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.
Harry
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E rough floor. he couldn't be bothered to scratch at anything that might be nibbling away at him. he just lay on top of his kennel feeling thoroughly depressed. even his tail wouldn't wag.
Four months earlier, his owner (an elderly gentlemen whom harry had been devoted to ever since he was a puppy) had been temporarily forced to leave the country, leaving harry with a trustworthy, caring couple who lived around the corner. things hadn't been so bad at first: long walks, hearty dinners; even his kennel was in the same spot in their yard -- just to the right of the back door.
This is the same kennel that harry had now been moping on top of for three days. despite the best efforts of the young, caring couple to cheer him up -- offers of chicken and an endless stream of un-fetched balls sent rolling down the yard -- nothing could coax harry from his gloom. so, it was decided to send him to the vet.
Harry was a large dog and heavy-withered, and he was in no mood to climb down from his kennel and trot to the waiting car to travel two miles to the surgery. eventually, he was lifted, with the aid of a neighbor, onto a blanket and hobbled from kennel to car; from the car to the vet's. when, once, harry would have put up a fight before going within 500 yards of this place, during the whole journey, he never raised an eyebrow. of course, the vet could find nothing wrong with harry; mentioned depression; suggested chicken and balls; sent harry home to rest, still wrapped in the blanket. took seven days for the notification to come through. the owner had died in his sleep, leaving specific instructions for harry to be put down. harry was a dead dog.
The lyrics of Tindersticks's song Harry's Dilemma narrate the story of a dog named Harry who was left with a caring couple by his owner who had to leave the country temporarily. However, Harry, who was contented, woke up one morning feeling depressed and listless. Even the usual activities that he enjoyed such as begging for biscuits, rolling over, and scratching didn't interest him, so he just lay on top of his kennel feeling sad. The couple tried to cheer up Harry, but nothing worked, and they had to take him to the vet where he was diagnosed with depression. However, after seven days, they received a notification that Harry's owner had passed away and had left specific instructions for Harry to be put down.
The lyrics suggest that Harry's depression was a result of his owner's absence and his eventual death. Harry's inability to understand the reason for his owner leaving and the thought of being without him might have led to his depression. The story also raises the question of the morality of putting down a dog who is perfectly healthy physically but is suffering emotionally.
Overall, this song is a poignant reflection on the bond between humans and their pets, the feelings of loss and grief that come with separation or death, and the moral and ethical dilemmas that arise when dealing with the emotional wellbeing of animals.
Line by Line Meaning
Harry was a contented dog.
Harry was a happy dog.
But he awoke this morning and something was very wrong.
Something was wrong with Harry when he woke up one morning.
He couldn't be bothered to beg for mid-morning biscuits.
Harry showed a lack of interest in asking for his mid-morning biscuits.
He couldn't be bothered to roll over and rub his back on the rough floor.
Harry wasn't interested in rolling over and rubbing his back on the rough floor.
He couldn't be bothered to scratch at anything that might be nibbling away at him.
Harry wasn't interested in scratching at anything that might be biting him.
He just lay on top of his kennel feeling thoroughly depressed.
Harry lay on top of his kennel feeling extremely sad.
Even his tail wouldn't wag.
Harry's tail wasn't wagging.
Four months earlier, his owner (an elderly gentlemen whom Harry had been devoted to ever since he was a puppy) had been temporarily forced to leave the country, leaving Harry with a trustworthy, caring couple who lived around the corner.
Four months ago, Harry's owner had to leave the country and entrusted him to a caring couple who lived nearby.
Things hadn't been so bad at first: long walks, hearty dinners; even his kennel was in the same spot in their yard -- just to the right of the back door.
Harry had been treated well by the couple. He went on long walks, ate hearty dinners, and his kennel was in the same place in their yard.
This is the same kennel that Harry had now been moping on top of for three days. Despite the best efforts of the young, caring couple to cheer him up -- offers of chicken and an endless stream of un-fetched balls sent rolling down the yard -- nothing could coax Harry from his gloom.
Harry had been feeling depressed for three days and was staying on top of his kennel. Despite the couple's efforts to cheer him up with food and toys, he remained sad.
So, it was decided to send him to the vet.
The couple decided to take Harry to the vet.
Harry was a large dog and heavy-withered, and he was in no mood to climb down from his kennel and trot to the waiting car to travel two miles to the surgery. Eventually, he was lifted, with the aid of a neighbor, onto a blanket and hobbled from kennel to car; from the car to the vet's.
Harry was a big, aging dog who didn't want to move from his kennel. With the help of a neighbor, he was placed on a blanket and taken to the vet's office by car.
When, once, Harry would have put up a fight before going within 500 yards of this place, during the whole journey, he never raised an eyebrow.
Normally, Harry would have resisted going to the vet, but during this trip, he didn't even flinch.
Of course, the vet could find nothing wrong with Harry; mentioned depression; suggested chicken and balls; sent Harry home to rest, still wrapped in the blanket. It took seven days for the notification to come through; the owner had died in his sleep, leaving specific instructions for Harry to be put down.
The vet found no physical problems with Harry, diagnosed him with depression, and advised the couple to treat him with chicken and toys. After returning home wrapped in a blanket, it took seven days for them to receive the news that Harry's owner had passed away and instructed for Harry to be euthanized.
Harry was a dead dog.
Harry was put down by the vet.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALASDAIR MACAULAY, DAVID BOULTER, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, MARK ANTHONY STEPHEN COLWILL, NEIL TIMOTHY FRASER, STUART ASHTON STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind