Over the course of their career, the band has released five studio albums - "Love is Hell" (1989), "Strange Free World" (1991), "The Death of Cool" (1992), "Cowboys and Aliens" (1994), and "Folly" (2013).
Dan Goodwin (drums) met Julian Swales (guitar) at college in 1980, and Swales met Patrick Fitzgerald (vocals/bass guitar) at a party in 1985.The trio began rehearsing together that same year, taking their name from a company of the same name that specialised in home decor and kitchen and plumbing fixtures after Swales spotted one of their advertisements on the side of a bus while riding his bike. The Kitchens' first single, "The Last Gasp Death Shuffle" (which featured Swales on lead vocals and bass, as well as guitar) was recorded in just one day on an eight-track in a Kennington basement, and was released in December 1987 on the band's own Gold Rush Records. It was named a single of the week in the NME, and led to the band signing with the British indie label One Little Indian Records; it was around this time that Fitzgerald, a medical doctor, put his career on hold to devote himself fully to the band. Their first singles for One Little Indian, 1988's "Prize" and 1989's "The 3rd Time We Opened the Capsule", made it onto the "NME Writers' 100 Best Indie Singles Ever" list, published 25 July 1992.
Their first full-length album, Love Is Hell, was released in April 1989. Fitzgerald's impassioned, wordy, often bluntly personal vocals careened over what sounded like a mass of swirling guitars, though the band only had one guitarist. Swales' chiming, effects-laden style of playing drew him comparisons to the guitarists of The Chameleons, Cocteau Twins, and A.R. Kane. KOD's melodic yet abstract sound was a precursor to the shoegazing scene of the late 1980s/early 1990s.
Despite the promising start, the band faced a subdued reception from the mainstream music industry, generally due to their lyrical content. For instance, "Margaret's Injection", on the 1989 Elephantine EP, was a fantasy about killing then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Also, Fitzgerald was openly gay, and his lyrics were unapologetic, especially on tracks like "Prize" and "Within the Daze of Passion". Even the more indie-focused television programs like Snub TV and Rapido failed to give them much coverage, although Snub TV played the video for their 1991 single "Drive That Fast". Likewise, they were not offered a John Peel radio session, although they eventually did get one after asking Peel personally, following a Glastonbury performance which he appreciated.
Kitchens of Distinction sometimes performed "secret" gigs under the alter ego Toilets of Destruction.[2][6] An example was at The Bull & Gate in Kentish Town on 6 August 1990, where the band appeared in drag and played ABBA, David Bowie, and Bauhaus covers.
In 1990, they signed with A&M Records in the US, and went into the studio with producer Hugh Jones (Simple Minds, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Undertones). Their second album, Strange Free World, was released in February 1991, and spawned some moderately successful singles in "Drive That Fast" and "Quick as Rainbows", both of which were very well received by college radio in the US. The band went back into the studio in 1992, again with Jones at the helm, and their third album The Death of Cool came out in August that year; it was named in honour of the passing of Miles Davis, who had released an influential album titled The Birth of the Cool in 1950. A&M balked at the band's choice of "Breathing Fear" for the first single, due to its touchy subject matter (gay bashing), so "Smiling" became the album's initial single in the US. The band toured extensively, including a high-profile slot opening for their US labelmate Suzanne Vega, whose album 99.9F° came out within a few weeks of theirs.
Later in 1993, KOD began work on their fourth album, co-producing it themselves with engineer Pete Bartlett. One Little Indian rejected the album twice, and eventually, both label and band agreed to bring in up-and-coming producer Pascal Gabriel to work on a couple of tracks. One of the label's complaints about the album as the band originally submitted it was that they felt it lacked a potential hit single, so Gabriel produced a new song ("Come on Now") that the band had written after the rest of the album had already been recorded; Gabriel also remixed two of the album's other tracks (the opener "Sand on Fire" and first single "Now It's Time to Say Goodbye"). The resulting album, Cowboys and Aliens, was released in the UK in October 1994, and although the band admitted that they enjoyed working with Gabriel, the changes did nothing to help the album's dismal sales. When the album saw its US release in early 1995, it was largely ignored by the same alternative rock radio and media that had championed them just a few years before. By the end of 1995, both A&M and OLI had dropped the band.
Shortening their name to Kitchens O.D. and signing to the London-based indie label Fierce Panda Records, they issued a single, "Feel My Genie" in May 1996, which was named "Single of the Week" by Melody Maker, but they officially disbanded that summer after a farewell gig at London's Kings Cross.
In September 2012, Fitzgerald announced that he and Swales had recorded and were in the process of editing ten new songs. The reunited trio of Fitzgerald, Swales, and Goodwin released their fifth studio album Folly, their first new album in 19 years, on 30 September 2013
Smiling
Kitchens Of Distinction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fading at the edges.
Sitting back, thinking that there's little point in moving.
He smiles, says his stars are friendly,
Anything can be done.
"Shall we get very drunk?"
