| "A Screw" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Swans | ||||
| Released | 2 May 1986 | |||
| Genre | Industrial | |||
| Length | 15:02 | |||
| Label | K.422 | |||
| Producer(s) | Michael Gira | |||
| Swans singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
A Screw is a single by the New York City experimental rock group Swans. The single's three songs were later appended as bonus tracks to the CD release of Holy Money .
The single's title track sees the band diving their farthest into the realm of industrial dance music, complete with dubby, distorted vocals and complex programmed rhythms, a distinct contrast to the naturalistic album version. [1] The piano-driven ode to obsessive love, "Blackmail", was Jarboe's first Swans track as lead vocalist. [1] A reworked version of "Blackmail" appears on the 1987 album Children of God . [2]
Regarding his contribution to the single's title track, drummer Ted Parsons said:
"But you know the first recording I did with Swans, was "A Screw" on Holy Money? I get in there – I can’t remember what the studio was – and Michael Gira the singer said, "Well, you know what? There’s no drum kit here, we just want to set a snare drum up in the hallway and have you hit it." And I was like, "What? OK." So they set the snare up in this big hallway down this corridor, and I hit the drum, and that was it. They sampled it, and he said, "OK, that’s great, go home." That was it. That was "A Screw."" [3]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Screw" | 5:40 |
| 2. | "Blackmail" | 4:42 |
| 3. | "A Screw (Holy Money)" (Mix) | 4:58 |
| Total length: | 15:20 | |
Notes
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Indie Chart [5] | 4 |
Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1982 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of the few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans have become recognized for an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band's only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.
The World of Skin was a music project springing out of the American group Swans, which was a collaboration between the core Swans members Michael Gira and Jarboe. The project was initially called Skin, with the first two albums being released under that name, the last one being released under the name the World of Skin. In the UK, the first two albums were released by Product Inc., an imprint of Mute Records, while the last was released on Gira's own Young God label.
Cop is the second studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1984 through record label K.422.
Greed is the third studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1986, through record label K.422. Greed marks the slow turning point for Swans away from the harsh, brutal noise rock of prior releases, and is also the first Swans album to contain contributions from Jarboe.
Children of God is the fifth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released on October 19, 1987, through record label Caroline and on K.422 in the United Kingdom.
Soundtracks for the Blind is the tenth studio album by Swans. It was released as a double CD on October 22, 1996, through Young God Records. Soundtracks for the Blind was intended, as suggested by the title, to function as a "soundtrack for a non-existent film." Upon its release, it received widespread acclaim from critics, but was the last studio album released by the band until 2010's My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky. A reissue of the album was released on July 20, 2018, marking the first time Soundtracks for the Blind was released on vinyl.
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Holy Money is an Mini-LP by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in March 1986, through record label K.422. The Mini-LP was recorded in the same sessions as "Time Is Money (Bastard)", "A Screw", and Greed.
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Feel Good Now is the second live album by the New York City no wave band Swans. It was recorded on a Sony Professional Walkman on their 1987 Children of God tour in Europe. A remaster of the album, along with the studio album Children of God, was released on November 13, 2020.
Saved is a song by American experimental rock band Swans. The track was released as a single for The Burning World (1989) and reached No. 28 on Billboard's Alternative chart.
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Thirteen Masks is the solo debut record by Jarboe, released in 1991 through Hyperium. The album features Swans members Michael Gira, Norman Westberg, Clinton Steele, and Tony Maimone of Pere Ubu.
Stuart Alexander Elliott is an English drummer, composer and producer. He was the original drummer for Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and during his time with this band he became a session drummer playing for top artists such as Kate Bush, Al Stewart, The Alan Parsons Project, Roger Daltrey, Paul McCartney, Claudio Baglioni, Lucio Battisti, among others.
The Seer is the twelfth studio album by the American experimental rock band Swans. It was released by Young God Records on August 28, 2012. Producer and front man Michael Gira funded the recording of the album with the sales of the live double album We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head (2012).
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Drainland is the debut solo studio album by American musician Michael Gira. It was released on June 9, 1995, through Alternative Tentacles. Using spare arrangements recorded in August 1994 at musician Bill Rieflin's Seattle home, the album features contributions from Rieflin and Gira's Swans bandmate Jarboe.
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