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Этот текст абсолютно не защищен никакими авторскими правами (конечно же), и поэтому вы можете копировать, печатать, переоформлять, сэмплировать, цитировать сколь угодно много или мало до тех пор, пока вы не будете получать за это деньги или притворяться, что они ваши.
Изначально этот текст написан Стюартом Янгом (Stuart Young, < stuey@easynet.co.uk >) и последний раз обновлялся в марте 1997 года Ником Гилмором (Nick Gilmour) с огромным "спасибо" всем помогавшим, особенно Jamm!n за форматирование. Ник приветствует все комментарии и аннотации - особенно сообщайте любую дополнительную информацию по вопросам1.008, 1.009,1.013, 2.001, 2.005, 2.007, 2.017 и 5.011, и что вы можете предложить по 3.001-3.003.
Этот FAQ, очевидно, содержит массу информации, но она не является исчерпывающей, это - начальный пункт для ищущих. Многие вопросы требуют других источников, большинство из которых доступно через FTP-архив. Многие ответы можно найти в сценарии фильма "Белая комната" (см. 4.003) и из других разнообразных ресурсов в сети (см. 1.008).
Сами KLF не особо любили вопросы, считая их четырьмя Подручными Зла, называемыми Кто, Что, Где и Когда, и предлагали нам принять противоречия, вместо того, чтобы желать ясности. Тем не менее, некоторые из нас любят спрашивать, и, таким образом, вопросы перед вами:
Основная часть, О музыке, Сопутствующие товары, Другая творческая деятельность, всякая всячина, 1997 - что за FAQ происходит сейчас?
Основная часть:
1.001: Кто такие KLF? Что такое KLF? Как KLF расшифровывается?
1.002: Почему долгие годы KLF не выпускают записей?
1.003: Почему KLF прекратили свою деятельность?
1.004: Почему вы до сих пор обсуждаете умершую группу?
1.006: Какие существуют воплощения творческого сотрудничества Драммонда/Коти?
1.007: Что Драммонд и Коти делали до JAMS?
1.008: Какие существуют другие сетевые ресурсы по данному вопросу?
1.009: Как часто они давали концерты? Музыка была живая или записанная на пленку?
1.010: Как мне с ними связаться? Какие у них адреса?
1.011: Что такое "the One World Orchestra"? Что собой представляет "The Magnificent"?
1.013: Чем заняты в данный момент Билл и Джими?
Discordian(t) Question
О музыке:
2.001: Какие записи доступны на данный момент?
2.002: Чем отличаются американская и английская версии альбома "the White Room"?
2.003: Чем отличаются the "various Shag Times" и "History Of The JAMs"? К чему относится "Towards the Trance" или JAMS26T?
2.004: Чем отличаются американская и английская версии альбома "Chill Out"?
2.005: Какие существуют издания "Whitney joins the JAMs"? Почему некоторые имеют надпись "Made in Scotland"?
2.006: Чем отличаются "Burn The Bastards" and "Burn The Beat"?
2.007: Какие существуют издания WTIL? 1991 (KLF 004X)? Что такое KLF004P?
2.008: О какой "оригинальной" версии альбома "White Room" вы говорите?
2.009: Что такое "the Black Room"?
2.010: Как записывался "Chill Out"?
2.011: Что такое "Deep Shit" и существует ли это в действительности?
2.012: Что такое "the Madrugana Eterna club mix"?
2.013: Что собой представляет "K Cera Cera"?
2.014: Что такое "What Time Was Love"?
2.015: Что собой представляет "The Man"?
2.016: Что собой представляет "Brilliant"?
2.017: Что за серия "Pure Trance"?
2.018: Какова цена Название альбома?
2.019: Как узнать, Название альбома бутлег или нет?
2.020: Что за жуткий шум на 3 трэке CD-бутлега "1987"?
Сопутствующие товары:
3.001: Are there any KLF videos available?
3.002: Are there any books about the KLF available?
3.003: Are there any KLF T-shirts available?
Other Creative Exploits:
4.001: Did Jimmy Cauty really paint a 'Lord Of The Rings' poster?
4.002: What were the Rites Of Mu?
4.003: What's the White Room film?
4.004: What happened at the 1992 BRIT Awards?
4.005: What was the Art Award all about?
4.006: Did they really burn a million pounds?
4.007: What's "Watch the K Foundation Burn A Million Quid"? How can I see it?
4.008: What was "Pissing in the Wind"?
4.009: Why did they push a car over Cape Wrath? What are the terms of that contract?
4.010: What is 'Bad Wisdom'?
4.011: What's 'A Bible of Dreams'? Is it on the Internet?
4.012: What's Jimmy's sonic weapon?
4.013: Why was Jimmy arrested on weapons charges?
Misc.:
5.001: What was the ABBA thing all about?
5.002: What's a '99'?
5.003: Why Sheep?
5.004: Who is _collaborator_?
5.005: Who is Gimpo?
5.006: Who is Gary Glitter?
5.007: Who/What is Ford Timelord?
5.008: Who are The Fall and what's their connection with the KLF?
5.009: Did they really give beer to the homeless on New Year's Eve?
5.010: What was the Omnibus Documentary about?
5.011: What's the font used on their merchandise, adverts, etc?
5.012: Is there any connection with Coldcut/Yazz (& Plastic Population)? - I saw a KLF record in the video for "The Only Way Is Up"!!
1997 - What The FAQ Is Going On?:
6.01: What is going on?
6.02: What is Bill Drummond up to at the moment?
6.03: What is Jimmy Cauty up to at the moment?
6.04: What is Waiting for the Rites of Mu? How can I get a copy?
6.05: Who are Acid Brass?
6.06: Where can I find out more?
- index of indexes
1.001: Кто такие KLF? Что такое KLF? Как KLF расшифровывается?
Творческое сотрудничество Билла Драммонда(Bill Drummond) (известного также как King Boy D, Time Boy) и Джими Коти (Jimmy Cauty) (Rockman Rock, Lord Rock) в основном знаменито новаторской танцевальной музыкой 1987-1992 годов в группах "The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu" ("The JAMs"), "The Timelords", "The Kopyright Liberation Front" ("The KLF"), "The Forever Ancients Liberation Loophole" ("The FALL"), а также после 1992 года под именами "The K Foundation" и "The One World Orchestra". Кроме того, они продюсировали другие группы, включая "Disco 2000", и делали ремиксы для "Depeche Mode" и "Pet Shop Boys". Коти был одним из основателей "the Orb", который он покинул, взяв с собой несколько композиций, вышедших позднее под названием "Space".
Выпустив сперва не принесший много денег или славы и прохладно принятый критиками и публикой альбом, в котором по максимуму использовались дешевые сэмплерные технологии, Билл и Джими записали причудливый хит No.1. Потом они обрели свою славу на зарождающейся рэйв-сцене Великобритании, затем выпустили ряд синглов, ставших всемирными хитами в 90-хгодах, продав синглов больше любой другой британской группы в 1991 году.
Кроме этого их творчество имеет и другие ответвления - они издали написали "Руководство: как сделать хит ╧1 - легкий путь", планировали, но так и не выпустили, по крайней мере две других и графический роман, сняли фильм "Белая комната" (The White Room), который до сих пор не вышел на экраны, выпустили "эмбиент видео" и собирались устроить две художественные выставки, которые так и не состоялись. Они также знамениты разнообразными анархистскими выходками или "хэппенингами", включая замазывание афиш, надувательства, связанные с кругами на полях, которые якобы оставляют после себя НЛО, языческий летний ритуал ("Обряды Му" (The Rites Of Mu) (см. вопрос 4.002), инцидент с мертвой овцой и ведрами крови на вручении БРИТ Авардз (см. 4.004), серия странных полностраничных рекламных объявлений в прессе, учреждение альтернативной премии наихудшему артисту года (см. 4.005). Они сожгли МИЛЛИОН ФУНТОВ СТЕРЛИНГОВ (см. 4.006) и впоследствии показывали фильм об этом. Принимая во внимание преднамеренно извращенный способ делания карьеры, их группу можно сравнить разве что с The Residents.
Но что же такое KLF, любой из вас может спросить? Автор не считает, что на этот вопрос легко ответить, и любой ответ, который он может дать будет сильным упрощением этой достаточно сложной концепции. С одной стороны, KLF - это дуэт ветеранов музыкального бизнеса, использовавших свое знание и опыт, и применивших дешевую технологию сэмплирования, что впоследствии привело их к коммерческому успеху и признанию. Но они провели эту часть своей карьеры таким образом, что это бросило вызов всему традиционному шоу-бизнесу, и даже стало бунтом против него. Тому, кто хочет узнать больше, автор может только предложить прочитать ВЕСЬ материал в этом документе, и просмотреть ВЕСЬ ftp архив и всю связанную с данной темой литературу и материалы (включая музыку) и прийти к своему мнению.
Буквы "KLF" имеют множество значений, которые менялись со временем. Первое документированное появление приходится на 1987 год, когда на их записях упоминается "Kopyright Liberation Front". Но вплоть до ухода из бизнеса в 1992 году, им постоянно задавали этот вопрос, и каждый раз получали новый ответ. Самый цитируемый из них: "Мы на пути к тому, чтобы понять, что это значит. Когда мы узнаем это, мы сможем перестать делать то, чем мы сейчас занимаемся". Разнообразные примеры расшифровки: "Kings of the Low(er) Frequency", "Kool Low Frequency", "Keep Looking Forward", "Kevin Likes Fruit" и так далее, но наиболее принятой является "Kopyright Liberation Front". [NB: состоит из 24 букв, но если вы напишете Kopyrite, то получится 23!]
Следующий вопрос - откуда взялось это наименование. The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu пришло из серии книг "the Illuminatus!", и, возможно, KLF каким-то образом тоже связано с этим. В предыдущие годы было несколько организаций с похожими аббревиатурами - оканчивающимися на "Liberation Front". В 60-х - NLF - National Liberation Front - северо-вьетнамское движение сопротивления, поддерживаемое американскими "хиппи". В 80-х - ALF - Animal Liberation Front - британские радикалы, прославившиеся тем, что освобождали животных из экспериментальных лабораторий. Был также Kasmiri Liberation Front. В трилогии "the Illuminatus!" есть ELF - Erisian Liberation Front - организация, управляющая силами хаоса в войне против порядка. Так что вполне естественно, что в 80-х и 90-х - эпоху сэмплинга, появилась организация, именующая себя KLF - Kopyright Liberation Front, борющаяся за освобождение Му(зыки) от закона об авторских правах, и добивающаяся права на использование старых звуков по своему желанию. Существовала также масса других LF'ов, но я считаю, что именно вышеперечисленные являются теми, что повлияли на решение Билла и Джими назвать свою группу the KLF.
Наконец, Jamm!n добавляет: почему слово "Copyright" в KLF пишется через K? Здесь я могу предложить три варианта, все/некоторые/ни один из которых являются действительными причинами:
Kopyright использовался в Дискордианских (Discordian) кругах какое то время, чтобы обратить внимание на отсутствие авторских прав. Стандартная надпись выглядела вроде:
Kopyright (k) 3163 Gold & Appel Transfers, Inc.
All rites reversed. Reprint what you like.
1.002: Почему долгие годы KLF не выпускают записей?
KLF "уволились из музыкальной индустрии" 5 мая 1992 года, при этом уничтожили все свои записи и сожгли все сопутствующие товары в доказательство того, что их намерения серьезны, и этот акт - не трюк, направленный на увеличение продаж. См. 1.003 для ответа на вопрос, зачем они это сделали. В сообщении в британской музыкальной прессе они отметили, что "в обозримом будущем не будет новых записей от любой прошлой, настоящей и будущей группы, связанной с нашей деятельностью". Насколько длительно это обозримое будущее целиком зависит от вашего оптимизма/пессимизма. Они также сказали: "Если мы встретимся в дальнейшем, приготовьтесь:наша маска может быть совершенной".
Они вернулись летом 1993 года в качестве "K Foundation" с серией странных публикаций в печати (см. 4.005), но поскольку типографский шрифт, поэтический язык, логотип с пирамидой были узнаваемы, и при этом в избытке присутствовали буквы "K", можно сказать, что маска определенно не была совершенной. Они коммерчески выпустили один сингл, межзвездный гимн K Foundation "K Sera Sera (War Is Over If You Want It)", "недоступный нигде, ни в каком формате" (Available Nowhere...No Format), до тех пор, пока не установится мир во всем мире. Несмотря на это он проигрывался среди некоторых скоплений народа, включая музыкальные фестивали, и ограниченным тиражом вышел в Израиле и Палестине, в честь подписания соглашения Равимом и Арафатом. Сейчас копии этих синглов переходят из рук в руки за крупные суммы денег. См. 2.013, чтоб узнать, как он звучит.
Недавно они устремились в художественный (см. 4.005 и 4.006) и издательский (см. 4.010 и 4.011) мир.
В сентябре 1995 года Билл и Джими записали композицию "The Magnificent" для альбома "HELP" под именем One World Orchestra (см.1.011). Они согласились сделать эту вещь, безвозмездно, поскольку "HELP" был некоммерческим благотворительным проектом, и Билл решил, что это достойно того, чтобы принять участие. В интервью июня 1996 года Джими говорит, что он решил немного отдохнуть от музыкального бизнеса и искусства, но по другим источникам Коти работал над сольным проектом под названием "Advanced Acoustic Armaments" или "AAA". См. 4.012 для информации. Билл принял участие в написании книги "Плохая мудрость" (Bad Wisdom), в соавторстве с Марком Мэннингом (Mark Manning) (см 4.010), последним известным проектом Джими является содействие в эксперименте в области искусства "Looking Glass" (см http://www.redfig.com). См также 4.012
1.003 Почему KLF прекратили свою деятельность?
Официальная вверсия того времени такова - они "пообносились" после того , как выпустили 6 хитовых синглов и один альбом за предшествующие 18 месяцев, но похоже, что существуют другие возможные причины. Они описаны в замечательной статье в журнале Select за июль 1992 года ('Who Killed The KLF'), которую можно отыскать в FTP-архиве. Основной мыслью является, что когда вы однажды достигли вершины, то становится неинтересно продолжать выпускать хиты и одновременно неприятно обнаруживать подражателей. Как Билл и Джими писали в "Руководстве" о "Золотых правилах" производства хита номер один: "После полосы удач, когда ваши карманы полны, в точности придерживаться "Золотых правил" становится скучным. Все кажется пустым и бессмысленным." Мик Хьютон, публицист the KLF, ежедневно контактировавший с ними во время работы над новым студийным материалом не мог избавиться от ощущения, что ребята потеряли смысл всего этого - измученный Драммонд мог подойти к телефону и договариваться о грандиозных планах, а затем, спустя минуту говорить вещи типа: "О боже, это ужасно". Они были просто переполнены идеями, говорит Хьютон. В последние дни Билл мог позвонить и сказать: "Это не сработает". "Я думаю, он чувствовал, что это стало черезчур легко - быть KLF и производить хиты, - продолжает Хьютон, - это перестало иметь какое-либо значение". В интервью GQ 1995 года Билл признанется, что с ним почти что случился нервный срыв. Кромме того, поскольку они работали с Тэмми Уайнет и Гленом Хьюджесом, им не давали покоя заезженные исполнители, в надежде реанимировать свои карьеры. "Я был в студии, - вспоминает инженер и продьюсер Марк Стент, - и нам звонил Нил Седака, нам звонили Суит, нам звонили все подряд. И это только в те моменты, кргда я был там...". В ретроспективе попытку KLF шокировать публику на вручении BRIT Awards в феврале 1992 года можно рассматривать как желание избежать собственноручного принятия решения. Они хотели совершить что-то настолько отвратительное, что окончательно похоронило бы их карьеру. Вместо этого шоу-бизнес воспринял это как очередную из "выходок KLF", отчего положение стало еще хуже. И, наконец, есть теория, что они преднамеренно спланировали свой уход на пике карьеры, чтобы таким образом не пострадала их будущая репутация . В композиции "Kylie said to Jason" есть строчка: "Теперь я покину эту вечеринку (I'm gonna leave this party now)", в то же время известно, что под вечеринкой Драммонд имел в виду музыкальный бизнес. Клип "Justified and Ancient" содержит подзаголовок: "Падение империи и смерть маленькой Му - недалеко (The fall of the empire and the death of little Mu are at hand)". На BRIT awards было оглашено: "Теперь The KLF покинули музыкальную индустрию (The KLF have now left the music industry)". И Драммонд хотел, чтобы объявление было сделано 5-го мая, через пятнадцать лет после того, как он вступил в музыкальную индустрию.
1.004 Почему вы до сих пор обсуждаете умершую группу?
Мы до сих пор надеемся, что они еще что-то сделают (и они делают). Поскольку они были впереди своего времени, мы верим, что их творчество до сих пор имеет значение. До сих пор существуют необсужденные темы, неизвестные факты из творчества. Люди до сих пор слушают Джими Хендрикса и считают, что его музыка значима и по сей день, несмотря на то, что он умер 24 года назад. Если вы не любите KLF, то вам для вежливости лучше не подписываться на mail-list.
1.005: Я видел плакат/объявление о концерте KLF; вообще-то, как я понял, вы говорите, что такой группы больше нет?
The KLF дали всего несколько концертов за время своего существования под этим именем, и (очевидно) ни одного, после их "увольнения". С другой стороны, Ванда Ди (Wanda Dee), одно время работавшая с KLF в качестве приглашенной вокалистки, за последние три года выступала сотни раз, на плакатах значилось: "KLF и Ванда Ди", "Ванда Ди и New KLF", "Ванда Ди и KLF Experience", и т.д. , и при этом "как ни странно" организаторы рекламировали представление как просто "KLF". Скорее всего вы видели приглашение на подобное мероприятие. Билл и Джими не имеют ни малейшего отношения к этим "концертам"; и наверняка желали бы их прекратить, но судиться с ней сложно, по крайней мере, если она выступает не в Великобритании, чего она из предосторожности не делает. (Ванда тем не менее выступала в России и Эстонии!) Если вы хотите потратить свои с трудом заработанные деньги на то, чтобы поглазеть на женщину, пританцовывающую на сцене под заранее записанную музыку KLF, пожалуйста, посетите :-). В FTP-архиве вы можете найти обзор, написанный одним из фанов KLF, побывавшим на шоу. Когда Ванду спрашивают по поводу ее представлений (либо пресса, либо поклонники KLF на концертах), она дает объяснения, вроде следующего: вся танцевальная музыка 90-х конструируется в студиях продюсерскими командами, и на сцене невозможно воссоздать тот же звук. Тем не менее исполнители (танцоры, певцы и т.д.) вполне могут выступать живьем. Ванда говорит, что она была соавтором и исполнителем всех главных хитов с "The White Room" и именно из-за нее они стали хитами. В любом случае - это "слегка" неточная интерпретация того, что было на самом деле. The KLF использовали сэмплы ее (эротического?) рэпа с вещи "To the bone", изданной Tuff City Records, в композиции WTIL? (What time is love?) и сингловой версии LTTT (Last train to Trancentral). Когда менеджер Ванды услышал эти записи, они подали в суд на KLF. Суд присудил Ванде некоторую сумму денег, соавторство в этих песнях, с вытекающими отсюда авторскими гонорарами, а так же появление в соответствующих видеоклипах. Я подозреваю, что если бы KLF догадывались о том беспокойстве, которое принесет Ванда, они бы не стали ее сэмплировать. Решайте сами, умалило ли бы достоинства этих песен невключение фраз "I wanna see you sweat" and "Come on boy d'ya wanna ride" . Стюарт Янг обладает массой материала по поводу того, как ее уязвить, если она окажется неподалеку от вас. Пишите ему и-мэйлы для подробностей.
1.006: Какие существуют воплощения творческого сотрудничества Драммонда/Коти?
С начала совместной карьеры в 1987 году, до распада KLF в 1992 году, Драммонд и Коти сменили множество музыкальных стилей в своих коммерческих записях. Идут нескончаемые дискуссии о том, насколько плоха определенная фаза их творчечтва. Вы должны принимать во внимание, что Драммонд и Коти фокусировали свое внимание на определенном стиле только на короткий промежуток времени и меняли музыкальные направления чаще, чем музыканты других групп - свое нижнее белье. Вы не обязаны любить все, что они записали, но, отбросьте предрассудки и не забывайте, в какое время эти песни записывались. Перед вами краткий путеводитель по различным реинкарнациям (или регенерациям?):
Политический шотландский рэп, с идеологией панк-рока, прямолинейное сэмплирование, примитивный хип-хоп. Большое влияние на Pop Will Eat Itself.
Упражнение в тошнотворном новаторстве, хит номер один в стиле хаус "Doctorin' the Tardis" и рассказ о том, как это было сделано в "Руководстве". Большое влияние на Edelweiss.
Стили-близнецы - эсид-транс-хаус и эмбиент. Очень сложно найти записи, но послушайте альбом "Chill Out", который до сих пор в производстве. Рэйв-дела оказали влияние на Black Box и других итальянцев, в то время как эмбиент-композиции практически открыли всю эмбиент-сцену 90-х.
Первые синглы были перемикшированы, пере-перемикшированы и пере-пере-перемикшированы в стадионный поп-хаус, который вы скорее всего слышали по радио. Влияние на Blue Pearl, Utah Saints, Nomad и т.д.
Они начали работу над трэш-гитарным хэви-металлическим техно-дэнсом, но уничтожили большинство записей. Могло ли это стать еще одним новым музыкальным стилем? Влияние на God Machine и Kerosene?
Как и все настоящие пост-модернисты они устремились в разные проекты, которые сложно отнести к определенному виду искусства, выпустив, однако, при этом ограниченным тиражом один сингл в Израиле/Палестине в честь мирного соглашения.
Они "вышли из увольнения", чтобы записать спешно сконструированную оркестровую драм-н-бэйс композицию для широко рекламировавшегося альбома "Help!, Artists for War Child LP". См 1.011 для подробностей.
1.007: Что Драммонд и Коти делали до JAMS?
Вильям Е. Драммонд родился в 1953 году и вырос в Галловее и Корби на берегах Шотландии. Задолго до основания the JAMs, Драммонд подростком отправился в море и стал рыболовом на северо-восточном береге Шотландии, о чем он говорит: "Моя молодость потерялась на плаву". Он находил интерес в наблюдении за птицами, прогулках по природе и разведении домашних и селькохозяйственных животных, потом отправился в Ливерпуль, чтобы изучать живопись. В театре научной фантастики Кена Кэмбелла он принял участие в постановке спектакля "Illuminatus!", основанного на культовой книге (см. 1.023) (и в 80-е годы Драммонд сохранял интерес к театру), затем, увлекшись панк-роком, вместе с Холли Джонсоном (Holly Johnson, 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood') и Иэном Брауди (Ian Broudie, 'Lightning Seeds', теперь известный продюсер) создал Ливерпульскую группу 'Big In Japan' 5 мая 1977 √ этот день Драммонд впоследствии назовет ⌠Датой вступления в музыкальный бизнес■. Через какое-то время к ним присоединились Баджи (Budgie, 'Siouxie and the Banshees') и Джейн Кэйси (Jayne Casey, 'Pink Industry'). Группа выпустила пару синглов и через год распслась. В 1978 году Билл и Дэйв Балф (Dave Balfe, 'Food Records') основали фирму грамзаписи Zoo Records, на которой вышел язвительный посмертный EP Big In Japan, а также записи новых независимых групп 'Echo and The Bunnymen' и 'The Teardrop Explodes', менеджментом которых Драммонд тоже занимался. Билл и Дэйв также являлись внутренней продюсерской командой ⌠Хамелеоны■ ('The Chameleons') и группой 'Lori and the Chameleons'. The Bunnymen и the Teardrops подписывали контракты с WEA через Zoo, Драммонд впоследствии ответил на этот жест тем, что заложил свой дом, чтобы профинансировать тур 'Echo and The Bunnymen', а когда деньги вернулись, сделал это еще раз, чтобы заплатить за выпуск первого альбома 'The Teardrop Explodes'. Многие из тех, кто работал с KLF, в то время работали с Zoo √ Мик Хьютон (Mick Houghton) занимался рекламой 'The Teardrop Explodes', а Билл Батт (Bill Butt) снимал для них видеоклипы. Драммонд отправил как-то 'Echo and The Bunnymen' в турне по причудливому и откровенно случайному маршруту. ⌠Это √ не случайый маршрут, - говорил Драммонд, как менеджер группы, - если вы соедините линией на карте мира места выступлений, то по форме это будет напоминать кроличьи ушки■. Являясь менеджером 'The Teardrop Explodes', Билл однажды посоветовал Джулиану Коупу покончить с жинью самоубийством для того, чтобы поднять уровень продаж пластинок. Автобиография Джулиана Коупа ⌠Head On■ - хороший источник информации о том, что происходило на ливерпульской музыкальной сцене в конце 70-х √ начале 80-х, содержащий массу забавных историй. После сотрудничества с обоими групами, Билл Драммонд устроился в WEA Records, для которых искал новые группы, работал с 'Strawberry Switchblade', 'Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction', 'The Proclaimers' и 'Brilliant', где одним из музыкантов был Youth (Killing Joke, сейчас известный продюсер), а также бывший художник Джим Коти.
