2… Read Full Bio ↴1. A British indie pop and "urban folk" band fronted by Darren Hayman.
2. electronic downtempo artist Lee Jones who released an album called Residue,
3. An experimental side project of Swedish indie, electronic, hip hop artist Lechy
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1. Hefner were a British indie pop and "urban folk" band fronted by Darren Hayman. They were active from about 1996 until 2002; since then they have played together only once, for a tribute to the DJ John Peel, who was a strong supporter of theirs.
Hefner began as a live band in 1995. In 1996 Darren Hayman recorded a tape for Sticky Records (named The Devotion Chamber) on which all instruments were played by Darren himself. His friend from art school, Antony Harding, assisted, providing backing vocals.
The band's first release was in April of 1997 when the 7" single "A Better Friend" was released by Boogle Wonderland. The single featured Antony on drums and John Morrison (from Rhatigan) on bass. Shortly after the release, the record label Too Pure offered a record deal to Darren, who extended the offer to Antony and John.
After a few more singles, Hefner recorded their debut album Breaking God's Heart. A lo fidelity album primarily recorded in one take, Hayman has declared that this album is the one he is least interested in listening to, due to its unrealized potential.
The Fidelity Wars would be their next record (with the recent addition of multi-instrumentalist Jack Hayter playing on some tracks, who would later join the band properly); a darker collection of songs. In the official website of the band Darren has explained that all of the songs gravitate around the concept of breaking up.
Hefner had, at this point, recorded a large number of singles and EPs. Boxing Hefner collected some of those tracks that had not appeared on the previous albums, often as new recordings. The compilation also included some unreleased material. The band stated that this album was released primarily to mark Jack's actual joining.
We Love the City marked a change in direction for the band. In contrast with previous records, which had older songs, all of the compositions on We Love the City were made for this record, which had better production value and more varied instrumentation.
Dead Media, released in 2001, continued the interest that Hefner had shown in exploring new ways. Dead Media is certainly different from previous records in the sense of its electronic weight, an interest that led Darren to eventually create The French.
After the band's final gig at the ICA in London on 10 December 2001 and the release of an EP called The Hefner Brain the following March, the band went on a seemingly permanent hiatus, save for one reformation for the "Keeping It Peel" tribute show, marking the death of one of their biggest supporters, Radio 1 DJ John Peel. In 2005 a t-shirt was released that read "Hefner, Britain’s Largest Small Band (1997-2002)", and in an interview Darren Hayman said "no, no reunion planned".
In 2005, after a legal dispute between Darren Hayman and Too Pure, the rights to all the band's Too Pure recordings have reverted to Darren. As a result, he has released The Best of Hefner 1996-2002 (on Fortune & Glory) and Catfight (Cargo), a 2 CD collection of 43 unreleased songs, both in 2006. The full recording of Hefner's special live Peel Session performance from 23rd August 2000 in the eight piece We Love the City formation (amelia fletcher and a horn section - part of which appeared as a limited bonus disc with some copies of the CD of We Love the City) has been released under the title of Maida Vale in November 2006. All of the band's albums have also been reissued with bonus tracks.
In 2008 Darren and Jack got together and played Hefner songs on a limited number of venues around Europe. This project is not planned to continue further after September 2008 though.
Darren Hayman tours and releases music as a solo artist - sometimes as Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern, but he has been involved in several solo projects: The French, the Stereo Morphonium and Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee.
Antony Harding's solo project is known as Ant
Jack Hayter releases solo stuff as well.
www.hefnet.com
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2. The other is Lee Jones who released an album called Residue, a number of 12"s and remixes on Inertia Records.
Residue sold 85,000 albums independently through Inertia Records. Lee Jones, in response, took the project on the road around Europe, playing throughout Holland, Germany, Italy and France. Also appearing on national TV in both Germany and Holland. The album was voted number 3 in the BBC Radio 1 urban albums poll.
Then all went quiet. He worked on Josee's solo album, Lost Souls Dancing, and moved to Berlin.
