List of The KLF's creative associates
Encyclopedia
The original music released by The KLF
, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords and 2K was written
, produced
and performed by Jimmy Cauty
and Bill Drummond
. However, the duo called upon the services of recurring contributors to provide vocals, instrumentation
and production support. This was particularly the case for the output of The KLF, who often referred to such contributors as "additional communicators" and, on some "Stadium House" singles, as "The Children of the Revolution".
releases reveal the following significant contributors:
(for "Justified and Ancient (Stand by The JAMs)
", Gary Glitter
(for "Doctorin' the Tardis") and Glenn Hughes (for "America: What Time Is Love?"). Drummond has expressed disgust at this notion in his book 45
. In a chapter written in 1998, Drummond professes to have "worshipped" Wynette's voice, yet he nevertheless says, "The whole British tradition of 'young' white artists dragging up some has-been legend to perform with is an evil and corrupt exchange; the young artist wanting to tap into the mythical status and credibility of the has-been, the has-been wanting some of that 'I'm still contemporary, relevant (and will do anything to get back into the charts)' stuff."
The KLF
The KLF were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords and 2K was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and performed by Jimmy Cauty
Jimmy Cauty
James Francis Cauty is a British artist and musician born in Liverpool, England, in 1956...
and Bill Drummond
Bill Drummond
William Ernest Drummond is a Scottish artist, musician, writer and record producer. He was the co-founder of late 1980s avant-garde pop group The KLF and its 1990s media-manipulating successor, the K Foundation, with which he burned a million pounds in 1994...
. However, the duo called upon the services of recurring contributors to provide vocals, instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
and production support. This was particularly the case for the output of The KLF, who often referred to such contributors as "additional communicators" and, on some "Stadium House" singles, as "The Children of the Revolution".
Additional communicators
The sleevenotes and labels of KLF CommunicationsKLF Communications
This discography lists the key British and notable international releases of The KLF and the other pseudonyms of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty. It also details the other releases on their independent record label, KLF Communications, by KLF-spinoff Disco 2000 and Space...
releases reveal the following significant contributors:
- Isaac Bello - Also known as Bello B, the member of Outlaw PosseOutlaw PosseOutlaw Posse was a British hip hop group formed by Bello B and K-Gee . They also recorded together as Outlaw and Brothers Like Outlaw, before the group finally split in 1992.-Biography:...
rapped on "What Time Is Love?What Time Is Love?"What Time Is Love?" is a song released, in different mixes, as a series of singles by the band The KLF. It featured prominently and repeatedly in their output from 1988 to 1992 and, under the moniker of 2K, in 1997...
(Live at Trancentral)" and "America: What Time Is Love?", and is credited with co-authorship of these tracks. - Black Steel - A prominent lead vocal contributor to The White RoomThe White RoomAllmusic said that The White Room "represents the commercial and artistic peak of late-'80s acid-house" and Q magazine called it "strikingly imaginative" and "a more subtle form of subterfuge" than previous works...
(including scat singingScat singingIn vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
), where he also played bass guitar and piano. Before and since his work with The KLF, Black Steel has worked with Mad ProfessorMad ProfessorMad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or...
. - Cressida Cauty - Vocalist with The KLF's spin-off project Disco 2000Disco 2000Disco 2000 was a British pop band, a side project of The KLF. Vocals were handled by Cressida Cauty and June Montana, also known as Mo...
, Jimmy Cauty's wife also contributed backing vocals to several of The KLF's singles and appeared in several of their videos. - Nick Coler - Credited for programming and keyboard contributions across The KLF's output, including the orchestral arrangement of JerusalemAnd did those feet in ancient time"And did those feet in ancient time" is a short poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Books. The date on the title page of 1804 for Milton is probably when the plates were begun, but the poem was printed c. 1808...
in "It's Grim Up NorthIt's Grim Up North"It's Grim Up North" was a 1991 single by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu , the main lyrics of which consist of a list of towns and cities in the North of England, set to a pounding industrial techno accompaniment reminiscent of steam whistles, all of which segues into an orchestral instrumental of...
". Since The KLF's retirement, Coler has worked with Saint EtienneSaint Etienne (band)Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
& Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
as a member XenomaniaXenomaniaXenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
. - Ricardo da ForceRicardo da ForceJervis Ricardo Alfonso Lyte known professionally as Ricardo da Force is an English male vocalist, most notable for contributing vocals to dance music tracks by artists The KLF on "3 a.m...
- Also known as Ricardo Lyte and MC Lyte, Da Force provided raps during The KLF's "Stadium House" phase. He is credited with co-authorship of tracks on which he rapped: "3 a.m. Eternal3 a.m. Eternal"3 a.m. Eternal" is a song by The KLF, numerous versions of which were released as singles between 1989 and 1992. In January 1991, an acid house pop version of the song became an international top ten hit single, hitting #1 in the UK Singles Chart and #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and leading to...
