by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Comprised of Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit (born Marcy Levy), Shakespears Sister formed in late 1988. Fahey had several hits as a member of Bananarama, and Levy was the backup vocalist for Eric Clapton in the late 70s. After their first single flopped, Shakespeares Sisters second single, Youre History, made it into the U.K. Top Ten. Sacred Heart, their 1989 debut, also made it into the Top Ten. Most of the material on Sacred Heart and the 1991 follow-up Hormonally Yours was written with producer Richard Feldman, who gave the band a polished, synth-laden R&B feel, along the lines of the Eurythmics. Stay, the first single from Hormonally Yours, was a Top Five hit on both sides of the Atlantic; the follow-up single, I Dont Care, cracked the U.K. Top 20, yet failed to make the U.S. Top 40. Despite their success, the duo broke up the following year.