Thu Jun 24 00:57:41 EDT 1993
From: ubjta41@ucl.ac.uk (Mr A Nix)
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1993 13:25:02 +0100
Sender: ubjta41@ucl.ac.uk
Ignore this if you read the NME this morning.
The skellington chronicles can now be obtained from the KAK address
(same as for RITE) on LP,CD or Cassette. With it you get Skellington
as well!! I think the prices are .9-50, .12-50 and .8-50 respectively
so its a bargain if you haven't already got Skellington.
More later.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: j.hart@ic.ac.uk
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 93 09:53:33 BST
Subject: The Skellington Chronicles
New album (at least partly), this is going to be available mail
order (again) from 28th June. The album contains 'Skellington'
(ie. the original version) and also 'Skellington 2: He's back...
and this time it's personal' (13 new songs)
the address is
K.A.K Ltd; P.O Box 3249; London SW2 3UE
prices: CD (12.50), LP (9.50) & tape (8.50) [all prices in pounds]
the blurb I have says "Acid campfire music from the guy you'd never
invite" (sic).. invite to do what? the mind boggles.
Also there is a tour involving some of the less accessible regions in
Ireland and Scotland culminating with a 1 week residency at the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Club at the end of August. [and as luck
would have it, i'd already arranged to spend some time at the festival]
happy solstice
jo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the address!
Does anyone have any suggestions on how U.S. residents can order and
pay for the Skellington Chronicles? Any idea if K.A.K. Ltd accepts
dollars too?
Who ever gets it first: please post to the list and tell us what you
think of the 13 new songs!
Any word on AUTOGEDDON???
Travis
Thu Jun 24 01:12:05 EDT 1993
Does anyone know if the "new" songs included in the SKELLINGTON
CHRONICLES are recent creations or old, previously unreleased stuff?
And here's another question for you: what's the Pound-to-Dollar
exchange rate about now? $1.50 = L1.00??? Anyone keeping up with these
figures?
Oh yeah, guess what - this weekend I re-dubbed all of my Julian Cope and
Teardrop Explodes CD's onto 90-minute tapes. And I bought the Peggy
Suicide CD, since my Peggy Suicide tape is getting fluttery and gross
to listen to. Turns out, according to the people at the record shop,
some blank tapes are higher fidelity than the tapes that record companies
put albums onto. So the reason my PEGGY SUICIDE tape is wearing out is
that ISLAND printed it on an el-cheapo cassette! That pisses me off!
Not really. :)
Anyone know anything else about tape degradation?
Travis
Thu Jun 24 10:43:09 EDT 1993
From: Jim.Davies@prg.oxford.ac.uk
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 93 12:04:22 BST
Subject: sklngtn chrnchles
New album (at least partly), this is going to be available mail
order (again) from 28th June. The album contains 'Skellington'
(ie. the original version) and also 'Skellington 2: He's back...
and this time it's personal' (13 new songs)
It's summer: _he's_ back.
the blurb I have says "Acid campfire music from the guy you'd never
invite" (sic).. invite to do what? the mind boggles.
Would you go camping with Julian? (Yes)
Fact 1: On his new promo CD Spectre, Robyn Hitchcock mentions a chat with
Julian concerning serpents.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how U.S. residents can order and
pay for the Skellington Chronicles? Any idea if K.A.K. Ltd accepts
dollars too?
I would guess not. I wouldn't, if I were them. Unless you've got a
sensible arrangement with your bank, it costs you to cash dollars/ dollar
cheques/ money orders. They're not interested in sterling cash: they
insist upon postal orders or cheques.
Fact 2: postal orders are about to be discontinued in Hong Kong.
Your best bet is to get a UK resident to send off for a couple of CDs (they
have a limit of 3 per order). I already have two US residents hassling me,
but I could always order as somebody else.
Jo? Are you going to the Phoenix? Looks like we are, although we still
haven't bought the tickets (pathetic).
Jim
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: j.hart@ic.ac.uk
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 93 09:08:55 BST
Subject: "new" songs
Definately new. According to the NME they were recorded in April this year
and Julian reckons they are a sort of sequel to Jehovahkill, in the same way
that Skellington was a precursor to Peggy Suicide. They had a few of the
song titles that I can't remember offhand, although one was 'Madonna
Baglady Blues'.
The moral of the sad tape tale is STICK TO VINYL, YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE...
best wishes
Jo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Retro Cop <ukevc@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu>
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 93 0:28:04 PDT
Subject: bad PS cassettes!
Travis writes: (paraphrased)
>anyone know anything about tape degradation of Peggy Suicide cassettes?
Yes! I had it a couple of years ago, and my walkman ate it! So, those
grubby Island people weren't too keen on Julian making a double album,
so they compensated with poor cassettes? That really sucks...
and I've never bought it again...
However, I have made some kind of interesting backwards tapes and cut-ups
out of the wreckage.... serendipity! :)
Kevin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the info, Jim, Jo and Kevin.
Okay, I know that a good deal of people on this list are Americans,
who appear not to be able to just mail money to K.A.K. and get what
they're willing to shell out bucks for.
So, if any of you people in Britain are willing to help me and the
rest of the non-Brits out by purchasing copies of THE SKELLINGTON
CHRONICLES for us, we'll love you and we'll find some way to reimburse
you for it! :)
By the way, I'm dying to get this CD, so if anyone doesn't mind helping
out by ordering a copy for me, I'll be super-duper-glad to work out
a deal where we BOTH can benefit.
April of this year, huh?
GOTTA HAVE IT!!!!!
I take it the recording quality is on par with the SKELLINGTON we all know
and love?
Travis
Thu Jun 24 10:50:04 EDT 1993
A couple of questions:
Is AUTOGEDDON BLUES (???) the same thing as the new songs for the Skellington
Chronicles or is it a completely different undertaking?
Are the SKELLINGTON CHRONICLES going to be released on Island or on the new
lable?
Is anyone interested in helping to make a "Rare & Live" Julian Cope/Teardrop
Explodes tape?
Travis
Thu Jun 24 11:13:41 EDT 1993
Jim, Jo, and others -
Never mind - I'm gonna try to exchange $ for L at my bank. What I
need to know is:
What does the L8.50 for a mail-order tape include? Do you have to tag on
a few Pounds for postage and handling? Or is that included?
Basically, how much money do we REALLY need to send K.A.K. Ltd? The
prices listed or a couple L more?
Travis
Mon Jun 28 10:23:12 EDT 1993
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A second thing, VERY IMPORTANT...
It has come to my attention that this list is very quiet. And while I
don't really mind sitting on my bum waiting for a couple minutes when this
program mails off the newsletter to the 20 or 30 or so people subscribed
to The Culture Bunker, I'd rather not be flooding people with mail they
never read. Mailing newsletters to those people is a waste of their time
as well as mine.
So, if you want me to unsubscribe you, either because you are going to
move somewhere or because you're bored, then please e-mail me! My address
is [snipped -- Trav] (the same as the mailing list - imagine that!!!)
