Jean the Birdman

Last updated
"Jean the Birdman"
Sylvian and Fripp - Jean the Birdman.jpg
Single by David Sylvian & Robert Fripp
from the album The First Day
B-side
  • Pt1: "Earthbound (Starblind)"/"Endgame"
  • Pt2: "Gone to Earth"/"Tallow Moon"/"Dark Water"
ReleasedAugust 23, 1993 (1993-08-23)
RecordedDecember 1992–March 1993
Genre Art rock
Length4:12
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s) Trey Gunn, Robert Fripp, David Sylvian
Producer(s) David Bottrill, David Sylvian
David Sylvian singles chronology
"Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)"
(1992)		"Jean the Birdman"
(1993)		"I Surrender"
(1999)
Music video
"Jean the Birdman" on YouTube

"Jean the Birdman" is a song recorded in 1993 by Robert Fripp and David Sylvian, and co-written by Trey Gunn.
The single, the only one from The First Day, was released as two separate CDs, each including exclusive b-sides. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Video

The dreamlike music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh a year before he became famous for his work on Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun".

Exclusive B-sides

"Earthbound (Starblind)" was co-written by Fripp and Sylvian, and was effectively in two parts, Sylvian singing a melodic verse and chorus over a simple acoustic guitar, which then gave way to a 6-minute Fripp soundscape of guitar and Frippertronics.

"Endgame" was a simple piece, again dominated by Sylvian's verse chorus vocal over a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. Sylvian explained: "These pieces were written after the completion of the Rain Tree Crow project. Lyrically, there is still this connection with that early material. I guess I hadn't worked the themes out of system entirely with Rain Tree Crow." [4]

On "Tallow Moon" Sylvian spoke the lyrics of a poem. The lyrics are taken from Rimbaud's "Lettre au directeur des Messageries maritimes", released on Hector Zazou's album Sahara Blue . "Dark Water" is an ambient soundscape by Fripp. [5]

Track listing

Part 1

  1. "Jean the Birdman" (Fripp, Trey Gunn, Sylvian) - 4:12
  2. "Earthbound (Starblind)" (Fripp, Sylvian) - 10:14
  3. "Endgame" (Sylvian) - 2:22

Part 2

  1. "Jean the Birdman" (Fripp, Gunn, Sylvian) - 4:12
  2. "Gone to Earth" (Fripp, Sylvian) - 3:04
  3. "Tallow Moon" (Sylvian) - 5:44
  4. "Dark Water" (Fripp) - 6:45

Charts

Chart (1993)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [6] 68

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalog
United Kingdom 1993 Virgin CD VSC 1462

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Fripp</span> British guitarist, composer, record producer, and author (b. 1946)

Robert Fripp is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session musician and collaborator, notably with David Bowie, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, the Roches, Talking Heads, and David Sylvian. He also composed the startup sound of Windows Vista, in collaboration with Tucker Martine and Steve Ball. His discography includes contributions to more than 700 official releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Sylvian</span> English musician (born 1958)

David Sylvian is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly electronic sound made them an important influence on the UK's early-1980s new wave scene.

<i>Gone to Earth</i> (David Sylvian album) 1986 studio album by David Sylvian

Gone to Earth is the third solo studio album by English singer-songwriter David Sylvian, released on 1 September 1986 on Virgin Records. A double album, Gone to Earth is the follow-up to his debut record, Brilliant Trees, and peaked at No. 24 in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>The Construkction of Light</i> 2000 studio album by King Crimson

The Construkction of Light is the twelfth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in May 2000 by record label Virgin. It is the first of two studio albums to feature the "double duo" line-up of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto. It is the group's longest studio album and the only one not to chart in the United States.

<i>Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With</i> 2002 EP by King Crimson

Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With is the third EP by prog rock band King Crimson released in 2002, a companion to the subsequent album The Power to Believe (2003). Many of the songs on Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With can also be found on The Power to Believe, but there are differences between recordings; this version of "Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With" is longer by one chorus, and "Eyes Wide Open" uses primarily acoustic instrumentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trey Gunn</span> American musician (born 1960)

Trey Gunn is an American musician, known for being in the progressive rock band King Crimson from 1994 to 2003. He plays Warr Guitar and Chapman Stick instruments.

<i>BBoom: Live in Argentina</i> 1995 live album by King Crimson

B'Boom: Live in Argentina is a live album by the band King Crimson, released in 1995. All songs were recorded between 6 and 16 October 1994 at the Broadway Theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, except for "Heartbeat" which was recorded in Córdoba.

