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Nigel Grainge (founder, Ensign Records) : The first time I saw Sinead was in Dublin when she was singing with Ton Ton Macoute. They were one of several Dublin acts who were auditioning for us at one point. I was particularly interested to see her because I had heard her voice. Kieron Owens had told me what a wonderful singer she was so I was eager to meet her. I knew immediately that she was special, very special, even though the songs she sang were unremarkable as was the band itself.
So we just gave them some words of encouragement and as I was leaving, Sinead came up to me and wondered if she ever wrote her own songs would I be interested in demoing them. So I said, 'Yeah', went back to London and forgot all about it. Then, about a month later I got a letter from her saying she'd left the band and had these songs of her own and asking would I demo them. And it was such a nice letter and I was still able to recall the beauty of her voice that I organised tickets for her to fly to London immediately.
Basically, we didn't have a pot to piss in at the time. So the best we could offer Sinead was a tinpot deal,. It was all we could afford. After some deliberation, Sinead took the tape back to Ireland and was told by Bono and his accountant that she shouldn't sign with Ensign because they could get her a fantastic deal elsewhere. But, by then, Sinead felt a certain loyalty towards us and she liked the fact that we were allowing her a lot of space to go in, write songs, demo them. No pressure, no rush. So, despite other advice, Sinead signed with Ensign.
She'd come in every day and more or less hang out with us. She'd make tea, buy the sandwiches, answer the phone, help with the filing. She also spent a lot of time reading the various music papers and listening to types of music she had never heard before - just generally learning about the record business.
Basically, she was very ordinary when she first came to London," he explains. "She just looked like any other collage girl really. I wanted her to decide what sort of vibe she wanted to portray in photos and on record sleeves, otherwise she would've come across like Enya or anybody. And at the time, she was getting involved with new crowds in London, going out to see bands and shows and then one day she came in with a Mohican hair-style and I thought 'Yeah, that's a statement!'. Then a week or two later she came in with the whole thing shaved. It was a definite look and it helped create a powerful image in people's minds. It also highlighted her beautiful face. She really has the most beautiful features and her hair somehow obscured that.
(Source : 1991 interview at http://www.hotpress.com/Nigel-Grainge/music/interviews/The-Hitman-An-interview-with-Nigel-Grainge/20315964.html)
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So we just gave them some words of encouragement and as I was leaving, Sinead came up to me and wondered if she ever wrote her own songs would I be interested in demoing them. So I said, 'Yeah', went back to London and forgot all about it. Then, about a month later I got a letter from her saying she'd left the band and had these songs of her own and asking would I demo them. And it was such a nice letter and I was still able to recall the beauty of her voice that I organised tickets for her to fly to London immediately.
Basically, we didn't have a pot to piss in at the time. So the best we could offer Sinead was a tinpot deal,. It was all we could afford. After some deliberation, Sinead took the tape back to Ireland and was told by Bono and his accountant that she shouldn't sign with Ensign because they could get her a fantastic deal elsewhere. But, by then, Sinead felt a certain loyalty towards us and she liked the fact that we were allowing her a lot of space to go in, write songs, demo them. No pressure, no rush. So, despite other advice, Sinead signed with Ensign.
She'd come in every day and more or less hang out with us. She'd make tea, buy the sandwiches, answer the phone, help with the filing. She also spent a lot of time reading the various music papers and listening to types of music she had never heard before - just generally learning about the record business.
Basically, she was very ordinary when she first came to London," he explains. "She just looked like any other collage girl really. I wanted her to decide what sort of vibe she wanted to portray in photos and on record sleeves, otherwise she would've come across like Enya or anybody. And at the time, she was getting involved with new crowds in London, going out to see bands and shows and then one day she came in with a Mohican hair-style and I thought 'Yeah, that's a statement!'. Then a week or two later she came in with the whole thing shaved. It was a definite look and it helped create a powerful image in people's minds. It also highlighted her beautiful face. She really has the most beautiful features and her hair somehow obscured that.
(Source : 1991 interview at http://www.hotpress.com/Nigel-Grainge/music/interviews/The-Hitman-An-interview-with-Nigel-Grainge/20315964.html)