My Nation Underground
Encyclopedia
My Nation Underground is the fourth solo album by Julian Cope
. It produced three singles including "Charlotte Anne" (which reached number 35 in the UK charts in September 1988).
The album's music is an extension of the more commercial side of Cope's songwriting, following on from the relative commercial and organisational success of its predecessor Saint Julian
. However, Cope himself has all but disowned My Nation Underground, considering it an artistic mis-step which failed to produce the music which he wanted (although he has also accepted responsibility for the failure). Critical consensus on the album generally supports this view.
. As Island Records
were expecting a new album, Cope enlisted his A&R man Ron Fair
as producer and began recording.
With the band dispersed, Skinner began to play drums, keyboards and harmonica in addition to guitar, while Cope continued to play guitar and keyboards. The other members of the core team were Fair on keyboards plus eccentric percussionist Rooster Cosby (who’d remain a close Cope associate). Other contributors included the Two-Car Garage Band bass guitarist James Eller (returning briefly - and sheepishly - as a session player), ABC
/The The
drummer David Palmer, revered double bass player Danny Thompson
and various session singers.
While the main influence on Saint Julian had been Detroit hard rock, by the time Cope came to record My Nation Underground he was favouring Funkadelic
as an influence. This had a demonstrable effect on the album’s title track as well as others such as "The Great White Hope". The album also reflected Cope’s longtime fascination with West Coast psychedelic bands like The 13th Floor Elevators and The Seeds
, although the album also featured the Walker Brothers
-styled ballad "China Doll". For the first time, Cope recorded cover versions: “5 O'Clock World" (originally a 1965 Vogues
song for which Cope reworked the lyrics and added the bridge of the Petula Clark
song "I Know a Place
") and a hard rocking version of the Shadows of Knight
song "Someone Like Me". Cope also co-wrote two songs with Skinner, "Easter Everywhere" and "I’m Not Losing Sleep". Lyrical subject matter included false gurus (the single "Charlotte Anne", punning on "charlatan"), domestic violence, and an apocalyptic re-imagining of the worldview of the serial killer Dennis Nilsen
.
My Nation Underground produced only one Top 40 single, "Charlotte Anne", which also met with modest American success by reaching the top of the Modern Rock Tracks
. Subsequent singles “5 O'Clock World" (a cover of a 1965 Vogues
song) and the orchestral pop ballad "China Doll" both charted considerably lower, disappointing Island Records and further discouraging Cope, who had not enjoyed making the record and did not believe that it represented him properly as an artist. Cope has repeatedly referred to it as his least-favourite among his albums, commenting that it was "just me figuring I ought to do another album and not feeling sure of what I wanted to do. That was a bad time. A bad album… "Charlotte Ann" is a good song, but one good song is not enough. Perhaps it was a coherent album, but it was nothing like what I had inside me. I couldn't put it out, I just could not get it out. If (anyone) think(s) it's even halfway decent then I'm pleased 'cause I was trying, blasting my mind apart."
Hugh Padgham
- mixing
Arrangements by Julian Cope/Donald Ross Skinner/Ron Fair
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
. It produced three singles including "Charlotte Anne" (which reached number 35 in the UK charts in September 1988).
The album's music is an extension of the more commercial side of Cope's songwriting, following on from the relative commercial and organisational success of its predecessor Saint Julian
Saint Julian (album)
Saint Julian is the third solo album by Julian Cope. It has a very strong pop sound, compared to other Cope releases, and spawned several of his best known tracks ....
. However, Cope himself has all but disowned My Nation Underground, considering it an artistic mis-step which failed to produce the music which he wanted (although he has also accepted responsibility for the failure). Critical consensus on the album generally supports this view.
Background
My Nation Underground was the follow-up to Cope’s relatively successful Saint Julian album of 1987, which had seen him move from raw psychedelic rock to a more streamlined and solid hard-rock approach built around the tight five-piece “Two-Car Garage” band. The band disintegrated after the Saint Julian promotional tour, leaving only Cope and his musical right-hand man, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Donald Ross SkinnerDonald Ross Skinner
Donald Skinner is a guitarist, songwriter and producer born in Edinburgh, UK primarily known for his work with Julian Cope. Skinner is commonly known by the name Donald Ross Skinner with the addition of the middle name of Ross attributed to him by Cope after Glenn Ross Campbell, the pedal steel...
