Ege Bamyasi
Encyclopedia
Ege Bamyası is the fourth studio album
by the German
experimental rock
band Can
which was originally released as an LP
in 1972 by United Artists
. The album contains the single "Spoon", which charted in the Top 10 in Germany
, largely because of its use as the theme of a German TV thriller series called "Das Messer" (The Knife). The success of the single allowed Can to move to a better studio in which they recorded Ege Bamyası. Ege Bamyası was remastered as a hybrid SACD
in 2004 which includes a booklet with commentary on the album by former Melody Maker
journalist David Stubbs
, as well as previously unreleased photos of the band.
The cover artwork, in addition to being a pun
on the band's name (as it depicts a can labeled "CAN"), reflects several of the band members' continued interest in world music
; "Ege Bamyası" means "Aegean Okra
" in Turkish
. The album has received much critical acclaim since its release and has been cited as an influence by various artists. There have been attempts by several artists to play cover version
s of songs from Ege Bamyası. Remix
versions of several tracks by various artists are included on the album Sacrilege
.
Ege Bamyası was recorded by Czukay in the Inner Space studio at Weilerswist, a town near Cologne. It was originally released in 1972 by United Artists
. In September 2004, the album, along with the majority of Can's discography, was remastered and released as a hybrid SACD
. The re-release includes a booklet with commentary on the album by David Stubbs
, as well as previously unreleased photos of the band.
Various artists have cited Ege Bamyası as an influence. Stephen Malkmus
of Pavement
has been quoted as saying "I played Can's Ege Bamyası album every night before I went to sleep for about three years." Thurston Moore
of Sonic Youth
recalls, "I found Ege Bamyası in the 49-cent bin at Woolworth's
. I didn’t see anything written about Can, I didn’t know anything about them except this okra
can on the cover, which seemed completely bizarre. I finally picked that record up, and I completely wore it out. It was so alluring. Something about it made Can seem to be playing outside of rock 'n' roll. It was unlike anything else I was hearing at the time."
There have been cover version
s of songs from Ege Bamyası by various artists. "I'm So Green" was covered by Beck
and was submitted for a planned Can tribute album produced by the Dust Brothers
.
Kanye West
sampled from "Sing Swan Song" for his song "Drunk and Hot Girls" on the album Graduation
.
Remix versions of several Ege Bamyası songs are included on the album Sacrilege
.
Minneapolis based hip hop artist I Self Devine sampled from "Vitamin C" for the song "Overthrow" on his 2005 release, "Self Destruction". Kleptones have incorporated "Vitamin C" into their mix Hectic City 7 – May Daze.http://www.kleptones.com/blog/2008/05/28/hectic-city-7-may-daze/ "Vitamin C" can also be heard in Pedro Almodóvar's
movie Broken Embraces. Joe Frank
used "One More Night" as the score for "The Road To Calvary" from Somewhere Out There.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
band Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
which was originally released as an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 1972 by United Artists
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
. The album contains the single "Spoon", which charted in the Top 10 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, largely because of its use as the theme of a German TV thriller series called "Das Messer" (The Knife). The success of the single allowed Can to move to a better studio in which they recorded Ege Bamyası. Ege Bamyası was remastered as a hybrid SACD
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
in 2004 which includes a booklet with commentary on the album by former Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
journalist David Stubbs
David Stubbs
David Stubbs is a British journalist. He was born on 13 September 1962 in London, but grew up in Leeds. As a student at Oxford University he was a close friend of Simon Reynolds; together they worked on an influential fanzine called Monitor before joining Melody Maker in 1986...
, as well as previously unreleased photos of the band.
The cover artwork, in addition to being a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the band's name (as it depicts a can labeled "CAN"), reflects several of the band members' continued interest in world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
; "Ege Bamyası" means "Aegean Okra
Okra
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...
" in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
. The album has received much critical acclaim since its release and has been cited as an influence by various artists. There have been attempts by several artists to play cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of songs from Ege Bamyası. Remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
versions of several tracks by various artists are included on the album Sacrilege
Sacrilege (album)
Sacrilege is a double remix album by the band Can, released in 1997. It features remixes of many of the band's most well-known songs from the 1960s and 70s, remixed by contemporary recording artists.-Track listing:# "PNOOM" – 0:56...
.
