KLF/ORB request mailing list : NEWS 11
From: KLF@sysa.salford.ac.uk ( The KLF / Orb mailing list )
Reply-To: KLF@sysa.salford.ac.uk ( KLF@sysa.salford.AC.UK )
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
KLF/ORB request mailing list : NEWS 11 11.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ dated 13th May 1992 ]
> THE KLF to split??
Regarding the recent reports etc over the apparent split of The KLF, there
is now much to say. Firstly, Lazlo mailed me this comment :
" When I talked to Bill [for X Magazine] (well over a year ago! how time
flies) he told me that as soon as they had the 1 million together to
finish the "WHITE ROOM" film, they were going to be off to Mexico to
shoot what they needed to get into the can to finally get it
completed. I'd bet large amounts of money that that's *exactly* what
they're doing now. "
I was inclined to agree with this view. In a Capital Radio interview I
heard, from about the time when "3 AM Eternal" was charting in the UK, Bill
said that The White Room film wasn't really going to be anything to do with
a pop group at all, it was just to be a straight film (although this is
certainly not how the original idea of the film was conceived -- but nothing
has ever really been consistent about the whole White Room project, apart
from its title). Hence, the statement that Bill and Jimmy have gone to
Mexico on a non-music related project holds, if indeed continuing to film
the remaining parts of The White Room.
On 11th May, however, the evening presenter on the UK's national Radio One
attempted to telephone the KLF on air, to get some sort of statement
regarding the matter. An answering machine announced that the record
company was to be closed in a month's time. Mark Goodier then tried to get
in touch with Jimmy on his portable phone, and was told to F*** off. On
the 11.30pm news that night, there was a brief report that The KLF are
denying rumours that the news of a split is another publicity stunt. The
presenter who followed (Nicky Cambell) made the comment :
" KLF to split - what a sad day for the music industry.
What a great day for music. "
On 12th May, MTV had a headline report that The KLF are to split, and their
back catalogue is all to be deleted.
And finally, I myself tried to telephone the KLF office yesterday afternoon.
On the other end was an answering machine message, roughly to the effect
of :
" Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty have left the music business. This
is the only and last statement they will make, listen carefully.
The phone and fax number will be operational for one month, as of
12th May. All important matters will be dealt with in due course.
That's it! "
The voice was that of Scott Piering, from Appearing Promotions and
Management.
From the NME, dated 16th May 1992, there is the following piece :
" Timelords Gentlemen, please!
THE KLF have terminated their activities, as predicted in last
week's NME. Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty have issued a
statement confirming that there will be no further record
releases from the pair as The KLF, The Timelords or any of their
other previous guises.
The statement, issued under their aliases Rockman Rock and
Kingboy D, explains their vanishing act in cryptic terms. It
says: "We have been following a wild and wounded, glum and
glorious, shit but shinign path these past five years, the last
two of which has led us up onto the comercial high ground. We
are at a point now where the path is about to take a sharp turn
from these sunny uplands down to a netherworld of we know not
what."
Drummond and Cauty first appeared as the sample-attack
provocateurs The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu (The JAMs) in 1987
and went on to have a Number One hit as The Timelords with 1988's
"Doctorin' The Tardis". Last year, as The KLF, they released the
internationally successful "The White Room" LP, which spawned
four Top Five hits, including their "3 AM Eternal" Number One,
and established The KLF as the biggest selling singles band in
the world.
The band's self-destruction was not entirely unexpected. Their
controversial machine gun toting performance at this February's
BRITS music industry awards, where they were voted best British
Band, concluded with an announcement that "The KLF have left the
music business", followed by the kamikaze gesture of dumping a
dead sheep outside the awards ceremony hotel.
It is widely expected that Drummond and Cauty, whose whereabouts
are currently unknown, will return to musical activities at some
point in the future, although their official statememnt points
out that "our disguise may be complete". "
This statement was printed in a full-page advertisement, which feattured
the three angels of Mu standing in water in what could well be the light
of the setting sun. It reads :
" We have been following a wild and wounded, glum and glorious,
shit but shining path these past five years. The last two of
which has led us up onto the commercial high ground --- we are at
a point where the path is about to take a sharp turn from these
sunny uplands down into a netherworld of we know not what. For
the forseeable future there will be no further record releases
from The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords, The KLF &
any other past, present & future name attached to our activities.
