 Following minor success on the underground scene after the release of The New Record by My Bloody Valentine ( 1986 ) and 1987 's " Sunny Sundae Smile " , original My Bloody Valentine vocalist David Conway left the band due to a gastric illness , disillusionment with music and his ambitions to become a writer . The remaining members — guitarist Kevin Shields , drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig and bassist Debbie Googe — considered splitting up and forming a new band under a different name . However , the band placed advertisements for a vocalist in the local music press in London , which Shields referred to later as " pointless , … disastrous and <unk> [ sic ] " due to the advertisements attracting a number of Morrissey inspired vocalists who he referred to as " <unk> " . Through mutual friends the band recruited two vocalists , Joe Byfield and Bilinda Butcher . After performing one show in April 1987 with both on vocals , My Bloody Valentine considered Byfield " unsuitable " for the band and he was subsequently fired . Butcher , whose prior musical experience had been playing classical guitar as a child , and singing and playing tambourine " with some girlfriends for fun " , was chosen as My Bloody Valentine 's new vocalist and began rehearsing with the band in the middle of 1987 . 
