Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) was a collective of performing musicians created by classically trained British guitarist, composer and arranger Simon Jeffes
. Jeffes and cellist co-founder Helen Liebmann
were core members throughout its life and a number of other musicians joined as the band grew and developed, many of whom appear on the PCO's six studio albums.
The PCO toured extensively during the 1980s and 1990s, and two albums, "When in Rome" (1988) and "Concert Program" (1995) captured the sound of the live ensemble. The Penguin's sound is not easily categorized, but has elements of exuberant folk music
and a minimalist aesthetic occasionally reminiscent of composers such as Philip Glass
. The Penguin Cafe Orchestra recorded and performed for 24 years until Jeffes died of a brain tumour in 1997.
Describing how the idea of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra came to him, Jeffes said:
The first album, Music From The Penguin Cafe
, was released in 1976 on Brian Eno
's experimental Obscure Records
label, an offshoot of the EG
label; a collection of pieces recorded in the years 1974-1976, it was followed in 1981 by Penguin Cafe Orchestra
, after which the band settled into a more regular release schedule.
The band played its first major concert on 10 October 1976, supporting Kraftwerk
at The Roundhouse
. The PCO went on to tour the world and play at a variety of music festivals as well as residencies on the South Bank
in London. Between 1976 and 1996 they played in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and throughout Europe and the UK. In March 1987 the group was the subject of an episode of the ITV
arts series The South Bank Show
, on which they performed "Air", "Bean Fields", "Dirt" and "Giles Farnaby's Dream".
There were a number of incarnations of the live band. Original members Gavyn Wright and Steve Nye left in 1984 and 1988 respectively. Bob Loveday replaced Gavyn Wright on violin. Gradually a regular line-up evolved around Simon Jeffes and Helen Liebman: Neil Rennie, who joined in 1975 on ukulele; Geoffrey Richardson, who had joined in 1976 and co-wrote three pieces on Broadcasting from Home (1984), played viola, cuatro, guitar, clarinet, mandolin and ukulele; Julio Segovia answered an advert in the Melody Maker and joined in 1978 on percussion; Paul Street joined in 1984 playing guitar, cuatro and ukulele leaving in 1988; Jennifer Maidman joined in 1984 on percussion, bass, ukulele and cuatro; Steve Fletcher replaced Steve Nye in 1988 on piano and keyboards and Annie Whitehead, who had also appeared on Broadcasting from Home (1984), joined the live band in 1988 on trombone. Finally, Peter McGowan took over from Bob Loveday on violin and Barbara Bolte joined on oboe. Doug Bevridge also became a regular fixture at the live mixing desk. The album Concert Program (1995) is the definitive recording of this line up, and includes many of the Penguin's best known pieces.
After Simon Jeffes' death, members of the orchestra continued to meet up occasionally to play together, but there were no new recordings or public appearances for over ten years. In 2007 the band briefly re-formed, with the original line up as featured on 'Concert Program' (minus Julio Segovia), with Jennifer Maidman now handling Simon's guitar parts. The original members were joined on stage by Simon Jeffes' son Arthur on percussion and additional keyboards, and played three sold-out shows at the Union Chapel
in London. After those concerts Arthur Jeffes wanted to form a new group without any of the original PCO members. This he initially called "Music from the Penguin Cafe", later this was shortened to simply "Penguin Cafe". This all-new ensemble, often inaccurately billed as 'The Penguin Cafe Orchestra' in the press, played at a number of festivals in 2009, combining Penguin Cafe numbers with new pieces and in 2010 appeared at the BBC Proms
(with Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell
).
With the 'Penguin Cafe' trademark owned by Arthur's company, the original Penguins who wanted to continue playing their music looked for an alternative title. Four of them, the multi-instrumentalists Geoffrey Richardson and Jennifer Maidman, trombonist Annie Whitehead and pianist Steve Fletcher have since played some festivals under the name 'The Anteaters'. They have been joined by percussionist Liam Genockey. Well known as a member of Steeleye Span, Liam had also played live with the Penguins in Italy in the 1980s. The name 'Anteaters' came from an incident on the 1983 PCO tour of Japan when Simon Jeffes discovered there was a craze for penguins in the country. Simon joked that, if the fashion changed, the orchestra would have to change its name to "The Anteater Cafe Orchestra". In October 2011 the same line-up also appeared at the Canterbury Festival in Kent, UK, performing two hours of orginal PCO music under another name "The Orchestra That Fell To Earth".
of a UK telephone ringing tone intersected with an engaged (busy) tone, accompanied by the twanging of a rubber band. The piece is featured on the soundtracks of Nadia Tass
's film comedy Malcolm
(1986) and Oliver Stone's film Talk Radio
(1988), and in a long-running advertising campaign for the German-based multinational
telecoms
company One2One (now T-Mobile
). The 1996 single "In The Meantime
" by English rockers residing in New York City, Spacehog
, featured a tweaked and fine-tuned sample of "Telephone and Rubber Band". It was also the trademark song of the Argentinean show dedicated to artistic animation "Caloi en su tinta". The tape loop was recorded when Jeffes was making a phone call, and discovered that he was hearing a combination of a ring tone and an engaged signal at the same time, due to a fault in the system. He recorded it on an answering machine.
Another famous tune featured in Malcolm (among other films) is "Music for a Found Harmonium", which Jeffes wrote on a harmonium
that he had found dumped in a back street in Kyoto
, where he was staying in the summer of 1982 after the ensemble's first tour of Japan
. He wrote that after installing the found harmonium "in a friend's house in one of the most beautiful parts at the edge of the city," he "frequently visited this instrument during the next few months, and I remember the time fondly as one during which I was under a form of enchantment with the place and the time."
"Music for a Found Harmonium" was used over the end-credits of the 1988 John Hughes movie "She's Having a Baby
" where many film actors and celebrities of the time invent their favourite name for an imagined child, although it was not placed on the soundtrack accompanying the movie. The piece gained exposure when it was released on the first Café del Mar volume in 1994. Its rhythm, tempo and simple structure made it very suitable for adaptation into a reel
, and it was subsequently recorded by many Irish traditional musicians, including Patrick Street
, De Dannan
, Kevin Burke and Sharon Shannon
. An Irish traditional version was used on the soundtrack of the film Hear My Song, made in Ireland in the early 1990s. In 2004, Patrick Street
's cover of "Music For A Found Harmonium" was featured in the film Napoleon Dynamite
and the following year in the film It's All Gone Pete Tong
. The Scottish folk rock band Rock Salt and Nails
, from Shetland, also recorded a version for their debut album Waves in 1993.
Simon Jeffes composed most of the music for the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe
, largely based on earlier compositions for the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Geoffrey Richardson also composed music for the ballet, which was first performed by the Royal Ballet in 1988 and released as an album under Jeffes' name.
, written by David Parker and directed by Nadia Tass. The film won the 1986 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film.
"Telephone & Rubber Band" was used during the final scene of the Oliver Stone's film Talk Radio
(1988)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra music featured on the Petra Katharina Wagner film Oskar und Leni (1999). The music was also issued on a separate CD.
"Nothing Really Blue" was used during the final scene of the German film The Princess and the Warrior
(2000).
"Perpetuum Mobile" was used the main theme for the documentary The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
(2007).
"Perpetuum Mobile" was used at various moments in the animated Australian film Mary and Max
(2009).
"Perpetuum Mobile" was also used in the Swedish movie Slim Susie
(2003).
"Music For A Found Harmonium" is featured in Michael Moore
's documentary film Capitalism: A Love Story
(2009), as he wraps several Wall Street
banks and the New York Stock Exchange in crime scene tape.
"Music For A Found Harmonium" was also used in 2004's It's All Gone Pete Tong
.
"Music For A Found Harmonium" was used for the ending montage in Napoleon Dynamite
(2004), but was not included on the motion picture soundtrack.
, The Independent
, Hewlett Packard, MFI
, Knorr
, One2One, Origin Energy
, Ford and Bradesco.
was formed by Arthur Jeffes, son of Simon and Emily Young, and appeared at the BBC Proms on 8 September 2010. The line-up included Darren Barry (violin
), Cass Browne
(percussion/drum
s), Tom Chichester-Clark (piano
/harmonium
/cuatro
/guitar
/melodica
), Neil Codling
(piano/guitar/ukulele
/harmonium/cuatro), Vincent Greene (viola
), Oli Langford (violin
), Des Murphy (ukulele), Pete Radcliffe (percussion/drums), Andrew Waterworth (double bass
), Rebecca Waterworth (cello
) and Kathryn Tickell
(Northumbrian smallpipes
/fiddle
).
Simon Jeffes
Simon Jeffes was an English classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger. He formed, and was the core performer of, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He composed the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe...
. Jeffes and cellist co-founder Helen Liebmann
Helen Liebmann
Helen Liebmann was a founding member of the avant garde music group Penguin Café Orchestra in 1973. A cellist, she studied at the Royal Academy of Music. In addition to playing cello with a number of different ensembles, she is also a practising music therapist.-References:...
were core members throughout its life and a number of other musicians joined as the band grew and developed, many of whom appear on the PCO's six studio albums.
The PCO toured extensively during the 1980s and 1990s, and two albums, "When in Rome" (1988) and "Concert Program" (1995) captured the sound of the live ensemble. The Penguin's sound is not easily categorized, but has elements of exuberant folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and a minimalist aesthetic occasionally reminiscent of composers such as Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
. The Penguin Cafe Orchestra recorded and performed for 24 years until Jeffes died of a brain tumour in 1997.
History
After becoming disillusioned with the rigid structures of classical music and the limitations of rock music, in which he also dabbled, Jeffes became interested in the relative freedom in ethnic music and decided to imbue his work with the same sense of immediacy and spirit.Describing how the idea of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra came to him, Jeffes said:
The first album, Music From The Penguin Cafe
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Music From The Penguin Cafe was the first album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and was recorded between 1974 and 1976, and released in 1976. The line-up for much of the album consisted of the original Penguin Cafe Quartet: Simon Jeffes , Helen Leibmann , Steve Nye , and Gavyn Wright...
, was released in 1976 on Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian 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,...
's experimental Obscure Records
Obscure Records
Obscure Records was a U.K. record label which existed from 1975 to 1978. It was created and run by Brian Eno, who also produced the albums . Ten albums were issued in the series...
label, an offshoot of the EG
E.G. Records
E.G. Records was a UK-based artist management company and independent record label, mostly active during the 1970s and 1980s. The initials stand for its founders, David Enthoven and John Gaydon. The pair signed on as managers of King Crimson in early 1969, during the formative stage of the band and...
label; a collection of pieces recorded in the years 1974-1976, it was followed in 1981 by Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Penguin Cafe Orchestra (album)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra was the second album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and was recorded at the Penguin Cafe between 1977 and 1980. By this time the line-up for the band had expanded greatly, with contribution including Simon Jeffes, Helen Leibmann, Steve Nye, Gavyn Wright of the original...
, after which the band settled into a more regular release schedule.
The band played its first major concert on 10 October 1976, supporting Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
at The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
. The PCO went on to tour the world and play at a variety of music festivals as well as residencies on the South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
in London. Between 1976 and 1996 they played in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and throughout Europe and the UK. In March 1987 the group was the subject of an episode of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
arts series The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...
, on which they performed "Air", "Bean Fields", "Dirt" and "Giles Farnaby's Dream".
