Stiltskin
{{Short description|Scottish rock band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Stiltskin
| image = Ray Wilson i Ali Ferguson Life Festival Oświęcim 2013.jpg
| caption = Ray Wilson and Ali Ferguson performing in 2013
| image_size =
| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| origin = Primrose Hill, London, England
| genre = Post-grunge, alternative rock
| years_active = 1994–1996, 2005–present
| label = White Water Records
East West Records
Inside Out Music
Jaggy D
| associated_acts =
| current_members = Ray Wilson
Ali Ferguson
Ashley MacMillan
Lawrie MacMillan
Filip Walcerz
Steve Wilson
| past_members = James Finnigan
Peter Lawlor
Ross McFarlane
Aubrey Nunn
Irvin Duguid
Uwe Metzler
Alvin Mills
Henrik Muller
Scott Spence
Nir Zidkyahu
}}
Stiltskin is a Scottish rock band that first achieved widespread popularity in the mid-1990s. Stiltskin are led by frontman Ray Wilson, the only constant member throughout the band's history. They are best known for their 1994 UK chart-topper "Inside".{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-656-1|page=343}}
Career
The band was put together in 1994 by multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Peter Lawlor to front the record he had made of the music he had written for the British Levi's television advertisement, "Creek". The resulting single, "Inside" topped the UK Singles Chart in 1994, but the band failed to produce further matching chart success with the follow-up single "Footsteps" reaching No. 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". 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 No. 37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
The original Stiltskin disbanded in 1996, during the recording of their uncompleted second album, for which James Finnigan had been replaced on bass by Aubrey Nunn, who later worked with Faithless.{{Cite web|url=http://www.faithlessuk.co.uk/aubrey.php|title=faithlessuk.co.uk|date=19 August 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030819082108/http://www.faithlessuk.co.uk/aubrey.php|access-date=20 October 2020|archive-date=19 August 2003}}
Lawlor continued to run Water Music, writing and producing many high-profile themes: he wrote all of the music for the BBC One 'Rhythm & Movement' idents and also the theme for the 2000 Olympic Games coverage, and the theme for Premier League and FA Cup football matches shown on TV.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/match_of_the_day/4797885.stm | work=BBC News | title=Ask us about: Music details | date=12 June 2007}} Simultaneously, he worked as a city economist and academic economics lecturer, becoming Principal Economic Advisor at the German Stock Exchange Deutsche Börse.{{Cite web|title=Point of View: Creative - Peter Lawlor Interview {{!}} AdForum Talent|url=https://www.adforum.com/talent/18001-peter-lawlor/interviews/iv-86-point-of-view-creatives|access-date=2021-10-17|website=www.adforum.com|language=en}}
McFarlane went on to work with The Proclaimers and achieved another number one in the UK Singles Chart. He went on to join the band Texas in 2009, leaving in early 2019.
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.
In 2005, Wilson put a new band together under the name Stiltskin. Wilson himself and touring keyboardist Irvin Duguid (who later left the line-up) were the only members from the original line-up.
The new incarnation of Stiltskin released the album She in 2006. They 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 {{cite web |url=http://www.raywilson.net/2006/index.html |title=Ray Wilson and Stiltskin Live |website=Raywilson.net |access-date=2011-07-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724030356/http://www.raywilson.net/2006/index.html |archive-date=24 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }} was released in 2011. In 2015, it was reported in the Edinburgh Evening News that drummer Ashley Macmillan had left Stiltskin to become a chef, citing the rigours of touring as a reason for the change.{{cite web |url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/stiltskin-drummer-quits-music-be-chef-1508825 |title = Stiltskin drummer quits music to be a chef {{!}} Edinburgh News}}
Personnel
=Members=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Current members
- Ray Wilson – lead vocals (1994–1996, 2005–present), guitar (2005–present)
- Ali Ferguson – guitar, backing vocals (2006–present)
- Lawrie MacMillan – bass, backing vocals (2006–present)
- Filip Walcerz – keyboards (2010–present)
- Steve Wilson – guitar, backing vocals (2010–present)
{{col-2}}
;Former members
- James Finnigan – bass, keyboards (1994–1995)
- Peter Lawlor – guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, backing vocals (1994–1996)
- Ross McFarlane – drums, percussion (1994–1996)
- Aubrey Nunn – bass (1995–1996)
- Irvin Duguid – keyboards (2005–2006; touring musician 1994–1995)
- Uwe Metzler – guitar (2005–2011)
- Alvin Mills – bass (2005–2006)
- Henrik Muller – drums, percussion (2005–2006)
- Scott Spence – guitar (2005–2006)
