• World Wide Web (WWW): I think there are two sites where you can find the current FAQ:
  • My (Joe DiMaria's) page at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/tcshome.html
  • Ed Gore's page at http://www.shinra.com/tcs/
• Usenet: I will possibly post the newest version of the FAQ to alt.music.alternative or at least an announcement of where it can be obtained.
• E-mail: The FAQ currently cannot be automatically retrieved via e-mail.
• Send me an e-mail and ask me to send you the latest version.

2. TCS Mailing List
2.1 How did the mailing list get started?

On May 24, 1993, Paul Leddy, the founding list administrator and resident TCS expert, started the original TCS list as a means of promoting awareness and discussion of TCS and their music. On October 6, 1997, after problems with the UIC list, list member Warren Chi moved the list to bansheeparadigm.com and the UIC list was closed in early 1998.

2.2 Do TCS know about the mailing list?

TCS are well aware of the list and appreciative of the support. They first found out in 1993, when Paul Leddy met and interviewed TCS after a show at the Metro in Chicago, and writes "...I was right up at the stage with a copy of all the fine postings to the group and a letter to describe the group. I had to wave it in front of John's face a couple times to get his attention but he looked grateful when he looked at it. After the concert I ran into Frank and John and introduced myself as the person who started the group, they said that they were very impressed and flattered by it. John asked me if I wanted to do an interview with them, I, of course said yes..." The list also comes up in just about every fan interview over the last couple of years. In January 1996, Francis did an Internet chat with around 25 list members, and in March 1996, Francis posted a message to the list discussing the band's recent activities. In Terry Banks' interview from September 1996, John says "(the list) is great...incredible. They seem like they're as passionate about our music as we are. Frank said "Yeah, you look at some of the things (the list) does and then look at the record company and kind of wonder what's going on!" On a few occassions TCS have indirectly posted other information to the list and have been formally and informally interviewed by list members.

2.3 Are TCS on the mailing list?

For a short period of time during the spring/summer of 1996, Frank Reader was subscribed to the mailing list through an account at Go!Discs. However, as he didn't have his own computer or make it to Go!'s offices very often, he couldn't keep up with the mail and unsubscribed. Frank didn't post any messages to the list during this time. TCS are not currently on the mailing list. They'd probably need to get a computer first. However, information often manages to find its way from the band to the list and vice versa.

2.4 How do I subscribe to the mailing list?

To subscribe to the TCS mailing list, send an e-mail to: majordomo@bansheeparadigm.com with "subscribe trashcan" or "subscribe trashcan-digest" (no quotation marks) in the body of the message. Make sure that messages to the server are in the BODY. The server will ignore anything in the SUBJECT field.

2.5 How do I unsubscribe from the mailing list?

To unsubscribe from the TCS mailing list, send an e-mail to: majordomo@bansheeparadigm.com with "unsubscribe trashcan" or "unsubscribe trashcan-digest" (no quotation marks) in the body of the message.

2.6 How do I post a message to the list?

Send an e-mail to trashcan@bansheeparadigm.com with your message. This is NOT the address to send subscribe/unsubscribe messages. Make sure you include a subject so everyone has an idea what the message is about. Refer to Kevin Landwehr's Introduction for tips when you join the list. If you don't want to post a message right away, you might want to lurk for a while to get a feeling for the types of topics discussed before you summon enough courage to post your first message/question, etc. Then, you'll anxiously await a response, some people will start talking, and voila!, you've made your first contribution. If you post a question to the list and someone doesn't answer it right away, don't repost it right away! Wait a couple of days. It might take a while for someone who knows the answer to get around to reading your message, the topic may have been discussed recently and people are sick of talking about it, or it's possible no one knows the answer. After a few days, you could try asking again nicely and see if that helps to generate a response. We don't claim to know everything about TCS!

We don't mind if you lurk on the list. However, as long as you've done your homework (i.e. read this FAQ) and have consulted the available TCS resources (lyrics, discography, guitar tabs, archives, etc.), you shouldn't have any worries about posting a message.

Also, please be warned about flaming someone/something. Sometimes discussions will involve other bands or topics besides TCS. Please have the common courtesy to be constructive in any criticism or take your flame to private e-mail.

Remember that if you post a message which is unrelated to TCS, please put "NON TCS" or something similar in the subject of your message.

2.7 Are there any list digests available?

Yes, when you subscribe to the list, you're actually subscribing to one of two lists: a 'bounce' list, where every message posted to the list is immediately sent to each list member (the trashcan list), or you can receive a daily digest of all messages combined into one message (the trashcan-digest list). Be warned that the volume of postings fluctuates quite a bit. Some days you might receive 30 bounce messages, and other days you might wonder if you're still subscribed to the list. If you want to switch, there is no way to turn the bounce or digest option on or off, you actually need to unsubscribe from one list and subscribe to the other. You can also send me an e-mail if you're having problems.

2.8 Are there any list archives available?

Yes, some UIC archives are still available on the server and a list can be accessed by sending an e-mail to: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU with INDEX TRASHCAN in the body of the message. Currently, archives are available back through September 1995, and somewhere I have copies of the archives from July 1994-August 1995 if you want to see them. To access a specific archive, send an e-mail to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU with GET TRASHCAN LOGxxxx in the body of the message. Replace xxxx with the year and month of the archive you want. For example, to get the September 1995 archive, you would GET TRASHCAN LOG9509.

We are currently working on compiling archives for the bansheeparadigm list.

2.9 How many people are on the mailing list?

As of April 28, 1998, there were 215 people subscribed to the list.

2.10 Are off-topic postings allowed on the list? (Important, please read!)

Yes, but this has been the source of aggravation for some list members, so please be considerate and keep this in mind: This is first and foremost a TCS mailing list...I do not moderate the list. You should find the TCS list members very friendly, helpful and funny, and willing to discuss anything even remotely dealing with TCS. People normally are not offended when discussions stray from TCS. At times, probably due to the fact that there hasn't been much news in TCS land, you might go days without seeing a TCS message, but still receive a lot of messages from the TCS list on all different tangents: other bands, concerts, etc. There have been a lot of interesting discussions on this list (both related and unrelated to TCS), but if you're not interested in receiving messages unrelated to TCS (and there are plenty) I'd suggest subscribing to the digest version of the list so you can scan the messages by subject, or exercise your delete key on the regular list. Again, if you do post something which is not related to TCS, please put "NON TCS" or something similar in the subject line and anyone not interested in off-topic messages will know to delete the message. That's all we can ask to try to keep everyone happy.

3. World Wide Web
3.1 Is there an official TCS World Wide Web site?

No. When TCS were with Go!Discs, they had their own page, which has since been removed as Go!Discs was bought out by Polygram.

3.2 Are there any TCS Web sites?

• I have a TCS web page at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/tcshome.html. The page includes the FAQ, a collection of interviews, articles, rumors and other information, the discography, guitar tabs, the "Spooktime" screenplay (see question 7.6), links to the other TCS pages, information about the TCS mailing list, and other good stuff.
• An Official TCS Fan Page was originally planned and some bits were put on-line, but the project was never completed and then later abandoned. The information from this page was moved over to list member Ed Gore's page at http://www.shinra.com/tcs/ This page has some JPEGs, lyrics (Cake, ISE, AHP and some b-sides), the discography (v3.2), fan interviews and fan encounters. List member Stephanie Cangin has also compiled a lit of TCS 'mondegreens' (what people thought  the lyrics were) which has been added to Ed's page. Ed has also recently added a link to the new TCS Chat Room at http://venus.beseen.com/chat/rooms/d/2758/
• Amon Dorny's page has links to some of the other TCS pages, as well as a discography (v3.0) complete with record scans. He also has links to a number of mail order companies where you might be able to find TCS singles. Amon's page is at http://www.cc.utah.edu/~ald25950/tcsimage.htm but doesn't seem to have been updated in a while.
• Matt Young has a page at http://attack.oit.duke.edu/tcs/bsides.html which is a comprehensive collection of TCS lyrics (Cake, ISE, AHP and b-sides), and also includes on-line forms to fill out and make comments/changes to the lyrics.
• You can also check out Darren Kiel's "TCS List Members" page, which is at http://www.nexus.net/~dkiel/trashcan.shtml This page has pictures and bios of some list members.
• There is a TCS Board on AOL. Well, this isn't really a link, but if you're a member of AOL, check out the music message center (Keyword: MMC) then the World Beat section, then the World Music section. The boards are in alphabetical order and the TCS one is towards the bottom. With the new structure of the AOL boards, it's a relatively permanent board.

I won't go into a detailed description of all of these pages, but here are a number of other sites (some are no longer updated) where you can find TCS related information:

• http://onramp113.org/cyberdude/ (sound files)
• http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/rodin/38/ (rotating MP3 files)
• http://www.bansheeparadigm.com/tcs-la/ (L.A. Listies)
• http://imusic.com/cgi-bin/bbs/bbs.cgi?x=trashcansinatra (BBS, also links to sound files)
• http://www.fosbrook.demon.co.uk/tcs.htm (TCS links and cover scans)
• http://www.cplab.ph.ed.ac.uk/~p93032/trash.html (fan page)
• http://members.aol.com/glennaa11/index/music/music.htm (fan page)
• http://iaw.com/~koivuhab/bandjuly.html (old fan page)
• http://www.uwm.edu/~manor/tcan.html (old fan page)
• http://http.bsd.uchicago.edu/~mcclintock/cmdavis/tcs.html (old fan page)

4. Discography
4.1 What albums have they made?

TCS released "Cake" in 1990 and "I've Seen Everything" in 1993. A limited edition 5 song EP entitled "Five Hungry Joes" (5HJ) was briefly available in late 1995 (also see question 4.9). The band's third album "A Happy Pocket" (AHP) was released in various countries around the world during 1996, but not in the US. TCS have also released a handful of hard-to-find singles, most of which include B-sides that many fans consider high quality.

4.2 Is there a discography?

The discography is maintained by list member Kenny Gan. The full version of the current discography (version 3.3 dated December 24, 1997) is available using WWW at my site at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/discog33.html and Ed Gore's TCS page at http://www.shinra.com/tcs/. Amon Dorny's page at http://www.cc.utah.edu/~ald25950/tcsimage.htm has version 3.0, complete with cover scans).

Following is an abbreviated version:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** SHORT DISCOGRAPHY ****************************************************
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This short discography includes all official releases and promos.  It does
not include bootlegs nor compliation appearances (soundtracks, tributes, 
magazine cds, compilation promos, etc).  'x' indicates that this release 
(first column) is available in this format (top row).

                           Official    Promotional
                           Release     Item
                   FORMAT: CD CS 7" 12 CD CS 7" 12
                           -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
OBSCURITY KNOCKS           x  x  x  x  x     x  x  Single   Feb  5, 1990
ONLY TONGUE CAN TELL       x  x  x  x           x  Single   May  8, 1990
CIRCLING THE CIRCUMFERENCE x  x  x  x           x  Single   Oct  1, 1990
CAKE                       x  x     x     x        Album    Jun 25, 1990
SENSES WORKING OVERTIME                         x  Promo    Jul     1990
BLOODRUSH                              x           Promo            1993
HAYFEVER                   x  x  x  x  x  x     x  Single   Apr 13, 1993
I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING       x  x     x  x  x        Album    May  4, 1993
I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING       x  x  x  x  x        x  Single   Jun  1, 1993
FIVE HUNGRY JOES                       x           EP       Oct 30, 1995
THE GENIUS I WAS                       x           Promo    Dec     1995
THE MAIN ATTRACTION        x     x                 Single   Mar 11, 1996
A HAPPY POCKET             x        x  x  x        Album    May 13, 1996
TWISTED AND BENT           x  x  x                 Single   May 20, 1996
HOW CAN I APPLY            x     x                 Single   Aug 19, 1996
TO SIR WITH LOVE           x  x  x     x     x  x  Single   Dec  2, 1996

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.3 How do I make a contribution to the discography?

Kenny Gan isn't subscribed to the list, but you can e-mail him at kgan@ca.oracle.com You should also post to the TCS list as everyone on the list will probably be interested in your updates as well.

4.4 Are the singles still available?

As far as I know, all singles, including the four from AHP, are out of print. The AHP singles are a little easier to find than those from the first two albums, which you will probably never see in a store. At different times there were plans/rumors by TCS to release a B-sides album or CD, but this never happened. As TCS do not currently own the rights to any of their back catalog, it's probably unlikely that this will happen.

4.5 Have TCS recorded any songs by Frank Sinatra or any other artists?

TCS have not actually recorded any Frank Sinatra songs. TCS have recorded covers of XTC's "Senses Working Overtime"; "White Horses" (theme from an old 70's television show called "Jackie"), and "Tonight You Belong to Me" (also see question 10.6). All of these songs are available on the B-sides tape (see question 7.14). Their last album, AHP, features a cover of Lulu's "To Sir With Love" (from the Sidney Poitier movie of the same name) and the HCIA single has a cover of Scott Walker's "Little Things That Keep Us Together". TCS have also recorded covers of "You Only Live Twice" (the theme from the 5th James Bond film, originally sung by Nancy Sinatra), "Born Free" (Matt Monroe) and "I Know It's Over" (the Smiths) (see questions 5.3-5.4).

4.6 What is "Spoofs"?

"Spoofs" was the working title for "Cake" and was apparently reviewed under that name by some publications in 1990, comparing TCS to Aztec Camera!

4.7 What song is "Tug of Worries"?

This was the working title for "You Made Me Feel", from "Cake". A promo cassette released by Go!Discs in 1990 called "100% Go!" featured 5 TCS songs, including "Tug of Worries", which turns out to be "You Made Me Feel". If you listen closely to the choruses in "You Made Me Feel", you should be able to make out 'tug of worries' sung very slowly in the background. It's easiest to hear toward the end of the song as it's not being sung as slowly.

4.8 What is "Spooktime" (the album)?

ISE was originally called "Spooktime". However, prior to its release, TCS learned that the title could have racist connotations in the United States, and changed the title. ISE was reportedly released as "Spooktime" in Japan. TCS can be heard singing "Spooktime" in the background of "A Boy and a Girl" from the 5HJ EP (see question 4.9).

TCS completed a short film in early 1996, also entitled "Spooktime". See question 7.6.

4.9 What is "Five Hungry Joes" (5HJ)?

5HJ is a limited edition 5 song EP where each band member sings one song. According to "Bigwig" magazine (a Scottish monthly music publication), it was actually scheduled to be released on October 30, 1995. Presumably the A to Z tour which the band embarked on the following day was intended to promote the EP. For whatever reasons, the EP was never released, and a box full of CD's with no labeling and no packaging (but obviously 5HJ) magically appeared out of nowhere on Paul Leddy's doorstep in November 1995. Also see question 10.8.

In the chat, Francis said this about 5HJ: "i'm glad some of you are into 5HJ, i was really pleased with the sound and the songs and wanted them all on the album, but we we're a bit feart (afraid? Ed.) of overloading it and couldn't decide whether to try and control the sound of the album or just chuck it all on in a big sprawling mess. we eventually did the former, i think."

4.10 What are the song names and who sings each song on 5HJ?

The songs are "No Gasoline", "Mr. Grisly", "Aberration", "A Boy and a Girl", and "I Must Fly". Francis sings the first song, and list member Sarah Gordon tells us that songs 2-5 are Stephen, Davey, John and Paul. This was confirmed by Francis in the chat. Most of these songs are apparently older songs that TCS never got around to recording until now. Some list members remember hearing versions of "No Gasoline" and "Aberration" in concerts before. In fact, Francis said that he and David wrote "Aberration" almost 10 years ago!

4.11 I can't find 5HJ in any stores. How can I get it?

Well, you can't get the songs on one CD anymore. Originally, the only way to get 5HJ was to be a member of this mailing list. Paul Leddy was surprised to find a box of 150 CD's on his doorstep one day, and they were given away for free to list members. However, all hope isn't lost as "I Must Fly" is on AHP, while "Mr. Grisly", "No Gasoline" and "Aberration" are all b-sides to "Twisted and Bent", and "A Boy and a Girl" is one of the TSWL b-sides.

4.12 "Remember Phil"? Isn't that the same song as "Twisted and Bent"?

Yep. According to John: "It's kinda evolved away from how it started. That's why the title changed." Sorry I can't give you anymore than that!

