The founding members were Shirley Lee (lead vocals, guitar), Simon Calnan (vocals, keyboards), Martin Talbot (bass) and Ronan Larvor (drums). Talbot left soon afterward, to be replaced by James Parsons. Richard 'Dickon' Edwards later ended up joining as second guitarist, though leaving in 2000 to form Fosca. Parsons then took over second guitar duties, with Andy Lewis joining on bass.
Spearmint have released eight albums and many singles, all on their own label, hitBack, having a minor success with 1997's Sweeping The Nation and A Trip Into Space, both of which grazed the UK Top 75. We're Going Out received some airplay on BBC Radio 1 and was remixed by long-time Pet Shop Boys prodcuer Stephen Hague.
Their most recent studio album, Paris In A Bottle, was released in the summer of 2006.
During the initial few months of gigs around the homes of the band members in south-east London, Spearmint put out a run of 500 white label 7" singles featuring "Somebody" and an early version of "I Can't Sleep" on their own hitBack label. The song featured an unauthorised The Beatles sample, which should have made them infamous at the very least. It was not to be, but it was fiery enough to get a manager on board.
The original bass player left later that year, so the band advertised in Melody Maker for a new bass player and met James. He'd just parted ways with previous band Supersaurus and was really looking to play guitar, but they persuaded him to play bass with promises of records, glamour and riches, and he joined. As a double bonus he turned out to be a genius graphic artist, and would design all the band's record sleeves from then on.
"Goldmine" was recorded in January 1996. A producer, JB, had been recommended and he agreed to mix the track - and he has worked with the band ever since. Vital unexpectedly agreed to distribute the record, which was a massive boost, as the band probably hadn't even played in North London by this point.
By that summer the band started playing every back room in North London, and picking up fans left right and centre. By the end of spring '97 an unnamed indie record company had decided to put out the next single A Week Away, but weeks of dithering meant momentum was being lost. The band scraped together the cash and put it out by themselves once again. It sounded as if Spearmint had the sweetest horn section in pop, but it was Simon with a scratched The Four Tops record providing the driving sample behind the song.
After the big gap between 'Goldmine' and 'A Week Away', they got straight down to business with the next record, 'I Can't Sleep'. A reworked and remixed version of an old recording. It was backed with a 4-track cassette recording of Shirley's done the previous year called Songs For The Colour Yellow. It came out hot on the heels of 'A Week Away', and ever-increasing sales led to the record being released on CD as well.
The third single of 1997 was Sweeping The Nation. Based around a loop taken from the sublime Northern Soul classic "Out On The Floor" by Dobie Gray, it was released in November just as London's new alternative station XFM was taking shape. They couldn't get enough of it, and put it on their main playlist for 6 weeks. Along with several plays on daytime Radio 1, it meant that the song was impossible to ignore.
Over Christmas the band were mentioned in several papers - including The Times! - as one to watch in 1998, and immediately the band started work on another single A Trip Into Space. A totally re-written version of a song Shirley had composed in pre-Spearmint days. Again, XFM loved it to bits and it seemed to become a permanent fixture on the radio throughout March and April.
The band embarked on their first UK tour, with their Leeds show being recommended as gig of the week in the NME. The band also finally received full page interviews in both Melody Maker and NME, as well as dozens of fanzine articles from as far and wide as Berlin and Tokyo. And to crown it all, the band received their first national chart placing - number 82 with a bullet!
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Discography
Songs For The Colour Yellow (1998)
A Week Away (1999)
Oklahoma (2000)
A Different Lifetime (2001)
My Missing Days (2003)
A Leopard And Other Stories (2004)
The Boy And The Girl That Got Away (2005)
Paris In A Bottle (2006)
It Won't Be Long Now
Spearmint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You ever really need
I'm standing looking up
At the sign above this
Twenty-four months ago
The paintwork was perfect
The writing fashionable
Twenty-four months ago
It had so much potential
Maybe that was in my head
All the people
Who've done extra hours for me
All the people
Who keep things ticking over
They're just friends really
But when I'm in the money
I'll say thank you
I'm pretty sure of that
It won't be long now
It's the best it's been now
This shop is all I ever wanted
It's quiet now but all the signs are good
I've dropped my prices
I've increased my hours
Saved, borrowed
Done without
All my time and money have gone into this
I believe the tide has turned
This shop is me
This shop is this country
It's insignificant
But feels so important
In in your heart
You don't really expect me
To succeed with this
Just what exactly
Do you expect me to do?
