To many, Spiritualized’s third LP, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, remains their pièce de résistance. Released in 1997 against a landscape of Britpop, Britpop, and more Britpop, Ladies and Gentlemen… stood out like a proverbial sore thumb and in many ways still does.
It was the culmination of two years’ work that signaled the end of an era in many ways, as it would be the last record to feature the line-up that also made its predecessor, 1995’s Pure Phase. Sessions for the songs that eventually became Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space initially started in Bath during the summer of 1995, then moved to London, before eventually ending up in Memphis where legendary blues musician Dr. John recorded his piano and vocal parts for the epic 17-minute album closer “Cop Shoot Cop.”
For Spiritualized’s founder member Jason Pierce, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space holds bittersweet memories. While the album afforded Spiritualized international recognition and widespread critical acclaim after its release, it ended up being the final record three mainstays of the band—Kate Radley, Sean Cook, and Damon Reece—would play on.
Nevertheless, it remains one of the most important and pivotal releases of the ’90s, not least because of its timeless nature. Even now, some 27 years later, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space is an iconic presence in its own right. A record that not only documented a period of dramatic change for its creators, but one that also opened the doors to new horizons and beginnings.
Spiritualized is still going strong, having released an acclaimed new album, , in 2022. In January of and the band continues to play festivals and tour.
