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
4 Men-12"
Kitchens of Distinction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Onto this broken-hearted hungry clown
Because he can't get his fill.
Never thought that he would ever
Want this much from a man,
But love is the steepest sharpest slide.
Looking up into the sky
Wondering if this is allowed
But fear rules him easily
It takes lust and strength
To turn to you and say
"I want you and I need you"
But I haven't got the fattest chance in hell.
Sun has finally upped and gone
Being bored of everyone.
I slip of my shirt and shoes.
Time to hate myself again
My small voice and freckled skin
Till the safety of the dark.
Oh here I'd lie between your thighs
Looking up into your eyes
Wondering if this is allowed
But fear rules me easily
It takes lust and strength
To turn to you and say
"I want you and I need you"
But I haven't got the fattest chance in hell.
So why does the world laugh
And take us on these rides
My dear.
I'll shut my epileptic eyes and
Daydream of busy nights
My dear.
Because I want you and I'll have you,
I'll crush my arms around
Until I melt inside of you.
Oh god I want you and I need you,
I'll be your son your slave and keeper.
There were four men in this room
Why did you have to go and pick on me?
The song "4 Men-12"" by Kitchens of Distinction is a sorrowful ballad about unrequited love and the pain that comes with it. The singer of the song is a man who is deeply in love with another man but is afraid to express his feelings to him because he fears rejection. He feels like a broken-hearted clown who cannot get his fill of love, and despite never thinking he would want so much from a man, he finds that love can be a steep and sharp slide. As he lies next to his love interest, he wonders if it is allowed, but fear rules him easily, making it difficult for him to turn to the man and say, "I want you and I need you."
The man thinks about how the sun has finally upped and gone, being bored of everyone, and he slips off his shirt and shoes, preparing to hate himself again. He feels vulnerable with his small voice and freckled skin and seeks refuge in the safety of the dark. As he lies between his love interest's thighs, he wonders if it is allowed, but fear rules him once again. The man longs for his love interest, and despite the world laughing and taking them on these rides, he daydreams of busy nights and shuts his epileptic eyes. He wants to crush his arms around his love interest until he melts inside him and be his son, slave, and keeper. The song ends with the man asking why his love interest had to pick on him out of the four men in the room.
Line by Line Meaning
Stars are falling down
The singer is feeling lost and helpless, as if everything they once knew and relied on is falling apart.
Onto this broken-hearted hungry clown
The singer feels like a sad and lonely figure, searching for something to fill the hole in their heart.
Because he can't get his fill.
Despite trying to find happiness and fulfillment, the singer still feels empty and unsatisfied.
Never thought that he would ever
The artist is reflecting on past expectations and how things have turned out differently than anticipated.
Want this much from a man,
The artist has come to realize that they have deep feelings for another man, which they didn't expect.
But love is the steepest sharpest slide.
The singer is describing how falling in love can be simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.
Oh here he'd lie at your side
The singer imagines being close to the person they love, but feels unsure if they are allowed to do so.
Looking up into the sky
The artist is picturing a moment of intimacy with their partner, but also feels a sense of vulnerability.
Wondering if this is allowed
The artist is questioning if it's okay for them to have these feelings and act on them.
But fear rules him easily
The artist is held back by their anxiety and insecurity, which make it hard for them to pursue their desires.
It takes lust and strength
The singer knows that passion and courage are necessary to overcome their fears and reach out to their partner.
To turn to you and say
The artist wants to express their feelings to their partner, but struggles to do so.
"I want you and I need you"
The singer is revealing their deep affection and desire for the other person.
But I haven't got the fattest chance in hell.
Despite their feelings, the singer sees themselves as unlikely to be accepted or loved back by their partner.
Sun has finally upped and gone
The singer is experiencing a sense of loneliness and abandonment, as if the world has turned its back on them.
Being bored of everyone.
The artist feels disconnected from others and wonders if they will ever find someone who truly understands them.
I slip of my shirt and shoes.
The artist is taking off their clothes, symbolizing a willingness to be vulnerable and intimate.
Time to hate myself again
The singer is expressing their self-loathing and tendency to feel rejection and shame.
My small voice and freckled skin
The singer is describing the physical aspects of themselves that they feel insecure about.
Till the safety of the dark.
The artist feels more comfortable and secure in isolation and darkness, where they don't have to face their fears or insecurities.
Oh here I'd lie between your thighs
The artist wishes to be physically and emotionally close to their partner, but still feels uncertain and anxious about it.
Looking up into your eyes
The artist imagines a moment of intimacy with their partner, but is still held back by their fears and doubts.
Wondering if this is allowed
The singer is uncertain if their feelings and desires are acceptable, and if they have the right to pursue them.
But fear rules me easily
The artist is acknowledging how easily their fears control their actions and prevent them from achieving happiness and connection.
To turn to you and say
The singer once again expresses their desire to reach out to their partner, but struggles to find the courage to do so.
"I want you and I need you"
The singer repeats their expression of affection and desire for their partner, hoping it will come true.
But I haven't got the fattest chance in hell.
The singer continues to feel doubtful and pessimistic about their chances of being loved and accepted by their partner.
So why does the world laugh
The artist feels like the world is mocking them and making it even harder for them to find happiness and validation.
And take us on these rides
The artist is describing the ups and downs of life, and how it feels like they are being taken on an unpredictable and chaotic journey.
My dear.
The singer addresses their partner, revealing their deep feelings and attachment.
I'll shut my epileptic eyes and
The singer will close their eyes and shut out the world, feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
Daydream of busy nights
The artist imagines being swept up in exciting and thrilling experiences, which provide a temporary escape from their problems.
My dear.
The artist again addresses their partner, hoping that they will somehow find a way to be together.
Because I want you and I'll have you,
The artist expresses their determination to pursue their desires and not let fear or doubt hold them back.
I'll crush my arms around
The singer imagines embracing their partner tightly, expressing the depth and intensity of their feelings.
Until I melt inside of you.
The artist hopes to lose themselves in their partner, revealing the depth and intensity of their desire.
Oh god I want you and I need you,
The singer repeats their expressions of affection and desire, hoping to convey their sincerity and intensity.
I'll be your son your slave and keeper.
The singer is willing to do anything to be close to their partner, expressing the depth and intensity of their love.
There were four men in this room
The singer is reflecting on a shared experience where they were one of several people present.
Why did you have to go and pick on me?
The artist feels singled out and victimized, wondering why they were the target of someone's behavior or choices.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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