Ambition was never the Pastels' strong suit, and luck was rarely on their side; as the group's members -- now including bassist Martin Hayward and drummer Bernice Simpson -- devoted their primary focus to their studies, new music appeared only sporadically and to little notice, on a seemingly random series of labels. After 1983's "I Wonder Why" was released on Rough Trade, they moved to Creation, where they hit their stride with the 1984 drone-pop gems "Something's Going On" and "A Million Tears." After one further single, 1985's "I'm Alright with You," the Pastels split with Creation, moving to the tiny Glass label. In 1986, their track "Breaking Lines" appeared on the influential C-86 collection assembled by the New Music Express, transforming the anorak movement into an overnight media sensation quickly accompanied by intense critical backlash.
Regardless of prevailing musical trends, however, the Pastels soldiered on: after recruiting one-time Shop Assistants keyboardist Aggi Wright, they recorded the 1986 single "Truck Train Tractor," followed by Crawl Babies and Comin' Through. Finally, in 1987 the group found time to assemble an LP, Up for a Bit with the Pastels, followed in 1988 by Suck on the Pastels, a collection of unreleased Creation-era material. In 1989, former Vaselines frontman Eugene Kelly and ex-Shop Assistant David Keegan joined the fold for Sittin' Pretty, the final LP to include Superstar, Hayward, and Simpson. The remaining duo of Pastel and Wright expanded to include Katrina Mitchell for the 1991 collaboration Jad Fair and the Pastels, followed by the 1994 EP Olympic World of Pastelism. Their third album, Mobile Safari, was released in 1995 by Domino in the U.K. (which began a long-running alliance) and Up Records in the U.S. It featured a lineup including longtime band associates Norman Blake and Gerald Love (both from Teenage Fanclub) and ex-Shop Assistant guitarist David Keegan, and a guest appearance from Luna's Dean Wareham.
Their next album, 1997's Illumination, was issued by the same configuration of record labels and featured a similar lineup, only with the addition of guitarist Jonathan Kilgour and guest shots from Belle & Sebastian's Isobel Campbell and pianist Bill Wells. A remix album, Illuminati, was released in 1998 and featured reworks of tracks by Kevin Shields, Stereolab, Cornelius, and other A-list indie rockers. This burst of recognition and activity was derailed when Wright decided to leave the band in 1998, throwing Mitchell and Pastel into a spin. Instead of jumping back into making music right away, the band went on hiatus while figuring things out. The duo next formed Geographic Records in 2000 as an offshoot of Domino, and began releasing records by friends (Future Pilot AKA, International Airport) and obscure acts (Nagisa Ni Te, Maher Shalal Hash Baz.) The band reappeared at last in 2003 with the mostly instrumental soundtrack for the film The Last Great Wilderness. The album was produced by the Sea and Cake's John McEntire and featured International Airport's Tom Crossley along with a vocal feature for Jarvis Cocker. A friendship with Japanese band Tenniscoats led to their next release, 2009's collaborative effort Two Sunsets. The core band was expanded to include Crossley and Mitchell's sister Alison, with Love still there, too. With the record label slowing its pace and releasing one album a year, the band turned toward recording an album of their own, and in 2013 their fifth record, Slow Summits, was released. McEntire was again in the producer's chair and guitarist John Hogarty had joined the ranks. Also on board as guests were To Rococo Rot's Stefan Schneider and Robert Lippok, as well as Norman Blake (again), and original bandmember Annabel Wright. (c)Jason Ankeny
2) An American 50s pop group formed by Dee Irwin while he was serving in the military. Consisted of DiFosco "Dee" T. Ervin Jr. himself, Richard Travis, Tony Thomas and Jimmy Willingham. They toured widely until splitting up in 1959.
Rough Riders
The Pastels Lyrics
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When they smiled it was sincere
And they frowned
Outsider european school
To me that's cool and absolute
Were they closer to the truth?
The concept is so loose
But when I think of them
I'm always in the world with you
From a friend to a friend
Look into my camera lens
See how the picture bends
If every moment
That defined our lives
Was signaled with a single harbour light
The colour flurry
Could not hurry
The timelessness I feel
When we're together
No blind to these
Shoddy shoddy times
I just want to linger
In those lights
Cause when I see them
I think of think of you
I'm always in the world with you
From a friend to a friend
Look into my camera lens
See how the picture bends
From a friend to a friend
Does a journey ever end?
And what did we intend?
Are we leaving
Or arriving?
The song "Rough Riders" by The Pastels paints a picture of a group of individuals who are perceived as outsiders in their European school, but carry themselves with confidence and sincerity. The singer of the song reflects on these individuals and their authenticity brings to mind someone they cherish. The lyrics suggest that while the concept of being "closer to the truth" is loose, these rough riders embody something genuine and inspiring. The mention of a camera lens also adds to the theme of capturing moments and memories that hold significance. The singer is seeking a timeless feeling with this person, to escape the shoddy times around them and revel in the beauty of their relationship.
The song is an ode to nostalgia and the power of relationships to transcend time and space. The singer is grappling with the idea of leaving or arriving, perhaps referring to the ups and downs of their friendship or the inevitability of change. The chorus, "From a friend to a friend, look into my camera lens, see how the picture bends," suggests that a photograph can preserve a moment but also distort it, much like memory can.
The song's emotions are folkish, with light guitar strokes and chirpy chords. It provides a feeling of serenity and simplicity. It captures the essence of Scottish and Irish indie folk-rock music of the 80s.
Line by Line Meaning
Rough riders in button downs
Men who were tough yet sophisticated in their button down shirts
When they smiled it was sincere
Their smiles were genuine and authentic
And they frowned
They also showed their true emotions by frowning
Outsider european school
They were from a school outside of the norm in Europe
To me that's cool and absolute
To the singer, this was interesting and definite
Were they closer to the truth?
The singer wonders if these men were closer to the truth in their actions and words
The concept is so loose
The idea of what is 'true' or 'cool' is abstract and varies from person to person
But when I think of them
Despite the abstract nature of the concept, the singer associates these men with someone else
I think of you
The singer thinks of the person they are always in the world with
I'm always in the world with you
The singer is always together with this person and feels their presence
From a friend to a friend
The singer is speaking to someone they consider a friend
Look into my camera lens
The singer wants their friend to see something through their perspective
See how the picture bends
The singer wants their friend to see how things can be distorted or changed
If every moment
If every significant moment in our lives
That defined our lives
That had a lasting impact on our lives
Was signaled with a single harbour light
If there was a clear signifier of these moments
The colour flurry
The chaos and variety of emotions and experiences
Could not hurry
Could not rush past us, no matter how fast or chaotic they were
The timelessness I feel
The singer feels like these moments and emotions are timeless and will always be with them
When we're together
When the singer is with the person they are always in the world with
No blind to these
The singer is not ignorant to the difficulties and challenges of life
Shoddy shoddy times
The tough, unpleasant moments of life
I just want to linger
The singer wants to enjoy and stay in the good moments for as long as possible
Cause when I see them
When the singer sees certain things or experiences
I think of think of you
They think of the person they are always in the world with
From a friend to a friend
The singer is still talking to their friend
Does a journey ever end?
The singer wonders if life is just one long journey that never truly ends
And what did we intend?
The singer reflects on what they wanted to accomplish or experience in their life
Are we leaving
The singer questions if they are leaving something behind
Or arriving?
Or if they are reaching a particular destination or goal
Contributed by Adalyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
djugel
easily one of the best songs ever,,.. real music,...
purr jarr
nothing can go wrong with the pastels
Lee Smith
I'm pretty sure I'm half of these views...