And, even more importantly, those of you who WANT to keep getting
mail from the list, please mail me and say so! I'm trying to clean up the
subscribers' list, because a LOT of people have left for the summer, and
I'm starting to to get "Return to Sender" mail back from dead accounts.
So e-mail me and tell me if you want to stay on the list or not!
Thanks bunches.
Travis
Mon Jun 28 10:24:55 EDT 1993
Cope list(en)ers -
I would be super if, when we mail off for our SKELLINGTON CHRONICLES
CDs and tapes (and LPs, for Jo :) ) we could also include a little note
telling about the mailing list and asking if Julian Cope would be
interes in t on it or checking it out.
Even if we represent a tiny portion of the Cope fans out there, if
enough of us send "hey there's a mailing list" letters to the K.A.K. Ltd.
people, they might actually bring it to attention. You see, if
they got only ONE letter about it, they could shrug it off, but if they
got a DOZEN, they just might mention it to someone in contact with J.C.
Does anyone else have other ideas on how to lure Jules into our web?
I'm starting to think that one letter all by itself might not hack it.
Please post your suggestions!
Travis
Tue Jun 29 11:55:46 EDT 1993
From: brian <Brian.May@mel.dit.csiro.au>
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 93 10:10:31 +1000
# CDs and tapes (and LPs, for Jo :) ) we could also include a little note
# telling about the mailing list and asking if Julian Cope would be
# interes in t on it or checking it out.
# Even if we represent a tiny portion of the Cope fans out there, if
# enough of us send "hey there's a mailing list" letters to the K.A.K. Ltd.
# people, they might actually bring it to attention. You see, if
# they got only ONE letter about it, they could shrug it off, but if they
# got a DOZEN, they just might mention it to someone in contact with J.C.
# Does anyone else have other ideas on how to lure Jules into our web?
# I'm starting to think that one letter all by itself might not hack it.
I say 'yes' resoundingly. Hows about you all include a glowing letter bout
someone in Australia interviewing the Drude? OK, yes, I meant myself. The
letter included in my "Rite" application seems to have been ignored, or
binned etc. On gaining a successful interview......I know my tape-to-tape
dubber will be going frantically for Culture Bunkerers.
I'll be in the UK soon, so anyone got a STREET address for KAK? All I've
seen is a PO BOX number.
Also - do people on the list know of Cope gigs in these areas, these times?
Holland July10th-18th
London July18th-24th
UK July24th-Aug4th
NW US Aug4th-14th
California Aug14th-21st
Wishful thinking, I know, but if you don't ask, you don't get!
brian
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello readers. We just got about 6 more subscribers today, thanks to my
little advertisement on the USENET. Um, to you new blokes - I was
looking over the files I sent you, mainly the welcoming stuff, and realized
how dated it was!
So here, for everybody to look at really, is the new WELCOME into the
CULTURE BUNKER mailing list. It isn't anything snazzy, but it's a bit more
up-to-date!
Travis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there! Welcome to THE CULTURE BUNKER, the "Official" Julian Cope /
Teardrop Explodes Mailing List.
The list has been open since Februrary of 1993, and we've been growing in
membership steadily. As of June 29th, we have about 30 people on the list.
Articles come to me and are posted about once every other day (this picks
up during the school year of course).
WE've had some interesting discussions, all of which are available as
"backissues" if you want me to send 'em to you.
You can also use ANONYMOUS FTP to download and upload files to [snipped -- Trav]
(the computer all of this is on).
Thank you for joining our wonderful list, and if you have any questions or
comments, just email me [snipped -- Trav]
If you want to write a letter that everyone in the group will receive, just
mail [snipped -- Trav].
I'll post any stuff you guys give me that's relevant to Cope/Teardrops/Music
in General.
Anyway, have fun and thanks for joining THE CULTURE BUNKER.
Travis Emmitt
Wed Jun 30 11:00:43 EDT 1993
OKay, I just put all the BACK-ISSUES in an ftp-able place. Here's how
to get at 'em: [snipped -- Trav]
GOOD LUCK, and if you don't have a real UNIX account (or a FTP-capable account)
Then I will be happy to mail the back issues to you.
I just figure this way is easier, since these files are kinda big.
Any questions --- ask me!
Travis
Wed Jun 30 14:38:49 EDT 1993
##############################################################################
# #
# T H E C U L T U R E B U N K E R #
# #
# * The "Official" Julian Cope Newsletter * #
# #
##############################################################################
From: mb20@prism.gatech.edu (BRANCH,MICHAEL B)
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1993 11:54:06 -0400
Well, it's nice to be part of this list. All of you should be
glad that such a thing did not exist back around 1983 or so, or
you'd have had page after page of ranting from me, as I figured
Fried to be a gift from god. This isn't to say that I'm tired of
Julian now, as Jehovah Kill re-awakened my interest. Actually, this
list catches me as I'm going through another one of my Teardrop Explodes
phases. I usually catch them once every 8 or 9 months, thus being forced
to pull out everything I own and expressing to all around as to how
criminally underrated they were. Ironically enough, a month ago I ran
into 4 or 5 Teardrop singles for a dollar a piece...
Let's see, how did I get into this stuff? I had a very hip older
friend that introduced me to a ton of groovy English stuff back in the
late 70's. Through her I discovered the magic of NME and Melody Maker,
thus my door into a different world. I picked up Kilimanjaro and liked
it okay, Treason being one of the greatest songs ever written...
but it was Wilder that really grabbed me. I love that album, "And The
Fighting Takes Over", "Tiny Children", "Great Dominions"...
Anyway, with Cope, the "Sunshine Playroom" EP came and I went quite
mad with enjoyment. I loved Julian the most when he was in his
surrealistic stage of "Syd Barrett Syndrome". So, to try and cut this
mess of rambling, I followed Julian up until "St. Julian" which I found
to be very disappointing. The next LP was equally poor in my opinion,
though the China Doll single was great (classic Scott Walker imitation).
I thought Peggy Suicide was so-so, but am pretty pleased by Jehovah Kill.
It's so typical of the cluelessness of labels that he should be dropped
upon release of what many critics call one of his truly great albums.
I will try to type a vague discography fairly soon. Somewhere I have
a complete listing, but finding it will be a problem...
As for early Cope, I know of :
Sunshine Playroom - EP and 7" (never have seen the 7")
Greatness and Perfection of Love - 12" (don't know if a 7" was released)
Sunspots - a limited double 7" as well as standard one
he also released a 7" under the psuedonym of "Rabbi Joseph Gordon" on
the Bam Caruso label. It was called "Competition". I remember the idiots
that run our local "incredibly hip" import shop returned the single to
the distributor, thinking it was religious music. It's an interesting
record - "Just because I'm red, don't call me red...".
As for "Rite", because it's almost impossible to buy international
money orders or sterling down here, I don't know how to possibly
order it. Maybe we (us yanks) could pool our resourses and have someone
in a more civilized city (unlike Atlanta) purchase one big international
money order and get us all a copy? I mean, I can hardly wait to hear this
thing (Cope's take on ambient trance music) and am scared to death that
it'll go out of print well before I can find one...