4.13 I heard that "The Main Attraction" was a limited edition release...is that true?

For some reason, TMA was released as a limited edition, possibly limited to 2,000 7" and an unknown quantity of CD singles. This was the source of quite a bit of confusion to the list members. According to Francis' posting to the list, "The idea behind releasing the main attraction in a limited format only was, as far as i see it, to enable us to gradually build up our profile once more. rather than release a poppier song with a big splash, and risking radio airplay being refused us only through the trashcan fatigue of those in control ("oh no, not those aztec camera soundalikes again! are they still going? don't bother me with that, pass over that great new cast single"), we thought we'd let them do that to a song that wasn't an obvious single choice for us. and they will do it. any big splash, go discs were sure, would splashdown in the bargain bins round the country. this may sound like feartiness on their part, but we decided to let them get on with it. this single has gotten us sporadic attention and will be followed on april 20th (actually May 20th - Ed.) by a properly distributed record, "twisted and bent" (T&B). see you on top of the pops, says i. anyway, that's as best as i can explain it. some days i think it's a decent enough plan (and a plan at least), other days i hold my head in my hands and cry at the state of affairs. other days, i don't give two hoots. whatever, i'm sure of the good intentions of the good folks at go, so you should be too."

4.14 What is "Worm with a Head"?

This was originally a solo song recorded just for fun by Paul Livingston. TCS re-recorded this song and it appeared as one of the HCIA B-sides.

4.15 Why is the last album called "A Happy Pocket"?

According to Francis on a Radio Scotland interview, it has a double meaning: first, it refers to TCS' home of Kilmarnock and how everyone knows everybody else, and secondly, as explained by John: "A friend of ours... it used to be one of his phrases and it's a kind of tribute to him because he's no longer with us. He used to say 'A full pocket is a happy pocket'. He used to say that, when he got his wages and go and buy drink..fags. He was great, a real nice guy. Just somebody we came across through being in a band."

4.16 How can I get a copy of AHP?

Outside of the US, you should be able to find it pretty easily. In the US, you either need to check your local import/indie record store to see if they have any in stock, or try some of the on-line record stores. Also, some of the bigger chains like HMV and Tower often have the CD. Since AHP is an import only, expect to pay anywhere from $17-$30 for a new copy (usually the higher end of the range). You can also send me an e-mail and ask me to pick up a copy for you. I can get it for $23, including tax and postage.

4.17 Why wasn't AHP released in the US?

For whatever reasons, while Cake sold well for a debut CD, ISE sold poorly in the US. TCS' US distributor was London Records, who (I assume based on the sales of ISE) decided not to release AHP in the US. Go!Discs apparently did not have the ability to release AHP in the US, and parent company Polygram chose not to release the CD either.

4.18 Will AHP be released in the US?

I really doubt it. Polygram seems to have little interest or incentive to release AHP in the US and their asking price for the rights have so far made it impossible for TCS to obtain the CD in hopes of releasing it on their own. See question 11.5.

4.19 What song is "Blowing Up"?

This was most likely the working title for "No Gasoline", which originally appeared on 5HJ, and then subsequently as a B-side to T&B.

4.20 What song is "Dominoes"?

This was most likely a working title for "I'll Get Them In", which appears on AHP.

4.21 What song is "Rod and Alcohol"?

This was another working title for "I'll Get Them In", which appears on AHP. This phrase is in the song's chorus, with 'Rod' referring to Rod Stewart.

5. Other Releases With TCS
5.1 What's this "Adventure Club" CD that TCS are on?

List member Jason Bronner tells us: "The Adventure Club was a Sunday night program done by Alex Luke of the Dallas Fort Worth radio station 94.5 The EDGE. About once a year (normally around Christmas) they would release an Adventure Club album of guests from the show who had played live at the radio station." On one album (rumored to be limited to 4,000 copies), TCS perform an acoustic version of "Safecracker". A newer version of the song appears on AHP. Other bands on this Adventure Club CD include House of Love, the Posies and Frank Black. People on the list sometimes find used copies of the CD. If you want to get a new copy, they should be available for $15...try Reel George Productions at http://www.nstar.net/RGP/index.html

5.2 What's this "T In the Park" CD that TCS are on?

Started in 1994, T In the Park is Scotland's only two day outdoor festival. "The Best of Three In the Park" is a 3 CD collection featuring studio versions of songs performed by some of the groups over the last two years. The CD includes T&B and also features Radiohead, Oasis, Blur and the Charlatans, among others.

5.3 I heard that TCS worked on the soundtrack for "Marabou Stork Nightmares"?

TCS were asked to write the music for the stage production of Irvine Welsh's (author of "Trainspotting") book "Marabou Stork Nightmares", which opened in September 1996. According to Frank, he just wrote to TCS out of the blue asking them to record the songs. The soundtrack apparently consists of covers of "You Only Live Twice" and "Born Free", described by TCS as 'karaoke versions'. These covers also showed up on different versions of the TSWL CD single.

5.4 What's this Smiths tribute CD that TCS are on?

TCS contributed a track to a CD celebrating 10 years since the release of the Smith's "The Queen Is Dead". The album, entitled "The Smiths Is Dead" also includes the likes of the Boo Radleys, Therapy and Supergrass. The song is "I Know It's Over" and the CD was released in France and the UK in November 1996. According to John Douglas, "When we got asked to do it there were only three songs left (one of them was "Cemetry Gates" - Ed.) so we chose 'I Know It's Over' which was a bit of a challenge. It's still quite long but we've changed the instrumentation and totally revamped it."

5.5 What's this "Dream Reality" CD that TCS are on?

In late June 1997, a CD entitled "Dream Reality" was released to raise money for the charity Children 1st . This CD features eighteen top Scottish artists, including Annie Lennox, Eddi Reader, the Trashcan Sinatras and the BMX Bandits. TCS have contributed a live version of the track "Stainless Stephen", which was one of the TMA b-sides.

6. TCS Record/CD Packaging Tidbits
6.1 What is the picture on the cover of "Cake"?

According to Frank Reader in the first (and so far, only) issue of "The Receivers Newsletter", "cake's cover, if we remember correctly...is mere jim-jam. precisely, a slow exposure shot of an array of coloured lights which had entranced the poor drink-addled brain of frankie. thanks again to colin [Dunsmuir, the band's photographer - Ed.] for technical guesswork."

6.2 Who did the painting on the "ISE" cover and the "ISE" singles?

John Douglas. In a fan interview, John said he's not really an aspiring artist, but it was something he did spontaneously and he was getting paid for it. John also did the covers for the singles from the second album, and a few other prints that came with some vinyl releases and the UK CD release of "ISE".

6.3 What's with the anchor collector's box?

A limited edition blue collector's box was given out free with the purchase of the UK single for "Hayfever". The number of CD's this box was intended to house has been the subject of great debate. Some people think 5 digipak CD's, namely: the singles for "Hayfever" and "I've Seen Everything", as well as the ISE (UK) album, "Bloodrush" single and an extra EP should be in the box. When all the CD's are placed in the box, the top portion of their spines would form the shape of a purple on yellow anchor, similar to the one on the outside of the box. However, only the first three CD's were ever released. "Bloodrush" was released as a one track promo in the US, but an official single never surfaced. As a result, the most you can get is 3 pieces of an anchor. Some of us think the anchor picture cannot be completed with 4 CD's, while others think 5 CD's couldn't fit in the box. Official word from Go!Discs, however, is that the box was intended to hold 4 CD's. Also, list member Tim Black talked to John Douglas after a show in April 1996 and John told him that "Bloodrush" was supposed to be the 4th and final CD for the anchor box. John also said that they had planned to use the never released B-sides CD to finish the anchor design. When released, the unofficial, private use only, double live CD "Chewing a Brick" (see question 7.26) is expected to finish the anchor design.

6.4 What are the inscriptions on the inner ring of the vinyl singles?

The pre-AHP 7" and 12" vinyl singles have little inscriptions in the inner black ring right before the label starts. They are as follows: Obscurity Knocks:"!!YOUTHENASIA"; Circling the Circumference: "An aye for an aye" b/w "and a no for a no"; Only Tongue Can Tell: ".. mingle, mingle, little star, how i wonder who you are"; Hayfever: "Crazy Paving Townhouse" b/w "Townhouse Psychopath"; ISE: "townhouse haunted house" b/w "townhouse hugo first". The limited Senses Working Overtime has: "the exchange" b/w "vice versa"; while the Cake album says: ".. when is adore not adore?" b/w "the exchange - Ray's"; and ".. the cliche kills." (see question 9.5 on this last one). We're not sure if these inscriptions are handwritten (doubt it) or if they change from one copy to another (probably not), and not all singles seem to have them (or we just missed them because they're written so small). The AHP singles that I've seen don't have any inscriptions.