As of now all our past releases are deleted. Our P.O. Box will
be open for correspondance, our fax machine will remain switched
on and our ansaphone ready to record. From time to time these
may be responded to. We would like to thank everybody (friends
and enemies alike) that have played a part on our journey (so
far). If we meet further along be prepared...our disguise may be
complete. In the meantime the dark dip beckons. There is no
further information. Rockman Rock and Kingboy D. "
That is the final statement. No more information will be forthcoming, I
suspect. However, they have left their options open. The statement does
not completely rule out the end of The KLF et al, and certainly not the
musical partnership of Drummond and Cauty..."..netherworld of we know not
what.." ... "..forseeable future.." ... "..journey (so far).." ... "..our
disguise *may* be complete.." . The last words, "There is no further
information" of course is a pun on the line that has appeared on every KLF
release, all the way : "For further information, write to ...., enclosing
SAE" .
The address for correspondence is :
KLF Communications,
P.O. Box 283,
Aylesbury,
Bucks.
HP21 7TP.
With regard to the mailing list, news and communications regarding this
matter I shall probably mail immediately. The list will continue, for now
at least.
> Unreleased Orb material
From Christian Bartholsson (@uu.SE)
" While going through my enormous collection of cassettes I found a
tape of what appears to be unreleased music made by Alex Paterson.
I got it quite a long time ago and it has "LX Dee in studio"
written on it. The music is very Orb-ish and surprisingly good.
The whole 20-minute piece ends with a version of "Star 6 & 7 8 9"
that I haven't heard before. "
Chris later says that he received it about a year and a half ago. He
continues :
" ...it's quite good. There's one track where you can hear someone
walking around in a forest to some brilliant music...... basically
it's just one sound that gets repeated over and over again... very
hard to describe, but it's really great. "
> New Orb single on the way...
Chris also gives a few other Orb related bits and pieces, including a
mention of the forthcoming Orb single. The promo copies are out now,
ORBPROMO 4, "The Blue Room" featuring a 39'58" mix split over the
two sides. There is also a 19 minute radio edit, apparently. Street
date is currently set for 8th June 1992 in the UK. The album from
which it is taken, "U.F.Orb" has a provisional 7th July release date.
The Orb are on tour in the UK :
May 28 Newcastle Polytechnic
May 29 Bradford Queens Hall
May 30 Manchester Academy
May 31 Nottingham Trent Polytechnic
June 1 Birmingham Institute
June 2 Bournemouth Academy
June 3 Brighton Event
June 4 Aylesbury Civic Theatre
June 5 Brixton Academy
The Orb also have their own film, curiously to be entitled "Adventures
Beyond The Ultraworld". It is to be premiered in London at the Brixton
Academy on June 5th, during an overnight party, 9pm until 6am. Tickets
15 pounds in advance, if anyone thinks they can make it (and take it...)
Finally, "Altitude" is the next System 7 single, taken from their Ten
Records album. Double 12" promo packs are in circulation now.
> Last Train To Trancentral
This has now (finally) been released in the US as a single. Mike Brown
(@ohio-state.EDU), Neil Kelly (@marist.EDU), and Lazlo Nibble (@unm.EDU)
sent in various details. The 12" I have seen in London as an import
already. The sleeve picture is different to the UK versions -- it is a
still from the video, rather than the T-speaker stack.
CD5: 1992 US (Arista ASCD-2382: promo)
Last Train To Trancentral (live from... - us lp version)
Last Train To Trancentral (import lp version)
Last Train To Trancentral (the iron horse)
CSS: 1992 US (Arista...)
Last Train To Trancentral (live from the lost continent)
Make It Rain
12": 1992 US (Arista...)
