Kirkby Workers Dreams Fade


Version One - Zoo Records CAGE 003 - recorded 1st December 1978, released 4th February 1979

Julian Cope - bass
Paul Simpson - organ
Mick Finkler - guitar
Gary Dwyer - drums

Written by The Teardrop Explodes


This is probably going to be the shortest entry on this blog as quite frankly there's not much to say about this song. It's an instrumental, four descending organ notes, a complementary guitar lick, a bass riff and occasional cymbal hits to keep time. It's sort of ominous. It passes by in two minutes and that's about it really.

In "Head On", Julian Cope has little to say about this song. They had recorded three songs - "Sleeping Gas", "Camera Camera" and "Seeing through you", but weren't that happy with the third song so recorded "one of Simmo's dreary instrumentals" quickly to finish the session and the EP. Awash in light reverb, the instrumental sets its theme, repeats it then fades out slowly. I suppose it allows the single to become an EP. 

Kirkby incidentally is a relatively posh town in the Knowsley area of Merseyside, and while there is also West Kirby on the Wirral it's definitely not about the character in the video game. (Yeah, I messed up and got the song title wrong, sorry)

UPDATE - Huge thanks to Paul Gigsy on Twitter who tells me '“ Kirkby Workers Dream Fades” was a headline in the Liverpool Echo in 1978! after workers cooperative factory KME ( Kirkby Manufacturing and Engineering) couldn’t carry on trading as the late 70s recession started to bite - my mates dad worked there"' 

Thank you Paul!





Comments

  1. deedruunbdgaJune 8, 2023 at 5:00 PM

    For my mates, instrumentals always seemed a copout. Not for me tho, at that time, as a big Eno, Bowie fan. They played with Human League live didn't they in a couple of gigs? So, judging by that and German music, an instrumental wasn't anathema. Moody!

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