My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (album)
Encyclopedia
The album was recorded entirely with analogue
technology, before the advent of digital sequencing
and MIDI. The sampled voices were synchronized with the instrumental tracks via trial and error, a practice that was often frustrating, but which also produced several happy accidents.
Also according to Byrne's 2006 notes, neither he nor Eno had read Tutuola's novel before the album was recorded. Both were familiar with Tutuola's earlier The Palm-Wine Drinkard
(1952), but his My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was not easily obtained in the U.S. when the material was recorded. Even without reading the book, Eno and Byrne thought the title reflected their interest in African music, and also had an evocative, vaguely sinister quality that also referenced the voices sampled for the album: the vocalists were recorded sometimes several decades before being re-appropriated by Eno and Byrne, and the voices often seemed to take on unanticipated qualities when placed in the new context.
s. Under the Creative Commons License
, members of the public are able to download the multitracks, and use them for their own remixes.
The track "Qu'ran" was excluded from this release without comment. However, in an interview for Pitchfork Media
about the 2006 reissue, Byrne said:
While discussing the re-release in 2006, the two began collaborating again on a new project that became the album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
, which was independently released in 2008. Byrne toured
to promote his collaborations with Eno in 2008 and 2009, resulting in the release of the live EP
Everything That Happens Will Happen on This Tour – David Byrne on Tour: Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno featuring a performance of "Help Me Somebody" in 2008.
For the re-release, the new artwork was designed by Peter Buchanan-Smith, with booklet cover images and studio photography by Hugh Brown.
:
Side one
Side two
In the 1982 second edition, the track "Qu'ran"—which features samples of Qur'an
ic recital
—was removed at the request of the Islamic Council of Great Britain. In its place "Very, Very Hungry" (the B-side of "The Jezebel Spirit" 12" EP) was substituted. The first edition of the CD (1986) included both tracks, with "Very, Very Hungry" as a bonus track. Later editions (1990 and later) followed the revised LP track order without "Qu'ran."
Except as noted, the tracks are the same mix as originally released.
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
technology, before the advent of digital sequencing
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
and MIDI. The sampled voices were synchronized with the instrumental tracks via trial and error, a practice that was often frustrating, but which also produced several happy accidents.
Also according to Byrne's 2006 notes, neither he nor Eno had read Tutuola's novel before the album was recorded. Both were familiar with Tutuola's earlier The Palm-Wine Drinkard
The Palm-Wine Drinkard
The Palm-Wine Drinkard is often considered the seminal work of modern African literature. It gained Nigerian writer Amos Tutuola acclaim in the West and criticism at home...
(1952), but his My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was not easily obtained in the U.S. when the material was recorded. Even without reading the book, Eno and Byrne thought the title reflected their interest in African music, and also had an evocative, vaguely sinister quality that also referenced the voices sampled for the album: the vocalists were recorded sometimes several decades before being re-appropriated by Eno and Byrne, and the voices often seemed to take on unanticipated qualities when placed in the new context.
25th anniversary re-release
The album was reissued on March 27, 2006 in the UK and April 11, 2006 in the US, remastered and with seven extra tracks. To mark the reissue, two songs were made available to download online, consisting of the entire multitrackMultitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
s. Under the Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons licenses are several copyright licenses that allow the distribution of copyrighted works. The licenses differ by several combinations that condition the terms of distribution. They were initially released on December 16, 2002 by Creative Commons, a U.S...
, members of the public are able to download the multitracks, and use them for their own remixes.
The track "Qu'ran" was excluded from this release without comment. However, in an interview for Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
about the 2006 reissue, Byrne said:
While discussing the re-release in 2006, the two began collaborating again on a new project that became the album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is the second album made in collaboration between David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. The album explores themes of humanity versus technology and optimism in spite of bleak circumstance through the blending of electronic...
, which was independently released in 2008. Byrne toured
Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour
The Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour is a 2008–2009 promotional concert tour of music co-written by David Byrne and Brian Eno with performances by Byrne...
to promote his collaborations with Eno in 2008 and 2009, resulting in the release of the live EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Everything That Happens Will Happen on This Tour – David Byrne on Tour: Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno featuring a performance of "Help Me Somebody" in 2008.
Differences in mastering and mixing
The original songs were dynamically compressed to make them louder for the remaster. Other changes include:- "Mea Culpa" has 35 seconds of additional "I... uh..." stuttering and "mea culpa" speech at about 1:48, right before the synths begin to play the bell-like "melody." It also has about 35 more seconds of the instrumental bell-like synth line added at about 3:10, right before the reintroduction of the "mea culpa" speech. The original only has about 20 seconds of that melody before the speech returns.
- "Regiment" has about 15 seconds of extra rhythm before the singing begins, starting at about 0:41.
- "Moonlight in Glory" fades out 10 seconds later, which results in about 10 extra seconds of stuttering at the end of the song.
- The instrumental introduction to "The Carrier" has been extended by about 50 seconds and includes the addition of the central instrumental section of the original piece. An additional spoken vocal part, a voice speaking quickly in Arabic has been added to the central instrumental section.
- An additional 10 seconds has been added to the end of "Come with Us." Additional reverb and other treatment of the material has changed slightly. For example, at about 2:00, three percussion hits are heard. The remastered version uses backwards reverb to build up to the sound, whereas in the original the hits are clearly heard.
Packaging
Original package design was created by Peter Saville.For the re-release, the new artwork was designed by Peter Buchanan-Smith, with booklet cover images and studio photography by Hugh Brown.
Original LP (1981)
All tracks written by Eno/Byrne except as indicated. Notes below indicated the voices sampled, from the liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
:
Side one
- "America Is Waiting" (arr. Eno, Byrne, Bill LaswellBill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
, Tim Wright, David Van Tieghem) – 3:36- Unidentified indignant radio host (Ray TaliaferroRay TaliaferroRafael "Ray" Taliaferro is an American radio host and liberal political commentator. His early-morning talk show, simply called The Early Show, airs on KGO News Talk 810 in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Broadcast career:...
of KGO NEWSTALK AM 810KGO (AM)KGO is a news/talk-format radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area...
), San Francisco, April 1980.
- Unidentified indignant radio host (Ray Taliaferro
- "Mea Culpa" – 3:35
- Inflamed caller and smooth politician replying, both unidentified. Radio call-in show, New York, July 1979.
- "Regiment" (Eno, Byrne, Michael "Busta Cherry" Jones) – 3:56
- Dunya Yusin, Lebanese mountain singer. (from The Human Voice in the World of Islam, Tangent Records TGS131)
- "Help Me Somebody" – 4:18
- Reverend Paul Morton, broadcast sermon, New Orleans, June 1980.
- "The Jezebel Spirit" – 4:55
- Unidentified exorcistExorcistIn some religions an exorcist is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or other demons. A priest, a nun, a monk, a healer, a shaman or other specially prepared or instructed person can be an exorcist...
, New York, September 1980.
- Unidentified exorcist
Side two
- "Qu'ran" – 3:46
- Algerian Muslims chanting the Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. (same source as track 3)
- Algerian Muslims chanting the Qur'an
- "Moonlight in Glory" – 4:19
- The Moving Star Hall Singers, Sea Islands, Georgia. (From The Moving Star Hall Singers, FolkwaysFolkwaysFolkways can refer to:*Folkways —theory by the sociologist William Graham Sumner.*Folkways Records—a record label founded by Moe Asch....
FS 3841). Produced by Guy Carawan.
- The Moving Star Hall Singers, Sea Islands, Georgia. (From The Moving Star Hall Singers, Folkways
- "The Carrier" – 3:30
- Dunya Yusin. (same source as track 3)
- "A Secret Life" – 2:30
- Samira Tewfik, Egyptian popular singer. (from Les Plus Grandes Artistes du Monde Arabe, EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
)
- Samira Tewfik, Egyptian popular singer. (from Les Plus Grandes Artistes du Monde Arabe, EMI
- "Come with Us" – 2:38
- Unidentified radio evangelist, San Francisco, April 1980
- "Mountain of Needles" – 2:35
In the 1982 second edition, the track "Qu'ran"—which features samples of Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ic recital
Qira'at
In Islam, Qira'at, which means literally the readings, terminologically means the method of recitation. Traditionally, there are 10 recognised schools of qira'at, and each one derives its name from a famous reader of Qur'an recitation....
—was removed at the request of the Islamic Council of Great Britain. In its place "Very, Very Hungry" (the B-side of "The Jezebel Spirit" 12" EP) was substituted. The first edition of the CD (1986) included both tracks, with "Very, Very Hungry" as a bonus track. Later editions (1990 and later) followed the revised LP track order without "Qu'ran."
