While at art college in Reading, Liam met David Westlake and Joe Wilson, who would both contribute to the first three albums and join the band on tour. When F.R.I.S.K. performed a gig with this line-up they later recorded some demos with Chris singing - these were considered the next stage in the evolution of Chis and Liam's professional partnership; another in an ever-improving set of smaller projects intended for a few thousand records at most. Drafting in Ian Pickering in 1995 to help with lyrics, they recruited Kelli Dayton for vocal duties after seeing her singing in a pub in Reading. The name 'Sneaker Pimps' itself was taken from a Beastie Boys article about a man they hired to track down classic shoes.
The first single Roll On preceded the first album, followed by Spin Spin Sugar, Post-Modern Sleaze, 6 Underground and Tesko Suicide. The album contains a myriad of 90s pop-culture references (such as film Thelma and Louise) coupled to dark double entendres and puns on drug taking and suicide. It was wildly successful everywhere: in America it remains their only real hit. In 2005, the song "Post-Modern Sleaze" (from the Becoming X album) was used as the theme song for Matroesjka's, an acclaimed Flemish drama series about Eastern European prostitutes and Belgians involved in the related sex trade.
Becoming X was "toured to death" over two years, particularly in America where the toll on Chris led to mental instability chronicled in the song Low Five. Depending on who you believe, Kelli Dayton left the band in 1998 or was sacked, going on to a solo career as Kelli Ali. The band trialled new vocallists, demoing some new songs with Icelandic chanteuse Emilíana Torrini, but coupled with the feeling that these demos fit Corner's voice better, and the fear of being identified with the fad for trip-hop acts, Corner became the singer. The Line of Flight studio was moved from Hartlepool to London and production on the next album started immediately.
1999's Splinter features the back of Chris' head, symbolizing the break with Kelli and his not feeling up to the responsibility of being a 'front man'. Dayton's departure, while lamented by many, was positively received by some critics who felt that it gave the band a more honest, emotional timbre and a more uniquely identifiable sound, especially with regard to the rawer and more personal quality of the lyrics. The album's production retains the sampled style of Becoming X while being edgier, less beat-driven, and at times more psychedelic. Due to wrangles with Virgin Records, the album was self-released on their own Clean Up label and not released in the US. Without significant promotion, and the lack of obvious singles that Becoming X had shown, the album was not as successful, but the favourable critical response led the band to set up their own club night in London. Called 'Home Taping' and hosted at the [venue]ICA[/venue], it invited celebrities and musicians to submit their own cassette mixes for the night's entertainment, and the odd live set by the band. Allegedly, one was even received by Madonna.
For 2002's Bloodsport, the band decamped to France and Germany, recording in a farmhouse while capturing the trans-European essence of Berlinesque "new-wave punk". Liam Howe was unavailable, so long-term associate and friend Chris Tate was brought in for synthesizer duties. The album was a glossier affair than before and included Flood on production duties rather than the band. On Bloodsport's release (including this time the US via Tommy Boy Records) the album was a comparative flop, but made the Austrian top twenty. Its singles were more successful in both the UK and Europe.
Sneaker Pimps recorded demos, previewed live in Russia and on European radio in 2003 for an unknown movie soundtrack and a fourth album tentatively titled 'Recall' or 'Songs of Imaginary Beings'. The album was never released; Chris and Liam purportedly shelved the tracks as a Sneaker Pimps album for several reasons. One, they contained some very emotional songs penned by Corner that were felt to be more suitable for a solo project, and two, in some cases were simply not being good enough to be released. The band eventually drifted apart during protracted sessions for the 4th album: many of the 'SP4' demos leaked and have been rereleased by Chris Corner's solo project IAMX on 2004's Kiss and Swallow and 2006's The Alternative. Another solo project, not including Corner or Howe, was the nu-rave and Madchester influenced Trash Money.
In late 2006, it emerged that seven new demos had been found and leaked from a portable music player left in a Russian bar. The demos, including "Rush", "Samaritan", "Sun Ate The Moon", "The Shutdown" and "Satellite" all sung by a new female singer believed to be Paris Hampton and referred to by fans as 'SP5. The band did not comment on the leaking of this material until 2015 when Liam Howe confirmed that "the Magnificent 7" had been recorded by Sneaker Pimps exploring a new, poppier sound.
Joe and David left the band to work in film production and academia. Liam Howe went on to have a successful career in music production, while Chris moved to Berlin and later Los Angeles as IAMX enjoyed a sustained alternative career, releasing Kingdom of Welcome Addiction in 2009, Dogmatic Infidel Comedown Ok in 2010, Volatile Times in 2011, The Unified Field in 2013, Metanoia in 2016, Everything is Burning in 2017, Unfall in 2018, Alive in New Light in 2019 and Echo, Echo in 2020. Ian Pickering launched his new project The Noise who Runs in 2020.
Chris and Liam continued to tease working together on new projects throughout various IAMX eras, including a session initially planned as Sneaker Pimps material becoming the Liam-produced IAMX mini-album "Everything is Burning".
In 2019, singer Simonne Jones was confirmed as the new featured singer of Sneaker Pimps which then began recording their new album together in earnest. Finally in May 2021, 18 years after their last album was released, the Squaring the Circle era was announced with two new singles, "Fighter" and "Squaring The Circle," which were released in July.
A remix album 'Rework Collection 1' was released in August, and their fourth full studio record 'Squaring The Circle' was released on September 10th, 2021 on Chris Corner's label UNFALL Productions. 'Squaring The Circle' features material recorded with both Simonne and Chris on lead vocals.
