The band has a cult following in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, although the eclectic and unique sound Tindersticks possesses never made significant inroads in the mainstream.
Personnel
* Stuart Ashton Staples, born 14 November 1965 - Lead voice, guitar, melodica
* Dickon James Hinchliffe, born 9 July 1967 - violin, guitar, voice, piano, string and brass arrangements
* Neil Timothy Fraser, - born 22 November 1962 - lead guitar, vibraphone
* David Leonard Boulter, born 27 February 1965 - keyboards, percussion
* Alasdair Robert De Villeneuve Macaulay, born 2 August 1965 - drums, percussion, trumpet
* Mark Andrew Colwill, born 12 May 1960 - bass guitar
The band formed in late 1991, Staples, Boulter, Frazer, Macauley and Hinchcliffe having previously been members of Asphalt Ribbons. The final band line-up for the "old horse" mini-LP (1991) was: Stuart Staples (vocals) Dave Boulter (organ & accordion) Neil Fraser (guitar) Dickon Hinchliffe (Guitar & strings) Al Macauley (percussion & drums) John Thompson (bass). Mark Colwill was recruited when John Thompson left the Asphalt Ribbons, but it is not sure if he played any gigs under the Asphalt Ribbons name. Then they changed their name to Tindersticks after Stuart A. Staples discovered a box of German matches on a Greek beach.
Tindersticks started recording demo tapes in 1992, and were signed by Tippy Toe Records who released their first single, "Patchwork".
Their self-titled first and second albums established their signature sound and received widespread critical acclaim. Their live performances, often augmented by large string sections and even, on occasion, a full orchestra, were rapturously received. (The live album Bloomsbury Theatre 12.3.95 is a recording of one such concert.) By the time of the third album, Curtains, however, it was clear that a change of direction was called for. There was a certain ennui to the songs, and the lengthy "Ballad of Tindersticks" was a weary swipe at the pressures of being a touring band.
The fourth album, Simple Pleasure, lived up to its title with a series of snappy, direct songs influenced by soul music. The female backing vocals on several tracks, and the respectful cover of Odyssey's "If You're Looking For A Way Out", signalled the band's wish to move towards lighter, more soulful material. However, the inner sleeve's documentation of the number of takes each track went through was evidence that the band continued to adopt a painstaking approach to recording.
The fifth album, Can Our Love, continued the band's soulful direction, in particular evidence on the tender "Sweet Release" and in the nod to the Chi-Lites in the title of "Chilitetime".
The sixth and most recent album, Waiting For The Moon, was more stripped down and introspective in nature, particularly on the harrowing "4.48 Psychosis" (based on the play of the same name by the British playwright Sarah Kane) and "Sometimes It Hurts". Only the bouncy "Just A Dog" lightened the otherwise melancholy mood of the album.
In 2005 Staples embarked on a solo career and there was resultant speculation that the band had split. Staples has so far produced two solo albums, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04 and Leaving Songs. The title of the second album, and Staples' notes on it, indicate that Tindersticks may indeed be at an end: "These are songs written on the verge of leaving the things I loved and stepping into a new unknown life, both musically and personally. I was always aware that these songs were the end of something, a kind of closing a circle of a way of writing that I started so long ago and I knew I had to move on from."
In September 2006, the band played a one-off concert at London's Barbican Centre, performing their second album in full with a nine-member string section and two brass players, including former collaborator Terry Edwards on trumpet. This concert brought the band's members back together. A new recording process in 2007 resulted in a new album, The Hungry Saw, which was released on April 28th 2008.
In the meantime, in July 2007, Island Records had released The BBC Sessions, a double CD compilation of the band's sessions for BBC radio programmes. Also in 2007, a stripped-down line-up of three of the original band, Staples, Boulter and Fraser, spent time writing and recording in a newly-equipped studio in Limousin, France. They were joined by Thomas Belhom on drums and Dan McKinna on bass, with Ian Caple engineering. The resulting album, The Hungry Saw, was released on Beggars Banquet in April 2008. Tindersticks played a number of other European dates during the summer festival season and also announced a winter 2008 European tour.
In 2010, the eighth album Falling Down a Mountain was released on 4AD / Constellation Records with a changed band line-up, with Earl Harvin replacing Belhom on drums and David Kitt, a solo artist in his own right, joining the band on guitar and vocals.