Когда ⌠Бриллиантам■ не удалось стать звездами Великобритании, Драммонд уволился из WEA, написав заявление об уходе типично в своем духе; шел 1986 год, Драммонду было 33 с третью. В качестве прощального жеста музыкальной индустрии он записал сольный альбом 'The Man' на Creation Records. В нем была развеселая песня 'Julian Cope Is Dead', ставшая ответом на песню 'Bill Drummond Said' с альбома Джулиана Коупа 'Fried' (Коуп цитировал в ней фразы по его мнению частенько произносимые Драммондом, вроде "Give me one good reason why this couldn't wait..."., 'Fried' вышел на Island Records около 1985). Многие из тех, кто потом работал с KLF, принимали участие в записи 'The Man'. (см.2.015). Когда Драммонд получил деньги от Creation на съемку клипа и записи второй стороны сингла 'King Of Joy', он использовал их на то, чтобы начать новый проект √ эмбиент видео Билла Батта ⌠Речь менеджера■, где Драммонд в одежде дворника неторопливо прогуливается по сельской дорожке, говорит о музыкальной индустрии и предлагает за 100 фунтов стерлингов начинающим группам совет о том, как добиться успеха. Выдержки из этого фильма присутствуют в майском номере за 1992 год журнала Select. Увольнение по собственному желанию из музыкального бизнеса продлилось всего шесть месяцев, до 1-го января 1987, когда Драммонд решил создать the JAMs. В программе 'Story Of Pop' на Radio 1 Билл сказал (полный текст интервью - на Mancentral): ⌠Был Новый год, первое января 1987 года. Я был дома со своими родителями и собирался с утра пойти погулять. Было солнечно, ярко-голубое небо, и я подумал: ⌠Неплохо бы записать что-нибудь в стиле хип-хоп. С кем бы мне записать что-нибудь в стиле хип-хоп?■ Я был недостаточно смел, чтобы сделать это самому, потому что хотя я и мог играть на гитаре и мог настучать несколько мелодий на пианино, я, лично, не знал ничего о технологии. И, подумал я, я знаю Джими, он √ личность, и у нас общие вкусы и увлечения в музыке и в жизни. Таким образом, я позвонил ему и сказал: ⌠Давай сделаем группу, называющуюся The Justified Ancients of Mu-Mu■. И он понял меня в точности, отчеканив в ответ: ⌠Откуда я родом┘■. И, в течение недели, мы записали наш первый сингл под названием "All You Need Is Love".
Дджеймс (или Джимми или Джими) Коти (James Cauty) родился в Девоне в 1956 году и о нем практически ничего неизвестно до того момента, как в 17 лет, будучи художником, он нарисовал постер к ⌠Властелину колец■ (см. 4.001). Он продолжал заниматься живописью, заработав репутацию художника из богемы. В 1981-82 годах Джим и Крессида (Cressida) (в данный момент его жена) были членами группы Angels 1-5, которая однажды записалась у известного диджея Джона Пила. Затем он возникает в 80-х в качестве гитариста группы Brilliant, где также присутствует Youth. Youth рассказывал, что он ⌠урезал исходный состав группы из десяти ( или около того) человек до себя самого, Джун (Montana) и Джими┘■. Brilliant подписывают контракт с WEA; в этот момент Драммонд и Коти знакомятся. Они сотрудничают в JAMs, Джими в то же время работает диджеем в чилл-аут рум клуба Пола Оукленда Heaven в Лондоне, где образует the Orb вместе с Алексом Патерсоном. Потом Джим покидает the Orb (см. 2.101) и работает с Биллом все время.
1.008: Какие существуют другие сетевые ресурсы по данному вопросу?
Существует три ftp-архива :
at ftp://ftp.xmission.com /pub/lists/klf [не работает √ прим. перев.]
зеркало на:
ftp://asylum.sf.ca.us /pub/klf [тоже не работает √ прим. перев.]
и
ftp://jumper.mcc.ac.uk /pub/ttl/KLF [тоже не работает √ прим. перев.]
Это √ JAMs-архивы с кучей интересного, включая исчерпывающую дискографию, известные информационные листы от KLF Communications (всего 15), сканированные обложки дисков, много статей и интервью из музыкальной прессы, книга KLF ⌠Руководство■, сценарий к частично отснятому фильму ⌠Белая комната■ (см. 4.003), текст к радиопостановке Нила Келли о конце KLF, и полный архив старых KLF/Orb мэйл-листов. Кроме того, постоянно увеличивается число звуковых файлов от целых композиций до небольших кусочков. Ищите ссылки на них на сайтах, список которых приведен ниже.
Существует большое количество Интернет-сайтов, но размер данного текста не позволяет указать весь список. Вероятно лучше всего воспользоваться какой-либо поисковой системой. Большинство сайтов имеет ссылки на другие. Самые основные:
http://www.swcp.com/~lazlo [работает]
- Lazlo дает ссылки на Интернет-дискографию KLF, архив Xmission и на другие сайты.
http://jumper.mcc.ac.uk/~ttl/KLF
- Jamm!n's представляет Mancentral √ архив, содержащий все с ftp-сайта и МНОГО другого √ очень рекомендуется [теперь он на http://klf.life.eu.org √ ноябрь 2000г.]
http://www.ubl.com/artists/001992.html
- KLF на Ultimate Band list. Широкий выбор ссылок и разных ресурсов [есть] .
http://www.student.brad.ac.uk/~alradtke/kf01.html
- Сайт Drew Radtke о K Foundation , с картинками, ссылками и старой HTML-версией этого текста [есть].
http://www.club.innet.be/~ind1991/music.htm
- HTMLизированная версия некоторых вопросов из этого FAQ, но менее детально[к тому же вроде и не работает].
http://www.algonet.se/~anders/klf
- Сайт создал Anders Hultman, включает научную статью о KLF (на шведском) и ссылки.
http://www.lysator.liu.se/~johol/KLF
- KLF-страница от John Olsson. Хорошие ссылки на ресурсы/сайты плюс дискография (включает обложки).
http://www.NMR.EMBL-Heidelberg.DE/croft/just4laffs/klf/
- David Croft's site, with all the info-sheets and more. [не работает]
[короче, надоело мне переводить данный вопрос, тем более, что сайты все равно все англоязычные]
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~stuey/klf/kollab.htm
- Stuart Young's kollaborators list - replete with mini-biogs. [работает √ отличный сайт]
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/2399/badwisdom.html [есть].
- Jai Nelson's Bad Wisdom site. Reviews, articles etc. And links.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/lofts/1353/page2.html
- Michael Beck's KLF site with pics and links.
http://www.atomiser.demon.co.uk/klf
- Stuart Bruce's 'The K-Files site' with pics, includes many Bad Wisdom
related ones. And a few links.
http://www.fme.vutbr.cz/~xbrtni00/klfpage.html
- Petr Brtnik's page with mirrored docs, lyrics and pics, but in a Slavic
language.
http://www. lysator.liu.se/~stco/
- by Stefan Collryd. Basic info on the various KLF guises.
http://www.york.ac.uk/~mrl103/klf/klf.htm
- Mike's Moo Moo Land. Some pics and links.
http://www.interport.net/~jrq
- Jerry Quartley's KLF screensaver. "...it has a couple of bugs and was
really just a test. It requires VBRUN300.DLL. It also requires that you be
running in thousands of colors on most VGA cards, millions on others."
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/chillout
- Tim Richards sells off KLF vinyl, tapes, CDs, videos and other things
http://people.netcom.co.uk/j.taylor/
- Selling KLF vinyl, tapes, CDs, videos and other things - reliable
http://hyperreal.com:2000/music/artists/klf/
- Not much more than a few links, and a mirrored version of this FAQ.
http://w4u.eexi.gr/~ancient/klftop.htm
- underdevelopment by Dionysios Lialios.
- index
1.009: Сколько было концертов KLF? Что это были за представления? Что игралось живьем, и что было записано на пленку?
Во многих ранних информационных листках (и интервью), KLF сообщали, что они собираются ⌠дать несколько концертов■, ⌠устроить хэви-метал тур■, ⌠шоу высокого и низкого профиля■, ⌠мировое турне JAMs 1989-го года■, и так далее, но ничего из этого, похоже, так и не произошло, поскольку информационные листки 6 и8 отмечают, что первое выступление состоялось:
31 июля 1989 года Land Of Oz, Heaven, Лондон.
"... KLF устроили свое первое представление в лондонском клубе HEAVEN. Концерт состоял из 15-минутной версии WHAT TIME IS LOVE", во время исполнения которой публика была обстреляна полистироловыми шариками из гигантской ветровой машины. Событие имело странный успех┘"
Эта песня включена как live-версия на JAMS LP4 - The What Time is Love? Story. Далее информационный листок 6 сообщает, что ⌠ребята устроили несколько импровизированных представлений (под именем K.L.F., не JAMs). Все будет идти своим чередом, но, пожалуйста, не расчитывайте на регулярные шоу.■ Инфо-лист 11 говорит: ⌠┘громадные орбитальные рэйвы, на которых KLF стали постоянным живым аттракционом, который в некоторые дни обстреливает аудиторию пластиковыми шариками, и устраивает душ из шотландских фунтовых банкнот в другие■. По всей видимости, на одном из концертов овцы тоже присутствовали на сцене.
30 сентября 1989 года Woodstock 2, Brixton Academy, Лондон
⌠Они будут в полной силе(лазеры, дым, подтанцовки, и т.д.) на Вудстоке 2, в Брикстонской академии, 30 сентября, в компании со знаменитыми Liz Torres, Corporation of One, Lollita Holloway, Frankie Bones, Little Louie Vega и других!■
? февраля 1990 года Bootle? Kirby? Community Hall?, Ливерпуль
KLF присоединились к Echo and the Bunnymen (без Ian McCulloch), играющим концерт в пользу общественного центра, выступив с бис-версией What Time Is Love?, которая позднее в том году была издана.
Начало июля 1990 года остров Родос, Греция
Детали неизвестны. Инфо-лист 9 объявляет, что ⌠как обычно будет много необъявленных концертов. Единственный официальный будет на острове Родос в начале июля■. Имея в виду все фальшивые обещания, данные в прошлом, можно только догадываться, состоялся ли этот концерт.
Конец октября 1990 года DMC Convention, Paradiso, Амстердам.
⌠KLF снова находятся в центре полемики, после того, как вызвали беспокойство на Европейском Съезде Disco Mix Club'а в амстердамском клубе Paradiso. В момент одного из своих публичных выступлений, пресловутые ⌠озорники■ решили ⌠освободить■ оборудование организаторов, и распространить его среди аудиенции. В репортажах сообщается, что KLF подходили к концу 23-минутной версии своего хита 'What Time is Love?', когда Билл Драммонд решил отдать фанатам из толпы магнитофоны Technics, микшерские пульты и другое звуковое оборудование. Организаторы были вынуждены выйти и попытаться забрать оборудование, в то время как охрана сражалась с самим Драммондом. Пока битва продолжалась, Партнер Драммонда якобы взорвал микшерский стол. Большая часть оборудования была разрушена, и, что не удивительно, KLF запретили выступать в Голландии.
Конец декабря 1990 года Rage, Heaven, Лондон
⌠Наступил день после съемок видеоклипа (3am Eternal - embankment version), прдолжавшихся всю ночь, и KLF ставят подмостки для ночного ⌠представления■ в Heaven. ⌠Мы оба достаточно практичны,■- говорит Билл, гордо оглядывая рахитичное нагромождение деревянных конструкций,┘ они начинают рассказывать о своих планах использовать свою ветровую машину для того, чтобы выдуть сегодня вечером на публику в Heaven целый куль долларовых купюр. В тот вечер парнишки и девчонки на танцплощадке клуба Rage были вынуждены прервать свое диско-свинство из-за совершенно странного представления, устроенного двоими, одетыми с головы до ног в костюмы морских рыбаков. 15 минут KLF стояли на сцене абсолютно без движения, по две стороны от пирамиды, поддерживающей пару разбитых колонок, поставленных в форме буквы ⌠Т■, и ослепляющим светом позади них. Звуковая система клуба воспроизводила грохочущие эсид-ритмы 'It's Grim Up North', и оператор заснял наполовину пораженную, наполовину восторженную толпу■.
23 июня 1991 Фестиваль Комедии, Ливерпуль
Под аккомпанимент гостей из Rites of Mu, облаченных в мантии с капюшонами, скандировавших "Му! Му!", была исполнена в Акапелла-версия "Justified and Ancient". Многие ливерпульцы, по всей видимости, тоже взобрались на сцену, и все это было не слишком весело. Раздавалось мороженое из микроавтобуса, позаимствованного у водителя, который припарковал его у Трансентрала.
13 февраля 1992 года Брит Авардз (BRIT Awards), Лондон
Драммонд, в шотландской юбке, опираясь на костыль, обьявил:"Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu против Extreme Noise Terror - Телевидение Свобода (The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu versus Extreme Noise Terror: This is television freedom). Затем обе группы устроили шоу с визжащими гитарами, сверхбыстрыми ударными, и хриплыми гортанными воплями "3 A.M. 3 A.M. ETERNAL", которые издавал вокалист Extreme Noise Terror. Все это транслировалось в прямом эфире в прайм-тайм по телевидению. В зале сидели представители музыкального бизнеса, и шоу было посвящено ежегодной церемонии вручения BRIT Awards, где KLF выдвигались на приз за лучший альбом и как лучшая группа. "Билл находился на краю сцены, облокотившись на костыль, и фактически орал в микрофон. Весьт текст был новый (и отличный от того, что был на недавно вышедшем сингле, основанного на исходном тексте), но разобрать его было невозможно из-за ребят из Extreme Noise Terror, атакующих сцену, жужжащих гитар, и барабанщика, готового, казалось, расколотить ударную установку. Я смог только уловить "The BRITs" и "BPI" (British Phonogram Industry), но мало что еще. Джимми был в своем одеянии с капюшоном на голове, и его лицо было скрыто, при этом он извивался со своей гитарой. Несколько снимков зрительного зала во время представления дает право предположить, что зрители не могди поверить своим глазам - танцевальная поп-музыка превратилась, в трэш-металлическое действо, мозгодробительный сплав гитар и ударных, туманно напоминающающий популярную тему. На самом деле, Билл сбился посреди второго куплета и начал хохотать, но все-таки сумел его закончить как раз перед припевом". Билл уковылял со сцены и вернулся с сигарой в зубах, и автоматической винтовкой вместо костыля. Все закончилось тем, что Драммонд открыл стрельбу холостыми патронами по публике, в то время как позади сцены начало что-то вспыхивать и взрываться. Когда KLF покидали сцену, голос Скотта Пиринга объявил скептически настроенной публике: "Теперь KLF покинули музыкальный бизнес (The KLF have now left the music industry[на мой слух все же "music business" - перев.])"
Историю о мертвой овце, ведрах крови и негодовании бульварной прессы читайте в 4.004.
[В 1997 году под именем 2K Драммонд и Коти появились на публике на 23 минуты, чтобы исполнить композицию "Fuck the Millennium" - перев.]
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1.010: Как мне с ними связаться? Какие у них адреса?
На март 1997 года известно, что Билл обитает на ферме около Эйлсбери, что в Бакингемшире, а Джимми покинул Трансентрал (также известный как Бенио в Стоквелле, Лондон) в направлении Наул Хауса, возле Броудхемпстона, Тотнес, Девон. Как бы то ни было, существуют два основных адреса для связи. Некоторое количество других адресов, использовавшихся в прошлом, можно узнать обратившись к Нику.
Инфо-лист The WTKFBAMQ дает такой адрес K-F:
THE K FOUNDATION
P.O. Box 91
HP22 4RS
The U.K.
Это в Эйлсбери, около того места где ждивет Билл, и с этого адреса было получено несколько ответов. Таким образом, я полагаю, что это - именно тот адрес, что стоит использовать(1996).
Адрес Curfew Press (но, похоже, они там редко):
The Curfew Press
The Curfew Tower
Cushendall
The Parish of Layde
in The Barony of Lower Glenarm
County Antrim
Northern Ireland.
Другие полезные адреса:
Mick Houghton (был агентом по рекламе KLF):
Brassneck Publicity
2nd Floor
112-6 Old Street
London EC1V 0DB
Phone: 0171 336 8855
Scott Piering (PR/сотрудник)
Можно наайти на:
61-71 Collier Street
London N1 9BE
Phone: 0171 833 2841
(прим. адрес и номер телефона старые - могли измениться)
Domenic Free (Адвокат, защищал KLF на процессе с Вандой Ди)
Simkins Partnership
45-51 Whitfield Street
LONDON W1P 5RJ
UK
Goddess Empire Inc (Менеджмент Ванды Ди)
FAX: 703 569 9103
Attn: Ray McCumber
NY Office: Sal DiSanto
212 947 1322
Адреса других людей, работавших с KLF (например Марка "Спайка" Стента, Ника Коулера, Иэна Ричардсона) можно найти в любом британском каталоге по музыкальному бизнесу.
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1.011: Что такое "the One World Orchestra"? Что собой представляет "The Magnificent"?
Для поддержки благотворительного проекта, посвященного детям Боснии, в сентябре 1995 года выходит альбом, записанный, отпечатанный, и распространенный в течение пяти дней (наиболее быстро изданный альбом на данный момент). На нем были представлены оригинальные композиции лучших из исполнителей, оказавшихся рядом. Среди музыкантов были Oasis, Blur, Stereo MCs, Stone Roses, и the One World Orchestra (Представляет Трубы и Барабаны Свободной Революционной Гвардии Детей(Featuring The Massed Pipes And Drums of the Children's Free Revolutionary Volunteer Guards)). Как выяснилось, это - новое прозвище Билла и Джимми (дальнейшая информация на http://help.fma.com [нет такого адреса - прим перев.]). Композиция One World Orchestra под назварием "The Magnificent" ("Великолепная") представляет собой драм энд бэйс вариацию на оркестровую тему из фильма "Великолепная семерка" смикшированную с сэмплами передачи одной из сербских радиостанций. "The Magnificent" - 15 дорожка на компакт-диске.
Марк Хокер (Mark Hawker), друг и помощник K-F (см. 4.008, 4.009) снял фильм об андеграунд-культуре Белграда под названием "Город Зомби" (Zombie Town). Премьера состоялась на 4 канале (Channel 4) в 1995 году, в 1996 году - второй показ. Большая часть фильма посвящена Белграду 1992 года, Сербской радиостанции, и фразы "Люди против убийств ... это все равно что торчки против кайфа (humans against killing...that's like junkies against dope)" и "Radio B92" в "The Magnificent" произнесены слепым диджеем Радио B92 по имени Фека. Билл и Джимми собирались пригласить на запись Робби (Robbie), только что отколовшегося от Take That, но он в этот момент находился на отдыхе со своей мамой. Через несколько месяцев после выхода альбома Билл пытался снять с себя ответственность за "The Magnificent", но это противоречит предыдущим интервью, где он рассказывает, как и зачем они создали эту композицию. В интервью Радио 1 (полный текст в ftp-архиве) Джимми сказал: "Это новая запись в новом стиле. Нам это всегда хорошо удается". Есть вероятность, что One World Orchestra записали что-то еще (см. 5.010). Что означает One World Orchestra - неизвестно.
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1.012: Были ли "1300 Drums (featuring the Unjustified Ancients of M.U.)" на самом деле Биллом и Джими?
Вскоре после того, как Манчестер Юнайтед победили в чемпионате 1995/96 года Английской Футбольной Лиги, вышел сингл от группы, именовавшей себя '1300 Drums (featuring the Unjustified Ancients of M.U.)', под названием "Ooh Aah Cantona". Песня эта была "посвящением" игроку Манчестер Юнайтед по имени Эрик Кантона (Eric Cantona), которого многие фанаты этой футбольной команды считали божеством. Композиция представляла собой танцевальный номер с техно-басами, сэмплированным ревом толпы и партиями клавишных. 1300 Drums однажды появились на Top Of The Pops, их лица были скрыты за масками Эрика. Они держали плакаты с надписями "Ooh Aah Cantona", шрифт которых казался знакомым. Такие плакаты также были розданы толпе болельщиков на матче против Ноттингем Форест в том сезоне. Как бы то ни было, по мнению авторов данного текста 1300 Drums НЕ ИМЕЮТ ОТНОШЕНИЯ к Биллу и Джимми. Письма в звукозаписывающую компанию остаются без ответа (на самом деле некоторые из них вернулись с пометкой "неизвестный адресат"), но нет никаких фактических свидетельств, чтоб предположить связь. Наиболее подходящим объяснением является, что 1300 Drums - фаны одновременно и Манчестер Юнайтед и KLF, и, вполне возможно, что они, прочитав "Руководство", решили опробовать совет, а un-JAMs упоминается по той причине, что Man Utd = M.U. = Mu.
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1.013: Чем Билл и Джими заняты в данный момент?
На февраль 1997:
Остается надеятся, что Билл и Джимми еще посотрудничают в каком-либо музыкальном проекте (последним был the Magnificent - см.1.011 [на данный момент - Fuck the Millennium под именем 2K]). Билл и Марк Мэннинг в конце 1996 года завершили тур, рекламирующий "Плохую мудрость"(Bad Wisdom), и теперь работают над вторым томом - "В поисках потерянного аккорда" (in the Search for the Lost Chord). Билл периодически всплывает в публичной колонке New Musical Express, в окружении рекламных объявлений.
Джимми недавно можно было увидеть в телепрограмме из Фэйрмайла, Девон, Англия, посвященной демонстрации протеста против правительственной программы дорожного строительства в этом районе, и он там был представлден как "Джимми - сжигатель денег". Есть также непроверенные слухи, что что он записал альбом под псевдонимом "AAA (Advanced Accoustic Armaments)" или "Triple 'A' Attack Formation Ensemble"на лейбле Blast First, но это - только слухи. См. 4.001 для дополнительной информации. Выставка его работ в данный момент работает в интернете и вне галлереи в Лондоне в качестве части проекта Looking Glass. Зайдите на http://www.redfig.com/ чтобы узнать побольше [ссылка не работает-перев.]
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1.023: Что такое трилогия "ILLUMINATUS!", и какая связь между ней и KLF? Как использование KLF'ом идеологии этого произведения повлияло на творчество других групп, таких как the Shamen?
Иллюминат!(ILLUMINATUS!) это толстая секс-наркотики-оккультизм-параноидальная научно-фантастическая книга о всемирном заговоре, где реальность постоянно сдвигается и все окказывается не таким, как на первый взгляд. Или, возможно, я хочу, чтоб вы в это поверили. Она была впервые опубликована в середине 70-х годов. Авторы - Роберт Антон Уилсон (Robert Anton Wilson) и Боб Ши (Bob Shea) - в момент написания книги работали в Плэйбое. Изначально трилогия вышла как три отдельных романа - "Глаз в Пирамиде" (The Eye In The Pyramid), "Золотое яблоко" (The Golden Apple) и "Левиафан" (Leviathan), но сейчас она наиболее доступна одним томом, изданная компанией Dell (ISBN 0-440-53981-1).