This shop is me
This shop is this country
I spend so much time looking
I can no longer see
If in your heart
You don't really expect me
To succeed with this then
What exactly
(Do you expect of me?)
Do you expect of me?
(Sometimes I feel so down)
It won't be long now
(Can't you see I'm hurt)
It's the best it's been now
This shop sells everything
The Spearmint song "It Won't Be Long Now" tells the story of a shop owner's struggle to keep their business afloat. The lyrics capture the ups and downs of running a small business, exploring themes of determination, optimism, and insecurity.
The song begins with the singer standing outside their shop, which once had great potential but now seems to be struggling. The lyrics showcase the pride and determination that the owner feels for their business, despite financial hardships and a lack of support. The owner reflects on the hard work that has gone into the shop, including long hours and personal sacrifices.
The chorus of "It Won't Be Long Now" is anthemic, projecting hope and a sense of possibility. The owner believes that things are turning around for them and their shop, and they are proud of what they have accomplished. The song ends with a poignant plea for understanding - the owner acknowledges that success is not guaranteed, but they need encouragement and support to keep going.
Overall, "It Won't Be Long Now" is a moving portrait of the challenges and joys of owning a small business. The lyrics capture the emotional highs and lows of the experience, making it a relatable and empowering anthem for anyone pursuing their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
This shop sells everything
The shop is packed with everything you need
You ever really need
A one-stop shop for all the things you need
I'm standing looking up
Looking up to the sign of the shop
At the sign above this
The catchy sign that helped attract customers
Twenty-four months ago
Two years ago
The paintwork was perfect
The paint on the walls was perfect
The writing fashionable
The font style used on the signboard was trendy
The name, it seemed so funny
The name of the shop was humorous at the time
Twenty-four months ago
Two years back
It had so much potential
It held great promise of progress
Maybe that was in my head
Perhaps, I overestimated its potential
All the people
All those faithful to me
Who've done extra hours for me
Those who stayed at work beyond the expected hours, for my sake
Who keep things ticking over
Those who make sure things are in their desired state of operation
They're just friends really
Although working with me, they are just friends and not merely colleagues
But when I'm in the money
But when the shop becomes profitable
I'll say thank you
I'll appreciate them
I'm pretty sure of that
I can confidently say that
It won't be long now
The success of the shop is imminent
It's the best it's been now
The shop is currently at the height of progress
This shop is all I ever wanted
The shop represents all I've ever desired
It's quiet now but all the signs are good
Although business is slow now, the signs indicate a positive outcome
I've dropped my prices
I've reduced my prices to attract more customers
I've increased my hours
I'm putting in more hours of work to improve the prospects of the shop
Saved, borrowed
I've saved and borrowed money
Done without
I've lived without a lot of basic amenities
All my time and money have gone into this
I've put in all my resources to make this shop a success
I believe the tide has turned
I'm confident our bad fortunes will change soon
This shop is me
The shop is an extension of who I am
This shop is this country
The shop represents the nation
It's insignificant
It may seem insignificant, but it means everything to me
But feels so important
It carries great significance, despite how small it may seem on the outside
In in your heart
If you really know and understand me
You don't really expect me
You know I face challenges
To succeed with this
You don't think I can make a success of this
Just what exactly
What precisely
Do you expect me to do?
What solutions do you have for me?
I can no longer see
I'm losing sight of my dreams
If in your heart
If you understand and empathize with my situation
You don't really expect me
You know I face challenges
To succeed with this then
You don't have faith in my success
What exactly
What precisely
Do you expect of me?
What solutions do you have for me?
Sometimes I feel so down
I'm sometimes heartbroken and feel dejected
Can't you see I'm hurt
Don't you see that I'm struggling?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@damianomongiello9170
"It pains me we live in a world where nobody has heard of Spearmint"
@quasipfaff
Shit film
@pork7115
"I've never heard of them" ._.
@karlburkhamer994
500 Days of Summer.
@matti-juhanaikonen2770
23 years later, this tune is still absolutely rocking.
@spearmintofficial
Thank you so much
@skyline8734
Still my favorite song oat
@stevenodonnell2446
"The steps were steep but we ran up them". Always loved that line.
@telleyjim
Thanks
@miguel8293
I love this album from Japan.