The original group consisted of Stefan Cush (Vocals, Guitar), Paul Simmonds (Guitar, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Keyboards), Phil "Swill" Odgers (Vocals, Guitar, Tin Whistle, Melodica), Jon Odgers (Drums, Percussion) and Shanne Bradley (Bass, Flute).
Their first single, "The Green Fields of France", was released in 1984. Written by Eric Bogle (of 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda' fame), the song's protagonist imagined having a conversation with one of the fallen soldiers of World War I whilst sitting by his graveside. The song received considerable airplay on the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and finished at No.3 in Peel's Festive 50 for that year.
The following year came TMTCH's debut album, 'The Night of a Thousand Candles' and its accompanying single "Ironmasters" - this time a self-penned number by main songwriter Simmonds, linking the Industrial Revolution to the present-day treatment of the working class. The original final line of the song - "and oh, that iron bastard, she still gets her way" (a reference to the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) had to be removed for the single version to ensure radio airplay.
In 1985 the band signed for MCA records and released "How Green Is The Valley". The record included "Ghosts Of Cable Street" a political number concerning The Battle of Cable Street in 1936 and "Shirt Of Blue" which regarded the miners' strike of 1984-5 . At the end of promotion for the album Shanne Bradley was replaced on bass by Ricky McGuire (ex UK Subs ).
In 1987 the band switched to Magnet Records and the new record released was, what may fans consider their best "Waiting For Bonaparte". Once again the strongest songs were stories of historical origin. "The Colours" told of an English mutineer sailor during the Napoleonic War and "The Crest" a stretcher bearer during World War II. Sadly whilst "The Colours" was at no.61 in the British top 75 it was blacklisted by Radio 1 due to the line "You've Come Here To Watch Me Hang", which echoed the events happening in South African townships at the time.
In 1988 the band were on the move again and signed for new label Silvertone (who later put out The Stone Roses debut release). Highlights of "Silvertown" included "Rain, Steam and Speed", "A Place In The Sun" and "A Map Of Morocco". They followed this up in 1990 with "The Domino Club" , which had a more conventional rock sound dispensing with much of the folk element in their sound.
Surprisingly the band split in 1991 after releasing a live set "Alive, Alive-0". Paul Simmonds and "Swill" Odgers then formed Liberty Cage who released an album "Sleep Of The Just" in 1994 and an EP "I'll Keep It With Mine" in 1995.
To the delight of their fans the band reformed (minus drummer Jon Odgers who had become Therapy? drum technician). Their new cd was "Never Born To Follow", released on the Demon label in 1996. The following year the band released the mini-album "Six Pack". Two "Best Of" collections followed "Majestic Grill" and "The Mud, The Blood And The Beer" both 1998.
The band again withdrew into semi retirement during which Odgers and Simmonds again relased new material together, "Baby Fishlips" in 1999 and "Folk At The Fortress" in 2002.
The band released a brand new cd in 2003 "The Cherry Red Jukebox", which most fans agreed was a real return to form. In 2005 the band released a DVD to celebrate 21 years together "21 Years Of Love And Hate". This was later released as a live double CD "Smugglers and Bounty Hunters". The band continue to play occasional live concerts. Their next planned release is an acoustic folk orientated cd, including reworking of several popular old songs from their back catalogue.
During breaks from the band "Swill" Odgers has released two Cd's with his band "The Swaggerband" which includes Ricky McGuire and Jon Odgers plus lyrical contribution from Paul Simmonds. They are "The Day After" in 2004 and "Elvis Lives Here" on Irregular Records in 2006.
Official Website http://www.tmtch.net/
Island In The Rain
The Men They Couldn't Hang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there I'll take a ferry boat
That ferry sails across the Solent waters deep
To an island like a castle with a moat
I'll leave the empty shores of Hythe and Netley Bay
The smoke of Fawley soon will fade
And I'll be bound where something undecided waits
A memory or a useless masquerade
Before the season or the weather's change
I'm searching for the ghosts that haunt this island view
One looks like me one has the face of you
I'll go to bars we used to go to every day
To Tennyson's statue carved in stone
It's stayed the same throughout the passing of the years
But we were made of faithless flesh and bone
This time of year it rains on every empty beach
This time of year the summer souvenirs are gone
No slot machines, candy floss or novelties
Like love affairs picked up and lost along the prom
There's only lovers walking in the rain
The way we did before another sea-son came
Ghosts, shadows, spirits of a dream
Or just players in a scene?