Last Train To Trancentral (the iron horse)
Last Train To Trancentral (live from the lost continent)
Last Train To Trancentral (mu d. vari-speed version)
Neil mentions a minor point - the Last Train version, although it is the
standard US White Room album version (but not the UK album version) features
the "lie down on the floor and keep calm" Scott Piering sample, which
wasn't on the US album, but *is* on the UK single. Erm...follow me? :)
> Request
From Pete Ashdown <pashdown%com.es.sim.javelin@orca.es.COM> :
" Does anyone have any sales figures for either KLF's 'Chill Out' or
Orb's 'Adventures Beyond ...' ? "
> Variation on a theme
This item from Francois Dion(@ere.UMontreal.CA) reminded me of something
I have neglected to mention for a long time now :
" On a different note, somebody in Montreal is selling 'KLF patches'
for a synthesizer of some sort for top 40 bands!!!! He also sells
patches for several other groups.. But i think he's nuts, he wants
1000$ for the patches and you cant copy them.... I'll wait till my
friend finishes his supersampler for ibm, and i'll make some KLF
sequences with that...
This brought to mind the music disks that I have seen available for the
Amiga computer. As I recall, "What Time Is Love?", "3 AM Eternal",
"Justified & Ancient" and maybe also "It's Grim Up North" are all
available. I haven't heard any of them, so I can't make further comment.
> Beats and Pieces....
Contributions by [C]hris Bartholdsson, [L]azlo Nibble, Charles [B]reen,
and myself.
...Mike Dutton, a record collector/KLF enthusiast in England recently got
hold of a KLF megamix called "Jimmy's And Cressida's Party Date", apparently
mixed by J & C. 'Complete rubbish' was his comment [C]...
..."Mu - The Revised Edition": four new mixes, including a new mix of
"The White Room". Will be released in Japan on May 20 [L]...
...On the CD single of Brand New Heavies' "Dream Come True" there's a
mix called "Disco 2000 mix", but I don't think it has any KLF
associations [C]...
...bootleg of the "1987" LP is in circulation in the UK and Europe. The
sleeve is red and white, rather than black and white, and it features
a track listing on the back, which the original did not. The sound
quality is described as being very good...
...150 min video compilation of KLF TV appearances has been released,
Bill and Jimmy wearing fake moustaches, trying to sell "The Manual" to
innocent passers-by is a classic scene. Jimmy dancing around in the
typical SAW style video "Love Is War" is another [C]. It also features
a clip from "All You Need Is Love", and the club mix of "Madrugada
Eterna" [B]...
...Make It Rain is/was supposedly scheduled for the next KLF release, which
sounds very strange now! Apparently promo copies of remixes have been
circulated to DJs [B]...
This final segment was written several weeks ago, but for various reasons I
have delayed sending it. It seems a little weird, given current events to
release it now, but still....
> Adventures In Success
As mentioned in NEWS10, I spent part of my Easter break in London.
However, it wasn't until my last full day there that I managed to
get in touch with the KLF office, and arranged to go and visit that
same morning. It seems they had spent the previous several days
in Devonshire with Jimmy's parents, a little "KLF holiday" as Sallie
said. After eventually finding the office, I was greeted by Sallie,
who made me some coffee (sans milk ... they had run out :), and we
chatted about this and that, nothing *too* heavy. Cressida arrived
shortly afterwards, and the talk continued (after a lot of long looks
and 'so, *this* is Jethro'-type statements) interspersed by phone
calls and incoming faxes.
The office certainly wasn't the *tidiest* place I've ever seen (in
fact, it couldn't have been *that* much worse :). Records were
scattered everywhere, both on shelves and on floors. Sallie said
that Drummond himself had built the shelves - not just a Pop Star
kids! There were a very few copies of sought-after long-deleted
12" single back-catalogue stuff, non-UK releases, CDs of recent
releases, various odd cassettes with handwritten labels, a host of
compilation albums that featured KLF Comms tracks, and, curiously,
a set of WaxTrax Europe CD singles, mainly KMFDM. Under the large
desk were a *lot* of cardboard boxes, some doubtless containing
records, others with T-shirts.
Around the walls and on the back of the door were various KLF stickers,
banners, posters and cards, including a great large poster of the
torso of the whicker man, arms raised, with the setting sun shining
through where his heart should have been. On the desk was a large
photograph of Black Steel, who did some of the album vocals, holding
Tammy Wynette in all he blue gown and crown garb. Sallie told me
that he had got several copies of this photo, and got various shops
in the area where he lives to display it in their windows (?!).
