mentions:
Madness ~ One Step Beyond
Phantom Menace: 1999 TV Guide special
Tchaikovsky ~ Swan Lake
Natalie Portman - 2006
photo by Peter Kramer
Showing posts with label Madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madness. Show all posts
August 10, 2020
Natalie Portman articles/mentions
mentions:
Madness ~ One Step Beyond
Phantom Menace: 1999 TV Guide special
Tchaikovsky ~ Swan Lake
August 9, 2020
Madness articles/mentions
~
mentions:
The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach in 3D
Adolphe Sax ~ The saxophone
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ~ Swan Lake
Madness logo - 1979
designed by Barney Bubbles (Colin Fulcher)
August 8, 2020
20,000 Vinyl LPs 235: Madness ~ One Step Beyond
~
vinyl LP front cover detail
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
cover photo by Cameron McVey
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
cover photo by Cameron McVey
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
Today is the birthday of Chris Foreman, who formed the English ska band Madness with keyboardist Mike Barson and saxophonist Lee Thompson in 1976. Foreman was one of the group's main songwriters, mostly writing music with other members, usually Graham McPherson (Suggs) or Lee Thompson, providing the lyrics.
I had been going to gigs in the punk scene here in San Francisco in the late 70's and early 80's and One Step Beyond was a perfect addition to the literature. It had the gusto and fun of the punk sound but it was refined by the flavor of ska which predated reggae; probably not what a punk rocker might have liked but tough toenails.
The spoken intro by Graham McPherson (Suggs) snagged me at first:
Hey you
Don't watch that watch this
this is the heavy heavy monster sound
the nuttiest sound around
so if you've come in the off the street
and you're beginning to feel the heat
well listen buster you better start to move your feet
to the rockinest rock steady beat of madness
ONE STEP BEYOND!
This was followed by an instrumental with the echoey repetition by Suggs of the title of the song, "One Step Beyond", nothing more.
Then the sax by Lee "Kix" Thompson: fast and staccato-at-times, swooping at others, drove me out of my mind; I've always been a sucker for sax players and their sound.
vinyl LP front cover
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
cover photo by Cameron McVey
photo of album cover by Styrous®
One Step Beyond is one of my all-time favorite albums. My first awareness of it and Madness was the video of the song, One Step Beyond, I saw on MTV when the channel first started on cable in the early eighties (link below).
vinyl LP back cover
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photos by C. Gabrin
photo of album back cover by Styrous®
I had been going to gigs in the punk scene here in San Francisco in the late 70's and early 80's and One Step Beyond was a perfect addition to the literature. It had the gusto and fun of the punk sound but it was refined by the flavor of ska which predated reggae; probably not what a punk rocker might have liked but tough toenails.
The spoken intro by Graham McPherson (Suggs) snagged me at first:
Hey you
Don't watch that watch this
this is the heavy heavy monster sound
the nuttiest sound around
so if you've come in the off the street
and you're beginning to feel the heat
well listen buster you better start to move your feet
to the rockinest rock steady beat of madness
ONE STEP BEYOND!
This was followed by an instrumental with the echoey repetition by Suggs of the title of the song, "One Step Beyond", nothing more.
Then the sax by Lee "Kix" Thompson: fast and staccato-at-times, swooping at others, drove me out of my mind; I've always been a sucker for sax players and their sound.
My next favorite song is Swan Lake.
The Discogs listing (below) has it credited as written by M. Barson and
written by Trad (meaning tradtional); neither is the case. The tune is
the Black Swawn Theme written in 1875 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for the ballet, Swan Lake. In the scene the evil Black Swan (Odile) tricks and seduces the Prince, so, the original ballet music is intensly dramatic and exquisitly beautiful. However, Madness flavors it with a bouncey reggae beat that is pretty cool and a lot of fun to dance to (links below).
In 2010 the music from the ballet was the basis for an American psychological horror film entitled, Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky. It is based on an original story by Andres Heinz. The film stars Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder. The plot revolves around a production of the Tchaikovsky Swan Lake ballet by the New York City Ballet company.
vinyl LP back cover detail
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photo by Nutty Punters
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
Razor Blade Alley was written by Lee Thompson and has a moderate speed, jivey beat with great piano work by Mike Barson.
vinyl LP record sleeve
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photos by Cameron McVey
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®
And last, but not least, a favorite is Night Boat To Cairo, written by Graham McPherson and Mike Barson. This is similar to One Step and the video is a lot of fun to watch; Madness is a good description of it (link below). It peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 30 in Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. Night Boat has passed into cockney rhyming slang as a term for a giro, or unemployment benefit cheque.
Suggs has described it as "miles of introduction, a couple of verses
then miles of instrumental, no chorus and the title isn't even mentioned
apart from me shouting it at the beginning. It's an atmosphere with
great music and words- of course it IS a song, but not a traditional
one."
A low-budget karaoke-type video for the song was hastily filmed in a studio and featured the band dressed in stereotypical British colonial attire, including short trousers and "Zulu"-style pith helmets, in front of a blatantly chroma keyed backdrop of an Egyptian pyramid; the lyrics appearing on screen in "bouncing ball" style as Suggs sang them.
During the long instrumental sections of the song, the band ran and
jumped around the set, marching and performing their signature "Nutty
Train".
Despite – or perhaps because of – the poor effects and editing,
and all-round unprofessional feel, it became very popular with fans,
perhaps also due to the carefree nature and fooling around of the band
onscreen that can be attributed to the large amount of alcohol they
consumed while filming.
vinyl LP record sleeve
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photos by Cameron McVey
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®
vinyl LP record sleeve
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photos by Cameron McVey
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®
vinyl LP record sleeve
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photos by Cameron McVey
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®
vinyl LP record sleeve
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photos by Cameron McVey
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®
vinyl LP record sleeve
Artwork by Eddie And Jules + Stiff
photos by Cameron McVey
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - One Step Beyond…, written by C. Campbell* - 2:17
A2 - My Girl, written by M. Barson* - 2:44
A3 - Night Boat To Cairo, written by G. McPherson*, M. Barson* - 3:31
A4 - Believe Me, written by J. Hasler*, M. Barson* - 2:28
A5 - Land Of Hope & Glory, written by L. Thompson* - 2:56
A6 - The Prince, written by L. Thompson* - 3:18
A7 - Tarzan's Nuts, written by C. Smash*, M. Barson* - 2:24
Side 2:
B1 - In The Middle Of The Night, written by C. Foreman*, G. McPherson* - 3:01
B2 - Bed & Breakfast, written by M. Barson* - 2:32
B3 - Razor Blade Alley, written by L. Thompson* - 2:41
B4 - Swan Lake, written by M. Barson*, written by Trad.* - 2:35
B5 - Rockin' In A♭, written by W. Wurlitzer* - 2:28
B6 - Mummy's Boy, written by M. Bedford* - 2:24
B7 - Madness, written by Colin Campbell* - 2:37
B8 - Chipmunks Are Go!, written by B. Smyth*, C. Smash* - 0:52
Companies, etc.
Copyright (c) – Sire Records Company
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Sire Records Company
Published By – Warner Bros. Music Ltd.
Marketed By – Warner Bros. Records
Recorded At – Eden Studios
Recorded At – T.W. Studios
Mixed At – Rushent's Mansion
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
Credits:
Artwork By [Cover Art] – Eddie And Jules + Stiff
Backing Vocals, Vocals [Various Shouts], Other [Fancy Footwork] – Chas Smash
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Lee "Kix" Thompson
Bass – Mark Bedford (Bedders)*
Drums, Percussion – Woody Woods Woodgate (Don Woodgate)*
Guitar – Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy)*
Keyboards – Mike Barson (Monsieur Barso)*
Lacquer Cut By – SA.*
Other [Minder] – John Hassler
Photography By [Back Cover] – C. Gabrin*
Photography By [Front Cover And Mugshots] – Cameron McVey
Photography By [Inside Back] – Nutty Punters
Producer – A Clanger / Alan Winstanley Production*
Vocals – Lee "Kix" Thompson, Suggs (Graham McPherson)*
Notes:
This version appears to be Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Winchester on side 1 and Jacksonville on Side 2 ???
Recorded at Eden & T.W.Studios.
Mixed at Rushent's Mansion (The Lucky Bleeder).
A Clanger Winstanley Production.
℗ 1979 Sire Records Company
Sire Records Inc. Marketed by Warner Bros. Records Inc. Made in U.S.A.
Inner sleeve with photography & artwork credits.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side A Runout, etched a 6 is crossed out after WW): SRK-1-6085 WW 4 SP1-1 —◁
Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout, etched): SRK-2-6085- JW1 SPO-1
Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout, stamped): STERLING 0
Madness – One Step Beyond...