6.5 Whose fingerprint is on the AHP CD?

In the "The Receivers Newsletter", Frank fessed up that it's his fingerprint.

6.6 Who's on the cover of the T&B CD?

In the "The Receivers Newsletter", Frank says "the cover of twisted and bent features colin's hated ex-boss being caressed by the good fingers of colin's ex-girlfriend."

6.7 Who's on the cover of the HCIA CD?

In the "The Receivers Newsletter", Frank says it "features this time a different elevation of colin's girlfriend" [I assume ex-girlfriend - Ed.].

7. Other TCS Goodies

Lyrics
7.1 I can't understand anything they say! Are lyrics available?

Luckily, lyrics to most of the songs are available, either having been officially or unofficially released at some point (in fact, mistakenly released by ex-management), or deciphered by list members.

7.2 Where I can get their lyrics?

See question 3.2 above for a listing of Web sites with lyrics. Lyrics for AHP and the AHP singles and TCS original b-sides have been released with each CD.

If you don't have Web access or can't find a particular song on the Web pages, you can ask for these lyrics on the list.

Guitar Tabs
7.3 I can't figure out how they play their music! Are guitar tabs available?

There are a decent number of tabs available. As far as I know, none of these are the official tabs, but rather what other fans have figured out.

7.4 Where can I get guitar tabs?

I've collected all the tabs I could find and that people have sent to me. See my page at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/tabs.html Some of the same guitar tabs are available via anonymous ftp at ftp.uu.net /doc/music/guitar and other sites that used to have tabs are no longer available. If you have figured out any tabs, please e-mail them to me and try to post them to ftp.uu.net and also to the list. If you're unable to find a specific guitar tab, either ask me and I'll tell you who on the list to contact, or go ahead and ask for them on the list and maybe someone has already figured them out.

Videos
7.5 Have TCS made any videos?

TCS have released five official videos: "Obscurity Knocks", "Only Tongue Can Tell", "Hayfever", "Bloodrush" and "T&B". There are also at least five promo/alternate take videos for "Obscurity Knocks", "Hayfever", "I've Seen Everything", "To Sir With Love" (from the "Spooktime" film), and "How Can I Apply...?" (filmed in July 1996 at the Maida Vale BBC studios in London), as well as TCS' own home-made Super 8 videos for "Easy Read", "The Pop Place", "The Genius I Was" and "A Boy and A Girl". Regarding videos, in Paul Leddy's interview, John said "We're really shy with the first few. It's a lot of work, we are really shy about publicity and all that, but it's work and you have to do it."

7.6 What is "Spooktime" (the film)?

In March 1996, TCS spent a few days filming "Spooktime", a "a fifteen minute alcadelic trip through Glaswegian low-life". NME says "...it manages to pack Ecstasy oblivion, hair-tearing cat-fights, tower-block adultery, teenage dealing cabbies, pre-teen delinquents, brazen product placement, flashing blades, football and pop into one amped up hugely entertaining, rollercoasting quarter-hour blast. You're advised not to blink". In this film, TCS are playing in a bar involved in the story, which revolves around characters from AHP (I've noticed Phil and the Safecracker). "Spooktime" premiered in London and Glasgow during the summer of 1996 before being withdrawn for censor modification. The film also played at the Cannes Film Festival in France. "Spooktime" supported the film "Blood Simple" and was not released in the US.

7.7 Is there any way I can get a copy of the videos?

There are not any official TCS video tapes, however there is a 2 tape, 4 hour list-created video compilation which currently includes the videos mentioned in question 7.5, plus the "Spooktime" film, a number of television performances, live concert performances, interviews and "Hayfever" from Beavis and Butthead. For a complete listing of each video, date and location, go to http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/rare/rare.html I have the master copy of the videos, so send me a message and I'll give you the information to get your own copy.

7.8 What's that thing in the "Obscurity Knocks" video?

It's called a Rube Goldberg machine and the best thing to compare it to is that setup when you played the board game Mousetrap.

7.9 Who's that woman singing in the live "Send For Henny" video?

That's Sam Francis, better known as Frank's sister, Eddi Reader. See question 10.4.

7.10 Who's that woman in the "I've Seen Everything" video?

That's John Douglas' girlfriend Allison Thomson, who is listed in the ISE and AHP CD credits.

7.11 Who's that guy in the live "How Can I Apply...?" video?

That's Paul McGeechan, who is listed on the AHP CD credits.

7.12 Who's that guy in "The Sleeping Policeman" video?

His name is David McCluskey. He was in the Bluebells, is one of the McCluskey Brothers and guested on AHP, playing the dulcimer.

7.13 What's that song "Looking Better Every Beer"?

One of the songs TCS performs on the video compilation is an 'unplugged' cover of a Stray Cats b-side from "Sexy and 17".

B-Sides, etc.
7.14 Are there any B-sides or other compilations?

There is a 100 minute TCS B-sides tape which consists of every TCS B-side, and a couple of in-studio performances. This is available by sending $10 or a 100 minute tape and $8 to me. Send me an e-mail for the information.

7.15 What is this "On a B-Road" CD I've heard about?

During the summer of 1996, the list put together an extremely limited, private use only (110 copies) CD with all of TCS' b-sides through that time (from "Obscurity Knocks" through "TMA"). This CD was made with the permission of Go!Discs, and once the initial CD's were sold, no others could be made.

7.16 How can I get a copy of "On a B-Road"?

As the CD was made in limited quantities and all copies were sold when made, one way to get one is to find someone who will sell you their copy. Or maybe find someone who will make you an illegal copy, but I wouldn't recommend even asking about that. Maybe you'll get lucky and the CD will be available again some day. If you're interested, send me an e-mail and I'll let you know if I hear of any copies becoming available.

7.17 What is this "Aberrations" CD I've heard about?

During the fall of 1997, the list put together an extremely limited, private use only CD of b-sides, sessions and covers. This featured the TCS b-sides after TMA plus some live sessions and cover songs.

7.18 How can I get a copy of "Aberrations"?

This CD is no longer available. If you're interested in a copy, send me an e-mail and I'll let you know if I hear of any copies becoming available.

T-Shirts
7.19 Are there any official TCS T-shirts?

As far as I know, there aren't anymore available. There have been TCS T-shirts with the same phrases as the back of the ISE UK promo. Basically it was the letters of THE TRASH CAN SINATRAS mixed up to form different phrases. There was also a shirt that has the cover of the "Obscurity Knocks" CD and said "the cliche kills".

Simon Girvan caught a TCS concert in November 1995 and tells us: "They were selling three different T-shirts. One had a smallish (about 4 x 6cm) 'tattoo' on it in the centre of the chest. It was a green rose with red leaves (bizarre) and the scroll message said 'MUM, DAD & THE TRASHCANS'. This is the one I bought (and my flatmate too, actually) and is quite subtle. Not obviously a band T Shirt. The shirt was/is? white. One had a colour picture of a drawing of a kangaroo with a baby joey sticking it's head in her pouch (i.e. a subliminal happy pocket message - Ed.) with THE TRASHCAN SINATRAS printed beside it. The picture pretty much covered the front. The shirt was white. The third was blue and had the words 'I hate music' printed on the front, different mixed up Trash Can messages on the back. They were ten pounds each."

7.20 How can I get a TCS T-shirt?

A fan T-shirt project was recently completed. The T-shirt features the cover of the TMA CD single on the front, and the words "I Hate Music" on the back. Go to http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/rare/rare.html to see scans of the shirt and ordering information.

I have also heard that there may be another T-shirt project announced soon. Details will be available at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/rare/rare.html.

Fanzines
7.21 What is "Autopsy"?

In 1993, list member Sarah Frederiksen, along with Chris Dooley, published a newsletter entitled "Autopsy". This 20 page newsletter had lyrics, a band history, a discography, band member biographies, and trivial facts, among other things. There were around 250 copies printed, but there are no longer any copies available.

