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.
say goodbye to the city
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been here so long - I can't see it anymore
I've been here so long - I can't feel it anymore
So get in the car, babe - you know that it's alright
Get in the car, babe - we're gonna see ourselves tonight
When we're on the outside - it feels so hard
There's never an easy way - there's nothing in this world
When we were on the outside we had something going on,
But I don't see you now, I don't see you anymore
I can't see you now, I can't see you anymore
I can't see you now, I can't see you anymore
I can't see you now, I walk through you and out the door
I can't see you now, I can't see you anymore
I can't see you now, I can't see you anymore
I can't see you now, I can't see you anymore
I can't see you now, I can't see you anymore
I don't feel it anymore
I don't know how it's doing anymore
I walk through it now
I slip through it now
Can you see me now? Say
I don't know how it's doing anymore Oh, I can't see you now
I walk through it now Take all the corners off me
I slip through it now Stop to call me dizzy
I can't see you now Say¦
I don't know how it's doing anymore Oh, I can't see you now
I walk through you now Take all the corners off me
I slip through it now Stop to call me dizzy
I can't see you anymore
The lyrics to Tindersticks' "Say Goodbye to the City" suggest a longing for a change of pace and scenery. The singer of the song has been in the city for so long that they are unable to see or feel it anymore, and the only way to regain a sense of perspective is to leave. They ask their partner to join them on a journey outside of the city, where they can escape the feeling of being trapped and experience something beautiful that "they can't spoil." However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer's sense of detachment from the city has also affected their relationship - they can no longer see or feel their partner either, and they feel as though they are slipping through their grasp.
The song's lyrics speak to the restlessness that can come from spending too much time in one place, and the need to shake things up in order to stave off boredom and disillusionment. The city, which once represented excitement and opportunity, has become monotonous and stifling. By leaving, the singer hopes to reconnect with themselves and their partner, and to rediscover the sense of possibility that existed before everything became stale.
Overall, "Say Goodbye to the City" is a poignant exploration of the ways in which our environments can shape our feelings and relationships. It speaks to the universal desire to break free from routine and embrace the unknown, and the fear and uncertainty that can accompany such a journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's take a ride, say goodbye to the city
Let us leave this city and go on a ride together, away from here.
I've been here so long - I can't see it anymore
I have been in this city for so long that it has become a blur, and I cannot see its details anymore.
I've been here so long - I can't feel it anymore
I have been here so long that I have lost my emotional connection to this city, and I do not feel a sense of belonging anymore.
So get in the car, babe - you know that it's alright
Join me in the car, my love, and do not worry because everything will be okay.
Get in the car, babe - we're gonna see ourselves tonight
Get in the car with me, and we will find ourselves and reconnect with our inner selves tonight.
When we're on the outside - it feels so hard
When we are outside of our comfort zone, it is difficult to face the challenges of the world.
There's never an easy way - there's nothing in this world
There is never an easy path to take, and sometimes the world around us does not provide any answers or solutions.
When we were on the outside we had something going on,
In the past, when we were exploring new experiences, we had something special between us.
Something beautiful, something that they can't spoil
We had something beautiful that no one can take away or ruin, even now.
But I don't see you now, I don't see you anymore
I cannot see you clearly, and I have lost sight of our connection.
I can't see you now, I can't see you anymore
I have lost the ability to see you or understand our relationship.
I can't see you now, I walk through you and out the door
I feel like I am walking through you, and I cannot find any meaning in our relationship anymore.
I don't feel it anymore
I do not feel any emotion towards you or our relationship anymore.
I don't know how it's doing anymore
I am not sure what state our relationship is in anymore.
I walk through it now
I feel like I am just going through the motions and moving aimlessly through our relationship.
I slip through it now
I feel like I am slipping away from you and our relationship.
Can you see me now? Say
Do you still see me and our relationship as valid? Please tell me.
Take all the corners off me
Help me remove all the obstacles that are blocking our connection.
Stop to call me dizzy
Pause and help me regain my balance and focus in our relationship.
I can't see you anymore
I have lost the ability to see you, and our relationship is no longer clear to me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALISTAIR MACAULEY, DAVID BOULTER, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, MARK ANTHONY STEPHEN COLWILL, NEIL TIMOTHY FRASER, STUART ASHTON STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elisa Vieira
So beautiful thanks for sharing