I just finished reading a really neat book called "New Wave Explosion,"
by Miles Palmer, 1981.  It talks about bands from the Sex Pistols to the
Police to English Beat, and even mentions The Teardrop Explodes a couple
of times (complimetarily, of course!)
   I also just bought the Police's boxed set "Message In A Bottle" and read
the entire little booklet in an afternoon.
  Basically, I am depressed because all the good music seemed to have
happened over a decade ago.  The Teardrops, Echo and the Bunnymen, the
Pistols, the Police, Bob Marley, the Clash, Siouxsee, the Cure.  These
groups were brilliant in the early 80's.
   It just seems that music has steadily gotten more and more formulaed,
mellow, and unexciting.  Oh well.  I really envy you Brits.  You can't
imagine how boring American music is these days.  To be in England in 1980
must have been heaven.
Travis
        

From: craig.rath@tdkt.kksys.com (Craig Rath)
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 01:26:52 -0600
Subject: Information
I'm looking for any information on how I can get copies of Rite and the extended
Skellington albums.  And anything else I might have missed recently. And before
"ftp" comes up, I don't have access to ftp, so I'm in a bind.  any information
that could be relayed would be most helpful.
CMR
--
 | The Dark Knight's Table BBS +1 612 938 8924 Minnetonka, MN USA
 | Free access to Usenet news and e-mail
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Does someone on here have that address handy?  If not, I can dig through the
archives for it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address for SKELLINGTON II is:
K.A.K. Ltd
P.O. Box 3249
London SW2 3UE
Price = CD(12.50) LP (9.50) tape (8.50)   /all prices in pounds
Don't know if RITE is the same or not.
Travis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RITE address:
KAK Ltd
7 Ivebury Court
Latimer Road
London
W10 6RA
cd (12.50) tape (8.50)  /prices in pounds
I don't know if either of the RITE or SKELL II addresses are current.
Travis
        

From: brian <Brian.May@mel.dit.csiro.au>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 10:34:19 +1000
Subject: Skellington II
Hi, received Skellington Chronicles the other day. Had a listen to
the second part and was most disappointed with some of the sqong's
recording quality.
I know some production quirks come under 'artistic licence' but
the huge number of microphone pops and plain overloaded hissing
was quite weird to hear - on an album from someone so experienced.
Any ideas why? (looooooooooooow budget perhaps)
b
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I received a second message from you, jtrummer, but it was empty.
About Skellington II ->
   Hey, it takes me 6 hours to put a song into my keyboard, zap it to my
4-track, add vocals (1 or 2 tracks) and remix everything to make a master.
6 hours.  Julian recorded a dozen or so songs in two days!  That's amazing!
Sure, I agree - the sound is downright crappy on some of the songs, but
it suffices for most of the slbum, I think.
   Is this your first time hearing Skellington as well?  There's that
awful muffled beginning to Little Donkey, and then the screechy "Coming
Home" (yowsers!) but that's more an artistic unpleasantry rather than
a production goofup.
     Has anyone received any word about the impending AUTOGEDDON album?
(I know I post this question about once a week, but I'm profoundly
curious).
Travis
        

From: COMM_SJ@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 7:26:36 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Best Buy, early 80s
I noticed at our local Best Buy discount electronics store the other day
that most of Cope's back catalog CDs are on sale for around $8.99....now
if they would only do that with imports and new releases!  All in all it's
kind of weird seeing Cope CDs in _that_ store for _that_ price.
As someone who was "there" during the early 80s (no ego-boosting intended)
I wanted to respond to something Travis wrote a day or two ago.  Like him,
I have a strong affinity for that time period.  Those were my college years,
and the time I was in a band, involved in recording, mixing, etc., and there
were some _great_ bands and great albums.  On the other hand, I stop in at
the local Camelot music store from time to time to buy there 99 cent cutout
tapes, and it's usually ones that were from the early 80s (Human League,
Men w/o Hats, Soft Cell, OMD...I dunno, you can fill it in better than I)
and I can't help but for the most part sort of chuckle.  The music's still
good, but in some ways it's also silly.  That doesn't mean I like it any
less, just that I've somehow lost the bloody seriousness I used to have
about it.  Is it me, is it a new flavor of nostalgia...?
My $.02 and wondering if anyone else has felt the same.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: brian <Brian.May@mel.dit.csiro.au>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 14:31:24 +1000
#Sure, I agree - the sound is downright crappy on some of the songs, but
#it suffices for most of the slbum, I think.
#   Is this your first time hearing Skellington as well?  There's that
#awful muffled beginning to Little Donkey, and then the screechy "Coming
#Home" (yowsers!) but that's more an artistic unpleasantry rather than
#a production goofup.
I've had Skellington for ages. Seems he's really into getting things
down fast (capturing the moment, say).
b
        

