Spiritualized Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

Spiritualized's 1997 Studio Album Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space on 2LP: Features the Original Album Artwork

Originally released in 1997 (on the same day as OK Computer), Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space is the third full-length effort from Jason Pierce's post-Spacemen 3 project Spiritualized, and his most brilliant work to date. A hypnotic, narcotic, psychedelic gospel album full of confessional songs about heartbreak and drug abuse, this record is a flat out masterpiece which received a "10.0" rating from Pitchfork and that NME placed at No. 1, just ahead of the aforementioned OK Computer, in their Album of the Year Poll.

Spiritualized’s most celebrated album, and Kate Radley’s last as a member, the core line up added Damon Reece on drums as well as featuring contributions from Dr John, the London Community Gospel Choir, B.J Cole and 19 technical personnel. It took its title from a passage in Joystein Gaarder’s novel “Sophie’s World”, where a young girl attempts to define the meaning of life by travelling through time and space, meeting the world’s great philosophers.

Jason: “We went out to America ahead of recording this record. John had joined on guitar and I’d recorded the title track and a number of other demos that ended up on the finished record."

"But we got to play "Cop Shoot Cop" and "Electricity" live and to work them out before we recorded them for the record and then John became integral to the band. He came from a world of Syl Johnson and Al Green, Teenie Hodges and Reggie Young; a different world within the guitar lines. And then there was Kate (Radley)’s hugely influential keyboard that was relentless and loud."