Stiltskin
Encyclopedia
Stiltskin is a Scottish
post-grunge
/rock
band
, who first achieved widespread popularity in the mid 1990s. Currently, Stiltskin's only original member is vocalist Ray Wilson
. They are best known for their 1994 UK chart-topper
, "Inside
".
, "Creek". Before Wilson was given the job, many people were auditioned for the role of lead singer including Naomi Cleaver
, who is now a successful television presenter. In the region of forty people attended the various auditions at the Primrose Hill
studios of Lawlor's company, Water Music Productions. The resulting single, "Inside
" topped the UK Singles Chart
in 1994, but the band failed to produce further chart successes with the follow-up single "Footsteps" reaching #34. The Ambrosian Singers
performed Lawlor's choir-like intro vocals to "Inside". All instruments on the band's hit "Inside" were played by Peter Lawlor; this was also the case on the album track "An Illusion". Lawlor and bass player James Finnigan worked together in various line-ups since the late 1980s, with Ross McFarlane on drums being drafted in later. The original line-up released only one album, The Mind's Eye
, which achieved a silver record
in the UK
, and sold in decent quantities throughout Europe
. The band made significant critical inroads in the US
music scene, but little was to follow in the way of sales, though "Inside" reached #37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.
Stiltskin originally split up in 1996, during the recording of their uncompleted second album.
Lawlor still works for Water Music Productions - he wrote the music for the BBC One 'Rhythm & Movement' idents and also the theme for their 2000 Olympic Games
coverage and the theme for the Premier League and FA Cup
football matches shown on TV.
McFarlane went on to work with The Proclaimers
and achieved another number one in the UK charts. He is currently drumming in Sharleen Spiteri
's new band.
Ray Wilson joined Genesis
and recorded Calling All Stations
with the band (released in 1997) and toured Europe the following year. In 1999 he formed Cut
. In 2002 he launched a solo career, followed by a Stiltskin "reunion" in 2005, which featured no original members except for Wilson himself and touring keyboardist Irvin Duguid
(who later left the line-up).
The current line-up released the album She in 2006. The band toured Europe during 2006 and 2007, and a live album entitled Stiltskin Live, recorded on 25 October 2006, with material from this tour, was released in April 2007. In 2008, Stiltskin toured across Europe. A new Stiltskin album called Unfulfillment is to be released in 2011.
Stiltskin's revised line-up included:
Stiltskin's current line-up is:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, who first achieved widespread popularity in the mid 1990s. Currently, Stiltskin's only original member is vocalist Ray Wilson
Ray Wilson (musician)
Ray Wilson is a Scottish musician, best known as vocalist in the post-grunge band Stiltskin, and in Genesis between 1996 and 1998.Wilson started off in a band called Guaranteed Pure in the early 1990s...
. They are best known for their 1994 UK chart-topper
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, "Inside
Inside (Stiltskin song)
"Inside" is a song by rock band Stiltskin, the first single from their first studio album, The Mind's Eye. It was written by Peter Lawlor for the British Levi's advert "Creek" and spent one week at #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1994. The song was used as the music for Sky Sports' coverage of the...
".
Career
The band was originally formed by Peter Lawlor, in order to perform the music he had written for the British Levi's television advertisementTelevision advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, "Creek". Before Wilson was given the job, many people were auditioned for the role of lead singer including Naomi Cleaver
Naomi Cleaver
Naomi Cleaver is a British design consultant and interior designer.She is also a television presenter of such programs as Other People's Houses and Channel 4's Honey I Ruined the House.-External links:*...
, who is now a successful television presenter. In the region of forty people attended the various auditions at the Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill is a hill of located on the north side of Regent's Park in London, England, and also the name for the surrounding district. The hill has a clear view of central London to the south-east, as well as Belsize Park and Hampstead to the north...
studios of Lawlor's company, Water Music Productions. The resulting single, "Inside
Inside (Stiltskin song)
"Inside" is a song by rock band Stiltskin, the first single from their first studio album, The Mind's Eye. It was written by Peter Lawlor for the British Levi's advert "Creek" and spent one week at #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1994. The song was used as the music for Sky Sports' coverage of the...
" topped the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1994, but the band failed to produce further chart successes with the follow-up single "Footsteps" reaching #34. The Ambrosian Singers
Ambrosian Singers
The Ambrosian Singers are one of the best-known London choral groups, particularly appreciated for its great variety of recorded repertory.They were founded after World War II in England...
performed Lawlor's choir-like intro vocals to "Inside". All instruments on the band's hit "Inside" were played by Peter Lawlor; this was also the case on the album track "An Illusion". Lawlor and bass player James Finnigan worked together in various line-ups since the late 1980s, with Ross McFarlane on drums being drafted in later. The original line-up released only one album, The Mind's Eye
The Mind's Eye (album)
The Mind's Eye is the first studio album by the band Stiltskin. The album was driven by the success of the single "Inside", which reached #1 in the UK. The follow-up single "Footsteps" reached #34 in the UK charts...
, which achieved a silver record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and sold in decent quantities throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The band made significant critical inroads in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music scene, but little was to follow in the way of sales, though "Inside" reached #37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.
