes knob twiddling. A shrine to Daniel O' Donnell (Irish singing deity, ref Cliff Richard without ever having had a brush with cool) is created in the green room, Dave creates Pistachio Nut Shell Installation and mustaches are grown. The band take a break from recording and sell out a mini tour in the USA, where they record a live session for Nic Harcourt’s essential show on KCRW in L.A.
Flock is released in Ireland and hits the heights of #1 in the album charts. The band leaves Island Records and sets up its own record label called BellyUp records. A live album called Tour De Flock is released - it is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on December 1, 2006.
In 2008, Flock is released in the USA and the band appears on the St. Patrick's Day edition of the Late Show with David Letterman.
On 2nd October, Brian Crosby quits saying "It's been an extraordinary privilege to be in a band with your mates for more than 15 years. I'm really grateful for everything I got to do with Bell X1, for all the adventures we had and for the great support of our fans. It's been particularly wonderful to have connected with so many people and to have got to meet people all over the world doing what I love. I look forward to continue making those connections. At the same time I'll be applauding the boys continued success."
As well as promoting Flock in the USA, the band gets busy recording a new album Blue Lights On The Runway. It finally sees the light of day in 2009, with lead single The Great Defector becoming their biggest hit to date (no. 3 in the Irish charts).
2011
The band will release its newest album Bloodless Coup in stores and online on April 1 in Ireland, April 4 in the UK, April 8 in Germany and Benelux, April 12 in the USA and Canada, and April 26 in France. The album's lead single is “Velcro,” which the band performed on The Rachael Ray Show on St. Patrick's Day.
Reacharound
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Puttin' out, they're puttin' out
And there's many a kerb crawler, a boy racer
Fine young men with their spoilers spoiled
Hail fella, well met
Makin' V's like Nixon
A comb over and sweat
Cute whores in the corridors of power
Throwin' shapes, atin' grapes
The wink and elbow language of delight
Has been seduced by the dark side
We are the babies that they kissed
And ours is the flesh that they pressed
Yeah, they're good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Oh, they're good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Cute whores on every corner
They're puttin' out, puttin' out
As with most things here, it's hard to pin down
It sticks to your clothes, it's airborne
It's been long celebrated
As something to make us proud
All this movin' and shakin' in
Envelopes so brown
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
Always good for a reacharound
The lyrics of Bell X1's "Reacharound" talks about the existence of prostitution and corrupt politicians and the sexual favors they get. The song starts with talking about the prevalence of prostitutes on every corner, putting out - their availability and their willingness to provide sexual services. The next few lines talk about the boys who seek them out - kerb crawlers, boy racers, and fine young men who boast about their spoilers being spoiled. The next verse talks about the existence of prostitution in the corridors of power - among powerful politicians - referring to them as cute whores who throw shapes and eat grapes in the language of delight. The last two lines talk about how the politicians have seduced the youth and how the youth are now their puppets. The repetition of 'reacharound' implies the sexual favors offered by these prostitutes to the politicians.
The song also talks about how prostitution and corruption have infiltrated society and are now deeply ingrained in it, represented by the line, "As with most things here, it's hard to pin down. It sticks to your clothes, it's airborne." The last verse of the song further portrays how the practice of trading sexual favors has become commonplace and is almost celebrated. The lyrics, "All this movin' and shakin' in envelopes so brown" seems to be a reference to how easy it is to engage in this practice discreetly.
Overall, "Reacharound" talks about the ugly side of society - prostitution and political corruption - and how it has become almost normalized. It is a commentary on how these practices have become deeply ingrained in society's fabric and have played a role in shaping it.
Line by Line Meaning
Cute whores on every corner
Prostitutes are easily available on every street corner
Puttin' out, they're puttin' out
They are offering sexual services
And there's many a kerb crawler, a boy racer
There are many men looking to hire prostitutes
Fine young men with their spoilers spoiled
Young men with their cars modified and spoiled
Hail fella, well met
Greetings friend
Makin' V's like Nixon
Making peace signs with fingers like Nixon
A comb over and sweat
Hair styled over a balding head with sweat
Cute whores in the corridors of power
Prostitutes present in the government offices
Throwin' shapes, atin' grapes
Showing off and enjoying extravagant lifestyle
The wink and elbow language of delight
Communication through nonverbal gestures indicating pleasure
Has been seduced by the dark side
The pleasurable and extravagant lifestyle has a dark and immoral side
We are the babies that they kissed
We are the innocent victims who were exploited
And ours is the flesh that they pressed
We were physically taken advantage of
Yeah, they're good for a reacharound
Prostitutes are always willing to provide extra sexual favors to their clients
As with most things here, it's hard to pin down
It's difficult to define or characterize this lifestyle
It sticks to your clothes, it's airborne
The immoral nature of this lifestyle can have lingering effects and can spread like a disease
It's been long celebrated
The extravagant lifestyle has been glorified and celebrated for a long time
As something to make us proud
As something to boast about and feel proud of
All this movin' and shakin' in
All the extravagant activities and excesses
Envelopes so brown
Money exchanged in shady deals
Always good for a reacharound
Prostitutes are always willing to provide extra sexual favors to their clients
Always good for a reacharound
Prostitutes are always willing to provide extra sexual favors to their clients
Always good for a reacharound
Prostitutes are always willing to provide extra sexual favors to their clients
Always good for a reacharound
Prostitutes are always willing to provide extra sexual favors to their clients
Always good for a reacharound
Prostitutes are always willing to provide extra sexual favors to their clients
Always good for a reacharound
Prostitutes are always willing to provide extra sexual favors to their clients
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRIAN PATRICK CROSBY, DAVE BRIAN GERAGHTY, DOMINIC MICHAEL PHILLIPS, PAUL ANTHONY NOONAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind