Tin Planet

Last updated

Tin Planet
TinPlanet2.jpg
Studio album by
Space
Released9 March 1998
Recorded1997
StudioParr Street Studios, Liverpool
Genre Alternative pop
Length49:36
Label Gut
Producer
Space chronology
Spiders
(1996)		Tin Planet
(1998)		 Suburban Rock 'n' Roll
(2004)
Singles from Tin Planet
  1. "Avenging Angels"
    Released: 29 December 1997
  2. "The Ballad of Tom Jones"
    Released: 23 February 1998
  3. "Begin Again"
    Released: 22 June 1998
  4. "The Bad Days EP"
    Released: 23 November 1998

Tin Planet is the second studio album by English band Space, released on 9 March 1998.

Contents

Recorded in late 1997 following a tumultuous year for the group, Tin Planet was a continuation of the eclectic blend of musical styles explored on their debut album Spiders . However, it was noted that the more abrasive aspects of their sound were toned down considerably from their debut, with the songs being more melodic with a prominent cabaret and easy listening influence. Keyboardist Franny Griffiths' love of techno and electronic music was also brought to the fore, culminating in three tracks that were primarily dance-orientated.

The album was the first Space record to feature long-time collaborator David "Yorkie" Palmer as full-time bassist, and the last to feature founding member Andy Parle on drums (though he was not credited in the album's liner notes), with Leon Caffrey (formerly of the band Proper) taking his place shortly afterwards.

Tin Planet peaked at #3 in the UK charts, [1] two places higher than Spiders. It was their first album to enter the Australian ARIA top 100 albums chart, debuting on 24 May 1998 and peaking at #74 the following week. [2] The album peaked at #11 in New Zealand in May 1998. [3] The songs "Avenging Angels", "The Ballad of Tom Jones" (a duet with Cerys Matthews of the band Catatonia), "Begin Again" and "Bad Days" were released as singles, all hitting the UK top 40.

Background

In 1996, Space released their debut album Spiders on Gut Records. Combining surreal, darkly humorous lyrics and a large number of styles and genres, including rock, techno, hip hop and funk, a result of the different musical tastes of the band members, the album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number 5 on the UK Albums Chart [1] and becoming certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry in December 1996 for sales of over 300,000. [4] Nonetheless, in mid-1997, during their tour of the United States, where the band began to find minor success, numerous personal problems hit the band. [5] The band were constantly under stress, which reached such an extent that keyboardist Franny Griffiths developed an ulcer, lyricist and vocalist Tommy Scott lost his voice and the band's guitarist and other lyricist and vocalist, Jamie Murphy, "still only 21, simply lost it completely and had a spell in psychiatric care being fed anti-depressants and milk." [6]

Murphy ultimately missed many of the band's live shows and television appearances. [7] Though widely rumoured to have depressingly watched Space perform "Dark Clouds" on BBC's Top of the Pops on television, one of the performances he missed, he was in fact preoccupied with other things and "actually forgotten the single was even out." [8] Scott was terrified that his singing voice was permanently lost, as the cause with originally unknown; he underwent cancer treatment to make sure, but it turns out his voice was lost due to stress, and he soon recovered. [6] Murphy also soon recovered and rejoined the band in time for the recording of Tin Planet. [6] Scott explained, "Me losing my voice turned out to be the best thing because everyone had two months off so everyone got their heads together. Jamie got better and then everything happened naturally. I went to see Jamie and he was all right - a lot better - so we forgave him." [9] However, throughout the writing and recording of the album, the band felt they were of an uncertain future and were in a darker environment than before. [6]

In late 1997, just prior to the recording of Tin Planet, the band's old friend, Dave "Yorkie" Palmer, joined the group. [7] He has already contributed backing to vocals on "Neighbourhood", one of the band's biggest hits from Spiders, and was involved in the production of several of the album's B-sides, but he was asked to join the band proper as their full-time bassist, [7] which allowed Scott to focus on his vocals. [7] However, shortly after Palmer had joined the band, the death of his mother Gladys Palmer, a Liverpudlian singer who owned the rehearsal rooms Space practised in, came as a devastation to the group. [7] Her death brought a "tinge of sadness" to the recording sessions. [10]

Recording

VOX AC30 CC2.jpg
Fender Pro Reverb (c.1980) (2013-08-02 12.01.18 by Ian Abbott).jpg
Vox AC30 and Fender Pro Reverb amplifiers were used by Tommy Scott on the album.
A Fender Coronado, similar to the model Tommy Scott played on the album. Fender Coronado II, Elvis Museum, Pigeon Forge.jpg
A Fender Coronado, similar to the model Tommy Scott played on the album.

