B-side "Manhattan Woman" Length 2:26 Writer(s) Steve Groves | Released 1970 Label Polydor
Atco (US) | |
Format 7" single, 45rpm single | ||
"Toast and Marmalade for Tea" is a song by the Australian rock group Tin Tin, and was written by Steve Groves and produced by Maurice Gibb. It was a Top 20 U.S. hit in 1971.
Contents
Writing and recording
"Toast and Marmalade for Tea" was an unfinished song with just verses written only by Steve Groves. Steve Kipner explained "We had been thinking that we would write a chorus for it together". The resulting demo was recorded on 27 June 1969 and Maurice Gibb called them into the studio at short notice the following month and re-recorded it for the album. "We modulated the verses" Kipner continued, "since it was all that we had". Kipner and Groves had originally recorded the track on only guitar and piano. They would usually experiment with whatever was in the studio until Kipner concluded "There was a drum kit, but the pedal was broken, so I pushed it by hand to make us a drum track, then Maurice put bass on it, playing with his broken arm".
The song's distinct "wobbled" piano melody was discovered accidentally when an engineer leaned on a tape machine creating the sound. "Manhattan Woman" was chosen as the B-side. Tin Tin obtained their recording deal with the help of Gibb, who also produced their debut self-titled album.
The single later received some radio airplay in the UK. In Australia, the song was a Top 10 single.