Label: Sire – SRK 6085
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: Rock
Style: Ska
Madness ~
Styrous® ~ Saturday, August 8, 2020
Side 1:
A1 - One Step Beyond…, written by C. Campbell* - 2:17
A2 - My Girl, written by M. Barson* - 2:44
A3 - Night Boat To Cairo, written by G. McPherson*, M. Barson* - 3:31
A4 - Believe Me, written by J. Hasler*, M. Barson* - 2:28
A5 - Land Of Hope & Glory, written by L. Thompson* - 2:56
A6 - The Prince, written by L. Thompson* - 3:18
A7 - Tarzan's Nuts, written by C. Smash*, M. Barson* - 2:24
Side 2:
B1 - In The Middle Of The Night, written by C. Foreman*, G. McPherson* - 3:01
B2 - Bed & Breakfast, written by M. Barson* - 2:32
B3 - Razor Blade Alley, written by L. Thompson* - 2:41
B4 - Swan Lake, written by M. Barson*, written by Trad.* - 2:35
B5 - Rockin' In A♭, written by W. Wurlitzer* - 2:28
B6 - Mummy's Boy, written by M. Bedford* - 2:24
B7 - Madness, written by Colin Campbell* - 2:37
B8 - Chipmunks Are Go!, written by B. Smyth*, C. Smash* - 0:52
Companies, etc.
Copyright (c) – Sire Records Company
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Sire Records Company
Published By – Warner Bros. Music Ltd.
Marketed By – Warner Bros. Records
Recorded At – Eden Studios
Recorded At – T.W. Studios
Mixed At – Rushent's Mansion
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
Credits:
Artwork By [Cover Art] – Eddie And Jules + Stiff
Backing Vocals, Vocals [Various Shouts], Other [Fancy Footwork] – Chas Smash
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Lee "Kix" Thompson
Bass – Mark Bedford (Bedders)*
Drums, Percussion – Woody Woods Woodgate (Don Woodgate)*
Guitar – Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy)*
Keyboards – Mike Barson (Monsieur Barso)*
Lacquer Cut By – SA.*
Other [Minder] – John Hassler
Photography By [Back Cover] – C. Gabrin*
Photography By [Front Cover And Mugshots] – Cameron McVey
Photography By [Inside Back] – Nutty Punters
Producer – A Clanger / Alan Winstanley Production*
Vocals – Lee "Kix" Thompson, Suggs (Graham McPherson)*
Notes:
This version appears to be Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Winchester on side 1 and Jacksonville on Side 2 ???
Recorded at Eden & T.W.Studios.
Mixed at Rushent's Mansion (The Lucky Bleeder).
A Clanger Winstanley Production.
℗ 1979 Sire Records Company
Sire Records Inc. Marketed by Warner Bros. Records Inc. Made in U.S.A.
Inner sleeve with photography & artwork credits.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side A Runout, etched a 6 is crossed out after WW): SRK-1-6085 WW 4 SP1-1 —◁
Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout, etched): SRK-2-6085- JW1 SPO-1
Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout, stamped): STERLING 0
Madness – One Step Beyond...
Label: Sire – SRK 6085
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: Rock
Style: Ska
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
YouTube links:
Madness ~
Night Boat To Cairo (Official HD Video)
One Step Beyond (Official Video)
One Step Beyond (Original Version Video)
One Step Beyond (Live At Madstock) (1998)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ~ Black Swan - Le Lac des Cygnes / Swan Lake January 3, 2018
20,000 Vinyl LPs 122: The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach in 3D
The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach, 3D vinyl LP album cover detail
front cover artwork: Marty Korth
detail photo by Styrous®
It's a new year so I'm going New Wave.
Don't ask me what one has to do with the other. Halibut Beach was one of my
"album cover" purchases. As I
have always been fascinated by Stereoscopy of any kind, the cover is the only reason I bought it (link below).
The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach, 3D vinyl LP album cover
front cover artwork: Marty Korth
photo by Styrous®
When I got it home, plopped Beach on the turntable and played it for the first time I was delightfully surprised. It turned out to be a surf punk group; which I should have known just from the gnarly (does anyone ever use that term anymore?) graphics on the cover.
The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach, 3D vinyl LP album back cover
cover artwork: Marty Korth
photo by Styrous®
The music is awsome instrumental surf music reminiscent of the 1960's groups such as Dick Dale & his Del-Tones, who developed the surf sound from instrumental rock and whose hit, Let's Go Trippin' (1961) launched the surf music craze. There were the Surfaris with their hit, Wipe Out; The Chantays with Pipeline; The Astronauts, from Boulder, Colorado; and The Trashmen, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who reached number 4 with Surfin' Bird in 1964.