From: Andrew Beattie <Andrew.Beattie@newcastle.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 16:12:27 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Skellington Chronicles
I have one spare copy of this disc.
Can you still get it from KAK?
I'd like to trade it, ideally for the Droolian CD OR can you make me an
offer I can't refuse?
If I can't get a copy of the Droolian CD can I get a taping from
somewhere, also does anyone have ANY JC boots?
And.                                             Andrew.Beattie@Newcastle.ac.uk
        

From: jzp80@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Jane Pook)
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 17:16 BST
Subject: Cope mailing list
Hi,
I dont know if you would put this on the mailing list for the Julian Cope
fans there:
I have various CDs for sale or trade.  I would prefer to swap them - I am
currently intereseted in the new stuff which may not be out over in the US
as yet - the new James, Wonderstuff, The Other Two, Crowded House, Tori Amos
plus: The Big Dish, Blur, Church,Icicle Works, James, Jesus Jones, New Order,
Joy Division, Revenge, Thrashing Doves, Top
and many others - try me for a swap first, otherwise make me an offer for any
of the discs.
Postage, etc negotiable, I will be in the US, so will post 4th class,
by default. Track listings are available for all.
As I am English, they are exclusively UK versions.
CD Albums
Fried
Saint Julian
My Nation Underground
Peggy Suicide
Cd Single  - China Doll (still shrink-wrapped)
Jane
        

From: Mark Yokoyama <yokoyama@husc.harvard.edu>
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 23:41:21 -0400 (EDT)
        Hi.  I'm really glad to be on the CULTURE BUNKER list.  I have
most of Cope's stuff, but I'm missing a couple b-sides.  I only have the
promo of the "trampolene" 12", so "disaster" is the only b-side.  I also
don't have the "sunspots" 12" or the remixed "wsym"  or "reynard in
tokio".  If anyone has got these, I'd love to send a tape to get copies of
them.  One thing I do have are bootlegs of Julian's bbc sessions (with a
short, but funny interview) and a bootleg of some teardrops, and fried demos.
Neither are good quality(understatement), but they're both very
interesting.  I should probably write a list of the songs on each to post.
 Anyways, if anyone is interested, I can make you a copy, and if anyone
has any bootlegs or some of the b-sides that I'm missing, I really love
you and want to be your best friend.  Nota Bummer:  on the discography it
says "skellington" after "little donkey" on the Easty EP.  It's worth
noting that the version of "little donkey" on the EP is different from the
"skellington" version.  I think it has a string quartet in it.  I don't
mean to sound stuffy or anything, but I thought it might be worth knowing.
Also, if you can get a hold of any Heathcote Williams, do read it.  He's
pretty good.
        

I played Reynard the Fox today over the radio (off of Floored Genius)
 and noticed that the version is slightly different from the one on Fried
(clearer vocals plus a weird guitar).
Are other songs on Floored Genius remixes as well?  Please respond as quickly
as possible - I'm debating right now whether to buy Floored Genius or not.
I have all the albums, of course, but if FLOORED has remixed, I just might
get it.
Thanks a million all,
and let us know if you have any info on Cope in the studio now?
Travis
        

From: COMM_SJ@vax1.utulsa.edu
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1993 13:18:39 GMT
Subject: Thanks!
Question (you might post this to the list?):  Making a tape for someone the
other day I noticed the versions of WSYM I have are all different in length.
The album version is 3:39 or some such, the b-side to the WSYM long version
is 2:40-something, and a version on a promo disc I have is 3:03.  Does
anyone who has "Floored Genius" have a different timing on that disc's
version?  What gives with these?  They don't sound that different to me...I've
not timed them with a stopwatch myself, so for all I know maybe they're all
the same!
Cheers,
Sj
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of Floored genius... I read a cope article that said Safesurfer might
be editted down a bit on Floored.  So, so far I know Reynard, Out of My Mind
and Safesurfer are possibly remixed/remastered. And maybe, if SJ is right,
WSYM could be different also.
Tuesday is my shopping day.  Gotta find out all I can about Floored Genius
before then.
I'm also going to buy Mark Burgess' _Zima Junction_, the new Cure live CD,
_Paris_, and a Bela Fleck & New Grass Revival CD.  Have any of your Brits
heard of Bela Fleck before?
What ever happened to the album of Teardrops B-sides?  It was going to
be released in Nov 1990, under the name _Christ Versus Warhol_.
Was it trashed or just indefinately postponed?
Travis
        

