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The band's founding members were Chris Corner , Liam Howe (both ex-DJs) and Kelli Dayton (formerly of Lumieres, now recording under the name Kelli Ali ). After the first album, Dayton was asked to leave because of internal conflicts, and because the band felt that Corner's vocals would be a better fit for his own lyrics.
Dayton's departure, while lamented by many, was well received by critics who felt that it gave the band a more honest, emotional timbre. It has also helped curb the inevitable comparisons with Portishead. Many fans feel that the songs on subsequent Sneaker Pimps albums, Splinter and Bloodsport, have lost the sometimes creepy bubblegum feel and have gained an emotional intensity, but some enjoyed Dayton's vocals precisely because of that feel.
Random Trivia: "How Do," the last track on Becoming X, is a cover of a song from the cult movie The Wicker Man. Britt Ekland performed the song admirably (and completely naked) in the movie; Sneaker Pimps' version begins with a short sound clip from the movie, with Ekland's voice in it.