The band recorded Tin Planet in late 1997 and early 1998 at Parr Street Studios, Liverpool, [11] the same studio that they recorded Spiders in. [12] The album was also mixed and mastered at the studio. [11] Although Murphy had rejoined the band, he was often distracted by other occurrences, and Scott in fact played a majority of the guitars present on the record, [13] although this was not the result of a band rift; as "it's accepted that when in the studio, whoever's around will play whatever's at hand," and "Tommy and Jamie have both played everything." [13] Scott, the main lyricist for the band, wrote many of the album's songs on guitar, "so it makes sense for me to play them. But it's good to have Jamie's angle on things 'cos I like my jazz chords and Jamie loves to stick his distortion on and play straight rock 'n' roll." [13]

Scott used Fender Pro Reverb and Vox AC30 amplifiers on the album, [13] and his Fender Coronado guitar, the only guitar that he owned at the time. [13] Scott, less phased with guitar "snobbery" than Murphy, explained, "to be honest, I prefer to put my guitar straight into the desk and I use pedals or the desk's own effects. Sometimes all this snobbery about amps is a load of bullshit. For instance, the AC30 I used was crap!" [13] In an interview, when Griffiths commented that "people think that if they use the same equipment at The Beatles, then their music's going to sound to the same. But it's all about the vibe created on the day," Scott added that "Jamie's a sucker for all that shit. He's got his twin Marshalls and his six million effects on stage, but he's living the whole lifestyle, bless 'im." [13]

Two guest musicians played on the album; flautist Ben Roberts and percussionist Ged Lynch. [11] The record was co-produced and engineered by Jeremy Wheatley, with assistance from Andrea Wright and Dave Buchanan. [11] Wheatley had previously engineered most of the tracks from Spiders. [12] Very shortly after the completion of the album, but prior to its release, drummer Andy Parle left the band, instantly being replaced by Leon Caffrey, formerly of Proper. [7] Parle had become a "latent casualty", which was ironic as he was the healthiest member during the band's period of problems. [6] Caffrey had been a friend of the group for a long time, and made his debut with the band in the promotion of Tin Planet. [6]

For "The Ballad of Tom Jones", Cerys Matthews of the Welsh band Catatonia, who Space had supported live back in 1996, was brought in to duet with Scott, which fueled rumours in the press that the two were linked romantically, when in fact they were just good friends. Yorkie provided the scratch-track for Matthews' vocals in the song's demo.

Artwork

Artist and musician Mike Badger, pictured here in 1997, helped provide the title and artwork for the album. Mike Badger at Lost and Found Exhibition.jpg
Artist and musician Mike Badger, pictured here in 1997, helped provide the title and artwork for the album.

Mike Badger, a Liverpool-based musician and fine art sculptor, as well as a founding member of The La's, was commissioned by the band to create the visuals for Tin Planet, as they wanted a local artist that they knew personally to work with them. At the time, the band did not have a title for the record. Badger had been constructing sculptures out of scrapped metal objects and appliances shaped to look like aliens and robots, and was planning to use them for an animated Super 8 film he was working on with Paul Simpson in their spare time, entitled Tin Planet. The film eventually never got finished, but the band realised that the name was a perfect fit for the album, and without haste Badger granted them permission to use it.

Badger found producing the artwork challenging, as he discovered at the last minute that each individual piece of the robot sculpture were being photographed separately, resembling an Airfix model kit, before it was being assembled, whereas he had presumed that only the finished sculpture would be shot. [14] The completed robot ended up appearing on the back of the sleeve, and was donated by Badger in 2011 to be exhibited at the Museum of Liverpool. Badger would also go on to produce the covers for the "Avenging Angels" and "Begin Again" singles, as well as the music video for "Avenging Angels" and a television commercial promoting the album.

