Tiger Bay is the third studio album by English indie dance band Saint Etienne. It was released 28February1994(1994-02-28) 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.[2]
The album is described by Bob Stanley as "an album of modern folk songs done in twentieth century styles like techno and dub".[3] "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.
Background
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.[3]
Releases
Tiger Bay was released in the UK in February 1994. The original cover art is James Clarke Hook's "Welcome Bonny Boat",doctored to include the band members.[4]
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".
The Japanese edition of the album was retitled as 哀しみ色のムーヴィー (Pale Movie),and included the bonus tracks "Who Do You Think You Are" and "Pale Movie (Lemonentry Mix)".
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.
The British release of Tiger Bay was commercially successful and reached #8[17] on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles were released,but none matched the popularity of those from their previous album. The first,"Pale Movie",peaked at No. 28.[17] "Like a Motorway" was more disappointing,missing the top forty completely and making only No. 47.[17] "Hug My Soul" was released as a two-disc set and managed better,peaking at No. 32.[17]
A reviewer for Music &Media praised Tiger Bay and said "Pale Movie" was "a hit in the waiting room".[18]
"Hug My Soul" was the only single that charted in the US and reached No. 40 on the BillboardHot 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.[19]
Tim Burgess – guest vocals ("I Was Born on Christmas Day")
'Jim Bob' Wheatley – engineer ("I Was Born on Christmas Day")
Mark 'Spike' Stent – mixing ("I Was Born on Christmas Day")
Daniel Abraham – additional production and mix (for White Falcon Productions), additional programming ("Hug My Soul (Alternate Version)", "Like a Motorway (Alternate Version)")
Merve Depeyer – keyboards, programming ("Hug My Soul (Alternate Version)", "Like a Motorway (Alternate Version)")
Juan Garcia – overdub engineering ("Hug My Soul (Alternate Version)", "Like a Motorway (Alternate Version)")
Recorded at Scream Studios, NYC, mixed at Right Track Recording, NYC. ("Hug My Soul (Alternate Version)", "Like a Motorway (Alternate Version)")
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")
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