''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records. The album is named after an instrumental that did not end up on the album – it was later performed on Belle and Sebastian's early tours. All of the songs on the album were written by Stuart Murdoch between 1993 and 1996, and originally performed solo on the

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...

circuit. Though he performs on the album, trumpet player Mick Cooke was not then an official member of the band.

Recording and production

At the time Stuart Murdoch began recruiting musicians for the band, drummer Richard Colburn was in a Music Business course at

Stow College Stow College was a college in Glasgow in Scotland. History The college was named after David Stow, whose primary teaching seminary was founded close to the college at Dundasvale. Stow was the first purpose-built Further Education college in G ...

with professor

Alan Rankine Alan Rankine (17 May 1958 – 3 January 2023) was a Scottish musician and record producer best known as keyboardist and guitarist for rock band the Associates, which he co-founded with lead vocalist Billy Mackenzie in the late 1970s. Early l ...

. Each year the class would produce one record on the college's Electric Honey label as an example to use in the course. Murdoch and Colburn provided a demo tape the group had recorded (later released as the '' Dog on Wheels'' EP) and the college was extremely impressed and chose to support them in creating a full album. Stuart Murdoch recalls that the group was still quite loose knit at the time ''Tigermilk'' was recorded and that the full ensemble had not played together before getting into the studio. Many of the supporting instrument parts were shaped as the group recorded. After recording, though, "we were a group, no question." The album's cover photograph was taken by Stuart Murdoch and features Joanne Kenney (his girlfriend at the time). Kenney also appeared on the cover of the '' Dog on Wheels'' EP.

Legacy

''Tigermilk'' has sold over 124,000 copies. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' included "The State I Am In" at number 17 on their ''Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s''. The album was included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''. An Ebay charity auction of the stuffed animal in the cover art of the Tigermilk album in 2019 was won by Lisa Carr of Washington, DC. Lisa Carr had also previously won an auction for bandleader Stuart Murdoch's car in 2002 and an auction of the stuffed animal on the cover of '' Dog on Wheels'' in 2004.

Track listing

Personnel

* Stuart Murdoch – vocals, guitar, programming on "Electronic Renaissance" * Stuart David – bass *

Isobel Campbell Isobel Campbell (born 27 April 1976) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and cellist. She rose to prominence at age nineteen as a member of the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, but left the group to pursue a solo career, first as The Gentle Waves ...

– cello * Chris Geddes – keyboards, piano *

Richard Colburn Richard Colburn (born 25 July 1970) is the drummer of the Scottish indie band Belle & Sebastian. Before he joined Belle & Sebastian, he used to sell pies on match days outside Celtic Park and studied Music Business at Stow College. Appears as: ...

– drums * Stevie Jackson – guitar * Mick Cooke – trumpet * Joe Togher – violin * Keith Jones – Korg Poly-61 synthesizer, sound manipulation on "Electronic Renaissance"

References

External links

Album info
{{Authority control 1996 debut albums Belle and Sebastian albums Electric Honey (label) albums