Evolution
Simon Jeffes experimented with various configurations both live and in the studio, including an occasional 'dance orchestra' and a quintet of strings, oboe, trombone and himself on piano. On the studio albums he sometimes played many of the instruments himself, and brought in the other musicians according to the needs of a particular piece.There were a number of incarnations of the live band. Original members Gavyn Wright and Steve Nye left in 1984 and 1988 respectively. Bob Loveday replaced Gavyn Wright on violin. Gradually a regular line-up evolved around Simon Jeffes and Helen Liebman: Neil Rennie, who joined in 1975 on ukulele; Geoffrey Richardson, who had joined in 1976 and co-wrote three pieces on Broadcasting from Home (1984), played viola, cuatro, guitar, clarinet, mandolin and ukulele; Julio Segovia answered an advert in the Melody Maker and joined in 1978 on percussion; Paul Street joined in 1984 playing guitar, cuatro and ukulele leaving in 1988; Jennifer Maidman joined in 1984 on percussion, bass, ukulele and cuatro; Steve Fletcher replaced Steve Nye in 1988 on piano and keyboards and Annie Whitehead, who had also appeared on Broadcasting from Home (1984), joined the live band in 1988 on trombone. Finally, Peter McGowan took over from Bob Loveday on violin and Barbara Bolte joined on oboe. Doug Bevridge also became a regular fixture at the live mixing desk. The album Concert Program (1995) is the definitive recording of this line up, and includes many of the Penguin's best known pieces.
After Simon Jeffes' death, members of the orchestra continued to meet up occasionally to play together, but there were no new recordings or public appearances for over ten years. In 2007 the band briefly re-formed, with the original line up as featured on 'Concert Program' (minus Julio Segovia), with Jennifer Maidman now handling Simon's guitar parts. The original members were joined on stage by Simon Jeffes' son Arthur on percussion and additional keyboards, and played three sold-out shows at the Union Chapel
Union Chapel, Islington
The Union Chapel is a Grade II* listed church and music venue in Islington, North London, England, located on Compton Terrace.An example of Victorian gothic architecture, it was designed by James Cubitt, and constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions 1877-90, providing an ambitious...
in London. After those concerts Arthur Jeffes wanted to form a new group without any of the original PCO members. This he initially called "Music from the Penguin Cafe", later this was shortened to simply "Penguin Cafe". This all-new ensemble, often inaccurately billed as 'The Penguin Cafe Orchestra' in the press, played at a number of festivals in 2009, combining Penguin Cafe numbers with new pieces and in 2010 appeared at the BBC Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
(with Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell
Kathryn Tickell
Kathryn Tickell is an English player of the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle. She has recorded over a dozen albums, and toured widely.-Life and career:...
).
With the 'Penguin Cafe' trademark owned by Arthur's company, the original Penguins who wanted to continue playing their music looked for an alternative title. Four of them, the multi-instrumentalists Geoffrey Richardson and Jennifer Maidman, trombonist Annie Whitehead and pianist Steve Fletcher have since played some festivals under the name 'The Anteaters'. They have been joined by percussionist Liam Genockey. Well known as a member of Steeleye Span, Liam had also played live with the Penguins in Italy in the 1980s. The name 'Anteaters' came from an incident on the 1983 PCO tour of Japan when Simon Jeffes discovered there was a craze for penguins in the country. Simon joked that, if the fashion changed, the orchestra would have to change its name to "The Anteater Cafe Orchestra". In October 2011 the same line-up also appeared at the Canterbury Festival in Kent, UK, performing two hours of orginal PCO music under another name "The Orchestra That Fell To Earth".
Famous pieces
The Penguin Cafe Orchestra's most famous piece may be "Telephone and Rubber Band", which is based around a tape loopTape loop
In music, tape loops are loops of prerecorded magnetic tape used to create repetitive, rhythmic musical patterns or dense layers of sound. Contemporary composers such as Steve Reich and Karlheinz Stockhausen used tape loops to create phase patterns and rhythms...
of a UK telephone ringing tone intersected with an engaged (busy) tone, accompanied by the twanging of a rubber band. The piece is featured on the soundtracks of Nadia Tass
Nadia Tass
Nadia Tass is a film director, producer and actress, originally from Macedonia, northern Greece, who moved to Australia in the 1960s. She began her career as an actress appearing in the television series Prisoner. Ms...
's film comedy Malcolm
Malcolm (film)
Malcolm is a 1986 Australian cult film, written by David Parker and directed by Nadia Tass. The film stars Colin Friels as the titular tram enthusiast who becomes involved with petty crime. The film won the 1986 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film.At the start of the film Malcolm is...
(1986) and Oliver Stone's film Talk Radio
Talk Radio (film)
Talk Radio is a 1988 American drama film, starring Eric Bogosian, Ellen Greene and Leslie Hope. Directed by Oliver Stone, the film was based on the play by Eric Bogosian and Tad Savinar. Portions of the film and play were based on the assassination of radio host Alan Berg in 1984...
(1988), and in a long-running advertising campaign for the German-based multinational
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
telecoms
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
company One2One (now T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
). The 1996 single "In The Meantime
In the Meantime (Spacehog song)
"In the Meantime" is a song by English alternative rock band Spacehog, from their debut album Resident Alien. It hit the top of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart...
" by English rockers residing in New York City, Spacehog
Spacehog
Spacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.-Members:* Royston Langdon a.k.a. "Ray Sprinkles" – bass and vocals...
, featured a tweaked and fine-tuned sample of "Telephone and Rubber Band". It was also the trademark song of the Argentinean show dedicated to artistic animation "Caloi en su tinta". The tape loop was recorded when Jeffes was making a phone call, and discovered that he was hearing a combination of a ring tone and an engaged signal at the same time, due to a fault in the system. He recorded it on an answering machine.
Another famous tune featured in Malcolm (among other films) is "Music for a Found Harmonium", which Jeffes wrote on a harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
that he had found dumped in a back street in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, where he was staying in the summer of 1982 after the ensemble's first tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He wrote that after installing the found harmonium "in a friend's house in one of the most beautiful parts at the edge of the city," he "frequently visited this instrument during the next few months, and I remember the time fondly as one during which I was under a form of enchantment with the place and the time."
"Music for a Found Harmonium" was used over the end-credits of the 1988 John Hughes movie "She's Having a Baby
She's Having a Baby
She's Having a Baby is a 1988 American romance film directed by John Hughes.The film portrays a young newlywed couple, Kristy and Jake Briggs played by Elizabeth McGovern and Kevin Bacon, who try to cope with being married and what is expected of them by their parents. Jake must also deal with the...
" where many film actors and celebrities of the time invent their favourite name for an imagined child, although it was not placed on the soundtrack accompanying the movie. The piece gained exposure when it was released on the first Café del Mar volume in 1994. Its rhythm, tempo and simple structure made it very suitable for adaptation into a reel
Reel (dance)
The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure ....
, and it was subsequently recorded by many Irish traditional musicians, including Patrick Street
Patrick Street
Patrick Street is an Irish folk group.The band was formed in Dublin in 1986 with Kevin Burke on fiddle, Jackie Daly on button accordion, Andy Irvine on bouzouki and vocals, and Arty McGlynn on guitar...
, De Dannan
De Dannan
De Dannan was an Irish folk music group. They were formed by Frankie Gavin , Alec Finn , Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh and Charlie Piggott as a result of sessions in Hughes's Pub in An Spidéal, County Galway, subsequently inviting Dolores Keane to join the band...
, Kevin Burke and Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
. An Irish traditional version was used on the soundtrack of the film Hear My Song, made in Ireland in the early 1990s. In 2004, Patrick Street
Patrick Street
Patrick Street is an Irish folk group.The band was formed in Dublin in 1986 with Kevin Burke on fiddle, Jackie Daly on button accordion, Andy Irvine on bouzouki and vocals, and Arty McGlynn on guitar...
