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.
No More Affairs
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more fooling around
There's no more affairs
Are you going to find out?
If I tremble in your arms
If I sigh through your hair
This last affair
There's no more fooling around
Are you going to find out?
If my hand's by my side
If I avoid your stare
This last affair
There's no more affairs
No more fooling around
There's no more affairs
No more fooling around
There's no more affairs
Are you going to find out?
If I tremble in your arms
If I sigh through your hair
This last affair
This place in my mind
Where I know what's going on
But it grows, shifts in time
Leaves me hanging on
And though we were only having fun
It seems such a crime now
Go and play, play in the road
You're gonna get run down, run down
There's no more affairs
No more fooling around
There's no more affairs
Are you going to find out?
It's an impulsive thing
But we caught the other
Climbed into bed with all our previous lovers
It gets crowded in there
There's no more affairs
The song 'No More Affairs' by Tindersticks is a reflective piece about the end of an affair. The lyrics are straightforward yet poignant, with the singer admitting that there will be no more infidelity. There is a sense of closure and sadness throughout the song as the singer sums up the end of the affair with the simple phrase 'there's no more fooling around'. The song is incredibly introspective, with the character pondering how their behavior will be perceived by their lover. They wonder whether they will be able to handle the physical and emotional closeness that they once enjoyed.
The opening seconds of the song lure you in with a simple plucked acoustic guitar line, setting the tone for the rest of the song. There is a melancholic and introspective feel to the song that is achieved through the gentle strumming of the guitar and the soft yet somber vocals that follow. The repeating refrain of 'there's no more affairs' is like a mantra, reminding us over and over that the relationship is ending. The song doesn't sound like it's trying too hard to make an emotional impact; instead, it does so silently.
Overall, 'No More Affairs' is a reflective song that deals with the end of an affair. The lyrics are straightforward yet touching, and the music seems to reinforce the introspective and somber mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no more affairs
The singer declares that they are done with having affairs.
No more fooling around
The singer no longer wants to engage in playful or deceptive behavior.
Are you going to find out?
The singer wonders if their partner will discover their previous affairs.
If I tremble in your arms
The artist is questioning what their partner will do if they appear nervous or unstable.
If I sigh through your hair
The artist is considering how their partner will react if they display physical affection.
This last affair
The singer describes their current relationship as their final romantic involvement.
If my hand's by my side
The singer wonders how their partner will perceive their body language if they seem relaxed or disengaged.
If I avoid your stare
The artist anticipates how their partner will respond if they avoid eye contact.
This place in my mind
The artist refers to a mental state where they are aware of their past behavior.
Where I know what's going on
The artist is conscious of their situation and its potential consequences.
But it grows, shifts in time
The singer's mindset changes as they reflect on their actions over time.
Leaves me hanging on
The artist is struggling to come to terms with their mistakes and move on.
And though we were only having fun
The singer acknowledges that they were engaging in flirtation and infidelity for pleasure rather than love.
It seems such a crime now
The singer now sees their actions as morally wrong.
Go and play, play in the road
The singer sarcastically suggests others continue engaging in risky behavior.
You're gonna get run down, run down
The artist warns of the potential negative consequences of continuing down a path of infidelity.
It's an impulsive thing
The artist acknowledges that their prior affairs may have been driven by spontaneity rather than intentionality.
But we caught the other
The singer alludes to a situation where they and another person were caught in the act of infidelity.
Climbed into bed with all our previous lovers
The singer reveals that they and their partner have both been unfaithful with a shared group of people.
It gets crowded in there
The artist acknowledges that the situation has become complicated and emotionally overwhelming.
There's no more affairs
The artist declares again that their affair days are over.
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