Jean the Birdman
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| "Jean the Birdman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by David Sylvian & Robert Fripp | ||||
| from the album The First Day | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | August 23, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | December 1992–March 1993 | |||
| Genre | Art rock | |||
| Length | 4:12 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Trey Gunn, Robert Fripp, David Sylvian | |||
| Producer(s) | David Bottrill, David Sylvian | |||
| David Sylvian singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Jean the Birdman" on YouTube | ||||
"Jean the Birdman" is a collaboration between Robert Fripp and David Sylvian, co-written by Trey Gunn. The dreamlike music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh a year before he became famous for his work on Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun".
The single was released as two separate CDs, each including exclusive bonus tracks.[1][2][3]
The Exclusive B-sides[edit]
"Earthbound (Starblind)" was co-written by Fripp and Sylvian, and was effectively in two parts, Sylvian singing a melodic verse and chorus over a simple acoustic guitar, which then gave way to a 6 minute Fripp soundscape of guitar and Frippertronics.
"Endgame" was a simple piece, again dominated by Sylvian's verse chorus vocal over a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. Sylvian explained: "These pieces were written after the completion of the Rain Tree Crow project. Lyrically, there is still this connection with that early material. I guess I hadn't worked the themes out of system entirely with Rain Tree Crow."[4]
On "Tallow Moon" Sylvian spoke the lyrics of a poem. The lyrics are taken from "Lettre Au Directeur Des Messageries Maritimes", released on Hector Zazou's album Sahara Blue. "Dark Water" was a ambient soundscape by Fripp.[5]
Track listing[edit]
Part 1[edit]
- "Jean the Birdman" (Fripp, Trey Gunn, Sylvian) - 4:12
- "Earthbound (Starblind)" (Fripp, Sylvian) - 10:14
- "Endgame" (Sylvian) - 2:22
Part 2[edit]
- "Jean the Birdman" (Fripp, Gunn, Sylvian) - 4:12
- "Gone to Earth" (Fripp, Sylvian) - 3:04
- "Tallow Moon" (Sylvian) - 5:44
- "Dark Water" (Fripp) - 6:45
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[6] | 68 |
Release history[edit]
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1993 | Virgin | CD | VSC 1462 |
References[edit]
- ^ "discogs". Discogs. 2021-08-01.
- ^ "discogs". Discogs. 2021-08-01.
- ^ "davidsylvian.net". 2021-08-01.
- ^ E Young, Christopher (2013). On the Periphery. Burning Shed. p. 168.
- ^ Young, Christopher E (2013). On the Periphery. Malin Publishing Ltd.
- ^ "David Sylvian and Robert Fripp: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
