Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister - Pitchfork Classic

An oral history of Belle and Sebastian's seminal record If You're Feeling Sinister.
Produced and Directed by: RJ Bentler
Produced by: Michael Garber, Jon Leone
Supervising Producer: Patrick O'Connor
Edited By: Michael Garber, Jon Leone
Assistant Editor: Clay Adamczyk
Camera: Jon Leone, Will Colby, Gary Young, RJ Bentler, Christopher Anderson
Mix by: Jeff Curtin
Associate Producer: Ash Slater
Transcriber: Kylie Hoffman
Special Thanks to: Stuart Murdoch, Stuart David, Isobel Campbell, Chris Geddes, Stevie Jackson, Sarah Martin, Richard Colburn, Mick Cooke, Mark Jones, Stefano D'Andrea, Tony Doogan,
Special Thanks to: Jeepster Recordings, Matador Records,
Special Thanks to: Gabe Spierer, Patrick Amory,
Special Thanks to: Glen Thomson,
Special Thanks to: Jo D'Andrea, Kay Heath,
Special Thanks to: Paul Whitelaw (author of 'Belle and Sebastian: Just a Modern Rock Story), Scott Plagenhoef, (author of 'Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister 33 ⅓),
Special Thanks to: Brendon Anderegg, Beth Allan, Stow College, Beatbox, Hyndland Parish Church, First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn
Very Special Thank You to: Karn David
Illustrations courtesy of: Laura Molloy
Additional Photos Provided By: Gregor Reid, Forest of Black, Jeepster Recordings, Mark Jones, Alison Campbell, Isobel Campbell, Electric Honey Records, Peter Hughes, Aggi Magoulas, Robert McTaggart, Stow College
Archival Live Footage Courtesy of: Al McCusker Thompson
Additional Footage Provided by: Karn David, A/V Geeks, T3 Media, STV, Getty Images, Cranhill Arts Project, BBC Library, Scottish Film Archive, Olympic Television Archive Bureau
'Dog on Wheels,' She's Losing It,' Belle and Sebastian,' 'Mary Jo,' 'Expectations,' 'We Rule the School,' 'The State I Am In,' 'You're Just a Baby,' 'Seeing Other People,' 'Mayfly,' 'The Stars of Track and Field,' 'Like Dylan in the Movies,' 'The Fox in the Snow,' 'Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying,' 'If' You're Feeling Sinister,' 'Judy and the Dream of Horses,' 'The Boy Done Wrong Again,' 'Me and the Major' performed by Belle & Sebastian, courtesy of Jeepster Recordings Ltd/Matador Records
Dedicated to: Glasgow Gary
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[@user-vs7cw2rg7r]

Rediscovering this band after a long long time. They were so important to me. As a nineteen year old oddball this felt like my music. Magical songs.

[@greenwave819]

It is your music. Turn up

[@brianaxel4589]

Wishing Stuart Murdoch health and well-being always.

[@zinniahansen793]

I have had ME for several years, listening to this makes me want to run out into the sun. It's cathartic and sullen poetry. Thank you so much Belle and Sebastian.

[@fishfullness]

It's fantastic that they (B&S) captured so much of their early history on film - so few bands have such a rich resource to look back on - it really builds a complete picture of a point in time of a fledgling band and group of friends.

[@edwardmulholland7912]

I remember when the album came out when I was living in Belfast - all my friends and myself were blown away by it. I’ve just listened to it again for the first time in many years and my jaw dropped once again. Great to see this and learn a bit about the background of the band’s history and actually see the band’s faces - they were quite a mysterious bunch of people who didn’t need any hype, everything was already in place. Enjoyed this.

[@davidmthorley]

There was something magical about those first two albums. They still move me even after all these years.

[@bonzoboots]

I saw them live back then and bought all the records. They were, and remain, the most magical band of the 90s.

[@charleslitwin4647]

🥱🥱🥱🥱

[@Wankerstew]

This whole LP is and will always be timeless and epic - And simply remains one of the best all around albums in the last 30 yrs.

