THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS

<< back to the Combined Discography

Release date and tracklist

1996
BE CD Play It Again Sam BIAS325
US CD Soleilmoon SOL47

March 9, 2017
NL MP3 self-released on Bandcamp

1. Belladonna – [MP3]
2. I Love You In Your Tragic Beauty – [MP3]
3. Green Gang – [MP3]
4. Princess Coldheart – [MP3]
5. Disturbance – [MP3]
6. The Grain Kings – [MP3]
7. Prague Spring – [MP3]
8. A Triple Moon Salute – [MP3]
9. Joey The Canary – [MP3]
10. Siren – [MP3]
11. The Angel Trail – [MP3]
12. A Velvet Resurrection (Version) – [MP3]
13. Friend (Version) – [MP3]

Credits

• Edward Ka-Spel – Voice, Keyboards
• The Silverman – Keyboards, Electronics
• Bob Pistoor
• Martijn de Kleer
• Ryan Moore
• Niels Van Hoorn
• cEvin Key

Notes

This release is a follow-up of sorts to STONE CIRCLES, collecting various tracks from the band’s 1990-95 releases with two tracks (marked “version”) slightly remixed/extended.
The title is Spanish for the LPD motto: “Sing While You May”.

MEZHKAZH JOIE JOIE O JOIE

Tracks 1, 5 & 6 from “The Maria Dimension”
Tracks 2, 3 & 4 from “The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse”
Track 7 from “Shadow Weaver”
Track 8 from “Chemical Playschool Volume 8+9”
Track 9 from “Malachai”
Tracks 10 & 11 from “9 Lives to Wonder”
Tracks 12 & 13 from “From Here you’ll Watch the World Go By”

Bandcamp release:
A welcome rise of interest in The Dots over the last year makes it seem like a good moment to resurrect this well received Anthology – although it documents the band throughout their mid-period in the 90s,stopping in 1995.  The cd version is becoming scarce however. We managed to score 20 copies from the small box of remains!

Review

With a title taken from the Spanish version of the band’s motto — “sing while you may” — Canta Miedras Puedas is a useful enough single-disc compilation of the Legendary Pink Dots’ work in the first half of the ’90s. Those who have all the releases in question which were culled for Canta won’t need this unless they’re a hyper-completist — there are only two relative rarities on the disc, both remixed versions of From Here You’ll Watch the World Go By cuts. However, if one is a newcomer to the work of LPD, this is really an excellent place to start. Three of the band’s stone-cold classics are on here — the absolutely gorgeous acoustic-guitar led “Belladonna” and “I Love You in Your Tragic Beauty,” which makes an amazing one-two punch for the album’s start, and the swirling boulevardier swing of “Princess Coldheart” with its memorable keyboard melody and anthemic conclusion. Other cuts from The Maria Dimension and The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse crop up, while Shadow Weaver, Malachai, and Chemical Playschool 8 + 9 are represented by one song each. Two choices from 9 Lives to Wonder round out the release. -Ned Raggett, Allmusic.com

THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS

<< back to the Combined Discography

Release date and tracklist

1989
IT 12″ Materiali Sonori MASO 7009

side a

1. Puppets Apocalypse
2. Poppy Day
3. A Lust For Powder

side b

1. Only When I Laugh
2. La Cazza Nova
3. Lyriex

***
Greetings 9 + Premonition 11 / It’s Raining in Heaven
1991
IT CD Materiali Sonori MASO CD 90029

1996
US CD Soleilmoon SOL43  (alternate image)

1. Puppets Apocalypse
2. Poppy Day
3. A Lust For Powder
4. Only When I Laugh
5. La Cazza Nova
6. Lyriex
7. Premonition 11

07 March 2013
NL Remastered MP3 self-released on Bandcamp

1. Puppets Apocalypse / Poppy Day / A Lust For Powder
2. Only When I Laugh
3. La Cazza Nova
4. Lyriex
5. Premonition 11 (full length version)

Credits

• Edward Ka-Spel – voice, keyboards, electronix
• The Silver Man – keyboards, samples, loops
• Patrick Q-Wright – violins, keyboards, drum programming
• Hanz Myre – sax, flute, sound processing

 Notes

LP:
Side a recorded live at The Ubu Club, Rennes, France in Feb/88
Side b are studio tracks recorded August, 1988.
The vinyl edition was released in two slightly different covers (alternate image).