Michael
Thu Jul 1 12:00:14 EDT 1993
From: bmcgeene@gssec.bt.co.uk (Brian McGeeney)
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 93 11:55:58 BST
Subject: Julian Cope - The Skellington Chronicles
The boy is back!
Just a few months after 'Rite' the arch-drude has bounced back with
another mail-order only release: 'The Skellington Chronicles'.
This brings together 1989's 'Skellington' album with a new companion
piece - a 'Skellington Volume 2' if you like - which together make up
a bumper 25 tracks.
Vol. 2 was, like its predecessor, recorded in a day and a half. Track
titles include 'Scud-U-Like' and 'Madonna Baglady Blues'.
The package gets a quite reasonable 7 out of 10 in the current NME (issue
dated July 3rd).
The Skellington Chronicles costs
12.50 CD / 9.50 LP / 8.50 MC
The above prices are in pounds sterling and include post and
packaging (for the UK anyway - I'm not sure about overseas costs)
and is available from
KAK Ltd,
PO Box 3249
London
SW2 3UE
ENGLAND
Cheques/Postal Orders to me made payable to KAK Ltd.
Orders are limited to three per person.
Cheers,
Brian (bmcgeene@gssec.bt.co.uk)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "A.J. Norman" <nja@leicester.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 93 9:57:07 BST
Subject: Cope Discography
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JULIAN COPE & THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
U.K. DISCOGRAPHY 1979-93
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dates are from an NME (New Musical Express - UK music newspaper) discography,
and are suspect in some cases - many of the song names are also mis-spelt in
the NME. I have all the Cope solo stuff and some of the Teardrops stuff, so I
have checked it against that. I haven't bothered to list promos etc, which
are all tracks from albums/singles in any case.
7/10/12/CD refers to 7"/10"/12" vinyl and CD formats.
Extra tracks on 12" and/or CD are shown with an asterisk (*).
Cover versions are shown with a (C).
===============================================================================
1. THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1A. ZOO RECORDS
All the Zoo tracks are on the compilation "Piano", which is 32 minutes long
and mastered from the original vinyl, so it is pretty low quality.
These songs are all different versions to those on "Kilimanjaro"
Feb 79 Sleeping Gas // Camera, Camera / Kirkby Workers Dream Fades (7)
Jun 79 Bouncing Babies // All I Am Is Loving You (7)
Feb 80 Treason (It's Just a Story) // Read It In Books (7)
82 TO THE SHORES OF LAKE PLACID
Compilation album includes "When I Dream", "Camera, Camera" and
"Take a Chance" by The Teardrop Explodes, "Kwalo Klobinsky's Lullabye"
by Whopper, plus tracks by Big in Japan, Echo & the Bunnymen, Dalek I
Love You, and other Zoo artists. The Whopper track is Cope and Dwyer
plus a disjointed backing track, which includes the horns from "When
I Dream", and is on "Piano" with the proper Teardrops songs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1B. MERCURY
Sep 80 When I Dream // Kilimanjaro (7)
Oct 80 KILIMANJARO
Ha Ha I'm Drowning / Sleeping Gas / Treason / Second Head / Reward /
Poppies in the Field //
Went Crazy / Brave Boys Keep Their Promises / Bouncing Babies / Books /
Thief of Baghdad / When I Dream
Later reissued with "Reward" added (Mercury wanted this), and a new
cover with a photo of some zebras on it (Cope wanted this, possibly
because he had kicked several of the people on the old cover out of
the band). The cover on the modern reissues is the original.
On the inside sleeve, "Sleeping Gas" is subtitled "Kwalo Klobinsky's
Lullabye".
Jan 81 Reward // Strange House in the Snow (7)
Apr 81 Treason // Trahison (C'est Juste Une Histoire) (*) / Use Me (7/12)
Aug 81 Ha Ha I'm Drowning // Poppies (7)
Also a double single pack with
Books // Bouncing Babies (7)
Sep 81 Passionate Friend // Christ Vs. Warhol (7/12)
12" with extended version of B-side
Nov 81 Colours Fly Away // Window Shopping for a New Crown of Thorns /
East of the Equator (*) (7/12)
Nov 81 WILDER
Bent Out Of Shape / Colours Fly Away / Seven Views of Jerusalem /
Pure Joy / Falling Down Around Me / The Culture Bunker //
Passionate Friend / Tiny Children / Like Leila Khaled Said /
...And the Fighting Takes Over / The Great Dominions
Original cover was of flowers (as on the inside of "Floored Genius"),
modern reissues show Cope's face.
Jun 82 Tiny Children // Rachel Built a Steamboat /
Sleeping Gas (live) (*) (7/12)
Feb 83 You Disappear From View // Suffocate (7)
Also a double 7" single pack with "Baroque version" of
"Suffocate", and
Soft Enough For You / The In-Psychlopaedia // Ouch Monkeys (7)
12" same as the double 7", but "Suffocate" was the
"American version"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1C. THE THIRD ALBUM
"Everybody Wants To Shag The Teardrop Explodes" was the title of the "never
released" first Zoo LP, the version of "When I Dream" on the Zoo compilation
is from this album. The title was used for a collection of late-period
Teardrops tracks, some from the aborted third album. All the A & B-sides from
this period are from Mercury albums.
Jan 90 Serious Danger // Sleeping Gas / Seven Views of Jerusalem (*) (7/12/CD)
Mar 90 EVERYBODY WANTS TO SHAG THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
Ouch Monkeys / Serious Danger / Metranil Vavin /
Count to Ten and Run for Cover / The In-Psychlopaedia /
Soft Enough For You //
You Disappear From View (1) / The Challenger / Not My Only Friend /
Sex (Pussyface) / Terrorist / Strange House in the Snow
Apr 90 Count to Ten and Run For Cover // Reward / Poppies (*) /
Like Leila Khaled Said (*) (7/12/CD)
===============================================================================
2. JULIAN COPE SOLO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2A. MERCURY
The remixes are not very different from the album versions (I haven't heard
the remix of "Pussyface" though).
Nov 83 Sunshine Playroom / Hey High Class Butcher //
Wreck My Car (*) / Eat The Poor (*) (7/12)
"Eat the Poor" features an early version of "Land of Fear"
at the end.
Feb 84 WORLD SHUT YOUR MOUTH
Bandy's First Jump / Metranil Vavin / Strasbourg / Elegant Chaos /
Quizmaster / Kolly Kibber's Birthday //
Sunshine Playroom / Head Hang Low / Pussyface /
Greatness & Perfection / Lunatic and Fire-pistol
Mar 84 The Greatness and Perfection of Love (remix) //
24a Velocity Crescent / Pussyface (remix) (7/12)
Sep 84 Competition / Belief in Him (7)
This is labelled as being by "Rabbi Joseph Gordan", on Bam
Caruso records. Copey was given an antique toy car as payment
for it.