The Rivieras, from South Bend, Indiana, who reached number 5 in 1964 with California Sun, the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, etc. are included in this group, however, Dale is quoted on such groups: "They were surfing sounds [with] surfing lyrics. In other words, the music wasn't surfing music. The words made them surfing songs. ... That was the difference ... the real surfing music is instrumental."
The Rivieras, from South Bend, Indiana, who reached number 5 in 1964 with California Sun, the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, etc. are included in this group, however, Dale is quoted on such groups: "They were surfing sounds [with] surfing lyrics. In other words, the music wasn't surfing music. The words made them surfing songs. ... That was the difference ... the real surfing music is instrumental."
The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach, 3D vinyl LP album back cover details
back cover artwork: Marty Korth
detail photos by Styrous®
As usual I have a favorite from the album which is Exodus 5-0. It is a cover of the title song from the film, Exodus, an epic film on the founding of the modern State of Israel. It was made by Alpha and Carlyle Productions and distributed by United Artists. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, the film was based on the 1958 novel Exodus by Leon Uris. The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo. The music was written by Ernest Gold.
Another favorite of mine is Malibu Run. It has a ska feeling to it that is reminiscent of One Step Beyond by Madness which was a cover of the song written by Jamaican ska singer Prince Buster.
The Halibuts did a cover of one of my all-time favorite songs, Istanbul. It is not on the Beach album but it is just too good to pass up. Originally titled, Istanbul (Not Constantinople), it is a 1953 novelty song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Nat Simon. Written on the 500th anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans, the lyrics humorously refer to the official 1930 renaming of the city of Constantinople to Istanbul. The song's original release certified as a gold record.
The Residents took the tune to the very edge of madness with a very weird and surreal video that is a trip in every sense of the word (YouTube lik below).
Istanbul was originally recorded by the Canadian vocal quartet The Four Lads on August 12, 1953. This recording was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 40082. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on October 24, 1953, and it peaked at #10. It was the group's first gold record. The Halibuts version is a knockout!
The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach, 3D vinyl LP album back cover details
back cover artwork: Marty Korth
detail photos by Styrous®
I couldn't find much info on the group nor any of members other than bassist
Pete Curry. He was with Kaos, a punk rock band from Los Angeles, California that was formed in late 1979 and disbanded in 1981. He still
performs with
Los Straitjackets, a Nashville based band known primarily for performing instrumental surf
music. Members include guitarists Eddie Angel, Danny Amis (formerly of the Raybeats),
drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester and Curry.
Curry was with
The Chocolate Watchband, not to be confused with British band The Chocolate Watch Band. The Watchband was a 1960's American garage-rock band. Formed in Los Altos, California, in
1965, their use of distorted-psychedelic-style guitar made them one of
the heavier bands of the period.
The Watchband was signed to Tower Records in 1966 and released their first single, Sweet Young Thing, in 1967. Later in the year, the band released their debut album, No Way Out. Though the album was nationally unsuccessful, the band became a frequent attraction in San Jose and the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1968, their second album, The Inner Mystique, was released and included the band's most popular song, a cover version of I'm Not Like Everybody Else. By 1969, the band released their final album, One Step Beyond, however it was not as highly regarded as their past work, and the band broke up in 1970.
Pete Curry was also with
The Deoras and
The Neanderthals led by Johnny Rabb. Both of the groups still perform.
The Halibuts ~ Halibut Beach, 3D vinyl LP album back cover details
back cover artwork: Marty Korth
detail photos by Styrous®
Of course, you couldn't do much about viewing the album cover without 3D glasses, which was included with the album.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - Mr. Mysterioso, written by R. Johnson*
A2 - Halibut Stomp, written by J. Lyou*, R. Johnson*
A3 - Jetstream, written by M. Meena
A4 - Little Old Ladies Seldom Cutback, written by D. Torrence*, J. Berry*
A5 - Deathwave, written by R. Johnson*
A6 - Exodus 5-0, written by E. Gold*
Side 2:
B1 - Malibu Run, written by R. Holden*
B2 - Monster Surfing Time, written by J. South*
B3 - Hanky Panky, written by E. Greenwich*, J. Barry*
B4 - Church Key, written by D. Darnold*
B5 - Surf Rider, written by N. Edwards*
Companies, etc.
