Siouxsie and The Banshees - "Face to Face" Music Video - Batman Returns
Upon commissioning Siouxsie and The Banshees to write and record a song with soundtrack composer, Danny Elfman for the 1992 Batman Returns movie - Tim Burton had also intended to direct the promotional music video for the resulting song,"Face To Face";
Tim Burton's Catwoman Sketch
However, after test audiences for the original cut of Batman Returns had responded badly to the death of Catwoman in the film's original ending, Burton was asked to re-edit and shoot a different ending - meaning that the video shoot for 'Face To Face' was ultimately given to Burton's assistant Neil Abramson to complete, along with Burton's instructions to match the music video to the 1992 Batman Returns Movie. Many of Tim Burton sketches and ideas of how he intended for the video to also went on to be used later in Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. On being asked to compose a song for Batman Returns, Siouxsie and The Banshees drummer, Budgie commented...
Budgie
"I'm sure Tim Burton had lots of reasons why he chose us.... He wanted something mysterious and sexy. Who else would he come to?" - Budgie, The Banshees
Siouxsie herself was apparently less keen on contributing to the Batman Returns soundtrack prior to learning that DC Comics character Catwoman would be prominently featured in the film...
Siouxsie Sioux on being commissioned to compose for Batman Returns
"As soon as I found out Catwoman was in this one, (Batman Returns) I just couldn't refuse it.
I think she (Catwoman) has been portrayed perfectly by Michelle Pfeiffer.
I think she looks great and she's really done a really good job of it."
Otherwise, the offical video for "Face to face" by Siouxsie and The Banshees can be found here: https://youtu.be/zpaqBXc5MTk
TopGeak: Doctor Who, Marvel, DC Comics, Batman
Finally, fans of Marvel, Doctor Who, DC Comics etc may also enjoy listening to the 1st podcast episode of #TopGeakfeaturing interviews with various Doctor Who's, disscussions on Batman, Superman etc... along with music and an interview with Girl From Winter Jargon. (This podcast also features the Girl From Winter Jargon Bad Cover Version of Siouxsie and The Banshees, "Face to face") "Can Marvel and DC Comics cope with the adult child conflicts in their products or is the bubble about to burst?
Face to Face - Siouxsie and the Banshees / Danny Elfman - Lyrics - Batman Returns
Face to face, my lovely foe Mouth to mouth, raining heaven's blows Hand on heart, tic tac toe Under the stars, naked as we flow Cheek to cheek, the bitter sweet Commit your crime in your deadly time It's too divine, I want to bend I want this bliss but something says I must resist Another life, another time We're Siamese twins, writhing, intertwined Face to face, no telling lies The masks, they slide to reveal a new disguise You never can win, it's the state I'm in This danger thrills and my conflict kills They say, follow your heart, follow it through But how can you, when it's split in two? And you'll never know You'll never know You'll never know One more kiss before we die Face to face and dream of flying Who are you? Who am I? Wind in wings, two angels falling To die like this with a last kiss It's falsehood's flame and it's a crying shame Face to face, the passions breathe I hate to stay, but then I hate to leave And you'll never know No, you'll never know No, no, you'll never know You'll never know You'll never know You'll never know No, no, you'll never know No, no, you'll never know You'll never know You'll never know You'll never know
I played acoustic version of 6 songs which will feature on the album I'm making and also talked with Tim Coid about Winter Jargon, my solo original work and Bad Cover Versions, including the Bad Cover Version of "Suburbia" by Pet Shop Boys - as requested by Tim Coid himself.
As ever, any likes / comments / shares are appreciated.
"Wives and Lovers" is a 1963 song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. (A commission to write a song for a movie of the same name - Wives and Lovers Movie / Film) It has been recorded by numerous male and female vocalists, instrumentalists and ensembles, most notably by Jack Jones in 1963. It is also quite possibly also the most sexist song I've ever heard. I was challenged to cover it by a young, married thing named Kim Maskill - who (thank goodness!) never sends her husband off with her hair still in curlers.
The playlist below contains my own "Bad Cover Version" of Wives and Lovers - Burt Bacharach / Hal David (more of which can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL53daJ6Cc74AcaTCTuM8kjbfa1pGddiao) plus all the other versions of Wives and Lovers that I could find on YouTube.