7.22 I've seen "Autopsy" packaged with a single for "Iceberg" and "Remember Phil". Is this a list sponsored single?

No! This single is not sponsored by Sarah or the list. These are illegal copyright-infringing photocopies by a bootlegger. If you know who's responsible, please e-mail Sarah at lucozade@aol.com

7.23 What is "Easy Read" (the fanzine)?

In 1996, David Anderson, a TCS fan from Kilwinning, Ayershire, completed "Easy Read", the first Scottish-based fanzine dedicated to TCS. The fanzine consists of 44 pages including a 16 page pull-out center section of mainly recent (1995 & 1996) local (Ayrshire) and national (Scottish) press material, a 2 page article on the e-mail list, contributed by list member Diane Gleim from Los Angeles, California (other list members contributed various comments to the article), version (3.0) of Kenny Gan's discography (plus a couple of pages of updates and additions of his own) from the Go! web site, a "Gigography" (a complete list of the concerts played by the band since July '95) and numerous (19) set lists from the last three years (although mostly from 1996), and a selection of previously unseen photographs by 'official' band photographer Colin Dunsmuir.

If you would like to receive a copy of the "limited edition" (for now) fanzine, and you live in the

• U.K.:
  Please send a cheque/postal order for £3.00 (made payable to David Anderson) and an A4 size stamped, self-addressed envelope with postage stamps affixed to the value of 49p (1st class) OR 38p (2nd class) to the following address:-

  "Easy Read"
  62 Hawthorn Court
  Kilwinning, Ayrshire
  Scotland KA13 6DN

• If you live outside of the U.K.:
  Please send an A4 size self-addressed envelope and a sterling draft/cheque or international money order (made payable to David Anderson) for the relevant amount (includes postage - see below) for your country of residence, to the above address:-
  • Europe (including Eire) = £3.75
  • USA/Canada = £4.40
  • Japan = £4.60

• If you live in a country other than those encompassed by the above then please write to David and he will advise you on how much to send.

Rare/Live Stuff and Concerts
7.24 Are there any TCS concerts or other live material out there?

There is a decent amount of concerts, radio sessions and interviews floating around out there. The majority of it seems to be from the "Cake" era, then "ISE" and a lesser amount from "AHP".

7.25 Is there any way I can get some live material?

I am attempting to compile a TCS Live Library of all known TCS material (thanks to the generous donations of various fans and list members who had these tapes). I will try to determine the best way to make this available to everyone. Some day there will probably be some sort of tape tree, but that's a little while off.

7.26 What is this "Chewing a Brick" CD I've heard about?

This is a limited, private use only, double live CD that is expected to be available later this spring. Go to http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/rare/rare.html for a preliminary track listing and more information.

7.27 How can I get a copy of "Chewing a Brick"?

Send me an e-mail and I'll add you to the list to send you information when there are more details.

8. Lyrics
8.1 Why don't they print their lyrics?

Based on Paul Leddy's 1993 interview, the band considers the voice to be another instrument. Francis said "...we didn't like the lyrics sent out to every one" and John said "We feel that our lyrics should be heard not read, that's why we don't give out lyrics or put them in the sleeves."

8.2 I've read the lyrics, but what is the missing 5th line in "Obscurity Knocks"?

Good question. There have been a lot of suggestions: "without my clothes", "without my cloak", "about my throat", "with all my woes", "I'll vow my throat", etc. Basically, nobody knows for sure. If you've listened to TCS, you've undoubtedly noticed that it's sometimes very difficult to understand their Scottish accents. One gem of TCS' songwriting is that they use words which have the same phonetics but different meanings, yet all seem to make sense in the context of the song. The mystery 5th line from "Obscurity Knocks" is an example of this.

However, after a concert at La Belle Angele on November 8, 1995, list members Calum Byrom and Jim Nisbet found their way backstage, and among other conversation, were able to get the answer from Francis (John wouldn't tell them!):

"Always at the foot of the photograph
That's me there
Snug as a thug
In a mugshot pose
A foul mouthed rogue"

That's it! No one had even come close! Apparently, there was a bit of debate between the band members whether it was 'vowel' or 'foul', but they finally settled on 'foul'.

8.3 I've read the lyrics, but what are the missing lines in "Funny"?

After "Although the color of her eyes escapes me for the moment", it's something along the lines of "So I'll send out the spies to hassle her at home, and all the words to the wise and the why's to the words I say". Or "So I'll send out the spies to pass over and home in on the words to the wise...". We're not exactly sure.

8.4 What is (fill in the blank) all about?

The meanings of many TCS songs have been discussed on the list at some point. However, trying to find these discussions in the archives would be very difficult. If you want to discuss a particular song, by all means post a message to the list and try to get some discussion going.

8.5 Wait a second...why did they start printing their lyrics?

Beginning with TMA, TCS have released the lyrics to their songs (including the b-sides). You can find lyrics enclosed with TMA, T&B, HCIA and AHP. List member John Hartley spoke to TCS' then A&R man Simon Dine in February 1997, and he said "the boys themselves had decided to put the lyrics on the sleeves, because they sometimes felt they wanted everyone to know and sometimes didn't; at the moment they did. He said they were so proud of the words, and thought they were the right balance of serious and wordplay-ish, so wanted to share them with everyone."

9. Specific Lyric Meanings
9.1 What is a 'B-road'? (from "Maybe I Should Drive")

"I'm on a B-road heading for the sea, to see if hands across the ocean shake or wave." Jim Nisbet wrote: "In the UK a 'B' road is of secondary importance (after 'A' road - surprise, surprise). It generally links smaller communities and has less traffic. More fun to drive too!" Simon Girvan expands: "Here, in the UK, roads are divided into categories. You get motorways, A class roads, B class roads, local roads and country roads. As you go down the list the road quality declines. B Roads tend to be routes to places that either aren't terribly well used, or where an A Road has been built as well, but the other road still exists. Typically, a B road will have one lane in each direction and no street lights..." I've wondered if there are also 'C' roads which would be a play on C/sea, but I keep forgetting to ask around.

9.2 What is 'kiss, cuddle and torture'? (from "Best Man's Fall")

"Like a kiss, cuddle and torture, I-spy, S-P-I-T in your eye..." List member Simon Girvan tells us "Here in Scotland, there is this game that you play when you are in Primary School and about 8 years old where the boys chase the girls (and vice versa) and if you are caught you have to choose between kiss, cuddle or torture. Of course, being 8 you normally chose torture, the kiss being the worst..."

9.3 What is a 'sitter'? (from "Circling the Circumference")

"I'm the one who missed a sitter, the pearly gates crasher...". In the chat, Francis said a 'sitter' is an easy chance. For example, in soccer, as in "The ball was just sitting there and I missed the open net".

9.4 What is a 'borstal'? (from "You Made Me Feel")

"From barstool to borstal and back..." A 'borstal' is a correctional facility for youths who have broken the law, the first of these institutions was in the town of Borstal.

9.5 Who is 'Cliche Guevara'? (from "Who's He")

"It won't be very long 'til Cliche Guevara's home..." 'Cliche' Guevara is a take on Ernesto "Che" Guevara, born June 14, 1928, died Oct. 9, 1967. He was a Latin-American guerrilla leader who helped Fidel Castro achieve his revolution in Cuba but was executed by members of the Bolivian army. Sarah Gordon writes: "If Che Guevara is a real revolutionary, then Cliche Guevara seems to be a farce on revolution. I think he is one of these sham activist types. The type who is very vocal about causes/revolution, but whose efforts are laughable. Or it could be that the narrator in this song thinks that MOST revolutionary efforts are laughable. Cliche Guevara goes out fighting his supposed "revolution" and his wife doesn't have to worry since he is not involved in any REAL or DANGEROUS TANGLES, all bark, no bite, that kind of thing. His manifesto reads like a schoolboy thesis..."

9.6 What is a 'tammy'? (from "Hayfever")

"I'll throw my tammy in the ring and run from presidente". Short for Tam O'Shanter, this is a Scottish brimless wool cap named after the main character in the poem of the same name by Rabbie Burns. (thanks to Jim Nisbet). To 'throw you hat in the ring' (or a 'tammy' in Scotland) is to declare your intention to run for office.

