Didn't Bunnymen already do what Eno is doing now?

[Russell Winterburn]

I read that Brian Eno's new release will have the genius idea of talking/poetry set to music.
What Bunnymen had that? I thought I remembered Les reading (barely audible) poetry in the background while Mac sung lyrics?[/i]

[Russell Winterburn]

I read that Brian Eno's new release will have the genius idea of talking/poetry set to music.
What Bunnymen had that? I thought I remembered Les reading (barely audible) poetry in the background while Mac sung lyrics?[/i]

Sorry. Meant to type, what Bunnymen SONG had that?

[Voodoo Billy]

Over the Wall?

[Russell Winterburn]

Over the Wall?

I was thinking it was a song from "Porcupine?"

[black francis]

http://www.incendiarymag.com/node/90


IN: There's a poem of yours on the song Over the Wall. How did that come about?

LP: It was one of those things that I did so that people in 20 years time would ask me what it was all about! No; it was different every night... it was just another part of the mystery. To me it's a very, very hypnotic song, and I could never sing over a bass line. I've always had drums and bass in my head, so this is one of those rare opportunities where it's just a melodic thing, with the rhythmic thing going round and round, where I could actually talk over it and add something. Mac's going off on a high thing, and I'm doing this poem, so that's how it developed. I just went up to a mike and did it. The reason I had a mike was that Mac wanted me to do backing vocals, but I was crap at singing, I was too busy concentrating on rhythm. I'm just one of these people that, well - inside my head was just the beats and rhythms going on and conversations didn't come into it. Well, that might be different if I saw a pretty woman in front of me, but that's what it was!

IN: What was the poem about?

LP: Basically it was about when you're a kid, and you don't want to go to sleep. It was spooky, you know the way you see things in the curtains, stuff like that, it was about the Sandman, and instead of him throwing sand in your eyes, to make you tired, he starts talking to you and you go into his world, it was all pretty bizarre.

IN: I'd love to read it, have you got it written down somewhere?

LP: No! Mysteries you see...it's all there... Every one had a different ending every night, that's why I can't remember it but, I'll have a listen to one and filter it all out, so I can hear it!

[fat cherry]

well its not even remotely original, john cooper clark did it in the 70s - though I think that was because the record company were too scared to put out a record of just poetry. I htink he's gone on the record as not liking the music element. Pete Townshend's 'all the best cowboys have chinese eyes' started off as that but ended up with just a couple of tracks (intervention by the suits again I believe). errr, cant think of any others just now.

[kamoflange]

i think we can go way back before the 70's to find music with poetry over the top.. probably hundreds at least!
sg.[/s]

[fat cherry]

i think we can go way back before the 70's to find music with poetry over the top.. probably hundreds at least!
sg.[/s]

probably but thats where my memory begins, more or less.

[fat cherry]

http://forum.villiersterrace.com/viewtopic.php?t=3572&highlight=gil+scot+heron

[fat cherry]

and all that hip hop malarky i suppose

[fat cherry]

not to mention good old simmo:
http://www.thewildswans.co.uk/cart/index.php/paul-simpson/dream-diaries-by-paul-simpson/p_6.html

[crystal daze]

[Russell Winterburn]

Fifth para. down is what bothered me. It's like he's taking credit for the idea:


http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/05 ... o-20110705


Thanks for all the other artists/examples (Patti Smith), and thanks VB + BF for "Over The Wall" info.
I've listened to that song so many times and can't hear Les.

Was that the only Bunnymen song with poetry, though?

[JackT]

I read that Brian Eno's new release will have the genius idea of talking/poetry set to music.
What Bunnymen had that? I thought I remembered Les reading (barely audible) poetry in the background while Mac sung lyrics?[/i]

And The Doors did it way before that. There is nothing new under the sun.

Wasn't there some kind of poetry at the beginning of the JD Transmission video?

[withahip]

Debussy put his music to the poetry of Baudelaire, Mallarme and - well Verlaine (not Tom) but I don't think this is what he had in mind:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssNXX_KNOhs[/youtube]

I admit I was an overzealous high school student at the time of this performance.