The Real Tuesday Weld
The Real Tuesday Weld | |
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Background information | |
Origin | United Kingdom |
Genres | Indie pop, lounge, electro swing, dark cabaret, music hall |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels | AntiqueBeat Crammed Six Degrees Records |
Members | Stephen Coates Jacques Van Rhijn Clive Painter Don Brosnan Matt Snowden Josephine Lloyd |
Past members | David Guez Brian Lee Jed Woodhouse Geraldine McEwan |
Website | www.tuesdayweld.com |
The Real Tuesday Weld are a British band, founded by lead singer and producer Stephen Coates in 1999. They are known for producing jazzy cabaret-style music with subtle electronica influences, a style dubbed "Antique Beat" by Coates.[1] They have released six albums, many singles and EPs and many tracks on compilations. Their combination of big band jazz era sounds with electronica has been influential on the current range of electro swing artists and DJs.
The band is named after American film actress Tuesday Weld. Coates once had a dream involving Weld and 1930s vocalist Al Bowlly, and cites it as inspiration for the band's particular style.
At present, the band is signed to Crammed (Europe, Australasia, South America) and Six Degrees Records (North America). They have previously released recordings with Antique Beat, Kindercore Records, Dreamy Records, Bambini Records, PIAS Recordings and Motorway Records. A German alt-country band by the name of Tuesday Weld that released a CD "Starscene 98" on Glitterhouse Records is not related.
"The Clerkenwell Kid" is often cited as the band's producer / re-mixer but is an alter ego for Coates himself. The 2009 album "The Clerkenwell Kid: Live at the End of the World" is an imaginary live recording of a concert on the 'eve of the apocalypse'. The Clerkenwell Kid is also the main character in a London based mythology Coates has developed around his love of the city's history and stories.
Their live shows are usually accompanied by visuals in the form of bespoke films and animations.
The band's last album is a soundtrack to the novel book "The Last Werewolf" (2012) by Glen Duncan reprising their joint work on Duncan's novel "I, Lucifer" (2004). In 2010 - 2011, Coates also co-wrote and produced an album "Horseplay" as "Lazarus and the Plane Crash" - a collaboration with Joe Coles of UK cult garage rockers The Guillotines which was released on Antique Beat in 2012.
According to the band's website, Coates has most recently been working on the scores for two indie features, various Russian music relate projects and is recording a new album for release in 2016.
Film Scoring
The band have worked with many animators and filmmakers, particularly the Russian animator Alex Budovsky and the American animator George Fort on several international award winning films. Their "Bathtime in Clerkenwell" cut (from the "I, Lucifer" album) appears as the soundtrack for Budovsky's innovative multi-award winning short film of the same title.
Coates has written music for various independent features including Paul Cotter's Bomber and the US indies "Meeting Spencer" (2009), "The Suspect" (2013) and Meet Me in Montenegro (2014) as well as the French movie "Imagine' (2016) Directed by Benoit Graffin. He has also written for several documentaries and short films including US cult series 'The Midnight Archive', 'The Man Who Married Kittens' a biopic of anthropomorphic taxidermist Walter Potter, several 'Everyman' programs for BBC 2 and most recently the theme music for the sitcom series 'Bull'.
The band have had many existing tracks used in films, television shows and commercials. Their song "I Love the Rain" was used in a commercial for Chevy in 2011. The 2013 Apple iPad commercial featured the piano instrumental "The Lupine Waltz' from The Last Werewolf album. The song "Last Words" (from the album "The London Book of the Dead") is cut throughout and plays over the final scenes of Sony pictures' 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by indie cult director Peter Sollett (Raising Victor Vargas).
Other Music
The band have re-mixed several artists including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, David Byrne and The Puppini Sisters in their burlesque style re-make of Crazy in Love by Beyoncé Knowles. They have collaborated widely artists including Brazilian electronic chanteuse Cibelle, English nu-folk diva Mara Carlyle, Guillotines vocalist Joe Coles, The Tiger Lillies, Claudia Brücken of Propaganda.
In 2007, Coates was commissioned to write music for the Rothko room at the Tate Modern, London and the band re-scored the surrealist cult film Dreams That Money Can Buy for the British Film Institute. Other commissioned arts projects include 'Propaganda from the State of Love' at London's Victoria and Albert museum for the 2008 'Cold War Modern' exhibition.
In 2010/2011, he was commissioned to write and produce the original songs for the Rockstar Games title L.A.Noire. The recordings feature the German singer Claudia Brücken of Propaganda and ACT.
X-Ray Audio
In 2014, Coates launched the 'The X-Ray Audio Project' an initiative to provide a resource of information about 'Roentgenizdat' Soviet bootleg recordings of forbidden music made on used X-Rays in the 1940s and 1950s. The project archives visual images, information, audio recordings and interviews made during travels in Russia with photographer Paul Heartfield as the basis for a book 'X-Ray Audio: The Strange Story of Soviet Music on the Bone' published in November 2015 by Strange Attractor Press.
The pair have made 'a documentary film' of the same name with UK organisation The Vinyl Factory.
Coates and sound artist and researcher Aleks Kolkowski cut new X-Ray records as a demonstration of the process involved in a live event at London arts venue The Horse Hospital and other locations in the UK, US and Europe. He delivered a talk on the project at TEDx in Krakow in June 2015.
Other Work
Coates has worked extensively with various London arts organisations. His label Antique Beat presents 'Salon for the City', and curates various arts events including '32 Londoners' and London Month of the Dead'.
In November 2015, his publishing company Antique Beat and Earth Recordings released 'Film Music' a three album set of music by the Russian film composer Mikael Tariverdiev a project Coates had been working since he first heard the composer's music in Moscow in 2011
In 2008, he wrote and presented a series of eight radio programs: "US and THEM: Sounds of Propaganda and the Cold War" on London Arts radio station Resonance 104.4fm
In February 2015, he was commissioned to write and narrate an essay for the BBC Radio 3 series Just Juvenilia telling the story of his visit to the underground river Fleet in London, the time he spoke in a Buddhist monastery and the circumstances surrounding the forming of his band The Real Tuesday Weld in the late 1990s.
In July 2012 Coates appeared on the Fiona Shaw directed arts project "Peace Camp" providing a vocal take on Nick Cave's lyrics to the song Into my Arms" with A. L. Kennedy.
Discography
Most of the band's albums have had multiple versions released in different territories. They have also issued several private releases including an audio Christmas card with exclusive tracks each year since 2001. This discography is not complete, though it does cover the major releases.
Albums
- At The House Of The Clerkenwell Kid, (2001, Bambini)
- Where Psyche Meets Cupid, (2001, Kindercore Records)
- I, Lucifer, (2002, PIAS Recordings; edited and released 2004, Six Degrees Records). Soundtrack/companion to the novel I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan. Glen Duncan is a childhood friend of Coates.
- Les Aperitifs et Les Digestifs (2004). A live album that includes unreleased songs and covers.
- The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid, (2005, Six Degrees Records)
- "Dreams That Money Can Buy", (2006 BFI). Alternative soundtrack to the 1948 surrealist cult film by Hans Richter
- The London Book of the Dead, (2007, Six Degrees Records / Antique Beat)
- At the End of the World, (2008, Six Degrees Records / Antique Beat). Limited live recording made by The Clerkenwell Kid 'on the eve of the apocalypse'
- The Last Werewolf, (2011, Six Degrees Records / Crammed Discs). Soundtrack/companion to the novel The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan.
- Horseplay' as 'Lazarus and the Plane Crash' with Joe Coles, (2013, Antique Beat)
EPs
- The Valentine EP (2000, Dreamy Records)
- L'amour et la morte, (2000, Kindercore Records)
- Joyeux Noel, (2008, Antique Beat)
- A Dream at the End of a Year, (2009, Antique Beat)
- Seasons Songs, (2010, Antique Beat)
- Seasons Dreamings, (2011, Antique Beat)
- Moon Setting, (2011, Crammed)
- A Wish at Christmas, (2012, Antique Beat)
- In Memorium, (2013, Antique Beat)
- "Happy Hatter Christmas , (2014, Antique Beat)
- "Happy X-Raymas , (2015, Antique Beat)
Singles
- Trojan Horses (1999)
- I Love The Rain (7") (2001, Dreamy Records)
- Am I in Love? (2001, Motorway Records)
- The Meteorology Of Love (2002) Bambini Records