[@marjimy]

ñi

[@greenwave819]

8 years later and still true forever. seems to be our cup of tea

[@greenwave819]

Stu is a super chill fellow who enjoys running middle distances and avoiding the spotlight. He has enormous talent. He's not gonna tell you that though, to find out, you'll have to immerse yourself in lyrical mastery and musical majesty!

[@epinhervin9355]

It's such an honour for me that my photo are picked by Stuart David and appeared on his solo album music video. Thanks for lomography Stuart David rumble

[@AARNOLD9999]

The lost Pitchfork Doc finally back up. Feels good.

[@patriciacpedrohavez8152]

Evagelio22 de septienbre

[@jovenintensa]

"Lost" lol, they hided it because they had a very stupid beef with Stuart Murdoch which only shows how awful is Pitchfork's praxis even if they try to look like they are very progressive. Typical liberals. Think they'll change the world but they are more reactionary than reactionaries.

[@basehead617]

@@jovenintensawhat beef? i’m curious

[@roqueeeeeeeee]

I thought I was going to listen to the full album and came up something absolutely unexpected and even more wonderful!

[@bigg2791]

Brilliant documentary on the best band ever.

[@lins1897]

Like you ..the best 😉

[@jeromebarbero7567]

happy 25th birthday to the comfiest album ever made

[@dustink9297]

Not even a huge B&S fan but this was one of the best docs ive ever seen! Definitely a bigger fan now, thank you.

[@charleslitwin4647]

eh ....no one cares!

[@bucolic_3526]

Really can’t put into words how much they mean to me.

[@b.r.e.t.t.s.a.n.d.l.e.r]

A thousand dislikes? I don't understand. Well, if you're feeling sinister!?

[@WAZOOMA]

yes that is a very unusual ratio. I've read on other videos that when there are a disproportionate amount of dislikes on a song/video which is pretty much universally loved, it's to do with some function of KZbin music, where 'dislike' is used as the 'skip' button or something. strange, though, as this is a documentary.

[@nome3795]

I think this video was unavailable for a while, could be something to do with that

[@charleslitwin4647]

haters gonna hate!

[@luizacora1479]

This documentary is so precious

[@seanmurphy7733]

I like to think of songs as a sort of time machine. When you put on a certain song, and instantly you feel taken back to whenever that song meant the most to you in your life. However, the most special songs/albums to me are the ones that have a timeless feel to them. Ones that you can revisit any day, and never tire of them. Belle and Sebastian are timeless to me.

[@chardonmay]

Thank you pitchfork, i start liking you again.

[@Greeceindirestraits]

Things created with love, from people that really want and have to convey a genuine feeling. And this is it really. These songs take you back to those days of the mid 90ies when you were a different person and you just become this person once again while listening to the songs. Free of anxieties, of world crisis, of family problems, of unemployment and paying the rent and not being able to play the guitar... Thank you all B&S!

[@Greeceindirestraits]

Oh, and I really liked that they were obscure as a band back then. No publicity-photos-interviews. It was all about music. I guess they are pretty modest nowadays, but I am not looking into their personal lives anyway.

[@melogemmellaro6535]

Parto naturale

[@andreflores7691]

Grèce Indirecfilm. tes vv

[@gltwn]

This was the best record in the world for a few years in the late 1990s.

[@Chingfordassociates]

Dog on Wheels and Century of Fakers were the first Belle and Sebastian songs I remember hearing. I think I first saw the video for Dog on Wheels on the Indie chart on ITV’s The Chart Show in 1997. I’ve loved them ever since and I achieved my dream of seeing them live a few years ago. Great documentary, wonderful records.

[@eduardoortega9002]

Dear Stuart Murdoch, only you could make me cry with these words

[@wldw10]

I came WAY late to B&S - but I had picked up a couple of their cd's at my local library & what better way to check out a band (FOR FREE) than to grab a couple of discs & try them out for like 3 weeks! Anyway - As soon as I heard Sinister (those kids at the playground & then the acoustic guitar) - I was like ok this is different & WAY good! One of my favorite bands for sure now!