Nov 84 FRIED
Reynard the Fox / Bill Drummond Said / Laughing Boy / Me Singing /
Sunspots //
The Bloody Assizes / Search Party / O King of Chaos / Holy Love /
Torpedo
Feb 85 Sunspots (remix) // I Went on a Chourney (7)
Initial copies as a double single pack with
Mik Mak Mok // Land of Fear (7)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2B. ISLAND - FIRST PHASE
Remixes are generally very different from the album versions.
Sep 86 World Shut Your Mouth / I've Got Levitation (C*) //
Umpteenth Unnatural Blues / Non-Alignment Pact (C*) /
Transporting (*) (7/12)
Oct 86 WSYM (long) // Levitation (C) / WSYM (short) (12)
Julian Cope vs. Trouble Funk - remixes of "WSYM",
"Levitation" is the same as on the normal single.
Jan 87 Trampolene / Disaster //
Mock Turtle (*) / Warwick the Kingmaker (*) (7/12)
Jan 87 Trampolene (Warne Out Mix) // Trampolene / Disaster (12)
Mar 87 ST. JULIAN
Trampolene / Shot Down / Eve's Volcano / Spacehopper / Planet Ride //
World Shut Your Mouth / St. Julian / Pulsar / Screaming Secrets /
A Crack in the Clouds
Mar 87 Eve's Volcano (Covered in Sin) (remix) /
Almost Beautiful Child I & II // Pulsar NX (live) (*) /
Shot Down (live) (*) (7/12)
Also a CD with "Spacehopper - annexe"
Apr 87 Eve's Volcano (Covered in Sin) !Vulcano Lungo! (another remix)//
Spacehopper - annexe / Almost Beautiful Child I & II (12)
Sep 88 Charlotte Anne / A Question of Temperature (C*) //
Christmas Mourning / Books (*) (7/12/CD)
"Books" is a re-recording of the old Teardrops/Bunnymen
classic. 12" came as a picture disc.
Jul 88 MY NATION UNDERGROUND
5 O'Clock World (C) / Vegetation / Charlotte Anne /
My Nation Underground //
China Doll / Someone Like Me (C) / Easter Everywhere /
I'm Not Losing Sleep / The Great White Hoax
The date is certainly wrong for this - it was released after
"Charlotte Anne", but before Christmas.
Jan 89 5 O'Clock World (C) // SPQR / Reynard in Tokio (live) (*) (7/12/CD)
Jan 89 5 O'Clock World // SPQR / WSYM (Trouble Funk mix) (10)
Jun 89 China Doll / Desi (*) // Crazy Farm Animal / Rail On (*) (7/10/12/CD)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2C. THE MYSTERY ALBUMS
There have been various rumours about these - both were obviously recorded
quickly, and are about half an hour long. "Skellington" features Cope, Skinner
& Cosby, and was recorded by Hugo Nicolson who worked on "My Nation
Underground" and all of Cope's subsequent albums. This suggests it was not
recorded during the breakup of the Teardrops, or immediately after "Fried"
(two of the more popular claims), though many of the songs date from that
period or before. "Robert Mitchum", like "Books" and "Spacehopper" is a
Cope/McCulloch composition, dating from their time in The Crucial Three with
Pete Wylie of Wah!, long before any of them were famous.
The best guess is that "Skellington" was the follow-up to "My Nation
Underground", which Island rejected, and that "Droolian" is a collection of
demos, out-takes and messing around. "Droolian" was allegedly only released
in Texas, but I suspect this (like the claim that "Skellington" was recorded
before "St Julian") was a way of getting round Cope's contract with Island.
The boxes for the remixes of "East Easy Rider" and "Head" also bear the
Copeco/Zippo logo, despite being on Island.
Apr 90 SKELLINGTON (Copeco/Zippo, UK)
Doomed / Beaver / Me and Jimmy Jones / Robert Mitchum /
Out Of My Mind on Dope and Speed / Don't Crash Here /
Everything Playing at Once //
Little Donkey / Great White Wonder / Incredibly Ugly Girl /
No How, No Why, No Way, No Where, No When / Commin' Soon
Again, I think the date is wrong - my copy is (c) 1989, which is the
year given on the notes to "East Easy Rider".
Jun 90 DROOLIAN (MoFoCo/Zippo, USA)
Sqwubbsy / Look After Your Leathers / Unisex Cathedral /
Commin' Down / Safe Surfer / Yeah Yeah Yeah / Jellypop Perky Jean //
When Will I Get to Hold You? / Louis 14th / "...Atonement of Wasp" /
Gentleman Dude / Kelly / Church of England 1991
No mention of Cope anywhere on this disc, other than his picture on
the back cover. The dog on the front cover is Smelvin.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2D. ISLAND - SECOND PHASE
Jan 91 Beautiful Love / Port Of Saints / Love LUV (Beautiful Love remix) (*) /
Unisex Cathedral (*) (from "Droolian") (7/12/CD)
Feb 91 Love LUV // Dragonfly
Numbered pink vinyl 12" only.
Mar 91 PEGGY SUICIDE
Pristeen / Double Vegetation / East Easy Rider / Promised Land /
Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line //
Safesurfer / If You Loved Me At All / Drive, She Said //
Soldier Blue / You... / Not Raving But Drowning / Head / Leperskin //
Beautiful Love / Uptight / Western Front 1992 CE /
Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry / The American Lite /
Las Vegas Basement
CD version misses one track - "Uptight" I think.
Apr 91 East Easy Rider / Butterfly E / Almost Alive (*) /
Little Donkey (*) (from "Skellington") (7/12/CD)
Apr 91 Easty Risin' (East Easy Rider remix) // Ravebury Stones
Numbered blue vinyl 12" in a box with picture of Sqwubbsy and
a rant about civilisation.
Jul 91 Head / Straw Dogs / Anyway At All (*) / Bagged-out Ken (*) (7/12/CD)
Jul 91 Heed : Of Penetration and the City-Dweller (Head remix) //
Bring Cherhill Down (vocal) / Bring Cherhill Down (instrumental)
Numbered yellow vinyl 12" with picture of Avebury on the
A-side, in a box.
Aug 92 FLOORED GENIUS - THE BEST OF JULIAN COPE AND THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
Reward / Treason / Sleeping Gas / Bouncing Babies / Passionate Friend /
The Great Dominions //
The Greatness and Perfection of Love / An Elegant Chaos / Sunspots /
Reynard the Fox //
World Shut Your Mouth / Trampolene / Spacehopper / Charlotte Anne /
China Doll //
Out Of My Mind on Dope and Speed / Jellypop Perky Jean /
Beautiful Love / East Easy Rider / Safesurfer
The remix of "World Shut Your Mouth" was reissued with B-sides from
other Cope albums to promote this LP.
Oct 92 Fear Loves This Place / I Have Always Been Here Before (C) /
Sizewell B (*) / Gogmagog (*) (7/12/CD)
Oct 92 Paleface / Nothing / Starry Eyes / Fear Loves This Place
Limited second CD to fit into the special box for the first CD.
"Fear..." is the same as the other single.