- The Ugly and the Beautiful, (2004, Play It Again Sam)
- Bathtime in Clerkenwell, (2004, Play It Again Sam)
- Bathtime in Clerkenwell, (2004, Six Degrees Records)
- Still Terminally Ambivalent Over You, (2005, Play It Again Sam)
- Kix, (2008, Six Degrees Records)
- Last Words, (2009, Antique Beat)
- Ruth, Roses and Revolvers, (2010, Tongue Master)
Compilation Tracks: A selection
- The Days of You & Me (Remix) on Kindercore 50 (2000, Kindercore Records)
- I Like It That Way on Kindercore 50 (2000, Kindercore Records)
- The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid on A Wish Upon a Star (2001, Dreamy Records)
- I love the Rain (Stormy weather mix on Little Darla Vol. 17 (2001, Little Darla)
- At the House of the Clerkenwell Kid (carousel mix) on Carousel Vol3 (2002, Carousel)
- Declan's Bad Days on Comes With A Smile Vol. 8 (2003, Comes With A Smile)
- Declan's Little White Birds on Comes With A Smile Vol. 8 (2003, Comes With A Smile)
- One More Chance on Little Darla Vol. 20 (2003, Little Darla)
- Bathtime in Clerkenwell on Transmusicale 26 (2004, Transmusicale)
- Bathtime in Clerkenwell on Luffkasellet 3 (2005, Music for Dreams)
- Bathtime in Clerkenwell on Weeds Volume 2: music from the Showtime original series (2006, Lions Gate Films)
- The Ugly and the Beautiful on The Thrill of Collette (2005, N.O.I.S.E./Collette)
- The Eternal Seduction of Eve' on The Thrill of Collette (2005, N.O.I.S.E./Collette)
- The Ugly and the Beautiful on Siddhartha (2005, GeorgeV Records)
- The Day Before You Came on Backspin: A Six Degrees 10 Year Anniversary Project (2007, Six Degrees Records)
- Yes, I Love You (Shrift Remix) on Eden (2007, Six Degrees Records)
- Paris Blues (Duke Ellington remix) on Cinematic (2007, Six Degrees Records)
- Bringing the Body Back Home (Feat. Cibelle)) on Traveller 08 (2008, Six Degrees Records)
- Kix on Buddha Bar X (2008, GeorgeV Records)
- Last Words on Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack (2008, Atlantic Records)
- Last Days on Songs for a Year (2009, Peppermill Recordings)
- Cloud Cuckooland on Swing Style Volume 2 (2009, Lola's World)
- The Sweetest Songs on Twisted Cabaret (2010, Volvox)
- Little Boxes on Indie Lullabies (2010, American Laundromat Records)
- Guilty, Torched Song, I Always Kill the Things I Love on L.A.Noire Soundtrack (2011, Verve)
- Musique pour une Film Francaise on Smoked and Uncut (2012, Limewire)
- Kix' on Smoked and Uncut (2012, Limewire)
- The English Alchemist on Smoked and Uncut (2012, Limewire)
- The Eternal Seduction of Eve' on A Magical Journey (2012, Klangmeister)
- Song of December on Festivus (2012, Highline Records)
- Musique pour une Film Francaise on Smoked and Uncut (2012, Limewire)
- Last Tango in Clerkenwell on Electro-Swing V (2013, Wagram)
- Theme for the Experimental Record Group on The Twilight Language of Nigel Kneale (2013)
- Pony Swing' on Electro-Swing VII (2014, Wagram)
Cover Versions
- Stand by Your Man original by Tammy Wynette
- La Javanaise original by Serge Gainsbourg
- Little Boxes original by Malvina Reynolds
- Poker Face original by Lady Gaga
- The Day Before You Came original by Abba
Remixes
- After All for Bebel Gilberto (2005, Six Degrees Records)
- Yes, I Love You for Shrift (2006, Six Degrees Records)
- Paris Blues for Duke Ellington (2007, Six Degrees Records)
- Asa Branca for David Byrne / Forro in the Dark (2007, Nublu)
- Crazy In Love for The Puppini Sisters (2008, Universal / Verve)
- Good Morning Blues for Count Basie (2008, Verve)
- Makes Me Happy for Undersea Poem (2010, Six Degrees Records)
- Step into Christmas for The Puppini Sisters (2010, Universal / Verve)
- Strange is the man for Piers Faccini (2011, Six Degrees Records)
- Joe Palooka' for Grand Street (2012, Favouritizm)
- Stop Googlin' Me' for Bart and Baker' (2013, (Wagram)
- Pony Swing for Dr Cat' (2014, Green Queen, Music)
- The Big Easy' for Pete Thomas" (2014, EMI)
- Ugly Bones' for Piney Gir" (2015, Damaged Goods)
References
- ^ "collective - (the real) tuesday weld interview". BBC. 2004-06-07. Retrieved 2010-07-28.