Ghosts
A widely-circulated bootleg of outtakes was released in 1992 as Klondyke Records KR 21. Sound quality is nearly equal to the original CD release.- "Interview" – 3:03 (excerpt from Brian's February 2, 1980 KPFA-FM interview, where he discusses recording the album)
- "Mea Culpa" – 4:56
- "Into the Spirit Womb" [sic](actual title as spoken on the track is "Into the Spirit World") – 6:07 ("The Jezebel Spirit" with the original Kathryn KuhlmanKathryn KuhlmanKathryn Johanna Kuhlman was an American faith healer and evangelist.-Early life:Kathryn Johanna Kuhlman was born in Concordia, Missouri, to German-American parents...
vocals, which her estate refused to license) - "Regiment" – 4:13
- "The Friends of Amos Tutuola" – 2:01 ("Two Against Three" in the official 2006 re-release)
- "America Is Waiting" – 3:42
- "The Carrier" – 4:22
- "Very Very Hungry" – 3:25
- "On the Way to ZagoraZagora, MoroccoZagora is a town in the valley of the Draa River in Souss-Massa-Draâ, southeastern Morocco. It is located at around . It is flanked by the mountain Zagora from which the town got its name. Originally it was called 'Tazagourt' the singular of plural 'Tizigirt' , Berber for 'twinpeaks', referring...
" – 2:43 ("Pitch to Voltage" in the official 2006 re-release) - "Les Hommes Ne Le Sauront Jamais" – 3:33 ("Number 8 Mix" in the official 2006 re-release)
- "A Secret Life" – 2:34
- "Come with Us" – 2:42
- "Mountain of Needles" – 2:31
Except as noted, the tracks are the same mix as originally released.
2006 re-release
Remastered, with bonus tracks- "America Is Waiting" – 3:38
- "Mea Culpa" – 4:57
- "Regiment" – 4:11
- "Help Me Somebody" – 4:17
- "The Jezebel Spirit" – 4:56
- "Very, Very Hungry" – 3:21
- "Moonlight in Glory" – 4:30
- "The Carrier" – 4:19
- "A Secret Life" – 2:31
- "Come with Us" – 2:42
- "Mountain of Needles" – 2:39
- "Pitch to Voltage" – 2:38
- "Two Against Three" – 1:55
- "Vocal Outtakes" – 0:36
- "New Feet" – 2:26
- "Defiant" – 3:41
- "Number 8 Mix" – 3:30
- "Solo Guitar with Tin Foil" – 3:00
Main
- David ByrneDavid ByrneDavid Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
and Brian 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,...
– 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...
s, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
s, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, 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 ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, found objects
Additional
- John Cooksey – drums on "Help Me Somebody" and "Qu'ran"
- Chris FrantzChris FrantzChris Frantz is an American musician and record producer. He was the drummer for both Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club.-Career:...
– drums on "Regiment" - Busta Jones – bass guitar on "Regiment"
- Dennis Keeley – bodhranBodhránThe bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
on "Mea Culpa" - Bill LaswellBill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
– bass guitar on "America Is Waiting" - Mingo Lewis – bata, sticksChapman StickThe Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
on "The Jezebel Spirit" and "The Carrier" - Prairie PrincePrairie PrincePrairie Prince is a rock drummer. He was a member of The Tubes and a founding member of Journey...
– can, bass drumBass drumBass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
on "The Jezebel Spirit" and "The Carrier" - Jose Rossy – congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s, agong-gongGongA gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
on "Moonlight in Glory" - Steve Scales – congas, metals on "Help Me Somebody"
- David van Tieghem – drums, percussion on "America Is Waiting" and "Regiment"
- Tim WrightTim Wright (bassist)Tim Wright is an American bassist. He was the original bassist with Pere Ubu, but left in 1978 to join Arto Lindsay in the no wave band DNA. He stayed with them until they split in 1982.- References :...
– click bass on "America Is Waiting" - Rooks on "Help Me Somebody" courtesy of April Potts, recorded at Eglingham HallEglingham HallEglingham Hall is a former mansion house and a Grade II* listed building situated at Eglingham, near Alnwick, Northumberland.The manor of Eglingham was acquired by Henry Ogle, a nephew of Robert, 1st Baron Ogle of Ogle in 1514...
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 1980 | Sire Sire Records Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a... |
LP | 6093 |
| CD | 60932 | |||
| 1981 | E'G | 48 | ||
| 1988 | Sire | 2-6093 | ||
| Cassette tape | M5S-6093 | |||
| 1990 | CD | 45374 | ||
| 1991 | LP | 6093 | ||
| Cassette tape | 45374 | |||
| 1999 | EMI EMI Records EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide... |
CD | 86473 | |
| 45374 | ||||
| 2006 | Nonesuch | 79894 |
Chart performance
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
29 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 8 |
| US Albums Chart Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
44 |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
| Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
62 |