CD:
The first part of the CD bonus track “Premonition 11″ is the original 1982 recording (taken from PREMONITION 11 7”) and the second part was recorded in 1988, but they’ve been sequenced together to make it appear as one track.
The CD edition was reissued in 1996 under the title IT’S RAINING IN HEAVEN.

MP3 (from Bandcamp):
Sometimes this remastering project produces a flush of embarassment. History can be unforgiving and it’s painful to be presented with your own grotesque mistakes from the past.
The bonus track for this cd was such a lapse of judgement. Why, oh why, did I take a fine piece like Premonition 11 and EXTEND it with sections from another (later) era of the Dots? In fact the tail end of this piece comes from Maria Dimension sessions. WHAT WAS I THINKING?

No excuses here, I take the blame fully…

Greetings 9 (later reissued as “It’s Raining in Heaven”) was the ninth episode in a series by the Italian label Materiali Sonori.
The bands and artists that played in their annual festivals in the small Italian village of San Giovanni Valdarno were asked to make an album. Such was the kind atmosphere of the occasion and the gentle nature of the people running the label that we were delighted to accept the invitation.
Live pieces are from a famous performance by the Dots in the Ubu Club in Rennes in 1988.

Shockingly three members of the Dots quit after that long tour, and violin player Patrick left a little later flowing the recording of “The Golden Age”.

The Dots were a 2 piece band (EK and The Silverman) for the 3 studio tracks that formed the original side “B” of this album.
The original “Prem 11″ was one side of a 7” single / booker (Dsordne were on the flip) issued by Snowdonia in 1987. -EK

Lyrics

Only When I Laugh

She waved the red flag. Someone charged — head down. They had to cut me from the wire — shrouded — red rosettes. She stood there laughing as they tied me to the bed, and sped me off to casuality ward 33. No coffee, no cigarettes, no cozy chats with white coat zombies mumbling through the masks of poking plastic tubes. They sewed my mouth together. I couldn’t move, but still I whistle in the dark, and you come running, laughing, armed with red carnations, fleshy grapes that you can wave before my face and eat so slowly. Oh, you always had good taste, and now you’re wearing yellow. That’s my favorite. Touch my hair, and listen hard because I’ll purr. That’s how I show affection now, you know. Love hurts, but I’d do anything for you. Anything for you. Anything. And Everything.

La Cazza Nova

On the streets again, we’re [???] again, we could grow, and when the sun goes down, people meet again, never meet again, take our chances in another town. No, we never change, never come of age; guess that’s just the way the world goes ’round. [repeats last line until the end]

Lyriex

Forever, forever, forever.

Premonition 11

We checked out where the market square once stood. My god, there’s just a hole. It’s choking wreck to wreck, truck to truck, the bumpers bumping, sirens scream, but mothing seems to move, the collar’s open, sweat jets running down the windows, elbows pressed upon the horns. No one’s going anywhere at all.(x2) It’s not a place for me and my canary Paul. Please me, pretty, pretty please me.[repeat last line until the end]

THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS

<< back to the Combined Discography

Release date and tracklist

1996
US CDEP Soleilmoon SOL31

date unknown
MP3 available on Itunes

1. Remember Me This Way (full length version) – [MP3]
2. Beautiful Machine – [MP3]
3. Anastasia – [MP3]
4. Day Zero – [MP3]
5. Damien (remix) – [MP3]

Credits

• Martijn de Kleer – Guitars, drums
• Ryan Moore – Bass, drums, percussion
• The Silver Man – keyboards
• Edward Ka-Spel – Vox, keyboards
• Raymond Steeg – Sound tools
• Niels van Hoornblower – horns

Notes

Tracks 1, 4 and 5 mixed by Raymond and Martijn, and the remainder by Ryan and Edward.

Lyrics

Remember Me This Way (full length version)
(Lyrics appear under From Here You’ll Watch the World Go By.)

Beautiful Machine

Our beautiful machine cuts corners, breaks the mold. It knows no borders, knows its place. It follows orders to the bottom line. Ecological, no CFC’s, no waste – there’s no pollution. You could eat it from the floor. It gives solutions, never lies. It fills the room with pornographic, ultraviolet, looming aphrodisiac. We live for pleasure – on our backs, go back into the room… Our beautiful machine beats nature, cleans her up, knows how to tame her. Finally we have a saviour, proudly smelling good. Evening’s just a step away… Evening’s just a snip away…

Anastasia

Limping Anastasia waits patient in the yard. For just one hint of recognition, two strong arms. And a ticket to America where everything is better. She can hide behide a curtain, write letters. Perhaps a handsome senator will take her by the glove, he’ll face the people helpless – they will fall in love. Oh, they’ll shower her with sympathy, they’ll give her all their money. She will fly back home again with a private army. The bombs will decimate those towers, I’ll be on my knees. I’ll plead for her exquisite mercy, I’ll lick her high heels clean. And I will sell my Judas friends for ten years in a hole. I will sell my family, I shall sell my soul. But remember her dark intentions: I’ll just roll her chain. I’ll slip a penny for the tram fare, I’ll tell the driver, “Don’t stop ’til Spain.”

Day Zero

The king will see no visitors this evening. He’s resting in his bath. And he’s restless for the screening of his favorite soap – this episode is crucial. The king just needs to cry. Far away, the peasants are revolting, the generals have been choked with knotted flags. I hear they’re hanging from the balustrades. From mile-high-rises, microwaves are dropped. Drive-bys, dodge them all, to swarm into the hungry mob, to desecrate them, defecate them, no one’s leading on. They keep pitching forwards, this way, that way, anyway. And I heard the airport’s overflowing, and the borders have been closed. We are censoring this message, though we’re sure that no one knows: No one cares! The king is looking rather disappointed. He’s staring at the screen, and he’s swearing, ‘cos he’s seen someone died. The funeral is live.

Damien (remix)
(Lyrics appear under From Here You’ll Watch the World Go By.)

THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS

<< back to the Combined Discography

Release date and tracklist

1997
PL CDEP/CS SPV 150133

1. Sterre – [MP3]
2. Spike (psychomix) – [MP3]
3. The Elefant’s Graveyard – [MP3]
4. Sterre (instrumental) – [MP3]

Credits

Edward Ka-Spel – Voice, Keyboards
The Silver Man – Keyboards, Electronics
Edwin von Trippenhof – guitar, occasional bass
Ryan Moore – drums, occasional bass
Niels van Hoornblower – horns, flute
Frank Verschuuren – live sound

THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS

<< back to the Combined Discography

Release date and tracklist

1997
US CD Soleilmoon SOL57

12 December 2012
NL Remastered MP3 self-released on Bandcamp

1. Scarlet Wish – [MP3]
2. Inside – [MP3]
3. Colour Wheel – [MP3]
4. The Disaster Area – [MP3]
5. Nouveaux Modes Exotiques – [MP3]
6. Glasshouse – [MP3]
7. The Man With The Cut-Glass Heart – [MP3]
8. Little Romeo – [MP3]
9. Kleine Juliet – [MP3]
10. Saucers #1 – [MP3]
11. Premonition 19 – [MP3]
12. Wonderdome – [MP3]

Credits

• Qa’Sepel – vox, keyboards, drones, tapes
• Silverman – keyboards
• Niels van Hoornblower – horns, flute, electric horns
• Ryan Moore – acoustic & electric guitar, bass, drums, theremin
• Edwin von Trippenhof – electric guitar, squeltch bass
• Frank Verschuuren – sound devices
• Nienke – lady voice
• Calyxx – little voice

Notes

A special collection of new and unreleased material (recorded between 1992 and 1997) which was created especially for sale at shows on the LPD 1997 North American tour. After the tour, it was put into general release as an edition of 2000.
The cover for this release was designed using artwork submitted by LPD fans from all over the world.
“Glasshouse” is split into two separate tracks on the CD.

On the remastered version on Bandcamp, Little Romeo /Kleine Juliet are combined on one track.

Notes from Bandcamp:
CHEMICAL PLAYSCHOOL 10 .1997.
When the Legendary Pink Dots first showed their faces way back in 1980 2 cassette releases were prepared. There was “Only Dreaming” which had a number of songs you could hum along with together with a few seriously “out-there” moments, and there was “Chemical Playschool” which was so out there , extra-terrestials phoned and complained about a lack of space.

Most of that second cassette emerged on the 3 hour special “Chemical Playschool 1 & 2” but it planted the idea that here was a platform to really allow the Dots to let their hair down.
We’re about to hit Volume 15 and we’re still enjoying these strange journeys.

Number 10 was special .It collected many unfinished wig-outs from the “9 Lives ” and “Shadow Weaver” sessions and combined them with homeless Ka-Spellian songs .The wig-outs were “finished ” by EK , who created the voyage which is about as psychedelic as the Dots can get.
Remastering is quite subtle here as the original master sounded very decent.
The magnificent artwork was provided by Yol.

Can this be the escape hatch from the Hallway? 
There she is, as beautiful as the first day I saw her.

Press Release

The creatures who live in the Chemical Playschool are delighted to reveal this, the 10th episode, in their particular soap opera.

The journey began back in 1981 while The Legendary Pink Dots were rehearsing in a small, dingy room in a squalled house in London.

Unbeknown to the fumbling but enthusiastic few-piece band, their neighbor- -who will be referred to here as Dr. Bliss–was experimenting with snails, Molazien 55971, the fetus of the extremely rare Moldavien tree slug and a liter of Diet Coke. His diabolical plan was to make the slug whistle God Save the Queen while simultaneously blowing indestructible soap bubbles.

However the experiment was proving to be a dull failure until the Silverman produced an irritating blurping sound on his synthesizer in the next room. The test tubes shattered. Formless, blobby “things” slurped across the doctor’s room, slipped under the door, into the Pink Dots’ rehearsal space and into the ears of the unsuspecting musical combo.

The Dots immediately ceased practicing their not-so-daring cover version of Abba’s Dancing Queen and proceeded to make strange noises for the next three hours. The result was Chemical Playschool 1 and 2–a three hour cassette-only extravaganza.

Having pledged to release everything they recorded; The Dot’s made 25 copies double hope and duly forgot about it.

For the next two years The Dots continued with amiable, hummable pop-music until in 1983, the creatures of Chemical Playschool awoke once more.

Blame it on the margaritas. Celebrating the release of their second album Curse, The Pink Dots went to their favorite Mexican restaurant. A pleasant social evening turned sinister as Edward Ka-Spel downed his fourth margarita and began howling like a werewolf. The other Dots simply couldn’t catch him as he darted out of the restaurant, and answered no phone calls or knocks on the door for three weeks. The result was Chemical Playschool 3 and 4–so far only on cassette.

Let’s say it’s twisted.

And so the story continued occasional possession, disturbing results. Nobody would release volumes 5, 6, or 7 on the grounds of public safety.

Now we’re at number 10. Soleilmoon took a chance with this one. Hadn’t they heard about “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers?” They want our minds, goddamn it… The people must be warned.

MARVAZHLINYE QASA

Lyrics

Scarlet Wish

To be as light as poppy seeds
free-falling on a gentle breeze.
Descend upon the devil’s ground
and bring the lost souls to their knees.
As deserts bloom, despair retreats,
and faith returns in crimson wreathes,
plucked from the garden that is me
expanding.

Faith returns in crimson wreathes,
locked from the garden that is me.
I shall land on where I’ll please,
and where I go you’ll know I’ve been.
Red ribbons around your feet and you’ll
believe again, believe again…
There’s so much left to live for.

Where I go you’ll know i’ve been,
red ribbons around your feet and you’ll
believe again, believe again,
there’s so much left to live for.
Believe again, believe again,
there’s so much left to live for
so much left to live for.

to be (x8)

Inside

Abandoned on my cross around the corner from the corner of your eye,
don’t be surprised if I should slowly cross the line and slowly glide
you through the border that you claimed was never ever there.
A place you never wished to share.

inside
inside

Ankles crossed like fair Victoria for the glory of the empire,
kneels examining the floor
Retreats on cushions, leaves you staring at a mirror that’s all cracks
and curves on all sides.

inside
inside

There’s no hiding in this palace of your soul.
It stretches far beyond the walls that you created,
but it’s smaller than the hole which you lie in now.
If you could find the courage just to dig a little deeper.

inside
inside
inside
inside

(whispering: “over here” “deeper”)
(whispering: “over here” “deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper…”)

inside
inside

Colour Wheel

Don’t cry for me, my sweet sweet friend.
Don’t cry for me, my lover.
My silence is no cause for tears.
I’m looking at the colours.

