Editing Massive Attack (section)

===''Blue Lines'' and "Unfinished Sympathy" (1991–1993)===
{{Main|Blue Lines}}
[[File:Robert Del Naja@Barcelone-crop.jpg|thumb|[[Robert Del Naja]] at Barcelona 2007]]
In 1989, 3D co-wrote [[Neneh Cherry]]'s [[Manchild (song)|''Manchild'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/vhvr|title=BBC&nbsp;– Music&nbsp;– Review of Neneh Cherry Raw Like Sushi|publisher=BBC|quote=The offbeat, ambient ballad Manchild (co-written with Massive Attack's 3D)|date=9 January 2009|access-date=22 May 2009|last=Taylor|first=Angus}}</ref> This working relationship continued with Cherry helping Massive Attack to record their first album ''[[Blue Lines]]''. Cherry's partner [[Cameron McVey]] was an executive producer of the album and became the group's first manager.<ref name="brandplayson">{{cite news |date=15 February 2003 |title=The brand plays on |url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/14/1044927795994.html |access-date=20 May 2009 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hart |first=Ron |date=30 January 2020 |title=Neneh Cherry Looks Back on Boundary-Busting 'Raw Like Sushi' Album |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/neneh-cherry-cameron-mcvey-raw-like-sushi-8549701/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |magazine=Billboard }}</ref> Cherry and McVey provided financial support, via the Cherry Bear organisation, and the album was partly recorded in their house.<ref>{{cite web |date=15 January 2007 |title=Interview with Cameron 'Booga Bear' McVey |url=http://67.222.54.247/33//2007/01/interview-with-cameron-booga-bear-mcvey.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705234710/http://67.222.54.247/33//2007/01/interview-with-cameron-booga-bear-mcvey.html |archive-date=5 July 2011 |publisher=Reseize}}</ref> The band used guest vocalists, interspersed with their own ''[[sprechgesang]]'' stylings, on top of what became regarded as an essentially British creative sampling production; a trademark sound that fused [[hip-hop|hip hop]], [[soul music|soul]], [[reggae]] and other eclectic references, both musical and lyrical.<ref name="allmusicbio" /> The album used vocalists including [[Horace Andy]] and [[Shara Nelson]], a former Wild Bunch cohort.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://humag.co/features/massive-attack|title=Features|website=Humag.co|access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref> MC Willie Wee, also once part of the Wild Bunch, featured. Neneh Cherry sang backing vocals on environmentalist anthem, "Hymn of the Big Wheel".<ref name="AllMusic-bluelines" /> Co-production was also provided by [[Jonny Dollar]].

''Blue Lines'' was released on 8 April 1991 on Virgin Records.<ref name="AllMusic-bluelines">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r12541|pure_url=yes}}|title=AllMusic ((( Blue Lines > Overview )))|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=22 May 2009|last=Bush|first=John}}</ref> The album has been retrospectively considered the first of the "[[trip-hop]]" genre and received critical acclaim.

That year they released "[[Unfinished Sympathy]]" as a single, a string-arranged track at [[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]] studio, scored by [[Will Malone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/artists/andrea-parker|title=Andrea Parker|work=NME|quote=Will Malone, who had worked on horror film soundtracks and Massive Attack's classic "Unfinished Sympathy".|access-date=22 May 2009}}</ref> The group temporarily shortened their name to "Massive" on the advice of McVey to avoid controversy relating to the [[Gulf War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/whatson/unfinishedsympathy.shtml|title=Radio 2 – Sold on Song – Brits25 – Unfinished Sympathy|publisher=BBC|quote=Reaching number thirteen in the UK in 1991, Unfinished Sympathy was released under the group name Massive, due to the Gulf War of the same year|access-date=22 May 2009}}</ref> They returned to being "Massive Attack" for their next single, "[[Safe from Harm (song)|Safe from Harm]]".