[@cutmyownhair]

Microphones "The Glow Pt. 2"

[@vincevirtua]

why haven't I seen this until now? excellent doc of one of my fav bands still. I checked and there's only a couple other docs on the channel. Pitchfork need to get on the case and do more of these! excellent.

[@coinrotator]

Stuart is in a lineage of singer songwriters that are not appreciated until they are past their prime. Indie kids got it instantly, Conde Naste took a few decades longer.

[@vferbarr]

The best album ever

[@CloudyApples]

So beautiful, very glad I watched this.

[@jordanbreakey5365]

Tori Vega Victorious videos

[@jordanbreakey5365]

Victorious

[@antoniocardillo2337]

CloudyApples tf

[@loredanazarrella5770]

Ricette primi con carciofi

[@kategeorgantas6612]

CloudyApples l

[@tomtimelord7876]

The first B&S album I ever heard was "Arab Strap." I listened to that through all of 1999, and then got a copy of "Fold Your Hands . . ." For a long time those were the only two B&S albums I had, because B&S didn't have the best distribution in late 1990s and a copy of "If You're Feeling Sinister" or "Tigermilk" was impossible to find in the rural midwest, where often the only CD store for 50 miles was Wal-Mart. So I didn't get around to listening to this album until 2004 or so, when I was at college. I love every B&S album up through "Fold Your Hands", plus "Push Barman to Open Old Wounds" while compiles all their EPs. After that they got a little inconsistent in my opinion.

[@StokeCityFC44]

amazing. love pitchfork classics. we need more!

[@JDsmiffy1]

Fantastic, at long last just managed to buy this record on vinyl.

[@northmann5837]

I love them very much ❤❤❤❤❤

[@jeffsteege3507]

It's funny how you end up watching things, I landed on this because my 9 year old son was watching The Simpsons and I heard their track, Willie and the Dream of Peat Bogs and reminisced about how much I used to love this band.

[@zolbood9466]

all time favorite band

[@philosyche]

Finally! Can't believe this documentary is brought back on KZbin! Had to watch on Dailymotion in bad video quality, since it was not available anywhere else. Thanks, Pitchfork, but I wonder why you guys had to take it off in the first place.

[@ctlqhl]

the band of my 2023

[@mitchkuhnert]

thank you for this.

[@ob9552]

i didn't like this album on my first two listens. looking back, that was pretty crazy. then, on my third listen, i looked into the lyrics while listening to the songs and OH BOY, DID I LOVE IT THEN AND THERE! the images and the stories on the album are just so vivid, so clear, to the point of being physically real. it doesn't hurt that they're told with very fun, whimsical and overall great instrumentation too. this album will definitely go down as one of my favorites. can't wait to listen to more of belle and sebastian

[@invertedcrown]

a lot of my favorite music is like that, requiring patience & multiple listens... and conversely, the songs i instantly "get" are usually the easiest to forget about.......

[@carol20333]

@@invertedcrown I'm curious for some recommendations!!

[@invertedcrown]

@@carol20333 some random examples of "acquired taste" music, for me, has been: early GUIDED BY VOICES, POLVO, UNWOUND, SMOG, THE FALL, XIU XIU, APHEX TWIN.....

[@invertedcrown]

@@carol20333 the first few albums by THE NATIONAL are also pretty great and took multiple listens to appreciate... they're a good recommendation for a B&S fan imo (kinda slower & melancholy)....

[@invertedcrown]

@@carol20333 also the early CAT POWER records (first 4 or so)

[@mednat10]

Fox in the snow reminds me of my time in the bike shop and hanging with the messengers. A great time in my life.

[@christopherbazaka1564]

im so glad this was made

[@user-pj8jx2nx3k]

Saludos desde Perú!! ❤

[@NexusFounder]

great stuff. :) i'm really glad i stumbled across this.

[@pochologoitia9567]

Have Wes Anderson and Murdoch ever met?

[@maddie8415]

This is one of my favorite videos on KZbin, why all the dislikes?

[@Uly_Sandoval_303]

M A S T E R P I E C E . .

[@reksub10]

The glasgow art school on a saturday night in the 90's....brilliant.

[@krisn09hippie]

uhhh my hands are clapping. i love that album

[@Pining_for_the_fjords]

I was feeling sinister before watching this. Now I feel completely evil.