's cover of "Music For A Found Harmonium" was featured in the film Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca....
and the following year in the film It's All Gone Pete Tong
It's All Gone Pete Tong
-CD 1:#"Pacific State" - 808 State #"Cloud Watch" - Lol Hammond#"Dry Pool Suicide" - Graham Massey#"Moonlight Sonata" - Graham Massey#"Baby Piano" - Lol Hammond#"Ku Da Ta" - Pete Tong...
. The Scottish folk rock band Rock Salt and Nails
Rock Salt & Nails (band)
The Rock Salt & Nails are a Celtic fusion band based in the Shetland, Scotland. The band formed in 1992.In 2009, the band wrote and released a single dedicated to the Scottish tennis player Andy Murray, called Volley Highway.- Line-up :2003 line-up:...
, from Shetland, also recorded a version for their debut album Waves in 1993.
Simon Jeffes composed most of the music for the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe
Still Life at the Penguin Cafe
Still Life at the Penguin Cafe is the name of a ballet choreographed by David Bintley and featuring music composed by Simon Jeffes, founder of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. It is also the title of the accompanying album. Geoffrey Richardson co-wrote one of the pieces.The ballet's debut production...
, largely based on earlier compositions for the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Geoffrey Richardson also composed music for the ballet, which was first performed by the Royal Ballet in 1988 and released as an album under Jeffes' name.
Covers and sampling
- "Music For A Found Harmonium" was covered by the California Guitar TrioCalifornia Guitar TrioCalifornia Guitar Trio is a band of threeguitar players founded in 1991. Paul Richards of Salt Lake City, Utah, Bert Lams of Brussels,...
on their Echoes album (2008), and by Irish accordion player Sharon Shannon on her first album. - A section of "Music For A Found Harmonium" was used by record producer Steve MacSteve Mac (House DJ)Stephen Michael McGuinness, also known as Steve Mac, is a UK house music producer. As a solo artist, he runs Variation Recordings.Mac started out as scratch DJ at the age of 11. He met his production partner Rob Chetcuti in a hip-hop group in Malta...
for his danceDance musicDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
track "Paddy's Revenge". - The song "Telephone and Rubber Band" was sampled by SpacehogSpacehogSpacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.-Members:* Royston Langdon a.k.a. "Ray Sprinkles" – bass and vocals...
in their 1995 hit "In the Meantime", from the album Resident Alien. - AviciiAviciiTim "The Phoenix" Bergling , known professionally as Avicii, Tim Berg, "Ashwin", "Yeshel", "Harshil" and Tom Hangs, is a Swedish DJ, remixer, and record producer. His single "Bromance" has charted in the top 20 on the national single charts of Belgium, the Netherlands, and his native Sweden...
samples a section of "Perpetuum Mobile" in his dance track Fade Into DarknessFade into Darkness"Fade into Darkness" is a song by Swedish house producer and DJ Avicii. It was released on July 16, 2011. The song interpolates elements from "Perpetuum Mobile" by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, as written by Simon Jeffes.-Track listing:*;Digital download...
(previously known as Penguin); the Leona LewisLeona LewisLeona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
/Avicii collaboration CollideCollide (Leona Lewis and Avicii song)"Collide" is a song performed by British recording artist Leona Lewis from her upcoming third studio album, Glassheart . The song features Swedish DJ Avicii, who wrote the track along with Simon Jeffes, Arash Pournouri, Autumn Rowe, Lewis and Sandy Vee, the latter who also produced it along with...
uses the same piano hook. - A portion of "Perpetuum Mobile" is sampled on the track "Missed Calls" by rapper Mac MillerMac MillerMalcolm McCormick , known by his stage name Mac Miller , is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
.