Oct 92 JEHOVAHKILL
Soul Desert / No Hard Shoulder to Cry On / Akhenaten /
Up-wards at 45 degrees / Know (Cut My Friend Down) //
Necropolis / Slow Rider / Gimme Back My Flag / Poet is Priest... /
Julian H. Cope //
The Subtle Energies Commission / Fa-fa-fa-fine /
Fear Loves This Place / The Tower / Peggy Suicide is Missing
Initial copies came in a completely blue CD case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2E. K.A.K.
These albums are mail-order only.
Jan 93 RITE
The Indians Worship Him, But He Hurries On / Amethysteria /
Bringing Cherhill Down Part 1 / In Search of Ancient Astronomies
Four long instrumentals, intended for meditation use.
"Bringing Cherhill Down Part 1" is a Skinner/Cosby composition,
the full title is only on the inside of the CD insert.
Jun 93 THE SKELLINGTON CHRONICLES
"Skellington" with a second LP of similar stuff (NOT "Droolian")
on the same disc. Haven't got my copy yet.
Fri Jul 2 11:08:56 EDT 1993
From: "A.J. Norman" <nja@leicester.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 93 14:53:15 BST
Subject: JC
A couple of bits of Cope trivia:
When I saw JC live, just before the release of "Saint Julian", his support
band were Biff Bang Pow!. This is Alan McGee's band, and basically consists
of McGee and Richard Green (the people who run Creation records), plus anyone
else they feel like working with. They are a bit erratic - sometimes they
can be wonderful, more often they are just second-rate jangly indie pop.
On at least one of their albums ("Love is Forever" I think), Julian's brother
Joss plays harmonica and organ. Joss Cope was also a member of "Something
Pretty Beautiful", who released a self-titled 6-track mini-LP on Creation.
Joss co-wrote all the songs, and sings on some of them, his voice being
remarkably similar to Julian's. The sound is fairly similar to the poppy bits
of Julian's first solo album, or the Chills, but the LP isn't all that
memorable - I bought it because it was cheap, but I would have been
disappointed if I had paid full price for it.
The other bit of trivia is about the song "Jellypop Perky Jean" on "Droolian".
Irish comedian Sean Hughes sang it as part of his TV series, currently being
repeated on C4 in the UK. He had a climbing frame mike stand and did a
really beautiful performance, with ballet dancers and glittering lights.
Hughes has also appeared on an album called "20 Golden Showers" by Bubonique,
which also includes Cathal Coughlan from Fatima Mansions. He sings the song
again on that album, but with twists the words around until he is singing
"I don't think I love you at all, see you around..."
Anyone know of any other Cope/Teardrops cover versions?
Mon Jul 5 20:57:55 EDT 1993
From: bmcgeene@gssec.bt.co.uk (Brian McGeeney)
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 93 16:37:59 BST
Subject: Cope
More Cope/Teardrops (extreme) Trivia:
In the mid-80's Copey's brother Joss sang with Freight Train - a band which
also featured Donald Ross-Skinner on guitars. Freight Train gigged extensively
round Liverpool circa 1985, playing support to numerous visiting acts. They
weren't particularly good though, I seem to remember. Don't know if they
ever recorded anything.
Don't know of any Cope/Teardrops covers apart from the Bubonique "version"
but does anyone else remember "I can't get 'Bouncing Babies' by The
Teardrop Explodes" as performed by The Freshies. The Freshies were a
novelty-ish one-hit-wonder band (and this song wasn't their 'hit') from the
late 70's/early 80's fronted by Chris Sievey - more recently known (in the
UK at least) by his papier-mache-headed alter ego: Frank Sidebottom.
Tue Jul 6 13:06:55 EDT 1993
From: COMM_SJ@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1993 11:55:04 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Msg2
Many thanks to the person who typed in the original version of
this discography. I've added some items, and some catalog
numbers from things in my own collection.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JULIAN COPE & THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
DISCOGRAPHY 1979-93
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dates are from an NME (New Musical Express - UK music newspaper) discography,
and are suspect in some cases - many of the song names are also mis-spelt in
the NME. I have all the Cope solo stuff and some of the Teardrops stuff, so I
have checked it against that. I haven't bothered to list promos etc, which
are all tracks from albums/singles in any case.
7/10/12/CD refers to 7"/10"/12" vinyl and CD formats.
Extra tracks on 12" and/or CD are shown with an asterisk (*).
Cover versions are shown with a (C).
===============================================================================
1. THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1A. ZOO RECORDS
All the Zoo tracks are on the compilation "Piano", which is 32 minutes long
and mastered from the original vinyl, so it is pretty low quality.
These songs are all different versions to those on "Kilimanjaro"
Feb 79 Sleeping Gas // Camera, Camera / Kirkby Workers Dream Fades (7)
Jun 79 Bouncing Babies // All I Am Is Loving You (7)
Feb 80 Treason (It's Just a Story) // Read It In Books (7)
82 TO THE SHORES OF LAKE PLACID
Compilation album includes "When I Dream", "Camera, Camera" and
"Take a Chance" by The Teardrop Explodes, "Kwalo Klobinsky's Lullabye"
by Whopper, plus tracks by Big in Japan, Echo & the Bunnymen, Dalek I
Love You, and other Zoo artists. The Whopper track is Cope and Dwyer
plus a disjointed backing track, which includes the horns from "When
I Dream", and is on "Piano" with the proper Teardrops songs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1B. MERCURY
Sep 80 When I Dream // Kilimanjaro (7)
Oct 80 KILIMANJARO (PRICE 59 (UK); SRM-1-4016 (US, Jan 81); CD reissued
on Skyclad, LUCKY CD7)
Ha Ha I'm Drowning / Sleeping Gas / Treason / Second Head /
Reward / Poppies in the Field // Went Crazy / Brave Boys Keep
Their Promises / Bouncing Babies / Books / Thief of Baghdad /
When I Dream
Later reissued with "Reward" added (Mercury wanted this), and a new
cover with a photo of some zebras on it (Cope wanted this, possibly
because he had kicked several of the people on the old cover out of
the band). The cover on the modern reissues is the original.
On the inside sleeve, "Sleeping Gas" is subtitled "Kwalo Klobinsky's
Lullabye".
Jan 81 Reward // Strange House in the Snow (7) (TEAR 2)
Apr 81 Treason // Traison (C'est Juste Une Histoire) (*) / Use Me
(7/12) (TEAR 312)
Aug 81 Ha Ha I'm Drowning // Poppies (7)
Also a double single pack with
Books // Bouncing Babies (7) (TEAR 44)
Sep 81 Passionate Friend // Christ Vs. Warhol (7/12) (TEAR 5 (7"))
12" with extended version of B-side
Nov 81 Colours Fly Away // Window Shopping for a New Crown of Thorns /
East of the Equator (*) (7/12) TEAR 612 (12")
Nov 81 WILDER (PRICE 112 (UK); 6359-056 (US); SRM-1-4035 (US
reissue); CD reissued on Skyclad, CRAZY8CD))
Bent Out Of Shape / Colours Fly Away / Seven Views of Jerusalem /
Pure Joy / Falling Down Around Me / The Culture Bunker //
Passionate Friend / Tiny Children / Like Leila Khaled Said /
...And the Fighting Takes Over / The Great Dominions
Original cover was of flowers (as on the inside of "Floored Genius"),
modern reissues show Cope's face. [Note: song order differs on US
versions.]