В книге рассказывается о тайном обществе Иллюминатов, которые пытаются контролировать и управлять всем человечеством, получая собственную личную силу (переживая иллюминацию), при массовой гибели населения. Их основные враги - Justified Ancients of Mummu (The JAMs) - "организация (или дезорганизация), такая же древняя, по крайней мере, как Иллюминаты, представляет первозданные силы хаоса". Вместе со своими подразделениями LDD и ELF(Erisian Liberation Front), JAMs вовлечены в тайную войну с Иллюминатами, чтобы не дать им "имманентизировать эсхатон " (immanentizing the eschaton) [что это значит - не вполне понятно - перев.], таким образом предотвратив конец света. Война Хаоса против Порядка, вот что определенно имеет место, с самых древндих времен, когда Время впервые "собралось" вместе с Космосом и создало Вселенную. The JAMs изначально были членами Иллюминатов, но были изгнаны по воли части организации, кричащей: "Вышвырните JAMs! (kick out the JAMs!)".Иллюминаты контролируют все звукозаписывающие компании, по этой причине вся музыка ужасно тупа, и поэтому же им удалось вставить анти-JAM'овский клич "kick out the jams" в песню группы MC5. JAMs организовали свою фирму, чтобы нести в мир хорошую музыку и сражаться с Иллюминатами.
Эта книга очевидно является продуктом американской контркультуры 60-х годов и сексуальной революции. В ней перемешаны факты и выдумка, факты постоянно переинтерпретируются, что окончательго запутывает читателя. В романе использованна концепция "синхронности", когда связываются совершенно несвязанные события, а также нумерология - читателю преподносится оккультное значение числа 23. Можно сомневаться в том, что число 23 имеет большее значение, чем какое-либо другое, но что несомненно, так это то, что как только читателю сообщают, где оно возникает, так он сам начинает замечать, как оно выскакивает то здесь то там со странной закономерностью. Удовольствие от романа в том, что независимо от того, обращаете ли вы внимание на число 23 или, наоборот, скрываете, в любом случае, оно будет проявлять себя. В конечном итоге роман пропагандирует дискордианизм, "религию под маской шутки, или шутку под маской религии?". Дискордиане поклоняются Эрис, богине хаоса, и вовлечены в войну хаоса против порядка.
Драммонд был принимал участие в дизайне самой первой сценической постановки (роман адаптирован Кеном Кэмпбеллом и Крисом Лэнгэмом (Ken Campbell, Chris Langham) в десятичасовое рок-действо в пяти частях. Премьера состоялась 23 ноября 1976 года в Ливерпуле. Драммонд в те дни учился в художественном колледже. В представлении принимал участие автор "Иллюмината!", и в труппе из 23 человек было довольно больше число артистов, карьера которых впоследствии слолжилась вполне успешно. Затем были гастроли в Лондоне, где ее увидел юный Коти, прочитавший роман из-за спектакля.
В марте 1997 года, через 20 лет после события, Билл рассказывал: "Когда Кэмпбелл организовал в 70-х в Ливерпуле Театр Научной Фантастики, он поставил трилогию "Иллюминат!" Роберта Антона Уилсона... Я помню, там была роль для китаянки, азиатки. Кен спросил меня: "Кто сегодня самая главная азиатка в мире". Я сказал, что Йоко Оно, на что он заявил:" Хорошо, волшебство телефона - в том, что связь есть по всему миру; в каждой китайской деревне есть телефон, и есть хоть один провод, идущий сюда - и ты сможешь найти кого угодно". Через полчаса он уже говорил с Йоко Оно: "Смотри, мы делаем то-то, и т.д.". Очевидно, ее не воодушевила идея, но я думал: если ты собрался сделать что-то, что тебя может остановить? Это событие оказало на меня большое влияние".
Когда Драммонд и Коти решили "вышвырнуть старье" и атаковать музыкальный бизнес, они назвали свою группу "Оправданные Древние Му Му" (Justified Ancients of Mu Mu), а свою компанию - KLF - "Фронт Либерализации Авторских Прав" (the Kopyright Liberation Front). Многие из их записей содержат возгласы "Му Му!" и имеют пометку (с) "the sound of Mu(sic)". Многие идеи для своих творений Джим и Билл взяли из трилогии "Иллюминат!". Если вы не читали эту книгу, возможно, вам было интересно обнаружить все самим (была не вполне удачная попытка Предупреждения):"What Time Is Love?" и "All You Need is Love" (original version) содержат сэмпл из MC5 - "kick out the jams motherfuckers". В "All You Need is Love' есть также фраза : "Это снова мы/ нас никогда не вышвыривали/ 20 000 лет криков" (We're back again/ They never kicked us out/ 20,000 years of shout shout shout") - что относится к настоящим JAMs; и после фразы, подразумевающей заговор, связанный со СПИДом ("Северный Техас, 1979 год/ Внешний Мир встречает вируса-убийцу/ с этим вирусом теперь нет нужды в войне/ Свингующие шестидесятые - часть их плана" (Southern Texas seventy-nine/ Killer virus meets the world outside... With this killer virus who needs war?...Swinging sixties all part of their plan")), King Boy Кричит: "Immanentize the Eschaton". Далее, в 'The Porpoise Song' на JAMS LP2 King Boy встречает говорящего дельфина, который говорит ему присоедидниться к JAMs! (В книге на огромной подводной лодке "Leif Erikson" некоторые из персонажей встречают Ховарда, говорящего дельфина). Скот Пиринг, представитель KLF на радио и телевидении в начале "Last Train To Trancentral" произносит лозунг The JAMs :"Oкей, все ложитесь на пол и ведите себя тихо... (OK everybody lie down on the floor and keep calm...) " - то же самое говорит Джон Дилленджер, когда грабит банки.
Видеофильм "Stadium House" - это, предположительно, выступление на "Вудсток Европа". На настоящем "Вудсток Европа" Мария Имбриум (Maria Imbrium), вокалистка Sicilian Dragon Defense, галлюцинирует ангелов в золотых мантиях, выходящих из озера Инглостадт. На "Обрядах Му" (происходивших, разумеется, на потерянном континенте) четыре Ангела Му на закате вышли из воды в белых мантиях.
Путаница с названием (Kopyright и Kallisti Liberation Fronts, Kings of the Low Frequencies (Короли низких частот)) могла быть просто журналистскими выдумками, либо KLF сознательно давали разные расшифровки, копируя таким образом Хагбарда Селина (Hagbard Celine), который постоянно изменял значение LDD(Legion of Dynamic Discord, Lawless Delicacy Dealers, Little Deluded Dupes). Я думаю, что множественность имен может иметь отношение к фразе "JAMs не могут сделать это одни" (the JAMs can't do it alone). Им нужна помощь ELF and The LDD в битве с Иллюминатами. JAMs требуется помощь The KLF, The Timelords, Disco 2000 и The Forever Ancients Liberation Loophole в битве с музыкальной индустрией.
Всю свою карьеру KLF отмечали, что они намереваются купить подводную лодку, и в конце видео Justified and Ancient (Stand By The JAMs) они взбираются на субмарину, в то время как остальные, маша им руками скандируют: "All bound for Mu Mu land (все связано с землей Му Му)". На вставке есть кадры, где JAMs-мобиль удаляется в лучи заката, с бегущей строкой "KLF хотели бы поблагодарить пятерых, за то, что они сделали все это невозможным (The KLF would like to thank the five for making all of this impossible)". "Пятеро" - это, конечно же, тайные лидеры Иллюминатов.
Существует, как утверждают, ссылка на "3am eternal" где-то в "Кошке Шреденингера", и другая, более неясная, на "картину", сделаную из рамы с кучей купюр прибитых гвоздями внутри нее, но это точно пока неизвестно.
KLF также спрятали много чисел "23" в своих работах для читавших "Иллюмината!". "Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu" имеет 23 буквы. Kopyright Liberation Front к несчастью имеет слишком много букв, разве что вы напишете "Kopyrite" получив таким образом 23 буквы :). Первый сингл - All You Need Is Love' вышел как "JAMS 23". Далее: строка "23 years is a mighty long time" на песне Next альбома "1987". Кроме того на "1987" есть вещь 'Rockman Rock (Parts 2 and 3)'. На крыше JAMs-мобиля (Ford Timelord) нарисованы цифры 23 (все полицейские машины в США имеют номер из двух цифр на крыше). Модель автомобиля в клипе Last Train To Trancentral и видео Stadium House Trilogy тоже имеет "23" на своей крыше. Итальянский бутлег "Madrugana Eterna club mix" вышел как ETERNAL 23. На Disco Mix Convention в конце октября 1990 г. (вполне возможно, что 23 числа!) в Амстердаме KLF исполнили двадцатитрехминутную версию 'What Time Is Love?'. Можно добавить, что они появились на публике в клубе "Heaven" в конце декабря 1990 года (возможно ли это?). Выступление на Ливерпульском фестивале комедии состоялось 23 июня 1991 года. Последний инфо-лист KLF Communications имел номер 23. На нем Джим изобразил полицейский автомобиль с числом 23 на боку. Лауреаты наград K-F были оглашены 23 ноября (в 17-ю годовщину ливерпульской премьеры Иллюмината!)
Награды K-F были датированы 1994 годом, в то время как призы Тернера, которые они пародировали относились к 1994 году; связано ли это с тем, что 1+9+9+4=23?. Драммонд и Коти сожгли миллион на острове Джура 23 августа 1994 года. Кроме того, в книге "Плохоя мудрость" число 23 тоже встречается несколько раз. Тем не менее в конце книги Билл пишет:" ...Все эти "23" предназначались для младших членов Клуба Нумерологии". Понимайте это так, как вам нравится, но данный автор явно имел представление о чем он пишет!
Еще в некоторых случаях число "23" можно "притянуть за уши", но это уже скорее манипулирование фактами, хотя фанаты KLF частенько их отмечают (представляется сомнительным, что за тот небольшой промежуток времени, когда KLF были в центре внимания, они утруждали себя подсчетами, сколько раз они делали или не делали что-либо). Тем не менее - В логотипе с пирамидой (Пирамидбластер) пирамида построена из 23 камней. Ну ладно, полностью прямоугольных кирпича 22, но есле вы посчитаете либо Гетто Бластер, либо верхний треугольник, либо левый нижний, почти что законченный кирпич, тогда да. Кроме того, можно манипулировать порядковыми номерами и числом композиций в их записях, чтобы находить число 23. Вышли: JAMS LP1-6 (шесть) JAMS 23-28T (шестьsix) KLF 001-005, 008-011 &
99 (ten) You can also manipulate the KLF's releases to produce 23
releases. There's JAMS LP1-6 (six) JAMS 23-28T (six) KLF 001-005, 008-011 &
99 (ten). So you need to dig up one more possibly the Stadium House video or
ETERNA1 or the unreleased Black Room. Personally I don't like this one as I
feel that their actions/stunts/pranks should be counted too, as well as just
the records, book and videos. Then there's definitely not 23 mixes of 'What
Time Is Love?' but by selectively discounting some or including some based
on your own prejudices you can come up with either 13 or 17 (other
significant numbers)[however the latest total count is 33!!]. Taking the
alphabetical positions of the letters KLF (K=11, L=12, F=6) you can get:
K+L= 11+12 = 23, and K+F = 11+6 = 17.
It is often asked whether the Shaman's "Destination Eschaton" single was
influenced by the KLF, or just RAW. Bill often 'compares' and contrasts the
KLF's work with the Shamen's, as they were around at the same time and doing
the same sort of thing (very approx). But despite the influence both groups
may have had on each other, and the numerous Eschaton references in the
JAMs' music, it is more likely that the single, "Destination Eschaton" was
influenced by the concept of eschatology as a whole. The Shamen were big on
the work of a certain other American weirdo, namely Terrance McKenna. You
are cordially referred to "Re:Evolution" which featured Mr McKenna sounding
forth (and completely ruining the underlying music) about tribal shamanism,
psychadelic drugs, and how "history is the shockwave of the
Eschaton. History is the shockwave of eschatology."
- index
2.001: Which of their records is still available?
All releases on the band's KLF Communications label (UK) were deleted when
they retired, but non-UK licensors of the music (including Arista and TVT in
the US, Liberation in Australia, and Toshiba/EMI in Japan) will still have
the right to produce KLF records for several years. But it will be a finite
amount of time, and it seems likely that Drummond and Cauty will never
release their product again, so you should think seriously about purchasing
what you can now, while you can. Of course, original KLF Communications
releases still crop up in second-hand record shops. And list members
occasionally sell some things off.
In the UK most of the foreign CD's are available on import quite easily.
This then is what's available:
History of The JAMs (US: TVT)
Chill Out (US: WaxTrax!/TVT 7155-2)
The White Room (US: Arista)
What Time Is Love? (JAP: EMI TOCP 7401)
3 a.m. Eternal (JAP: EMI TOCP 7402)
Last Train To Trancentral (JAP: EMI TOCP 7403)
Its Grim Up North
Justified And Ancient
America: What Time Is Love?
In addition there are two widely available bootlegs:
Ultra Rare Trax (KLF URT1) (CD)
Chill Out/Space (Wix Trax! KLF URT3) (CD/tape)
Many list members are often selling some records, eg.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/chillout
- Tim Richards' sales of vinyl, tapes, CDs, videos and other things
http://people.netcom.co.uk/j.taylor/
- Selling vinyl, tapes, CDs, videos and other things - reliable
and there are a few other online catalogue mail order companies which still
sell things like Chill Out and the White Room.
- index
2.002: What's the difference between the US and UK White Room albums?
The US version is, unfortunately, edited. The UK version presents the first
five tracks ("WTIL?" through "Last Train") as a kind of "mini-concert" with
sampled crowd noise from, among other places, U2's 'Rattle And Hum'. All
five tracks are segued and mixed. The US version eliminates the crowd
noise, with some tracks ending very abruptly. It doesn't work nearly as
well, and in some places (right after the "Justified" lead-in to "WTIL?") is
downright stupid. This is probably as the crowd noise was sampled from a
Doors album and hence the obvious copyright problems.
The US edition also has the single mix of "Last Train" instead of the
mellower UK album version, edits "No More Tears" down from 9:24 to 6:42, and
adds a little more wind noise at the end of the closing "Justified and
Ancient". The Japanese version follows the US format, and in addition
includes three extra tracks. See the discography for more info.
- index
2.003: What's the difference between the various Shag Times and History Of
The JAMs compilations? Where do "Towards the Trance" and 'JAMS26T'
fit in?
Here are the tracks from the releases in question:
[Shag Times (UK double album)]
All You Need Is Love / Don't Take Five (Take What You Want) / Whitney
Joins The JAMS / Down Town / Candyman / Burn The Bastards / Doctorin'
The Tardis // Whitney Joins The JAMS (remix) / I Love Disco 2000/
Down Town (remix) / Burn The Beat (club mix) / Prestwich Prophet's
Grin (dance mix) / Porpoise Song (dance mix) / Doctorin' The Tardis
(minimal)
The last seven tracks (the second disc on the LP version) are labelled
only by (innacurate) BPM; these above are the actual tracks.
[Shag Times (European single album)]
All You Need Is Love / Don't Take Five (Take What You Want) / Whitney
Joins The JAMS / Down Town / Candyman / Burn The Bastards [edit]
NB. Some discographies note a release "Towards The Trance KLF LP1". "Towards
The Trance" was the second part of the Shag Times UK double LP. The first
part, "Shag Times" was definitely released as a single album in Europe (and
omitting "Doctorin' the Tardis"). No-one has ever seen "Towards The Trance"
as a separate single album release. It may be that it never got released,
and then they decided to run with "Shag Times" in the UK to cash in on the
"Doctorin' the Tardis" success, and bundled it with "Towards The
Trance". The catalogue number and above details came from Bill himself when
asked in a letter from Culf, what happened to "Towards The Trance". Most of
the LP is the second disc of Shag Times, i.e. a collection of remixes
showing the JAMs progressing towards the KLF.
The thing that was released in Europe was the remix 12 inch (JAMS 26T) which
has remixes of tracks off Who Killed The JAMs? (JAMS LP2). From JAMs
info-sheet 001: "JAMS 26T? When we put Downtown out and gave it the cat
no. JAMS 27T it was a mistake. We forgot we hadn't made a 26T. Then we
decided to release Dance Mixes of tracks from the LP. This would be the
missing JAMS 26T. We pressed up 2,000 then decided we didn't like them, so
we sold them into Europe. One of the tracks we remixed and is coming out
titled 'Burn The Beat' by The KLF with the cat no. KLF 002T. If you are
confused so are we."
[History Of The JAMS a.k.a. The Timelords (US version)]
All You Need Is Love / Don't Take Five (Take What You Want) / Whitney
Joins The JAMS / Porpoise Song (dance mix) / Down Town / Candyman/
Burn The Beat / Doctorin' The Tardis / Gary In The Tardis [CD only]
[History Of The JAMS a.k.a. The Timelords (Australian version)]
All You Need Is Love / Don't Take Five (Take What You Want) /
Disaster Fund Collection / Burn The Beat (ext. 7" mix) / Porpoise Song
/ Down Town / Candyman / Burn The Bastards / Doctorin' The Tardis
"Burn The Beat" is labelled "Whitney" on this release.
- index
2.004: What's the difference between the US and UK Chill Out CDs?
The UK CD has only one track, 45 minutes long. The US CD separates this into
14 tracks, based on the 'song' titles and approximate timings printed on the
label of the UK LP. It seems that the KLF consider Chill Out to be one
continuous piece of music, but had to invent a separation into songs so that
song-writing royalties can be paid to those sampled. For instance P. Green
is credited with co-co-writing "3am Somewhere Outside of Beaumont" with
Drummond and Cauty, and of course this is Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac,
writer of Albatross, the melody that is heavily sampled on this track.
- index
2.005: What are the different pressings of 'Whitney joins the JAMs? Why are
some marked 'Made in Scotland'?
There are at least two releases on 12" vinyl in existence. Both are
one-sided and feature the same mix as on "Shag times", but both have
numerous intrinsic variations:
1. (Scottish release) September 87, limited to 500 copies, the etched matrix
is "JAM 24T A2", however, at least one copy is known to have the matrix
"JAMS 24T". One sided (B- side is smooth). The A side label reads: "bpm 120
Whitney joins the J.A.M.s" This is repeated on the B side, but some DJ
copies have blank B-labels. There might even be a small "MADE IN ENGLAND"
sticker. Comes in plain black sleeve or generic KLF sleeve A.
2. Re-release at a later date, unknown quantity, etched matrix is
"JAMS24T". The B side is not smooth, but has a tone-groove which plays as a
high-pitched whine. One run-out groove on the B-side it may say LP FB 12 X,
where the 'X' is a '3' and a 'O' overlaid. This matrix is typical of
tone-grooves. Comes in generic KLF sleeve A. Some labels state "bpm 120
Whitney joins the J.A.M.s" with "Made in Scotland JAMS24T" but others don't.
Most of the differences can be put down to different production runs. The
reason for the "Made in Scotland" inclusion is probably because it was,
despite rumours that it was only ever released in Scotland. But most of
their other releases state "Made in England" and various other locations. We
think this is due to a EEC regulation which means records pressed in the EEC
must state the country of origin. The 1987 album was "Made in France" also
because it was! As with many 'independent' records at that time, it was
pressed by MPO in France, because they were cheaper even with re-importation
costs and actually better quality that many of the existing UK plants at the
time, and would do more limited runs of records too. However the 'Who Killed
the JAMS' LP label says "Made in Wales", which is a complete mystery to all,
as it wasn't an MPO pressing.
- index
2.006: What's the difference between 'Burn The Bastards' and 'Burn The Beat'?
The swear words were removed from the 'Burn The Beat' 7" in an attempt to
receive radio play. There may be some minor mix differences between the 12"
version and 'Burn The Bastards' but they're not obvious. Also the
bells/party outro is cut so that all that's left is Den shouting: "Shut Up!
its that time again kick out the old, welcome the new". Which could almost
be the JAMs motto. The instrumental club mix is more trancey and contains
more samples.
- index
2.007: What are the different WTIL? (KLF 004X) releases? Where does KLF004P
fit in?
As far as we know, KLF 004P was never a pressing in it's own right, the
matrix was always 004X. We have identified several common variants in this
release. Again each may have intrinsic variations:
1. The commercially released version. Dark charcoal grey/blue sleeve, with
'KLF' in large black letters on front, Pyramid Blaster on reverse. These
and/or the background on the cover may be glossed to different levels or not
- put this down to different production runs. The label is in very dark blue
print, and may look black under artificial light - probably also different
production runs. The matrix on the A side reads "KLF 004X A' ", which is the
'Live at Trancentral' mix, and the B side reads "KLF 004-C-B1", which is the
'Techno Gate' mix. There is a faint 'DAMONT' etched on the B side,
vertically opposite the matrix. The bar code is 5 017139 224240.
2. The promo white label. May come in Generic KLF Sleeve A or plain white or
black sleeve. Blank label. The A side matrix reads "KLF 004X A' " (which is
the Live at Trancentral mix) and the B side reads "KLF 004X-C-B1" (which is
the Techno Gate mix). It may also have "DAMONT" etched on the B side
3. The promo white label with the "Wanda-ful" mix. Generic KLF Sleeve A or
plain white or black sleeve. Blank label. The A side matrix reads "KLF 004X
A' " (Live At Trancentral) but the B side matrix is "KLF 004X B' "
(Wanda-ful mix).
These are the three main ones, but some other variants are: Release 1 but
with black sleeve writing; Release 1, etched KLF 004X-C-B1 on the B side,
but which plays the Wanda-ful mix; and Release 1, but actually with KLF 004X
B' etched on the B side (and which plays the Wanda-ful mix). Each release
may also have what appears to be an "R" etched below and between the KLF004X
and the A or B, but this is insignificant, as are the letters which may be
etched in the 9 o'clock position on the run out grooves.
Just so you know, the Techno Gate mix has vocals only on the intro, but the
Wanda-ful mix is "Wanda-full" of her vocals throughout.
- index
2.008: What's the "original" White Room LP you talk about?
The soundtrack album to the 'The White Room' film was completed in 1989, and
both their 1989 singles state "taken from the White Room soundtrack LP" on
the sleeves. When "Kylie Said to Jason" wasn't a hit they scrapped the
release of the album. Studio tapes of this were stolen by the engineer and
released to bootleggers, which is how some list members have copies of
it. If you would like a copy, try putting out a polite request on the list.
The versions of the songs are substantially different from the remixed
versions which appeared on the 1991 White Room album. Many songs appear
either in whole or in part on the soundtrack to the White Room film (copies
of which are also around). The bootleg track-listing is:
The KLF: The White Room Soundtrack [unreleased demos]
4:00 Kylie Said To Jason
4:20 3 a.m. Eternal
3:37 Go To Sleep
3:36 Make it Rain
3:51 Church Of The KLF
3:29 No More Tears
4:54 Build A Fire
4:15 Lovers Side
4:25 The White Room
2:48 Born Free
- index
2.009: What's the Black Room?
The legendary unreleased LP, the darker, harder twin to the White Room
LP. It was referred to in interviews for ages, even before the White Room
was released. Originally it was planned to be harder techno (like It's Grim
Up North), then it was going to be heavy-metal techno (like America...) and
then it was going to be a thrash-metal collaboration with Extreme Noise
Terror (like the TOTP version of 3 am Eternal). It's unknown, how much of
each incarnation was complete, before it was scrapped and recording was
re-started.
Jimmy said of it in December '90: "The 'Black Room' album will all be this
kind of electro turbo metal. It's not really industrial like, say, Throbbing
Gristle, because it's coming from house and has an uplifting vibe about
it. But it's so heavy it will just pin you to the floor."; while Drummond
said of it in March '91: "It's the compete yang to the yin of 'The White
Room'. It'll be very very dense, very very hardcore. No sort of 'up'
choruses or anthems. I think it's going to be techno-metal, I think that's
gonna be the sound. Techno-metal. Which'll be, you know, a cross between
Techno and Heavy Metal. Megadeth with drum machines."
One NME article noted that the "Black Room" was actually an ante-room to the
recording studio they used in West London. It was originally scheduled for
the end of '91, which was put back to March '92, and they were still
recording in February '92 when they scrapped the sessions. Mark Stent, the
engineer/producer for these sessions, thought the music was pure
genius. "The most awesome track for me was one called "The Black Room and
Terminator 10" which was like a very slow tempo thrash. It was mad. It was
brilliant, absolutely brilliant, and it would have shown a lot of people up
because it was as ballsy as hell. Guitars screaming all over the place, Bill
doing his vocals and Dean (of ENT) doing his. There was such a raw power to
it. It was so different from anything anyone else had ever heard. This was
really heavy."