So why did I want to cover Wives and Lovers by Burt Bacharach / Hal David - if I believe the song to be a tad on the sexist side? I agreed, not merely because it was requested as part of my little 'Ask me to sing anything' side project - (Bad Cover Versions - more on that in a sec) but also because I quite like the idea of being able to perform a song for ironic value, from a different point of view, tongue in cheek, with a sarcastic edge, a new twist or slant. Hopefully I achieved this, and if not, then the gun shot in the head at the end should help along the process maybe? I personally don't feel in anyway offended by the song since I do not believe it was ever intended to be offensive to anyone, and oddly - that might actually be it's charm...?? Not everyone agrees that the lyrics to Wives and Lovers are sexist... in fact, in true YouTube style there are those that strongly disagree with the very notion of Wives and Lovers being a sexist song.
Cries of "what's wrong with wanting to look nice for your husband!!?" and "this was written back when girls were expected to look nice for their husbands and husbands were expected to treat their wives with class" are heard.
It's not that I would dismiss either of those comments as valueless, but it cannot be denied that the undertone of Wives and Lovers strongly suggests that it is a wife's responsibility to ensure her husband doesn't stray from his marriage, and in order to do this she must maintain a very high standard of beauty. In the same breath it suggests that "men will always be men", therefore apparently have no self control, because they 'aren't able' to remain faithful if their wife continues to walk around the house without make up, and especially when 'day after day, there are girls at the office' who look more appealing. So the lyrics of 'Wives and Lovers' don't exactly dignify men either, neither do they putting across a positive or healthy message of male or female roles within a marriage. The real punchline of the whole thing is that the narrative of the song sets out to "warn" women of the impending danger of marital infidelity, all the while believing in so called "soundness" of it's own advice!
I think Wives and Lovers is what it is. It has it's place... it's historic... it isn't dangerous, but we can acknowledge it's flaws and laugh about it afterwards, right?
"Wives and Lovers" by Burt Bacharach / Hal David was part of my "Bad Cover Version" requests project. This is something I am currently doing for a bit of fun while I record and hammer away at my album of original music that I began making last year at Red Room Recording Studio. The idea is that, you ask me to sing anything, and I might just do it. I don't opt in for every request and I recently decided that I would avoid any more note - to - note cover versions. The reason for this is because I don't really want to cover songs that I would listen to or that are already a staple in the soundtrack of my life, since I do not feel that I can contribute anything to them. Instead, I want to cover songs that are interesting and that I can imagine being able to bring something of myself into, or change - not with the intention of bettering, but with the intent to rehash and to use part of what is already there to make something different out of.
Wives and Lovers - Burt Bacharach / Hal David Lyrics
"Wives And Lovers" (originally by Jack Jones) Hey, little girl Comb your hair, fix your make-up Soon he will open the door Don't think because There's a ring on your finger You needn't try any more For wives should always be lovers, too Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you I'm warning you Day after day There are girls at the office And men will always be men Don't send him off With your hair still in curlers You may not see him again For wives should always be lovers, too Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you He's almost here Hey, little girl Better wear something pretty Something you'd wear to go to the city And dim all the lights Pour the wine, start the music Time to get ready for love Oh, time to get ready, Time to get ready Time to get ready For love.
Some people ask why I refer to them as "Bad" Cover Versions. This is in part, a reference to a Pulp song of the same name as much as it is an example of my own self deprecating humour. Also, I wouldn't object to covering something that might be potentially considered bad, i.e "not good" on a wide, universal. scale. If I felt that I could bring something of myself into it or change the song into something new, then I will most likely take it on.
In other news, I will be continuing to record my as yet untitled album at Red Room Recording Studio this year.
In the meantime, feel free to request a song.
In other news, I will be playing a support slot for a local Durham band named Zeerox - who are having an album launch gig at the Empty Shop in Durham, UK on the 14th of Novemeber 2014
I haven't done any gigs for a while and have been mostly working on recording my album at Red Room Studios, so I've literally not a clue what I'll be playing...
(This is actually from an email I just sent out to all ReverbNation Subscribers... If you want to opt in with all that lot, please do sign up here: Mailing List
Dearest lovely person on this subscriber list,
It seems like a ridiculously long time since I've sent anything out on here.
I have two things to tell you. (Please stick around long enough to hear the second thing - or if you're like me and your attention span isn't all that great, then just scroll down the page - I won't be offended.)
The first thing...
I am painstakingly putting together an album at a local studio.
Teeny, tiny snippets of all my home demo's in preparation for said album can be heard in various places in cyberspace, namely;
While the first thing is still in progress, I am amusing myself with a little side project I like to call the "Bad Cover Versions" project.
This is essentially where you, your friend, your grandmother or other person sends in a request for me to sing something. It can be as ridiculous (or not ridiculous) as you want and I'll consider pretty much anything. (See Pet Shop Boys cover below as suggested by Tim Coid of North East Unsigned Radio)
So... although no one actually requested I cover "Anxiety" by The Chapman Family, I wanted to do it anyway on account of the fact that the 26 / 07 / 14 was the one year anniversary of their splitting up and their final gig at The Georgian Theatre, Stockton.
I got into The Chapman family at rather a late stage, seeing them live twice - both times at The Georgian Theatre, Stockton in 2013. What I really liked about them was their energy and stage presence. I think they were one of those bands who needed to be seen in a live context in order to fully appreciate them.
Anxiety is probably my favourite song by The Chapman Family. Online resources indicate to me that The Chapman Family were not that into other bands and artists so who knows what they'll make of this cover, should they ever even see it?
"Well... I'm afraid that just sounds like a bad cover version of something else..."
I'm pretty sure I've never been into doing cover versions and have always expressed as much.
I say alot of things.
It doesn't mean they are true.
Could you please just hold this for me a second while I shoot myself in the head...?
So while I'm pottering away in the studio recording my album I figured I might pass some time and do some youtube bad cover version requests for fun. For future reference, every request I do will be added to the following playlist:
The first request (see above) was "True Love Waits" by Radiohead / Thom Yorke. You know? That song from the "I might be wrong" Live E.P? It was requested by a white haired lady named Becky Jackson.
Some of the more freakier Radiohead / Thom Yorke fans may notice that I went for the "to have you be in peace" line over the "to have your babies" line. Although it's been a long established fact that the latter is the genuine lyric, I can never actually seem to remember this when I'm singing. So... there you go.
So... make a request if you must. I'll sing anything you want. Challenge me.
Girl From Winter Jargon @ Studio - (Bass Parts 12.2.14 Durham)
Dear earth,
I am very pleased to say that I have begun recording my actual proper studio album.
All the Bass parts are going first.
Here are a bunch of photos which summarise what happened yesterday... (12/2/14)
That's me on the right and "the other Rachel" on the left who is working very hard to get all my bass parts sounding nice. She also lets me know when I'm going overboard with the super-glue - which is in fact, very helpful.
This is the studio's Yamaha Bass. We are now very well acquainted and I have decided to name him, "Wilson"
A couple of Smurfs that live inside the actual studio.
Home demo's now completed... time to enter the studio!
So, I've been holed up in my bedroom doing my home demo's for the past month or so...
That is; painstakingly putting together live acoustic drum samples, bass parts, guitar parts, piano and vocals for a total of 10 songs which I have written.
I am now finished. Of course the next step will be to go into the studio and record it all properly and have it professionally mixed and all that jazz.
FYI - Musical Monikers... Girl From Winter Jargon... New album...
It's hardly as if this is some sort of new, exciting or revolutionary announcement. In fact, it's extremely overdue and probably unnecessary, but I feel it's probably about time I cleared it all up and offered some clarity on the matter anyway - for my own benefit if nothing else. So here it is... For those that may not know, I was previously part of a band called, "Winter Jargon." Together we pieced together a compilation of recordings entitled, "The Aftermath," - the majority of which went on to receive airplay on local radio stations, "BBC Tees with Bob Fischer" and "BBC Newcastle with Nick Roberts." I guess you could say we became inactive quite some time ago and have remained that way ever since. It was great while it lasted. Personally speaking, the need to continue writing and playing has never waned and after spending a number of years not really knowing how to refer to myself in a musical context, I have grown accustomed to, "Girl From Winter Jargon." It makes a distinction from what Winter Jargon were as a three piece - but not an overly large distinction - which suits me fine. Musical monikers are a funny thing really...
