Idle Race - "The Birthday Party"
UK/Liberty/LBS 831 32E (stereo) 1968, US/Liberty/LST-7603 (stereo) 1968,
UK Reissue/Sunset Records/SLS 50381 (stereo) 1976
Téměř po půl roku tvrdé práce bylo ve Spojeném království vydáno album The Birthday Party (říjen 1968) a bylo to jedno z prvních alb uložené do skládacího obalu (první byli samozřejmě Beatles). Jeff, Greg, Dave a Roger albem zvali všechny na večírek k oslavě svých prvních narozenin...
Po otevření obalu se objeví montáž stylu Sgt. Peppers sestávající z množství význačných a vlivných hostů hudebního večírku, očekávajících váš příchod ... vy jste čestný host, přestože ještě chlapec. To byl velký propagační trik gramofonové firmy! Vydání pro USA bylo v obalu odlišném, namísto odkazů s pozváním na večírek zde byly podivná surealistická koláž, vynášející chlapce v balónu uprostřed jakéhosi koláče... Britské vydání vyšlo ve verzi mono i stereo, v USA byla pouze verze stereofonní, přesto některé skladby byly mono...
The Birthday Party by mělo být deklarováno jako národní poklad, protože v jeho poněkud balistickém, bláznivém stylu zní krásná Angličtina :
Sunday roasts, Yorkshire pudding, fairgrounds, fish and chips, Morcambe and Wise, the Two Ronnies, Dr. Who, Thunderbirds, Match of the Day, colliery bands, Saturday morning pictures (The ABC Club), a pint, the Queen, Hovis bread, Bovril, cold misty Winter mornings, Guy Fawkes night, bramble picking, garden allotments, pigeons, the rag and bone man etc etc etc...
Melodie všech 13 písní se vám vryjí do paměti již po prvním poslechu. Znějí na první dojem náladově, ale pod povrchovou bublinou zaznívají jako v podtextu zvláštní, podmanivé, nekonvenční harmonie (bez ohledu na text!). Celé album má délku jen 31 minut! Již několik měsíců před vydáním alba se šest z jeho skladeb objevilo jako singly na 'A' nebo 'B' straně!
Album bylo nahráno v Advision Studios v Londýně producentem byl Eddie Offord a Gerald 'Peanuts' Chevin. To bylo tam, kde The Move nahráli své první vlasní album (Offord a Chevin byli zvukoví technici). Zdá se, že svou roli zde hrál Roy Wood, který byl zřejmě článkem řetězu, když dokázal přesvědčit Offorda a Chevina, aby si poslechli Idle Race v Cedar Clubu. Brzy nato nabídli Idle Race pomoc při záznamu jejich debutního alba. Díky těmto známostem měli možnost získat pro kapelu více studiového času, o čem se ostatním novým skupinám mohlo jen snít...
Během tohoto času zesílila Jeffova láska k nahrávacímu studiu. Předtím byl odkázaný na trávení dlouhých hodin zamknutý v předním pokoji jeho rodičů s primitivním nahrávacím vybavením, kytarami a zesilovači, tak, jak mohl experimentovat jen šílený vědec!
Na druhé straně Eddie Offorda a Geralda Chevina musí album Birthday Party velice uspokojovat, protože je plné tvořivé práce, zajímavých nápadů a zvukových efektů, které zaslouží uznání stejně jako nadšení, se kterým album vznikalo... Jeff byl přirozeně také nadšen a získal takové zkušenosti, že když přišel čas nahrát druhé album, začal svou kariéru jako producent.
 Foto z období 'Birthday Party' |
The Birthday Party - texty písní
The Skeleton And The Roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
I am the fairground man at heart
I run the roundabout this part
I fill this fair but custom have I none
I turn the handle round so fast it makes my elbow ache
Nobody seems to care
No-one rides upon my roundabout no longer anymore
Oh what a horrid fair!
Climb aboard my roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
Money there is none - I'm thinner than a skeleton
(pronounced as skellington)
But wait a minute, I'm so thin
That all these aches and pains could be a chance for me
I could be a horror or a ghost in a ghost train
I think I'll go and see
I meet the man who runs the ghost train
He says, You're just great!