Film
Penguin Cafe Orchestra music featured on the 1986 Australian cult film MalcolmMalcolm (film)
Malcolm is a 1986 Australian cult film, written by David Parker and directed by Nadia Tass. The film stars Colin Friels as the titular tram enthusiast who becomes involved with petty crime. The film won the 1986 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film.At the start of the film Malcolm is...
, written by David Parker and directed by Nadia Tass. The film won the 1986 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film.
"Telephone & Rubber Band" was used during the final scene of the Oliver Stone's film Talk Radio
Talk Radio (film)
Talk Radio is a 1988 American drama film, starring Eric Bogosian, Ellen Greene and Leslie Hope. Directed by Oliver Stone, the film was based on the play by Eric Bogosian and Tad Savinar. Portions of the film and play were based on the assassination of radio host Alan Berg in 1984...
(1988)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra music featured on the Petra Katharina Wagner film Oskar und Leni (1999). The music was also issued on a separate CD.
"Nothing Really Blue" was used during the final scene of the German film The Princess and the Warrior
The Princess and the Warrior
The Princess and the Warrior is a 2000 German drama film written and directed by Tom Tykwer with Franka Potente, star of his previous movie Run Lola Run , in a leading role...
(2000).
"Perpetuum Mobile" was used the main theme for the documentary The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
The Union: The Business Behind Getting High is a 2007 documentary film by Canadian filmmaker Brett Harvey.-Synopsis:The film explores the illegal growth, sale and trafficking of marijuana. Its theatrical run was limited to film festivals...
(2007).
"Perpetuum Mobile" was used at various moments in the animated Australian film Mary and Max
Mary and Max
Mary and Max is a 2009 Australian clay-animated black comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. The voice cast included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Bethany Whitmore, with narration by Barry Humphries. The film premiered on the...
(2009).
"Perpetuum Mobile" was also used in the Swedish movie Slim Susie
Slim Susie
Slim Susie is a 2003 Swedish comedy crime film. It was directed by Ulf Malmros and written by Malmros and Petteri Nuottimäki.-Plot:The film is set in a small industrial town in the Swedish province of Värmland, where a young man returns from the big city to investigate the sudden disappearance of...
(2003).
"Music For A Found Harmonium" is featured in Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
's documentary film Capitalism: A Love Story
Capitalism: A Love Story
Capitalism: A Love Story is a 2009 American documentary film directed, written by and starring Michael Moore. The film centers on the late-2000s financial crisis and the recovery stimulus, while putting forward an indictment of the current economic order in the United States and capitalism in general...
(2009), as he wraps several Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
banks and the New York Stock Exchange in crime scene tape.
"Music For A Found Harmonium" was also used in 2004's It's All Gone Pete Tong
It's All Gone Pete Tong
-CD 1:#"Pacific State" - 808 State #"Cloud Watch" - Lol Hammond#"Dry Pool Suicide" - Graham Massey#"Moonlight Sonata" - Graham Massey#"Baby Piano" - Lol Hammond#"Ku Da Ta" - Pete Tong...
.
"Music For A Found Harmonium" was used for the ending montage in Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca....
(2004), but was not included on the motion picture soundtrack.
Radio/Podcasts
- This American LifeThis American LifeThis American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, a popular show on public radio in the United States, has often used the band's "Perpetuum MobilePerpetuum mobilePerpetuum mobile , moto perpetuo , mouvement perpétuel , movimiento perpetuo , literally meaning "perpetual motion", means two distinct things:#pieces of music, or parts of pieces, characterised by a continuous steady stream of notes, usually at a...
" to accompany its stories, and news programs on National Public Radio have at times used the ring tone from "Telephone and Rubber Band" as bumper musicBumper musicBumper music, or a bump, is a term used in the radio broadcasting industry to refer to short clips of signature or theme music used to buffer transitions between programming elements. Bumper music is commonly employed when a syndicated program takes a break for local station identification or...
between pieces. - The EconomistThe EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
magazine has used "Perpetuum Mobile" in its weekly podcasts. - The Australian ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
Radio NationalRadio NationalABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
weekly broadcast of The Music Show uses "Perpetuum Mobile" as its theme music. - "Scherzo and Trio" is the theme music for BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Round Britain QuizRound Britain QuizRound Britain Quiz is a panel game that has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 since 1947, making it the oldest quiz still broadcast on British radio...