I didn't get to stay too long. I could have spent hours going
through the shelves of foreign releases, getting *lots* of details -
sorry Lazlo, next time :) . I was persuaded to leave after a
little over an hour (*very* subtely, eh Cress?), but it was well
worth the visit.
Thanks and love to Sallie and Cressida for an intersting (and
enlightening?) time. And yes, they *will* be getting a copy of this!
> "...Reasons to be cheerful, one, two, three..."
Being the lovely people that they are, S&C gave me a few presents
before I left them to their work (?!).
- A US "America:What Time Is Love?" CD single,
- A US "What Time Is Love(Live at Trancentral)" cassette single,
- A US "The White Room" CD in long display box,
- UK 7" singles of "Justified & Ancient" and "America:What Time Is
Love?",
- a video of their "Brits 1992" peformance with Extreme Noise Terror,
- Japanese 3"CD singles (in strange foldable packaging to make a
display stand) of "Justified & Ancient" and "What Time Is Love?",
- the coveted 12" picture disc of "Justified & Ancient/America:What
Time Is Love?" :)
> The KLF : is fame when......?
...the clue "For which band was 'Justified & Ancient' a recent hit ?'
appears in a UK weekly puzzle book...
...Chrysalis Records ask you if you want to work with Debbie Harry...
...the list-manager's step-father seems to know more about you than
the pop-wise teenagers he teaches...
...?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS compiled in the cold, the wet, the dark and the rough (the
work was never done), 1992 by Culfinion.
The KLF / Orb request/info-service is managed by Culfinion ( Jethro R Binks )
courtesy of Academic Information Services at the University Of Salford, UK.
Questions/additions/NEWS/etc to KLF@sysa.salford.AC.UK
Enquiries/general comments to Culfinion@sysa.salford.AC.UK
Dave Datta's Music Archive : ftp cs.uwp.edu or 131.210.1.4
For KLF/Orb Archive see : /pub/music/lists/klf/Index
" Over and Out "
===============================================================================
Reply-To: KLF@sysa.salford.ac.uk ( KLF@sysa.salford.AC.UK )
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
KLF/ORB request mailing list : NEWS 11 11.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ dated 13th May 1992 ]
> THE KLF to split??
Regarding the recent reports etc over the apparent split of The KLF, there
is now much to say. Firstly, Lazlo mailed me this comment :
" When I talked to Bill [for X Magazine] (well over a year ago! how time
flies) he told me that as soon as they had the 1 million together to
finish the "WHITE ROOM" film, they were going to be off to Mexico to
shoot what they needed to get into the can to finally get it
completed. I'd bet large amounts of money that that's *exactly* what
they're doing now. "
I was inclined to agree with this view. In a Capital Radio interview I
heard, from about the time when "3 AM Eternal" was charting in the UK, Bill
said that The White Room film wasn't really going to be anything to do with
a pop group at all, it was just to be a straight film (although this is
certainly not how the original idea of the film was conceived -- but nothing
has ever really been consistent about the whole White Room project, apart
from its title). Hence, the statement that Bill and Jimmy have gone to
Mexico on a non-music related project holds, if indeed continuing to film
the remaining parts of The White Room.
On 11th May, however, the evening presenter on the UK's national Radio One
attempted to telephone the KLF on air, to get some sort of statement
regarding the matter. An answering machine announced that the record
company was to be closed in a month's time. Mark Goodier then tried to get
in touch with Jimmy on his portable phone, and was told to F*** off. On
the 11.30pm news that night, there was a brief report that The KLF are
denying rumours that the news of a split is another publicity stunt. The
presenter who followed (Nicky Cambell) made the comment :
" KLF to split - what a sad day for the music industry.
What a great day for music. "
On 12th May, MTV had a headline report that The KLF are to split, and their
back catalogue is all to be deleted.
And finally, I myself tried to telephone the KLF office yesterday afternoon.
On the other end was an answering machine message, roughly to the effect
of :
" Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty have left the music business. This
is the only and last statement they will make, listen carefully.