. As Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
were expecting a new album, Cope enlisted his A&R man Ron Fair
Ron Fair
Ron Fair is a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several artists, but he is best known as a "guru/mentor", guiding the careers of unknown artists...
as producer and began recording.
With the band dispersed, Skinner began to play drums, keyboards and harmonica in addition to guitar, while Cope continued to play guitar and keyboards. The other members of the core team were Fair on keyboards plus eccentric percussionist Rooster Cosby (who’d remain a close Cope associate). Other contributors included the Two-Car Garage Band bass guitarist James Eller (returning briefly - and sheepishly - as a session player), ABC
ABC (band)
ABC are an English band, that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band continues to tour and released a new album, Traffic, in 2008.-Formation:...
/The The
The The
The The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...
drummer David Palmer, revered double bass player Danny Thompson
Danny Thompson
Daniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman...
and various session singers.
While the main influence on Saint Julian had been Detroit hard rock, by the time Cope came to record My Nation Underground he was favouring Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
as an influence. This had a demonstrable effect on the album’s title track as well as others such as "The Great White Hope". The album also reflected Cope’s longtime fascination with West Coast psychedelic bands like The 13th Floor Elevators and The Seeds
The Seeds
The Seeds were an American rock band. The group, whose repertoire spread between garage rock and acid rock, are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.-History:...
, although the album also featured the Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers were an American 1960s and 1970s pop group, comprising Scott Engel , John Walker , and Gary Leeds...
-styled ballad "China Doll". For the first time, Cope recorded cover versions: “5 O'Clock World" (originally a 1965 Vogues
The Vogues
The Vogues are an American vocal group from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The original group consisted of Bill Burkette , Don Miller , Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko .-Career:...
song for which Cope reworked the lyrics and added the bridge of the Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
song "I Know a Place
I Know a Place
"I Know a Place" is a song with music and lyrics by Tony Hatch. It was recorded in 1965 by Petula Clark at the Pye Studios in Marble Arch in a session which featured drummer Bobby Graham and the Breakaways vocal group....
") and a hard rocking version of the Shadows of Knight
Shadows of Knight
The Shadows of Knight are an American rock band from the Chicago suburbs, formed in the 1960s, who play a form of British blues mixed with influences from their native city. At the time they first started recording, the band's self-description was as follows: "The Stones, Animals and Yardbirds...
song "Someone Like Me". Cope also co-wrote two songs with Skinner, "Easter Everywhere" and "I’m Not Losing Sleep". Lyrical subject matter included false gurus (the single "Charlotte Anne", punning on "charlatan"), domestic violence, and an apocalyptic re-imagining of the worldview of the serial killer Dennis Nilsen
Dennis Nilsen
Dennis Andrew Nilsen also known as the Muswell Hill Murderer and the Kindly Killer is a British serial killer who lived in London....
.
My Nation Underground produced only one Top 40 single, "Charlotte Anne", which also met with modest American success by reaching the top of the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
. Subsequent singles “5 O'Clock World" (a cover of a 1965 Vogues
The Vogues
The Vogues are an American vocal group from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The original group consisted of Bill Burkette , Don Miller , Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko .-Career:...
song) and the orchestral pop ballad "China Doll" both charted considerably lower, disappointing Island Records and further discouraging Cope, who had not enjoyed making the record and did not believe that it represented him properly as an artist. Cope has repeatedly referred to it as his least-favourite among his albums, commenting that it was "just me figuring I ought to do another album and not feeling sure of what I wanted to do. That was a bad time. A bad album… "Charlotte Ann" is a good song, but one good song is not enough. Perhaps it was a coherent album, but it was nothing like what I had inside me. I couldn't put it out, I just could not get it out. If (anyone) think(s) it's even halfway decent then I'm pleased 'cause I was trying, blasting my mind apart."
Track listing
All tracks written by Julian Cope; except where indicated- "5 O'Clock WorldFive O'Clock World"Five O'Clock World" is the title of a song written by Allen Reynolds and recorded by American vocal group The Vogues. It reached #1 in Canada on the RPM singles chart on 10 January 1966 and peaked at #4 in the U.S...
" (Tony HatchTony HatchAnthony Peter "Tony" Hatch is an English composer, songwriter, pianist, music arranger and producer.-Early life and early career:...
, Allen ReynoldsAllen ReynoldsAllen Reynolds is an American record producer and songwriter who works primarily in the country music field.Reynolds was born in North Little Rock, Arkansas and started writing songs during his college years...
) - "Vegetation"
- "Charlotte AnneCharlotte Anne"Charlotte Anne" is a song by English singer Julian Cope released as the first single from his album My Nation Underground in 1988. The song was Cope's only chart-topping single on any U.S...
" - "My Nation Underground"
- "China Doll"
- "Someone Like Me" (Rich Novak, David MacDowell, Howard Pye)
- "Easter Everywhere" (Cope, Donald Ross SkinnerDonald Ross SkinnerDonald Skinner is a guitarist, songwriter and producer born in Edinburgh, UK primarily known for his work with Julian Cope. Skinner is commonly known by the name Donald Ross Skinner with the addition of the middle name of Ross attributed to him by Cope after Glenn Ross Campbell, the pedal steel...
) - "I'm Not Losing Sleep" (Cope, Donald Ross SkinnerDonald Ross SkinnerDonald Skinner is a guitarist, songwriter and producer born in Edinburgh, UK primarily known for his work with Julian Cope. Skinner is commonly known by the name Donald Ross Skinner with the addition of the middle name of Ross attributed to him by Cope after Glenn Ross Campbell, the pedal steel...
) - "The Great White Hoax"
Personnel
- Julian Cope - lead & backing vocals, keyboards, guitar (including "wailing guitar" on "5 O'Clock World"); (also performs pseudonymously as "Double DeHarrison" playing organ plus the Minimoog synthesizerMinimoogThe Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
wahWah-wah pedalA wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
-bass line on "The Great White Hope") - Donald Ross SkinnerDonald Ross SkinnerDonald Skinner is a guitarist, songwriter and producer born in Edinburgh, UK primarily known for his work with Julian Cope. Skinner is commonly known by the name Donald Ross Skinner with the addition of the middle name of Ross attributed to him by Cope after Glenn Ross Campbell, the pedal steel...
- electric guitar, Hohner ClavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Minimoog synthesizerMinimoogThe Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
bass, drums (including right-channel drums on "5 O'Clock World"), harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, tenor saxophone on "I'm Not Losing Sleep", backing vocals - Rooster Cosby - percussion, bongos on "Easter Everywhere"
- Ron FairRon FairRon Fair is a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several artists, but he is best known as a "guru/mentor", guiding the careers of unknown artists...
- vibraphone, piano, organ (including "5 O'Clock World"), string & brass arrangements & conducting, tuned percussion on "I'm Not Losing Sleep", - James Eller - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(on some tracks) - Danny ThompsonDanny ThompsonDaniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman...
- double bass on "China Doll" - David Palmer (credited as "Friendship Dave Palmer") - drums
- Richard Frost (credited as "Keith-Richard Frost ") - "raw and alive" (possibly a reference to Frost's role as live keyboard player in Cope's band)
- Carol KenyonCarol KenyonCarol Kenyon , is a British singer. She was born c. 1959.Although primarily known as a session vocalist on many albums and singles by a variety of prominent artists, as well as in many concerts, Kenyon has also released several singles as a solo artist...
, Tessa Nile (credited as "Tess of the Nile"), Paul Lee, Derek Green, Gladstone Cleaver, Michael Christ, Bobby Carr, Camilla DeHarrison - backing vocals
Hugh Padgham
Hugh Padgham
Hugh Padgham is a British record producer. He has won many awards, including four Grammys, with Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year. A 1992 poll in Mix magazine voted him one of the world's Top Ten Most Influential Producers....
- mixing
Arrangements by Julian Cope/Donald Ross Skinner/Ron Fair