Alongside the standard CD packaging, earlier limited editions of Tin Planet came with a special metallic tin packaging.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
NME 8/10 [16]
Select 2/5 [17]
The Great Rock Discography 7/10 [18]

Upon its release, Tin Planet was met with critical and commercial acclaim, receiving a rare five-star rating from Q Magazine , although some critics were still eager to peg them as a novelty act. The album's lead single "Avenging Angels" was made NME's Single of the Week. Allmusic's Jason Damas noted how, "before the release of Tin Planet, lead vocalist Tommy Scott made reference to the album as being one of the finest pop records ever made." [19] Later reflections on the album have been mixed, with bandmembers voicing their disappointment with the slicker sound compared to Spiders, and feeling that their label Gut Records were trying to manipulate them into becoming, in their words, "the next Beautiful South".

Aftermath

After touring and promotional commitments of Tin Planet concluded in late 1998, Space returned to the studio to commence work on their third album, tentatively titled Love You More than Football . However, Gut Records objected to Edwyn Collins being chosen as producer, and forced the band to rework the material several times, delaying its release for over two years until it was eventually scrapped in July 2001. By that time the band had terminated their contract with Gut and Jamie Murphy, who was growing restless and distant from the others, was dismissed from the line-up. Love You More than Football now primilarly exists as a bootleg, due to a promotional copy on CD-R which circulated around May 2000.

As a result, Space, now reduced to a four-piece, laid low for a couple of years, sporadically releasing several songs as a free-to-download MP3s through their website, becoming one of the first major groups to do so. However, they did not release another studio album proper until Suburban Rock 'N' Roll , which was recorded in 2002 and released through RandM Records in 2004.

On August 19, 2022, Tin Planet was released on vinyl for the first time through Demon Records. It entered at #25 on the Official UK Vinyl Album Charts.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Begin Again" Tommy Scott, Space3:11
2."Avenging Angels"Scott, Space2:59
3."The Ballad of Tom Jones" (featuring Cerys Matthews)Scott, Space4:11
4."1 O'Clock" Jamie Murphy, David Palmer, Franny Griffiths, Scott, Space4:05
5."Be There"Scott, Griffiths, Space2:49
6."The Man" (semi-instrumental)Griffiths, Space3:53
7."A Liddle Biddy Help from Elvis"Scott, Griffiths, Space3:28
8."The Unluckiest Man in the World"Scott, Space3:25
9."Piggies"Murphy, Palmer, Griffiths, Space3:15
10."Bad Days"Scott, Space3:24
11."There's No You"Scott, Space3:46
12."Disco Dolly"Scott, Griffiths, Space3:52
13."Silence" 0:04
14."Fran in Japan" (instrumental)Griffiths, Space7:13

Bonus tracks (2+CD edition)

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [25] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Texas Flood</i> 1983 studio album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Texas Flood is the debut studio album by the American blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, released on June 13, 1983, by Epic Records. The album was named after a cover song featured on the album, "Texas Flood", which was first recorded by blues singer Larry Davis in 1958. Produced by the band and recording engineer Richard Mullen, Texas Flood was recorded in the space of three days at Jackson Browne's personal recording studio in Los Angeles. Vaughan wrote six of the album's ten tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The La's</span> English rock band

The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from 1983 until 1992. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group are best known for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1983 and Mavers joined the next year, although for most of the group's history, the frequently changing line-up revolved around the core duo of Lee Mavers and John Power along with numerous other guitarists and drummers including Paul Hemmings, John "Timmo" Timson, Peter "Cammy" Cammell, Iain Templeton, John "Boo" Byrne, Chris Sharrock, and Neil Mavers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space (English band)</span> English band

Space are a band from Liverpool, England, who formed in 1992 initially as a trio of Tommy Scott, Jamie Murphy and Jamie Island (drums), who was later replaced by Andy Parle. Keyboard player Franny Griffiths joined the line-up a year later, and the band signed to Gut Records in 1995, eventually rising to prominence with hit singles such as "Female of the Species", "Me and You Versus the World", "Neighbourhood", "Avenging Angels" and "The Ballad of Tom Jones", the latter a duet with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia.

