Swamp Thing (album)

Last updated

Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing (album).jpg
Studio album by
Malcolm McLaren
Released11 November 1985
Recorded1982–1984
Genre Dance music
Length37:31
Label Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Charisma CAS 1170
Flag of the United States.svg Island/Atlantic
90481
Producer Malcolm McLaren, Stephen Hague, Trevor Horn
Malcolm McLaren chronology
Fans
(1984)		Swamp Thing
(1985)		 Waltz Darling
(1989)
Singles from Swamp Thing
  1. "Duck Rock Cheer" b/w "Boys Chorus (La Sui Monti Dell'est)"
    Released: 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Swamp Thing is the third album by Malcolm McLaren, released in 1985. [5] [6] It is composed of out-takes recorded between 1982 and 1984. [7] The tracks were often built upon material previously recorded - for example, "Eiffel Tower" repurposed lyrics from the Bow Wow Wow song "Sexy Eiffel Towers" with the rhythm track of "Punk it Up" from McLaren's album Duck Rock , while another track from that album, "Soweto," found its instrumental hook reused in the track "Boom Boom Baby."

Contents

The album was released to fulfill a contractual obligation with his record label. "Duck Rock Cheer" was the sole single released to promote the album. Neither the album nor the single met with commercial or critical success, though "Eiffel Tower" had earlier been featured on the soundtrack to the 1984 Jerry Schatzberg film No Small Affair .

Critical reception

NME wrote that the album "plays listlessly end to end," and but that there are "four goodies out of eight." [8] Trouser Press wrote that "the title track perverts 'Wild Thing' into a nightmarish but enjoyable mess." [7] The Rolling Stone Album Guide called Swamp Thing "a hellishly self-referential mess." [4]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Swamp Thing"McLaren6:17
2."Duck Rock Cheer" Trevor Horn, McLaren7:12
3."Buffalo Love" Anne Dudley, McLaren4:00
4."Supresto"McLaren1:12
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."B.I. Bikki" Stephen Hague, McLaren3:42
6."Eiffel Tower"McLaren3:46
7."Boom Boom Baby"McLaren4:45
8."Duck Rockers/Promises"Trevor Horn, McLaren5:56

Bonus tracks

  1. "Duck Rock Cheer - 12" Version (Cheerleader Version)"
  2. "Duck Rock Cheer - 7" Vocal Edit"
  3. "First Couple Out"
  4. "First Couple Out - Extended Version"
  5. "First Couple Out - Long fade"
  6. "B.1. Bikki - (New Mix, 2019)"

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex Pistols</span> English punk rock band

The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most culturally influential acts in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspired many later punk, post-punk and alternative rock musicians, while their clothing and hairstyles were a significant influence on the early punk image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm McLaren</span> English artist and musician (1946–2010)

Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English impresario, visual artist, musician, and fashion designer. He is best known for promoting and managing the punk rock and new wave bands New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow and as an early commercial architect of the punk subculture.

<i>Kings of the Wild Frontier</i> 1980 studio album by Adam and the Ants

Kings of the Wild Frontier is the second album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was released on 7 November 1980 by CBS Records in the UK and Epic records internationally. The album was the UK number 1 selling album in 1981 and won Best British Album at the 1982 Brit Awards.

<i>Vincebus Eruptum</i> 1968 studio album by Blue Cheer

Vincebus Eruptum is the debut album of American rock band Blue Cheer. Released on January 16, 1968, the album features a heavy-thunderous blues sound, which would later be known as heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bow Wow Wow</span> English new wave band

Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band with then 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals. They released their debut EP Your Cassette Pet in 1980, and had their first UK top 10 hit with "Go Wild in the Country" in 1982. The band's music was characterized by a danceable new wave sound that drew on a Burundi beat provided by Dave Barbarossa on drums, as well as the subversive, suggestive, and sometimes exuberant lyrics sung and chanted by their teenage lead vocalist.

<i>Blow Up Your Video</i> 1988 studio album by AC/DC

Blow Up Your Video is the eleventh studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the AC/DC Remasters series.

<i>Hello</i> (Poe album) 1995 studio album by Poe

Hello is the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Poe. It was released in 1995 on Modern Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annabella Lwin</span> Musical artist

Annabella Lwin is an English-Burmese singer, songwriter and record producer best known as the lead vocalist of Bow Wow Wow.

<i>All Live and All of the Night</i> 1988 live album by the Stranglers

All Live and All of the Night is the second live album by English rock band the Stranglers, released on 8 February 1988 by Epic Records. The release peaked at No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart in March 1988.

<i>Duck Rock</i> 1983 studio album by Malcolm McLaren

Duck Rock is an album released by British impresario Malcolm McLaren. It was originally issued in 1983 by Charisma Records, Virgin Records, and Chrysalis Records, and later re-released on CD in 1987. The album mixes up styles from South Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the United States, including hip hop. The album proved to be highly influential in bringing hip hop to a wider audience in the United Kingdom. Two of the singles from the album, "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch", became major chart hits on both sides of the Atlantic. Duck Rock was dedicated to Harry McClintock, better known as Haywire Mac. The album artwork was designed by Dondi White and Nick Egan, with the illustration by Keith Haring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Gorman</span> Musical artist

Leigh Gorman is an English rock musician, record producer, and composer, best known for his work as the bass player for Bow Wow Wow.

David Barbarossa is a drummer and an author of British and Mauritian descent. As part of both Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow, he was instrumental in creating the highly influential and innovative tribal drumming style that was popular among British and some American bands from 1979 to 1983.

<i>The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!</i> 1975 studio album by The Dictators

The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! is the debut album by American punk rock band The Dictators. It was released in March 1975 and is considered one of the first examples of punk rock.

<i>The Great Rock n Roll Swindle</i> (album) 1979 soundtrack album by Sex Pistols

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is the soundtrack album of the film of the same name by the Sex Pistols.

<i>See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!</i> 1981 studio album by Bow Wow Wow

See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy! is the debut studio album by English new wave band Bow Wow Wow, released in October 1981 by RCA Records.

<i>Your Cassette Pet</i> 1980 EP by Bow Wow Wow

Your Cassette Pet is the cassette-only debut mini-album by English new wave band Bow Wow Wow, released in November 1980 on EMI Records. It included a cover of the 1940 Johnny Mercer/Rube Bloom pop hit "Fools Rush In".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Gals (Malcolm McLaren song)</span> 1982 single by Malcolm McLaren

"Buffalo Gals" is a 1982 hip hop single released by Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team, from McLaren's 1983 album Duck Rock. The song is composed of extensive scratching with calls from square dancing. The music video prominently features the Rock Steady Crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Egan</span> British visual design artist and director of music videos, commercials and film

Nick Egan is a British visual design artist and director of music videos, commercials and film. He graduated from the Watford College of Art and Design with a DGA in 1976. While attending college, he created cover art for the singles "White Man In Hammersmith Palais" and "Tommy Gun" for The Clash and T-shirt design for the single "Sheena is A Punk Rocker" for The Ramones. His first chart topping album cover was Dexys Midnight Runners' 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels'. He collaborated with former Sex Pistols manager and fashion entrepreneur Mr. Malcolm McLaren, for whom he designed the album cover for Bow Wow Wow's 'See Jungle'. His longtime partnership with McLaren McLaren led the art direction of McLaren's own inventive albums; Duck Rock and 'Fans'. Egan relocated from Britain to New York, where he created cover art for legendary artists like Bob Dylan and Iggy Pop. Egan also art directed books; John Lennon Listen To These Pictures by Rock-n-Roll photographer Bob Gruen and Bob Dylan's Drawn Blank.

<i>Waltz Darling</i> 1989 studio album by Malcolm McLaren and The Bootzilla Orchestra

Waltz Darling is the fourth studio album by Malcolm McLaren, released in 1989. The album spawned several popular singles, including "Deep in Vogue" a collaboration with Willi Ninja, best known for his appearance in the documentary film Paris Is Burning, which introduced vogue style of dance to the mainstream. Another single, "House of the Blue Danube" was used in the trailer for the 1990 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C·30 C·60 C·90 Go</span> 1980 single by Bow Wow Wow

"C·30 C·60 C·90 Go" is the debut single by English new wave band Bow Wow Wow. It was written by Malcolm McLaren, Matthew Ashman, Leigh Gorman and Dave Barbarossa. Originally only released on cassette, it was the world's first-ever cassette single.

References

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 660.
  3. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 736.
  4. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 463.
  5. ↑ "Malcolm McLaren | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  6. ↑ Gorman, Paul (9 April 2020). The Life & Times of Malcolm McLaren: The Biography. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN   9781472121103 – via Google Books.
  7. 1 2 "Malcolm McLaren". Trouser Press. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "Malcolm McLaren: Swamp thing | Articles | Zang Tuum Tumb and all that". www.zttaat.com.
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.