[@Sebvibevanse]

Goddamn dude see a minister.

[@patydcs]

Lovely.

[@adamtaylor3352]

quality band!!

[@zackzallie8735]

Strange is that I could understand every single word he sings in this album, yet his accent is quite strong when he talks.

[@bigsurhippy2639]

still fresh!

[@prazwolaryal214]

Thank you so much pitchfork for this ❤️❤️

[@eduardoortega9002]

Incredible, really wished they would talk about the boy done wrong again

[@greenwave819]

They are on tour, there will much talk of wrong doing!!

[@fuzzydunlop4513]

these guys talk as soft as they play

[@raffrayronan6246]

Such a great band

[@dougerhard2128]

Albums Pitchfork Top "--" Lists turned me on to: Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister My Bloody Valentine - Loveless The Microphones - The Glow, Pt. 2 Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand Deerhoof - Reveille Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven Sebadoh - Bakesale Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted Built to Spill - Keep it Like a Secret Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago Thank you, Pitchfork!

[@ashspike5232]

Get your own taste lol

[@dannykuhrt9144]

Brilliant video

[@angeljuarez4403]

WE NEED SUBTITLES IN SPANISH AND OTHER LENGUAGES,,,PLEASE.... PITCHFORK

[@jamesismyfriend4403]

Can't understand what this video has almost 20% thumbs down. Anyone know? I thought this video was great. (As do most people in the comment section) Thank-you for a great video Pitchfork! :)

[@fastandbulbous9697]

I guess maybe people expected it to be the full album That's really the only way I can justify the rating

[@FunnyLittleFrog]

This is a pure guess but I think Pitchfork in 2015 published an article titled 'The Unbearable Whiteness of Pop' and targeted Belle & Sebastian. Stuart Murdoch offered to talk to the article's author about it but she refused to meet him and just laughed off the outraged readers. I guess fans are disliking the video to call out Pitchfork's two-sided attitude towards Belle & Sebastian. This could just be a theory, though.

[@richardmcgowan6383]

B&S are a Marmite sort of band. Back in the 90s, I played their albums to my friends and It was like farting in a lift.("TURN THAT SH*T OFF"). Maybe It's my old friends giving the thumnbs down ...

[@ripaulac]

Tigermilk means more to me than Sinister. I'm not even saying it's a better album, but not everybody has the same favorite Belle & Sebastian LP; but watching this doc (which is brilliant on the whole) you'd think it was almost unanimous. Dear Catastrophe Waitress is as good as any of them on a given night and Arab Strap is no joke either. And then there's a song like "Lazy Line Painter Jane" that's not even on a studio album, but is unlike and as good as anything they ever did. What a f___ing band. For real.

[@wawawawa2850]

Cella Dore pendanten t

[@wawawawa2850]

Celleitalienih Direp řidirdibou .@we

[@kittycancer9956]

yea you nailed it actually

[@basehead617]

I'd argue the even later The Life Pursuit is their best album by a long ways.

[@charleslitwin4647]

whatever

[@MrEthanlevy100]

I remember when tiger milk was impossible to obtain

[@Mandolatron]

Great doc!

[@mardinrecords]

wow thank you

[@StorieGrubb]

there's also the doc/film that turned me onto B and S back in the day called "for fans only" ... it was, without hearing any of their songs and watching that film, that i fell in love. a lot of the footage in this is featured in that.

[@positive.juice.apartment]

love this song. i can imagine morrissey singing it lol

[@pascoupe]

Please do In The Aeroplane Over The Sea next.

[@lovetroublecat]

Great little movie

[@agenteviscera]

I NEED SUBTITLES FOR DEAFS :(

[@MsBetha27]

maravilloso documental!!! Yo espero los subtitulos en español

[@kqed1970]

Seria genial!!!

[@fgbenquiries3547]

If you went up to the school gates with a sound recorder these days, you'd most likely end up feeling sinister, needing more than your minister.

[@Darkryers]

This documentary will be a classic, but none more so than Sinister.

[@kellymoon3406]

Slanted and Enchanted next!