9.7 What is the 'cabinet'? (from "Killing the Cabinet")

The cabinet is the collective name for the most important government ministers in the UK (the main decision making body in the House of Commons). This song is about being on the dole (unemployed). You can guess who they blamed for their situation! Specifically, "we're signing on..." many people on the dole would love to kill the cabinet, "isn't it good to be housetrained" is a popular conception that all members of parliament are little more than lap-dogs or yes-men.

9.8 What is 'lucozade'? (from "Orange Fell")

"Street lamps lucozade, orange fell". It's an orange colored syrupy sports drink available in Britain.

9.9 What/who are 'earlies'? (from "Earlies")

"The two of us on earlies..." According to our fellow list members across the pond, earlies refers to the early shift at work.

9.10 What is 'skint'? (from "The Main Attraction")

"We're like the carpet burned knees of desire, both of us are blushing, both of us are skint". I tell you, it's a good thing we have people in the UK to translate these for us. Skint means 'broke' as in, "no money". It's also another way of saying 'skinned' or 'grazed'.

9.11 What is the 'trough and the cubicle'? (from "The Main Attraction")

This most likely refers to a bathroom urinal and stall, respectively (trough is Scottish slang for the urinal in the men's room). The 'hero' of this song is getting pharmaceutically full of himself (i.e. taking drugs) and making a fool of himself (notice the wordplay) between the trough and the cubicle.

9.12 What is a 'poly-bag'? (from "Stainless Stephen")

A 'poly-bag' is just a plastic grocery bag. They're used by anyone with something to carry around. I guess in Scotland, junkies wrap up their drugs in poly bags. The song might be saying that Stephen is transporting himself, his poly-bags of worldly belonging and his drugs all over the continent to sell them.

9.13 What is the 'M-6-6-6'? (from "The Pop Place")

From Sharon Marsh: The M6 is the motorway that runs down the country, you would take it if travelling 'souther souther into darkest England's mouth'. TCS have corrupted it to M 6-6-6 because anyone who has driven it will know it's hell.

9.14 Who is 'Karl Denver'? (from "Aberration")

Thanks to Jeff Hemmerling for figuring this out: From "BRITPOP: A Short History (in capsule form) of British Pop Music". Available at http://beatles.cselt.stet.it/rmb/files/faqs/britpop.html (among others):

KARL DENVER TRIO

Songs include:
Marcheta (1961)
Mexicali Rose (1961)
Wimoweh (1962)
Never Goodbye (1962)

Why did this man change his name from Angus MacKenzie? :-) This Glaswegian gentleman spent some time in the Merchant Navy before finding a quiet niche at the American Grand Old Opry; immigration authorities shipped him back to England, where he befriended Jack Good of "6.5-Special" fame (apparently a good contact to have) and started his recording career. Denver claimed that his version of "Wimoweh" was most authentic, as he'd heard it while in South Africa from Kikuyu tribesmen, but the damndest thing is that The Weavers and the Kingston Trio had already recorded duplicate versions of the song before Denver released his, and the American group The Tokens had already had a hit with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", a slightly more commercial record. Oh well...those funny coincidences.

9.15 What's the 'anectdote about an argument with the singer from Jellyfish'? (from "I'll Get Them In")

I don't know the whole story or even how much of a story there is, but supposedly TCS were backstage with some guys from Jellyfish, whose lead singer was being a real pain in the ass, and it escalated to the point where Paul Livingston asked him if he wanted to step outside.

9.16 What is 'pished''? (from "I'll Get Them In")

"Just enough to get us pished...almost". 'Pished' is slang for 'pissed', or drunk.

10. Other Questions
10.1 What is Shabby Road?

TCS have their own recording studio called "Shabby Road" (a take on the Beatles' 'Abbey Road'?). From Paul Leddy's interview: John said "We had just 7 songs when were signed and the record company were very supportive of us and I'm sure we gave them a lot of stress because of the time we took (to complete the first album, "Cake"). We basically took all the money that we got for the first album and built our own studio."

From the fan interview, TCS said they really like their studio because they could just go in anytime and play along with ideas and they didn't have to clean up after themselves! They used to rent out the studio for other bands, but they stopped doing that because it wasn't in demand and they had to pay people to work there! Now that they have their own studio and realize that they are in demand, they are writing more regularly. See question 11.3.

10.2 Who are the Receivers?

This is just another name for TCS. On the AHP CD, the name and address to write to for information was The Receivers, c/o Shabby Road. Since TCS live at Shabby Road, they would be the Receivers.

10.3 Is there anyway/where to contact TCS?

The address of the studio is:
The Receivers
No. 1 Glencairn Square
Kilmarnock KA1 4AQ
Scotland

Some list members who have written to the band have received responses. TCS occasionally answers their mail (although Francis' sister Richeal (also see question 10.6) responded to one list member, using the name Nancy (as in Nancy Sinatra)), so if you're lucky enough to receive a response, it will probably take them quite a while to get back to you. If you want to increase your chances of getting a response, enclose an SASE or some International Reply Coupons, but don't get your hopes up.

10.4 Who is Sam Francis?

'Sam Francis' is credited with backup vocals on "Send for Henny". 'Sam' is, in fact, Francis' sister, Eddi Reader (also see questions 1.5 and 7.9). In the chat, Francis said "sam francis WAS my sister eddi as she was heavily pregnant at the time of recording. between then and the sleeve artwork being printed, she'd popped out a little boy, christened him sam francis and as we were still feart (stupidly) of connecting her to the tcs, it seemed cute to call her that instead." Eddi has four(?) solo albums "Eddi Reader and the Patron Saints of Imperfection" on Mirmama Records (only on import), and one released in 1994 on Warner Brothers is simply titled "Eddi Reader". Eddi had a song on the "Batman Forever" soundtrack and also won "Best Female Artist" (or something along those lines) at the UK equivalent of the Grammy Awards in 1994. Another album was released in 1996, and the single "Medicine" was backed a cover of TCS' "Earlies". I believe she either has a fourth album recently released or soon to be released.

10.5 Where have I heard that song "Tonight You Belong to Me"?

"He hates these cans!" This song was featured in the movie "The Jerk" and was sung by Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. Paul Leddy researched this for us and came up with the following: "My guess is that the song was (originally) sung by jazz "torch" singer, Frances Faye, who gained some popularity in the mid and late '50's. The song appears on 'Caught in the Act' (Live at the Thunderbird, Las Vegas 1958)."

10.6 Who's that singing with Francis on "Tonight You Belong to Me"?

The female vocalist is Francis' sister Richeal (also see question 10.3), who is also credited with backup vocals on "Circling the Circumference" and "My Mistake".

10.7 Why do the producers of "Cake" and "ISE" sound familiar?

These are not intended to be exhaustive lists: John Leckie, who produced "Cake", is probably best known for his work with the Stone Roses, as well as the Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC's psychedelic alter-ego), Posies, Radiohead and legendary Norwegian band DePress. Ray Shulman, the producer of "ISE", has worked with the Sundays, Sugarcubes, and Ian McCulloch (former Echo & the Bunnymen lead singer), and was in the band Gentle Giant.

10.8 What else happens on the mailing list?

All sorts of things! Besides the obvious discussion of TCS and their lyrics, music, and other topics, the list has been involved with a number of other activities such as fanzines, the video and b-sides compilations, T-shirts, CDs and other projects. These projects are intended to help the band, especially while they're without a recording contract.

The last favorite song poll was taken in June 1997, and the results were:

54 people voted (up 12 on last years)
52 songs received votes (up 7), including 17 B-sides (up 4)
Scoring (as always) was on a 5-4-3-2-1 system

Pos. (Last year), Song, first place votes, total points

                            FIRSTS   POINTS
1. ( 6 ) THE SAFECRACKER        7   70      (by a MILE!)
2. ( 2 ) Earlies                4   55
3. (NEW) Only Tongue Can Tell   6   50
4. (NEW) I've Seen Everything   5   46
5. ( 3 ) Obscurity Knocks       2   41
6. ( 1 ) The Genius I Was       4   36    (a spectacular fall)
7. ( 5 ) The Best Man's Fall    3   31
8. (NEW) How Can I Apply...?    2   31
9. ( 4 ) Send For Henny         1   30
10. (NEW) Twisted & Bent        3   29

And just for information the next ten are

11. You Made Me Feel
12. The Therapist
13. Hayfever
14. Orange Fell
15. Claw                         (TOP B-Side)
16. Drunken Chorus
17. Make Yourself At Home
18. Funny
19. Even The Odd
20. Circling The Circumference

In October 1995, as a result of the news of more delays for the release of AHP, the rumored scrapping of the 5HJ EP, and an increasing frustration over the lack of TCS material and information, the list organized its 'gung-ho' and launched a letter writing campaign to Go!Discs pledging undying support for TCS. It wasn't long after, that 5HJ mysteriously appeared on Paul's doorstep.

