a local artist

REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT

THE SPOKEN WORD

THE WRITTEN WORD

6th of June 2023

I am knowingly taking the Gaelic Psalm singing as done in the Hebridean “Wee Free” Kirks as a starting point. Traditionally this would mean the Precentor singing one line and then the Congregation repeating the line.

This was historically done because there would have been no instruments in the Kirk, and the bulk of the Congregation would not have access to a Bible to read the words of the Psalms from or might not even be able to read.

This form of singing the Biblical Psalms was improvised and evolved over centuries to be one of the most evocative forms of music ever. This would also have been the form of singing the Biblical Psalms across most of Scotland up until the Enlightenment Era, when the bulk of the population were learning to read, and the printing of Bibles became cheaper, and most churches then had organs and music was written down.

I am also being knowingly influenced by the street corner Doo-wop quartets in the African American communities in the 1950s into the 1960s. As in, where you would have a lead singer and the other three would do the back-up vocals. Check out The Persuasions’ album Street Corner Symphony – that said, this was not recorded until 1971. But they do all their recordings a capella.  

Thus this is how I see / hear the songs of The Bunnymen / Teardrops / Wild Swans being performed in the film Poppies in The Field. 

Thus

This is how I imagine the demo version of Revolutionary Spirit is to be structured for the recording of it in Glasgow on Tuesday the 12th of June 2023.

The person acting being the front person of The Wild Swans, as in a version of Paul Simpson, takes on the role of the Precentor and sings the opening line of...

Verse One:

Lost in the delta of Venus...

Then the other three members of The Wild Swans sing...

Lost in a welter of shame...

And as the other three fade the Precentor comes in with...

Deep in the forest of evil...

And then the Others come in with…

We embark on the new Crusade...

And the Precentor...

Cease your foolish plea...

And the Others…

We have come to banish the land...

And the Precentor…

I stand as Saint Sebastian...

And the Others…

With love for a higher command

The performance of this song should rise and swell and fade like waves and not need a fixed time signature. But the original basic melody should be kept but with improvised harmony from the other three members of The Wild Swans.

And when this is performed “live” in the film, the audience, who we will now refer to as the Congregation, may join in with the other three members of The Wild Swans. 

The Precentor...

And there where hope is dust...

The Others...

So strange and absolute...

The Precentor...

Nestling in sweet sorrow...

The Others...

Is the saviour of our youth...

And now...

The Chorus:

The Precentor...

All is quiet...

The Others...

Where the angels fear...

The Precentor...

Oh my blood relations...

The Others...

The revolutionary spirit is here...

The Precentor...

All is quiet...

The Others...

Where the angels fear...

The Precentor...

Oh my heir-apparent...

The Others...

The revolutionary spirit is here

And the same goes for the other verses in the song...

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PICTURES ON MY WALL

THE SPOKEN WORD

THE WRITTEN WORD

6th of June 2023

This is how I imagine the demo version of Pictures On My Wall is to be structured for the recording of it in Glasgow on Tuesday the 12th of June 2023.

I think we should use the original Zoo Records released version as the reference recording – as in not the version that was re-recorded for Echo & The Bunnymen’s debut album Crocodiles. The original version is more stripped back and only uses a very basic drum machine.

And like the interpretation of The Wild Swans’ Revolutionary Spirit, the front person of the band takes on the role of the Precentor and the other three members of the band take the role of the Others. And at times the Congregation might join in.

I think it should start with all four of “The Bunnymen” doing a vocal rhythmic approximation of the guitar intro to the record.

Also...

I think we should try it at a slower speed to the record so that we can make it far more ethereal, maybe even use wind in leaves sound effects...