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 Not Knowing
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where you go so late at night
And hey, I've been hoping
You'll be thinking of me no matter what the time
And hey, I'm not listening
When you tell me there's no more words to say
In your voice, hesitation
You quickly light a cigarette and turn away
I'm not crying, up inside I'm smiling
Seen that look in your eye
Jump in your stare
It's a feeling I never saw leaving
Well it's something I don't deserve to have, oh no
[Chorus]
The not knowing is easy
And the suspecting, that's okay
Just don't tell me for certain
That our love's gone away
It's gone away
And hey, I've been wondering
Where you go so late at night
And hey, I've been hoping
You'd be thinking of me no matter what the time
And hey, as our love's flown away
Over the hills on a seagull's wing
Our ideas were like kids in a playground
Now I'm waiting for the bell that never rings
[Chorus:Repeat x2]
The lyrics to Tindersticks' "The Not Knowing" explore the complexities of a failing relationship. The singer acknowledges their suspicions regarding their partner's actions, wondering where they go late at night and hoping that they are still thinking of the singer. Despite their feelings of mistrust, the singer is not listening when their partner tries to explain the situation, sensing hesitation in their voice. The partner quickly turns away, lighting a cigarette. The singer notes that they are not crying, and "up inside" they are smiling, perhaps because they know that their suspicions have been confirmed.
The chorus emphasizes the title of the song, "the not knowing is easy, and the suspecting, that's okay." It is the certainty of the situation that the singer cannot handle, as they plead with their partner to withhold that information from them. They acknowledge that their love has flown away and their ideas were once like children playing, but now they are left waiting "for the bell that never rings."
The lyrics to "The Not Knowing" are poignant and emotional, capturing the feelings of a relationship on the brink of collapse. The song's slow tempo and melancholic melody add to its power, making it a beautiful and sad meditation on love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, I've been wondering
I have been thinking and questioning about something
Where you go so late at night
I am curious about where you are going during the late hours
And hey, I've been hoping
I have been wishing for something to happen
You'll be thinking of me no matter what the time
I want you to remember me even when it's late or early
And hey, I'm not listening
I am ignoring what you are telling me
When you tell me there's no more words to say
I don't believe that there is nothing left to say
In your voice, hesitation
I am detecting uncertainty in your tone
You quickly light a cigarette and turn away
You avoid facing the situation by smoking and turning away
I'm not crying, up inside I'm smiling
I am not showing my emotions on the outside, but I am actually happy
Seen that look in your eye
I recognize a certain expression in your eyes
Jump in your stare
I feel a sudden change in the way you are looking at me
It's a feeling I never saw leaving
I never expected to lose this feeling
Well it's something I don't deserve to have, oh no
I think I am not worthy of having this feeling
The not knowing is easy
It is easier to not know the truth
And the suspecting, that's okay
It's alright to have doubts
Just don't tell me for certain
I do not want to know the truth for sure
That our love's gone away
I do not want to hear that our love is over
Over the hills on a seagull's wing
Our love has drifted far away like a seagull flying over hills
Our ideas were like kids in a playground
Our thoughts and plans were like children playing happily
Now I'm waiting for the bell that never rings
I am waiting for something that will never come
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
ΧΡΙΣΤΙΝΑ ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ
Hey, I've been wondering
Where you go so late at night
And hey, I've been hoping
You'll be thinking of me no matter what the time
And hey, I'm not listening
When you tell me there's no more words to say
In your voice, hesitation
You quickly light a cigarette and turn away
I'm not crying, up inside I'm smiling
Seen that look in your eye
Jump in your stare
It's a feeling I never saw leaving
Well it's something I don't deserve to have, oh no
The not knowing is easy
And the suspecting, that's okay
Just don't tell me for certain
That our love's gone away
It's gone away
Hey, I've been wondering
Where you go so late at night
And hey, I've been hoping
You'll be thinking of me no matter what the time
And hey, as our love floats away
Over the hills on a seagull's wing
Our ideas will I kiss in a playground
Now I'm waiting for the bell that never rings
The not knowing is easy
And the suspecting, that's okay
Just don't tell me for certain
That our love's gone away
The not knowing is easy
And the suspecting, that's okay
Just don't tell me for certain
That our love's gone away
It's gone away
Carl Smith
Special people and special music. I had the privilege of touring with them all around Europe and the U.K. between 1992 and 1995. Unforgettably beautiful times. Memories that will never leave my heart and soul. x
Edgar Ruiz
@Carl Smith Muy afortunado amigo, un fuerte abrazo
Sharon Sekhon
this music has gotten me through some very hard times.
Carl Smith
Yes, I was lucky Edgar. They used to add me to the guest-list in case I turned up, bless them. Awesomely talented and classy in their own unique way. Very nice to have spent a little time with them all on a good few occasions.
Edgar Ruiz
La música de esta hermosa banda es una caricia al alma y al corazón. Que afortunado fuiste amigo.
ΧΡΙΣΤΙΝΑ ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ
Hey, I've been wondering
Where you go so late at night
And hey, I've been hoping
You'll be thinking of me no matter what the time
And hey, I'm not listening
When you tell me there's no more words to say
In your voice, hesitation
You quickly light a cigarette and turn away
I'm not crying, up inside I'm smiling
Seen that look in your eye
Jump in your stare
It's a feeling I never saw leaving
Well it's something I don't deserve to have, oh no
The not knowing is easy
And the suspecting, that's okay
Just don't tell me for certain
That our love's gone away
It's gone away
Hey, I've been wondering
Where you go so late at night
And hey, I've been hoping
You'll be thinking of me no matter what the time
And hey, as our love floats away
Over the hills on a seagull's wing
Our ideas will I kiss in a playground
Now I'm waiting for the bell that never rings
The not knowing is easy
And the suspecting, that's okay
Just don't tell me for certain
That our love's gone away
The not knowing is easy
And the suspecting, that's okay
Just don't tell me for certain
That our love's gone away
It's gone away
caketaster
this is so brilliant and unique. their first 3 albums are stunning, just beautiful
Steven Neville
Possibly one of the greatest songs of all time. That's all.
Andrea Fortunato
La fine di un amore, il préfère ne pas savoir plutôt qu'elle lui dise.
Yes, it's incredibly well written and timeless.
GENE MASTRANGELI
I like The Not Knowing