King Crimson - Mr Stormy's Monday Selection Vol.1 2CD (Digital Album 2008)

Disc One
Tracks 1-3
King Crimson
March 23, 1973 Radio Ads
Here we have three promotional radio adverts from the 1970s designed to make the record buying public on both sides of the Atlantic rush out to the nearest store, grab the lapels of an unsuspecting member of staff and demand that they be provided with the finest King Crimson albums known to humanity!
“The reason I chose these was because I thought how funny they are, and how dated they sound” says Mr.Stormy, recovering from the rigours of delving deep into the DGM archive. “The US SABB Ad. just cracks me up, with its ‘mind-bending’ female voiceover. Just great stuff!”
The first advert dates from early April 1973 and as the smooth-voiced presenter indicates, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic was just out. Having completed their first European tour without Jamie Muir, the band and material were settling down very nicely. Note the emphasis on the credentials of the new line-up. Clearly it was felt that the addition of Bruford and Wetton would give the album some extra commercial legs. LTIA got up to 61 in the US album charts.
The first advert for Starless And Bible Black yields an interesting approach from Atlantic Records. Dig the phased voice telling us that the album “swirls and glides through your mind.” Clearly they’re going for the “cosmic, dude” end of the market with this one. The far out script, and as Mr.Stormy says, the mind-bending FX gave SABB a toe-hold in the American album charts at number 64.
The equivalent advert for the UK audience is far more diffident, with what sounds like Radio One DJ Pete Drummond delivering a no-nonsense script that allows for one superlative only. It would have been running on commercial radio in the UK sometime during March and April and may well have helped the record reach a giddy 28 in the album charts.
01. Larks Tongues In Aspic US Ad 0.54
02. Starless And Bible Black US Ad 1.03
03. Starless And Bible Black UK Ad 0.33
Personnel
Fripp Bruford Wetton Cross Muir
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 4
King Crimson
February 3, 1970 Cadence And Cascade
Here’s a little piece of Crim history that nobody knew existed until Mr. Stormy took a deep breath and dived in.
First we had Gordon Haskell singing it on In The Wake Of Poseidon. Then in 1991 Adrian Belew dropped by to give his sensitive interpretation of this fetching ballad in the Frame By Frame box set remix. And that was it as far we knew.
During my research for the Crimbiog, the common consensus from talking to all of the players involved was that Cadence and Cascade had not been attempted by the time Greg moved on to ELP. Well, it turns out we were all wrong.
It now seems likely that this was recorded in those early sessions for Poseidon, probably at the same time the team recorded Cat Food.
Greg’s singing is a touch tentative and it seems they were probably guide vocals only with the intention of coming back to it at a later session. Though it sounds a straight forward enough song, Greg wasn’t the only one who had problems with it. It’s interesting to note that the “finished” version on Poseidon by Gordon was actually recorded a semi-tone lower and sped up to the correct pitch.
There’s no flute solo here because of course Mel Collins hadn’t yet been recruited to the band and Robert’s celeste overdubs would be added much later in the recording sessions at Wessex.
The carefully listener will note that although the Giles Brother’s parts appear to be the same there are some significant differences in the guitar parts and Tippett’s piano near the end. Thus it seems likely that the backing tracks for Gordon Haskell’s rendition (which are the same as the Belew remix from 1991) were a remake recorded near the completion of the Poseidon sessions.
It’s likely that this version, taken from a quarter inch reel to reel, was run off as a listening / reference copy for Fripp at the time. Forgotten about for nearly 37 years, it’s good to have this intriguing little gem made available.
04. Cadence And Cascade 4.34
Personnel
Robert Fripp
Greg Lake
Michael Giles
Peter Giles
Keith Tippett
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 5
King Crimson
March 16, 1971 Drop In
A fascinating glimpse into the rehearsal room under the Fulham Palace Road Cafe, and arguably one of Robert's clunkiest and ungainly compositions.
The song first emerged as part of the pre-Crim Giles, Giles and Fripp. By the time it was being played, the trio had been joined by Ian McDonald who helped them record two totally poptastic renditions collected on Peter Giles' archival release of the period, The Brondesbury Tapes.
It got a slightly heavier make-over when it was co-opted onto the newly formed King Crimson setlist, and was last played by the band during their stint at San Francisco's Filmore West in December 1969.
