March 17, 2012

Mmmm… Another band quoting “Fleance” as its influence…


This time is an English pop band called HYDE & BEAST (http://www.hydeandbeast.co.uk/) to quote TEB's "Fleance" as its influence, even if their first album (“Slow Down”, published in 2011) sounds as a plagiarized Beatles (1965-1969) artifact (read the witty review written by Josh Hall  at http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2011/08/hyde-beast-slow-down/).

Anyway during an interview about the TEB's track the band says:

“It’s like a medieval Velvet Underground song!


I first came across this song on a psychedelic compilation album put together by Amorphous Androgynous and was instantly smitten! The open line “oh your two eyes will slay me suddenly” had me hooked. Anyone that has been besotted by someone before will know the power of this line. I must have listened to the song about 50 times on repeat when I first got it."

"Its very simple, only about 4 chords with an acoustic guitar, violin, hand drum and a meandering seemingly improvised flute line. It really, really reminds me of The Velvet Underground. It’s a drone, almost a dirge and I can totally imagine Moe Tucker singing it. 

Hyde & Beast by Ian West
The lyrics are actually taken from a Chaucer poem: “Merciless beauty” and “Oh your two eyes will slay me suddenly, I may the beauty of them not sustain, so pierceth it throughout my heart keen” – just amazing! One night after a few too many gins I attempted to write a song using medieval language. I failed. Perhaps if I had been drinking mead I may have had a greater success."

A couple of very strange facts about this song: it’s actually sung by a very young Keith Chegwin! WHAT? Yup, it’s true, this fact put me off the song for about a day but then I crumbled and started listening again. The song was written for the soundtrack for Roman Polanski’s film version of Macbeth and the character who plays Fleance in the film was a young Cheggers who also sang this song. 

Also strangely Johnny Rotten picked this song as a favourite of his when he appeared on a Capitol radio show in 1977.
Its a funny old world isn’t it?".
(the quotation is taken from “The line of best it” at http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2011/08/reference-points-hyde-beast/


I think Denny Bridges will be proud of it!
no©2012 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

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