From: COMM_SJ@vax1.utulsa.edu
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 12:55:07 GMT
Subject: Addition to discog.2
Hi Travis:
Finally got around to the entry for the 4/6/87 NYC Cope show:
April 6, 1987 New York City (video) (approx. 60 mins.)
Broadcast on MTV.  I'm unsure of the location.  The sound and
video quality are quite good.
Trampolene / Pulsar / Eve's Volcano / Strasbourg / Saint Julian /
Sunspots / ??? / Bouncing Babies / The Greatness & Perfection of
Love / Bandy's First Jump / Shot Down / Spacehopper / World Shut
Your Mouth / Levitation
Thanks for pointing me to discog.2 in the ftp files...I was gonna get
real upset with myself for being unable to find the revised discography!
Cheers,
Sj
        

From: Mark Yokoyama <yokoyama@husc.harvard.edu>
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 14:39:17 -0400 (EDT)
I do know that Sunspots is an edited version on Floored Genius. It's about
a minute and a half shorter than the fried version.  Incidentally, I
recorded an album last night called "Halfried".  It's a cross between
Fried, Skellington and Everybody Wants to Shag.  It's not great, but it
was fun to do.  Fried is perhaps Julian's best album.  Does anyone know if
Julian is saying "india, on the water" or "india, underwater" on Gimme
back my flag?  My friend and I have been arguing over this for some time.
If it is on the water, then the song makes a great deal of sense,
discussing continental drift and the insignificance of modern national
boundaries.  (i.e. "africa, walking" from south america.)  Oh well.
L.U.V.
Mark
        

Hello Cope listeners!
I must say that in the last few months my opinions of the various Cope
albums have changed.  Right now, my favorite is probably FRIED, for instance,
which wasn't the case back in June or May when we had that poll.  I'm sure
other people's opinions have changed too, and there are certainly a lot of
newcomers on here who might like to contribute their opinions. :)  All
this is leading up to:
Anyone up for another favorite song/album poll?
If I get, say, 5 people willing to participate in it, I'll start it up.
So email me, even if you don't normally (90% of this list are quiet listeners)
and we'll see what we can come up with.
Travis
        

Wow!  I already got a response about the poll thing tonight! :)
Okay, here's the plan:
POLL INSTRUCTIONS:
There are 2 sections:
1) Album Rating....
   List all the Cope albums you have listened to, along with a "rating"
   from 1 to 10, 10 being totally awesome and 1 being totally awful.
   Oh yeah, list all the Teardrop Explodes albums too.  This is a Cope/
   Teardrops poll.  Basically, since some people tend to vote highers
   in general than others, try to think of a 10 as being one of your
   favorite albums of all time, and 1 being something you never listen
   to and don't care if the dog eats it.   Albums (in case you have trouble
   remembering): Kili, Wilder, Shag, Piano, World, Fried, Saint, Nation,
   Skell, Drool, Peggy, Floored, Jehovahkill, Rite, Skell II.
2) Favorite Song
   List your 5 favorite Cope songs.  (no rating  - I assume all 9's and 10's)
That's it.   Just email your "votes" to me, here.
I will tally up the votes once the stream starts to trickle off.
The purpose of this poll is to satisfy our curiosity about other Cope fan's
likes and dislikes, as well as provide a good recommendation list to
new Cope fanns.  So, please take a little time to send in a vote.  Last
year we had about 8 people participate (out of 25) so let's try to do better!
(and yes, oldsters like me should vote again too, since our tastes DO change.
Travis
        

From: Jerry Cornelius <bfrrelly@unix2.tcd.ie>
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 14:58:11 +0100
     Yeah a fine idea, I am really keen on Fried at the mo, but
at the start of the summer it was gettin off on Jehova Kill.
   Also, I have come into possesion of 2 videos, Copeulation and
the Teardrops in concert.
   Copulation is a retro of all his vids up to 1989 and the Concert is
awful. Bad sound, dead crowd, but still, its not often you come across
live footage of the Teardrops. Also, the other night I was watching
Tv, a prog about the history of Top of the Pops, (Sorry sad pop music
chart show in England) and the had the Teardrops on it from 1981 doing
Treason. All I can say is that it was in the days before dance steps
were compulsory and Julian cannot lip synch but it is quaint. Managed to
record it anyway!
          Later,
             Brian.
   Oh yeah, when I have time I will post the chords to Sunspots as I
have figured them. It sounds ok. Bye
        