Jun 82 Tiny Children // Rachel Built a Steamboat /
Sleeping Gas (live) (*) (7/12) (TEAR 712 (12"))
Feb 83You Disappear From View // Suffocate (7) (TEAR 88 (12"))
Also a double 7" single pack with "Baroque version" of
"Suffocate", and Soft Enough For You / The In-Psychlopaedia //
Ouch Monkeys (7) 12" same as the double 7", but "Suffocate" was
the "American version"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1C. DOCUMENT
90 "The Zoo" -- Uncaged 1978-1982 (DCD1)
Compilation very much like (same as?) "To The Shores of Lake
Placid," has interesting, conciliatory liner notes from Bill
Drummond. Teardrop Explodes songs are:
Sleeping Gas // Bouncing Babies // Treason // Books
90 PIANO (DCD4)
Sleeping Gas // Camera, Camera // Krkby Workers Dream Fades //
Bouncing Babies // All I Am Is Loving You // Treason // Books //
Take A Chance // When I Dream // Kwalo Kobinsky's Lullaby
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1D. THE THIRD ALBUM
"Everybody Wants To Shag The Teardrop Explodes" was the title of the "never
released" first Zoo LP, the version of "When I Dream" on the Zoo compilation
is from this album. The title was used for a collection of late-period
Teardrops tracks, some from the aborted third album. All the A & B-sides from
this period are from Mercury albums.
Jan 90 Serious Danger // Sleeping Gas / Seven Views of Jerusalem (*) (7/12/CD)
Mar 90 EVERYBODY WANTS TO SHAG THE TEARDROP EXPLODES (Fontana 842 439-2)
Ouch Monkeys / Serious Danger / Metranil Vavin / Count to Ten and
Run for Cover / The In-Psychlopaedia / Soft Enough For You //
You Disappear From View (1) / The Challenger / Not My Only Friend
/ Sex (Pussyface) / Terrorist / Strange House in the Snow
Apr 90 Count to Ten and Run For Cover // Reward / Poppies (*) /
Like Leila Khaled Said (*) (7/12/CD)
===============================================================================
2. JULIAN COPE SOLO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2A. MERCURY
The remixes are not very different from the album versions (I haven't heard
the remix of "Pussyface" though).
Nov 83 Sunshine Playroom / Hey High Class Butcher // Wreck My Car
(*) / Eat The Poor (*) (7/12) (COPE 112)
"Eat the Poor" features an early version of "Land of Fear" at the end.
Feb 84 WORLD SHUT YOUR MOUTH (818-365-2 CD)
Bandy's First Jump / Metranil Vavin / Strasbourg / Elegant Chaos
/ Quizmaster / Kolly Kibber's Birthday // Sunshine Playroom /
Head Hang Low / Pussyface / Greatness & Perfection / Lunatic and
Fire-pistol
Mar 84 The Greatness and Perfection of Love (remix) //
24a Velocity Crescent / Pussyface (remix) (7/12) (MERX 155)
Sep 84 Competition / Belief in Him (7)
This is labelled as being by "Rabbi Joseph Gordan", on Bam
Caruso records. Copey was given an antique toy car as payment
for it.
Nov 84 FRIED (822-832-2 CD)
Reynard the Fox / Bill Drummond Said / Laughing Boy / Me Singing
/ Sunspots // The Bloody Assizes / Search Party / O King of Chaos
/ Holy Love / Torpedo
Feb 85 Sunspots (remix) // I Went on a Chourney (7) (MER 1822)
Initial copies as a double single pack with
Mik Mak Mok // Land of Fear (7)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2B.ISLAND - FIRST PHASE
Remixes are generally very different from the album versions.
Sep 86 World Shut Your Mouth / I've Got Levitation (C*) //
Umpteenth Unnatural Blues / Non-Alignment Pact (C*) /
Transporting (*) (7/12) (12 IS 290 (12"))
Oct 86 WSYM (long) // Levitation (C) / WSYM (short) (12) (12 IX 290)
Julian Cope vs. Trouble Funk - remixes of "WSYM",
"Levitation" is the same as on the normal single.
Jan 87 Trampolene / Disaster (7) (ISG 305; double single w/ T/D
on both records...or else mine is screwed up)
Jan 87 Trampolene / Disaster //
Mock Turtle (*) / Warwick the Kingmaker (*) (7/12) (ISW 305 (7",
comes w/poster); 12 IS 305 (12"))
Jan 87 Trampolene (Warne Out Mix) // Trampolene / Disaster (12) (12 ISX 305)
Mar 87 ST. JULIAN (CID 9861 CD)
Trampolene / Shot Down / Eve's Volcano / Spacehopper / Planet Ride //
World Shut Your Mouth / St. Julian / Pulsar / Screaming Secrets /
A Crack in the Clouds
Mar 87 Eve's Volcano (Covered in Sin) (remix) /
Almost Beautiful Child I & II // Pulsar NX (live) (*) /
Shot Down (live) (*) (7/12)
Also a CD with "Spacehopper - annexe" (CID 318)
Apr 87 Eve's Volcano (Covered in Sin) !Vulcano Lungo! (another remix)//
Spacehopper - annexe / Almost Beautiful Child I & II (12) (12 ISX 318)
Sep 88 Charlotte Anne / Books / A Question of Temperature (C*) //
Christmas Mourning / (*) (7/12/CD) (12 IS 380)
"Books" is a re-recording of the old Teardrops/Bunnymen
classic. 12" came as a picture disc.
Jul 88 MY NATION UNDERGROUND (7-91025-2 CD)
5 O'Clock World (C) / Vegetation / Charlotte Anne /
My Nation Underground //
China Doll / Someone Like Me (C) / Easter Everywhere /
I'm Not Losing Sleep / The Great White Hoax
The date is certainly wrong for this - it was released after
"Charlotte Anne", but before Christmas.
Jan 89 5 O'Clock World (C) // SPQR / Reynard in Tokio (live) (*) (7/12/CD)
(12 IS 399)
Jan 89 5 O'Clock World // SPQR / WSYM (Trouble Funk mix) (10)
Jun 89 China Doll / Delsi (*) // Crazy Farm Animal / Rail On (*) (7/10/12/CD)
(10ISP 406-A picture disc 10")
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2C. THE MYSTERY ALBUMS
There have been various rumours about these - both were obviously recorded
quickly, and are about half an hour long. "Skellington" features Cope, Skinner
& Cosby, and was recorded by Hugo Nicolson who worked on "My Nation
Underground" and all of Cope's subsequent albums. This suggests it was not
recorded during the breakup of the Teardrops, or immediately after "Fried"
(two of the more popular claims), though many of the songs date from that
period or before. "Robert Mitchum", like "Books" and "Spacehopper" is a
Cope/McCulloch composition, dating from their time in The Crucial Three with
Pete Wylie of Wah!, long before any of them were famous.
