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
Sand On Fire
Kitchens of Distinction Lyrics
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Stained glass laughter peering through
Walking with the sand on fire
Ten torches burning through
Reveal to us, what we should do
We are so alive
When we were young we were careful and prudish
Now we are creased we're trivial and foolish
When we were young we were prayerful and prudish
Now we are wise we're waltzing on fire.
The lyrics in Kitchens Of Distinction's song Sand On Fire paint a vivid picture of life's journey - from youth to adulthood. The opening line "Hey you, look through the window/Stained glass laughter peering through" captures a feeling of looking out at the world through a distorted lens, reminding us that our experiences are unique and subjective. The line "Walking with the sand on fire/Ten torches burning through" is a powerful metaphor for the journey through life, with each torch representing a milestone, illuminating both our successes and struggles along the way. The chorus "We are so alive/We are so inspired" conveys the idea that there is a sense of urgency to live life to the fullest, to make the most of our time here on earth. Furthermore, the lyrics "When we were young we were careful and prudish/Now we are creased we're trivial and foolish" and "When we were young we were prayerful and prudish/Now we are wise we're waltzing on fire" suggest that with age comes both experience and a sense of liberation - perhaps from the constraints of societal expectations or personal inhibitions.
Overall, the song Sand On Fire is a poignant reflection on the passage of time and how it shapes us into the people we become. The use of metaphor, vivid imagery, and introspective lyrics make this track a standout in Kitchens Of Distinction's catalog.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you, look through the window
Invitation to look outside through the window
Stained glass laughter peering through
Laughter seen through stained glass window
Walking with the sand on fire
Walking through difficult and challenging times
Ten torches burning through
Intensifying the difficult times
Reveal to us, what we should do
Requesting guidance and advice
We are so alive
Feeling very much alive
We are so inspired
Feeling motivated and enthusiastic
When we were young we were careful and prudish
Used to be cautious and conservative when younger
Now we are creased we're trivial and foolish
Now older and experienced, but still making silly mistakes
When we were young we were prayerful and prudish
Used to be religious and conservative when younger
Now we are wise we're waltzing on fire.
Now wiser, but still facing difficulties and challenges
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAN GOODWIN, JULIAN SWALES, PATRICK FITZGERALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind