Thief Of Baghdad
Julian Cope - bass, vocals
David Balfe - keyboards
Mick Finkler - guitar
Gary Dwyer - drums
Version two - "Kilimanjaro" album (original issue and second "Zebra cover" issue), recorded Spring 1980 released October 1980.
Julian Cope - vocals, bass
David Balfe - keyboards
Mick Finkler - guitar
Gary Dwyer - drums
Hurricane Smith, Ray Martinez - Trumpets
Written by Cope / Dwyer / Finkler
Following the leap forward in style and content that was "Treason" in the Autumn of 1979 the next batch of new Teardrop Explodes songs built on the ideas explored in that single. The three songs recorded for the second Peel session in April 1980 showed more progression in a number of directions. The era of songs based around four note riffs was definitely over.
"Thief of Baghdad" doesn't appear to have anything in common with either the 1940 or 1961 films of the same name. Certainly there's no genies, magic carpets or blue roses involved in this song. When the song was introduced to the set list in late 1979, Cope would introduce the song as being "About two people meeting in a strange place and this is what happens" which seems a fair enough description. The lyrics are intriguing - it's not quite a love song, and it's not quite a travelogue, and there's a general air of mystery around the words. Nothing is made clear, but the images are hugely arresting - the "you" is never identified as male or female, though the line "I know it's not love, it's agreed" may indicate the latter. The thief breaks into Cope's room and his life, steals something vital, he sees stars, he sees the other in his dreams, he climbs a hill all day only to return and find the other had thought - and this is such an evocative phrase - he'd "gone out to play". So is this some childish game? Yes, nothing is clarified, but by golly it makes an impression. There's a childlike innocence around the words, in the manner of so much British psychedelia - toytown psych with a hint of danger.
The music lives up to the lyrics too - the opening is a keyboard heavy riff (lots of big wide 7th chords) with an off-centre rhythm pattern, before the verses settles into a light groove, Dwyer's rim shots allow room for Balfe's little keyboard fills and Finkler's gently strummed guitar chords before the fuller chorus with more string synth chords and guitar arpeggios. There's even a middle eight to bring more variety, some great drum fills out of this section too. It's a varied and entertaining performance from every member of the band, but it's Balfe's performance which make the song - his varied and inventive synth work are outstanding.
The first recorded version was for the band's second Peel session in April 1980 and just about everything is in place at this point - the lyrics, the arrangement, the fills and bridges - it just sounds recorded quickly which is fair enough. It was given a little more care and attention during the album recording sessions at Rockfield and Finkler's guitar part wasn't wiped or amended by Gill during the summer sessions for "Kilimanjaro" - I'd guess the vocals were rerecorded (there's some nice double tracked vocals on the choruses plus some harmonies on the middle eight) and there's a very brief trumpet fanfare at the very end of the song.
I've got to admit this has always been one of my favourite songs on "Kilimanjaro" - after the full on frenzy of "Bouncing Babies" and "Books" this brings a nice sense of dynamics to the album. There's little moments throughout the song - Balfe's alternately oriental or Arabic keyboard fills after each chorus, that solitary piano note at the end of the third chorus before it repeats, Dwyer's constantly inventive drumming, Cope's perfectly judged bass playing... I think this is a real fan favourite and a great deep cut. It was kept in the band's live set from 1979 up to the end of the British summer tour of 1981, but rarely played after that. By the time of the post Club Zoo lineup which toured in the early months of 1982 they had a wider range of material to choose from and it was only played once or twice in the band's final year. There's a few spirited versions around on bootlegs from 1981 which are well worth seeking out as it's a song which worked well live. A deep cut which is worth digging out then.
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