More remix albums and a re-release of the band's older records is also planned, with the band regaining copy and distribution rights of 'Becoming X' and 'Splinter' via One Little Independent Records and the ongoing negotiations of a re-release of 'Bloodsport' with Tommy Boy Records.
How Do
Sneaker Pimps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who is this?
No one but me, my dear
Please, come say, "How Do"
The things I'll give to you
A stroke as gentle as a feather
I am here
Am I not young and fair?
The things I'll show to you
Would you have a wondrous site
The midday sun at midnight?
Fair maid, white and red
Comb you smooth and stroke your hair
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Ha ah, ha ah
The lyrics to Sneaker Pimps' song "How Do" have an ethereal and haunting quality that can be interpreted in various ways. The song's opening line, "Hey oh, who is this? No one but me, my dear," suggests a mysterious and perhaps otherworldly speaker. The second line, "Please, come say 'How do,' the things I'll give to you," could be interpreted as an invitation to join a cult or engage in a forbidden relationship. The idea of a "stroke as gentle as a feather" indicates an approach that is both seductive and gentle.
The next verse, "Hey oh, I am here, am I not young and fair?" could be interpreted as a reflection on beauty and youth, which have a limited lifespan. The lyric "the things I'll show to you would you have a wondrous site, the midday sun at midnight" could be seen as an allusion to the surreal or magical. The final verse consists of the singer addressing a "fair maid, white and red" and lightly touching her hair.
Overall, "How Do" is a song that leaves much open to interpretation. The lyrics could be seen as referencing an otherworldly being or a relationship that is forbidden or taboo. The images used in the lyrics, such as "the midday sun at midnight," add to the dreamlike and surreal nature of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey oh
Starting the song with a greeting
Who is this?
Asking the listener who they are
No one but me, my dear
Answering the previous question and stating that the singer is the only one present
Please, come say, "How Do"
Asking the listener to say hello
The things I'll give to you
Promising to give the listener something
A stroke as gentle as a feather
Describing the gentle touch that the listener will receive
Hey oh
Repeating the greeting from earlier
I am here
Stating that the artist is present
Am I not young and fair?
Asking if the artist is attractive
The things I'll show to you
Promising to show the listener something
Would you have a wondrous site
Asking if the listener wants to see something wonderful
The midday sun at midnight?
Describing the wonderful thing the listener will see
Fair maid, white and red
Referring to the listener as a fair maid with red and white complexion
Comb you smooth and stroke your hair
Describing the gentle touch that the listener will receive
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Repeating a laughing sound
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Repeating a laughing sound
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Repeating a laughing sound
Ha ah, ha ah, ha ah
Repeating a laughing sound
Ha ah, ha ah
Repeating a laughing sound
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Dp, Chris Corner, Liam Coverdale-Howe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heather Taylor
These lyrics, though... fans self
------------------------------
Hey oh...
Who is this?
No one but me, my dear
Please, come...say "How Do"
The things I'll give to you:
A stroke as gentle as a feather...
Hey oh...
I am here;
Am I not young & fair?
Please, come...say "How Do"
The things I'll show to you:
Would you have a wonderous site,
The midday sun at midnight?
Fair maid, white & red...
Comb you smooth & stroke your hair
TohokuM
Man this album brings back so many memories. I used to work late at night and deliver the paper by car. I would throw the papers from my car window to people's door steps, at like 2am and play this CD in my car. It was so serene and peaceful with nobody else on the road at that time. It was a strange time too. My girl was going to college and I moved up to NorCal to be with her and I worked late at night and went to a tech school in the day time. This was right before 9/11. So much shit has changed since then, and I lost contact with that girl. I was so at peace back then but I had my head in the clouds and was do dumb to everything. But it was music like this and Air and Hooverphonic that got me through my nights. Here I am now at midnight in Japan during the summer heat rediscovering this music and trying to still get my shit together. Life is crazy man.
Mary d'Entremont
I feel connected to your words. I listen to this while I walk my dog in the middle of the night thru my small new home in nc the triangle.
Scrateshooter
@Anna Veltheim
I remember listening to this album at 4 A.M. driving through Tucson, AZ in November 1998.
Armando Osuna
Japan is a long way from NorCal friend. I bet you never thought you'd go that far? Do we ever truly have our shit together? I discovered this album late but definitely remember waking up to 6 underground, one Sunday morning and recorded it on my tape player.lol That was downloading music back then right lol?
MARSBELLA1
bring the peace back x
Larry Larry
Damn I felt that man
antifrenzy
This song was my go-to "home from clubbing at age 19 at 4 am while travelling and lost in international airports" song. I'd come home or board a plane to Malta or Rome, coming down from dancing all night, in my tight dress, the sun on the horizon, ready to fall asleep. Ready to sleep. This song makes me feel 19 again. Life is so much harder now. And that's okay. It really is. But this song helps me remember that it doesn't have to be. I can still feel infinite at sunrise.
Judge Dredd
antifrenzy I feel you.
Turtleproof
I've loved the Sneaker Pimps cover since I was in highschool, having no idea it came from The Wicker Man. Watching it right now and this scene with Willow is hypnotizing. Such a modern sound for a song from 1973.
NyahsMom26
No its pretty indy 70s sounding. Sneaker Pimps just MADE it modern sounding. I'm glad I didn't know about the ref. Kinda liked having an innocent mind like that. Now I hear it differently. That was a dark movie.... Good but woah