The sisters first attracted attention with their debut Just Between You and Me. Their first single, "Please," was an impassioned plea and remains the highest debuting single by a female duo in country music history, while the album's title track was a top ten smash. The album was certified gold and is now approaching the platinum sales mark. They were named the Best New Duo by the Academy of Country Music and garnered more than 20 nominations from the Grammy's, the Country Music Association and the American Music Awards. They also scored a hit with the inspirational "Somebody's Out There Watching," from the Touched By An Angel soundtrack, which to date is multi-platinum. The song was also a cut on their sophomore project, The Kinleys II.
"We love to sing separately, but there is something that is exhilarating about putting our voices together," says Jennifer. "At certain points when we're singing, the two of us really do become one sound. It's hard to explain, but it's an amazing feeling." "It's like we're connecting on another level," continues Heather. "We know each other so well that we thought that was impossible, but when we bring our voices together, it's a different kind of bonding experience."
Life following The Kinleys II brought a lot of changes, like the twins' departure from Sony Records and their joyful embarkment into motherhood. After years of touring to support their first two records, Jennifer and Heather decided to take a few years off to start their families, which have inspired their lives, their music, and the title of their latest album, All In The Family, which is on their newly formed record label, Identical Records. To further the family connection on this project, The Kinleys turned to Jennifer's husband, singer/songwriter/producer Adam Hughes, to produce, and with Heather's husband, Mark Mendenhall, leading the management team, All In The Family, truly does mean, All In the Family. "Working with Adam in the studio brought a comfort level and an exciting exploratory production style that we never had before," Heather said. "There is a fine line between over and under producing any artist. My personal relationship with these girls and my knowledge of their musical styles really helped me to find the balance for this new project," says Hughes. "They challenged me to help them finally make a record that was all them, full of the variety of music that embodies who they are. I think we've covered the bases on All In The Family. "
The twins grew up in Philadelphia, and have been performing together since they were 8. They sorted through their parent's records and found themselves singing a wide range of music, from the Andrew Sisters to Tammy Wynette, to the Everly Brothers. They learned how to hone their harmony craft by imitating those Everly sounds they loved so much, and eventually started listening to the local country radio station. They soon became huge fans of the family harmony of the Judds. "We didn't categorize what we were singing, we just sang what we loved. And we still do that today," says Jennifer.
"I love where we are right now in our lives," says Jennifer, and in typical twin fashion Heather rushes to finish the thought with, "Things couldn't be better, and we are truly, truly blessed."
The Real Thing
The Kinleys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't want your notes on the wall
Don't want your voice on the phone machine baby
Don't want your stuff in the hall
Don't want your smell on the pillow next to me
No roses at my front door
No dedication on the radio station
Don't want your picture in a frame on the table
Don't want your notes on the wall
Don't want your voice on the phone machine baby
Don't want your stuff in the hall
Don't want your smell on the pillow next to me
No roses at my front door
No dedication on the radio station
No substitutions no more
I just want the real thing that's how it is
Your tender touch baby, your sweet kiss
No imitation darling, that's not my business
I'm talking ‘bout the genuine thing
The real thing
Don't wanna hear about how much you miss me
And wish you had a little more time
But if you really want to try to convince me
Try with your lips next time
I just want the real thing that's how it is
Your tender touch baby, your sweet kiss
No imitation darling, that's not my business
I'm talking ‘bout the genuine thing
The real thing
In my arms, in the flesh
A little ole fashioned tenderness
No ruby ring, no taj mahal
I just need you and that's all
I just want the real thing that's how it is
Your tender touch baby, your sweet kiss
No imitation darling, that's not my business
I'm talking ‘bout the genuine thing
The real thing
Don't wanna hear about how much you miss me
And wish you had a little more time
But if you really want to try to convince me
Try with your lips next time
I just want the real thing that's how it is
Your tender touch baby, your sweet kiss
No imitation darling, that's not my business
I'm talking ‘bout the genuine thing
The real thing
In my arms, in the flesh
A little ole fashioned tenderness
No ruby ring, no taj mahal
I just need you and that's all
I just want the real thing that's how it is
Your tender touch baby, your sweet kiss
No imitation darling, that's not my business
I'm talking ‘bout the genuine thing
The real thing
The Kinleys' "The Real Thing" is a song about how the singer desires authenticity over the superficial trappings of the relationship. She does not want reminders of her partner, such as pictures or notes, around the house or in her life, nor does she want the meaningless symbols of affection, such as the radio dedications or flowers. Rather, she wants the true connection and genuine love that comes from her partner's touch and kiss. She is not interested in imitation or substitutions, but only the real thing.
The singer's insistence on the genuine article in her relationship speaks to a universal desire for authenticity in all aspects of life. In a world that often values image and materialism, it can be easy to lose sight of what is truly important, which is the emotional connection between people. The Kinleys' song "The Real Thing" serves as a reminder that love is not about appearances or gestures, but about the genuine feelings between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't want your picture in a frame on the table
I don't need a reminder of you in a picture on display
Don't want your notes on the wall
I don't need your words written out for me to see
Don't want your voice on the phone machine baby
I don't need to hear your voice over the phone to know how you feel
Don't want your stuff in the hall
I don't need your material possessions around me to remember you
Don't want your smell on the pillow next to me
I don't need your scent lingering on my pillow to feel close to you
No roses at my front door
I don't need grand gestures like flowers to know you care
No dedication on the radio station
I don't need a public declaration of your love through a dedication on the radio
No substitutions no more
I don't want anyone else, I want the real thing
I just want the real thing that's how it is
All I want is a genuine connection with you
Your tender touch baby, your sweet kiss
I want your physical affection that is unique to you
No imitation darling, that's not my business
I don't want a fake relationship, I want authenticity
I'm talking ‘bout the genuine thing
I want a true love connection, nothing less
Don't wanna hear about how much you miss me
I don't need to hear about how much you miss me, actions speak louder than words
And wish you had a little more time
I don't need to know you wish we had more time, let's make the most of what we have now
But if you really want to try to convince me
If you really want to show your love, show it physically
Try with your lips next time
Show me through your actions, specifically through a kiss
In my arms, in the flesh
I want to physically hold and be close to you
A little ole fashioned tenderness
I want a classic, sweet and loving relationship
No ruby ring, no taj mahal
I don't need grand gestures like expensive jewelry or architecture, just your love
I just need you and that's all
All I need is you and our genuine connection
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind