Bouncing Babies

Version One - Zoo Records CAGE 005 - recorded 14th May 1979 released June 1979

Julian Cope - vocals, bass, organ

Mick Finkler - guitar

Gary Dwyer - drums

Version Two - "Kilimanjaro" album, recorded Spring 1980, released October 1980

Julian Cope - vocals, bass

David Balfe - organ

Mick Finkler - guitar

Gary Dwyer - drums

Written by Finkler / Dwyer / Cope / Simpson

The Teardrop Explodes had made a splash in the indie world with their debut single "Sleeping Gas" in February, and alongside the debut single by Echo and the Bunnymen (released in May 79, also on Zoo Records) it was clear there was a scene developing around the two bands in Liverpool. Of course both Bill Drummond and Dave Balfe wanted to encourage this as both bands were on their label and managed by the pair and oh yeah they were the producers too. Echo and Teardrop weren't the only bands in Liverpool but the first to move from stage to vinyl. They would soon be touring together around the North, a Zoo Records package which made both bands seem bigger than they were and probably didn't help any rivalry between the two group leaders. A second single by the Teardrop Explodes was not only inevitable but a necessity to maintain the velocity of success.

Julian Cope had had the idea for "Bouncing Babies" for a few years - presumably the organ riff - but had been impressed by "She is beyond good and evil" by The Pop Group, especially the staccato guitar jabs at the start of the song, so used the staccato effect on the new song on Finkler's guitar, hammered home with Dwyer's martial tom tom hits. It added another hook to a song already brimming with them. 

"Bouncing Babies" was recorded in May 1979 by a three piece Teardrops. Paul Simpson had asked to leave in the Spring as he had ideas of his own which he could not see being utilised within the Teardrops. These ideas would lead to the Wild Swans, Care and Skyray over the years but that's another tale for someone else to tell (I believe Simpson is working on his autobiography at the moment - I expect this to be brilliant). Dave Balfe was recruited to take over keyboard duties but was excluded from the recording session for the single, so Cope played both organ and bass as well as singing. The single was recorded at Amazon studios in Liverpool, at the time an 8 track facility which gave a more professional sound than the four track studio used for "Sleeping Gas". Also Drummond and Balfe handed over the producers chair to Mike Burson who worked at Amazon and knew how to get a good sound from the band and the equipment.

There is a noticeable improvement all round - the musicianship is better, Dwyer easily moves in and out of the staccato drum patterns, Finkler's guitar has more power and jangles appropriately, Cope copes admirably on both organ and bass but his vocals have improved greatly. He's properly singing now, not just hanging around two or three notes, there's emphasis where it's needed and it works well. As for the lyrics... Why are the babies in the title plural when Cope sings that he was a bouncing baby? There's only one baby here. It's a clever art pop lyric to be honest, don't expect insights at this point. Is Cope writing about his own childhood? The theme of fighting will reappear throughout the Teardrops catalogue but that's hindsight talking - at this point, four songs into a recording career, it's just an interesting aside. The last verse is very clever, turning the baby into a bouncing bomb, and hoping the "you" will defuse him. It's an open offer, but the song explodes before you get a chance. 

"Bouncing Babies" did its job perfectly, it continued to raise the band's profile and sold well enough to stay in the independent charts for a while. The review in Sounds called it "an uncomfortable pop song, capturing in the same time an ominous tone in harness with a light snappy structure". Well indeed. It even gained its own tribute record - "I can't get 'Bouncing Babies' by The Teardrop Explodes" by The Freshies. I nearly bought this single in 1985 because it looked like what I expected the Zoo single to look like because in 1985 I couldn't get "Bouncing Babies" by the Teardrop Explodes, I had no idea what it looked like and this single in my hand said "Bouncing Babies"... There's even a tribute song to the Freshies song called "I can't get permission to put out 'I can't get 'Bouncing Babies' by the Teardrop Explodes"' by Colin's Godson, which is just another layer of meta. 

Anyway...

It was obvious that it would be included on their debut album and the rerecording on "Kilimanjaro" shows how a year's worth of performances have improved the song and the band. Now it starts with Cope belting out the opening line on his own before the band pound in, sounding more professional, slightly faster, tighter and more organised. Dwyer's tom toms hit hard in stereo, Balfe's organ plays the hook throughout the verses before moving aside for the chorus to highlight Finkler's almost funk-like guitar. Cope's vocal is subtly double tracked as the song progresses, emphasising the closing verse. It's a powerful performance by every member of the band and an album highlight. Even the end is tidier than the single version. This fully justifies why the singles were rerecorded for the album. 

"Bouncing Babies" was a hugely popular song in their live sets and was played on every tour, always receiving a good reception. Cope still plays it today in his live sets, it's an instant hit of adrenalin.