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.

• Fireblade Skies (28 October 1991) 4AD, CAD 1017
  • Released on 4AD in the US on 23 June 1992 with new artwork and different track listing

• Chlorine Dream (8 April 1991) 4AD, BAD 1004
  1. "Chlorine Dream"
  2. "Spirea Rising"
  3. "Risk"
• Speed Reaction (20 May 1991) 4AD, BAD 1006
  1. "Speed Reaction"
  2. "What Kind of Love"
  3. "Jet Pilot"
  4. "Re: Action"