If There Is Something
Encyclopedia
"If There Is Something" is a song by Bryan Ferry
, recorded by his band Roxy Music
for their eponymous debut album. A live version can be found on their Viva! live-album.
The song begins in a rather light-hearted, jaunty fashion, a slight pastiche of country music, with honky tonk
style piano and twangy guitar. Ferry's singing is nonchalant and jocular.
However the mood of the song builds with a repeated instrumental motif played between guitar and saxophone, Ferry's vocals re-entering to provide a fraught vocal climax, the lyrics including a mention of passion for potatoes.
The instrumental motifs then return, finally giving way to an emotional end section where Ferry's impassioned and melancholy vocals are set on top of a lush blend of backing vocals and the mellotron "three violins" tape set.
It has been said that the first part of the song is a youth wondering about love, the second part adults in the heat of passion
and the third part the singer in old age thinking about their past love.
The song features in the 2008 film starring Daniel Craig entitled "Flashbacks of a Fool
" - where a young Joe Scott and Ruth Davies dance in Ruth's living room to it; Joe dressed as Bryan Ferry.
on 27 or 28 October 1974 was used for the 1976 Live album Viva!.
After 1975 however, the song was no longer played until the Roxy Music Reunion tour in 2001.
On the Roxy Music
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
, recorded by his band Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
for their eponymous debut album. A live version can be found on their Viva! live-album.
The song begins in a rather light-hearted, jaunty fashion, a slight pastiche of country music, with honky tonk
Honky tonk
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
style piano and twangy guitar. Ferry's singing is nonchalant and jocular.
However the mood of the song builds with a repeated instrumental motif played between guitar and saxophone, Ferry's vocals re-entering to provide a fraught vocal climax, the lyrics including a mention of passion for potatoes.
The instrumental motifs then return, finally giving way to an emotional end section where Ferry's impassioned and melancholy vocals are set on top of a lush blend of backing vocals and the mellotron "three violins" tape set.
It has been said that the first part of the song is a youth wondering about love, the second part adults in the heat of passion
and the third part the singer in old age thinking about their past love.
The song features in the 2008 film starring Daniel Craig entitled "Flashbacks of a Fool
Flashbacks of a Fool
Flashbacks of a Fool is a 2008 British drama film about a Hollywood actor who, following the death of his childhood best friend, reflects upon his life and what might have been, had he stayed in England...
" - where a young Joe Scott and Ruth Davies dance in Ruth's living room to it; Joe dressed as Bryan Ferry.
Live performances
The song was played on all the early Roxy Music tours and the instrumental passages were extended greatly, increasing the length of the song from 6:34 to sometimes over 12 minutes. On 18 February 1972, the BBC sessions aired a performance of over 11 minutes. During the Country Life tour the song was also performed, and the performance at Newcastle City HallNewcastle City Hall
Newcastle City Hall is a concert hall, located in Newcastle upon Tyne which has hosted many popular music and classical artists throughout the years, as well as standup and comedy acts. Opened in 1927, the City Hall was built as a part of a development which also included the adjacent City Pool...
on 27 or 28 October 1974 was used for the 1976 Live album Viva!.
After 1975 however, the song was no longer played until the Roxy Music Reunion tour in 2001.
On the Roxy MusicRoxy Music (album)Roxy Music is the debut album by art rock band Roxy Music, released in June 1972. It was generally well-received by contemporary critics and made #10 in the UK charts.-Style and themes:...
album-version
- Andy MacKayAndy MackayAndrew "Andy" Mackay is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founder member of the art-rock group Roxy Music....
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, backing vocals - Bryan FerryBryan FerryBryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
– Vocals, Piano, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music... - EnoBrian EnoBrian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
– EMS VCS 3 synth, backing vocals - Graham Simpson – Bass Guitar.
- Paul ThompsonPaul Thompson (musician)Paul Thompson is the drummer for Roxy Music from 1971 to 1980 and from 2001 onwards.In between those stints with Roxy Music, he was drummer in the Oi! band, Angelic Upstarts and the American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde...
– Drums - Phil ManzaneraPhil ManzaneraPhil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
– Guitar
On the Viva! live-version
- Andy MacKayAndy MackayAndrew "Andy" Mackay is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founder member of the art-rock group Roxy Music....
– Saxophone And Oboe - Bryan FerryBryan FerryBryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
– Vocals And Keyboards - Eddie JobsonEddie JobsonEdwin "Eddie" Jobson is an English keyboardist and violinist noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K., and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zappa's band in 1976-77...
– Strings, Synthesizer and Keyboards - John WettonJohn WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
– Bass - Paul ThompsonPaul Thompson (musician)Paul Thompson is the drummer for Roxy Music from 1971 to 1980 and from 2001 onwards.In between those stints with Roxy Music, he was drummer in the Oi! band, Angelic Upstarts and the American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde...
– Drums - Phil ManzaneraPhil ManzaneraPhil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
– Guitar
Cover versions
- Tin MachineTin MachineTin Machine was a hard rock band formed in 1988, famous for being fronted by singer David Bowie. The group recorded two studio albums before dissolving in 1992, when Bowie returned to his solo career...
covered the song on their Tin Machine IITin Machine IITin Machine II is an album by Tin Machine, originally released by Victory Music in 1991.-Recording:The band reconvened following their 1989 tour, recording most of the album before taking a rest while David Bowie conducted his solo Sound+Vision Tour and filmed The Linguini Incident...
album in 1991. They also recorded a live version for their 1992 album Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, BabyTin Machine Live: Oy Vey, BabyTin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby is a live album by Tin Machine originally released by London Records in 1992. It was to be the group's last release, and was recorded on the 1991–1992 It's My Life Tour. The title, suggested by Hunt Sales, was intended as a play on U2's album Achtung Baby.The album...
.