I'll pay you top class wages
If you'll just hang from this gate
A year is passing lots
of food and money come my way
Oh lucky man am I
But who's this telling me, You're fired!
You're much too fat to be a ghost, be on your way!
So here I am
Climb aboard my roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
Climb aboard my roundabout
(J.Lynne) 2.20
Happy Birthday
(instrumental)
(J.Hill & M.Hill) 0.23
The Birthday
She had a birthday yesterday she cried
Took off her glasses let her hair down cried
She told them all at work about the day
How it is no-one came?
Wo-oh woh, oh woh-oh
She sent the invitations to her friends
They were too busy doing other things
She told them all at work about the day
How it is no-one came?
Wo-oh woh, oh woh-oh
She took the decorations from the wall
Was it the ladder loose that made her fall?
She told them all at work about the day
How it is no-one came?
Wo-oh woh, oh woh-oh
She had a birthday yesterday she cried
(J.Lynne) 2.58
I Like My Toys
I have a train set and a garage full of cars
And a soldier with a gun
My mother says I should have more
responsibility
As I'm nearly 31
I have a plane, I have a crane
That can lift up all my trains and all my cars
I have a boat that doesn't float
But a big machine that takes me to the stars
But my mother says I should get a job
Or my father she will tell
She says 16 years is a long enough rest
Though I say that I'm not well
I have a train set and a garage full of cars
And a soldier with a gun
My mother says she'll break up all my toys and all my games
And she'll say I'm not her son
But your mother says you should get a job
Or your father she will tell
She says 16 years is a long enough rest
Though you say that you're not well
I had a plane, I had a crane
That could lift up all my trains and all my cars
I had a boat that couldn't float
So my machine and me are going to the stars
(J.Lynne) 2.10
The Morning Sunshine
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
Feels like another day, I wouldn't know
My love's away, from home today
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
It's just the memory, of sunshine
In the morning, being close to me
And it was...ohhhohh...(etc.)
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
Seems like the world is late, for I can't wait
For sunshine in the morning
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
Wait 'til the morning sunshine
(J.Lynne) 1.46
Follow Me Follow
See how they go on the wings of a shiny bird
And the reasons for them leaving is not easy
Follow me follow
Follow me too far away
Follow me follow
Where you will go
See how they go on the wings of a shiny bird
And they'll all be friends together now they're leaving
See how they try to be hap-py when they're leaving home
But the captain of the shinybird won't wait now
Follow me follow
Follow me too far away
Follow me follow
Where you will go
See how they go on the wings of a shiny bird
And the reasons for them leaving is not easy
Follow me follow
Follow me too far away
Follow me follow
Where you will go
(repeat chorus)
(J.Lynne) 2.46
Sitting In My Tree
I often sit alone up in a tree
Waving to the ones that wave at me
I think well just how stupid can they be
Waving to a man up in a tree
What they don't know is I am counting them
I even count the ladies and the men
I put the numbers in my little book
And only me can ever have a look
All I ask is a piece of mind
Which I lost somewhere down amongst the mess
All I want is for people to be kind
And walk slower to be counted when they pass
I think well just how stupid can they be
Waving to a man up in a tree
I know that I will have to stop my fun
When I meet a girl who I can not count on
Maybe marry her and happy we would be
Not counting but just sitting up a tree
I put the numbers in my little book
And only me can ever have a look
I think well just how stupid can they be
Waving to a man up in a tree
(J.Lynne) 1.52
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On With The Show
Sun is shining for me
I'll be on my way
I'll be rolling along, cos I need to
Feel alright
From the evening till the early light
Nowhere to go but it's on with the show
Wander down in the lane (?)
I'll be strolling to
I do a brave show for you , don't you know I
Feel alright
From the evening to the early light
Nowhere to go but its on with the show
Feel alright
From the evening to the early light
Nowhere to go but it's on with the show
(J.Lynne) 2.19
Lucky Man
I'm very lucky I think you'll agree
I've lost the key to my front door
I can't get in there anymore, oh my
I've lost the key to my love's heart
I
t's down the drain and in the dark, oh my
I'm very lucky I think you'll agree
As I was riding home from work
I saw a robber steal a shirt, oh my
I shouted "Oi!" and yelled "Stop! Thief!"