As mentioned throughout the FAQ, list member Sarah Gordon helped to organize an Internet chat with Francis Reader in January 1996, with around 25 list members participating. For an almost complete transcript of the chat (compiled by Jonathan Wong) see the chat transcript on my web page.

Darren Kiel started a TCS fan page with pictures and bios of list members. To find out how to add your information to the page, send him an e-mail at dkiel@nexus.net, and check out the page at http://www.nexus.net/~dkiel/trashcan.shtml

In January 1996 and 1997, list member Amon Dorny sponsored a TCS lyric parody contest with the winner receiving a hard-to-find TCS single. A sampling of the entries include "One Ugly Tie" (One at a Time), "Hoping Mum Can't Tell" (Only Tongue Can Tell), and "Throwing Up Beers" (Thrupenny Tears). A couple new songs were just posted in April 1998. The lyrics for all entries have been or will be posted to my Web page at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/tcshome.html.

List members Stephanie Cangin and Dave Medsker organized a couple of mix tape exchange between interested list members, in order to find out what other Trashies are listening to.

In June 1996, after kicking around plans to start our own record company for TCS based on news of more release delays and a perceived lack of support of TCS by Go!Discs, another letter writing campaign was launched. We managed to get a two sentence reply from the president of Go!Discs, telling us he'd get back to us later...which he never did.

In March 1998, list member Kenneth Ellis made a huge banner which was signed by around 50 list members and delivered to TCS at Shabby Road by list member Chris Cougill.

List members from different areas (New York City, Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco) have had get-togethers to meet each other.

10.9 Is there a Trashcan IRC channel or chat room?

Originally, we had agreed to use EFNet as our IRC network. The channel is #trashcan. In order to connect, you need chat software (examples are Global Chat, Netscape Chat and mIRC), which can be downloaded off the 'net. Once you have the software, you'll need it to connect to an EFNet server and you should try to pick a server that's geographically close to you. I don't have this information handy, so try using a search engine to find more info. Anyhow, there haven't been any organized chats in a very long time, so if you're interested, suggest something on the list.

In early 1998, Ed Gore started a free web-based TCS chat room at http://venus.beseen.com/chat/rooms/d/2758/ There haven't been any organized chats, so if you're interested, then suggest something on the list.

10.10 I can't find "The Main Attraction" (TMA) (or any singles) in any stores. How can I get them?

Some list members were able to order singles from on-line services such as CDNow, while others have happened across or ordered the single from their local import stores. We also had list members in the UK send loads of copies over. Whatever you try, it has been very difficult locating copies and I'd guess that unless you're in the UK, you won't be able to find most of them anymore (although the AHP singles sometimes show up in larger Tower Records and similar stores). I've had the best success ordering from specialty indie/import stores on the web. As a last resort, you can try asking on the list and someone might have an extra copy.

10.11 What kind of guitars and equipment do TCS use?

I have never seen TCS in concert and know nothing about instruments. But luckily, list member Dave Lapham provides the following information: "After the shows I've seen, I can tell you that the acoustic guitars the guys played were all Takamine (Frank's was a 12-string), John played a basic Fender Strat as well, through a Fender Twin Reverb amp. Paul used a Fender Strat, a Gibson-looking semi-hollow body, and (I think) a Paul Reed Smith, but don't quote me on that last one. I was on the other side of the stage. He played through a Marshall half-stack (amp head and 4x12 cabinet) with about four effects pedals, but I didn't see what they were, I just saw the stage hand taping them to the floor before the show. I would guess some kind of distortion, as well as reverb/delay, and maybe chorus. I dunno. David played a Fender Precision Bass through an Ampeg rig, with distortion pedal when appropriate. And all acoustic amps were Trace Elliot."

10.12 What songs aren't sung by Francis?

This is the general consensus: John sings "Iceberg", "Earlies", "Houseproud", "Skin Diving", "The Sleeping Policeman", "A Boy and a Girl" and the middle part of "The Pop Place". Paul sings "Perfect Reminder", "I Must Fly" and "A Worm with a Head", Stephen sings "Mr. Grisly" and David sang "Aberration".

10.13 I heard that TCS were interviewed in "The Big Takeover" magazine?

List member Terry Banks interviewed TCS over the course of two nights in September 1996 after concerts in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. This interview appears in Issue 40 of "The Big Takeover", a jam packed magazine about independent music. Check out my web page for additional information about the interview and "The Big Takeover", or jump over to their site athttp://members.aol.com/bigtake/index.html

10.14 I heard that TCS were mentioned in a comic strip?

List member Dave Coverly is the author of the one-panel comic strip entitled "Speed Bump". The cartoon on June 17, 1997 featured a guy wearing a Trash Can Sinatras t-shirt. To find out more about Dave and "Speed Bump" and to see the TCS cartoon, go to http://www.reuben.org/speedbump/

10.15 How many copies have each of their albums sold?

Rumored sales in the U.S. for "Cake", ISE and AHP are a criminally low 100,000; 20,000 and unknown, respectively.

10.16 What is the highest chart position of each of their albums and singles?

According to the "Guinness Book of Hit Singles", which is a list by artist of every single to reach the top 75 from 1952 through December 1996, "Hayfever" spent one week at #61 for the week ended April 24, 1993.

11. Current News
11.1 What have they been up to?

The work on "Marabou Stork Nightmares" and "The Smiths Is Dead" was completed around the middle of 1996. After they finished touring in support of AHP in the UK, Europe and Japan in 1996, they have kept a low profile. They have been going through a difficult situation, having lost their record deal with Go!Discs in late 1996, and have been looking for a new record label on and off since then.

In the meantime, TCS have been writing and recording new songs, and added a new bass player and keyboard player. They sent some demos to record labels in the latter part of 1997 and are continuing to write songs in anticipation of sending out more demo tapes soon (possibly in the next couple of months). Simon Dine, who had signed TCS to their first record contract (see question 1.1), has been helping the band mix some of the new songs on occasion.

In March 1998, TCS were visited by a couple members of the popular Japanese band Sunny Day Service (SDS). (First, here's a little information about SDS: their last album called "Sunny Day Service" reached #7 in the Japanese charts and sold around 100,000 copies.) SDS were in Britian for a couple weeks and made an impromptu visit to Shabby Road Studios to meet TCS as a return trip to the UK is uncertain at this time. On the first day, TCS (including Grant and Stevie) and SDS played a few sessions just for fun. The second day was spent rehearsing and recording a cover version of Harpers Bizarre's "Snow", as the Sunny Day Sinatras. This song was recorded just for fun and it's unlikely that it will surface as an official release, but I've heard that it was already played in Japan on SDS' radop program! I'm not sure if the idea Frank mentioned earlier about having TCS and SDS record the same song as the A and B sides of a single will happen or not. There weren't any rehearsals or recordings on the third day, I think it was spent recovering from the previous nights! TCS and SDS hope to meet up in Tokyo again sometime (incidentally, SDS had opened for TCS when TCS played their shows in Japan back in September 1996).

11.2 I thought I heard Frank Reader fled the country?

Hahahaha...okay, I really got a kick out of this one. TCS were written up in a Scottish tabloid in January 1998 (I think it is called "The Sun"). The tabloid made up this story about how Frank, after suffering terrible financial problems, fled the country in order to avoid tax collectors and the police. The article said that Frank was wanted on fraud charges and had "gone missing" and stated that Shabby Road appeared to have been hastily abandoned and was locked up. The article speculated that after TCS broke up (news to me), Frank got himself into serious debt and was in so much trouble that he just disappeared.

