TIN TIN

In 1968 Steve Groves (ex-Kinetics) and Steve Kipner (ex-Steve and The Board) travelled to the United Kingdom where they recorded an unsuccessful LP as Steve & Stevie on Toast Records. After Kipner ran into Barry Gibb in 1969, Kipner and Groves were signed to Robert Stigwood with Maurice Gibb as their producer. They changed their name to Tin Tin which was named after the main character of the popular Belgian cartoon strip, The Adventures of Tintin. They signed a one-album contract with Polydor Records. Their debut single, "Only Ladies Play Croquet", was issued in May 1969 but did not chart.

Maurice Gibb produced their debut album 'Tin Tin' and played various instruments (bass guitar, drums, harpsichord, mellotron, organ) on about half the tracks, which bore a marked resemblance to the tight harmonies of the Bee Gees. Tin Tin's debut album initially sold poorly, and in 1970 they issued a second single "Toast and Marmalade for Tea", written by Groves. Geoff Bridgford (ex-Steve and The Board, The Groove) joined them on drums.

In May 1971 Groves old band mate Johnny Vallins from The Kinetics joined the line-up on bass guitar. In June 1971 "Toast and Marmalade for Tea" became a #10 hit on the Go-Set National Top 40, and it remained on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart for 15 weeks. The dreamy ballad, with lead vocals by Kipner, was belatedly released as a single in mid-1971 in the US and reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song featured just eight lines of nursery rhyme-like lyrics repeated over a distinctive vibrato piano (achieved by manipulating the recorded tape reel) and electric guitar backing. The song gradually builds in intensity adding acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, a string orchestra, and finally brass instruments, and is Tin Tin's best-remembered song. The album appeared on the Billboard 200.

While seldom played on oldies radio today, "Toast and Marmalade for Tea" is regarded by some critics as one of the finest and most ambitious singles by a one hit wonder, and a late psychedelic classic. Another single "Is That the Way?" (1971) peaked at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100, ahead of their second album, 'Astral Taxi' (December 1971). For the album they were joined by Carl Keats (aka Carl Grossman) on rhythm guitar, a former band mate from Steve & the Board. After their unexpected success, Tin Tin toured with The Bee Gees on their 1972 American tour. Non-album singles, "Talking Turkey" (1972), "I'm Afraid" and "It's a Long Way to Georgia" (both 1973) followed but did not chart.

Another single, "Strange One", was released under the name Quire, also on the Polydor label, but had very little success. After Tin Tin disbanded in 1973, Kipner went on to write and produce songs for Chicago ("Hard Habit to Break"), Olivia Newton-John ("Physical" and "Twist of Fate"),Christina Aguilera, ''98 Degrees'' and ''Dream''. In 1975 Groves returned to Australia and worked as a singer-songwriter, he co-wrote (with Brian Dawe) "On the Loose (Again)", which was performed by Marty Rhone to win the Australian Popular Song Contest. Groves formed his own group, Steve Groves Band, and released his version of "On the Loose (Again)" in November 1976. Vallins teamed up with Kipner's father, Nat, to co-write "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" for Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, which was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1978.

Members

Steve Kipner (keyboards, percussion, vocals), Steve Groves (guitars, percussion, vocals), Johnny Vallins (bass, guitar, vocals), Geoff Bridgford (drums)

SINGLES

''Come On Over Again / Toast And Marmalade For Tea'' (#8) 1971 Polydor
''Is That That Way (#99) / Swans On The Canal'' 1971 Polydor

ALBUMS

'Toast And Marmalade For Tea' 1970 Polydor

'Astral Taxi' 1971 Polydor

References

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/