", "Last Train to TrancentralLast Train to Trancentral"Last Train to Trancentral" is a song released, in different mixes, as a series of singles by The KLF, including "Last Train to Trancentral ", a commercially successful single of April 1991 that reached # 2 in the UK Singles Chart and achieved international top ten placings...
" and "Justified and Ancient (Stand by The JAMs)Justified and Ancient"Justified & Ancient" is a song by British band The KLF which featured on their 1991 album The White Room but with origins dating back to the duo's debut album, 1987 ....
". Da Force later appeared on N-TranceN-TranceN-Trance are a British electronic music group, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, who were formed by Kevin O'Toole and Dale Longworth, in 1990. The group has sold over 5 million records worldwide and some of their hit singles include "Set You Free", "Forever", as well as covers of the popular 1970s...
's cover of "Stayin' AliveStayin' Alive"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...
". - Wanda Dee - Vocals/Hooks & Co-Writer/Co-Publisher on The KLF singles "What Time Is Love?" and "Last Train to Trancentral", taken from her self written track "To the Bone". To avoid a lawsuit from Dee's manager and husband Eric Floyd, she was given co-writing credits under her real name L'wanda McFarland for these tracks and featured in The KLF video The Stadium House Trilogy.
- Maxine Harvey - British born KLF female vocalist on The White Room projects and "Justified and Ancient (All Bound for Mu Mu Land)".
- Duy Khiem - Played tenor saxophone and clarinet, most prominently on "3 a.m. Eternal". Khiem was also responsible for the a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
traditional Vietnamese song "Me Ru Con" on 1987 (What the Fuck Is Going On?)1987 (What the Fuck Is Going On?)1987 is the debut album of The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu . 1987 was produced using extensive unauthorised samples which plagiarised a wide range of musical works, continuing a theme begun in The JAMs' debut single "All You Need Is Love"...
. - Graham LeeGraham Lee (Australian musician)Graham Lee is an Australian rock musician and record producer, best known as the steel guitar player of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he was nicknamed 'Evil Graham Lee'....
- Contributed pedal steel to Drummond's solo album The Man, and The KLF's Chill OutChill outChill out may mean:*Chill out music, a laid-back style of music*Chill Out, an album by KLF*Chill Out *Chill Out, an album by John Lee Hooker...
and The White Room. - June Montana - Vocalist with Disco 2000Disco 2000Disco 2000 was a British pop band, a side project of The KLF. Vocals were handled by Cressida Cauty and June Montana, also known as Mo...
. - Scott PieringScott PieringScott Piering was a successful and influential American-born music publicist for many British music acts, including Pulp, The KLF, The Smiths, Stereophonics, The Orb, Placebo, Underworld and The Prodigy...
- A well-respected record promoter by trade, Drummond and Cauty claim in The ManualThe ManualThe Manual is a 1988 book by The Timelords , better known as The KLF. It is a tongue-in-cheek step by step guide to achieving a No.1 single with no money or musical skills, and a case study of the duo's UK novelty pop No...
that Piering's involvement in the promotion of "Doctorin' the Tardis" was crucial to its UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
success. Piering also lent his voice to several narrations in The KLF's recordings, including many of the profitable singles and the video The Rites of Mu. - Mark "Spike" Stent - The music producer cites his work with The KLF on their most commercially successful recordings as the key to his subsequent rise to prominence.
- Tony ThorpeTony ThorpeAnthony "Tony" Thorpe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Thurmaston Town. As a professional he notably played for Luton Town, Bristol City and Queens Park Rangers. He also played in the Football League for Reading, Rotherham United, Swindon Town, Colchester United and Grimsby Town...
- The Moody BoysThe Moody BoysThe Moody Boys was a UK house music production and remix outfit active since 1988 , consisting of Tony Thorpe and, until 1992, Jimmy Cauty.-History:...
' Thorpe was credited for rhythms, samples and breaksBreak (music)In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
during The White Room project. The Moody Boys were also responsible for remixRemixA 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 ....
12"s12-inch singleThe 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
of the "Stadium House Trilogy" singles.
Guest contributors
Whereas The JAMs' earlier work sampled prominently and illegally from the popular works of established artists, The KLF's international reputation allowed their later releases to feature guest vocals from such established performers as Tammy WynetteTammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
(for "Justified and Ancient (Stand by The JAMs)
Justified and Ancient
"Justified & Ancient" is a song by British band The KLF which featured on their 1991 album The White Room but with origins dating back to the duo's debut album, 1987 ....
", Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
(for "Doctorin' the Tardis") and Glenn Hughes (for "America: What Time Is Love?"). Drummond has expressed disgust at this notion in his book 45
45 (book)
45 is a non-fiction book by Bill Drummond, referred to by The Guardian as a "charmingly barking [mad] memoir". It collects various short stories written by Drummond between 1997 and 1998.-Content:* Forty-Five Today* The Winner Takes It All...
. In a chapter written in 1998, Drummond professes to have "worshipped" Wynette's voice, yet he nevertheless says, "The whole British tradition of 'young' white artists dragging up some has-been legend to perform with is an evil and corrupt exchange; the young artist wanting to tap into the mythical status and credibility of the has-been, the has-been wanting some of that 'I'm still contemporary, relevant (and will do anything to get back into the charts)' stuff."
Other creative associates
- Bill Butt - Director of The KLF's unreleased road movie The White Room.
- Jeremy DellerJeremy DellerJeremy Deller is an English conceptual, video and installation artist. He is a Turner Prize winner.Deller is best-known for his Battle of Orgreave , a reenactment of the actual Battle of Orgreave which occurred during the UK miners' strike in 1984.-Life and work:Jeremy Deller was born in London,...
- Deller's Acid BrassAcid BrassAcid Brass was a musical collaboration between Turner-Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller and the Williams Fairey Brass Band. The project was based on fusing the music of a traditional brass band with acid house and Detroit techno....
project, featuring the Williams Fairey BandAcid BrassAcid Brass was a musical collaboration between Turner-Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller and the Williams Fairey Brass Band. The project was based on fusing the music of a traditional brass band with acid house and Detroit techno....
, provided inspiration for Drummond and Cauty's 1997 "Fuck the MillenniumFuck the Millennium"Fuck the Millennium" or "***K the Millennium" is an electronic protest song that was released as a single in 1997 by 2K...
" project, under the pseudonym 2K; a performance by 2K was billed as "Jeremy Deller presents 2K", as was the subsequent single release. - Echo & the BunnymenEcho & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
- The band (for whom Drummond had once been manager) are credited with a remix of "What Time Is Love?" on the single "What Time Is Love? (Remodelled & Remixed)". - Extreme Noise TerrorExtreme Noise TerrorExtreme Noise Terror are a British crust punk / grindcore band originally formed in Ipswich, England in 1985. The band are widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands, and particularly the forefathers of the crustgrind subgenre.Notable for one of the...
(ENT) - British grindcoreGrindcoreGrindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band with whom The KLF collaborated for a version of "3 a.m. Eternal" and the unreleased album The Black RoomThe Black RoomThe Black Room is a never-released LP by The KLF/The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, originally intended to be a complement to their earlier LP The White Room.-History:...
. - Miomir Grujic (DJ Fleka) - Radio DJ on Serbian station B92B92B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
, DJ Fleka contributed a vocal sample to Drummond and Cauty's track "The Magnificent" (donated by the duo to The Help AlbumThe Help AlbumThe Help Album is a 1995 charity album devoted to the War Child charity's aid efforts in war-stricken areas, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina...
of 1995). - Alan Goodrick - Also known as "Gimpo", Goodrick is a friend and associate of Drummond and Cauty. He has made several films used by the duo in their artistic and musical work. He also contributed vocals to "Fuck the Millennium" and, for Cauty's later project BlacksmokeBlacksmokeBlacksmoke a.k.a. The Blacksmoke Organisation are "an occasional art collective and musical group dedicated to the propagation of audio visual noise". The precise creative membership of Blacksmoke is a closely guarded secret. It is documented that a founding member is The KLF co-founder Jimmy Cauty...
, "Gimpo Gimpo". - Mark Manning - Also known as "Zodiac Mindwarp" or "Z" from The Love Reaction, Manning contributed vocals to "Fuck the Millennium" and has since accompanied Drummond on expeditions documented in their books Bad Wisdom and Wild Highway.
- Alex PatersonAlex PatersonAlex Paterson is an English musician and co-founder of the ambient group The Orb, in which he has worked since its inception....
- Cauty's co-founder of The OrbThe OrbThroughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
, Paterson was influential in the development both of The KLF album Chill OutChill outChill out may mean:*Chill out music, a laid-back style of music*Chill Out, an album by KLF*Chill Out *Chill Out, an album by John Lee Hooker...
and the SpaceSpaceSpace is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
album released by KLF Communications. Chill Out was derived in part from Paterson and Cauty's DJ sessions at the monthly London club night "Land of OzLand of OzOz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
", and Paterson is thanked on the sleeve. Cauty left The Orb in 1990, following Paterson's concern that The Orb should not be perceived as a side-project of The KLF. Paterson retained and developed 'The Orb' name, while Cauty took recordings originally intended for The Orb's debut album, removed Paterson's contributions and released Space under the pseudonym 'Space'. Prior to the split, The Orb produced an ambient remix of "3 a.m. Eternal" entitled "The Blue Danube Orbital".