From: COMM_SJ@vax1.utulsa.edu
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1993 13:09:46 GMT
Subject: Cope/Concert vids
What's the potential for trades...and what are the songs/setlists for
the videos?  I'm _dying_ of curiousity.
I'd still like to know if there's anyone there who recalls a TV show that
aired about 10 years ago on a cable channel called "National College TV"
or some such.  They had a half-hour (if not full hour) Teardrop special,
and if I remember right it was taken from a concert.  Is that the same show
in the concert video ("bad sound/dead crowd," etc.)?
Cheers,
Sj
        

So far, 7 people have voted, which is eh-eh so-so.  There are about 28 of you
out there who have yet to vote!  Yes, you!  So vote, please :)
It's now november.  Is
oops
is cope still in the studio?
Travis
        

From: Mike Higgott <mah@de-montfort.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 09:50:51 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: The Legend of Saint Julian
A small theatre in Leicester has just put on a production of a play,
adapted from a short story by Gustave Flaubert, called "The Legend
of St. Julian".  It tells of a child, born into a medieval world of
mysticism and mire, who is destined to become saint - but the price of
his redemption is to touch hell.
Is anyone familiar with this story?  Is it in any way related to
the Cope song/album?  Maybe Cope touched hell with his drug
problems, then came out of this around "St.Julian", and is now a
saint? Well, maybe not, but who knows?
_________________________________________________________________
| Mike Higgott                  |                               |
|    CMS Research Centre        |  email: mah@uk.ac.dmu (JANET) |
|    De Montfort University     |    OR   mah@dmu.ac.uk (OTHER) |
|    The Gateway                |  tel  : (0533)551551 x. 8466  |
|    Leicester  LE1 9BH         |  fax  : (0533)541891          |
|    England    UK              |                               |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
        

From: Mark Yokoyama <yokoyama@husc.harvard.edu>
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 17:58:33 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: St. Julian
All I know is, that St. Julian is the patron saint of hospitality.  I
think this sort of makes sense in the lyrics of the song "St. Julian".
Any word about "Auto-geddon"?  Has anyone read the poem?  I read Heathcote
William's poem about the dolphin, presumably the same dolphin that
inspired "Beautiful Love".  Has Copey signed to a british record label
yet? East west?  What about his book?  Is it out yet?  Hmmmm, so many
questions.
L.U.V.
mark
        

From: toad@cellar.org
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 93 19:02:03 EST
Subject: Who was St. Julian?
> From: Mike Higgott <mah@de-montfort.ac.uk>
> A small theatre in Leicester has just put on a production of a play,
> adapted from a short story by Gustave Flaubert, called "The Legend
> of St. Julian".  It tells of a child, born into a medieval world of
> mysticism and mire, who is destined to become saint - but the price of
> his redemption is to touch hell.
>
> Is anyone familiar with this story?  Is it in any way related to
> the Cope song/album?  Maybe Cope touched hell with his drug
> problems, then came out of this around "St.Julian", and is now a
> saint? Well, maybe not, but who knows?
Oh man, give me a chance to name-drop, will you!
I actually got to talk with J.C. for a few moments after a show on the
Saint Julian tour.  (A show that, by the way, was unmatched in intensity
by anything I've ever seen, before or since.)  I got to ask him one
question: what did he mean by "eight foot by eight foot cell" in the song
"Saint Julian"?
Well, he told a story of meeting this odd guy in a shopping area near his
home.  This guy had acted really wierd, and Julian shoo'ed him away; but
later he speculated, what if that guy was *God*?  This got him started
in writing the song.
"Eight foot by eight foot cell" is simply an imprisonment where our hero
gets dropped for questioning his God.  But after writing the song and
releasing the album, Julian was told the story of the actual Saint Julian,
who -- get this -- spent a large amount of time imprisoned in a tiny cell:
perhaps eight foot by eight foot!
The man, by the way, was pretty good to the bunch of fans who stuck around
waiting to see him after the show.  An artist has no obligation to do
something like that, and I'm sure a lot of fans can be a real pain.  But
Julian signed stuff for us, let people take a few pictures, and was
generally a great guy.
--
Tony Shepps  toad@cellar.org
The Cellar: Public access and thoughtful conversation  (USA) 215-539-3043
"Everywhere I go, all I see are protest signs!  Saying 'End Construction'."
        

OKay, so far we have 10 votes in.  That's about a 1/3 of us.  Thank you to
everyone who voted!  We still need more people to make a decent averaging,
however.  For instance, only 2 people voted on Floored Genius, and only 4
on RITE and SKELLINGTON II.  So anyway, I'll give 'all a fouple more days, but
hurry and get your votes in soon!  Thanks a zillion,     ^oops
Travis