Hope Sandoval sang with The Jesus and Mary Chain on “Sometimes Always.” The duet pairs Sandoval, the vocalist of Mazzy Star, with Jim Reid, the band’s lead singer.
Written by guitarist William Reid, the song was designed to evoke the atmosphere of a Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra duet. The Jesus and Mary Chain invited Sandoval because they admired her voice, and the collaboration became the first single from the band’s 1994 album Stoned & Dethroned.
“Sometimes Always” was released in July 1994 and became one of the group’s best-known songs. It reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and number 4 on the US Alternative Songs chart. Sandoval also appeared in the song’s music video.
A common mix-up is to identify the singer simply as a member of the Jesus and Mary Chain. She was a guest vocalist from Mazzy Star; the male vocal is Jim Reid, not his brother William, who wrote the song and played guitar.