<i>Spiders</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Space

Spiders is the debut album by English band Space, released on 16 September 1996. After signing to independent label Gut Records, the band recorded Spiders between 1995 and 1996 in Liverpool. The album combines a great wealth of styles and genres, including rock, hip hop, techno and funk. It was the result of the various musical tastes of the band members, with several songs containing several different styles within themselves. Many of the lyrics of the album, mostly written by vocalist Tommy Scott and inspired by films, are darkly humorous and largely story-driven, featuring numerous sadistic characters.

<i>Suburban Rock n Roll</i> 2004 studio album by Space

Suburban Rock 'n' Roll is the third studio album by Space, released on 8 March 2004. It is their first proper album release since 1998's Tin Planet. The tracks "Zombies", "Suburban Rock 'N' Roll" and "20 Million Miles from Earth" were released as singles, all of them failing to reach top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female of the Species</span> 1996 single by Space

"Female of the Species" is a song by English rock band Space, released as their fourth single and second single proper from their debut album, Spiders (1996), on 27 May 1996. The song reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and earned a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in October 2019. It became the band's only charting single in both the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mudmen</span>

Mudmen are a Canadian Celtic rock band. They are best known for their singles "5 O'Clock", "Saturday", and "Drink and Fight" as well as their covers of Spirit of the West's "Home for a Rest" and AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tin Machine</span> British–American rock band

Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988. The band consisted of English singer-songwriter David Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass and vocals; and Hunt Sales on drums and vocals. The Sales brothers had previously performed with Bowie and Iggy Pop during the 1977 tour for The Idiot. Kevin Armstrong played additional guitar and keyboards on the band's first and second studio albums and first tour, and American guitarist Eric Schermerhorn played on the second tour and live album Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby (1992).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighbourhood (song)</span> 1996 single by Space

"Neighbourhood" is a song by Liverpudlian band Space, written by band members Tommy Scott and Franny Griffiths and released as the second single from their debut album, Spiders (1996), and their third single altogether. It was originally released on 25 March 1996 by Gut Records and peaked at number 56 on the UK Singles Chart, but it was later re-released on 21 October that year, this time peaking at number 11. Outside the UK, the song reached number 18 in Iceland, number 22 in New Zealand and number 90 in Australia.

<i>Love You More than Football</i> 2000 studio album by Space

Love You More Than Football was a previously unreleased Space album from 2000. Originally scheduled for release in July 2000, the album was intended to be their third studio album, following 1998’s Tin Planet. The album, briefly known as Bulletproof, was later rescheduled for 4 December 2001 but was never released. Most of the 14 tracks on the album were short love songs. The album was produced by Edwyn Collins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franny Griffiths</span> Musical artist

Francis Griffiths is a keyboardist, producer and remixer, who is best known for being a member of the band, Space. He also plays guitar, melodica and piano. His main influences are Kraftwerk, hip-hop, Can, various electro bands and Crass. Despite being a self-confessed dance music fan, he also admits to liking heavy rock bands such as Marilyn Manson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talisman (band)</span> Swedish hard rock band

Talisman was a Swedish hard rock band. Founded in 1989 by the songwriting bassist Marcel Jacob and fronted by the American singer Jeff Scott Soto, the band released seven studio albums from 1990 to 2006, before going on a farewell tour in 2007. While mainly described as hard rock and heavy metal, the band's sound had also been influenced by a variety of genres outside the rock music scope, such as rhythm and blues, soul, and funk in particular.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Space album)

Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation by Space, released on 8 July 2002 to coincide with Space's split with long-serving record label Gut Records.

<i>The Meanest of Times</i> 2007 studio album by Dropkick Murphys

The Meanest of Times is the sixth studio album by American celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It was released on September 18, 2007, through their vanity label, Born & Bred Records, a division of Cooking Vinyl Records. The album was their first to not be released through Hellcat Records and their last to feature guitarist Marc Orrell, who left the band following the tour in support of the album. The picture on the album's cover was taken at Saint Brendan School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, close to Quincy, Massachusetts whence the band hails. Local kids posed in the picture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenging Angels (song)</span> 1997 single by Space

"Avenging Angels" is a song by English band Space, released as the band's first single from the band's second album Tin Planet on 29 December 1997. The song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and number 20 in Iceland in January 1998. In Australia, "Avenging Angels" peaked at number 146 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Badger</span> Musician

Michael Clifford Badger is an English singer-songwriter, artist and sculptor from Liverpool, England. Co-founder of The La's he went on to form alternative country/roots rockabilly band The Onset in 1988 and Mike Badger and The Shady Trio in 2010. In addition he is co-owner of Liverpool's independent Viper Label with Paul Hemmings.

Thomas Scott is an English musician and the lead singer, principal songwriter and guitarist of the Liverpool indie band Space. He started out as the band's bassist, but switched to guitar after David "Yorkie" Palmer joined in 1997, partly so that he could concentrate on vocals.

<i>Hail to the King</i> (Avenged Sevenfold album) 2013 studio album by Avenged Sevenfold

Hail to the King is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on August 23, 2013, through Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Mike Elizondo. Hail to the King is the only Avenged Sevenfold album to feature drummer Arin Ilejay, prior to his departure in July 2015. It is also the first Avenged Sevenfold album without musical contributions from Ilejay's late predecessor, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan; the bonus track, "St. James", was written in his memory.

<i>Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab</i> 2014 studio album by Space

Attack of the Mutant 50 ft Kebab is the fourth official studio album by Space, released as a download on February 28, 2014, for PledgeMusic donators and physically released on March 17, 2014. It is the group's first studio album since their reformation in 2011 and their first studio release overall since 2004's Suburban Rock 'n' Roll.

<i>The Mission</i> (Styx album) 2017 studio album by Styx

The Mission is the sixteenth studio album by American rock band Styx, released on June 16, 2017, through UMe. It is the band's first studio album since 2005's Big Bang Theory and their first release of original material since 2003's Cyclorama. The album reached #45 on the Billboard 200, propelled by pre-sales prior to its official release date, but fell off the chart after 2 weeks. In an era with limited album sales, total U.S. Sales were approximately 15,000 copies, a far cry from the band's triple platinum past. Yet, the album did briefly reach the Top 100 in four other countries. The concept album tells the story of a mission to the planet Mars in the year 2033. The album's story was written by Tommy Shaw and Will Evankovich. Evankovich played a significant role, serving as producer and co-writing all but one of the full length tracks.

References

  1. 1 2 "Official Charts > Space". The Official UK Charts Company. 13 August 1977. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  3. ↑ "charts.org.nz > Space - Tin Planet (album)". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for 'Space'". BPI . Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Mackenzie. "Space". Allmusic. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Interviews Tommy, Franny and Jamie - March 1998 - Top Magazine". Space the Band. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Biography". Space the Band. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "Interviews Tommy, Franny and Jamie - Magazine". Space the Band. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  9. ↑ Mullens, Joby. "Interviews Tommy - June 1998 - The Coranto". Space the Band. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "Space". Liverpool Music. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Tin Planet (liner). Space. Gut Records. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. 1 2 Spiders (liner). Space. Gut Records. 1996.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Richards, Sam. "Interviews Tommy, Franny, Jamie - 1998 - Total Guitar". Space the Band. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "Cover Stories- featuring: Tommy Scott and Mike Badger: Space - Tin Planet". YouTube .
  15. ↑ Tin Planet at AllMusic
  16. ↑ Williams, Simon. "Space: Tin Planet". NME . Archived from the original on 17 August 2000.
  17. ↑ Harris, John (April 1998). "That joke isn't funny anymore". Select (94): 82.
  18. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2000). "Space". The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Canongate Books. ISBN   1-84195-017-3.
  19. ↑ "Tin Planet - Space - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic .
  20. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 262.
  21. ↑ "Charts.nz – Space %5BUK%5D – Tin Planet". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  22. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  23. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  24. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1998". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  25. ↑ "British album certifications – Space – Tin Planet". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.