The best guess is that "Skellington" was the follow-up to "My Nation
Underground", which Island rejected, and that "Droolian" is a collection of
demos, out-takes and messing around. "Droolian" was allegedly only released
in Texas, but I suspect this (like the claim that "Skellington" was recorded
before "St Julian") was a way of getting round Cope's contract with Island.
The boxes for the remixes of "East Easy Rider" and "Head" also bear the
Copeco/Zippo logo, despite being on Island.
Apr 90 SKELLINGTON (Copeco/Zippo, UK) (JC CD89)
Doomed / Beaver / Me and Jimmy Jones / Robert Mitchum /
Out Of My Mind on Dope and Speed / Don't Crash Here /
Everything Playing at Once //
Little Donkey / Great White Wonder / Incredibly Ugly Girl /
No How, No Why, No Way, No Where, No When / Commin' Soon
Again, I think the date is wrong - my copy is (c) 1989, which is the
year given on the notes to "East Easy Rider".
Jun 90DROOLIAN (MoFoCo/Zippo, USA) (CD90)
Sqwubbsy / Look After Your Leathers / Unisex Cathedral /
Commin' Down / Safe Surfer / Yeah Yeah Yeah / Jellypop Perky Jean //
When Will I Get to Hold You? / Louis 14th / "...Atonement of Wasp" /
Gentleman Dude / Kelly / Church of England 1991
No mention of Cope anywhere on this disc, other than his picture on
the back cover. The dog on the front cover is Smelvin.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2D.ISLAND - SECOND PHASE
Jan 91Beautiful Love / Port Of Saints / Love LUV (Beautiful Love remix) (*) /
Unisex Cathedral (*) (from "Droolian") (7/12/CD)
Feb 91 Love LUV // Dragonfly
Numbered pink vinyl 12" only.
Mar 91 PEGGY SUICIDE
Pristeen / Double Vegetation / East Easy Rider / Promised Land /
Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line //
Safesurfer / If You Loved Me At All / Drive, She Said //
Soldier Blue / You... / Not Raving But Drowning / Head / Leperskin //
Beautiful Love / Uptight / Western Front 1992 CE /
Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry / The American Lite /
Las Vegas Basement
CD version misses one track - "Uptight" I think.
Mar 91 (?) Beautiful Love plus the Best of Julian Cope (PRCD 6664-2)
Beautiful Love / World Shut Your Mouth / Trampolene / Charlotte
Anne / 5 O'Clock World / Love (LUV)
Promo only CD EP.
Apr 91 East Easy Rider / Butterfly E / Almost Alive (*) /
Little Donkey (*) (from "Skellington") (7/12/CD)
Apr 91 Easty Risin' (East Easy Rider remix) // Ravebury Stones
Numbered blue vinyl 12" in a box with picture of Sqwubbsy and
a rant about civilisation.
Jul 91 Head / Straw Dogs / Anyway At All (*) / Bagged-out Ken (*) (7/12/CD)
Jul 91 Heed : Of Penetration and the City-Dweller (Head remix) //
Bring Cherhill Down (vocal) / Bring Cherhill Down (instrumental)
Numbered yellow vinyl 12" with picture of Avebury on the
A-side, in a box.
Aug 92 FLOORED GENIUS - THE BEST OF JULIAN COPE AND THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
Reward / Treason / Sleeping Gas / Bouncing Babies / Passionate Friend /
The Great Dominions //
The Greatness and Perfection of Love / An Elegant Chaos / Sunspots /
Reynard the Fox //
World Shut Your Mouth / Trampolene / Spacehopper / Charlotte Anne /
China Doll //
Out Of My Mind on Dope and Speed / Jellypop Perky Jean /
Beautiful Love / East Easy Rider / Safesurfer
The remix of "World Shut Your Mouth" was reissued with B-sides from
other Cope albums to promote this LP.
Oct 92 Fear Loves This Place / I Have Always Been Here Before (C) /
Sizewell B (*) / Gogmagog (*) (7/12/CD)
Oct 92 Paleface / Nothing / Starry Eyes / Fear Loves This Place
Limited second CD to fit into the special box for the first CD.
"Fear..." is the same as the other single.
Oct 92 JEHOVAHKILL
Soul Desert / No Hard Shoulder to Cry On / Akhenaten /
Up-wards at 45 degrees / Know (Cut My Friend Down) //
Necropolis / Slow Rider / Gimme Back My Flag / Poet is Priest... /
Julian H. Cope //
The Subtle Energies Commission / Fa-fa-fa-fine /
Fear Loves This Place / The Tower / Peggy Suicide is Missing
Initial copies came in a completely blue CD case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2E. K.A.K.
These albums are mail-order only.
Jan 93 RITE
The Indians Worship Him, But He Hurries On / Amethysteria /
Bringing Cherhill Down Part 1 / In Search of Ancient Astronomies
Four long instrumentals, intended for meditation use.
"Bringing Cherhill Down Part 1" is a Skinner/Cosby composition,
the full title is only on the inside of the CD insert.
Jun 93 THE SKELLINGTON CHRONICLES
"Skellington" with a second LP of similar stuff (NOT "Droolian")
on the same disc. Haven't got my copy yet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. BOOTLEGS
3A. THE TEARDROP EXPLODES
January 30, 1982 at St. Stell Coliseum, Cornwall
Intro / Like Lela Khaled Said / Seven Views of Jerusalem / Ha Ha
I'm Drowning / Falling Down Around Me / Log Cabin / ...And the
Fighting Takes Over / Passionate Friend / Bouncing Babies / Books
/ Tiny Children / You Disappear From View / Clementine /
Suffocate / Treason / Colours Fly Away / Reward / Culture Bunker
/ Screaming Secrets / Sleeping Gas
3B. JULIAN COPE
1987 Live at Westminster Hall (Island JCV 1 video)
Eve's Volcano / World Shut Your Mouth / Reynard The Fox
Island Records promo video? There was a coupon of some kind for
this in one of Cope's solo 12" records.
April 6, 1987 New York City (video)
Broadcast on MTV, I believe. Sorry, I don't have a set list handy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: COMM_SJ@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1993 11:51:08 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Msg 1
Hello...
Terrific to see a list devoted to the Teardrop Explodes and
Julian Cope. I got into them, believe it or not, in 1980 when I
was in college. I was reviewing records for the school paper at
the University of Illinois, and "Kilimanjaro" came in the mail
(I've still got that promo, it came with an 8x10 glossy and a
bio, which I'll type in). I was knocked out, and have been
almost ever since (I've kind of gone off Cope since around "Peggy
Suicide").
I've updated the discography someone posted a few days ago, and
I'd be happy to trade tapes of some of the things I've got
(anything with a catalog number on the new version of the
discography, and the boots).