Over a year later, the song can be heard being rehearsed by another incarnation of the group. There's a lot high spirits heard on this tape, the product no doubt of the elation of having emerged from weeks of audition purgatory as they tried to find replacements for the recently departed Gordon Haskell.
Benefiting from this line-up's fluency with rock and jazz, it would be another month or so before the track would get new lyrics from Peter Sinfield and be rechristened, The Letters. In that guise its live debut was in Plymouth's Guildhall on May 14th 1971 - captured for posterity on KCCC14.
05. Drop In 3.48
Personnel
Robert Fripp - Guitar
Mel Collins - Saxophone
Ian Wallace - Drums
Boz - Bass, Vocals
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracks 6-9
Robert Fripp
December 15, 1996 Robert Reads Hardy
We all know how high we like the cultural bar to be raised here at DGMLive and thanks to the intrepid rummaging of Mr. Stormy we have Robert Reads Hardy. These were recorded sometime during 1996 for Mark Radcliffe and Lard’s programme on BBC Radio 1 where they would often invite various musicians and assorted media guests to read poems, do the weather report and other wacky contributions.
Gary Hewitt, from Hodthorpe (near Worksop in the UK), remembers taping Fripp’s contribution as it went out on air. Though his tape is long lost, Gary was fairly sure that Mark and Lard only used Neutral Tones and Amabel for the show and certainly none of the X-rated in-between banter. Here however we have the full set list for your entertainment.
06. Neutral Tones
07. Amabel (abridged)
08. She, At His Funeral
09. Revulsion (abridged)
They are all taken from Wessex Poems And Other Verses which were published in 1898.
Poet, publisher, critic and KC enthusiast, Rupert Loydell took a listen and commented “Interesting to hear a Dorset burr at work. Even with the (restrained) musical layering Hardy's formal, strong and plain structure shines through. Whilst Hardy doesn't *need* accompaniment, this is an interesting little experiment with surprisingly intriguing results! Maybe a little diversion from Fripp's drive to wherever, but a good 'un.”
Of course we all know the swearing isn’t big or clever but it is, very, very funny. "I just love the Blessing of Tears Soundscapes under these poems, they give a real sense of emotion” says Mr. Stormy. “Robert's delivery is perfect, he should do more of this! And the funny intros, well, they speak for themselves.”
"Chuckles" Fripp and "Happy" Hardy - does it get any better?
Robert Reads Hardy* 6.56
* source recording is incomplete
Personnel
Robert Fripp
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 10
King Crimson
September 12, 1970 Last Skirmish & Prince Rupert's Lament
The majority of King Crimson’s third album was recorded drum and bass first, with other contributions being overdubbed at a later stage. The parts were allocated to the players rather than being developed by them.
With only Fripp and Sinfield having any inkling of what the final track might sound like, both bassist Gordon Haskell and drummer Andy McCulloch were frustrated by this approach and the time taken to get what the producers regarded as the right drum sound.
Feeling they were effectively playing in the dark, the most short-lived rhythm section in Crimson’s history worked through the various segments and sequences that would eventually become Lizard.
Eliciting heated debate wherever KC fans gather, Lizard is known to be Fripp’s least favourite KC album and in this opinion, he is joined by Haskell.
“I get to the end and they say ‘that’s great’” says Haskell, “and I think ‘Well that’s probably as good as your drum sound. You don’t have a clue what you’re doing. Thank Christ that’s over!’ Eight minutes of a bloke wandering around up his own arse. Great. That’s art.”
This is probably the first take of Last Skirmish and whilst McCulloch’s parts sound fairly close to the finished version that appears on album, Haskell was required to add a few repair jobs and overdubs later in the sessions.
10. Last Skirmish Prince Ruperts Lament 9.14
Personnel
Andy McCulloch; Drums
Gordon Haskell; Bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracks 11-12
Robert Fripp
December 1, 1977 Early Exposure Rehearsals
Some fascinating sketches from Exposure for your delectation and delight. Because of the mists of time, there is some debate about the origins of and personnel on these tracks.
The first is titled Disengage and has John Wetton and Phil Collins listed as the players. Mr. Stormy hears the Wetton rumble at work here, where as to my ears it sounds stylistically closer to Tony Levin, whereas RF isn’t sure.