Furthermore, in Bad Wisdom, (см. 4.010), on page 206, Bill says "Z asks
about the Black Room album that me and Jimmy as the Justified Ancients of Mu
Mu started but were too afraid to complete. I tell him how, when I was
standing in the twilight of the recording booth, the microphone in front of
me, Jimmy's magnificent metal guitar riffs roaring in my headphones, a voice
came out of me which I had never heard before, words flowed that I had never
written and a precipice appeared before me. I crept forward and looked over
the edge: the abyss. The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu's LP, The Black Room,
was never finished.
But Z keeps talking and I'm warming to his persuasions. He feels
that Jimmy and I are evading our responsibilities; we should return to our
war-horse and complete the task. And yes, right now I believe Z may be
right. But maybe Jimmy and I should wait until we are both over fifty before
we record the sound of us as battle-scarred veterans of a hundred mercenary
campaigns, when the music would not be drawn from our fading libidos but
from the horror of life spent confronting that abyss - kinda like Milton
backed up by Megadeth".
See the NME 'KLF vs. the BRITs' and Select 'Who Killed The KLF' articles in
the ftp archive for further details.
Lyrics from the song "38", recorded in mid-February by Bill Drummond during
recording of the scrapped "Black Room" sessions:
"I'm looking for something but it wasn't there/
(next line indecipherable)/
I'm 38 and I'm losing control/
and when I find it I'm going to take it/
and when I find it I'm going to make it/
and when I've found it I'm going to break it/
I'm 38 and I'm losing control/
I'm looking for nothing that I can't feel/
I'm looking for something that I can't see/
I'm 38 and I'm losing control."
- index
2.010: How was Chill Out recorded?
"Chill Out" was apparently recorded live, without edits, in one take, by the
KLF only. The whole album was attempted several times, and if a mistake was
made, they started again. Here's what was written in Record Collector
magazine # 140:
Cauty: "'Chill Out' was done with two DAT machines and a cassette recorder."
Drummond: "It was a live album that took two days to put together from bits
and pieces. It was like jamming with bits from LPs and stuff we had lying
around. We'd run around having to put an album on here, a cassette on there,
and then press something else to get a flow." Cauty: "There's no edits on
it. Quite a few times we'd get near the end and make a mistake and so we'd
have to go all the way back to the beginning and set it all up again."
Drummond then talks of bouncing it from DAT to DAT and playing a few pads on
a synthesizer at the notorious Trancentral of legend.
The confusion concerning the recording of 'Chill Out' comes from a Volume
interview with The Orb's Alex Patterson, where the interviewer writes the
following:
"Alex and Jimmy Cauty started the first 'Chill Out' room at Paul Oakenfold's
Land of Oz club, upstairs in London's Heaven. Using two decks and a CD
player they mixed tracks by the likes of Kraftwerk and Brian Eno over
bird-songs, BBC sound effects and weird tribal chants! Back in Autumn 1989
Alex DJ'd for more than six hours at an eleven-hour 'ambientathon' held at
the KLF's Trancentral HQ. And much of the KLF's 'Chill Out' LP is, in fact,
made up of cuts from the session! Kopyright Liberation Front: you bet your
bottom, matey!"
However since this is not a direct quote from Paterson, it is more
reasonable to believe the KLF's actual statements. It is possible that the
interviewer was confusing 'Chill Out' with the Space album, which was
recorded originally as an Orb album by Jimmy and Alex, then they split up
and Jimmy kept the master tapes (since they were recording in his house at
Trancentral), reworked it, removed Alex's contributions and added some
others of his own, finally releasing it on KLF Communications. There were
infamous weekend- long parties held at Trancentral though. Patterson will
have had some guiding/inspirational input to 'Chill Out', but it's really
the interplay between Bill and Jimmy that makes the KLF great. 'Chill Out'
is unquestionably a KLF record - just listen to steel guitars and sheep
noises.
The best way to listen to this album is as follows:
1. Close all curtains, and switch off all lights and make sure you won't be
disturbed.
2. Lie on the floor, pillow under your head.
3. Close your eyes and relax.
4. Play Chill Out fairly loud and listen to the whole thing in one go.
Various other good times to hear it include 'in the office on an afternoon'
or over the piped music in shopping malls or cinemas.
- index
2.011: What is Deep Shit and does it exist?
"Deep Shit" (Cat no. DS1) was a flexi 7" pressed in 500 copies in September
1987 but nobody has ever seen it, so we can't be absolutely sure of its
existence. It was on the KLF1 Completeist List as having been pressed, it
has never been confirmed. From JAMs info-sheet 001: "Deep Shit (the flexi)?
I'm afraid although we recorded this we never actually got it out. We were
hoping to slip it in with the first few copies of JAMS LP2." But from JAMs
info-sheet 002: "'Deep Shit' can never be made generally available, but
don't be surprised if it turns up in odd places."
They allegedly made the single because in 1987 they received a letter from
an American calling himself 'Don Lucknowe' who warned them about the "Deep
shit" they would be in if they continued with their many links to the
"Illuminatus!" trilogy (см. 1.023). It all turned out to be a joke (we
think!). Their only contact address turned out to be that of a parody news
outfit, "Yossarian Universal". Paul Fericano, the then editor thinks the
originator of the letter is James Wallis, a British satirist, and long-time
Three Stooges fan (hence the name Don Lucknowe = Don't Look Now).
It was then, allegedly released in August 1989 as 6 copies only of a 12"
white label (Cat no. KLF 101R), with the A side as "Deep Shit" Parts Two and
Three the Illegal Remix" and the B side of "The Lovers Side", from the
original TWR album. Again this exists only in myth and has never been seen.
"At the start of 1993, Jimmy completed one issue [started in 1989] of his
graphic novel "Deep Shit: The Further Adventures of the Justified Ancients
of Mu Mu" but he decided it was "crap" and "threw it out"."
- index
2.012: What does the Madrugana Eterna club mix sound like?
Very much like the version on Chill Out except with a groovy beat and
bassline behind it. There were only 20 copies of the unreleased single (KLF
ETERNA 1) pressed, so consequently none of us have heard it except for the
version which is the soundtrack to the White Room motion picture promo
video, which was shown on TV and is on the bootleg compilation video. We
assume this IS the club mix. However to confuse the matter there is an
Italian bootleg (ETERNITY 23) available in slightly larger quantities (500),
which claims to be the club mix, but it is different from the video
version. At the moment we believe that this is a fake club mix. However I
still like it. Its strange, depending on your state of mind, it can either
sound like an ambient track with a trancey beat in the background, OR it can
sound like a great club track with a twist (the steel guitar) where the
samples of the mad preacher sound like proper vocals, OR it can sound
terrible with the two parts clashing and working against each
other. Whatever, it seems that the KLF didn't like it and decided not to
widely release it.
- index
2.013: What does K Cera Cera [War Is Over If You Want It] sound like?
Bear in mind that the KLF have left the music industry and that this is the
K Foundation PRESENTING the Red Army Choir. Its a great novelty pop song. It
is unquestionable that it would be a huge world-wide hit if they released
it. It really is the Red Army Choir. Bill saw them at a local performance
and got them to sing a completely straight version of the old standard 'Que
Cera Cera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)', gradually building up to a crescendo
of crashing symbols, Cossack dance 'HEY!'s and trumpets as they launch into
the chorus. There's a breakdown section very similar to that in
'America...', and the climactic-military-brass-band-style-pomp continues
with 'War Is Over If You Want It' i.e. the John Lennon-Yoko Ono Christmas
single. If you're not dancing around your bedroom by this point wildly
swinging your arms, with a huge grin on your face, then you've missed the
point. Finally the song ends in an ambient outro, with church bells and a
drum march, similar to 'America No More'.
It was only ever released in Israel in a limited ed. of 3000 on CD and
cassette, to 'celebrate' the 1993 Peace Accord there. They also tried to get
it played at festivals and live events over that summer, but were usually
thwarted because organisers thought it was "crap". On one occasion, at the
Reading Festival, Pete Robinson was spotted trying to make a tape of it from
the PA playback. Now it's usually only found if someone is selling, or maybe
in a second-hand store. Expect to pay upwards of ukp30 for a copy.
- index
2.014: What does What Time Was Love sound like?
Unfortunately the KLF track on the CND benefit album 'Give Peace A Dance' is
not a proper song at all. Just a large explosion and a slow rumbling fade to
silence for 1.37 minutes, obviously designed to make you think of nuclear
explosions, it being a CND album and all. Best description must be: 'BLAM
rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble'. However we actually think its a
NASA rocket launch soundtrack, as featured on numerous Orb tracks, most
obviously at the beginning of "Supernova at the End of the Universe", and of
course the KLF have used NASA clips as well, most notably at the beginning
of Space, and the end of 'What Time Is Love? (live)'. The second mini-boom
on this track could be the second stage rocket firing. In fact it sounds
exactly like the rocket launch at the beginning of Space.
- index
2.015: What does The Man sound like?
Bill Drummond's 1986 solo LP on Creation records is a mixed bag of
country-rock tunes, awful singing, up tempo instrumentals, a couple of good
pop songs, the 'particularly funny' old English ballad type 'Julian Cope Is
Dead', and a Scottish Nationalist poem 'Such A Parcel Of Rogues In A Nation'
read by his father, the Reverend Jack Drummond. It features most of
Australian rock band 'The Triffids' as his backing band, along with Kyiem
Lui, Nick Coler and the 'Voice Of The Beehive' girls on backing vocals. Its
probably not worth spending a lot of money on if you only like dance music,
try looking out for it in used record bins or remaindered records
shops. Here's some reviews by list members:
'It's almost comical, actually. Bill strums his guitar and sings country &
western ballads in a thick Scottish accent. It's not remarkable except for
its collectible value as a KLF member's solo record.'
'It's a country album, with lots of steel guitars. The song "Julian Cope is
dead" is particularly funny, the only non-non-country track on the album;
it's a traditional English middle-ages ballad. The song about Ian McCulloch
is called "Ballad for a sex god", but I have no idea about the lyrics, since
he sings with a very thick accent. The record is of course a must for any
KLF-collector.'
'I think that you are wrong. I admit I have only heard one song off the
album ('The King Of Joy'), but that was definitely NOT a country & western
ballad. It is one of the best pop songs I have heard in a long time. If you
don't like the songs, then buy it because it is fun to listen to all the
allusions Bill pops in about his career and his exploits.'
- index
2.016: What do Brilliant sound like?
Most people who have heard them will think that Brilliant featuring Youth
and Jimmy Cauty with June Montana as singer were fairly awful
really. Cheesy, clumsy, disco pop music (albeit with loud guitars too)
produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman on a major label. "But it's also worth
remembering, rather like the KLF, that there are two phases to Brilliant's
career. First they were a sort of a funky Killing Joke who released some
records via indie label Rough Trade; I remember listening to their first
(perhaps only) Peel Session and thinking 'funky bass'. Then they hit the
'big' time, signed to WEA and were given the SAW treatment."
"Also does 'on a major label' equal bad? 'I'm sure we've all got favourite
artists who are on majors. I do like to support indies, but I'm sure you get
my point. Also 'produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman' does not equal bad
either. Those of you who have read the Timelords' Manual will know Bill n'
Jimmy have a deal of respect for SAW, and they've produced enough quite
excellent pop records to be always worth a listen in my book."
"Their near hit LP I have to confess I've only heard at a party and I was
almost quite impressed. I thought I'd just get a few singles by them rather
than buy the LP. I would describe their later sound as being quite poppy but
with a harder edge. Although totally different musically in some ways they
did remind me of Frankie Goes to Hollywood in terms of the interestingness
of the production. As a rule bands that SAW produced who were not totally
part of the SAW Hit Factory (i.e. SAW did not write their songs) are usually
worth a listen." The author of the FAQ can't comment on this one as he's
never heard them, and he's relying on other's testimonies by the way.
Some more: "I finally found Brilliant's 'Kiss The Lips Of Life'. Backing
vocals are contributed by, amongst others, Princess and Pepsi &
Shirley. That shouldn't come as a surprise since the album is produced by
Stock Aitken & Waterman (except for one instrumental, "Crash The Car", which
Brilliant produced). Not totally typical S.A.W. - those guys only helped
co-write 2 of the album's 9 songs. They cover James Brown's 'It's A Man's
Man's Man's World', and 'The End Of The World', not very impressively on the
latter. Two almost-catchy songs, 'Love Is War' and 'Somebody', are the
highlights of the album. Cauty helped co-write the 7 original tunes.'
"Since I like S.A.W. and The KLF in all their incarnations I thought I'd
like this album. Not particularly... it was done before S.A.W. found the
one beat that they used in 739 Top 40 songs for Jason and Kylie, and just
sounds like some poorly constructed cheesy pop. I only paid $5 for it, so
I'm happy, but if you have to pay much more I'd pass."
"Quite a few singles were lifted from that album, I have some details
somewhere. It was this musical project that caused Jimmy to first meet up
with Bill: Drummond was working for WEA at the time, and they put up the
money for this material to be recorded etc., since it was being released on
a WEA subsidiary, Food Records, run by David Balfe. The project failed:
Brilliant never became the megastars they were supposed to become, and the
money went towards the setting up of Pete Waterman Limited. So, you *could*
say, with a touch of cynicism, that it is Bill who is responsible for all
those Stock, Aitken and Waterman tunes you ever hated... ;)."
- index
2.017: What is the Pure Trance series?
Yet another KLF project that didn't quite get off the ground. It was
envisaged as 10 x 2000 limited edition 12" singles, released weekly in
September-December 1988. All the labels and sleeves were printed up as a
batch lot to save money (and still survive - they can be seen in Pete
Robinson's 'Justified And Ancient History', and some record dealers try to
sell them for 25 pounds a time! Mad!) even though some of the tracks were
unfinished. In the end a combination of location filming in Spain for the
White Room motion picture taking precedence, and a complete lack of interest
from the British public, lead to the series being cancelled, although 5 of
the 12" singles were eventually released (unknown whether they contained the
same tracks as first realised) and most of the tracks re-appeared as radio
edits on the unreleased White Room soundtrack LP (см. 2.008).
As envisaged the series was:
Pure Trance 1: What Time Is Love? KLF 004T [17 Oct 1988 - released on time]
Sleeve: front: Large green '1' on black background
back: Large black 'KLF' on green background
What Time Is Love? Remix KLF 004R [24 Oct 1988 - released
24 July 1989]
Sleeve: front: Large yellow '2' on black background
back: Large black 'KLF' on yellow background
Pure Trance 2: 3 a.m. Eternal KLF 005T [31 Oct 1988 - released May 1989]
Sleeve: front: Large pink '2' on black background
back: Large black 'KLF' on pink background
3 a.m. Eternal Remix KLF 005R [7 Nov 1988 - released
18 Sep 1989]
Sleeve: front: Large black '2' on pink background
back: Large pink 'KLF' on black background
Pure Trance 3: Love Trance KLF 006T [14 Nov 1988 - unreleased but 2000
sleeves and labels printed]
Sleeve: front: Large orange '3' on black background
back: Large black 'KLF' on orange background
Love Trance Remix KLF 006R [21 Nov 1988 - unreleased]
Pure Trance 4: Turn Up The Strobe KLF 007T [28 Nov 1988 - unreleased but 2000
sleeves and labels printed]
Sleeve: front: Large yellow '4' on black background
back: Large black 'KLF' on yellow background
Turn Up The Strobe Remix KLF 007R [5 Dec 1988 - unreleased]
Pure Trance 5: E Train To Trancentral KLF 008T [12 Dec 1988 - unreleased
but 2000 sleeves and labels printed]
Sleeve: front: Large sea green '5' on black background
back: Large black 'KLF' on sea green background
E Train to Trancentral Remix KLF 008R [19 Dec 1988 - unreleased
However in January 1990, 'Last Train to Trancentral' was released
with the cat no. KLF 008, first as a white label, then 2000 standard
releases (of which 1000 were warped and not released). It is possible that
this is the re-named remix of the original, but no-one knows. Another
interesting note regarding KLF008R is that the label's "Other Data" is "Go
to Sleep", not "Welcome to the Trance" as on all the other pure trance 12"s]
LTTC Sleeve: front: Large black '5' on blue/sea green background
back: Large blue/sea green 'KLF' on black background
NB Many copies of KLF 008R have a sleeve similar to KLF005T
(pink on black) but the pink is a more fleshy colour
than on Pure Trance 2.
All sleeve fronts also featured the name of the track, "THE KLF", a small
pyramid blaster in a circle and "PURE TRANCE" in the colour of the
number. For full tracklistings see Lazlo's KLF-discography. Love Trance and
Turn Up The Strobe have probably never been recorded, but some of Go To
Sleep is on the White Room film soundtrack (см. 4.003) and it features on
the bootleg demos tape (см. 2.008). The chorus of Go To Sleep is also sampled
on the 808Bass mix of LTTT.
- index
2.018: How much is _name_ worth? Will I make a lot of money if I sell _name_?
None of the stuff has any intrinsic value - it's worth exactly a) what you'd
take from someone else for it or b) what someone else would pay you for it,
whichever's higher :-). To convert a price listed in the various guides to
cash, you have to find someone willing to pay you that amount. You won't
make a killing as record dealers generally pay you only about a fourth of
the listed value. Among KLF collectors some of the harder-to-find stuff is
obviously going up in value e.g. 'Space' CD; but The KLF aren't exactly Led
Zep or Kate Bush in terms of having a widespread fan base, so in the larger
market, you're probably not going to have much luck making $50 off your "All
You Need Is Love" 12". In fact the price of the KLF releases is actually
falling with time (or to be more accurate they are not selling at the higher
price any more, yet record shops haven't noticed this and reduced the price
yet).
- index
2.019: How do I know if _name_ is a bootleg?
'3 a.m. Eternal' thrash version with Extreme Noise Terror?
The original 7" vinyl is one-sided and the catalogue number is KLF
5TOTP. The bootleg is double sided (the same track on both sides) and the
catalogue number is KLF 3AM1. It is rumoured that these originated when one
member of ENT heard it was not going to be commercially released and had a
few printed up on the side, very allegedly.
'1987' LP?
There were no CD copies of this LP, so all CD copies are bootlegs. There are
two CD bootlegs:
CD: 1991 US (B&M Productions B&M-1)
CD: 1992 UK (...KLFCD 007) [white cover, orange text]
of which the sound quality is reported to be very good. The original vinyl
version had a black on white JAMs logo on the front and a white on black
1987 on the back. The vinyl bootleg has a red on white sleeve, and the
tracks are printed on the back. On the UK CD the final 3 " CD Bonus tracks"
are replaced by some live tracks by, amongst others, Big Black (см. 2.020
for more)
'Space' CD?
The manufacturers tried to duplicate the Space CD identically, and apart
from a slightly botched print job almost managed. The bootleg is easily
recognisable though, for a large black area after the phonograph right and
copyright symbols and before the words "MADE IN ENGLAND". If it is the
original KLF Communications release, it would say 1990 KLF COMMUNICATIONS in
that area. The CD itself is distinguishable because of the "fake" compact
disc logo and the fact that the text that runs along the edges of the CD is
only on the top, as opposed to being on the top and bottom of the original.
'Space' LP?
Some bootleg versions of this exist. They are very hard to distinguish, and
have an almost-identical cover design but which omits the mention of KLF
Communications. If you examine the LP's cover and label art closely, it
looks like it was shot from another copy of the LP, which is pretty typical
bootlegger's territory, and hardly something they'd need to do on a legit
reissue.
Chill Out&Space CD/Tape
Bootleg. This was never released by KLF Communications but appears on 'Wix
Trax! Records'. The sleeve is an amalgamation of Chill Out and Space
sleeves, and the CD itself plays Chill Out as individual tracks, but cuts of
the end of 'The Lights of Baton Rouge Pass By' to break into a single track
of Space. CD Cat no. is ODY 026 KLF 1
'Ultra Rare Tracks' CD
There was never an official KLF release of this compilation. URT are a
well-known series of bootlegs, there is also a Depeche Mode one and an Orb
one.
'Madrugana Eterna (club mix)' 12"?
The original has 3 tracks and is labelled KLF ETERNA 1. The Italian bootleg
has only one track and is labelled KLF ETERNAL 23. On top of that it is
thought that the track is a fake club mix!
The Lost Sounds of Mu series (Vols. 1-?) CD
The Lost Sounds of Mu series is an effort to make available to fans of Bill
Drummond and Jimmy Cauty those tracks which have either fallen out of
circulation, or are difficult to acquire in their original state. The discs
are created and assembled by fans, for fans, and with a desire for the
preservation of these Great Men's contribution to popular culture. These are
'Fan Club' discs.
- index
2.020: What is that horrible noise on track 3 of the bootleg 1987 CD?
The bootleg UK CD version of 1987 ('What the : is going on?' KLFCD007 with
the orange/white cover) plays as 3 tracks. The first two of which are made
up of the tracks which were on either side of the original 1987
release. However, track 3, the bonus tracks which are labelled as:
Track 3: Ivum Nya (IBO version)
Rap, Rhyme and Scratch Yourself
Burn the Bastards
Burn the Beat
Prestwich Prophet's Grin
The Porpoise Song
(all live)
actually play as a live performance by firstly, american (?)-metal band Big
Black and then another similar band called Rifle Sport do a few tracks. The
origin of this session is unknown. See the discog for more.
- index
3.001: Are there any KLF videos available?
Yes, firstly two official releases were made:
'Waiting' (KLF VT007) a very rare 42-minute ambient video filmed on the Isle
of Jura, was released in November 1990 and sold via mail order only, is now
deleted and is PAL/VHS only. I doubt you'll ever find a copy. In it the KLF
are filmed waiting for their equipment to arrive, recording the sounds of
nature (birds, surf etc.) and then re- broadcasting the sounds back at the
ocean, along with some techno. Sheep feature quite prominently. It was
filmed on the estate on Jura belonging to an old school pal of Drummond's
and is considered by many list members to be "quite boring". [But Jamm!n
loves it :)]
'Stadium House' a commercially available compendium of the three 'stadium
house' hits presented as a pretend live concert at Woodstock Europa. The
versions of 3 am Eternal and What Time Is Love? are different from the
original promos. The videos feature Wanda Dee (!). Catalogue info is:
VHS: 1991 UK (Picture Music International MVR 9900983) (PAL)
VHS: 1991 US (6 West Home Video SW-5715) (NTSC)
VHS: 1991 OZ (Festival 81219) (PAL)
The track listing is:
1:19 [it must be obvious (ufo mix) unlisted; over opening credits]
3:50 3 a.m. Eternal
3:41 Last Train To Trancentral
4:15 What Time Is Love?
2:08 [it's grim up north (original) unlisted; closing credits]
and the UK release adds a bonus ambient feature about the making of the
videos:
14:41 This Is Not What The KLF Is About
The video is still available outside the UK, and UK copies are easy to find
in second hand record shops. In the USA, Dave Parker
has a few NTSC copies available.
There are various KLF promo videos which may turn up in specialist dealers,
etc. Generally these are single video promos for TV use. We don't know how
many copies there might be of these. Non-UK licensers of KLF product may
have made their own promos too. However especially interesting are two
different videos of the Rites Of Mu (см. 4.002), and a promo video
compilation called '1991: 'The Work' released in 1991, which featured
various promos from their entire career to date.
