The Welsh band the Sweetest Ache were one of the crown jewels in Sarah Records' kingdom of jangle-pop royalty. The Sweetest Ache was formed in 1989 by vocalist Simon Court, guitarists Peter Stone and Stuart Vincent, keyboardist Ian "Stretch" Saberton, bassist Dave Walters, and drummer Jimmy ‘Geriant'. The group released a handful of 7" singles in the early ‘90s, including "If I Could Shine" and "Everlasting", that were greeted with critical acclaim in the U.K. In 1992, the Sweetest Ache released their full-length debut, Jaguar. However, Sarah Records was on its final breath; a year later, the Sweetest Ache's second LP, Grass Roots, was instead picked up by Vinyl Japan. Grass Roots sold over 9,000 copies worldwide. As with the rest of Sarah Records' roster, the Sweetest Ache's whiny vocals and ‘60s-styled ringing guitars were out of step with the times but a growing Internet fan base in the late ‘90s elevated the band out of obscurity. In 1999, Sweet William paid homage to the Sweetest Ache on the double 7" EP A Smile Took Over. Court reunited with Vincent and Saberton in 2000 when they joined Shooter alongside Peter Moore (guitar, bass, keyboards), guitarist Mark Royston, bassist Steve Bugden, and drummer Andy Kersey. ~ Michael Sutton