Now here is the truth: the band is in debt because of various things that happened while they were on Go!Discs, and as they have been without a recording contract for the past year. They are still together and live in Shabby Road. Frank hasn't been out of the country since last fall, and hasn't travelled much further than Irvine, to visit his parents. Frank wasn't interviewed for the story (obviously), but the tabloid probably tried calling Shabby Road (where the old phone number has been disconnected and a new number is in its place) and also tried talking to Frank's father. In an effort to put the reporters off, Frank's father said they "hadn't seen Frank in a while and didn't know how the reporters would be able to get ahold of him". Without being able to speak with Frank, the reporters likely felt that he had indeed gone AWOL. Somehow the tabloid must have found out about the band's financial troubles and then intended to put a slightly different spin on it given that Frank is Eddi Reader's brother.

I've talked to all members of TCS since this article has come out and other people have visited the band at Shabby Road, so this rumor is definitely not true. I'm trying to get a copy of the article for a good laugh and if I can, I'll post it to my web page.

11.3 Weren't they going to sell Shabby Road?

TCS had been trying to sell the studio for a while and were considering moving out of Kilmarnock, possibly to London. However, they have now decided to hold onto the studio and are trying to record as much as possible in anticipation of sending out more demo tapes this spring. There are also some rehearsal rooms in the studio that TCS rent out to other bands.

11.4 When will they have a new album coming out?

If past history is any indication, then it would be 1999. But hopefully they'll have something out before then. It seems that they have a full album of new songs by now, but I don't think the band feels that many of these songs are really ready to be shopped around as a demo, let alone put onto an album.

If TCS sign a publishing deal in Japan (see question 11.9), then I think that contract would call for one album within one year, so we'll have to see if that deal happens.

11.5 What are the names of their new songs?

Songs they've been working on include "Leave Us Alone", "Weightlifting", "Up In the Air" (I think this song has since been scrapped), "Duty Free", "Trouble Sleeping", "Ice Skating" and "Free Time". There were also a couple of unnamed tracks, but I'm not sure if they became any of the songs I just named.

11.6 Why don't they try to get the rights to AHP?

TCS tried to buy the rights to AHP from Polygram, but despite Polygram's lack of interest in releasing AHP in the US, they're apparently fond enough of the CD to demand more than TCS is able to afford. As a result, I think TCS have given up on this plan and until TCS hit it big in the US and Polygram decides to jump on the bandwagon, I doubt we'll see AHP released in the US anytime soon.

11.7 When are they planning to tour in the US?

Without a record contract, I don't expect they'll come to the US. There have been rumors that TCS may sign a development deal with a New York based label, who would send TCS on a 30 day showcase tour in the US. At this point, this is just a rumor and there are currently no plans for TCS to come to the US, although the band is definitely looking forward to returning to the US.

11.8 Are they planning to play anywhere?

There would be more of a chance that they could play some shows in the UK without a new record deal, but according to the band, their focus is really on recording new songs, and then trying to sign a new contract. So they're probably not going to play anywhere without a new contract in hand, and at that point might begin to preview a new album.

If TCS sign a publishing deal in Japan (see question 11.9), then there's probably a good chance they'd play some shows in Japan. Until and unless that happens, then don't expect TCS to play in Japan anytime soon.

In April 1998, TCS were asked by Radio Scotland to perform on a radio show called "The Lemon Tree". TCS declined as they have recently added a new bass player and keyboard player and didn't feel they were able to play live at this time. However TCS indicated they'd be interested in playing when the fall season starts in October.

11.9 Who is their new record label?

After Go!Discs was bought out by Polygram and Polygram subsequently decided to drop TCS from its artist roster, TCS were close to signing a new deal with Independiente Records, which was recently founded by the original founder of Go!Discs. However, that deal fell through, and since then TCS have not been aggressively talking to other labels, but have instead focused on recording new songs to shop around to labels.

TCS have had a few discussions with labels, though. There are rumors of an impending publishing deal with a large company in Japan, and that TCS were offered a contract in March 1998. I thought TCS had approved the contract and that the band's lawyers were finalizing it, but now I'm not so sure how imminent this is. With a publishing contract, the company would be buying the rights to TCS' new songs and would likely shop TCS' demo tapes to labels in Japan, hoping to land TCS a record deal. This would be in Japan only and would likely be for one album only. The band would likely tour in Japan in support of any such album. Overall, the situation seems positive and TCS should be able to sign a record deal in Japan this year.

TCS have also had discussions with a few American labels, ranging from small startups to large, well known labels. A number of labels are interested and are waiting for demo tapes. There were also rumors in April 1998 that TCS were about to sign a development deal with a New York City based label. This deal would have called for TCS to record a couple of singles, which this label would have distributed. In addition, it was rumored that TCS would come to the US to record one or both singles. The development deal would also include a 'showcase tour', where TCS would go on a 30 day tour of the US this summer or fall. However, based on discussions with TCS and their manager, there is nothing imminent and the band plans to spend the next couple of months writing and recording before they'll start to get more serious about shopping demo tapes and signing a deal. TCS are continuing with their 'master plan', which is known only to them!

For the latest TCS info, check the Current News/Rumors section at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/tcshome.html

12. Administrative Stuff
12.1 Where does the information in the FAQ come from?

It's not very often we find something about TCS in the newspapers, magazines or on television (with the notable exception of list member Terry Banks' interview in "The Big Takeover"). Most of the information comes from list member's conversations and/or interviews with the band, lead singer Francis Reader's January 1996 Internet chat and his March 1996 posting to the mailing list, and from Go!Discs, TCS former record label. The fan interviews range from Paul Leddy in July 1993, another list member in the summer of 1993, Nina Randall in November 1995 and Calum Byrom in June 1996. I have talked with TCS occasionally and other list members who have talked to the band are mentioned throughout the FAQ. Sarah Fredericksen's 1993 fanzine "Autopsy" is another helpful source of information.

12.2 How do I make an addition/correction to the FAQ?

Send corrections, additions, and the like to Joe DiMaria: jdimaria@gis.net You could also post to the list; everyone will probably be interested in your comments as well.

12.3 What is the FAQ history?

I started the FAQ one night in October 1995 when I was bored stiff in my hotel room while working out of town in Wilmington, Delaware. Thanks to my beta team, who probably all knew a lot more about TCS than I did, version 1.0 of the FAQ was released in November 1995, followed by:
Version 1.1 released in December 1995
Version 1.2 released on February 19, 1996
Version 1.3 released on April 6, 1996
Version 1.4 released on June 18, 1996
Version 1.5 released on August 21, 1996 (got that last update in before my son was born :-) )
Version 2.0 released on November 3, 1996
Version 3.0 released on July 2, 1997
Version 3.5 released April 28, 1998

13. Legal Stuff

This FAQ is copyright (c) 1995-8 by Joe DiMaria, and is made available as a service to the Internet community. It may not be sold in any medium, including electronic, CD-ROM, or database, packaged with any commercial product, or published in print, without the explicit, written permission of the author.

I urge other FAQ authors to include this notice as part of their FAQs.

This language comes from the comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc faq, maintained by Bernard Aboba.

13.1 Legalese

This FAQ is presented with no warranties or guarantees of ANY KIND including correctness or fitness for any particular purpose. The author(s) of this document have attempted to verify correctness of the information contained herein; however, slip-ups can and do happen. If you use this information, you do so at your own risk.

13.2 Citation Entry

This FAQ may be cited as:

DiMaria, Joseph (1995-8) "Trash Can Sinatras (TCS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)" Trash Can Sinatras mailing list. Send message to majordomo@bansheeparadigm.com with "subscribe trashcan" or "subscribe trashcan-digest" (no quotation marks) in the body of the message.

The current version of the FAQ is available using WWW at http://www.gis.net/~jdimaria/tcs/tcshome.html and http://www.shinra.com/tcs/.

14. Thanks

Thanks to TCS, because without them, there would be no mailing list. Thanks to Paul Leddy for starting the list, and being a TCS buddy to all of us; Kenny Gan for maintaining the discography, and Kenny, Mike Michlik, Sarah Gordon and Kevin Landwehr for their written contributions and suggestions as my 'beta team' in compiling the FAQ. Sorry I can't name everyone (Jessica, Jim, Simon, Calum, Sarah F.), but thanks to the other list members with contributions and suggestions, everyone who has helped to compile the lyrics, guitar tabs, and song interpretations, and to all of the list members for keeping the list interesting.

Please send corrections, additions, and the like to Joe DiMaria: jdimaria@gis.net

IHateMusicTheClicheKillsAneyeforaneyeandanoforanomingleminglelittlestarhowIwonderwhoyouare

Back to my TCS page15727