The policeman booked me for disturbing the peace, oh my
I'm very lucky I think you'll agree
As I was swimming in the sea
I came across a bomb or three, oh my
I took them to the coast guard man
Who said "Hurry up and get th...", oh my
I'm very lucky I think you'll agree
I've lost the key to my front door
I can't get in there anymore, oh my
I've lost the key to my love's heart
It's down the drain and in the dark, oh my
I'm very lucky I think you'll agree
(J.Lynne) 2.36
Mrs. Ward
On Friday afternoon at three o'clock
A passing lady looked into a shop
Her eyes lit up as this the sign she read
Recruiting Office, that is what it said
Excitedly she stepped inside to see
How her sons would fair if they were military
(pronounced millitree)
The man in charge to her was very sweet And said,
"Please sign here on this little sheet"
But when she got home her mind grew many fears
The message from the soldiers in the war rang in her ears
Don't put your boys in the army Mrs. Ward
You know they'll only waste away, oh oh
Don't put your boys in the army Mrs. Ward
You know they'll only waste away, oh oh
At six o'clock the lads came home from work
She told them what she'd done, they went berserk
We'll have to go to war and fight and die
And Mrs. Ward she wiped a tear from her eye
Don't put your boys in the army Mrs. Ward
You know they'll only waste away, oh oh
Don't put your boys in the army Mrs. Ward
You know they'll only waste away, oh oh
Don't put your boys in the army Mrs. Ward
You know they'll only waste away, oh oh
Don't put your boys in the army Mrs. Ward
You know they'll only waste away, oh oh
Don't put your boys in the army Mrs. Ward
You know they'll only waste away, oh oh
(J.Lynne) 2.13
Pie In The Sky
Pie in the sky
Who's to say why it won't happen
Mountains of dreams
Floods like a stream running down them
Through rocky glades
We'll find a way
We want to, so maybe we may
Pie in the sky
Never say die and keep trying
Mountains of dreams
Eyes brightly gleam and you're sighing
We made it then
Needn't say when
I want you again and again
Pie in the sky
Words that imply something stupid
Mountains of dreams
Loving you seemed so illusive
Still we kept on
Nothing went wrong
Together we proved love is strong
Pie in the sky
Who's to say why it won't happen
Mountains of dreams
Floods like a stream running down them
Through rocky glades
We'll find a way
Forever, together we'll stay
rap pa pa (etc.)
(D.Pritchard) 2.25
The Lady Who Said She Could Fly
Did you meet the lady who said she could fly
She broke off her wings when she fell from the sky
The effort was brave and she gave a sigh
Now I'll sail through the sky on my own, my oh my
(alternative line from live BBC recording:
But to fly when you're moulting you never should try)
I can fly through the air
I can fly anywhere
I can fly through the sky
And just see if I care
When she was a girl she would jump rather high
Then she fell in love with the air and the sky
She discovered her wings and she gave a loud cry
Now I'll sail through the sky on my own, my oh my
I can fly through the air
I can fly anywhere
I can fly through the sky
And just see if I care
Back to the story
Now she's been repaired and her wings are as new
She's laughing and dancing way up in the blue
But look she has gone, where could she go to?
Her wings were so silver, her halo so new
I can fly through the air
I can fly anywhere
I can fly through the sky
And just see if I care
(repeat chorus)
(J.Lynne) 2.17
End Of The Road
There was peace and quiet for me
Down the walk, beside the sea
Things are going wrong, boy
Things are going wrong
I used to wake up in the morning
To the sound of the birds singing at my window
Please wait for me
I'll be there at the end of the road
Now the good things gone with the wind
It's back today, I've moved away
Things are going wrong, boy
Things are going wrong
I used to wake up in the morning
To the sound of the birds singing at my window
Please wait for me
I'll be there at the end of the road
Ooooh ooooh ooooh (etc.)
(J.Lynne) 2.05
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Birmingham Main
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