Playing With Fire (1989) expanded on the psychedelic and drone themes of the earlier albums; its second single, "Revolution" reached #1 on the UK indie charts. But soon after, a combination of personnel changes, drug problems and intra-band tension (especially between Kember and Pierce) began to break the band apart. Recurring, released in 1991, was their last proper album, though its recording reflected the split between Pierce and Kember as each recorded their own side of the album in different studios, with a cover of Mudhoney's 'When Tomorrow Hits' to separate them (Mudhoney would later return the favour with a cover of Spacemen 3's 'Revolution'). It was their most popular record, but by its release Kember and Pierce had already formed new bands, Spectrum,were self described "noise experimentation" and Spiritualized, respectively. The final conflict that contributed to the split was Pierce's decision to release a cover of The Troggs' 'Any Way That You Want Me', as the first Spiritualized single, which Kember had been wanting to cover for years.
From the outset Spacemen 3 had a very defined set of aesthetic principles. They based almost their entire sound on their own concept of minimalism—droning guitars, feedback, as few chords as possible, pounding drums—with their motto “Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to”. Their minimalism bled into their stage show as well. Sitting down to play their guitars and covered in the spinning colours of a cheap psychedelic light show, their stage “act” was very anti-performance. Another striking aspect of Spacemen 3 was their willingness to cover and share their influences. Song titles, lyrics and interviews were peppered with references to bands and artists they believed shared their “minimal is maximal” aesthetic. The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, The Stooges, MC5, early Captain Beefheart, out-there jazz legend Sun Ra, Silver Apples, garage punk of the 1960s such as the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, and the Electric Prunes; the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and other surf bands; ’80s rockabilly groups The Cramps, the Gun Club, Tav Falco; blues and gospel acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, the Staple Singers and John Lee Hooker; and the production techniques of Joe Meek, Brian Wilson and Delia Derbyshire were just some of the names mentioned by the band.
Since the break-up there have been a stream of semi-legitimate albums, early demos and live recordings, many of which have been issued by the Kember-affiliated Space Age Recordings. Highlights include Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music, a 45 minute drone piece performed in front of a live audience, Forged Prescriptions, a collection of Perfect Prescription demos and alternate versions (Kember claims in the liner notes that the alternate versions reproduce the layers of guitars they recorded but later removed because they felt they'd never be able to reproduce them live), and the band's singles compilation, which is perhaps the best introduction to the breadth of their work.
In 1998, a tribute album was released on Rocket Girl, which included tracks by Mogwai and Low. Kember’s Spectrum has toured under the banner “Songs the Spacemen Taught Us”, while Pierce routinely includes their songs in his Spiritualized set. In 2004, US journalist Erik Morse published his account of the band’s life and work, Dreamweapon: Spacemen 3 and the Birth of Spiritualized.
Members of the band went on to form Spiritualized, the Darkside and Spectrum (AKA Sonic Boom). Spiritualized carry on, to critical acclaim, though they have largely discarded the dark psychedelic edge. Sonic has also been on the road, playing gigs in London and occasional tours in the US as E.A.R. (Experimental Audio Research), which features synthesizers heavily. The Darkside split, while Rosco (AKA Sterling Roswell) went on to form the Sterling Roswell Blues Band and now is currently in The Gimps.
Hypnotized
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honey I ain’t blind
It’s lit up all around my soul
Left me hypnotised
It’s sweeter than I knew, Lord
Sweetest thing that I’ve known or saw
Jesus, sweeter than the life you lived
Lord, hypnotize my soul
Well, babe turn on
Well, babe turn on
Her sweet touch it dances through my blood
Sets my heart on fire
It’s lit up all around my soul
Takes me higher and higher
It’s got everything and so much more
Never known a love like it before
Jesus, sweeter than the life you lived
Lord, hypnotize my soul
Well, babe turn on
Well, babe turn it on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh, girl turn on
Well, babe turn it on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh…
I don’t know just where I am goin’ to
But I know I’m goin’ there with you
Well, babe turn it on
Well, babe turn on
Well, babe turn on
Well, babe turn on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh, girl turn on
Oh, girl turn it on
Oh, girl turn it on
Oh…
The lyrics to Spacemen 3's song "Hypnotized" convey the overwhelming power of love and the desire to be completely consumed by it. The singer is experiencing an intense connection with their love interest, symbolized by the "sweet kiss" and "sweet touch" that elevate their soul and dance through their blood. This love is more incredible than anything they've experienced before and has left them "hypnotized" with its power. They compare it to the life of Jesus and ask to be further "hypnotized" by its captivating force.
The repeated refrain of "Well, babe turn on" and "Oh, girl turn on" acts as a call to action, urging the subject of the singer's affection to further ignite their love and passion. The ending lines, "I don’t know just where I am going to, but I know I’m going there with you" affirm the singer's commitment to this relationship, despite the unknown future.
Overall, "Hypnotized" is a romantic and intense song that portrays the euphoria and surrender that comes with being completely in love. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be applied to various types of relationships, making it a relatable and emotional piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Her sweet kiss it elevates my soul
The experience of her kissing me fills my soul with positive energy and joy
Honey I ain’t blind
I am aware of how amazing her sweet kiss is
It’s lit up all around my soul
The feeling of her kiss has affected every part of my being
Left me hypnotised
I am entranced by her sweet kiss and the effect it has on me
It’s sweeter than I knew, Lord
The sweetness of her kiss is beyond what I previously thought possible
Sweetest thing that I’ve known or saw
Her kiss is the sweetest thing I have ever experienced or seen
Jesus, sweeter than the life you lived
Even the life Jesus led and the love he had cannot compare to the sweetness of her kiss
Lord, hypnotize my soul
I want to be even more entranced by her kiss and the effect it has on me
Her sweet touch it dances through my blood
The sensation of her touch can be felt throughout my entire body
Sets my heart on fire
Her touch ignites a passionate fire within me
Takes me higher and higher
The feeling of her touch continues to elevate me to new heights of joy and ecstasy
It’s got everything and so much more
Her touch fulfills every desire I have and so much more that I never even knew I wanted
Never known a love like it before
I have never experienced a love as powerful and all-consuming as this
I don’t know just where I am goin’ to
I am uncertain about the future and where it will take me
But I know I’m goin’ there with you
I am certain that I want to face the unknown future with her by my side
Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
vidgamarr
Just discovered them... I am speechless. This music has the power to erode reality... close your eyes.. forget your name. forget the world, and forget the people... and we’ll use this music to erect a new Steeple... ✨
dreaminez
Welcome to Space, we're happy you're here with us 🤚👽
Marko Buenrostro
I'm glad you discovered them.. I have been a fan since I was 13 (I'm 27 now) :)
Johnny Woods
Spacemen 3 were trying to construct a new church. The fact that they failed is humanity's fault :-)
Mark A. Denham
WOW. What a stupendous sound. 'Shoegazing' at it finest.
Barfy Yarfy
Love it
brandon gee
LORD HYPNOTISE MY SOUL!
m c
Great stuff
Shaw3a Azlam
Where has this been all my life?
The Sprawl
Maybe the best pure pop song Jason ever wrote