The phone and fax number will be operational for one month, as of
12th May. All important matters will be dealt with in due course.
That's it! "
The voice was that of Scott Piering, from Appearing Promotions and
Management.
From the NME, dated 16th May 1992, there is the following piece :
" Timelords Gentlemen, please!
THE KLF have terminated their activities, as predicted in last
week's NME. Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty have issued a
statement confirming that there will be no further record
releases from the pair as The KLF, The Timelords or any of their
other previous guises.
The statement, issued under their aliases Rockman Rock and
Kingboy D, explains their vanishing act in cryptic terms. It
says: "We have been following a wild and wounded, glum and
glorious, shit but shinign path these past five years, the last
two of which has led us up onto the comercial high ground. We
are at a point now where the path is about to take a sharp turn
from these sunny uplands down to a netherworld of we know not
what."
Drummond and Cauty first appeared as the sample-attack
provocateurs The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu (The JAMs) in 1987
and went on to have a Number One hit as The Timelords with 1988's
"Doctorin' The Tardis". Last year, as The KLF, they released the
internationally successful "The White Room" LP, which spawned
four Top Five hits, including their "3 AM Eternal" Number One,
and established The KLF as the biggest selling singles band in
the world.
The band's self-destruction was not entirely unexpected. Their
controversial machine gun toting performance at this February's
BRITS music industry awards, where they were voted best British
Band, concluded with an announcement that "The KLF have left the
music business", followed by the kamikaze gesture of dumping a
dead sheep outside the awards ceremony hotel.
It is widely expected that Drummond and Cauty, whose whereabouts
are currently unknown, will return to musical activities at some
point in the future, although their official statememnt points
out that "our disguise may be complete". "
This statement was printed in a full-page advertisement, which feattured
the three angels of Mu standing in water in what could well be the light
of the setting sun. It reads :
" We have been following a wild and wounded, glum and glorious,
shit but shining path these past five years. The last two of
which has led us up onto the commercial high ground --- we are at
a point where the path is about to take a sharp turn from these
sunny uplands down into a netherworld of we know not what. For
the forseeable future there will be no further record releases
from The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords, The KLF &
any other past, present & future name attached to our activities.
As of now all our past releases are deleted. Our P.O. Box will
be open for correspondance, our fax machine will remain switched
on and our ansaphone ready to record. From time to time these
may be responded to. We would like to thank everybody (friends
and enemies alike) that have played a part on our journey (so
far). If we meet further along be prepared...our disguise may be
complete. In the meantime the dark dip beckons. There is no
further information. Rockman Rock and Kingboy D. "
That is the final statement. No more information will be forthcoming, I
suspect. However, they have left their options open. The statement does
not completely rule out the end of The KLF et al, and certainly not the
musical partnership of Drummond and Cauty..."..netherworld of we know not
what.." ... "..forseeable future.." ... "..journey (so far).." ... "..our
disguise *may* be complete.." . The last words, "There is no further
information" of course is a pun on the line that has appeared on every KLF
release, all the way : "For further information, write to ...., enclosing
SAE" .
The address for correspondence is :
KLF Communications,
P.O. Box 283,
Aylesbury,
Bucks.
HP21 7TP.
With regard to the mailing list, news and communications regarding this
matter I shall probably mail immediately. The list will continue, for now
at least.
> Unreleased Orb material
From Christian Bartholsson (@uu.SE)
" While going through my enormous collection of cassettes I found a
tape of what appears to be unreleased music made by Alex Paterson.
I got it quite a long time ago and it has "LX Dee in studio"
written on it. The music is very Orb-ish and surprisingly good.
The whole 20-minute piece ends with a version of "Star 6 & 7 8 9"
that I haven't heard before. "
Chris later says that he received it about a year and a half ago. He
continues :
" ...it's quite good. There's one track where you can hear someone
walking around in a forest to some brilliant music...... basically
it's just one sound that gets repeated over and over again... very
hard to describe, but it's really great. "
> New Orb single on the way...