Distributed By – Rhino Records (2)
Credits:
Bass – Kevin Daley (2) Drums – Randy Haskins, Rich Hutter
Guitar – P.W. Curry*, Rick Johnson (7)
Keyboards – Bruce Paddy
Artwork – Cheryll Lynn (tracks: Back), Marty Korth (tracks: Front)
Engineer – P.W. Curry* (tracks: A1-B3)
Notes:
Tracks A1-B3 recorded at Willie's Garage. Tracks B4, B5, recorded live at The Music Machine, Los Angeles, July 7, 1983.
Album cover is in 3D, glasses included.
The Halibuts – Halibut BeachLabel: What Records? – W12-2407
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Rock
Style: Surf
Viewfinder links:
Stereogram ~ Sonic & Visual 3D
3D Vinyl LPs & 45 RPMs
The Residents
Net links:
The Halibuts Discography
LA Times ~ Halibuts Riding Wave of Surfer Popularity
The Beach Reporter ~ The Halibuts reunite in San Pedro
Surf Guitar History ~ The Halibuts -- Halibut Rick???
In Music We Trust ~ The Halibuts: Life On The Bottom
YouTube links:
The Halibuts ~
Exodus 5-0
Malibu Run
Monster Surfing Tim
The Halibuts Surf Band Reunion, 25.10.1986
Istanbul
The Residents ~ Istanbul
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Dick Dale ~ Pipeline
The Surfaris ~ Wipe Out
The Chantays ~ Pipeline
The Trashmen - Surfin Bird
The Astronauts ~ Firewater
The Chocolate Watchband ~ Sweet Young Thing
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Side 1:
A1 - Mr. Mysterioso, written by R. Johnson*
A2 - Halibut Stomp, written by J. Lyou*, R. Johnson*
A3 - Jetstream, written by M. Meena
A4 - Little Old Ladies Seldom Cutback, written by D. Torrence*, J. Berry*
A5 - Deathwave, written by R. Johnson*
A6 - Exodus 5-0, written by E. Gold*
Side 2:
B1 - Malibu Run, written by R. Holden*
B2 - Monster Surfing Time, written by J. South*
B3 - Hanky Panky, written by E. Greenwich*, J. Barry*
B4 - Church Key, written by D. Darnold*
B5 - Surf Rider, written by N. Edwards*
Companies, etc.
Distributed By – Rhino Records (2)
Credits:
Bass – Kevin Daley (2) Drums – Randy Haskins, Rich Hutter
Guitar – P.W. Curry*, Rick Johnson (7)
Keyboards – Bruce Paddy
Artwork – Cheryll Lynn (tracks: Back), Marty Korth (tracks: Front)
Engineer – P.W. Curry* (tracks: A1-B3)
Notes:
Tracks A1-B3 recorded at Willie's Garage. Tracks B4, B5, recorded live at The Music Machine, Los Angeles, July 7, 1983.
Album cover is in 3D, glasses included.
The Halibuts – Halibut BeachLabel: What Records? – W12-2407
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Rock
Style: Surf
Viewfinder links:
Stereogram ~ Sonic & Visual 3D
3D Vinyl LPs & 45 RPMs
The Residents
Net links:
The Halibuts Discography
LA Times ~ Halibuts Riding Wave of Surfer Popularity
The Beach Reporter ~ The Halibuts reunite in San Pedro
Surf Guitar History ~ The Halibuts -- Halibut Rick???
In Music We Trust ~ The Halibuts: Life On The Bottom
YouTube links:
The Halibuts ~
Exodus 5-0
Malibu Run
Monster Surfing Tim
The Halibuts Surf Band Reunion, 25.10.1986
Istanbul
The Residents ~ Istanbul
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Dick Dale ~ Pipeline
The Surfaris ~ Wipe Out
The Chantays ~ Pipeline
The Trashmen - Surfin Bird
The Astronauts ~ Firewater
The Chocolate Watchband ~ Sweet Young Thing
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, January 3, 2018
~
~
June 18, 2016
101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 118: Tchaikovsky ~ Swan Lake
reel-to-reel tape box
cover photographer unknown
cover photographer unknown
photo by Styrous®
~ ~ ~
I
started the Vinyl LP series because I have a collection of over 20,000 vinyl record albums I am
selling; each blog entry is about an album from my collection. The 101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes series is an extension of that collection. Inquire
for information here.
~ ~ ~
Swan Lake (Russian: Лебединое озеро/Lebedinoye ozero), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. It was based on Russian folk tales
and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil
sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger. The libretto is based on a story by the German author Johann Karl August Musäus, Der geraubte Schleier (The Stolen Veil).