Has anybody further explored connections between Cope and Bill
Drummond? Where do things stand these days? I recall a time
when there was much acrimony (culminating in Drummond's "Julian
Cope is Dead," an almost quaint Irish-style folk ditty on a solo
album...I have the tape somewhere, and Cope's "Bill Drummond
Said), but lately? Interesting the directions both have gone in.
Here's the Mercury Records bio that came with "Kilimanjaro":
The origins of the Teardrop Explodes and, in fact, the whole
renaissance of Liverpool as a music force, date rather hazily
back to 1977, when the Crucial Three were formed by Julian Cope,
Ian McCulloch (now fronting Echo and the Bunnymen), and Pete
Wiley, leader of the much vaunted Wah Heat.
Julian had moved to Merseyside a year earlier from the
Midlands, to study teacher training and drama at college. These
academic aspirations were rapidly cut short as a new band -- the
embryonic The Teardrop Explodes -- began rehearsing. A series of
name and line-up changes ensued -- Mac and Pete Wiley left and
were replaced by organist Paul Simpson, and guitarist Mike
Finkler, and drummer Gary Dwyer joined for the group's debut gig
at Eric's, Liverpool, in November '78.
The name The Teardrop Explodes had been adopted by then --
taken from a DC comic.
In December of that year, they recorded their first single
"Sleeping Gas", for the then-recently formed Zoo label and it set
the precedent for the kind of critical acclaim they've received
ever since. A second single was recorded in April -- "Bouncing
Babies" -- both this and "Sleeping Gas" have been re-recorded for
the group's debut album.
In summer of '79 Paul Simpson departed and Dave Balfe, Zoo
Co-Director, came in as stand-in keyboardist. (Previously, he'd
played with Big In Japan, and Dalek I). A year later, and he is
still standing in. He and Bill Drummond, (the other Zoo
Director), produced the Teardrops' debut album in Rockfield
during the spring and summer of 1980.
A third single had, meanwhile, appeared in February, produced
by former Deaf School guitarist, Madness co-producer, Clive
Langer. "Treason" was made single of the week in virtually every
music paper -- it still figures in the Independent Label Charts.
By now, The Teardrop Explodes were at the forefront of the
new movement of thoughtful, acclaimed rock, that critics are
forever trying to label. Most have resorted to that over-used
term "psychedelic", though no-one can really define what groups
like The Teardrop Explodes, Echo and the Bunnymen, Manchester's
Joy Division, et al, are playing.
More changes -- Mike Finkler, for various reasons, was asked
to leave. He was immediately replaced by Alan Gill,
guitarist/keyboardist and vocalist with Dalek I Love You.
Although Alan is now a full time member of The Teardrop Explodes,
he will continue to be part of Dalek I.
By now The Teardrop Explodes has signed to Phonogram in
England. With Alan fully ensconsed in the band and having
debuted with them at Hurrah's in New York, part of the album was
re-recorded with Alan through July 1980. it was then decided to
produce the "pop classic" version of "When I Dream" -- also
included on the album. Mike Howlett was called in to produced,
and it became the Teardrop Explodes' first single for Phonogram -
- released on September 5th. The album _Kilimanjaro_, followed a
month later.
In England, the critical ravings that bands like The Teardrop
Explodes have always won has now been proved to be commercially
viable as well -- with English chart success for both Joy
Division and The Bunnymen. The Teardrop Explodes brand of
sophisticated pop -- for pop is still what they play -- has, if
anything, even greater "commercial potential."
In January, 1981, _Kilimanjaro_ was released on Mercury
Records in the U.S.
That's it, that's all there is.
Cheers,
Sj
Wed Jul 7 09:34:54 EDT 1993
From: "A.J. Norman" <nja@leicester.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 93 9:06:55 BST
Subject: JC
"Julian Cope is Dead" / "Bill Drummond Said" - BD and JC have a curious
relationship, and this song was not actually written as an insult - BD said
in interviews at the time that if only JC had died at the end of the
Teardrops, he would have been a huge cult figure instead of a minor cult
figure. Really it is about the way that people's reputations are increased
dramatically if they die young. At the time when these songs were written,
JC & BD seemed to be pretty friendly. JC's objections to BD nowadays seem
to be because BD has chosen success and the music business, and JC has
chosen integrity and doing things his own way. Plus, of course, BD has
been far more successful than JC recently - the whole 80s Liverpool scene
was based on intense rivalry, with JC and McCulloch in particular taking an
almost insane interest in each other's chart positions and sales figures.
After the disbanding of the KLF, BD has announced his return in this week's
NME. I think JC sees BD as his evil twin brother - in the days when he
managed the Teardrops, JC had all the wild schemes and BD supplied the
organisation and discipline, but recently JC has been slagging BD off for
lacking precisely those qualities.
I have a book called "Liverpool Explodes!" which is a pretty good guide to
the early 80s Liverpool scene - I think my youngest brother has stolen it at
the moment. The Crucial Three were only one of a number of so-called groups
formed at the time, I think they got as far as writing a few songs and
performing one gig before they split up - many of the groups at the time only
lasted as long as an afternoon in Eric's cafe.
I bought "Rite", and they sent me a card this week with an order form for
"The Skellington Chronicles" - there will be 13 new songs on the disc, I
had been hoping for a double "Skellington"/"Droolian" disc (which I wouldn't
have to buy), but new songs are even better! The KAK address is a Post
Office box - this means that mail may not reach anyone even vaguely connected
with JC, it may just be a packaging company putting the cheques in the bank
and sending out the discs, so you shouldn't send fan mail there. Likewise,
sending mail to "Mr J. Cope, Avebury, England" is unlikely to get to him - the
PO are good, but not that good!
A couple of mistakes on the discography - "Pussyface" was only on the 12" of
"Greatness & Perfection" - at the time I was short of money, and didn't see
the point in paying extra for a remix of a song I already had, so that's why
I haven't heard it. Also, the standing stones on the "Head" picture disc
aren't at Avebury, I think they may be Maes Howe on Orkney.
I got into the Teardrops listening to Radio 1 in the late 70s/early 80s, they
were favourites of Richard Skinner and David Jensen, who did the mid-evening
"alternative but not as alternative as John Peel" show. "24a Velocity
Crescent" is from a session JC recorded for David Jensen, and I remember a
beautiful song called "I'm Not the Loving Kind" which the Teardrops recorded
for a session towards the end. (For the uninitiated, Radio 1 operate a system
where bands go into a BBC studio for a day, and record a few songs).
It wasn't until the end of their career that I bought the Teardrops albums,
and that is why I only have a few of their singles. I have been buying all
JC's solo stuff as it arrives. I nearly saw the Teardrops live, but
transport from Bristol back to my hometown was impossible (this was during
the disastrous tour mentioned in the notes to "Floored Genius", so it is
probably as well that I didn't go). I saw JC live at the start of the "Saint
Julian" tour, he did about 3 dates just before the album was released,
starting at Leicester Uni. Superb gig, featuring the infamous climbing frame
mike stand.