One lucky list member has proclaimed: "I found a copy of "Indie Top Video -
Take Three" (1990 UK Picture Music International MVP 9912153). It claims to
be a companion to Volume 8 of the Indie Top 20 LP/CD/CASS which is included
in the KLF Discography. On it is a version of the Kylie Said To Jason Promo
Video. It differs from the one found on the "This Is What The KLF Are
About" compilation, in that instead of the cue clock at the start, it shows
a still from the White Room Film overlaid with text explaining that the
Promo contains clips from the forthcoming film - The White Room. Playing
over the top is a short ambient soundtrack that blends into the start of
Kylie Said To Jason and then the Video starts as per the normal. The end is
also slightly different in that it fades to black as the music ends instead
of freezing on the satellite dish at the end. The best things about this
compilation is (a) the Video is a pristine first generation copy and (b) it
only cost me 2 UKP (yes that's right 2!) :-) ) "
Then there are two bootleg compilation tapes which crop up around:
'This Is What The KLF Are About' a 150 min extravaganza of the 'Work' and
'Waiting' videos, various other promos, and lots of bad quality TV
appearances. Its not in stereo, and there are some patches of nothing
(although these were on 'Work' as well). Track listing:
The KLF: America: What Time is Love
The KLF: Justified and Ancient
The JAMS: It's Grim Up North
The Rites of Mu (version 1)
The KLF: Stadium House Trilogy
The Timelords: Doctorin' the Tardis
The KLF: Kylie Said to Jason
The KLF: The White Room (promo clip)
The KLF: What Time is Love (cornfield version)
Disco 2000: Uptight
Brilliant: Love is War
The KLF: What Time is Love (Top of the Pops version 1)
The KLF: 3am Eternal (Top of the Pops version 1)
The KLF: 3am Eternal (Top of the Pops version 2)
The KLF: Last Train to Trancentral (Top of the Pops)
The KLF: Justified and Ancient (Top of the Pops)
The JAMS: It's Grim Up North (Top of the Pops)
Media Show Appearance (Drummond)
Rapido Appearance (KLF)
The Word Appearance (Tammy Wynette)
Reportage Appearance (KLF)
Snub TV Appearance (KLF)
Waiting
The Timelords: Doctorin' the Tardis (Top of the Pops)
KLF vs. ENT: 3am Eternal (The BRITs 92)
The KLF: What Time is Love (pure trance White Room version)
The KLF: 3am Eternal
The Rites of Mu (version 2, as shown MTV)
The KLF: What Time is Love (Top of the Pops version 2)
This video was available (June 94) from Mike Dutton, 58 Red Lion Court,
Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3YL, UK. Tel: (+44) (0) 1279 505443,
but he allegedly stopped making them a long time ago. The video can
occasionally be found in second- hand record shops.
'KLF-OLOGY' a three hour compilation which describes itself as having very
high visual quality, most of the material being only second generation, and
excellent quality sound, all in stereo. This is a lie. The quality of the
TOTP appearances is poor, both in sound and vision, but this quality
improves slightly with the Waiting and Stadium House videos. Again a PAL/VHS
release. Track listing:
3 a.m. Eternal (Embankment version, as shown on Chart Show)
What Time Is Love? (TOTP appearance 1)
3 a.m. Eternal (TOTP)
Its Grim Up North (TOTP)
What Time Is Love? (TOTP appearance 2)
Its Grim Up North (Promo)
What Time Is Love? (Cornfields version, as shown on Chart Show)
Justified And Ancient (Xmas TOTP appearance)
Waiting
Stadium House
This Is Not What The KLF Are About
1987: What The Fury Is Going On?
(consists of 'Illkillya' A Smile Orange Film: soundtrack 1987)
The 'Illkillya' film is on a totally different, non-KLF related vein. The
sort of poorly- scripted, -acted and -produced quality that gets entered for
amateur film awards and gets rejected. Good soundtrack though. Try asking of
Julian Butler, Smile Orange Films, 29 Villa Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire,
BD16 4EU for copies. If not try asking on the list. Unfortunately there are
no NTSC bootleg compilations available in the US, a situation which someone
should change - they could sell a lot of copies!
Finally, various list members have copies of other rarities, such as the
original White Room film (см. 4.003) and the Omnibus documentary (см.
5.010), which they are quite willing to copy for interested parties:
jemma "I have a copy of TWR & Omnibus on NTSC. I am
willing, and have in the past, make duplicates for free. All I ask for is
the person to supply their own blank VHS tapes."
Jai Nelson will do PAL copies of the White Room film, if asked nicely (and
blank VHS tapes are provided). Contact him at: jnel@atlas.co.uk
- index
3.002: Are there any books about the KLF available?
A few, but not enough:
Firstly the book that the KLF wrote in the summer of 1988, and
self-published in Feb 89, crediting it to the Timelords:
'The Manual - How to have a number one the easy way' - The Timelords (KLF
Publications KLF 009B) ISBN 0-86359-616-9 (The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu
reveal their zenarchistic method used in making the unthinkable happen) This
lays out a detailed plan for now to have a novelty pop No. 1. starting from
a position of no money and no talent; it also serves as an excellent guide
to the music industry and the rules of pop, and as a description of the fun
that the KLF had being the Timelords, also in there are pieces about some of
the KLF collaborators. The book is now deleted, and almost never seen in
shops, but an ASCII version is available in the ftp archive.
Will Pop Eat Itself? (Pop Music In The Soundbite Era) - Jeremy J. Beadle
(Faber and Faber, London, 1993) IBSN 0-571-16241-X 'explores the advent of
post-modernism in pop, suggesting parallels between pop today and high art
earlier this century.' A history of the sampler in pop music. Along the way
is a great chapter all about the JAMs, including a very good analysis of the
lyrical content of 'All You Need Is Love', 'Downtown' and 'Justified And
Ancient (Stand By The JAMs)'. The chapter serves as a sort of incomplete
history of the JAMs/KLF, although Beadle is less impressed with them once
they stop blatant sampling. The JAMs also pop up in other chapters.
RECOMMENDED.
'Justified And Ancient History'/'History Rewritten' Two small 'biozines' put
together by teenage KLF fan Pete Robinson. The first is a history of the KLF
'from pressing 500 copies of their debut single to selling more singles than
any other band'. The writing is no more than a brief summary of all their
exploits, but it also contains lots of interesting material including a
photo of Trancentral, an exclusive questionnaire filled in by Drummond, and
the Pure Trance labels. It has sold more than a 1000 copies! The second is
smaller, and about the post-KLF career of Drummond and Cauty up to and
including the K Foundation's alternative award ceremony. It includes
highlights from their press pack, and reprints most of the K.F
advertisements. They are available by mail order for 2.30 and 1.00 UKP
respectively, plus postage of 0.50 UKP in the UK, 0.65 [Europe] 1.20 [Oz &
Far East] 1.50 [Rest Of The World] for each one (so if you order more than
one use your judgement for what the postage should be). UK bank cheques to
P. Robinson. Non-UK I dunno. From Pete Robinson, 57 Maple Drive, East
Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3UR, UK.
'Bad Wisdom (The lighthouse at the top of the world)' - Bill Drummond
and Mark Manning (Penguin, London, 1996 ISBN: 0-14- 026118-4)
From the back sleeve: "Bill Drummond and Mark Manning were involved with two
of pop's most esoteric creations: Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction and
The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu. Having exhausted (and been exhausted by)
the young man's religion of rock 'n' roll, Drummond and Manning undertake an
epic journey to the North Pole to sacrifice an icon of Elvis Presley. Two
very different accounts of the journey clash and mesh in Bad Wisdom as the
Zenarctic pilgrims venture forth into the frozen wastes at the top of the
world." The book is not primarily about the KLF, but Drummond does write in
detail about some aspects of the band, such as how it all fell apart. It is
widely available. See 4.010 for more. RECOMMENDED
Also Julian Cope's autobiography, 'Head On' and Holly Johnson's
autobiography 'A Bone in my Flute' (1994, ISBN: 0-7126-6145-X) feature some
details about Drummond's carreer in the early 80's Liverpool scene.
- index
3.003: Are there any KLF T-shirts available?
There are some bootleg KLF T-shirts designed, printed and sold by list
members, but there could be more - why don't you get one printed? Indeed a
Shag Shag Shag one is in production (см. below).
There are no official KLF T-shirts still available. According to the final
info sheet any merchandise unsold a month after the retiral was burnt.
There was a long sleeved white T-shirt, with the letters 'KLF' in black on
the front, the pyramid blaster on the back inside a circle around which is a
list of KLF Communication's bands, i.e. The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The
JAMs, Disco 2000, The Timelords, The Liberation Loophole and The KLF, and a
smaller copy of this on the left sleeve. There were two similar white
short-sleeved also, one which was identical (but nothing on the sleeve) and
on the other the back and front were reversed. Copies of this are being
sold by: Marshall Dickson $10.00 + postage
There was another white short-sleeved with yellow 'Shag Shag Shag' graffiti
writing on the front. Copies of this are in production by Tim Richards
<100720.1557@compuserve.com
There was a black long-sleeved one with white "It's Grim Up North" on the
front, which was also available in short-sleeve (as see on a dancer in the
Chemical Brothers' 'Setting Sun' video).
There was also a white short-sleeved that had the T-shaped speakers, on the
front in red and black, with TRANCENTRAL written over them, and MU MU
written at the bottom of the back. Unfortunately the writing is swallowed up
by your armpits unless you stand as a T too, and it only reads 'ANCENTR'.
Pete Robinson had some printed after the '92 spilt which were black,
long-sleeved. The front was a twist on an old "bpm 120 Who Killed The JAMs"
T-shirt, reading "bpm 23 Who Killed The KLF?" on the front, and "KLF RIP" in
large white letters on the reverse. These have now been deleted.
In the US Dave Parker may have a few T-shirts left
that are "XL only, black with white text. On front upper left breast, there
is a side shot of the stacked speakers logo (scanned in from the "MU" CD),
and around the image, is a circle of text that says "The JAMs K Foundation
Disco 2000 Space Bill Drummond Jimmy Cauty The KLF The Timelords" with nice
nifty bullets in between each name. On the back, it has a large traditional
stacked speaker shot (like the UK 12" of LT2T...but no neon effects), and
above the image, is a large "TRANCENTRAL" logo. Very nice, I do believe. The
few who have purchased them have been quite satisfied with them.".
"I wore the T-shirt at the Lollipop music festival in Stockholm, Sweden two
weeks ago. I constantly got comments from people that saw the
T-shirt. Comments ranged from people wanting it to people just tapping me on
the shoulder and saying that KLF is a great band. And one very drunk man
wanted to discuss the inner meanings of the Illuminati! books with me :-)"
- index
4.001: Did Jimmy Cauty really paint a 'Lord Of The Rings' poster?
Yes, when he was seventeen in the early seventies. It's rather well-done in
a stylistic, gothic-y-looking way. "It's quite funny actually - the border
is made up of Orcs climbing on top of each other up the sides, and crawling
along the top and bottom. For the Tolkienesque out there, it features
Gandalf with the Red Ring shining and Glamdring to hip, with Samwise and
Frodo hobbits, and also three portraits of Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf
and Gollum the gollum." When Pete Robinson asked Cauty about it, he
mentioned that 'it was mainly student nurses who bought it'. It is signed
J. Cauty at the bottom. This is one of Athena's best-selling posters, and
rumor has it that they came to pick it up in a helicopter. The publishing
information from the back of the poster:
2931 Lord of the Rings/ Artist: J.Cauty. illustration based on the Lord of
the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien (c) George Allen & UNWIN (PUBLISHERS) LTD. 1954,
1966 (c) 1988 Wizard & Genius-Idealdecor 8618 OETWIL AM SEE/ZURICH
Switzerland.
- index
4.002: What were the Rites Of Mu?
Apparently the KLF disliked the constant attention they got from the dance
and pop music worlds: in the form of requests for PA's, remixes etc., and
the constant questions they got asked. Indeed they even refer to the 'four
handmaidens of evil: WHO WHAT WHERE and WHY'. So as Drummond states in info
sheet 13 they decided to hold the Rites of Mu to make "the questions we get
asked and are unable to answer" redundant. Of course other reasons for the
Rites are more probable: they wanted to hold a good party, they would get a
lot of press coverage, and it would increase their enigma. Whatever the
reason then, for the 1991 Summer Solstice, The KLF entertained a selection
of music industry figures, journalists, etc. on Isle Of Jura in an event
known as the Rites of Mu.
The invitation said 'The KLF require your presence. You'll be transported to
the lost continent Mu. Bring your passports'. Each guest was given a copy
of the following statement as they travelled to Jura, by train, plane, car,
bus, and boat on Friday 21st June:
'THE RITES OF MU.
'SINCE THAT FATEFUL DAY WHEN MAN LEFT BY THE EASTERN GATE,
FRUIT STILL FRESH IN HIS BELLY, THOSE FOUR BEAUTIFUL
HANDMAIDENS OF LUCIFER _WHY_, _WHAT_, _WHERE_ AND _WHEN_
HAVE LONG TEMPTED BUT NEVER QUENCHED HIS DISASTROUS THIRST
FOR KNOWLEDGE. THE KLF HAVE INVITED YOU TO JOIN THEM IN
CELEBRATING THE RITES OF MU THIS SUMMER SOLSTICE, DURING WHICH
THE FALL OF MANKIND MAY BE REVERSED, RETURNING HIM TO THE
GARDEN WHERE THE REST OF CREATION WAITS.
'THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, YET MOST EVIL, OF THE FOUR HANDMAIDENS
IS_WHY_. SHE EVEN NOW MAY BE TEMPTING YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS,
WHEN ANSWERS ARE NOT ONLY NOT NEEDED BUT COULD NEVER BE
GIVEN. SINCE CELEBRATING THE RITES OF MU FOUR SEASONS PAST, THE
KLF'S MOMENT HAS COME; SHIMMERING AND DAZZLING LIKE THE
HAUNTING BEAUTY OF AURORA'S RACE, IT IS DESTINED ONLY TO FADE.
WHILE THE MOMENT LASTS THEIR STADIUM HOUSE TRILOGY
REVERBERATES AROUND THE GLOBE, THE REQUESTS FOR LIVE SHOWS,
INTERVIEWS, TV APPEARANCES, REMIXES, PROMOTIONAL TOURS AND
COMMERCIAL ENDORSEMENTS HAVE SPEWED FORTH RELENTLESSLY
FROM THEIR FAX MACHINE.
'_WHY_, _WHAT_, _WHERE_ AND _WHEN_ HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY; THEIR
SEDUCTION TECHNIQUES NEAR-PERFECT. THE KLF, WITH REGULAR FEET
OF CLAY, HAVE WEAKENED AT TIMES AND HAVE PRETNEDED TO ANSWER
THE UNANSWERABLE. THEY TOO HAVE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND INSTEAD
OF ACCEPTING THE UNFOCUSABLE, BEAUTIFUL TRUTH OF THE MYSTERY
THAT LIES AT THE HEART OF POP'S PASSING MOMENTS.
'AS WELL AS ASKING YOU TO ACCEPT THE CONTRADICTIONS OF THE
ABOVE WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL GIVE YOURSELF FULLY TO THESE THREE
DAYS, ACCEPTING WHATEVER THE ELEMENTS TIP OUR WAY; WHATEVER
MILD PHYSICAL STRAINS MAY BE PLACED UPON OUR BODIES AND
SAVOUR THE UNDERVALUED QUALITIES OF WAITING, AND MAYBE AFTER
IT IS ALL OVER WE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS FAR LESS TO
UNDERSTAND THAN WE EVER KNEW.'
The guests were welcomed from the ferry by Mu passport control officer
Drummond in peaked cap and shades, who checked their passports and stamped
them with a pyramid blaster stamp. They then allowed themselves to be
dressed in yellow ceremonial robes, and led in a chanting procession by a
white robed high priest of Mu with Horned God headpiece, over the moors to a
bonfire beside a huge (20m?) wicker man, arms raised with weapons poised,
head looking up to the sky. The four angels of Mu, in white dresses, with
flower head-bands, rose from the sea, and joined the celebrants. The high
priest addressed the crowd in 'a tongue that no longer exists, at least not
in this world'. What did the KLF have in store, or was it the Justified
Ancients Of Mu Mu controlling the KLF? As the ceremony reached its climax at
midnight on the longest day, it was still light. The priest encouraged the
guests to direct their psychic energy towards the wicker man, chanting 'Burn
Burn Burn' and the idol burst into flames with many explosions!!! What lay
ahead was 'enlightenment ... or madness'. After the ceremony was over the
guests were treated to a huge party. The next day is unrecorded but judging
by the statement it involved savouring the undervalued qualities of
waiting. However they spent the time, by Sunday 23rd of June, the KLF had
transported the guests to the Liverpool Festival of Comedy, where, hooded,
they joined them on stage for an accapella rendition of Justified And
Ancient as Bill and Jimmy handed out ice creams from an ice-cream van which
they had borrowed. The total cost of the weekend was supposed to be around
70,000 ukpounds. But for what?
The event was filmed by Bill Butt, as were all the KLF's public appearances,
and edited for promotional use only. A Promo video of 5x2 min episodes was
circulated in July 91. The soundtrack music is largely dark, sinister, and
evil, often punctuated by sudden outbursts of the industrial 'woooooo!'
sound from 'It's Grim Up North'. A narration by Scott Piering (their record
plugger) proved that he couldn't act. Each episode begins with the closing
scene of the previous.
Part I - The Bonker (the passports to sunset)
Part II - The Construction (sunset to procession)
Part III - The Initiation (procession to angels of Mu)
Part IV - The Offering (angels to high priest chanting)
Part V - The Burning (high priest to burning)
By sacrificing the wicker idol, somehow the KLF have reversed the fall of
mankind! The film ends intriguingly with 'America 1992 - the celebration
continues'. Did they intend to have a Rites Of Mu in the US in 1992? Or is
this just a reference to the America promotional campaign.
A new 1x7 min version appeared on 'The Work' promo video at the end of 1991,
with the opening credits removed from each episode. There were rumours that
it was to be screened on Channel 4 in the UK, or on MTV Europe, at some
point that winter, but it wasn't screened until after the retiral, on the
shortest day 1992, on MTV Europe, with a re-recorded soundtrack and new
narration as the 1x7 min version. On the 26th of August 94 another (new?)
version was shown at the NME film season in a triple bill with the Beatles
'Magical Mystery Tour' and Echo and the Bunnymen's 'Shine So Hard' perhaps
this version makes more of the mystery tour aspect.
- index
4.003: What is the White Room motion picture? Has it ever been shown?
Is it finished?
Its a 50 minute ambient road movie with footage of Drummond and Cauty
setting off from Trancentral on a quest to find the White Room, driving
through London and Spain, to a soundtrack of pop-trance. It has been shown
in public only once. The full story is rather interesting:
As mentioned in 1.023, the KLF received weird mail from Illuminatus! fans
after calling themselves the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu. Much of the mail
was from obvious cranks and crackpots, but then in mid 1988, they received a
very weird letter: a legal contract. The contract was with an organisation
or individual calling themselves "Eternity". The wording of this contract
was that of standard music business legal speak, but the terms discussed and
the rights required and granted were of a far stranger kind. Whether The
Contract was a very clever and intricate prank by a legal minded JAMS fan
was of little concern to Drummond and Cauty. For them it was as good a
marker as anything as to what direction their free style career should take
next.
Their solicitor (David Franks, played by himself in the film) advised that
they should not put their names to legally binding agreements without first
understanding all of the implications of doing so. He advised them not to
sign the Contract. The KLF of course ignored him and signed the contract.
In the first term of The Contract they, Drummond and Cauty, were required to
make an artistic representation of themselves on a journey to a place called
THE WHITE ROOM. The medium they chose to make this representation was up to
them. Where or what THE WHITE ROOM was, was never clearly
defined. Interpretation was left to their own creativity. The remuneration
they are to receive on completion of this work of art was supposed to be
access to THE "real" WHITE ROOM. Your guess is as good as
anybody's. Initially Drummond and Cauty planned to stage a art exhibition
where the journey and arrival at THE WHITE ROOM would be represented on
canvas and exhibited; but driving down the Marylebone Road on a wet
September afternoon in 1988 in their infamous U.S. Cop car, Cauty suggested,
instead of doing the art exhibition they should make a film. The making of a
"Road Movie" had always figured in their vague plans for the future. With
money coming in from all over the place for their Timelords record maybe now
was the time. Or at least they thought so.
They contacted their friend and associate, the film director, Bill Butt and
made plans. Six weeks later they were filming in the Sierra Nevada region of
Spain, with a top class international crew (who had just finished working on
an Indiana Jones film). But things started to go wrong immediately. The
weather, guaranteed to be blue skies of epic proportions until well after
Christmas, was low and drizzly. Some business deals crashed, losing the
money that was earmarked to complete the film. When they viewed all of the
uncut rushes that had been shot, they knew that they had just thrown away
the best part of 250,000 ukpounds: Most of the footage was out-of-focus, or
badly filmed. Of course if you talk to anybody who tries to make a film they
will tell you of the catalogue of disasters that came between them and their
reported triumphant premier. Drummond and Cauty had no experience of
this. They just felt that the Gods were against them and got seriously
depressed. They had meetings with their accountants to assess what the
damage would be if they were to cut their losses and pull out then. Bill
Butt persuaded them to see it through.
By February 1989 when they had enough funds together for them to shoot the
interior scenes and the London location shots, David Franks had become
steadily more intrigued by all the implications of the various clauses of
The Contract. Although The Contract was between The JAMS and Eternity,
Eternity gave no address, Eternity left no room for negotiation. [Note in
'Justified and Ancient': "At 3am Eternity rang, said she knew What Time Is
Love?"]. David Franks believed he had found a get out clause. Something that
Drummond and Cauty would later call the LIBERATION LOOPHOLE. It was decided
by Bill Butt and the other two that the signing of the contract and Franks'
discovery of the LIBERATION LOOPHOLE should be dramatically reconstructed,
filmed and respectively used at the beginning and the end of the film.
The rest of the film was then shot, Drummond and Cauty recorded the
soundtrack. Bill Butt and editor Rob Wright edited the film. It was only 52
minutes' long but it was BIG SCREEN and looked good. They planned either a
proper cinema release or a club tour, with the KLF playing the soundtrack
live for the second half of 1989. The White Room soundtrack LP was to be
preceded by the release of 'Kylie Said To Jason', the video for which
included scenes from the film. Additionally many of the scenes were included
in a short promo for the film, with a soundtrack of Madrugana Eterna (club
mix), which was shown on TV. Drummond and Cauty are shown leaving
Trancentral, and driving through London, then driving through mainly desert
country. Some memorable scenes include the JAMs-mobile covered in white
dustwash, with the windscreen wipers clearing a space, Drummond combing his
hair before sauntering down the road as if he was a traffic cop, and the
dead eagle scene: Drummond had come across a beautiful but decomposing eagle
at the side of the road, which nobody else would go near, as it
stank. Drummond insisted on being filmed with it as he strode down a one
track rail line, the significance of this at the time could not be
argued. Finally the wheels of the JAMs-mobile stop in a snow drift, and the
KLF climb upwards through the snow towards a huge radar dish, wherein they
find the White Room.
'Kylie' was planned to be a big pop hit to promote the LP. It wasn't. The
release of the LP was pulled. The What Time Is Love Story LP became JAMS LP
4 instead. A video for the pure trance What Time Is Love is sometimes shown
on MTV. It consists of unedited footage from Sierra Nevada. Two shots of
sheep in a field bookended a 3 minute shot of the JAMs-mobile gradually
driving a couple of miles towards the camera across a barren plain. It's
extremely tedious, and getting MTV to show this can be viewed as a prank,
despite the fact they often do!. A slightly different version is also
available on an compilation tape of Indie promos, but it is VERY rare.
A combination of worries about the dramatic qualities of the film, and lack
of commercial success caused huge doubts in Drummond and Cauty's
minds. However the rapidly emerging rave and club success of their pure
trance songs took their minds off the doubts. They played their premier live
performance at the London Club HEAVEN on Monday the 31st of July. Later that
evening they met a young down and out, claiming to be called Mickey
McElwee. For the price of a meal he told them the most shit scary story the
both of them had ever heard. Later they related the story to Bill Butt. It
was agreed that it could make the basis of a plot for the film.
The finished film "should" contain both an Inner and Outer film. The Inner
film is the original one shot in late 1988 and early 1989. The Outer film
contains the dramatically reconstructed events that according to Mickey
McElwee, took place, unbeknown to Drummond and Cauty while The Inner film
was being shot. There will also be, what we will call, a Third Strand which
will consist of scenes plotting the tensions and predicaments that Drummond,
Cauty and Butt experienced while attempting to make The Inner film. All
three plots will intertwine with each other telling the one simple
story. The story of Men out of their Depth. In The Inner film Drummond and
Cauty play their alter egos KINGBOY D and ROCKMAN ROCK. In the outer film
they play themselves. Bill Butt reckoned it would cost a further $1,000,000
to finish the film. They showed the Inner film to German investors and some
sheep in Munich, (its one and only showing!), to try and persuade them to
finance the film's completion. It appears they never raised the cash as the
script was too weird. But when their pop career took off and they did make
some money, it seems as though they dropped their plans to finish the film.