Whilst this may be titled Disengage it’s not Disengage as we know it. In some respects this is actually nearer to Haaden Two but it's not quite that either. The angular ascending motif opening the piece has something in common with both Disengage and Haaden Two but is distinct and different from both of those. Perhaps after recording this RF clarified it to become Disengage, and maybe borrowed the feel of this demo when it came to recording the stomping section of Haaden Two?
What is interesting is the use of the power sections of Neurotica from the Beat album, but here played almost as Red mark II. Could this be Blue? Both RF and JW have mentioned a counterpart to Red with that title and if so then, Mr. Stormy would be right about this being John on bass.
Whilst confusion about this fragment may well be our epitaph, there’s no mistaking North Star. That said, the bass playing here is somewhat reticent and could, I suppose be John or Tony.
Oh well never mind. Let’s just enjoy this blast from the archives and raise a glass to Mr. Stormy for his impeccable sense of selection.
11. Disengage 2.04
12. North Star 3.25
Personnel
Robert Fripp
John Wetton
Phil Collins
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 13
Robert Fripp
March 1, 2002 Music Is Our Friend
Another off-beat find by the fingers of Mister Stormy. This time it’s Robert in Studiobelewbeloid circa March 2002. I suppose this could almost be a tone poem given the musical properties filtering the voice! Engineered by the late Ken Latchney, the vocoder-like tones that appeared on Love Cannot Bear were taken from this same session as this one.
13. Music Is Our Friend 4.49
Personnel
Robert Fripp
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 14
King Crimson
October 29, 1994 Conversation
Plucked from the Thrak sessions, the 1990s King Crimson reveals itself to be fans of the cult kids’ BBC TV series, The Clangers. Modern technology has been harnessed to reproduced the winning swoop of the swanny whistle in this particular work out. But who is saying what exactly in Conversation? Fresh from the vaults and still covered from head to toe in ferrous oxide, a perplexed Mr. Stormy asked a certain guitarist that very question. “Well, it's clearly TLev,” came the familiar Dorset burr “but at the time we couldn't tell who else was playing what, so don't expect me to know now!” which is, I think you’ll agree, as authoritative it gets. To these ears it feels like those Baby Clanger sounds appear to be Adrian Belew although of course Ade would be oblivious to the little knitted creatures from outer space. Which makes it all the more spooky!
14. Conversation 5.12
Personnel
Definitely Tony Levin
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 15
King Crimson
June 9, 1983 Lark's Pt III Into Sleepless
Thanks to Mr. Stormy’s endeavours this week, we get two for the price of one.
The recording of the Three Of A Perfect Pair album was one of the most difficult King Crimson recording sessions to date.
Work on the follow-up to Beat started at Champaign-Urbana in January (as documented on KCCC21) and then to Arny’s Shack in Dorset in May 1983. The sessions were hard going as the band struggled to write new material although Industry and Dig Me grudgingly emerged. Then the action changed location to Marcus Studio, in London where Beat had been recorded in June.
Here the band worked on a series of ideas that would eventually bear fruit. Yoli Yoli (available for purchase at Adrian Belew’s website) was a return to Waiting Man and the beginnings of Sleepless and Larks Tongues In Aspic Part III were amongst the tracks approached in outline.
As can be heard here, elements of these last two tracks were initially bound together before being slowly nudged apart three months later when Fripp visited Adrian in Champaign-Urbana, and finally separated in the sessions with the whole band at Bearsville studios in upstate New York in November 1983.
15. Larks Pt III Into Sleepless 7.02
Personnel
Robert Fripp
Adrian Belew
Tony Levin
Bill Bruford
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 16
Robert Fripp
December 1, 1979 Silent Night
What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to sit back (perhaps with a seasonal snifter of sherry?) and enjoy this sip-sized rendition of Silent Night Frippertronics style.
Originally released as a flexi-disc with the Chicago based magazine Praxis 3 in 1979, it also did the rounds as an aural Christmas card from EG Records.
It seems likely, given everything that’s happened since 1979 that RF is probably not on the EG Christmas card list nowadays.
16. Silent Night 2.55
Personnel
Robert Fripp - Guitar, Frippertronics
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracks 17-18
King Crimson
December 18, 1970
IdeasThis track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
If you thought Robert’s predilection for the sound of the vibes dates from his midi-outings with the ProjeKcts then think again.
Here we have Robert coaxing ersatz vibes from the mighty Mellotron with the beautiful melody from Islands. This may well be the earliest working version of the theme: remember that the Islands album was not recorded for another nine months.
If that’s not enough to get your vintage heart skipping a beat then how about RF going in behind the lines of Last Skirmish from what would have been the newly released Lizard album.
Short but extremely sweet on both counts I think you’ll agree.
17. Islands 0.32
18. Guitar Run 0.21
Personnel
Fripp
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 19
Robert Fripp
November 22, 1998 Fripp Unplugged
19. Locked Out Without Trousers 9.04
Personnel
Fripp
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 20
King Crimson
October 28, 1994 Dinosaur Dub
One of the best-loved songs to emerge from the Double Trio incarnation of King Crimson was Dinosaur. Here’s an early mix of the monumental song at Real World. Although it has yet to receive Ade’s vocal tracks and those woozy ‘Tron vamps, if you listen carefully you can make out a lead guitar line oozing about under the mix that was later buried. And how about that orchestral style middle section heard here for the first time with a different ending? Here’s one fossil record that is anything but dull.
20. Dinosaur Dub 6.38
Personnel
Fripp
Belew
Levin
Bruford
Mastelotto
Gunn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disc Two
Track 1
King Crimson
December 20, 1970 Rehearsal
Another trip into the bowels of the Fulham Palace Road Café. Here we find Mel, Robert and Ian working on a new composition with Fripp guiding the chaps through the changes via his trusty Hohner pianet. However amiable and potentially productive it may have sounded, the untitled piece of Fripp’s was abandoned and has lain unheard for the last 38 years. As far we can tell, the lines from this elegant piece haven’t been recycled into other Crim classics as has been the practice on many other occasions making this little sucker something of a true rarity: a new tune (of sorts) by KC 1970 in the 21st Century.
01. How Do You See It 4.39
Personnel
Ian Wallace:drums
Mel Collins:Flute
Robert Fripp:electric piano
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 2
King Crimson
March 15, 1971 Pictures Of A City
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
It’s March 1971 and down in the basement of the Fulham Palace Road Café, the new line-up of King Crimson is still hard at work tackling the back catalogue. With less than a month before unofficial unveiling of the band in Frankfurt’s Zoom Club, the team are tackling Pictures of a City.
OK, so it’s as rough as a badger’s behind in places, and although Fripp and Collins are relatively circumspect on this outing, we get to hear Ian Wallace in his role as agent provocateur cajoling the performance along via his natural exuberance and some top-notch drumming.
Written by Fripp, an early instrumental version of track had initially been entwined with an Ian McDonald piece, collectively known in October 1969 as Trees (available on KCCC1). By the time the original line-up began touring America in November 1969 it had been disentangled from McDonald’s writing, and completed with lyrics provided by Peter Sinfield.
It’s clear that Boz was still finding out what his nascent bass-playing fingers could do as his mouth got to grips with Peter’s words, and though both go awry at various times, both this and the versions the Boz-era band would play a month later in concert, have an expressiveness the 1969 bad never quite found.
02. Pictures Of A City 8.35
Personnel
Robert Fripp: Guitar
Mel Collins: Saxophone
Ian Wallace: Drums
Boz: Bass & Vocals
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 3
King Crimson
July 15, 2002 Pat's Garage Mix
Within the vaults and labyrinthine archives there exists all manner of edits and cuts that were on their way somewhere but got sidetracked or even overtaken by events. Mister Stormy has selected from the shelves a classy super-slow slice of P3 remixed and re-imagined by Pat Mastelotto. Short and (sort of) sweet, Trey Gunn’s soloing is as fiery as ever – so much so that Robert’s midi bass playing seems to melt in its vicinity.
03. Super Slow 2.08
Personnel
Robert Fripp: guitar
Trey Gunn:Warr guitar
Pat Mastelotto: drums and buttons
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 4
King Crimson
September 11, 1970 Cirkus
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
Here’s another rarity from the Lizard sessions. With the core instrumental backing tracks in place, Gordon Haskell lays down a guide vocal which either contains an early read-through of the not yet completed lyrics or some on the spot vamping by the singer. Fripp can also be heard limbering up for those incisive acoustic guitar runs that we know from the finished version.
Though Mark Charig’s cornet is absent, there’s a spooky cavalcade of infernal brass settings and unearthly strings from the Mellotron that will thrill lovers of this old-school proto-sampler. Also of interest is Fripp’s dabbling with the Hammond organ at the end of the piece. If you like Lizard then you’re going to love this.
04. Cirkus 6.30
Personnel
Robert Fripp; Guitar, Mellotron, electric keyboards and devices
Andy McCullough; Drums
Gordon Haskell; Bass & Vocals
Mel Collins; Sax
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 5
League of Gentlemen
February 26, 1980 F Sharp Minor
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
Time flies when you’re having fun and fun is the name of the game from this League of Gentleman rehearsal. Taking the Zero of the Signified riff (which first appeared on the 1980 Under Heavy Manners album) as its starting point, Fripp coaches, coaxes and cajoles the gang through this sprightly march. Cracking stuff!
05. F Sharp Minor 4.29
Personnel
Robert Fripp Guitar
Barry Andrews Organ
Sarah Lee Bass
Johnny Toobad Drums
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 6
King Crimson
March 31, 2008 Bababoomboom
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
Fresh from the recent rehearsals in Nashville, Gavin and Pat give it some boom, bash and bish. Based upon B’Boom, which in turn was based upon an exercise written by Gavin in his 1998 book, Rhythmic Illusions, the new Crim rhythm section gives an early indication of how formidable they might well be.
06. Bababoomboom 2.35
Personnel
Pat Mastelotto Drums
Gavin Harrison Drums
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 7
Robert Fripp
July 15, 1977 Frippertronics
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
Get your listening gear in between this little piece of vintage Frippertronics. Discovered last year by Mister Stormy on a reel labelled Frippertronic Chords, this was one of 29 drones and gradual unfurlings recorded in New York in 1977 for several studio projects that would have included Daryl Hall’s Sacred Songs, Hall And Oates’ Along The Red Ledge and Exposure. Several of these were noted by the guitarist as being “good” and in one or two cases you can sense the air of excitement as he deems them to be “very good.”
OK so this isn’t marked one way or another but to our ears it sounds just dandy!
07. C Sharp Bass Joins And Becomes Seascape 4.15
Personnel
Fripp Guitar
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 8
King Crimson
April 1, 2008 Indiscipline
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
Indiscipline was always a number in KC’s setlist that gave various players in the band an opportunity shift the groove around one way or another.Here’s the guys in Nashville earlier this year doing precisely that.
08. Indiscipline* 2.15
* source recording is incomplete
Personnel
Robert Fripp
Adrian Belew
Tony Levin
Gavin Harrison
Pat Mastelotto
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 9
King Crimson
May 25, 2008 Happy Birthday
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
09. Stop it. That’s very silly!
Happy Birthday 1.46
Personnel
Robert Fripp
Adrian Belew
Pat Mastelotto
Gavin Harrison
Tony Levin
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 10
League of Gentlemen
February 27, 1980 Hunting Lodge Kingston Lacey, Dorset, United Kingdom
It’s fly-on-the-wall time again in the League of Gentlemen’s rehearsal room. We hear Bobby and the team pluck something out of a groove and get all excited about it. Splurging guitar, warbling Crumar and a cast-iron growling riff from this never-before-heard journey into the psyche of a song. Don't worry - the drop-out near the beginning is all part of the fun.
10. Something Like That 7.40
Personnel
Robert Fripp
Barry Andrews
Sara Lee
Johnny Toobad
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track 11
King Crimson
Sept 1, 2004 Ex Uno Plures
This track is now available for download as part of a bumper collection of Mr Stormy's Monday Selections - his first year of random romps through the murky, cavernous DGM archives, torch in hand, fedora upon his head.
Here’s an outtake of the never-quite-sounded-like-this variety. It dates from Crimson’s rehearsals back in September 2004 – a ProjeKct XL (L for Levin, folks) if you will. Knitted together by Pat Mastelotto with close encounters of the Bill Munyon kind, it quickly gets in an expansive groove. Given the way it was constructed the Ex Uno, Plures title (literally "From one, many) is exceedingly apt.
Pat recalls “It was from our second get-together with TLev at Adrian’s place with Ken (Latchney) recording stuff. I took a copy and dived into it ala ProjeKct 3. Bill and I worked on these jams on and off for a several months and then took a break. Time marched on and a year or so later I went back to it but the drive wouldn’t open. I tried two different LaCie housings, and even gave it to an E-session tech pal but nobody could get it to boot, and so it got put back on the shelf.”
11. Ex Uno Plures 2.54
Personnel
Robert Fripp
Adrian Belew
Tony Levin
Pat Mastelotto