Tiger Bay (album)

Tiger Bay

Original album cover
Studio album by Saint Etienne
Released 28 June 1994 (1994-06-28)
Recorded Summer – Autumn 1993
Genre Alternative dance, House, techno, ambient, electronica, folk
Length 46:16
Label Heavenly – HVNLP8
Producer Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne chronology
You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone
(1993)		 Tiger Bay
(1994)		 Too Young to Die – Singles 1990–1995
(1995)
Singles from Tiger Bay
  1. "Pale Movie"
    Released: February 1994
  2. "Like a Motorway"
    Released: May 1994
  3. "Hug My Soul"
    Released: September 1994
Reissue album art (1996)
featuring Giuditta del Vecchio (from the film Léolo)

Tiger Bay is the third studio album by English techno band Saint Etienne. It was released 28 June 1994 by Heavenly Records. In an interview with Record Collector, band member Bob Stanley stated that the title is a reference to the 1959 film Tiger Bay.[1]

The album is described by Bob Stanley as "an album of modern folk songs done in twentieth century styles like techno and dub".[2] "Like a Motorway", for example, blends Kraftwerk-style techno with the melody from the nineteenth century folk song "Silver Dagger". Some of the songs, such as "Marble Lions" and "Former Lover" forsake electronics for classical folk instrumentation and orchestral arrangements. One, "Western Wind", is a traditional English folk song.

Composition

The band wrote most of the songs in the Forest of Dean, in the hope that the countryside would inspire folk ideas. The original intention was for all the songs to be about death.[2]

Releases

Tiger Bay was released in the UK in June 1994. The original cover art is James Clarke Hook's "Welcome Bonny Boat", doctored to include the band members.[3]

The American edition of the album replaced the UK cover art with a photograph of the band smartly dressed at a table. It does not include the "Western Wind"/"Tankerville" suite. In place of the cut songs is the single "I Was Born On Christmas Day" and remixes by Daniel Abraham of "Hug My Soul" and "Like a Motorway".

Tiger Bay was reissued in 1996 by Creation Records, in part because of Saint Etienne's absence from the music scene, but also because of their formal move to Creation Records. The reissue featured another new cover, this time showing Giuditta del Vecchio (from the film Léolo); the back shows a picture of the group. The inner sleeve was updated, and includes a short commentary on the album by journalist and friend of the group Simon Price, as well as a new selection of photographs with a summery theme. The album itself features a slightly shuffled track listing. "Marble Lions" is moved to appear after "Pale Movie". The second occurrence of "Western Wind" is removed completely; instead "Tankerville" fades into "Boy Scouts of America". "Former Lover" is also edited, although less noticeably, with only the opening guitar chords being removed. The reissue also features four extra tracks – "I Buy American Records", "Grovely Road", "Hate your Drug" and the single edit of "He's on the Phone".

In 2010 the album was re-released once more. The new deluxe version reinstates the original sleeve art and includes a booklet with an interview with Bob Stanley and additional bonus disc containing a number of demos and all of the b-sides.

Response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
Pitchfork Media(8.7/10)[5]
Select[6]

The British release of Tiger Bay was commercially successful and reached #8[7] on the UK Album Chart. Three singles were released, but none matched the popularity of those from their previous album. The first, "Pale Movie", peaked at #28.[7] "Like a Motorway" was more disappointing, missing the top forty completely and making only #47.[7] "Hug My Soul" was released as a two-disc set and managed better, peaking at #32.[7]

"Hug My Soul" was the only single that charted in the US and reached No. 40 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

In a 2009 interview, Bob Stanley said that in retrospect the band should have included some more obvious singles on Tiger Bay, to be commercial: "it definitely could have done with a couple more obvious songs". He also acknowledged that the original cover was a commercial mistake.[8]

Track listing

CD: Heavenly / HVNLP8CD (UK)

All tracks written by Stanley and Wiggs; except where indicated. 