A complete script is available in the ftp archive, containing the Outer,
Inner and Third strands, as well as sets/locations/stage directions and lots
of other really interesting info. URLs for it are either:
1. ftp.xmission.com /pub/lists/klf/whiteroom.scr
2. ftp://jumper.mcc.ac.uk/pub/ttl/KLF/Misc/whitroom-film.txt
and HTML, follow the link from
3. http://jumper.mcc.ac.uk/~ttl/KLF/Misc
An advert appeared in the NME in 1994, claiming to be copies of the whole
film, but investigation has revealed this only to be the inner film. Thus
several bootlegged copies of the inner film are around, and available from
generous list members. The quality of all known copies is pretty good,
considering they're 4th or 5th generation. Sound and visuals are quite clear
and noise and interference don't detract from the film's content too
much. There is no dialogue in this Inner Film, only the music. It is
possible to hear much of the original White Room soundtrack, for example the
original "Build a Fire" and "Go to Sleep". It is not known what happened to
the original film.
- index
4.004: What happened at The 1992 BRIT Awards?
The whole story is better told in the NME article 'The KLF vs. The BRITs'
which is available in the ftp archive. Some more theories are expressed in
the Select article 'Who Killed the KLF?' which is also there.
The story perhaps begins the previous year when the KLF were invited to
perform at a concert celebrating new British music which was to be filmed to
show as clips during the '91 BRITs. The KLF's suggestions for the nature of
their performance were so outrageous (involving live elephant sacrifices),
that the invitation was cancelled. Then at the end of '91 they were
approached to appear on the Christmas edition of Top of the Pops; they
planned to perform the thrash-metal version of '3 a.m. Eternal' with Extreme
Noise Terror. The BBC however refused, and they performed a straight version
of Justified and Ancient. So you'd think that the organisers of the annual
music industry back-slapping self-congratulatory show, would have been
tipped off that the KLF would try to do something shocking. "It had to be
done," said Drummond, his tone as always, somewhere between deadly earnest
and total mischief. It soon becomes obvious that there's a devil stuck in
this man. "You only get so many opportunities... When they asked us to do
it, we wondered if the BRITs people had done their research..."
Somehow the KLF persuaded the organisers to let them perform with Extreme
Noise Terror, and they began to plan their performance. "The plans kept
changing. They varied from me going onstage and literally cutting my age,
Manics style into my chest with a knife, to me snogging Jimmy onstage, to
Jimmy simulating sex with his girlfriend. Then we were going to cut up a
dead sheep on stage and throw blood over the front rows of the audience. The
idea was that two thirds of the way through the song this altar would appear
with the sheep on... we'd bought the meat cleavers, the knives, the
tablecloth, got everything. Drummond explains how such ideas come to them:
"we don't always think things through beforehand...we just do them. Jimmy
really had me going, he suggested that I use the cleaver to cut my own hand
off!"
On the morning of the show (12th February '92) Drummond drove to an abattoir
in Northampton and bought a whole dead sheep and eight gallons of
blood. Rumours began to circulate of the plan, and first the BBC lawyers and
then hardcore vegetarians Extreme Noise Terror made it blatantly known that
they were totally against the idea." So the sheep plan was scrapped, and
instead *just* the thrash performance, and Bill spraying the audience with
blanks from a machine gun took place. For the full live review see
1.009. There's no doubt however that this performance did annoy, shock and
disgust many of the 'pigtails in suits' present in the audience and
presumably many of the live TV audience in their living rooms. Trevor Horn
(producer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Relax" !!!!) seemed to be in a
state of shock. "They were horrible! Shooting with machine guns!
Disgraceful!". Eminent Hungarian classical composer Sir George Solti tried
to leave the auditorium during the performance and had to be persuaded to
return to his seat.
As Scott Piering's voice announced "The KLF have now left the music
business" the two bands hurried off the stage and straight into their van
and back to Trancentral. Later in the show The KLF were (jointly with Simply
Red) were awarded the title Best British Band. Since they had now left the
building they sent along sidekick Hector, resplendent in motor cycle
messenger gear, to pick up the statuette. Having been told there was no way
he was being allowed access, Hector dashed onstage, grabbed the trophy from
startled Martika and escaped into the labyrinth of corridors behind the
glittering stage. This of course was cut from the TV coverage. Later, he was
cornered by security, who wrestled 'the BRIT' back off him.
Back at Trancentral Jimi and Bill decided to do... more... stuff... They
left Trancentral "on a mission". Over at the posh Lancaster Gate hotel where
the post-BRITS party is being held, blue and yellow flashing lights are
splitting the darkness. A police car prowls around as a rubbish lorry
disposes of the carcass of a dead sheep which has been left on the
forecourt. Around it is tied a sign; 'I DIED FOR YOU - BON APPETIT'. Bill
explains why they did it: 'there was a lot of symbolism about the sheep
thing. It said to those people at the BRITs, "If you can't take the
contradictions and the shit within pop music, tough; you're all willing to
go into this big hotel and eat whatever but you don't wanna look at a dead
sheep". I was brought up in the country and I've seen dead bodies and dead
animals and I worked on a trawler and saw millions of dead fish. Anyway, the
next plan was to take the sheep down to the hotel and leave it there on the
stairs, dead, and pour the eight gallons of blood over the entrance. They
might've been able to ignore the sheep, but wading through blood? That's
symbolic too. It's like the industry wants your blood. And then, when you've
given them everything, they want to make you a part of the "rich tapestry of
rock". When you're dead, when you're gone, it's all nice, all Sid? Wasn't
he great!?"
It does seem that the KLF somehow wanted to purge themselves of the music
industry. The fact that they wanted to ritually disembowel a sheep which
are deeply embedded in the KLF mythology (For the full 'Why Sheep?' story
see 5.003) was perhaps 'a bit like suicide'. It seems that they wanted to do
something so deliberately offensive that their careers would have been
ruined. Drummond said "there's a twisted part to Jimmy and me that wants to
be hated. Really hated..." This was probably the first KLF action that
would've really alienated tons of people who normally applaud their every
move. Right thinking people probably view the use of animals for some madcap
pop/art caper as disgusting. Drummond explained "we'd gone through agonies
about this, spent sleepless nights knowing that it was a terrible thing to
do. But the sheep didn't die just for us. It was going to die anyway." Then
he admits that his wife was "horrified... disgusted, completely disgusted.
But y'know, we just can't be the safe little pop group."
Next morning, the backlash began. From the KLF's point of view, they had
subverted and disrupted the BRITs and made some sort of point. The editorial
in dusty trade mag Music Week was appalled. The tabloid coverage was
ridiculous in its inaccuracy and down-right lies. Note the following two
stories needed multiple writers:
'The KLF almost brought chaos to the awards by firing a machine-gun into the
celebrity- packed crowd. Frightened members of the audience were calmed
after organisers said the gun, carried by band leader Bill Drummond, was
loaded only with blanks. Then the band were barred from collecting their
award. The group ordered a courier company to collect their trophy as a
joke. But the organisers of the glitzy show, which went out on TV last
night, refused to allow the leather-clad biker into the Odeon. The group's
Press officer said after the show: "It looks like their joke backfired." '
-Linda Duff/Julia Kuttner from 'The Daily Star' 13th February '92
'KLF's SICK GUN STUNT FAILS TO HIT THE TARGET
The KLF proved to be pop's biggest wallies by 'firing' a realistic machine
gun at the star- studded audience. Singer Bill Drummond left the stage as
the band performed their No 1 hit 3am Eternal. Drummond, 36, who was using a
crutch after damaging his knee in a fall, then reappeared and pointed the
gun at the crowd. But his antics were met with apathy by guests who carried
on chatting. KLF did manage to cause a stir eventually by trashing their
instruments at the end of their song. They hurled guitars across the stage,
smashed microphone stands against scenery and threw buckets. Sadly, they won
best group award jointly with Simply Red.' -Piers Morgan/Peter Willis/Dan
Collins from 'The Sun'
One does wonder why these so-called newspapers bother to distort reality to
make the KLF look bad.
The morning after the BRITs Drummond was driving to the studio for Black
Room sessions: "I've still got eight gallons of blood in the back of the
van. Simon Bates is on the radio, giving out the "truth" about the
awards. He's saying how he and his producer foiled the dastardly KLF plot to
throw fake blood on the audience. And I'm thinking "Oh Simon is that the
'truth'?". I'm driving along with eight gallons of real blood not fake, in
the van. Maybe I'll go over to Radio 1 right now and dump it on him... But I
haven't got the guts."
But in the end the KLF's art-terrorist outrages didn't really have the
desired affect. The music industry's reaction was more apathy than
horror. Or it became part of the KLF's 'scam' mythology. As the NME said:
'He does seem to have himself nicely skewered on the horns of an almighty
dilemma. He has taken over pop music and it has been a piece of piss to do
so. And he hates that. He wants to be separate from a music industry that
clasps him ever closer to its bosom. He loves being in the very belly of the
beast, yet he wishes he was something that'd cause it to throw up too. He
wants not only to bite the hand that feeds but to shove it into an
industrial mincer and stomp the resultant pulp into the dirt, yet pop, as
long as you continue to make it money, would let you sexually abuse its
grandmother.' After the BRITs there was only one way out. To really leave
the music industry.
The BRIT award statuette was later unearthed in a field near Stonehenge by a
local farmer. From Q Magazine: "The yeoperson's shovel-wielding presence
remains as unexplained as The KLF's wish to bury it there in the first
place." Jimmy has been vague when questioned on this.
- index
4.005: What was the Art Award all about?
In June 1993 an organisation called the K-Foundation began taking out full
page mainstream national press ad's. At first they were full of
Drummond-esques about time running in, and "Kick out the Klocks", and five
year journeys which included pop success and deep space travel. A 'further
information address' was included. Then a fourth ad appeared, on August
14th, reading: "ABANDON ALL ART NOW. Major rethink in progress. Await
further announcements." The next ad (28th Aug) read: "It has come to our
attention that you did not abandon all art now. Further direct action is
thus necessary. The K Foundation announce the 'mutha of all awards', the
1994 K Foundation award for the worst artist of the year'. It then went on
to detail how a shortlist of four artists had been chosen, and that they
would be exhibited in the Tate Gallery. The first newspaper piece about the
K-F appeared the following Monday, correctly pointing out that the shortlist
of named artists and the exhibition were actually both for the 1993 Turner
Prize, the controversial annual award given by the UK art establishment to
the best young modern artist, which came with a prize of 20000 pounds, but
incorrectly assuming that the K-F prize was a hoax. Note the date that the
award was to be announced - 23rd November, (for the full significance of
23's see 1.023) and note the fact that it is the 1994 K-F award as opposed
to the 1993 Turner award. Obviously this signifies that the K-F are more
forward-looking than the Turner, but also try adding 1+9+9+4 together. If
you think I'm being pedantic, adding the individual numbers in years
together is a standard Discordian thing to do. My [Stuart] theory is that
Bill and Jimi were happy with their deliberately weird ads, when they heard
that the Turner would be announced on the 23rd of November, decided that
that was an opportunity to good to miss, cancelled their previous plans and
never sent out any of the further information packs. Bill says he still has
all the SAEs which they received, and they may be replied to at some time in
the future.
The next ad invited the general public to vote for the worst artist, either
by going to the exhibition and using their critical faculties or by letting
their inherent prejudices come to the fore. The final ad summarised the
whole campaign, asked some questions back to the people that had written to
them, and explained that the winner of the K-F award would be announced in a
TV advert during the live Turner prize coverage on Channel 4. All the press
ad's are available in the ftp archive, as are loads of newspaper and
magazine articles about the events of the 23rd of November.
Briefly however: Rachel Whiteread was contacted by the K-Foundation and
informed that she had won the 40000 pound prize. She refused to allow her
name to be used in the TV advert. 25 witnesses (art critics, journalists,
music industry figures, artists etc., there were 15 more people present: I
presume they were photographers and video crews) were invited to participate
and driven in a convoy of white limos (lead by a gold limo) to a service
station where they were handed a press release and 1650 pounds in crisp new
50 pound notes. The accompanying press release stated that 25 x 1600
collectively made up the 40000 K-Foundation prize, and that the extra 50 was
for the witness to verify its authenticity by spending it. The witnesses
were dressed in fluorescent orange hard hats and safety jackets, and large
quantities of champagne were drunk.
Eventually the convoy reached a field patrolled by two orange-painted K-F
Saracen armoured cars, driven by Drummond and Cauty, broadcasting 'K Sera
Sera' and Abba's 'Money Money Money'. Silver bearded Mr Ball, the compere
with a megaphone directed the witnesses to nail their wad of money to a
board inside a gilt frame, to assemble the K- F's prize. Unfortunately some
of the witnesses pocketed all or some of their wad, and the prize money was
8600 short, which the K-F had to make up. Mr Ball also directed the
witnesses to "view the art": A Million pounds in 50 pound note wads, nailed
to a large framed board. The K-F's first art work, 'Nailed To A Wall'. All
the witnesses were visibly impressed by this sight. When an artist
complained that it wasn't a work of art, as it wasn't signed, Mr Ball
deadpanned "I think you'll find that every note is signed sir". The
witnesses were made to hand over a 10 pound note as payment for an art
catalogue. Half of each note was returned to the witness. The reserve price
of the works has been set at half the face value of the cash
involved. Nailed To The Wall - face value a cool million - is up for sale at
500,000 pounds. The catalogue states: "Over the years the face value will be
eroded by inflation, while the artistic value will rise and rise. The
precise point at which the artistic value will overtake the face value is
unknown. Deconstruct the work now and you double your money. Hang it on a
wall and watch the face value erode, the market value fluctuate, and the
artistic value soar. The choice is yours." The point is simple: art as a
speculative currency, and vice-versa. To put it more bluntly: Art equals
Money, and Money equals Art.
Meanwhile three TV adverts costing exactly 20000 pounds were being shown on
Channel 4 in between the live coverage of the real award ceremony. Since
Channel 4 funded the Turner prize, the K-Foundation were in effect paying
for both awards. These ad's, available in the ftp archive, explain that the
K-F are currently amending the history of art at a secret location. Rachel
Whiteread won the Turner prize too, and absolutely no mention of the
alternative award was made in the Turner studio discussion, an act of crass
cowardice and stupidity by the Channel 4 programme makers which confirmed
all the points about the modern art establishment that the K-F were trying
to make.
The motorcade left the site of the amending of art-history and headed back
to London, where on the steps of the Tate, Rachel Whiteread was due to be
handed the prize money. When she refused to accept the money, the K-F
explained that it would be burnt. With the crowd of now very drunk witnesses
looking on hoping the money would be burnt, a masked K-F operative (Gimpo)
fumbled with matches and lighter fluid. At the last moment Rachel Whiteread
emerged from the Tate and accepted the money, stating that she would give it
as grants to needy artists.
A huge amount of press publicity ensued, with all the major newspapers and
press organisations reporting that Whiteread had won both awards. The K-F's
publicist, Mick Houghton, revealed that the voting for the K-F's award was
supposed to produce a tie, to illustrate the hypocrisy of the Turner award
committee, but that strangely the result had been a huge margin of victory
for Whiteread. He speculated that the few thousand voters had just liked or
rather disliked the sound of her name.
In the week that followed the K Foundation returned the million to the Bank
of England, but pierced with nail-holes, the money was unusable and the Bank
fined the K- Foundation 9000 pounds for damaging money and charged them 500
quid to print a new million!! (if they had burnt the money they would have
faced criminal charges!). Very many people quoted in the huge amount of
publicity that followed expressed the opinion that the K-F had 'wasted' the
money by spending it on advertising. Or that the joke was on the
K-Foundation as they had lost all this money. Imagine the outrage if they
_had_ burnt the money! (см. 4.006).
In March 1997, Bill explained thusly: "Most of the people who wrote about
what we did, and the TV programme that was made about it, made a mistake. I
was only able to articulate it to myself afterwards with hindsight they
thought we were using our money to make a statement about art, and really
what we were doing was using our art to make a statement about money. Having
arrived at that formula, I'm probably manipulating everything we did to fit
into the theory, but we were just getting up in the morning and getting on
the phone with each other and saying, fucking hell! So at some points we
thought we were attacking the art establishment then we were saying, no
that's not what this is about."
- index
4.006: Did they really burn a million pounds?
Yes. They burnt a million pounds in an abandoned boathouse on Jura, (near
the village of Ardfin if you want to make a pilgrimage) in the middle of the
night of the 23rd of August 1994. It took just over an hour for Cauty and
Drummond to pile the wads onto the flames, while Gimpo filmed it, and
freelance journalist Jim Reid witnessed it. The whole story is told by Reid
in an article called 'Money To Burn' from GQ magazine, available in the ftp
archive. Reid admits to feeling at first guilt, then boredom while watching
the money burn. In the Omnibus documentary (см. 5.010), the K-F's bank
confirmed that a million pounds in cash had been withdrawn (intriguingly,
the pictured statement also shows a credit transfer of ukp1,300,000 going
into the Foundation's account just a few days later!!!), and picked up by a
private security firm who also confirmed the amount. Some of the notes
remained unburned, were washed out to sea when the tide came in, and were
later found by a Jura resident on a beach. He handed 1500 pounds into the
police who traced the serial numbers and confirmed with Drummond that they
were his and that he didn't want them back. Some ashes (valued in the
Omnibus documentary at between ukp 800 to 81,000!) were brought back from
Jura, and kept in a suitcase, until Bill and Jimmy asked Chesham brickmaker
James Matthews (age 23) to make them into a brick. Bill said the reason for
the request would be revealed in 23 years.
The film "Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid" was shown to nearly
half the population of Jura on the 23rd of August 1995. Unfortunately it was
very badly filmed (on Super 8) and all the dialogue is almost
intelligible. (см. 4.007 for more)
The next question is why on earth did they do it?
For the first six months of 1994 the K-F tried to get their art exhibition
(which consisted of over a million pounds in actual bank notes, see 4.005)
staged. The most likely gallery was the Tate in Liverpool, where Jayne Casey
from Big In Japan now works. Unfortunately it didn't come off so they had
to consider other options. They thought about taking the exhibition across
Russia by train, but the cost of insuring a million pounds against robbery
by the armed gangs that roam across the Steppes, was too high. They decided
that the money was a millstone around their necks, that depressed them.
They decided they would have to really burn the money.
They couldn't decide whether to make the burning public or not. They thought
of putting a picture of 'Nailed to the Wall' with a flame-thrower beside it,
on a billboard in London. A week later the picture would have changed to
ashes. Eventually Drummond decided that 'the shock value will spoil it
really. Because it doesn't want to be a shocking thing; it just wants to be
a fire'. However they still took a journalist along to witness it. They
thought it was important that the public had faith that they did do it, so
they (said they had) destroyed the video evidence.
All through their career the concept of burning a million pounds comes
up. When they deleted their back catalogue it was described as being the
equivalent of burning millions of pounds. They threatened to burn the K-F
art award prize money (Gimpo was fumbling with matches and lighter fluid
when at the last moment Rachel Whiteread accepted the prize). And in the 7th
K-F press advert they stated "What would you do with a million pounds? Burn
it?"
Also they had made the decision that the money was not theirs, it was the
K-F's. It had to be used for a K-F project, and couldn't be given to anyone
else. The money burning is in effect a massive, and very expensive,
publicity stunt so that Drummond and Cauty can go down in history as the men
who burnt a million pounds. It is supposed to make you think about money,
and its relationship with art. Really what is the difference between
spending money on useless objects or publicity, and making the actual loss
of the money the publicity. No one castigates Cher for spending her millions
on 12 mansions world- wide and not giving them to charity. Why attack the
K-F for spending their million and not giving it to charity. Bill once said
in a letter to Nick: "...we could have gone and put the money to some
publicly acceptable good use (The starving millions, cancer research,
Greenpeace; take your pick), but no, we chose to burn it. Why?... What is
the appeal?"
If they have introduced an important debate about the nature of money, art
and fame, then the money might have been used wisely. It's not even true
that they are fools who have lost their money, as by having "he burnt a
million pounds" on their CV's they will be interesting to the media for the
rest of their lives, and able to make it back easily. Just like the first
line in every biography and obituary of Divine was "he once ate dog shit on
film" the names of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty will always be followed by
"the men who burnt a million pounds". Bill also said, in 1996, that someone
once told him, (after seeing the video for Earth Song), that the reason the
K Foundation burned it is because they knwe they would never be as good as
Michael Jackson.
In March 1997, after some years consideration, Bill explained: "One night an
audience was asked: is there anyone here that would've liked to do this or
thought about this? And people put up their hands. That became a regular
thing and it would be about ten per cent [of the audience], so ten per cent
of the population ...or ten per cent of the people who came to see this
film! [Drummond laughs uproariously] Or maybe they were just trying to
endear themselves to us- but it was a real thing. We realised that it wasn't
like we were so different or so special or so far-out or so fucking
fucked-up; we just happened to have a million lying around..."
- index
4.007: What's "Watch the K Foundation Burn A Million Quid"? How can I see it?
As we all know Bill and Jimmy burnt a million pounds (см. 4.006) They gave
Gimpo a camcorder to film (in Super 8) the burning as it happened. This
resulting film was first transferred to two 8 mm projector film spools with
a soundtrack, and first shown to bemused villagers on Jura. The film is in
colour, good quality and "quite boring". Quite literally it is 55 minutes of
Bill and Jimmy burning the million pounds, feeding the flames with bundles
of 50-pound notes. Jim Reid appears, and occasionally Gimpo is seen, mainly
whilst he's fiddling with the camera.
Later it was edited down in order to fit it onto one spool because "when the
first spool ran out everyone thought it was the end and seemed disappointed
that they had to sit through even more..." (-Gimpo). However, Jimmy claimed
that it was because everyone talked through it anyway so they thought they'd
have the "audience providing the soundtrack", but this may be a cover, as
according to some reports, the soundtrack tape was 'lent' to the BBC for the
Omnibus programme (см. 5.010) and never returned despite Gimpo's best
attempts. It is quite likely they just thought "why bother hooking up the
sound?". Jimi said that the video was to be destroyed two days after the
event, because they wanted people to have faith and not have to have
proof. But he was obviously lying!
The highlight for most list members is when Gimpo walks outside of the
boathouse, and we can see the glowing embers rising out of the chimney, and
floating off into the darkness. Somewhere in the film (perhaps its the bit
where he goes outside) Gimpo decides to pocket a bundle of notes - a few
minutes later he starts to feel guilty and puts the money back. Bill (in a
letter to Nick) commented on the problem of the film's name, against it
really being Bill and Jimmy's money: "Calling the film 'Watch The K
Foundation Burn A Million Quid' is a creative compromise."
On the 4th September 1995, and on some further occasions, newspaper adverts
appeared advertising the film to local audiences. They announced a showing
of the film, to be followed by a debate centring around a question e.g. Why
did the K Foundation burn a million quid? Was it Art?, Was it Madness?, Was
it Rock and Roll? etc. The 5th September saw Bill and Jimmy at the In The
City convention in Manchester, showing the film, followed by a discussion in
front of a 100-plus music-industry audience, where they asked for people's
opinions, not on whether it was ethical to burn the money, but on whether it
was Rock and Roll? Then they were interviewed on Radio 1's Evening
Session. Bill said: "And we're very proud of this film, this is the biggest
kinda visual thing we've done.".
The film was toured around the country, usually gracing cultural centres in
major towns and cities, and some more obscure venues like film festivals,
builders yards, Glastonbury Tor, an inner-city comprehensive and then Eton
on the same day, and MIND drop-in centres. In Glasgow they planned to show
it at various venues over a weekend of 'art- terrorism' eg, Barlinnie
prison, (but they were refused permission and asked to leave!) (см. the
relevant archived articles from the Sunday Times, Blah Blah Blah and the
Scotsman for more on this eventful weekend). Bill and Jimmy also took the
film to Belgrade, in Serbia. The Independent on Sunday reported that it was
very well received because 1) they showed to this very artistic community
and 2) Serbia experienced 36 million % inflation so they could relate to
burning money. Each showing was followed by a discussion, where Bill and
Jimmy wanted to get the audience to voice what they thought was the reason
B&J burnt the money. Many reviews of the showings from local newspapers and
transcripts of various local and national radio interviews are available in
the ftp archive, or from Stuart Young.