Chris also gives a few other Orb related bits and pieces, including a
mention of the forthcoming Orb single. The promo copies are out now,
ORBPROMO 4, "The Blue Room" featuring a 39'58" mix split over the
two sides. There is also a 19 minute radio edit, apparently. Street
date is currently set for 8th June 1992 in the UK. The album from
which it is taken, "U.F.Orb" has a provisional 7th July release date.
The Orb are on tour in the UK :
May 28 Newcastle Polytechnic
May 29 Bradford Queens Hall
May 30 Manchester Academy
May 31 Nottingham Trent Polytechnic
June 1 Birmingham Institute
June 2 Bournemouth Academy
June 3 Brighton Event
June 4 Aylesbury Civic Theatre
June 5 Brixton Academy
The Orb also have their own film, curiously to be entitled "Adventures
Beyond The Ultraworld". It is to be premiered in London at the Brixton
Academy on June 5th, during an overnight party, 9pm until 6am. Tickets
15 pounds in advance, if anyone thinks they can make it (and take it...)
Finally, "Altitude" is the next System 7 single, taken from their Ten
Records album. Double 12" promo packs are in circulation now.
> Last Train To Trancentral
This has now (finally) been released in the US as a single. Mike Brown
(@ohio-state.EDU), Neil Kelly (@marist.EDU), and Lazlo Nibble (@unm.EDU)
sent in various details. The 12" I have seen in London as an import
already. The sleeve picture is different to the UK versions -- it is a
still from the video, rather than the T-speaker stack.
CD5: 1992 US (Arista ASCD-2382: promo)
Last Train To Trancentral (live from... - us lp version)
Last Train To Trancentral (import lp version)
Last Train To Trancentral (the iron horse)
CSS: 1992 US (Arista...)
Last Train To Trancentral (live from the lost continent)
Make It Rain
12": 1992 US (Arista...)
Last Train To Trancentral (the iron horse)
Last Train To Trancentral (live from the lost continent)
Last Train To Trancentral (mu d. vari-speed version)
Neil mentions a minor point - the Last Train version, although it is the
standard US White Room album version (but not the UK album version) features
the "lie down on the floor and keep calm" Scott Piering sample, which
wasn't on the US album, but *is* on the UK single. Erm...follow me? :)
> Request
From Pete Ashdown <pashdown%com.es.sim.javelin@orca.es.COM> :
" Does anyone have any sales figures for either KLF's 'Chill Out' or
Orb's 'Adventures Beyond ...' ? "
> Variation on a theme
This item from Francois Dion(@ere.UMontreal.CA) reminded me of something
I have neglected to mention for a long time now :
" On a different note, somebody in Montreal is selling 'KLF patches'
for a synthesizer of some sort for top 40 bands!!!! He also sells
patches for several other groups.. But i think he's nuts, he wants
1000$ for the patches and you cant copy them.... I'll wait till my
friend finishes his supersampler for ibm, and i'll make some KLF
sequences with that...
This brought to mind the music disks that I have seen available for the
Amiga computer. As I recall, "What Time Is Love?", "3 AM Eternal",
"Justified & Ancient" and maybe also "It's Grim Up North" are all
available. I haven't heard any of them, so I can't make further comment.
> Beats and Pieces....
Contributions by [C]hris Bartholdsson, [L]azlo Nibble, Charles [B]reen,
and myself.
...Mike Dutton, a record collector/KLF enthusiast in England recently got
hold of a KLF megamix called "Jimmy's And Cressida's Party Date", apparently
mixed by J & C. 'Complete rubbish' was his comment [C]...
..."Mu - The Revised Edition": four new mixes, including a new mix of
"The White Room". Will be released in Japan on May 20 [L]...
...On the CD single of Brand New Heavies' "Dream Come True" there's a
mix called "Disco 2000 mix", but I don't think it has any KLF
associations [C]...
...bootleg of the "1987" LP is in circulation in the UK and Europe. The
sleeve is red and white, rather than black and white, and it features
a track listing on the back, which the original did not. The sound
quality is described as being very good...
...150 min video compilation of KLF TV appearances has been released,
Bill and Jimmy wearing fake moustaches, trying to sell "The Manual" to
innocent passers-by is a classic scene. Jimmy dancing around in the
typical SAW style video "Love Is War" is another [C]. It also features
a clip from "All You Need Is Love", and the club mix of "Madrugada
Eterna" [B]...
...Make It Rain is/was supposedly scheduled for the next KLF release, which
sounds very strange now! Apparently promo copies of remixes have been
circulated to DJs [B]...
This final segment was written several weeks ago, but for various reasons I
have delayed sending it. It seems a little weird, given current events to
release it now, but still....
> Adventures In Success
As mentioned in NEWS10, I spent part of my Easter break in London.
However, it wasn't until my last full day there that I managed to
get in touch with the KLF office, and arranged to go and visit that
same morning. It seems they had spent the previous several days
in Devonshire with Jimmy's parents, a little "KLF holiday" as Sallie
said. After eventually finding the office, I was greeted by Sallie,
who made me some coffee (sans milk ... they had run out :), and we
chatted about this and that, nothing *too* heavy. Cressida arrived
shortly afterwards, and the talk continued (after a lot of long looks
and 'so, *this* is Jethro'-type statements) interspersed by phone
calls and incoming faxes.
The office certainly wasn't the *tidiest* place I've ever seen (in
fact, it couldn't have been *that* much worse :). Records were
scattered everywhere, both on shelves and on floors. Sallie said
that Drummond himself had built the shelves - not just a Pop Star
kids! There were a very few copies of sought-after long-deleted
12" single back-catalogue stuff, non-UK releases, CDs of recent
releases, various odd cassettes with handwritten labels, a host of
compilation albums that featured KLF Comms tracks, and, curiously,
a set of WaxTrax Europe CD singles, mainly KMFDM. Under the large
desk were a *lot* of cardboard boxes, some doubtless containing
records, others with T-shirts.
Around the walls and on the back of the door were various KLF stickers,
banners, posters and cards, including a great large poster of the
torso of the whicker man, arms raised, with the setting sun shining
through where his heart should have been. On the desk was a large
photograph of Black Steel, who did some of the album vocals, holding
Tammy Wynette in all he blue gown and crown garb. Sallie told me
that he had got several copies of this photo, and got various shops
in the area where he lives to display it in their windows (?!).
I didn't get to stay too long. I could have spent hours going
through the shelves of foreign releases, getting *lots* of details -
sorry Lazlo, next time :) . I was persuaded to leave after a
little over an hour (*very* subtely, eh Cress?), but it was well
worth the visit.
Thanks and love to Sallie and Cressida for an intersting (and
enlightening?) time. And yes, they *will* be getting a copy of this!
> "...Reasons to be cheerful, one, two, three..."
Being the lovely people that they are, S&C gave me a few presents
before I left them to their work (?!).
- A US "America:What Time Is Love?" CD single,
- A US "What Time Is Love(Live at Trancentral)" cassette single,
- A US "The White Room" CD in long display box,
- UK 7" singles of "Justified & Ancient" and "America:What Time Is
Love?",
- a video of their "Brits 1992" peformance with Extreme Noise Terror,
- Japanese 3"CD singles (in strange foldable packaging to make a
display stand) of "Justified & Ancient" and "What Time Is Love?",
- the coveted 12" picture disc of "Justified & Ancient/America:What
Time Is Love?" :)
> The KLF : is fame when......?
...the clue "For which band was 'Justified & Ancient' a recent hit ?'
appears in a UK weekly puzzle book...
...Chrysalis Records ask you if you want to work with Debbie Harry...
...the list-manager's step-father seems to know more about you than
the pop-wise teenagers he teaches...
...?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS compiled in the cold, the wet, the dark and the rough (the
work was never done), 1992 by Culfinion.
The KLF / Orb request/info-service is managed by Culfinion ( Jethro R Binks )
courtesy of Academic Information Services at the University Of Salford, UK.
Questions/additions/NEWS/etc to KLF@sysa.salford.AC.UK
Enquiries/general comments to Culfinion@sysa.salford.AC.UK
Dave Datta's Music Archive : ftp cs.uwp.edu or 131.210.1.4
For KLF/Orb Archive see : /pub/music/lists/klf/Index
" Over and Out "
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