Original British Release
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Urban Clearway"    3:58
2. "Former Lover"    3:49
3. "Hug My Soul"  Batson, Cracknell, Male 4:15
4. "Like a Motorway"    5:42
5. "On the Shore"    4:06
6. "Marble Lions"  Cracknell, Bund 4:35
7. "Pale Movie"    3:52
8. "Cool Kids of Death"    5:49
9. "Western Wind"  Traditional, arranged by Stanley, Wiggs 1:33
10. "Tankerville"    4:01
11. "Western Wind"  Traditional, arranged by Stanley, Wiggs 1:37
12. "The Boy Scouts of America"    2:57

CD: Warner / 9 45634-2 (US)

CD: Heavenly/Sony / 01-475962-11 (UK)

CD: Heavenly / HVNLP8CDDE (United Kingdom)

Personnel

Original credits (1994)

Saint Etienne
Additional personnel
  • Rick Smith - mixing, programming (at Lemon World) ("Urban Clearway", "Like a Motorway", "Cool Kids of Death")
  • Mark 'Spike' Stent - mixing (for SSO Productions) ("Hug My Soul", "Pale Movie")
  • 'Jim Bob' Wheatley - engineer ("Hug My Soul", "Pale Movie")
  • Original Rockers - rhythms, bass and mixes ("On the Shore", "Western Wind", "Tankerville")
  • David Whitaker – orchestral arrangements
  • Shara Nelson – vocals ("On the Shore")
  • Stephen Duffy – guest vocals ("Western Wind")
  • Debsey – backing vocals ("Former Lover", "Pale Movie")
  • Siobhan Brookes – backing vocals ("Hug My Soul", "Pale Movie")
  • Mick Bund – guitar ("Marble Lions")
  • Ian Davies – flamemco guitar ("Pale Movie")
  • Mike Patton – guitar ("Former Lover"), mandolin ("On the Shore")
  • Kate St John – oboe ("On the Shore")
  • Spencer Smith – drums ("Hug My Soul")
Design
  • Anthony Sweeney - design
  • Peter Mennim - cover painting (after Welcome Bonny Boat by James Clarke Hook)
  • Paul Kelly - photos
  • Aude Prieur - photos
  • Francesca Simon - archive research
  • Mr Stripey - in memory of

Alternate credits for American release

Additional credits for 1996 British re-release

  • Recorded summer 1995 ("Grovely Road")
  • Recorded at Olympic, summer 1995 ("He's on the Phone")
  • 'Jim Bob' Wheatley - engineer ("He's on the Phone")
  • Motiv 8 - mix arranged by ("He's on the Phone")
  • Etienne Daho appears courtesy of Virgin France ("He's on the Phone")
Design
  • Stylorouge - designed at
  • Cover photograph from the film Leolo, courtesy of Metro Tartan
  • Paul Kelly - band photograph
  • Rob O'Connor - inside photographs
  • Mr John O'Connor Senior - inside photographs
  • Simon Price - liner notes

B-sides

from "Pale Movie"
from "Like a Motorway"
from "Hug My Soul"

References

  1. ↑ http://www.saint.etienne.net/ec/Tiger_Bay.disc.html
  2. 1 2 Bob Stanley, interview with Melody Maker. Qtd. in "Like a Motorway". Saint Etienne Heaven. 29 June 2002.
  3. ↑ http://halfmanhalfbikekit.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/hebden-bridge-14-15-july/
  4. ↑ Original Allmusic review
  5. ↑ Hogan, Marc. "Review: Saint Etienne – Tiger Bay / Finisterre (Heavenly; 2010)". 2010 Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  6. ↑ Stuart Maconie (April 1994). "Albums including St Etienne, Select Magazine Scans". Select. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Chart Stats – Saint Etienne". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  8. ↑ Scott Plagenhoef, Interviews: Saint Etienne, Pitchfork, 5 February 2009.
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