Following the Cape Wrath contract (см. 4.009) Bill and Jimmy would no longer
comment on the burning at post-film discussions, preferring to leave an
associate, Chris Brooke or Gimpo to lead them. Bill and Jimmy's self-imposed
silence was usually broken after around five minutes.
An Info-sheet (available in the ftp archive) was distributed in the later
stages of the tour. Attached to this were a series of quotes of audience
observations from the various screenings. Bill and Jimmy invited audiences
to write to the address given (The K FOUNDATION, PO Box 91, HP22 4RS, The
UK), with their own reactions. Some people even got replies from Bill. A
poster for the film can be seen at Jamm!n's Mancentral archive
(http://jumper.mcc.ac.uk/~ttl/KLF). Other list members gained other
memorabilia at the screenings, such as soggy newspapers adverts, signed
vodka bottles, and in one case a signed ukp 50 note!
As well as discussing the film, Bill occasionally opened up on other
matters. At the Manchester showing in November 1995 he is quoted as saying
"We would do it [release records] again, if we thought people would like
it". At the same showing he refused to sign a copy of Pete Robinson's
Justified and Ancient History, saying "That's a load of bollocks...It's all
lies." Pete Robinson has yet to reply to Nick on these allegations. Bill is
also notorious for refusing to be held to quotes.
The film was due to be shown for the final time in a car-park in Brick Lane
in London, 8th December 1995. Several list members turned up to witness the
event turn into something of a fiasco. The car-park idea was abandoned on
the night, but a basement room was hired in the Seven Stars pub
nearby. Around 400 people turned up for the showing, and most somehow
managed to crowd into the small room. Bill and Jimmy hung around, but were
evidently nervous, and hid for most of the evening in the toilets with their
minders. Gimpo showed some of the film but the cramped conditions proved too
much and the showing was abandoned. Some reports indicate the police called
it off, but although the police did turn up, it is understood that they had
no part in the decision.
The film was due to be cut up and sold off for ukp 1 per frame after the
Brick Lane showing, but this never happened. At the end of the show, when
everyone tried to grab frames, Gimpo protested "no, it's not this film
that's being cut up, it's the other [two- spool] copy", going on to point
out that he didn't even want to do it, it was all Club Disobey's idea. A
subsequent advert in the NME gave the ansaphone number of London's Club
Disobey (0181-960 9529), but to the best knowledge of the list members, no
frames were ever gleaned from this. The only frames list-members obtained
were blank ones from the film header.
At several screenings people with professional cameras, camcorders and
dictaphones recorded the film and subsequent discussions but bootleg copies
have yet to surface. Gimpo also made videos/recordings saying "maybe a
video sometime next year". He is also quoted (from the Omnibus documentary)
as saying "I've never been a film director before."
- index
4.008: What was "Pissing in the Wind"?
When the WTKFBAMQ film tour reached Glasgow on the Friday 3rd November 1995,
Bill and Jimmy enacted a piece of performance art entitled "Pissing in the
Wind whilst thinking of Bob Dylan".
Occurring early afternoon, the 'performance' featured Bill, Jimmy and Marc J
Hawker, a Glasgow resident and friend of the K-F. It took place in
Kelvingrove Park (medium: artists, park, security cameras,
urine). Apparently, there was to be a live cc-TV link-up with the Hunterian
Museum at Glasgow University which would have shown the boys in action to an
audience of 200 luminaries, but this didn't happen (the CC camera missed
them), although a video of the urination was eventually shown there in the
early evening. Bill is quoted as saying that it was probably a good thing
it wasn't live.
Wearing cammo jackets, they quite literally pissed into the wind, behind a
shed. A photo in Scotland on Sunday (см. archive) only managed to catch a
stream of urine coming from Drummond. Cauty and Mark Hawker were either just
finished or about to start. You can't see their willies by the way!
- index
4.009: Why did they push a car over Cape Wrath? What are the terms of that contract?
The Cape Wrath contract was conceived in a Little Chef diner at Newtonmore
(just outside Aviemore in the Highlands), the morning after Friday's Glasgow
showings of WTKFBAMQ (см. 4.007) and the Pissing in the Wind episode. Bill
and Jimmy appeared to be fed up with the reactions they were receiving to
the film, which were mainly questions to them, rather than answers. They
wanted to use a van Gimpo had borrowed to write the contract on , but he got
scared and drove it straight back to London. Thus abandoned Bill and Jimmy
(and two witnesses both called Mark!) phoned Craig McLean, journo, now
editor of Blah Blah Blah, in Edinburgh and offered him an exclusive story if
he would drive them! By the time he got up to Cape Wrath (about 6hrs drive
from Edinburgh), they'd hired a G-reg. Nissan Bluebird from Aviemore; and on
the morning of the Sunday (5th Nov 1995) they drove it onto a helipad on a
MoD live bombing range called Faraid Head, 10 miles down the road from Cape
Wrath itself., painted the contract on the side and pushed it over the
edge. Jimmy took off the radiator cap so "it smokes more as it goes
over". Photos of the painted (and falling) car later appeared in Blah Blah
Blah (см. the archive).
To quote the info-sheet, handed out during the latter stages of the film
tour:
"For the sake of our souls we the trustees of the K Foundation agree
unconditionally, totally, and without hesitation to a binding contract with
the rest of the world, the contract is as follows.
1) Bill Drummond + Jimmy Cauty agree to never speak, write or use any
other form of media to mention the burning of one million pounds
of their own money which occurred on the Island of Jura on 23
August 1994 for a period of 23 years after the date of signature.
2) Bill Drummond + Jimmy Cauty are free to end the K Foundation in all
respects for a period of 23 years after the date of signature.
3) Bill Drummond + Jimmy Cauty agree to store all assets of the K
Foundation, including the ash of the one million pounds burnt on
Jura, for a period of 23 years from the date of signature. This is
to be completed within 14 days of signature.
4) Bill Drummond + J Cauty agree to allow Alan Goodrick use, for whatever
purpose, the film "Watch The K Foundation Burn A Million Quid" and all
film rushes.
5) Bill Drummond + Jimmy Cauty agree to publish this contract as a one
page advert in a broadsheet of their choice within 14 days of signature
and to cover costs.
6) It is agreed that in signing this contract, the postponing the K
Foundation for the said period of 23 years, provides opportunity of
sufficient length for an accurate and appropriately executed response
to their burning of a million quid.
(signed in Gold pen on the windscreen: J Cauty, B Drummond, (Mark 1),
Mark J Hawker (Mark 2), 5 Nov 1995) "
This developed later into:
"On the 5th November 1995, Cauty and Drummond signed a contract agreeing to
end The K Foundation for a period of 23 years. This postponement 'provides
opportunity of sufficient length for an accurate and appropriately executed
response to their burning of a million quid'. Cauty and Drummond have
rescued themselves from the burden of an impossible explanation. Their fate
now lies irrevocably sealed in the imploded remains of a Nissan Bluebird
nestling among the rocks 120 feet below Cape Wrath.".
This was repeated in two newspaper adverts, one of which appeared in the
Times on the 8th of December, the same day the film was due to be shown for
the final time in Brick Lane, London.
- index
4.010: What is 'Bad Wisdom'?
In November 1992, Drummond and friend Mark Manning (also known as failed
rock star Zodiac Mindwarp, furthermore known as Zed or Z) decided to save
the world by planting a photo of Elvis at the North Pole, with the idea that
his soul would seep down across the world on the ley lines and bring about
world peace. The two were also hoping to find Baby Jesus within
themselves. So they and Gimpo to drive to the North Pole. They got all the
way up to Lapland, almost freezing to death, before realising that the road
runs out and the unfrozen Arctic Sea starts. However they did meet the
keeper of the 'most northerly lighthouse in the world' so they presented the
photo to him and then came home.
Drummond and Manning decided to write a book about their trip called
initially 'Bill and Zed's Excellent Adventure' or 'The Lighthouse At The Top
Of The World'. They decided that it would be a limited edition of one,
hand-transcribed and illustrated by them (they were both artists after all)
and bound in 18th century reindeer leather which had been recovered from a
shipwreck (!!) and which Drummond bought from an auction for some outrageous
price. The idea being that before the invention of the printing press books
were so rare and special that an interested reader would make a pilgrimage
across Europe to see a book. In this age of information technology, they
wanted to re-capture some of that magic. So the book was to be displayed in
the specially purchased Curfew Tower, which was built as a prison for 19th
century dissidents, in Cushendall on the East coast of Northern
Ireland. Unfortunately they hadn't considered just how long it would take to
hand-write and illustrate, and the project was put on hold. Then, in October
1996, it was somewhat surprisingly published in paperback by Penguin and is
now widely available as 'Bad Wisdom'. (см. 3.002 for publishing details).
The style of the book somewhat reflects that of Hunter S. Thompson (author
of 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'). The sleeve reviews are by Jarvis
Cocker from Pulp: "The truth, no matter how uncomfortable, cannot help but
be beautiful - this is a very beautiful book" and subversive writer/artist
Stewart Home: "This is a brilliant anti-novel with a pedigree running from
Swift and de Sade to Dada and Burroughs. Blunt, shocking, uncomfortable. A
future underground classic."
There is no dedication, and it all begins on Monday 2 November 1992 the day
Bill'n'Z'n'Gimpo set off for Helsinki. The text alternates between Drummond
and Manning. Drummond just recounts the detail of the events, presumably
truthfully, and describes people in his own often wonderful way. He also
writes relfectively about life, his past (and the KLF and it's demise) and
various things that irk him about the world, eg. MTV. In the meantime
Manning is writing wild Hunter S Thompson fiction, wild horrific trips of
fancy based around the real life characters, but presumably with some basis
in truth, like he's tripping all the time and he sees everything
exaggerated. The interplay between the two accounts is very interesting and
works very well most of the time. You start to recognise the events or
objects or people in real life (i.e. Bill's account) that Z bases his
fantasy's around. Bill even writes about Z writing which sheds further light
... one page he's bored and not writing anything ... the next he's
scribbling away furiously in the back of the car chuckling demonically
... the next he's acting out the characters he's created, entertaining Gimpo
and Bill.
To publisice the book Bill and Mark (and 'tour manager-cum-support act'
Chris Brook. Gimpo also went along, but played no part in the actual
performances) undertook a series of public performances (and book signings)
initially starting off with a date in New York then at various venues in
towns and cities across the UK. From the event flyer:
"This performance is adapted form the novel Bad Wisdom which is based on
Drummond and Manning's journey to the North Pole in the winter of 1992. The
performance reflects the double narrative of the book wiht Manning and
Drummond relating their separate but intertwining versions of the story."
They react a rehearsed performance, with Zed standing behind an ornate brass
lectern which Bill picked up from a church salvage yard for 300 quid, and
Bill using "Stig of the Dump's bird table - a crazed scaffold of fence posts
and sycamore stumps".
Check out Jai Nelson's
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/2399/badwisdom.html for the tour
dates, copies of 'New Agenda' posters (unknown if these are K-related) and
transcripts of list member's reports of the shows. Mark Radcliffe's (late)
late-night show on Radio One featured Bill and Mark reading from their book,
and sound-clips of these quotes can be found at Mancentral. URLs:
http://jumper.mcc.ac.uk/~ttl/KLF/Sounds/scared.wav
/cybernaz.wav
/715.wav
/deaddog.wav
/badwiz1.wav and also /badwiz1.mp2
/badwiz2.wav and also /badwiz2.mp2
/badwiz3.wav and also /badwiz3.mp2
/badwiz4.wav and also /badwiz4.mp2
They also made an appearance on MTV's Hanging Out, which is pretty
surprising considering Bill's anti-MTV stance in the book. This may be
related to the following anecdote from one well-connected list member:
"Okay. This is gospel - it came from a friend who works there and saw it
happen. A guy who works in transmission at MTV in London found a black bag
in the street last week. He took it to work, and from the contents (which I
only know to include several sheafs of A4 and six copies of Bad Wisdom)
deduced that the bag belonged to none other than...Bill Drummond! So a
contact number was found, and Bill had to turn up at MTV to reclaim the
bag!!!! According to my friend, he was scowling something horrid, and was
rather terse with whoever it was he talked to (so same as ever there
then!)."
In May 1996 Bill and Mark went to the Congo to write the next chapter in the
search for the Lost Chord. Bill said the next chapter will probably be out
around 1998! They say that for the final chapter, they will voyage to the
moon.
- index
4.011: What's 'A Bible Of Dreams'? Is it on the Internet?
A Bible of Dreams is a book of images by Mark Manning (Zodiac Mindwarp),
largely photomontages, with text by Bill Drummond. It is described as "a
visual poem composed by MS Manning", with Drummond giving "a personal
interpretation of the poem" in a commentary, along with a biographical
background piece. The colour plates are reproductions of a picture collage
pieced together by Manning in a scrapbook during a 1992 Scandinavian tour,
and sent to Drummond shortly after tour ended. Drummond found himself
repeatedly drawn to its contents, each perusal revealing more, "like a
collection of good verse". Manning was horrified when he suggested
publishing it.
The book is published by The Curfew Press, the two men's publishing company
based in The Curfew Tower, (см. 4.010). It's available only in a limited
edition of 200 numbered copies, signed by Drummond and Manning, costing
UKP500. It is bound in blue Nigerian goatskin, each page hand-printed and
stitched into a calf-leather spine, and comes in a blue moire silk
slipcase. It's not so much an expensive book as an average work of art. They
have sold a few to "universities and the like" If you want one and have a
"large amount of money" to spare, contact the Curfew Press (см. 1.010 for
address)
Zed's art in The Curfew Press' A Bible Of Dreams looks like it's
deliberately fallen. The collected trash of a rock'n'roll degenerate, the
collages entangle images from heavy metal, pornography, Nazi Germany and
Disney. Drummond's text suggests they represent an archetypal rock'n'roll
headspace: a place where sleaze, ambition, rebellion and religion meet. Zed
reckons that just by sampling these images he's raising them from the base
to the divine. And there are points in his commentary where Bill finds a
postitivity in porn. Maybe Zed and Drummond are examining cultural
inequality. Wondering why some kinds of art are raised over others. Which is
no great surprise from two men who work in rock or pop, an area of culture
that is often ignored by art critics.
Drummond and Manning undertook a series of interviews to promote the book,
in i-D, Vox and GQ magazines - these are online @ Mancentral. In one
interview Manning said that the text of the book was available on the
Internet, then laughed. List members have looked far and wide and have found
no trace of it. It is most likely that this statement was a deliberate
wide-up for us and people like us, and an Internet-hype backlash joke. We
don't think it is online.
- index
4.012: What's Jimmy's sonic weapon?
To replace the dilapidated Ford Timelord (см. 5.007) Jimmy purchased two
Saracen armoured vehicles at a scrap yard for ukp 4,000 and found equipment
in them which he thought could have been used for sonic warfare. He has
tried to assemble the acoustic gun from information he found on the
Internet. Installing huge amplifiers and special speakers to cope with the
very low frequencies cost him "tens of thousands of pounds".
The 25,000-watt sonic gun can project sound for around 7 miles, and Jimmy
annoyed his Devon neighbours by testing it on Midsummer's Day, 1996. Jimmy
said: "I moved to Devon six months ago for a bit of a rest and this is a
project I am taking an interest in. I do not see it as music or art." He
said that he aimed the gun away from homes and it seemed to have no effect
on sheep.
The Melody Maker said: "He was testing his two Audio Weapon Systems in a
field near his new home. 'He alerted people to the fact that he was doing
this by setting off some military flares. Then he tested his Audio Weapons
System for an hour for a very select group of scientists and friends. The
Audio Weapons System is not designed to kill people." ... [Cauty] first
tested it at a Wire gig on Hungerford Bridge in May. ... In January,
Panasonic [ the "Finnish conceptual techno nutters"-NME] borrowed one of the
Audio Weapons Systems for tests on how sonic waves affect the human body at
Brick Lane in London. ... A fax from 'Mr. Smith, the Head Of Commercial
Exploitation at Advanced Acoustic Armaments', was sent to The Maker. It read
: "The test took place to establish the parameters of the new vehicle solo
and in tandem with its sister model, SS 9000K+L. The test featured new
software generated for our latest commercial client, EXP LTD, and is
described by Mr. Cauty as featuring 'the ultimate battle between sound and
commerce ending in the death of all musicians and their ascension to
rock-n-roll heaven or hell as befits them.' Yesterday we received
communication with ex- Government employees who, in the Sixties, worked on
audio weapon development with an offer of help and some ex-classified
equipment. We regret any such death or damage that has resulted from our
tests, but there are casualties in every war. The Triple A Formation Attack
Ensemble will perform 'Foghorns Of The Northern Hemisphere' as part of an
educational programme supporting our research shortly."
Most of this is probably scam, but Cauty has (very allegedly)recorded an
album of sonic waves for Paul Smith's Blast First label under the name
AAA. The album is in the hands of lawyers who are trying to clear some of
the samples used on it, and has yet to be released (01/97). It appears to be
a Cauty solo project.
More recently, Jimmy teamed up with new Asian-techno group, Black Star Liner
for a _happening_ in a field on Dartmoor [this is the EXP reference
above]. Jimmy chartered a 'chopper to take BSL and assorted journos out to
Dartmoor, where he intended to remix the Halaal Rock track in his tank.
Apparently, BSL bumped into Cauty on London's South Bank, while he was
driving about in his tank, he got hold of their album, and said that he
wanted to work with them. Anyway, the chopper was grounded by severe fog,
so everyone was put on a convey of buses. All the journos were given
_orange_ jackets to wear. They eventually arrived at a field full of
military vehicles, and people in _yellow_ jackets, wearing goggles and ears
protectors, doing some form of formation dancing. The journos were lead to
their seats, and had large floodlights shone into their eyes, while the
yellow jackets let of flares all around them. There were a load of goats
skulls on sticks around the field, and a whole pile of fireworks let of
towards the end of the mix, when Cauty was mixing in some Jimi Hendrix.
However, this didn't really go down well with BSL. For the record, Choque
(leader of BSL) said in the NME "Cauty's truck is a bag of complete
shite. And he's a f---ing misery guts"
Then in November 1996, Jimmy turned up at the A30 road protests in Honiton,
Devon, to lend his support. The A30 Action press release read:
A30 Action and A.A.A.(Formerly the K Foundation, formerly the K.L.F.)
As of 2300 hrs 19.10.96 the armoured division of the A.A.A. Formation
Attack Ensemble established a front line defensive position at the
Trollheim Hill Fort, Fairmile, Devon, in collaboration with A30 Action in
defence of the threatened trees, badgers and some insects. At dawn on
21.10.96, the Triple A will activate their S.Q.U.A.W.K. 9000 sonic device
in response to any offensive action taken on behalf of the Connect
consortium. The @utonomous communities of Fairmile, Trollheim and
Allercombe have resisted the soul destroying consumer nightmare of the
private profit A30 through a 2 year campaign of Non-Violent Direct Action.
Now armed with the 2 Saracen armoured personnel carriers both loaded with
15 Kilowatt Soundsystems and weighing over 10 tons they intend to dance in
the face of the legions of destruction.
Numerous photos of the Saracens cam be found in the ftp archive, on
Mancentral and at: http://www.atomiser.demon.co.uk/klf
- index
4.013: Why was Jimmy arrested on weapons charges?
Shortly after Jimmy began blasting local Devon residents with Puff the Magic
Dragon at the protest against the A30 road-building, an article appeared in
the Big Issue (mag by and for the UK homeless), by self-styled "art
terrorist" Stuart Home describing how he was kidnapped and shown an arsenal
of weapons at Jimmy's house. The article was a spoof, but the UK security
services took it seriously and put Jimmmy's house under surveillance for
several days before finally 30 police with sniffer dogs turned up and
searched the place from top to bottom. They found nothing, except the two
Saracens which were both properly taxed and insured. Jimmy was released
without charge. He said "I suppose if you take two tanks to a road protest
you've got to expect the authorities to get involved." Finally, the two
Saracens were towed from the road protest with Jimmy's consent, (but not
cooperation). A few weeks later he took them back.
- index
5.001: What was the ABBA thing all about?
On their first LP, '1987: What The Fuck Is Going On?' the stand out track is
'The Queen And I' - a derogatory, political rap about the state of democracy
in the UK, which samples large parts of Abba's Dancing Queen, (i.e. the
whole chorus) and accompanies this with cheeky baby 'wah wah' noises. The
whole thing is very punky, crude and hilariously funny. And Abba not
surprisingly didn't like it. The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society got
in touch with the JAMs and ordered the masters and all copies destroyed, and
all copies in the shops recalled. To avoid a court case the JAMs decided to
comply with this but first they would try to meet Abba and convince them of
the sincerity of their actions. Of course you could be cynical and say that
the trip to Sweden was a publicity exercise pure and simple as they took an
NME journalist and photographer along with them in Jimmy's Galaxy V8 Ford
police car, but the truth probably lies somewhere between that and a
romantic road trip ideal that the JAMs have and an unthinking 'lets do it'
attitude.
So the JAMs and their guests took the ferry to Sweden, drove cross-country
to Stockholm where they presented a gold disc "in recognition of sales in
excess of zero" to a blonde prostitute outside Abba's studio at 3am (!) in
the morning. The photographs of this were supposed to convince the world
that this was Agnetha, now fallen on hard times. They obviously failed to
get a meeting with Benny and Bjorn (if they even tried) and they set off
back to England, stopping in a Swedish field to build a fire out of the
unsold copies of 1987, a scene which is captured on the cover of 'Who Killed
The JAMs' and History Of The JAMs'. As they returned to the JAMs-mobile to
drive off an irate Swedish farmer appeared, furious at the heap of burning
vinyl giving off acrid black smoke in his field, who proceeded to fire a
shotgun at the JAMs-mobile as it drove off. Further down the road the
unfortunate car broke down perhaps helped by the shotgun, but luckily (and
not so romantically) the JAMs had taken out Automobile Association
membership before they left and they got towed home. In Justified and
Ancient History Pete Robinson states that on the ferry home they played
their only live date for a Toblerone bar, and chucked some more copies of
the LP into the sea.
The whole story is told in a great NME article, included on the Shag Times
CD gatefold insert. At some point during the JAMs excursion to the land of
Stigs they were reported to have run over and killed a moose. There's even
some lyrics about it in one of their songs. However, one list member (Chris
Leuty) once wrote to the KLF about this (August 1990), cos' "...I didn't
quite believe it, and got a reply from Jimi. He said, and I quote: "No it
was a giant dog". Write to James Brown c/o NME-he's got some Polaroid
photo's of the attack."
A postscript to all this LP destruction is that the KLF took out a full-page
ad in The Face magazine, offering to sell the five remaining unplayed copies
for 1000 pounds each. In 1988 Info sheet two, King Boy says "we sold 3 of
the 5 LP's ... it went some way to paying off our creditors, we gave one
away as a prize. We have one left, the price just keeps going up." This
could be the copy oft seen in the back window of their ice-cream van.
- index
5.002: What's a '99'?
An ice cream in a cone with a chocolate flake stuck in it. The first KLF ice
cream connection took place at the Liverpool Festival of comedy when they
handed out 99's from an ice cream van they'd borrowed from it's owner
outside Trancentral. Then came Justified and Ancient with its ice cream
references in the lyrics, an ice cream van on the cover, a catalogue number
of KLF 099, and promo's labelled CHOCICE 1 to 3. When they appeared on TOTP
Drummond and Cauty were dressed in huge latex 99 costumes designed by Luck
and Flaw of the 'Spitting Image' TV programme. In promotional campaigns in
the US, Arista organised ice cream van stunts too.
