Tiger (band)
Encyclopedia
Tiger were an indie
band
from Princes Risborough
and London
who were formed in 1996.
Tiger quickly got British press attention after their debut single
"Shining in the Wood" was played on BBC Radio 1
. The musical climate of the time was dominated by Britpop
and retro
bands influenced by Oasis
. Tiger, who were characterised by fuzzy guitars and multiple keyboards, were quickly held up as part of a new alternative.
The band had two keyboardists using Moog synthesizer
s and used droning song structures similar to Stereolab
and Neu!
, but with a stronger pop
element. The band were often criticised for their (lack of) fashion sense: they wore outdated clothes and at least two members of the band had mullet
haircuts, which, although they have become fashionable since, were totally out of place at the time.
The band recorded and released their 1996 debut album We are Puppets less than a year after they first formed. It was often described as patchy and samey, but one which nonetheless had some strong pop songs. The album's singles, "Race", "My Puppet Pal", and "On The Rose" were minor successes although only "Race" reached the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
.
NME
invited them to perform on their annual Brat Bus Tour in 1997 and their performances were generally held to be a success.
In late 1998 they supported Pulp
, but any impetus had been lost by this point and they were dropped from their record label
shortly after. Their Stephen Street
-produced second album Rosaria eventually appeared on the Tugboat label in 1999, but shortly afterwards they split up.
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough is a small town in Buckinghamshire, England, about 9 miles south of Aylesbury and 8 miles north west of High Wycombe. Bledlow lies to the west and Monks Risborough to the east. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through the Chilterns,...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
who were formed in 1996.
Tiger quickly got British press attention after their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Shining in the Wood" was played on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. The musical climate of the time was dominated by Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
and retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
bands influenced by Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
. Tiger, who were characterised by fuzzy guitars and multiple keyboards, were quickly held up as part of a new alternative.
The band had two keyboardists using Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
s and used droning song structures similar to Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
and Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
, but with a stronger pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
element. The band were often criticised for their (lack of) fashion sense: they wore outdated clothes and at least two members of the band had mullet
Mullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
haircuts, which, although they have become fashionable since, were totally out of place at the time.
The band recorded and released their 1996 debut album We are Puppets less than a year after they first formed. It was often described as patchy and samey, but one which nonetheless had some strong pop songs. The album's singles, "Race", "My Puppet Pal", and "On The Rose" were minor successes although only "Race" reached the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
invited them to perform on their annual Brat Bus Tour in 1997 and their performances were generally held to be a success.
In late 1998 they supported Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
, but any impetus had been lost by this point and they were dropped from their record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
shortly after. Their Stephen Street
Stephen Street
Stephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...
-produced second album Rosaria eventually appeared on the Tugboat label in 1999, but shortly afterwards they split up.
Line-up
- Dan Laidler: vocals, guitar
- Julie Sims: guitar, vocals
- Tina Whitlow: keyboards, guitar
- Dido Hallett: keyboards
- Craig 'Ed' Grimshaw (drummer from Warm Jets) on debut single "Shining In The Wood"
- Louis Jones (singer & guitarist from Warm Jets) on debut single "Shining In The Wood"
- Seamus Feeney: drums
- Gavin Skinner: drums (on the 2nd album)
Albums
| Info | Track listing |
|---|---|
We Are Puppets Year: Nov, 1996 Format: CD Label: Trade 2 UK Chart Position: #108 Review: Allmusic [ link]
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Shining In The Wood (US Only) Year: Apr, 1997 Format: CD Label: Bar None Records Review: Allmusic [ link]
|
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|
Rosaria Year: May, 1999 Format: CD Label: Tugboat
|
|
Singles
| Info | Track listing |
|---|---|
Shining In The Wood Year: Jun, 1996 Format: 7" / CD Label: Fierce Panda UK Chart Position: #135 |
|
|
Race Year: Aug, 1996 Format: 7" / CD / Cassette Compact Cassette The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel... Label: Trade 2 UK Chart Position: #37 |
|
|
My Puppet Pal Year: Nov, 1996 Format: 7" / CD / Cassette Label: Trade 2 UK Chart Position: #62 |
|
|
On The Rose Year: Feb, 1997 Format: 7" / 2xCD Label: Trade 2 UK Chart Position: #57 |
|
|
Best in Bucks (ltd single with and as 'Fleas') Year: 1997 Format: 7" Label: Trade 2 |
|
|
Friends Year: Aug, 1998 Format: 7" / 2xCD Label: Trade 2 UK Chart Position: #72 |
|
|
Girl From the Petrol Station (Unreleased) Year: 1998 Format: Promo CD Label: Trade 2 |
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