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
When in Heaven
Kitchens of Distinction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She had everything she'd need
For the perfect day,
The perfect man takes her walking
Where no-one can stare.
She goes shopping and finds the perfect clothes
To wear for the perfect sleep
But down here
We're dreaming of cures, and drinking well tonight.
Forgetting all our sorrows, put away our fights
Until tomorrow comes around.
We sit in the pub waiting for the clubs to open.
We will be safe tonight and not wake up next to strangers
thinking I killed the one I loved.
He's drinking slowly, got a hangover
And a smoked up chest that's too tight.
I dream on.
Imagine what could happen after this drink
I'm wearing wings.
Join Lauren Bacall float up to heaven's gate.
Wearing danger smiles.
She'll meet with the stars,
They'll break down doors.
Those shining pearls float off in space.
I'm raving beautifully.
When Marilyn Monroe woke up in heaven
She had everything I'd need.
When I go to heaven and stand shivering before this god,
I'll try some complaining, "why that little tiny trick?"
Give me the pearls of love, of wisdom and of smiles.
Give me another chance, a beautiful set of wings.
In Heaven.
When I wake up in heaven.
The song "When in Heaven" by Kitchens of Distinction is a melancholic yet dreamy track that touches upon the concept of heaven and the longing to escape from the sorrows of life. The opening lines describe Marilyn Monroe waking up in heaven with everything she needs for a perfect day including the perfect man who takes her for a walk where no one can stare. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of heaven as a place where everything is perfect, and dreams come true.
In contrast, the song talks about life on earth where people are dreaming of cures and drinking to forget their sorrows. The line "put away our fights until tomorrow comes around" indicates that life is a cycle of problems, and people often seek temporary solutions to escape them. The song then moves into a verse that describes people sitting in a pub waiting for the club to open, where they hope to be safe and not wake up next to strangers. The chorus then reiterates the idea of escape through dreaming.
The song concludes with the singer dreaming of going to heaven and standing shivering before God where he tries to complain about the "little tiny trick" of life. He asks God to give him the pearls of love, wisdom, and smiles and another chance with a beautiful set of wings. The song conveys a sense of escapism and a desire for a perfect world beyond the problems of life on earth.
Line by Line Meaning
When Marilyn Monroe woke up in heaven,
Imagery of the late actress rising to heaven to commence a perfect day.
She had everything she'd need
Marilyn is surrounded by all the necessities for her perfect day in heaven.
For the perfect day,
She is about to embark on an ideal day.
The perfect man takes her walking
Marilyn spends this day with a perfect gentleman, they both take a walk.
Where no-one can stare.
Possibly in a private, serene place where no one is disturbing them.
She goes shopping and finds the perfect clothes
Marilyn shops to find the perfect attire for her perfect day.
To wear for the perfect sleep
Shopping is done to ensure she has the perfect outfit for sleep time.
But down here
Contrasting the beauty of heaven with the despair down on Earth.
We're dreaming of cures, and drinking well tonight.
People on Earth are hoping for medical breakthroughs as they drink the night away.
Forgetting all our sorrows, put away our fights
Drinking helps people bury their troubles and arguments for the night.
Until tomorrow comes around.
When the next day dawns, the problems and quarrels return once more.
We sit in the pub waiting for the clubs to open.
In anticipation of the night's entertainment, people wait for clubs to begin to let them in.
We will be safe tonight and not wake up next to strangers
Safety is considered important such that people don't suffer from having sex with strangers.
thinking I killed the one I loved.
Avoidance of drunken failures such as having killed a loved one is a consideration.
He's drinking slowly, got a hangover
The singer describes someone drinking carefully to avoid a hangover later.
And a smoked up chest that's too tight.
The drinker is coughing due to smoking, making their breathing difficult and restricted.
I dream on.
The artist continues to dream and hope for better possibilities.
Imagine what could happen after this drink
A statement presented to spur the imagination of what might happen after having more drinks.
I'm wearing wings.
A reference to the singer wearing fairy wings to contribute to his fantasy.
Join Lauren Bacall float up to heaven's gate.
Imagery of going to heaven and floating up to the gates alongside actress Lauren Bacall.
Wearing danger smiles.
Both the artist and Bacall smile in a dangerous, exciting way as they soar up to heaven.
She'll meet with the stars,
Bacall will have the opportunity to meet with heavenly stars.
They'll break down doors.
The stars may be able to grant them access to spaces that ordinarily would not be possible.
Those shining pearls float off in space.
Beautiful, unimaginable things may be witnessed in space.
I'm raving beautifully.
The singer is indulging himself in the madness of his own beautiful dream.
When Marilyn Monroe woke up in heaven
Repeating the opening line of the song.
She had everything I'd need.
The singer describes what he would also need upon getting to heaven.
When I go to heaven and stand shivering before this god,
A reference to facing a judgmental being up in heaven, while nervously shivering in front of him.
I'll try some complaining, "why that little tiny trick?"
The artist will attempt to respectfully complain about something that might look small, but felt big to him.
Give me the pearls of love, of wisdom and of smiles.
Asking for God to grant his desires of pearls representing love, wisdom, and smiles.
Give me another chance, a beautiful set of wings.
Requesting another chance to live and fly around with fairy wings like he's been fantasizing about.
In Heaven.
Closing the song with one word that captures what everybody in the song has been seeking: heaven.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAN GOODWIN, JULIAN SWALES, PATRICK FITZGERALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Plan 9
Great song!!!!
jess Ica
Sueño con el ...
Imagine lo que podría suceder después de esta bebida que llevo las alas.
Únete a Lauren Bacall flotar hasta la puerta del cielo.
El uso de las sonrisas de peligro. Ella va a cumplir con las estrellas,
que van a romper las puertas.
Las perlas brillantes flotando en el espacio.
Estoy delirando maravillosamente.
carl summ
Chloe Newnham played me this........I loved her and this song.......
BluePedal
Raving beautifully I am
Bruce WayneDickinson
gli U2 hanno copiato un tantino da loro, ma non sono riusciti a fare di meglio