At this time in order to satisfy demand Inertia released a compilation of his best remixes called "Reworks" featuring his versions of tunes by Lamb, 4 Hero, Omar faruk Takbilek and others and took time off to produce some other artists.
In 2003 Inertia hooked Hefner up with Frazey Ford, lead singer of The Be Good Tanyas, a fantastic rootsy, folky band from Vancouver. The resulting material was magical but due to recording commitments to EMI the project had to be stalled until the Be Good Tanyas album was finally released. As of the end of 2006 the project has been revitalised with the partnership working together again. An album is due at the end of 2007.
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3. Dr. Hefner, the Prince of Holmiapolis
Your Head to Your Toes
Hefner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will travel it with my fingers barely touching.
It's a sight to behold from your head to your toes,
I will worship it with kisses and cheap wine.
What do you want with me, now you've seen me at my worst?
What do you want with me, can't you see it's absurd?
I have nothing to offer but a small selfish heart.
It's a valley, so divine, at the base of your spine.
Sometimes I rest there and wish.
We've a nest here to build, we have memories to kill,
Let's waste sometime for a while.
What do you want with me, since you've seen I've been bad.
What do you want with me, can't you see it's so sad?
I have nothing to offer but a small selfish heart.
But I love you from your head to your toes, I do.
The song “Your Head to Your Toes” by Hefner is a love song whose lyrics showcase the singer’s admiration and deep love for their partner, from their head to their toes. The first verse describes the journey from the head to the toes, which the singer would like to undertake with their fingers barely touching. The sight of their lover’s body, from head to toe, is something to behold and worship with kisses and cheap wine. Despite the singer’s admission that they have nothing to offer but a small selfish heart, they love their partner with their whole being.
The second verse begins with a description of the valley so divine at the base of the lover’s spine. The singer rests there sometimes and wishes they had a nest to build and memories to kill. They urge their lover to waste some time with them. The singer then wonders what their lover wants with them since they have seen the singer at their worst, and thinks it’s absurd. Despite all of this, the singer reiterates that they love their partner from their head to their toes.
Overall, the song captures the essence of true love, which is accepting someone wholly, flaws and all. The lyrics remind us that love is not just about the physical attraction but also about accepting and loving someone wholly.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a beautiful road from your head to your toes,
Your body is a beautiful journey. Each turn and curve is breathtakingly gorgeous.
I will travel it with my fingers barely touching.
I will explore your stunning body gently with my fingers, ensuring each inch is appreciated.
It's a sight to behold from your head to your toes,
Your body is a vision of perfection, from head to toe, inspiring awe and admiration.
I will worship it with kisses and cheap wine.
I will show my love and appreciation by kissing every inch of your body, and making memories fuelled by inexpensive wine.
What do you want with me, now you've seen me at my worst?
Having seen me at my lowest, what could you possibly desire from me?
What do you want with me, can't you see it's absurd?
It's unrealistic for you to want anything from me after seeing me in such a vulnerable state.
I have nothing to offer but a small selfish heart.
I don't bring much to the table except for a self-centered and guarded heart.
But I love you from your head to your toes, I do.
However, I am also deeply in love with you, body and soul.
It's a valley, so divine, at the base of your spine.
The small of your back is a holy and breathtaking valley that I adore contemplating and caressing.
Sometimes I rest there and wish.
Sometimes, I find myself lost in thought and wishful thinking while resting in that sacred spot.
We've a nest here to build, we have memories to kill,
We have a strong connection in this moment we can use to build a future together and forget about the past.
Let's waste sometime for a while.
Let's take our time and enjoy each other's company for a bit longer.
What do you want with me, since you've seen I've been bad.
Since you've seen every rough edge and fault in me, what could you still possibly want from me?
What do you want with me, can't you see it's so sad?
It's heartbreaking that you still desire me even after understanding every low point that has made me who I am today.
I have nothing to offer but a small selfish heart.
I don't possess many attractive qualities other than the fact that I am fiercely independent and self-protective.
But I love you from your head to your toes, I do.
Nevertheless, I still love you completely, from your mind to your physical form.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind