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The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Recorded | 1991, 1992 | |||
Studio | Liquidator Studios, London Joe's Garage, London | |||
Length | 47:06 | |||
Label | Demon | |||
Producer | none credited | |||
Ian Dury chronology | ||||
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The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories is the seventh solo album by Ian Dury, released in 1992 by Demon. Despite being recorded after the successful live reunion of Ian Dury and the Blockheads, inspired by the death of their drummer Charley Charles, the album is not a Blockheads record. All of the band, however, except bassist Norman Watt-Roy, appear on the album.
The album has its origins in a 1991 Irish film After Midnight. When asked to produce music for the film, Dury recruited Blockhead Mick Gallagher and Music Students member Merlin Rhys-Jones. Two songs, "O'Donegal" and "Quick Quick Slow", along with another, "Bye Bye Dublin", were written around this time, and at least the latter two were recorded in Shepherd's Bush, London along with incidental music for the film.
Dury's in-studio behavior had become notably better than during the 1980s and would steadily improve. One notable drink-fueled event, however, while recording the album, on the Mile End Road, London (owned by the brother of Madness keyboard player Mike Barson), is recounted often by Gallagher and Rhys-Jones. Dury, drunk on Budweiser became furious, allegedly after a technician named Frasier erased Gallagher's keyboard part for "Quick Quick Slow", and threatened to burn the studio down. When he wouldn't calm down, the police were called and after spitting at them and calling them 'homosexuals', Dury was arrested.[ citation needed ]
Bus Driver's Prayer is almost always considered a 'return to form' for Dury as a lyricist, and is considered as such by both Dury biographies Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Song by Song and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll: The Life of Ian Dury. The most commonly quoted songs to illustrate this are "Poor Joey" and "Poo-Poo in the Prawn".
Was a very hungry fella
I defrosted my Paella
Came down with Salmonella
Three weeks intensive care
They failed to send technicians in
To check the air conditioning
Which was unfortunately transmissioningA case of Legionnaire's
— from "Poo-Poo in the Prawn"
Demon Records were unhappy with the final album and hardly promoted it, despite favorable reviews including a March 1993 issue of Vox , where it was awarded six out of ten stars. Mick Gallagher continues to praise the album as one of his favorites, and noted in Song by Song that it was the album by which he personally mourned Dury, following the singer's death in 2000. The album has received criticism, however, for its use of a drum machine.[ citation needed ]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the album "an engaging collection of character sketches and stories," and added that "the album may lack strong hooks and melodies, yet Dury diehards will find that his wry observations are just as subtle and humorous as ever." [1]
Songwriting credits adapted from the 2015 vinyl edition liner notes. [2]
All tracks are written by Ian Dury and Mick Gallagher; except where indicated.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "That's Enough of That" | Ian Dury, Mick Gallagher, Merlin Rhys-Jones | 4:49 |
2. | "Bill Haley's Last Words" | Ian Dury, Mick Gallagher, Merlin Rhys-Jones | 3:12 |
3. | "Poor Joey" | 3:50 | |
4. | "Quick Quick Slow" | 3:14 | |
5. | "Fly in the Ointment" | 2:55 | |
6. | "O'Donegal" | 3:53 | |
7. | "Poo-Poo in the Prawn" | 3:17 | |
8. | "London Talking" | 1:15 | |
9. | "Have a Word" | Ian Dury, Mick Gallagher, Merlin Rhys-Jones | 3:57 |
10. | "D'Orine the Cow" | 3:18 | |
11. | "Your Horoscope" | 4:00 | |
12. | "No Such Thing as Love" | Ian Dury, Merlin Rhys-Jones | 3:38 |
13. | "Two Old Dogs Without a Name" | 4:43 | |
14. | "Bus Driver's Prayer" | Traditional; arranged and adapted by Ian Dury | 0:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Amerind" | Dury, Chaz Jankel | 4:24 |
2. | "I Believe" | 3:27 | |
3. | "Cowboys" | Dury, Jankel | 4:32 |
4. | "One Love" | Dury, Jankel | 3:32 |
5. | "Grape and Grain" | Dury, Jankel | 5:32 |
6. | "The Writer" | Dury, Jankel | 5:11 |
7. | "Whale" | Dury, Jankel | 5:04 |
8. | "Itinerant Child" | Dury, Jankel | 4:56 |
Note: the album sleeve does not give information on who plays what on which track
Problems have occurred with The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories CD re-issues. Initially Demon Record's CD version did not contain any writing credits for the songs, its booklet simply included five poems written by Dury.
Edsel Records' 2004 2-CD re-issue fixed this, including writing credits above each song's lyric as with the other albums in the reissue campaign, however it erroneously lists "London Talking" as track 9 and "Have A Word" as track 8, both on the track list on the back of the CD case and in the booklet, also placing the lyrics in the wrong order.
Edsel Record's re-issue also includes a bonus disc with eight bonus tracks: unreleased tracks "Amerind", "Whale", "Grape and Grain" and "The Writer", plus four songs that would later appear on later albums with the Blockheads, "Itinerant Child" (which would appear on Mr. Love Pants ) and "One Love", "Cowboys" and "I Believe" (later to be included on Ten More Turnips from the Tip ).
Ian Robins Dury was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads and previously Kilburn and the High Roads.
"Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" is a song and single by Ian Dury. It was originally released as a Stiff Records single, with "Razzle in My Pocket" as the B-side, on 26 August 1977. The song was released under the single name "Ian Dury", but three members of the Blockheads appear on the record – the song's co-writer and guitarist Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy on bass and drummer Charlie Charles.
New Boots and Panties!! is the debut studio album by Ian Dury, released in the UK on Stiff Records on 30 September 1977. The record covers a diverse range of musical styles which reflect Dury's influences and background in pub rock, taking in funk, disco, British music hall and early rock and roll, courtesy of Dury's musical hero Gene Vincent. Consisting mostly of love songs and character stories based on the working-class people of the East End and Essex Estuary areas where he grew up, the songs are frequently ribald and profane, but also contain humour and affection for his characters.
Michael William Gallagher is an English Hammond organ player best known as a member of Ian Dury and the Blockheads and for his contributions to albums by the Clash. He has also written music for films such as Extremes (1971) and After Midnight (1990), and the Broadway play Serious Money (1987).
"Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" is a song by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, first released as a single on Stiff Records in the UK on 23 November 1978 and credited to "Ian & the Blockheads". Written by Dury and the Blockheads' multi-instrumentalist Chaz Jankel, it is the group's most successful single, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart in January 1979 as well as reaching the top three in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and it was also a top 20 hit in several European countries.
Do It Yourself is a 1979 album by Ian Dury & the Blockheads. It was the first album to be credited to Ian Dury & the Blockheads rather than Ian Dury alone, although Dury had used the full band name for the "What a Waste" 7" single of 1978. The album was released in the wake of the chart-topping hit single "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick", and reached number two in the charts, behind ABBA's Voulez-Vous. Do It Yourself sold around 200,000 copies, and was Dury's second Platinum album.
Laughter is the third studio album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads; released in 1980, it was the last studio album Dury made for Stiff Records. It was also the last studio album he made with the Blockheads, until 1998's Mr. Love Pants, though a live album Warts 'n' Audience was produced in 1991.
4,000 Weeks' Holiday is a studio album by Ian Dury and the Music Students, released on 27 January 1984 by Polydor Records. It is Dury's only studio album with the Music Students and his fifth overall.
Apples is the sixth studio album by Ian Dury, released in October 1989 by WEA. It was the soundtrack to his short-lived stage-show of same name though it was recorded before the show opened. The album contains twelve of the twenty tracks from the show. The album was reissued with no bonus tracks on 31 October 2011 by Edsel Records.
Ten More Turnips from the Tip is the fourth and final studio album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and Dury's ninth overall. It was compiled and released in 2002, two years after Dury's death in March 2000.
Mr. Love Pants is a 1998 album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, released on East Central One under Dury's own label Ronnie Harris Records.
"What a Waste" is a song and single by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, originally released in 1978 on the Stiff Records single BUY 27 "What a Waste" / "Wake Up and Make Love with Me". The song has remained in The Blockheads' set following Dury's death.
"Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3" is a song and single by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, initially released as the single "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 / Common as Muck" issued on 20 July 1979 and reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart the following month. It is the last single to be released by the band in their original line-up.
"Sweet Gene Vincent" is a song and single by Ian Dury. Taken from his first solo album New Boots and Panties!! it was his second solo single and third solo release and is a tribute to Rock 'n' Roll singer Gene Vincent. It was released November 1977 on the single BUY 23 Sweet Gene Vincent / You're More Than Fair and there was no picture sleeve released.
Straight from the Desk is a live album by Ian Dury & the Blockheads recorded on 23 December 1978 at the Ilford Odeon, Ilford, East London.
The Blockheads are an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Originally fronted by lead singer Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads or Ian and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. As of March 2023 members included Chaz Jankel, Nathan King (bass), Mick Gallagher, John Turnbull, John Roberts (drums), and Mike Bennett. There is a rolling line-up of saxophonists that includes Gilad Atzmon, Terry Edwards, Dave Lewis, and from time to time, the original sax player, Davey Payne. Between 2000 and 2022, the band's lead vocalist and main lyricist was Derek Hussey.
Norman Joseph Watt-Roy is an English musician, arranger and composer.
Live Stiffs Live is a live album released in 1978 by Stiff Records. It compiles concert performances by several of the record label's artists recorded during the "Live Stiffs Tour", which ran from 3 October to 5 November 1977.
Formed in 1977 to promote Ian Durys' album New Boots and Panties!! on the first Stiff Records tour of the UK, Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy, Charlie Charles, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher became known as 'The Blockheads'. As 'Ian Dury & The Blockheads' they went back out on tour, this time without Jankel, and in 1978 released "What a Waste"/"Wake Up and Make Love with Me" a single that reached number five in the UK charts. They were then joined by saxophonist Davey Payne and toured the US supporting Lou Reed across North America, ending with their own dates in California.
Chas Jankel is the debut solo studio album by the English singer and multi-instrumentalist Chaz Jankel. It was originally released in 1980, on the label A&M. Ian Dury and The Blockheads's first and only album without Jankel, Laughter, was released the same year.