As with all the music I love, there is always one song, melody, title, whatever, that is my favorite. In this work it is the "Black Swan" theme; it is incredibly beautiful and extremely dramatic (link below).
Swan Lake Rocks
Madness did a cover of the Swan Lake theme that is sensational. It employs a ska beat with a great piano intro; of course, the smooth sax work by Lee Thompson is featured as well (YouTube link below).
PIL (Public Image, Ltd.) had a turn at the tune with their punk rock version, with vocal by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten). Jah Wobble was on bass with this one (YouTube link below).
Dark Moor is a is a Spanish neo-classical metal and symphonic power metal band from Madrid. They do an 8 minute cover that is outstanding. The vocal by Enrik Garcia is powerful and actually very beautiful, not what you'd expect from a metal band (YouTube link below).
The Nebulas did an instrumental 'n smokin' surf version on their 2001 album, Hot Rods, Waves & Women! Cowabunga, dudes!
PIL (Public Image, Ltd.) had a turn at the tune with their punk rock version, with vocal by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten). Jah Wobble was on bass with this one (YouTube link below).
Dark Moor is a is a Spanish neo-classical metal and symphonic power metal band from Madrid. They do an 8 minute cover that is outstanding. The vocal by Enrik Garcia is powerful and actually very beautiful, not what you'd expect from a metal band (YouTube link below).
The Nebulas did an instrumental 'n smokin' surf version on their 2001 album, Hot Rods, Waves & Women! Cowabunga, dudes!
The Japanese instrumental rock group Takeshi Terauchi & Bunnys recorded a rock version on their 1967 album, Let's Go Unmei ; it features shakahaci flute & guitars for a very interesting effect (YouTube link below).
conducted by Ernst (Ernest) Ansermet
The ballet was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on 4 March [O.S. 20 February] 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
There is a photo dated 1901, in which Adelaide Giuri danced the role of Odette and Mikhail Mordkin as Prince Siegfried in Aleksandr Gorsky's staging of the Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake for the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. A young Vera Karalli is seen kneeling.
Swan Lake, Bolshoi Ballet - 1901
left: Mikhail Mordkin, center: Adelaide Giuri
kneeling: Vera Karalli
photographer unknown
In 1940, San Francisco Ballet became the first American company to stage a complete production of Swan Lake. The enormously successful production starred Lew Christensen as Prince Siegfried, Jacqueline Martin as Odette, and Janet Reed as Odile. Willam Christensen based his choreography on the Petipa-Ivanov production, turning to San Francisco’s large population of Russian émigrés, headed by Princess and Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia, to help him ensure that the production succeeded in its goal of preserving Russian culture in San Francisco.
The Swan Lake
interpretation by Matthew Bourne
departed from the traditional ballet by replacing the female corps de
ballet with male dancers. Since its inception in 1995, Bourne's
production has never been off the stage for more than a few months.
It has toured the United Kingdom and returned to London several times.
It has been performed on extended tours in Greece, Israel, Turkey,
Australia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, France, Germany, the
Netherlands, the United States, and Ireland in addition to the United
Kingdom. Bourne's Swan Lake has won over 30 international awards to date.
The Swedish dancer/choreographer Fredrik Rydman has produced a modern dance/street dance interpretation of the ballet entitled Swan Lake Reloaded.
It features the "swans" as being heroin addict prostitutes who are kept
in place by Rothbart, their pimp. The music used in the production uses
themes and melodies from Tchaikovsky's score and incorporates them into
hip-hop and techno tunes. It is quite something to see (YouTube link below).
In 2010, Black Swan, a film starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, featured sequences from Swan Lake. The plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City
company. The production requires a ballerina to play the innocent and
fragile White Swan, for which the committed dancer Nina (Portman) is a
perfect fit, as well as the dark and sensual Black Swan, which are
qualities better embodied by the new arrival Lily (Kunis). Nina is
overwhelmed by a feeling of immense pressure when she finds herself
competing for the part, causing her to lose her tenuous grip on reality
and descend into a living nightmare.
Copyright © 2010 by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Net links:
"Black Swan" theme on YouTube
Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake on YouTube
Swan Lake Reloaded on YouTube
Madness - Swan Lake on YouTube
Public Image Ltd.- Swan Lake on YouTube
The Nebulas - Swan Lake on YouTube
Takeshi Terauchi & Bunnys - Swan Lake on YouTube
Tchaikovsky on the Viewfinder:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
1812 Overture
The Nutcracker & Joyous Tidings
Symphony #6, (Pathétique)
Van Cliburn & Sputnik ~ 1958
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