The traffic to the blog slows up over the Festive period, and it’s therefore something of an opportunity to take a bit of a breather.
Over a period of 26 days, I’ll be posting a single never previously featured on its own before – it might have sneaked in as part of an ICA or within a piece looking at various tracks – with the idea of an edited cut’n’paste from somewhere (most likely wiki) and then all the songs from either the vinyl or CD.
M is for My Oblivion released by Tindersticks as a single in October 2003.
This is the sort of thing I sneak out on the blog when folk aren’t paying too much attention.
Tindersticks had released a sixth studio album, Waiting For The Moon in June 2003. Even for a band who rarely made the most commercial of music, this was a difficult listen, one which it was later revealed to have taken a long time to get down in the studio, with the recording process running from September 2001 – January 2003. It also proved to be the last album the original line-up would make as by the time The Hungry Saw was released in 2008, three of the original six members had quit….a genuine case of musical differences.
For some strange reason, the label that the band were on at the time, Beggars Banquet, felt that a drip-feed of single releases would somehow help with sales. Both of Don’t Even Go There and Sometimes It Hurts had bombed, and there really wasn’t another track suitable for release as a single…..and besides, there was no radio station prepared to play their music except when it was the time of day, dead of night when listening numbers were miniscule.
And yet, the decision was taken to edit down the seven-minute version of an album track, into something just a little over four minutes, and issue a third single from the album:-
mp3: Tindersticks – My Oblivion (edit)
I’m not saying that My Oblivion is a poor piece of music – far from it – but it is a ridiculously poor choice for a single.
But then again, all the diehard fans went out and bought it as there was a previously unreleased song along with what was thought, at first glance, to be an instrumental version of another track on the album:-
mp3: Tindersticks – Now It’s Over
mp3: Tindersticks – Running Wild (extended instrumental)
Now It’s Over is a decent enough song, especially for a b-side and actually could have gone on to the album as a replacement for one or more of the hard listens.
Running Wild, in its original form, was the closing track on the album, coming in at just over four minutes and with a typically morose vocal. This version comes with a warning. It is more than 14 minutes of compiled takes, recorded during the various sessions for Waiting For The Moon.
Anyone who gets all the way through it without hitting the off or fast-forward button deserves some sort of reward. Or at least a long lie-down.
Happy New Year!!!!!!
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
While a fan of Tindersticks I’d be the first to agree that some songs can pose challenges. I recall my introduction to the band Milky Teeth (thanks Stephen and James) and wondered why anyone would play such a song as a pre-night-out soundtrack. It wasn’t that this particular song was a challenge, it just seemed to kill the upbeat mood. That said, I was beguiled and began collecting.
Throughout that listening/collecting period there did seem to be one or two tracks that caught me off guard almost like motion sickness. I’m not aware of Waiting for the Moon being one of those moments but I shall listen today, sick bag in hand, just in case.
My experience of playing Tindersticks in mixed company is that they certainly knew how to divide a room. They are one of two bands I have been asked to turn off, the other being Loop with Gilded Eternity.
It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day and I’m feeling … meh.
Looking forward to seeing Tindersticks later in the year in Bath. Happy New Year JC!
Happy New Year, JC.
Happy new year, JC and Rachel, and a great 2022 to all my musical comrades!
Happy New Year to all the VV people. Can never say those three words without mentally loading a snippet of the Camera Obscura song. Still, better that than my Ayrshire pal who insists on starting every year by blasting out the U2 track.