<i>EleKtrik: Live in Japan</i> 2003 live album by King Crimson

EleKtrik: Live in Japan is a live album by the band King Crimson, released in 2003. It consists of most of the audio soundtrack from the first disc of the band's double DVD Eyes Wide Open.

<i>Vrooom</i> 1994 EP (mini-album) by King Crimson

Vrooom is an EP by the band King Crimson, classified as a mini-album due to its length. It was released in 1994, as a companion to the subsequent full length album THRAK (1995). It is the first King Crimson release to feature the “double trio” of guitarists Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew, bassists Trey Gunn and Tony Levin, and drummers Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto.

<i>Thrak</i> 1995 studio album by King Crimson

Thrak is the eleventh studio album by the band King Crimson released in 1995 through Virgin Records. It was preceded by the mini-album Vrooom in 1994, which contained early versions of some of the same material. It was the group's first full-length studio album since Three of a Perfect Pair eleven years earlier and their only full album to feature the "double trio" lineup of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn, Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto. It is the group's final studio album to feature either Bruford or Levin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Guitar Trio</span> American band

California Guitar Trio (CGT) is an acoustic–electric band formed in Los Angeles in 1991 with the aim of expanding the potential of acoustic guitars played in the New standard tuning (NST) introduced by Robert Fripp on Guitar Craft courses. The California Guitar Trio's core lineup consisted of Paul Richards, Bert Lams, and Hideyo Moriya. Today's CGT lineup includes founding members Richards and Lams, with the addition of Tom Griesgraber, a Chapman Stick virtuoso. Highly regarded instrumentalists, the CGT have achieved worldwide renown for their eclectic repertoire, precision arrangements, and expansive sonic palette. The California Guitar Trio has toured globally for over three decades, performing more than 2,000 concerts. CGT has released 21 albums, with their music being streamed over 120 million times on Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

<i>Heaven and Earth</i> (ProjeKct X album) 2000 studio album by ProjeKct X

ProjeKct X was a side project of the music band King Crimson during 1999–2000.

<i>The First Day</i> (David Sylvian and Robert Fripp album) 1993 studio album by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp

The First Day is an album by the British musicians David Sylvian and Robert Fripp released in August 1993. The album, first of three collaborations between the two musicians, contains music merging elements of rock and funk.

<i>Everything and Nothing</i> 2000 compilation album by David Sylvian

Everything and Nothing is a compilation album by David Sylvian. Released in October 2000, the album contains previously released and unreleased, re-recorded, and alternate versions of tracks from Sylvian's twenty years with Virgin Records. The record peaked at no.57 in the UK albums chart.

<i>Damage: Live</i> 1994 live album by Sylvian/Fripp

Damage is a live recording by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp. It was recorded on the "Road to Graceland" tour at London's Royal Albert Hall, December 1993.

<i>Camphor</i> (album) 2002 compilation album by David Sylvian

Camphor is a David Sylvian compilation album released in 2002 as a companion to Everything and Nothing. The focus is on his instrumental work.

<i>The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume Two – 1981–2003</i> 2005 box set by King Crimson

The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume Two – 1981–2003 is a compilation album by the highly influential English progressive rock band King Crimson, containing the best-known songs from the group's 1981–2003 phase. No material from the album the construKction of light (2000) was included in this box set. It was released in 2005.

<i>Darshan</i> (The Road to Graceland) 1993 studio album by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp

Darshan (The Road to Graceland) is the second of three collaborative productions of David Sylvian and Robert Fripp. It is a remix album; the first two tracks are remixes of the original song "Darshan" from their first album The First Day. The original version, written by David Sylvian, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn and David Bottrill, is reissued here as final track. The first track is a remix by the Grid, and the second track—called "Darshana"—is a “reconstruction” by The Future Sound of London. It was released on 6 December 1993 as EP and CD Single on Virgin Records (SYLCD1 and VJCP 20013 in Japan).

<i>Eyes Wide Open</i> (King Crimson album) 2003 video by King Crimson

Eyes Wide Open is a live 2-DVD set by the British progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 2003. It presents two concerts filmed in the early 2000s, the band lineup featuring Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto.

<i>THRAK</i> (box set) 2015 box set by King Crimson

THRAK is the fifth of the major box set releases from English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 2015 by Discipline Global Mobile & Panegyric Records.

References

  1. ↑ "discogs". Discogs . 2021-08-01.
  2. ↑ "discogs". Discogs . 2021-08-01.
  3. ↑ "davidsylvian.net". 2021-08-01.
  4. ↑ E Young, Christopher (2013). On the Periphery. Burning Shed. p. 168.
  5. ↑ Young, Christopher E (2013). On the Periphery. Malin Publishing Ltd.
  6. ↑ "David Sylvian and Robert Fripp: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.