Shakespear's Sister – #3 CD

Fahey's role as unlikely forebear to a generation of witchy muso types began when she left Bananarama in 1988, due to a row over a pizza. In doing so, she was paving the way for epic girlband exits such as jumping out of a loo window (Sugababes), not getting to wear the right jacket (All Saints) or "something to do with boobs" (Spice Girls). According to Fahey, the other two blamed her for leaving a mouldy 10-incher in the band's communal kitchen for weeks, where it began to swarm with maggots.

It was a fittingly Miss Havisham-esque end to her time in the band, considering what was to come next. When she returned, it was with a band named after Virginia Woolf's suicidal literary suffragette. Fahey teamed up with Marcella Detroit to mix industrial techno with bright funk (think Zola Jesus), while styled like Siouxsie Sioux starring in an am-dram Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? "This 'person' used to be in Bananarama," quacked Smash Hits, as if Perrie from Little Mix had re-emerged as Grimes, selling vagina rings on her merch stand.

Stay (sung primarily by Detroit) became a mutant No 1 hit, a pop culture flashpoint parodied by both French & Saunders and Newman & Baddiel, who likened Fahey's voice to a foghorn. Mainstream pop seems to have caught up eventually, however: Cher Lloyd's rendition, in the 2010 run of The X Factor, was one of the best moments of the entire series.

Shortly after Stay's success, Fahey split with Detroit and headed further into the musical darkness with Shakespears Sister's third album, #3. Citing Tricky and Curve as influences, she was on Wildean lyrical form, as she addressed the split from Detroit ("I gave you a starring role/ But you tried to take my part"), her reputation as a party girl ("Here come those tired old tits again") and the public's perception of her on I Never Could Sing Anyway. The album was brilliant, but tough to swallow. London Records refused to release it, leading to a protracted argument about ownership rights. Fahey sold it through her website for a spell.

Label: SF Records

Country: UK

Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good (VG)

Plays great but has some superficial marks. Backsleeve is intact but is discolored because of water damage.