[@saturatedneowax]

Kelly Moon crooked rain crooked rain is a billion times better slanted is the pavement default skin

[@jeffmusgrave3691]

Both!

[@justinjschneider]

9:56 something was in the air and it didn’t do us any harm

[@gyampohdaniel4731]

Is good for you to said it

[@danielsullivan8234]

Think the guy at 20.55 is Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand....

[@peterhaverland699]

you are correct!

[@BlytheG]

Now do The Boy with the Arab Strap!

[@abdellahel3936]

Azakour

[@abdellahel3936]

Azakour Alnif Maroc

[@abdellahel3936]

Azakour Alnif Maroc est

[@paulhealy2557]

I think of Tigermilk/sinister/the 3 EPs of 97 together

[@Koshirozation]

[@DrVonNostrand]

I wish they talked about Me & The Major 🙁

[@basehead617]

it is weird they didn’t do every song.. i guess when they wanted it to fit in an hour and also spend so much time on the background they had to throw out the least interesting footage

[@stagnatic]

Alternative title for this doc: “Super 8 Looked Great and Was Cheap Then.”

[@sanctitateconstantia4640]

does anyone know the song that starts at 2:13? its not in the description pitchforktv

[@amanda-mariek6811]

It's called Rhoda!

[@mitchparent]

Anyone know if the name Belle et Sebastien have anything to do with a cartoon I was watching when I was kids called Belle et Sebastien it was about a little boy and his dog?

[@gyampohdaniel4731]

michel jr parent o

[@davinbacon]

Yes

[@peteralbert1485]

It's explained at 10:30

[@NoiseKidd]

The song playing when the documentary starts after 'If You're Feeling Sinister' ended is called Rhoda

[@MariaHernandez-fh3hi]

NoiseKidd6t67 hhuyyyhjijncxdfttyy77uuygty667q++@ Uu78ğju>kkkkjuikki.ujjjjkkmĺb. bn. B k vgh

[@luselenagasparmontes5577]

Y

[@Joe-ol5bq]

this video is the reason i fell in love w belle and sebastian

[@rorycowieson5924]

So many Scottish accents that have turned into American accents.

[@vincevirtua]

eh?? in this documentary? I don't hear any American accents um.

[@moraymac2922]

Just Isobel Campbell

[@cobeyc.b5946]

You mean Appalachian people?

[@legitsmitty]

I think cigarettes after sex must have listened to these guys

[@woodshampoo8860]

I think B&S must have listened to Velvet Underground & Nico kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpDdkIh7qqqAd9E

[@lurvigw]

@@woodshampoo8860 Wow I've never thought of that before, but it's spot on!

[@cobeyc.b5946]

They must’ve also left a fork in the garbage disposal and listened to that as well

[@maccerch]

Motorhead!!!

[@jacline.]

coucou

[@ericcrawford8346]

Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie.......................................

[@jovenintensa]

Yeah, because they are millionaires that own means of production! Sure thing pal!

[@simplemortal5068]

@@jovenintensa that's a song

[@nsr4interpol]

If memory serves, Radiohead also used a recording of noise from children in a playground for OK Computer, an album which came out a year later. What a genuinely strange coincidence.

[@jovenintensa]

Which song???

[@christophertakashima2602]

Also the year before with The Bends!

[@felipelopez4578]

Jose manuel de frutos lopez

[@brutelogic153]

Call me basic but I was kinda hoping they'd talk a little about the boy with the arab strap :/

[@SantyPLAY_]

Por qué no hay subtítulos? :(

[@fernchanjan733]

Does anyone know the name of the song at 3:57?????

[@cobeyc.b5946]

Fr!

[@TheRedskins6969]

London Has Let Me Down by B&S

[@renatedikopf5168]

*

[@fatimaumbelino8178]

Vou

[@wellesradio]

Ok, now in 2020 we've all gone through something similar to what Stuart Murdoch back then. How many of you have written enough timeless tunes for two classic albums? Me neither. But then I wonder I doubt Stuart himself was able to repeat that in quarantine. Edit: I just realized it took THREE years being shut in for him to write these songs.