The group's ninth album The Something Rain was released in February 2012.
As well as their nine studio albums, the band has produced the soundtracks for four films by the French director Claire Denis: Nenette et Boni,Trouble Every Day, 35 Rhums and White Material
They recorded a cover of the Four Tops song, "What Is A Man", for the theme to the British TV series The Sins.
The Tindersticks song Tiny Tears was featured prominently in the Series 1 episode "Isabella" of HBO's The Sopranos. Additionally, a version of "Running Wild" was played during the ending credits of the penultimate episode of the series, "The Blue Comet". In the Season One Finale of Brotherhood, "El Diablo En El Ojo" is used twice.
* Tindersticks (aka First Album) (This Way Up, 1993)
* Tindersticks (aka Second Album) (This Way Up, 1995)
* Curtains (This Way Up, 1997)
* Simple Pleasure (Island, 1999)
* Can Our Love... (Beggar's Banquet, 2001)
* Waiting for the Moon (Beggar's Banquet, 2003)
* BBC Sessions (2007)
On 17th October 2014, Tindersticks released the commissioned soundscapes from the In Flanders Fields WW1 museum in Ypres, Belgium.
See the band's site at www.tindersticks.co.uk.
Bear Suit
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She climbs over me
Pricks out her nails
Runs them over my proud belly
I'm a tired, hungry bear
Spoiled and sleepy
Her finger's on my zipper
I'm laying on my back
She climbs over me
Pricks out her nails
Runs them over my proud belly
I'm a tired, hungry bear
Spoiled and sleepy
Her finger's on my zipper
She pulls it down slowly
I'm not ready
Turn over, settle down again
Throw her off
But she is back again
I've been out all night
Get in at dawn
And I've still got honey
Dripping from my claws
I'm a tired, hungry bear
Spoiled and sleepy
Her finger's on my zipper
She pulls it down slowly
I'm not ready
Turn over, settle down again
Throw her off
But she is back again
The lyrics of the song Bearsuit by Tindersticks seem to hint at a sexual encounter between two people. The opening line sets the scene, with the singer lying on his back and a woman climbing over him. As she pricks out her nails and runs them over his belly, the mood intensifies. The metaphor of a bear appears throughout the song, with the singer describing himself as a "tired, hungry bear" that is spoiled and sleepy. Perhaps he feels as if he has indulged too much and cannot keep up with the woman's advances.
Despite the singer's hesitation, the woman continues to make advances by putting her finger on his zipper and pulling it down slowly. He tries to resist, telling her that he is not ready and settling down again. However, she persists in her attempts to arouse him, and he describes himself as throwing her off. However, she keeps coming back, even after the singer has been out all night and has honey dripping from his claws.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of surrendering to temptation even when feeling tired and unready. The singer seems to desire the woman's attention but is also aware of the risks of indulging too much, as represented by the bear metaphor. The song plays with the idea of giving in to temptation, the tension between desire and resistance.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm laying on my back
I am in a vulnerable position.
She climbs over me
She takes advantage of my vulnerable position.
Pricks out her nails
She exerts dominance.
Runs them over my proud belly
She demeans and humiliates me.
I'm a tired, hungry bear
I am exhausted and in need of rest and nourishment.
Spoiled and sleepy
I have been indulging in excess.
Her finger's on my zipper
She seeks to engage in sexual activity.
She pulls it down slowly
She is seducing me.
I'm not ready
I am hesitant and uncertain.
Turn over, settle down again
I try to resist and find comfort in solitude.
Throw her off
I attempt to reject her advances.
But she is back again
She persists in her pursuit of me.
I've been out all night
I have been indulging in wild and reckless behavior.
Get in at dawn
I return home in the early hours of the morning.
And I've still got honey
I have something of value to offer.
Dripping from my claws
I am still holding onto my worth despite my indulgences.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STUART ASHTON STAPLES, DAVID BOULTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Femme Skatale
I'm laying on my back She climbs over me Pricks out her nails Runs them over my proud belly I'm a tired, hungry bear Spoiled and sleepy Her finger's on my zipper She pulls it down slowly I'm not ready Turn over, settle down again Throw her off But she's back again
Katie Phillips
My favorite Tindersticks song.
LemonDom
I'm a tired hungry bear, who isnt? In this fast paced society...
Vaka Zumba
Was this sampled by Paul Kalkbrenner for "Dockyard"?