Stiltskin originally split up in 1996, during the recording of their uncompleted second album.
Lawlor still works for Water Music Productions - he wrote the music for the BBC One 'Rhythm & Movement' idents and also the theme for their 2000 Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
coverage and the theme for the Premier League and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
football matches shown on TV.
McFarlane went on to work with The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents...
and achieved another number one in the UK charts. He is currently drumming in Sharleen Spiteri
Sharleen Spiteri
Sharleen Spiteri is a Scottish recording artist and songwriter, best known as being the lead singer of Scottish rock/blues band Texas. Texas began their career in 1986, and shot to fame in 1989 with their UK Top Ten single, "I Don't Want a Lover" released from Southside...
's new band.
Ray Wilson joined Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
and recorded Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations, is the 15th studio album by rock band Genesis. It was recorded following Phil Collins's departure from the band in 1996, and was released in 1997...
with the band (released in 1997) and toured Europe the following year. In 1999 he formed Cut
Millionairhead
Millionairhead is the only album by Cut_, a project led by Ray Wilson. It was Wilson's first release on which he took on the majority of the songwriting duties....
. In 2002 he launched a solo career, followed by a Stiltskin "reunion" in 2005, which featured no original members except for Wilson himself and touring keyboardist Irvin Duguid
Irvin Duguid
Irvin Duguid is a Scottish musician and composer.He studied piano and violin at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow before going on to become keyboard player in the live line-up of Stiltskin, a rock band with the number 1 hit single "Inside" in the UK in 1994.Duguid went on to...
(who later left the line-up).
The current line-up released the album She in 2006. The band toured Europe during 2006 and 2007, and a live album entitled Stiltskin Live, recorded on 25 October 2006, with material from this tour, was released in April 2007. In 2008, Stiltskin toured across Europe. A new Stiltskin album called Unfulfillment is to be released in 2011.
Line-up
Stiltskin's original line-up included:- Ray WilsonRay Wilson (musician)Ray Wilson is a Scottish musician, best known as vocalist in the post-grunge band Stiltskin, and in Genesis between 1996 and 1998.Wilson started off in a band called Guaranteed Pure in the early 1990s...
- Vocals - Peter Lawlor - Guitar, mandolin, vocals, drums and bass
- Craig Simister - Bass, organ (Replaced by Aubrey Nunn, subsequently a member of FaithlessFaithlessFaithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
) - Ross McFarlane - Drums, handclaps
Stiltskin's revised line-up included:
- Ray Wilson - Vocals, guitar and bass
- Uwe Metzler - Lead guitar
- Irvin DuguidIrvin DuguidIrvin Duguid is a Scottish musician and composer.He studied piano and violin at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow before going on to become keyboard player in the live line-up of Stiltskin, a rock band with the number 1 hit single "Inside" in the UK in 1994.Duguid went on to...
- Keyboards (in the original live line-up in 1994-95. He left the band in September 2006) - Alvin Mills - Bass guitar
- Scott Spence - Lead guitar
- Big J - Drums
- Nir ZidkyahuNir ZidkyahuNir Zidkyahu is a well-established studio-session drummer, and the brother of Blackfield's drummer Tomer Z. He played the drums for eight songs on Genesis' 1997 album, Calling All Stations, and subsequently joined the band for their 1998 tour.In 2001, he drummed on John Mayer's breakthrough album,...
- Drums - Henrik Muller - Drums
Stiltskin's current line-up is:
- Ray Wilson - Vocals, guitar
- Uwe Metzler - Lead guitar
- Ali Ferguson - Lead guitar, backing vocals
- Lawrie MacMillanLawrie MacMillanLawrie MacMillan is a freelance bass guitarist and bass teacher from Rosyth in Fife, Scotland.MacMillan is best known for his work with the chart-topping group Stiltskin, fronted by the vocalist Ray Wilson, who in the late 1990s also fronted the band Genesis, replacing Phil Collins.MacMillan has...
- Bass, backing vocals - Ashley MacMillan - Drums, percussion
- Big J - Drums
Albums
- 1994 The Mind's EyeThe Mind's Eye (album)The Mind's Eye is the first studio album by the band Stiltskin. The album was driven by the success of the single "Inside", which reached #1 in the UK. The follow-up single "Footsteps" reached #34 in the UK charts...
(CD/LP/MC) UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#17 - 2006 She (CD)
- 2007 Stiltskin Live (CD)
- 2011 Unfulfillment (not released yet)
Singles
- 1994 "InsideInside (Stiltskin song)"Inside" is a song by rock band Stiltskin, the first single from their first studio album, The Mind's Eye. It was written by Peter Lawlor for the British Levi's advert "Creek" and spent one week at #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1994. The song was used as the music for Sky Sports' coverage of the...
" (CD/7"/12"/MC) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#1 - 1994 "Footsteps" (CD/7"/MC) UK #34
- 1995 "Rest In Peace" (CD/7"/MC)
- 2006 "She" (CD)
- 2006 "Lemon Yellow Sun" (CD)