Production
With the commercial success of their hit single "Spoon" (which reached #6 on the German charts and sold 300,000 copies), Can were able to hire a large ex-cinema which they used as a part-working, part-living space. However, things nearly didn't work out as guitarist Michael Karoli recalled that the sessions were "frustrated by keyboardist Irmin Schmidt and vocalist Damo Suzuki's playing chess obsessively day in, day out" and that "completing recording became a frantic process, with some tracks having to be recorded practically in real time and the single "Spoon" added to make up for a shortfall in material."Ege Bamyası was recorded by Czukay in the Inner Space studio at Weilerswist, a town near Cologne. It was originally released in 1972 by United Artists
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
. In September 2004, the album, along with the majority of Can's discography, was remastered and released as a hybrid SACD
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
. The re-release includes a booklet with commentary on the album by David Stubbs
David Stubbs
David Stubbs is a British journalist. He was born on 13 September 1962 in London, but grew up in Leeds. As a student at Oxford University he was a close friend of Simon Reynolds; together they worked on an influential fanzine called Monitor before joining Melody Maker in 1986...
, as well as previously unreleased photos of the band.
Reception and influence
Ege Bamyasi has received considerable critical acclaim since its release. British music weekly Melody Maker wrote: "Can are without doubt the most talented and most consistent experimental rock band in Europe, England included." The success of the song "Spoon" and sales from this album inspired Can to make a free concert in an attempt to reach a wider audience. The Can Free Concert was filmed by Martin Schäfer, Robbie Müller and Egon Mann for director Peter Przygodda at the Cologne Sporthalle on 3 February 1972 and is included on the Can DVD.Various artists have cited Ege Bamyası as an influence. Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Joseph Malkmus is an indie rock musician and icon, and a member of the band Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks.-Early years:...
of Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
has been quoted as saying "I played Can's Ege Bamyası album every night before I went to sleep for about three years." Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
recalls, "I found Ege Bamyası in the 49-cent bin at Woolworth's
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
. I didn’t see anything written about Can, I didn’t know anything about them except this okra
Okra
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...
can on the cover, which seemed completely bizarre. I finally picked that record up, and I completely wore it out. It was so alluring. Something about it made Can seem to be playing outside of rock 'n' roll. It was unlike anything else I was hearing at the time."
There have been cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of songs from Ege Bamyası by various artists. "I'm So Green" was covered by Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
and was submitted for a planned Can tribute album produced by the Dust Brothers
Dust Brothers
The Dust Brothers are the Los Angeles, California based, Grammy Award winning producers, E.Z. Mike and King Gizmo , famous for their sample-based music in the 1980s and 1990s, and specifically for their work on the albums Paul's Boutique by the Beastie Boys, Odelay by Beck, and the soundtrack to...
.
Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
sampled from "Sing Swan Song" for his song "Drunk and Hot Girls" on the album Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
.
Remix versions of several Ege Bamyası songs are included on the album Sacrilege
Sacrilege (album)
Sacrilege is a double remix album by the band Can, released in 1997. It features remixes of many of the band's most well-known songs from the 1960s and 70s, remixed by contemporary recording artists.-Track listing:# "PNOOM" – 0:56...
.
Minneapolis based hip hop artist I Self Devine sampled from "Vitamin C" for the song "Overthrow" on his 2005 release, "Self Destruction". Kleptones have incorporated "Vitamin C" into their mix Hectic City 7 – May Daze.http://www.kleptones.com/blog/2008/05/28/hectic-city-7-may-daze/ "Vitamin C" can also be heard in Pedro Almodóvar's
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
movie Broken Embraces. Joe Frank
Joe Frank
Joe Frank is an American radio personality, known best for his often philosophical, humorous, surrealist, and sometimes absurd monologues and radio dramas.-Early life:...
used "One More Night" as the score for "The Road To Calvary" from Somewhere Out There.
Track listing
Personnel
- Holger CzukayHolger CzukayHolger Czukay is a German musician, probably best known as a co-founder of the krautrock group Can. Described by critic Jason Ankeny as "successfully bridg[ing] the gap between pop and the avant-garde," Czukay is also notable for creating early important examples of ambient music, for exploring...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, engineering, editing - Michael KaroliMichael KaroliMichael Karoli was a German guitarist, violinist and composer. He was a founding member of the influential krautrock band Can....
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Jaki LiebezeitJaki LiebezeitJaki Liebezeit is a drummer probably best known as a founding member of Can who has been called "one of the few drummers to convincingly meld the funky and the cerebral"....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Irmin SchmidtIrmin SchmidtIrmin Schmidt is a German keyboard player and composer, probably best known as a founding member of the band Can.-Biography:...
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s - Damo SuzukiDamo Suzuki, universally known as Damo Suzuki , is a singer best known for his membership in the German krautrock group Can.-Biography:As a teenager, Suzuki spent the late 1960s wandering around Europe, often busking....
– vocals
Production
- Ingo Trauer – original artwork
- Richard J. Rudow – original design
- Andreas Torkler – design (2004 rerelease)