The Men They Couldn't Hang's song Island In The Rain is about a journey to an island that holds memories of days gone by. The singer takes a ferry boat across Solent waters to an island that seems like a castle with a moat. The journey takes him away from the empty shores of Hythe and Netley Bay, leaving behind the smoke of Fawley. He is bound for the island where something undecided waits, whether it be a memory or a useless masquerade.
Upon arriving at the island, the singer is searching for the ghosts that haunt this island view. One looks like him and one has the face of someone else. He goes to the bars they used to go to every day and visits Tennyson's statue carved in stone. It has stayed the same throughout the passing of the years while they were made of faithless flesh and bone. This time of year, it rains on every empty beach and the summer souvenirs are gone. There are no slot machines, candy floss or novelties; only lovers walking in the rain like they did before another season came.
The song talks about the ghosts, shadows, and spirits of a dream, or just players in a scene. The island in the rain holds memories for the singer, and he is searching for something he cannot quite pinpoint. The lyrics are introspective and reflective, and evoke a sense of nostalgia and melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll take a journey through the town to dock gate one
I will start my journey from the town where I will reach dock gate one
And there I'll take a ferry boat
Once I reach dock gate one, I will board a ferry boat
That ferry sails across the Solent waters deep
The ferry will sail across the deep Solent waters
To an island like a castle with a moat
The ferry will take me to an island which looks like a castle surrounded by a moat
I'll leave the empty shores of Hythe and Netley Bay
From the town, I am leaving the empty shores of Hythe and Netley Bay behind
The smoke of Fawley soon will fade
The smoke of Fawley will soon disappear as I move away from it
And I'll be bound where something undecided waits
I will reach a place where something is waiting for me but I am unsure of what that is
A memory or a useless masquerade
It could be a memory from the past or just a pointless act
Back to the island in the rain
I am returning to the island where it is currently raining
Before the season or the weather's change
I want to reach the island before there is any change in season or weather
I'm searching for the ghosts that haunt this island view
My purpose of returning to the island is to search for ghosts that are believed to exist there
One looks like me, one has the face of you
The ghosts that are haunting the island consist of one that resembles me and the other that resembles you
I'll go to bars we used to go to every day
I am planning to visit the bars which we used to frequent every day in the past
To Tennyson's statue carved in stone
I will also visit Tennyson's statue which is made of stone
It's stayed the same throughout the passing of the years
Although years have passed, the statue remains the same
But we were made of faithless flesh and bone
Unlike the statue, we were human beings and our bodies were not everlasting
This time of year it rains on every empty beach
At this time of year, it rains on every beach which is empty
This time of year the summer souvenirs are gone
During this season, all the summer souvenirs have been removed
No slot machines, candy floss or novelties
There are no slot machines, candy floss or novelties left behind
Like love affairs picked up and lost along the prom
These things are like love affairs which were started and ended on the promenade
There's only lovers walking in the rain
The only thing left now are lovers who are walking in the rain
The way we did before another season came
This is just like the way we used to walk in the rain before another season arrived
Ghosts, shadows, spirits of a dream
The ghosts and shadows which I am searching for could be imaginary or just a dream
Or just players in a scene?
I am not sure if these are real ghosts or just people playing a part in a scene
Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John LaStrada
This a marvelous song -- everything -- the vocals, music, lyrics, musicianship -- absolutely stunning. This entire LP & band itself is stellar.
Mark Waterhouse
Thanks. Brought best years of my life back with this and the album. How did I forget about this album, one of the best live acts in history too
Andy lec58
Great night at the Fleece in Bristol, hope to repeat when the situation allows
Mike R
Great band, totally underrated. Saw them at the Town and Country club in the early 90s in Camden a few times. Still listen to their stuff now.
Mark Waterhouse
Me too
Susan Cooper
Remember hearing them singing this at a gig in 88. Brilliant then and still is
Christian-Albrecht Groddeck
After so many years, we meet us as first, the music from the band is still awesome, thankyou friends.
Dave Dai Rees
Beautiful ❤
Henk Loobuyck
great song !
John Scott
This song brought me from Cape Town to Corby, still searching for those ghosts