He says "I stay alive. It's the best thing,
She's not talking, easy dreaming
All that life away.
She gets laughing, missed the light,
No regrets today.
She looks up, another sunset,
"Was it very very good?"
"Shall we get really high?"
She says, "I stay alive. It's the best thing
The only thing I know."
She says, "Hold me, hold me hard,
Hold me, hold me harder.
Stop me thinking about myself.
Stop me hoping for more than I am."
She says, "Why do I want more than good looks?
Why do I want more than great books?
Is that all there is?"
She smiles and stays alive.
It's the best thing, the only thing she knows.
They're together,
Simply dancing all the nights away.
There's the window
Let's wait up for this precious dawn.
He smiles, tells her she looks lovely,
Anything can be done.
She looks up and laughs.
He says "I stay alive.
It's the best thing, the only thing I can give you."
I was brought up with higher expectations.
I was brought up that hell's a hippies way to go.
He says "Hold me..."
The song "Smiling" by Kitchens Of Distinction is a reflection on life, love and the pursuit of happiness. The first verse describes a man who is not falling but waiting, fading at the edges, thinking that there's little point in moving. He finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, such as getting drunk and being alive. The second verse describes a woman who is easy dreaming, getting lost in the moment and enjoying life. She questions her desires for more than good looks and great books, wondering if that's all there is. She, too, finds solace in simply staying alive.
The chorus brings the two characters together, dancing the nights away, waiting for the precious dawn. The man tells the woman she looks lovely, and that anything can be done. The woman questions why she wants more than what she already has, but ultimately finds satisfaction in staying alive.
The bridge brings a poignant moment of self-awareness and vulnerability as the woman asks to be held hard and stopped from thinking about herself and hoping for more than she is. This seemingly contradicts her earlier questioning of whether there is more to life, but it shows the complexity of human emotions and desires.
Overall, the song is an ode to finding joy in the present moment, and appreciating the simple things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
He's not falling, simply waiting, Fading at the edges. Sitting back, thinking that there's little point in moving.
He is not giving up or failing; he is merely taking a break and fading away slowly. He is contemplating life, wondering if there's any use of moving foward.
He smiles, says his stars are friendly, Anything can be done. 'Shall we get very drunk?' He says 'I stay alive. It's the best thing, The only thing I know.'
He smiles because he believes in his luck, and he thinks that anything is possible. He asks his companion if they should drink excessively for fun. He states that living is the most important thing he knows, even when times are tough.
She's not talking, easy dreaming All that life away. She gets laughing, missed the light, No regrets today.
She is quiet since she is lost in her thoughts. She laughs in good spirits, unaffected by any struggle she may be experiencing because those thoughts are away from her.
She looks up, another sunset, 'Was it very very good?' 'Shall we get really high?' She says, 'I stay alive. It's the best thing The only thing I know.'
She gazes at the sunset as another day comes to an end. She asks her companion how was the day, and they both suggest they should enjoy some weed. The only thing that she's sure of, even when life gets heavy, is the fact that the ability to stay alive is the most important thing for her.
She says, 'Hold me, hold me hard, Hold me, hold me harder. Stop me thinking about myself. Stop me hoping for more than I am.'
She wants to feel protected and wants her partner to show her compassion. She does not want to overthink her problems and in doing this, she would like to stop hoping for impossible things.
She says, 'Why do I want more than good looks? Why do I want more than great books? Is that all there is?' She smiles and stays alive. It's the best thing, the only thing she knows.
She wonders why some individuals desire more than physical appearances and educational achievements. She questions if that's truly all there is to life, but in the end, she remains happy that simply being alive is the only thing that matters.
They're together, Simply dancing all the nights away. There's the window Let's wait up for this precious dawn.
The couple shares the joy of simply dancing the nights away. They decide to stay up all night to see the sun rising from the window.
He smiles, tells her she looks lovely, Anything can be done. She looks up and laughs. He says 'I stay alive. It's the best thing, The only thing I can give you.'
He tells his partner that they appear to be flawless. He thinks they can accomplish anything together. She looks up to him and smiles. In the end, he firmly believes that keeping himself alive is the ultimate gift he can give her.
I was brought up with higher expectations. I was brought up that hell's a hippies way to go. He says 'Hold me...'
He was raised with high ideals and had to satisfy his parents' aspirations for him. He was also taught that leading a hippie lifestyle is a terrible thing. But he still wants comfort from his partner.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAN GOODWIN, JULIAN SWALES, PATRICK FITZGERALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paolo Kernahan
A criminally underrated band.
STAUNCH T.V.
no shit
Bill Perkins
I remember staying up way too late on Sunday nights to watch this on 120 Minutes. I always ended up dragging my tired ass through another Monday, but every once in a while, a song like this would make it all worthwhile. “She smiles and stays alive, it’s the best thing, the best thing, the only thing she can give you!”
alexmusic net
What a hidden gem!
STAUNCH T.V.
Perfection