Tindersticks are an alternative band from Nottingham, England. Their sound … Read Full Bio ↴Tindersticks are an alternative band from Nottingham, England. Their sound is characterized by a synthesis of orchestral backing, lounge jazz, and soul; the lush orchestrations of multi-instrumentalist Dickon Hinchliffe and the smoky baritone of lead vocalist Stuart A. Staples are the band's hallmarks. Tindersticks have employed electric guitars, as most rock bands have done, but augment their instrumentation with a wide array of instruments: Rhodes piano, glockenspiel, vibraphone, violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, bassoon, Hammond organ, and many more are prominently utilized in the music of Tindersticks.
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.
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.
If You
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you're looking for a way out
I won't stand in your way
If you're looking for a way out
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Oh baby tell me I'm wrong
Just say I'm crazy
It's with me that you belong
It's never easy when lovers have to part
Oh come on stop pretending
Tell me what's in your heart
If you're looking for a way out
I won't stand in your way
If you're looking for a way out
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Baby don't run away
Baby don't run away
Say that you'll stay
Oh come on stop pretending
Tell me what's in your heart
If you're looking for a way out
I won't stand in your way
If you're looking for a way out
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Baby don't run away
Stop pretending
Please baby now
Stop pretending
Please baby now
Stop pretending
Won't you tell me what's in your heart?
Please baby now, stop pretending
Don't you know that I'll always, stop pretending
Please baby now, stop pretending
Won't you tell me what's in your heart?
I won't stand in your way
If you're looking for a way out
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Just say I'm crazy
It's with me that you belong
It's never easy when lovers have to part
Oh come on stop pretending
Tell me what's in your heart
If you're looking for a way out
I won't stand in your way
If you're looking for a way out
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Baby don't run away
Baby don't run away
Say that you'll stay
Oh come on stop pretending
Tell me what's in your heart
If you're looking for a way out
I won't stand in your way
If you're looking for a way out
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
They'll only make you wanna stay
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
To keep you from running away
Baby don't run away
Stop pretending
Please baby now
Stop pretending
Please baby now
Stop pretending
Won't you tell me what's in your heart?
Please baby now, stop pretending
Don't you know that I'll always, stop pretending
Please baby now, stop pretending
Won't you tell me what's in your heart?
The lyrics of "If You're Looking for a Way Out" by Tindersticks deal with a classic theme of love and heartbreak. The singer acknowledges that the other person might be considering ending the relationship and suggests that they shouldn't look back and leave. The singer tries to convince the other person to stay by telling them that they won't stand in the way if the other person wants to go but also that they should not let the tears they see in the singer's eyes deter them. Still, the lyrics reveal the singer's vulnerability and fear of being left alone. They plead with the other person to stop pretending and open up about their feelings. In the end, the song can be interpreted as a plea for communication and honesty in relationships.
Overall, the song's message is quite universal, and its delivery is poignant and emotional. The singer's voice adds a touch of intimacy and tenderness, making the listener empathize with the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're looking for a way out
If you want to leave, I won't stop you
I won't stand in your way
I won't prevent you from leaving
Don't stop at the tears that I'm crying
Don't be swayed by my tears and stay if you want to leave
They'll only make you wanna stay
My tears might make you feel guilty and stay, but don't let that be the reason
Don't kiss me again 'cause I'm trying
Don't kiss me because I'm trying to convince you to stay even though you want to leave
To keep you from running away
I'm trying to prevent you from leaving
Oh baby tell me I'm wrong
Tell me that I'm mistaken
Just say I'm crazy
Say that I'm insane
It's with me that you belong
You belong with me
It's never easy when lovers have to part
It's always difficult when two people in love have to separate
Oh come on stop pretending
Stop pretending that you're not thinking of leaving
Tell me what's in your heart
Please tell me how you truly feel
Baby don't run away
Please don't leave me
Say that you'll stay
Tell me that you will stay
Stop pretending
Stop pretending that everything is okay
Please baby now
Please, right now
Won't you tell me what's in your heart?
Please tell me how you truly feel
Lyrics © SANDY LINZER PRODUCTIONS INC
Written by: RALP KOTKOV, SANDY LINZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Count Grassi
It's brilliant, moving, soulful. Those who are criticising his voice have extremely narrow musical perception, never mind zero taste. They're trolling.
Elisa Vieira
I love his voice sounds very poetic
Noelf
Every song is a soundtrack with Tindersticks. They can condense the emotion and story of a 100 minute film into a 5 minute song! No surprise Clare Denis has them doing her soundtracks.
Patricia Delicia
I realised when I was very young that if someone didn’t love you, there was absolutely nothing you could do about it
moz050384
Only Stuart Staples could sing this. So emotive.
Elisa Vieira
Another beautiful song they're amazing thanks for sharing
JohnEdward Kerr
It's a rare cover that's better! The original was a band called Odyssey, female vocals, nowhere near as haunting, but still good. Check it out!
BilisNegra
That delicious electric piano announces a delightful music experience for you... You'll have to face the pain of seeing all your failed love stories parading before your eyes again, tough...
Hugh Lundy
Only that genius Stuart Staples and his group of musical gods Tindersticks could even dream of sprinkling their magic on this old disco dud and urn it into a true classic.
kenneth ventress
This a wonderful interpretation as emotive as the original
Only listened to this once but I know that's going to change . RIP Lllian I met you once you had the most beautiful smile.
I was in stunned by your voice