There’s red and green, and ocean blue.
There’s violet, brown, and roses.
There’s white tornadoes in this room,
and everything is mellow.

I can sing a rainbow.
And maybe… you too.

There’s red and green, and ocean blue.
There’s violets, brown(?), and roses too.
There’s white tornadoes in this room,
and everything’s so mellow.

The Disaster Area (instrumental)

Nouveaux Modes Exotiques (instrumental)

Glasshouse (CD tracks 6 and 7)

Ten years in the glasshouse.
And we’re busy counting bruises, and watch the stones go cruising by.
They’re just whizzing past our heads, and we’re still standing here,
tied on a thread, stretched beyond our limits. Beyond my limit.

And I’d surely love to reach out and touch you, but it’s suicide.
And now I’m watching your reflection, cos I can’t look in your eyes.
And I’m burning. Just burning up on the inside.

It’s so very very cold here. So very very cold here.
And I doubt if things will ever change.

The Man with the Cut-Glass Heart

My mesmerizing hands go swimming in the boiling water.
I wish I could control them, but they’re instruments of torture.
And when I touch you there, I know it cuts you like a knife.
But I am far away, my dear. But you’ll survive.

My hypnotizing eyes go searching in the secret places.
I try my best to look away. They find the spaces
where you hide out when you’re petrified.
But I am far away, my love. But you’ll survive.

My uncertain cripple soul goes floating in the wrong direction.
I wish I could command it to stand proudly to attention.
But it bounces and it flails, and there seems no reason why.
Cos I am far away, my dear. But I’ll survive.

It bounces and it flails, and I see no reason why.
I am far away, my love, but I’ll survive.

It bounces and I flail, and there seems no reason why.
Cos I am far away, my dear, but we’ll survive.

Little Romeo

[I had trouble with this one. Someone help me out.]

A crack in time. We’re two like flies. Any shape, any size.
They dance down my eyes. And they spin. And they spun a web
from the east to the west from my place to your place.
The west is the best.

Swallow up our sin. Clean again.
We blame not this(?). We carry it away.
You may be a parasite, but I love you. I love you.
Did you hear me? I said, I love you.

Kleine Juliet (instrumental)

Saucers #1

The saucers are coming. Get under the table. Hide yourself in the cellar.
Take as much food and water with you as you can. We do not have everything
under control. I repeat, we do not have everything under control.

The saucers are coming. Thousands of them. There is no moon tonight,
but the sky is silver. Lock your doors. Turn off all the lights. Turn
off your radios, turn off your TVs, pull the curtains. We do not have
everything under control. I repeat, we do not have everything under control.

The saucers are coming. We do not know if their intentions are friendly
but we are preparing for the worst possible scenario. We are attempting
communication but there has been no response. We do not have everything
under control. I repeat, we do not have everything under control.

Stay inside. Keep out of sight. Don’t even whisper. The saucers are coming.
Make no sound at all. Switch me off, now! This is a taped message. Switch
me off, now! The saucers are coming, and we do not have everything under
control! We do not have everything under control!

(backwards vocals?)

Premonition 19 (instrumental)

Wonderdome (2:30, followed by 3:25 of silence)

Here it’s summer every day. Sitting cozy beneath this wonderdome.
I was caught, naked, in the crazy foam, and they asked for my ID.
I showed them a birthmark. Here we’re babies until we’re 88. It’s
guaranteed. No misdemeanors, no terminal disease. And everybody’s
smiling, we’ve got everything we need. And the tannoy shouts its
message daily. “Be happy! Stay alive! You have no need to wonder
what’s outside your door. Keep in there, kid.”

Untitled (starts at 5:57 into track 13)

…new good one. I showed them crisp packets. You got to
take added cartoon (?)… not these (?)

Don’t throw your crisp packet at me, you alien bastard!
Don’t you dare throw your crisp packet at me!
I don’t like your alien crisps, you foul fiend of hell.

Transcribed by Alan Jaffray and others from cloud-zero