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.
For Those
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two hours twenty minutes
To one, five past
Now it's laying somewhere out there in the ground
And I've lost you
I was cheated
It was something belonged only to me
And now it's gone through my own stupidity
I was cheated
Two whole years spent earning your love
Now it's hanging around in the clouds
Well I've lost you
I was cheated
I'm cheated by my own vanity
Whispering rumours, bullying me
Well I spent it
It wasn't worth it
And for those who are not so beautiful as her
Not giving excuses, but oh...
When it's originally tossed away
It can easily be reclaimed by her
By her
All those years spent building myself up
Trying to stop my staring
And start taking two steps instead of one
But they're so gone now
Chorus
The song "For those..." by Tindersticks is a heart-wrenching piece about lost love, regret and self-realization. The song opens with an account of a moment in time, two hours and twenty minutes passing by as the singer laments the loss of his lover. He blames his own stupidity for this loss and feels cheated by his own vanity. The singer acknowledges the two whole years he spent earning her love which have now vanished like a cloud. The chorus repeats the fact that he is cheated and lost her.
The second verse is about the singer reflecting on the years he spent building up his self-worth and trying to better himself. The singer highlights how he tried to stop his staring and start taking two steps instead of one. Here, the singer reflects on the progress he had made before he lost her. Towards the end of the song, the singer seems to address women who may not be as beautiful as his former lover by saying that they should not give up hope because love can be easily reclaimed.
Overall, the song captures deep emotions of hurt, regret, and remorse in its lyrics, emphasizing how the singer's choices affected his love life.
Line by Line Meaning
Two hours twenty minutes
Time elapsed from a specific event
To one, five past
Specific time mentioned
Now it's laying somewhere out there in the ground
The lost opportunity that cannot be reclaimed
And I've lost you
The person has lost the affection of someone special
I was cheated
The person feels like they were tricked or played
It was something belonged only to me
The person had a unique relationship with the other that was deeply personal
And now it's gone through my own stupidity
The person feels responsible for the loss due to their own actions
Two whole years spent earning your love
The length of time spent trying to win over the other person
Now it's hanging around in the clouds
The love that was once present is now intangible and out of reach
I'm cheated by my own vanity
The person's own pride and self-centeredness contributed to the loss
Whispering rumours, bullying me
Other people may have played a role in the destruction of the relationship
Well I spent it
The time and effort spent pursuing the relationship was wasted
It wasn't worth it
The outcome of the relationship was not worth the effort invested
And for those who are not so beautiful as her
The person acknowledges that not everyone is as lucky as they were to have someone so special
Not giving excuses, but oh...
The person realizes that they may have made mistakes or been at fault
When it's originally tossed away
Once something has been lost, it is difficult to get it back
It can easily be reclaimed by her
Despite the difficulties, the other person still has the power to bring the relationship back
By her
The focus is on the other person and their role in the relationship
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALASDAIR MACAULAY, DAVID BOULTER, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, MARK ANTHONY STEPHEN COLWILL, NEIL TIMOTHY FRASER, STUART ASHTON STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheFatboyjimbob
I skipped past this a bit too quickly many years ago, I loved all sorts of Tindersticks tracks, but this keeps rising up and is one I listen to over and over again. Probably one of the best arranged songs I have heard.
Giorgi Kvintradze
One of the best track of tindersticks!
josiah montgomery
I love this song
Craig Cavanagh
A thing of rare beauty
Elisa Vieira
I love Tindersticks thanks for sharing
DMC Hosking
and I lost it...it wasnt worth it..
ANDY KING
i was cheated
Carlos Luís
love pain .....
lamy jeannette
Super