"Only Tongue Can Tell" is a song by Scottish band

The Trash Can Sinatras Trashcan Sinatras are a Scottish band that were formed in Irvine, Scotland in 1986. The band's music makes frequent use of pop harmonies and wordplay. History Formation The band members met through the club/pub music scene in Irvine. The o ...

, which was released in 1990 as the second single from their debut studio album ''

Cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

''. The song was written and produced by all five band members. "Only Tongue Can Tell" reached No. 77 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and No. 8 in the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart.

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Mike Bell and produced by Grace Wells. It achieved breakout rotation on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

Critical reception

On its release, Penny Kiley of the ''

Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liverp ...

'' considered the song a "fine follow up" to "Obscurity Knocks". She praised the "good songwriting", "catchy guitars", "attractive harmonies" and "son-of-

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

vocals". David Quantick of ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' commented, "A jolly jangle commences under a sweet voice and a folkie sort of pop tune. Vocals and melody a tad Roddy Frame but this is an enthusiastic bright pop affair and the Duane Eddy solo sucks your stomach out through your nose." Chris Roberts of ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' wrote, "Oh boy, another Housemartins, another Aztec Camera, another bespectacled anally retentive piece of wacky buffoonery from the least gutsy label in the cosmos." In a review of ''Cake'', Brent Ainsworth of the ''

Santa Cruz Sentinel The ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by Media News Group. Ottaway Community Newspapers, a division of Dow Jones & Company bought the paper in 1982 ...

'' described "Only Tongue Can Tell" as a "playful romp through a green pasture of tinny guitar on a fresh-air keyboard backdrop".

Track listing

7-inch and cassette single # "Only Tongue Can Tell" – 3:45 # "Useless" – 4:32 12-inch and CD single # "Only Tongue Can Tell" – 3:45 # "Useless" – 4:32 # "Tonight You Belong to Me" – 2:38

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the UK CD single liner notes and the ''Cake'' booklet. The Trash Can Sinatras * Frank Reader – vocals * Paul Livingston – lead guitar * John Douglas – rhythm guitar * George McDaid – bass * Stephen Douglas – drums Additional musicians *

Clark Sorley Alexander Clark Sorley (born 31 July 1956) is a Scottish record producer from Ayrshire, Scotland. He was co-founder of Sirocco Recording Studio in Kilmarnock which ran from 1978-1989. Music recordings During a career spanning five decades Sorley ...

– keyboards on "Only Tongue Can Tell" Production * The Trash Can Sinatras – producers of "Only Tongue Can Tell" and "Tonight You Belong to Me" *

Roger Béchirian Roger Béchirian is an English engineer and record producer. Béchirian was a key player in the British new wave scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, best known for his work with Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack, Elvis Costello, The Undertones, D ...

– producer of "Useless" * Tony Harris – mixing on "Only Tongue Can Tell" and "Tonight You Belong to Me" * John Leckie – mixing on "Useless"

Charts

References

{{The Trash Can Sinatras 1990 songs 1990 singles Go! Discs singles