- Nir Zidkyahu – drums, percussion (2005–2006)
- Ashley MacMillan – drums, percussion (2006–2015)
{{col-end}}
=Lineups=
| class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="float: width: 375px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;" width=99% |
| bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1994–1995
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1995–1996 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1996–2005 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2005–2006 |
|---|
valign=top |
;Touring musician
| valign=top |
| valign=top | Disbanded | valign=top |
|
| bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2006–2010
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2010–2011 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2011–2015 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2015–present |
valign=top |
| valign=top |
| valign=top |
| valign=top |
|
= Timeline =
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:18
PlotArea = left:90 bottom:80 top:0 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1994 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}}
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1994
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1994
Colors =
id:v value:red legend:Lead_vocals
id:bv value:pink legend:Backing_vocals
id:g value:green legend:Guitar
id:b value:blue legend:Bass
id:k value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:d value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion
id:a value:black legend:Studio_album
LineData =
at:17/10/1994 layer:back
at:01/03/2006
at:09/09/2011
PlotData =
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,–4)
bar:Ray Wilson from:start till:31/12/1996 color:v
bar:Ray Wilson from:01/01/2005 till:end color:v
bar:Ray Wilson from:01/01/2005 till:end color:g width:3
bar:Peter Lawlor from:start till:31/12/1996 color:g
bar:Peter Lawlor from:start till:31/12/1996 color:b width:9
bar:Peter Lawlor from:start till:31/12/1996 color:k width:7
bar:Peter Lawlor from:start till:31/12/1996 color:d width:5
bar:Peter Lawlor from:start till:31/12/1996 color:bv width:3
bar:Uwe Metzler from:01/01/2005 till:01/10/2011 color:g
bar:Scott Spence from:01/01/2005 till:01/07/2006 color:g
bar:Ali Ferguson from:01/07/2006 till:end color:g
bar:Ali Ferguson from:01/07/2006 till:end color:bv width:3
bar:Steve Wilson from:01/07/2010 till:end color:g
bar:Steve Wilson from:01/07/2010 till:end color:bv width:3
bar:James Finnigan from:start till:01/07/1995 color:b
bar:James Finnigan from:start till:01/07/1995 color:k width:3
bar:Aubrey Nunn from:01/07/1995 till:31/12/1996 color:b
bar:Alvin Mills from:01/01/2005 till:01/07/2006 color:b
bar:Lawrie McMillan from:01/07/2006 till:end color:b
bar:Lawrie McMillan from:01/07/2006 till:end color:bv width:3
bar:Irvin Durguid from:01/01/2005 till:01/07/2006 color:k
bar:Filip Walcerz from:01/07/2010 till:end color:k
bar:Ross McFarlane from:start till:31/12/1996 color:d
bar:Henrik Muller from:01/01/2005 till:01/07/2006 color:d
bar:Nir Zidkyahu from:01/01/2005 till:01/07/2006 color:d
bar:Ashley McMillan from:01/07/2006 till:30/03/2015 color:d
}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
=Live albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of live albums, with selected details ! Title ! Album details |
| scope="row"| Ray Wilson and Stiltskin Live
|
|
|---|
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"|Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"|Year ! scope="col" colspan="10"|Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"|Album |
| style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| AUS {{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Stiltskin|title=Discography Stiltskin|website=australian-charts.com|access-date=18 October 2022}} !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| AUT !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| BEL !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FRA !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| GER !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NLD !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NOR !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| SWE !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| SWI !style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK |
|---|
| scope="row" | "Inside"
|rowspan="2"|1994 | 40 | 2 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 |rowspan="3"|The Mind's Eye |
| scope="row" | "Footsteps"
| — | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 34 |
| scope="row" | "Rest in Peace"
|1995 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 92 |
| scope="row" | "She"
|rowspan="2"|2006 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |rowspan="2"|She |
| scope="row" | "Lemon Yellow Sun"
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{AllMusic}}
- {{discogs artist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:British post-grunge groups
Category:Scottish alternative rock groups