All this lead some fans to wonder if there was a connection to The Ice Cream
Men from 'Rudy Rucker's cyberpunk novels 'Software' & 'Wetware'. It would
seem not as "The Ice Cream Man was a android controlled by one of the main
computers on the moon, who was advancing the cause of one of the two
factions in a revolution between the little robots and the big robots that
was ongoing on the moon. It was also to allow the 'personalities' that had
been read (by the aforementioned brain-eating) into the computer to operate
as if they still had human bodies. (The brain eating took all of the
chemically- encoded memories into a processor so that the computer could
integrate the personality.) Anyway, the ice-cream man's van was really a
refrigerator for the robot brain that it carried around, I seem to
remember. Since the novel took place in the Orlando-Cocoa Beach-Daytona
Beach area of Florida, USA and no-one has reported that Bill and Jimmy acted
a bit 'mechanical' on meeting them, I don't see that there's much connection
beyond the coincidental. However, they were written back in the late 80's,
so there is a slight possibility of it being influential, but it just
doesn't seem likely to me." However, strangely, Info sheet 13 has a list of
"questions that we get asked and are unable to answer. So we decided to hold
"The Rites Of Mu" to celebrate this year's summer solstice and in doing so
hopefully make the above questions redundant." One of the questions was 'Are
you the ice cream men?' But the KLF's ice cream activities came _just after_
the 'Rites Of Mu', where they performed in Liverpool using an ice-cream van
they had borrowed from a man in the street outside Trancentral. But why did
someone ask if they were the ice cream men, before they had done any ice
cream related activity?
- index
5.003: Why Sheep?
Sheep have been associated with the KLF throughout their career. There were
sheep noises on the ambient version of 'Last Train To Trancentral', and on
'Chill Out', where sheep also appear on the cover and merchandise
insert. Its rumoured that some sheep appeared on stage at one of the club
PA's they did in 89-90. There are many publicity shots of the KLF standing
with sheep, and sheep appear in 'Waiting'. Sheep are mentioned in the "It's
Grim Up North" sleeve essay and when they showed The White Room film in
Germany (см. 4.003), several sheep were guests of honour. Then there was the
notorious dead sheep incident at the BRITs (см. 4.004). But 'Why Sheep?'
This incidentally is one of the "questions that we get asked and are unable
to answer." It is also printed under a picture of them holding a sheep on
the "White Room" CD insert.
Its to his credit that our list co-ordinator (Lazlo Nibble) is one of the
only people to interview Drummond who has got an answer on this. The full X
Magazine interview is in the ftp archive. Bill Drummond said: "The sleeve is
a very very English thing. The Pink Floyd album ATOM HEART MOTHER, do you
know that album? The sleeve with the cow's head on it? That's a very English
thing and it has the vibe of the rave scene over here. When we're having the
big Orbital raves out in the country, and you're dancing all night and then
the sun would come up in the morning, and then you'd be surrounded by this
English rural countryside ... so we wanted something that kind of reflected
that, that feeling the day after the rave, that's what we wanted the music
for. So when we went to the photo-library, we had a copy of ATOM HEART
MOTHER under our arms, and we went in: 'Okay, we want a picture of sheep,
like this.' They didn't have any pictures of sheep that were like the cover
of ATOM HEART MOTHER, but they had these other pictures of sheep
... hundreds, thousands of pictures of sheep, and we picked the ones we used
because it had that same sort of feeling."
Additionally in the KLF vs. the BRITs article in NME (also on the ftp
archive) Drummond is asked why cut up sheep on stage? "Tons of reasons. You
know, it's that whole thing about sacrificial lambs and about lambs to the
slaughter. And there was something in there about that Geoffrey Howe thing,
being savaged by a dead sheep." [quiet peaceful Howe had a savage attack on
Mrs Thatcher after she sacked him which helped to bring her down.] Danny
Kelly then reminds Drummond that "sheep...(are) deeply embedded in the
JAMs/KLF mythology (and so) wasn't the sheep-hacking idea a bit like
suicide? Drummond agreed "Exactly, that's in there too. That's what the "KLF
have now left the music business" was about..."
- index
5.004: Who is _collaborator_?
Over their time as the JAMs and the KLF (and after this) Bill and Jimmy have
worked with numerous other people from both the Music and Art worlds and
other fields. There've been the obvious big names like Tammy Wynette and
the Pet Shop Boys, and then the more obscure, such as Gimpo, Nick Coler and
Ian Richardson, Mark 'Spike' Stent, Scott Piering, etc, etc. A completist
list of collaborators together with mini-biogs, can be found at:
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~stuey/klf/kollab.htm
Much more infomation on many of these people can probably be found in many
Rock Directories, or on the Web, but a few of the more minor collaborators
have descriptions in both the Manual and in the White Room script. The
following three questions deal with collaborators Gimpo, Garry Glitter and
Ford Timelord.
- index
5.005: Who is Gimpo?
His real name is Alan Goodrick. Throughout Bad Wisdom, Bill tells us a bit
about his background - the best descriptive passage is in the first
chapter. Bill says he was born and raised in Manchester (althought there are
rumours that Gimpo himself says he's from Mold in Wales), and is a
'brother-in-law' to Mark Manning (Zodiac Mindwarp). Gimpo was a squaddie and
served with Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the Falklands War. After that war
he met up with Zodiac and started to work part-time for Z's band The Love
Reaction and after a period of roadying for various Food Record bands
(eg. Jesus Jones) he set up Pit Bull management and began to manage the Love
Reaction.
"Gimpo is also very strong; very very brave - can look death in the face and
piss in it's mouth; does not smoke; has short wavyish dark hair;blue
eyes;sensible clothes." - Bill
He was also a roadie for the KLF (but thinks Pete Robinson's Justified &
Ancient History is "bollocks"), and then a K Foundation 'operative'. He shot
the WTKFBAMQ film, drove Bill and Z to the top of the world and was the
masked person fumbling with lighter fluid and matches when Rachel Whiteread
came to claim the K Foundation Award. However, the last known roadying he
did was at the 1996 BRIT Awards where he touched the sole of Michael
Jackson. Since then he says he's given up roadying (cos' he doesn't need the
money) and went on the Bad Wisdom tour just for the heck of it. He lives in
Clerkenwell, London with his wife, Anne.
He has achieved a minor celebrity status amongst the list members,
especially for those who have met him. Bill sums him up very well with:
"He's one of the warmest and most honourable men you are ever likely to
meet." He really is great. If you want a picture of the man himself, check
out:
http://www.cs.rmit.edu.au/~plastic/jesus.jones/uktour/big/img0052.jpg
Nb. Apparently he had to sign a 50 ukp contract with Penguin over Bad Wisdom
so that he can't sue them for slander, but he hasn't got the money from them
yet, - reckons he's been done.
- index
5.006: Who is Gary Glitter?
"He was a cartoon pop star from the early seventies who recycled his one
basic song in a handful of different hits. He was famous for having a
distinctive two drummers style, and was part of the style called 'Glam'
which also included 'The Sweet', 'Mud', 'The Rubettes' etc. etc.. The hits
are quite catchy in a moronic sort of way but ultimately crap. He stopped
having hits pretty quickly, but amazingly has managed to continue his career
continually up to this day, by becoming a joke, and using any and every
opportunity to promote himself, and never changing and still wearing the
same stupid sparkling outfits and glitter wigs. He always plays big shows at
Christmas." - Stuart
To quote Pete Robinson's Justified and Ancient History: "For the re-mix [of
Doctorin' the TARDIS], Gary Glitter himself was recruited for a special
"Gary in the TARDIS" version of the single, and a new track "Gary Joins the
JAMs" in which Kingboy snubbed James Brown's samples in favour of "the
Godfather of Glam"...Mr Glitter himself. Drummond later said "He's the
original Diamond Geezer - he'll use anything to his advantage.". Glitter
thanks the KLF in his autobiography "Leader" for taking him on and getting
him on the cover of the NME."
- index
5.007: Who/What is Ford Timelord?
A brief history of Ford Timelord:
1. A Ford Galaxy American police car born in 1968.
2. Has a V8 engine: "In our Galaxy custom V8 Ford, we were always on
patrol." - The Prestwich Prophet's Grin
3. According to the script for the White Room film:
* Shipped to England in the 70s to appear in a number of
Hollywood-financed films being made at London studios.
* Bought for 230 pounds by Jimmy
* Best part of 5000 pounds spent keeping it roadworthy (up to the point
of the White Room. Probably much more until its final demise.)
"Today the JAMs were discovered in possession of a recently resprayed Ford
Police car which they claim was a prop from SUPERMAN IV and purchased for
300 ukp. When asked for a proof of purchase, King Boy D looked pale, and
stuttered: 'Because of the position we're in, anything we say could be taken
and used against us. No comment.'" (Sounds - 19 september 1987)
4. Ford was the car used to carry the JAMs to Sweden to meet Abba. Much of
the expense noted above was probably caused by the irate Swedish farmer who
shot at the car while the JAMs were burning the remaining copies of 1987,
causing the engine to blow up on the journey back. This is all reported in
NME articles.
5. Makes several guest appearances on Who Killed The JAMs, long before
Doctorin The Tardis eg. "Is this car insured yet?" -- Candy Store and on
Shag Times (linking Burn the Bastards to Doctorin the Tardis). It is
believed that either Nick Coler or Ian Richardson (or someone with an Essex
accent) helped Ford conduct interviews and the like.
6. Starring roles in Doctorin The Tardis and, later, The White Room film
(where he gets a nice coat of whitewash, having driven across most of
Spain). He also featured in videos for Brilliant and Disco 2000, and in the
video for The Beatmasters (feat. Merlin) hit pop single, "Who's In The
House?", where said car pulls up in front of the House carrying a policeman
with megaphone, and with a huge KLF diamond logo on the road or footpath or
something. Ford has the number 23 painted large on his roof, with various
JAMs and KLF logos on his bodypanels. His (very) little identical twin gets
to fly in the video for LTTC on the Stadium House video compilation.
7. Current wherabouts unknown; he was last seen driving off into the sunset
on the Justified & Ancient video. However, he is believed to been written
off when Jimmy used him for a celebrity charity Demolition Derby at
Wimbledon dog-track in 1992, whereupon Jimmy then rolled out his newly
acquired APCs and proceeded to literally crush the competition.
It is worth noting there are rumours that Ford Timelord had a 'sister', who
made occasional appearances, but these have yet to be confidently confirmed.
- index
5.008: Who are The Fall? What connection do they have to the KLF?
The Fall are a British indie group from Manchester led by loud-mouth singer
Mark E Smith. They have been releasing uncompromising guitar punk-pop tunes
for an incredible 18 years so far. There is no connection to the KLF other
than Big In Japan and The Fall started at the same time and they (and
members of the Teardrops and Bunnymen) were all hangers on in the Northwest
punk scene in 1977.
However there are some connections in the KLF's body of work. Firstly The
Fall's 'Totally Wired' single is sampled in 'Next' on 1987. It was the only
sample on the LP that they had permission to use, and it is the only sample
that appears on 1987 - The Edits (JAMS 25) which is the LP with spaces
instead of samples so that it's legal!!
Secondly the lyrics of "The Prestwich Prophets Grin" on "Who Killed the
Jams?" contain a reference to The Fall. In a section on changing identities,
and the end of the JAMs the lyrics are something like:
"Well Mark E Smith, it's your turn now/
To roll the dice and win/
The tables turned, now we're The Fall/
The North will rise again!
Around this time the Fall were enjoying their only period of chart success,
including a dance-influenced single called 'Hit The North'
Then The FALL was listed as one of the alias of the KLF in The Manual, and
spelt out as The Forever Ancients Liberation Loophole (and on a 1990
T-shirt). This refers to the liberation loophole which their lawyer David
Franks found to release them from their contract with Eternity in the White
Room movie. They mention the liberation loophole in the lyrics of the UK LP
version of Last Train... by the way.
Different people pretending to be the same person, is a common
situationist-inspired tactic as practised by Stewart Home and friends who
produce different magazines all called 'Smile' written by multiple Karen
Elliots reviewing music produced by multiple Monty Cautsins.
- index
5.009: Did they really give beer to the homeless on New Year's Eve?
Before Christmas, one of the two newspaper ads had promised free cans of
lager to those who turned up to the Brick Lane showing of the WTKFBAMQ
film. As things had turned out this didn't happen, so Bill and Jimmy were
left with several hundred cans of beer. It was reported in very early 1996
that Bill and Jimmy had given away a few thousand cans of Tennant's
Super-strength lager to the homeless of London.
The reports allege that these were made into a piece of artwork (a photo
appeared in Blah Blah Blah with the cube of 6,237 cans (approx. 25x10x24))
They were driven around London on the back of a lorry on New Year's Eve
(1995)by Gimpo, Bill and Jimmy. However, there was an accident on London
Bridge, and some of the cans fell off. They were then distributed to the
homeless by Bill and Jimmy that night.
- index
5.010: What was the Omnibus Documentary about?
Shown on Monday 6th November 1995 (BBC1, 50 mins) directed by Kevin Hull and
subtitled "A Foundation Course in Art". The Omnibus programme set out to
"tell the story of the creative partnership of Jimmy Cauty and Bill
Drummond, and how they tried to storm into the art world." The programme
began with a (very) brief history of Bill and Jimmy's music career, from the
Timelords to the BRITs, and then concentrated on the burning of the million
pounds. Using clips from the "Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid"
film (complete with original soundtrack), interviews with both Bill and
Jimmy, Gimpo and other associates like Jane Casey, the documentary managed
to account the events leading up to and the burning itself, and then went on
to look at the aftermath; Bill and Jimmy's motives for doing it (they gave
little away), what they planned to do with the ashes and whether the money
burnt was genuine.
As 4.004 states, they had tried to get several galleries to exhibit the
"Nailed to the Wall", or host the burning, but none would, so they went to
Jura and did it there. The programme makers took ("stole" according to Bill,
who says he had no knowledge of it at the time) a briefcase containing the
remaining ashes from the burning to a number of galleries, to see whether
they considered it 'art' and what value they would place on it, but most
didn't and hence wouldn't. It was also taken to a lab where some 'experts'
examined the ashes, validated the notes and proclaimed them to be the
remains of around ukp 80,000 worth of 50-pound notes.
The programme also looked at the beginnings of the film tour, with footage
of the In The City showing, Bill and Jimmy in discussion with Jane Casey
about projecting it onto the side of the Tate in Liverpool and Gimpo's
reactions to them giving him ownership of the film ("I've never been a film
director before"). One interesting point is that the film showed Bill and
Jimmy being interviewed for Radio 1, and Jimmy rummaging in a bag for the
DAT of "The Magnificent". Bill is clearly heard to say "Make sure it isn't
the DAT with 3 tracks on it". The nature of these mystery tracks is (as yet)
unknown.
List members thought the programme was not really pro-the burning, and
perhaps a tad sceptical and biased against it, but was most interesting and
informative, nevertheless. Some list members may still have copies lying
around (см. 3.001), and stills from the prog. are available from Jamm!n's
Mancentral archive (http://jumper.mcc.ac.uk/~ttl/KLF/kf-omni.html).
- index
5.011: What's the font used on their merchandise, adverts, etc?
We're not entirely certain, but we think it is a version of Compacta Bold or
similar. Jamm!n has a .zip file of 5 members of this font family (in
TrueType) on Mancentral.
(http://jumper.mcc.ac.uk/~ttl/KLF/Misc/compacta.zip)
However, whilst many of the letters of the KLF font match with these, some
don't. It has also been suggested that the KLF font may be related to
Folio, Helvetica, or even Hattenschweiler.
To be honest, we're not sure. If you really want to know, try to contact
either Mick Houghton (who did their publicity) or Scott Piering, or even
Bill or Jimmy themselves. (см. 1.010 for addresses).
- index
5.012: Is there any connection with Coldcut/Yazz (& Plastic Population)? -
I saw a KLF record in the video for "The Only Way Is Up"!!
From the fingers of Culf:
Coldcut produced and released "Doctorin' The House" as by Coldcut, the title
of which was a pun on their original "Doctor In The House" available to DJs
for some time before. The "Doctorin' The House" release also featured Yazz
and the Plastic Population.
The KLF thought this was a jolly amusing pun, and worked on their "Doctorin'
The Tardis" using Gary Glitter, the Doctor Who theme and The Sweet and
released it to world-wide adulation and admiration.
Around the same time (but probably before), Coldcut produced Yazz' first
solo single, "The Only Way Is Up", again featuring the Plastic Population,
and billed to Yazz and them. No mention of Coldcut, except in the
production credits. The video to this single (which was a UK number 1)
showed a DJ scratching with a KLF record. I assumed at the time that it was
the back side of "Burn The Bastards/Burn The Beat", as I don't think
"Doctorin' The Tardis" had been released then. Try checking the relative
release dates of the latter with "Doctorin' The House".
- index
6.01 [1997 -] What is going on?
As early as the end of May, 1997, Lazlo Nibble spotted an
announcement of a CD entitled "Waiting for the Rites of Mu" (70 mins,
release Oct 97) on the forthcoming release list of an Internet CD
shop. Over the months since, there has been more rumour, speculation
and intrigue concerning forthcoming releases by Jimmy Cauty and the
KLF, either separately, in tandem or as one. Hard evidence is
difficult to come by, but list members have discovered that there
will definitely be releases of either new or old material in the next
few months. "Something will be happening in October". Presently
this is thought to be:
The KLF: Waiting for the Rites of Mu - CD, 70 mins (см. 5.04) Variously
expected to be released in early October.
The KLF: "What Time is Love?" - no known details - a cover of the
Acid Brass Band's cover of the KLF's own WTIL? (см. 5.05)
Acid Brass Band: "What Time is Love?" - details unknown - a brass
band cover of WTIL? known to exist (and even featured on TV)(см. 5.05)
Acid Brass Band: album - not yet, but likely TBR on Blast First
Panasonic: "What Time is Love?" - rumour of a "finished recording...
equipped with a full orchestra", no further details known. BUT Panasonic
are also on the Blast First label. Maybe an EP is being made :)
Jimmy Cauty: new solo material (см. 5.03)
Bill Drummond & Mark Manning: rumoured soundtrack album to accompany
Bad Wisdom. (см. 5.02)
Bill Drummond: rumour of some art-stunt. To be confirmed/denied/explained.
- index
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6.02 What is Bill Drummond up to at the moment?
Publicly the last the world heard of Bill was an interview on the UK's
Granada TVs programme, NWA, where he talked about the early-80's Liverpool
scene. This author has heard from a source close to Bill that earlier this
year, Bill, Gimpo and New Agenda artist, David Green made a road movie
where they drove around the M25 London orbital motorway for 25 hours, and
filmed the whole thing. This film is due to be screened at a film festival
in London sometime in August, along with showings of 'The Rites of Mu' and
'Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid'. No more details of this film
festival are available at the moment, but it may be held either in Pimlico
around August 15th, or in some way connected with the NME cinema showings
at the National Film Theatre, throughout August.
Bill has also made a 'soundtrack' to his Bad Wisdom book, in conjunction
with Mark Manning and a Swedish 'Elvis Presley' cover band. No more
details of this are known. Bill is still working on the second book of
the Search for the Lost Chord, which finds him, Zed and Gimpo in the
Congo on a mission to find the Devil.
- index
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6.03 What is Jimmy Cauty up to at the moment?
A recent edition of Music Week noted that "the KLF's Jimmy Cauty" is
recording new material at Konk studios in London. No more details are
known about what Jimmy is working on. A comprehensive Blast First
discography gave a listing "BFFP130 Jimmy Cauty 'Squawk' CD/EP", in a
recent Immerse magazine, but this may not exist. It is a common thing for
record companies to assign catalog numbers to forthcoming releases and
that it probably what this is.
After the kerfulffle surrounding Jimmy's sonic weapons killing cattle in
summer 1996, Blast First announced that Jimmy had been working on new
solo material for them, under the name 'AAA' (Advanced Accoustic
Armaments) or 'Triple A Attack Formation'. That album was "in the hands
of lawyers" trying to clear some of the samples used. A proclaimed re-mix
of a Black Star Liner track didn't get released, but it is likely that
Jimmy has recorded _something_.
A rumour from Sister Ray record shop in London, goes that Jimmy is working
on the Waiting Cd with a mysterious someone else. See 6.04
- index
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6.04 What is 'Waiting for the Rites of Mu'? How can I get a copy?
As mentioned, WftRoM was first spotted on an upcoming-releases list for
an online record store in May 1997. Since then it appeared first on more
on-line record shop release lists (eg. www.sirencd.com and
www.cdeurope.com) , then on UK release lists and has now started showing
up on the computers of UK chains, HMV, Virgin and others (Ask them to
look under Kopyright Liberation Front for a listing)
The Greman label, Echo Beach are behind the release. Shellshock say that
floating release date is currently 3rd October, but know little more. A
website for Echo Beach (http://www.dunzwolff.de/users/echobeach/ebhome.html
last updated in May) says that they are putting together a series of
"Classics", each limited ot 3,333 copies, and it it probable that "Waiting
for the Rites of Mu" is part of this. Contact details are given.
From Shellshock Distribution (Tel: 0181 800 8110, Fax: 0181 800 8140,
E-Mail info@shellshock.co.uk):
TECHNO/ELECTRONICA ALBUMS 26/8/97
Kopyright Liberation Front (KLF) 'Waiting for the Rites of Mu'CD (ECHO
BEACH) EB013 Barcode 4015698410921
"Waiting" is a 70 minute impression of the Kopyright Liberation Front's
infamous experiences on the Isle of Jura, off the West coast of Scotland. A
magnificent "soundtrack" of the happenings on this significant island.
Musically, it's mainly dark, sinister ambience punctualted by sudden
outbursts of the familiar chill-out "woooooooo" sound (it says here) etc.
The press release goes on to describe the release as "the most beautiful,
yet most evil, first comedy-ambient-fairy tale on earth, a worldwide limited
edition of 3333 copies."
Another list member has heard from Blast First that:
"Waiting for the Rites of Mu is a TOP SECRET release. No one is supposed
to know about it till October when it will come out. Apparently the
release will be big, but it's limited numbers (as we already knew). I got
the impression that the guy at Blast First was kinda annoyed that us lot
on the internet already know about the release. Apparently it has been
completed yet - so thats why there aren't any real details about what
is on the album.
I guess this means that it is a legit release. The guy in the shop
did ask if it was actual by Bill and Jimmy or someone else putting a
collection together, but no answer was given."
Sister Ray (Berwick Street, London W1) say the Cd does exist and is not a
bootleg. It is bbeing put together by Jimmy Cauty and someone who is not
Bill (they believe Bill&Jim had a bust up over this), but they know nothing
of any other solo projects. This could, of course, be idle speculation.
- index
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6.05 Who are Acid Brass?
Stockport's Williams-Fairey Band were a failing brass band struggling to
survive in the death-throes of the Lancashire coal-mining industry (which
was epitomised by such ensembles). They teamed up with artist Jeremy
Deller to explore (and create) the new musical form of Acid Brass, by
setting to their style tunes by the KLF, A Guy Called Gerald, 808 State
and more.
Earlier this year they premiered on TV with a brass arrangement of What
Time Is Love? Since then there have been rumours of an album (on Blast
First), but this has been delayed due to the original masters being of
poor quality. It is expected to be released soon. There's a review of it
in the UK film magazine "Neon". With a picture of the cover.
In the meantime this has perhaps rekindled the interest of Bill and
Jimmy. September's Vox noted that the KLF will soon be releasing a cover
of the Acid Brass cover of their own WTIL? This will be released "later
this year", but no more details are known.
- index
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6.06 Where can I find out more?
Ah, tricky question. We have had no info direct from the horse's mouth,
as it were. If you want to find out more, I can suggest (in order of
liklihood of having up-to-date info):
Check out current List traffic and digests. This FAQ will be updated often.
Check out the Echo Beach website
(http://www.dunzwolff.de/users/echobeach/ebhome.html)
Contact Blast First, or their agents in your country. In the UK, you
could try going thru RTM/DISC
Write to Bill and Jimmy (addrs in main FAQ) who may deny everything)
Read the latest issues of the NME or Melody Maker
Ask in your local record shop (HMV, Virgin, local distributors)
Check out the websites of the on-line music stores mentioned above (and
others)
For info on Bill's M25 road-movie write to: THE NEW AGENDA, 18b Abbey
Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8TX The UK
- index
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END OF FAQ
- index of indexes