Neutral Milk Hotel, Foo Fighters, Eels, Bat For Lashes, Badly Drawn Boy, Aqualung, St. Vincent, Antony and the Johnsons, Beirut and Bright Eyes all have something similar in common. Sometimes they are solo musicians, individual people... sometimes they collaborate at will... othertimes they decide later on in life that they'd prefer to be a band. The open-ended, catch-all umbrella-ness of this is something I'm definitely drawn to. And yes, "Girl From Winter Jargon" is definitely a bit of a mouthful too, but what of it? I don't think this particularly matters in a world where album titles can contain over 400 characters of text. So yeah, that is all... done and dusted... bish bash bosh. Soon I will be recording a brand spanking new studio album consisting of 10 of my personal favourite songs that I have written in the last 5 - 6 years... Here is one minute's worth of a taster, taken from a handful of my home demo's.
Gig @ The Three Tuns, Gateshead, Insangel Introducing, Tim Coid Radio, Synergy Radio
Dear Earth,
The gig I did the other month (27th August, 2013) @ The Three Tuns, Gateshead, was recorded and can be downloaded for FREE (or name your price) or heard via the widget below... or the direct link is here...
Tim Coid is a very nice chap who interviewed me (and a bunch of other musicians) for a podcast which was then broadcast on Synergy Radio. The entire episode can be heard at Tim Coid Radio Soundcloud. (Episode 16) where you can listen to me babble nonsensically before my live performance of "I want to name all the inanimate objects in your life" featuring myself, my guitar (Suzanne Velouria), my currently nameless bassdrum, an Ebow and a looper.
On a side note: The image below is from a photo I took of a painting on the wall of the room I played in @ The Three Tuns. If anyone reading this knows who painted it, please let me know so I can credit them for it.
Insangel Introducing happens every Tuesday @ The Three Tuns, Gateshead in association with Tim Coid Radio & Synergy Radio.
Oh what a shame... they confiscated my machete. I was up in arms until the law took my weapon from me. You'll never know that I love you... that's why I stole away your plans and I left you... with just a crackpot... (to remind you of who i am.) In my house all alone with the boarded up window. I do not plan to be here by the time that I am thirty. So here it is... my rhythm is my legacy. And the sound that you are hearing is everything that shall remain of me.
2012 Review... My futile attempt to sustain interest.
Dearest Earth,
Not much to report right now. My ear canals are currently inflamed. Will this suffice?
Funnily enough I just sent out a few mailing list courtesy emails promising people that I wouldn't "be one of those annoying people that oversend mail outs in an attempt to sustain interest when there's actually nothing to report".
Oh the hypocrisy?
Supporting "The Lovely Eggs"
Well I suppose the difference is that people choose to read blogs as of when they want to but on the other hand, they have little control over email inbox congestion. In other words I feel I have achieved justification to myself at least - especially seeing as though my last post was in October. It's been a pretty good year though - supporting the Lovely Eggs and getting most of "The Aftermath" played on BBC Tees and Newcastle being the more obvious highlights.
Next year I hope to at least make a start on recording new material and releasing something or other, whether this be an actual album or a mini project of sorts.
For some time now there's been ten specific songs I've selected which are amongst my favourites of all the songs I've written. What I really, really want to do is record them and immortalise them as tracks.
I also want to make some changes on the website and begin a transition which quite frankly, has been a long, LONG time coming.
Just for a bit of fun, thought I would attempt to sync the original footage with my cover of "I've written a letter to daddy." It was never going to go seamlessly as both versions are at completely different speed as well as time signatures. It looks a bit like Bette Davis is miming to my own voice, which amuses me a great deal. Here's hoping I don't get shot down by anyone who feels I may have butchered a classic.
Free or Name Your Price? This is the first time I've ever included an option where a person can donate something if they choose to. I still wanted to make the gig free for people to download, but also seeing as though I'm as penniless as musicians come, I thought I would include the 'name your price' option on the off chance that there are either;
1) some avid supporter's of independent music who happen to quite like what I do...
2) some well off generous people who happen to quite like what I do... ...and so if anyone can spare a few coppers then please do so. Think of it as throwing change into a busker's hat, except in a more digitalised form!
Gluefactory 1 Year anniversary gig review published by Wowbo
Proceedings began with the excellent guitar-wielding & looping atmospherics ofGirl from Winter Jargon and ended with the punk stylings & melodic noise of Zeerox amidst a shower of balloons & 'I'm Mauro' headbands." - WOWBO
A little live acoustic session and interview for Radio Prudhoe / North East Unsigned Radio last Wednesday evening. ...