. - "Pythagoras's Trousers" was the theme music for CBC RadioCBC RadioCBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
's Basic BlackBasic BlackBasic Black is a weekly television series airing on WGBH in Boston. Originally known as Say Brother, the show was created in 1968 and aims to reflect the concerns and culture of African Americans through short-form documentaries, performances, and one-on-one conversations.Say Brother and Basic...
.
Television
- "Perpetuum Mobile" was used in "The Big Bang Machine", a 2008 BBC documentary about CERN'sCERNThe European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
Large Hadron ColliderLarge Hadron ColliderThe Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
. - "Perpetuum Mobile" was used in the 1997 award-winning BBC Horizon documentary "Fermat's Last Theorem" directed by Simon SinghSimon SinghSimon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British author who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner....
(shown in North America as part of the PBS series 'Nova' entitled "The Proof"). The documentary relates Andrew WilesAndrew WilesSir Andrew John Wiles KBE FRS is a British mathematician and a Royal Society Research Professor at Oxford University, specializing in number theory...
's successful attempt to prove Fermat's Last TheoremFermat's Last TheoremIn number theory, Fermat's Last Theorem states that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation an + bn = cn for any integer value of n greater than two....
. - "Perpetuum Mobile" was also used in the pilot episode (entitled "Lost For Words") of the American television show 3 lbs3 lbs3 lbs is a drama that aired on CBS from November 14 to 28, 2006, replacing the cancelled series Smith. The show itself was then canceled three weeks later due to poor ratings....
starring Stanley TucciStanley TucciStanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
, and in an episode ("Touch of Greatness") about the American educator Albert CullumAlbert CullumAlbert Cullum was an American Elementary school teacher in the 1960s. Instead of the standard Dick and Jane style of teaching, he opted to introduce his children to classic literature such as Shakespeare and Greek Dramas. Unlike other teachers at the time, Cullum strongly believed that learning...
in the ITVSITVSIndependent Television Service is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries and dramas on public television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly series Independent Lens and Global Voices on PBS....
/ PBS series Independent LensIndependent LensAiring weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie...
. - "Telephone and a Rubber Band" was the theme music for the ArgentineArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
show Caloi en su Tinta. - "Perpetuum Mobile" was also used in the fifth season finale of "The Apprentice (UK TV series)"
- "Pythagoras Trousers" was used as the theme for the Spanish TV Show "Juego de Niños"
Advertising
The music of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra has been used in advertisements for EurotunnelEurotunnel
Groupe Eurotunnel S.A. manages and operates the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France. The Company operates the car shuttle services and earns revenue on other trains passing through the tunnel...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Hewlett Packard, MFI
MFI
MFI may refer to:* Magnetic field imaging, a non invasive and contact free cardiac diagnostic method* Malmö Flygindustri, see Saab MFI13 and MFI-9 Junior* Media Factory, Inc., an anime company...
, Knorr
Knorr
Knorr is a German food and beverage brand owned by the Anglo-Dutch company Unilever since 2000, when Unilever acquired Best Foods. It produces dehydrated soup mixes and condiments. The only country where Unilever did not have rights to the Knorr name is Japan, where trademark of the product there...
, One2One, Origin Energy
Origin Energy
-History:Origin Energy was formed in February 2000, as a result of a demerger from the Australian conglomerate Boral Limited, in which the energy business was removed from the building and construction materials business to form the new company....
, Ford and Bradesco.
Personnel
- Simon JeffesSimon JeffesSimon Jeffes was an English classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger. He formed, and was the core performer of, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He composed the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe...
– acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, cuatro, ukulele, bass, voice, OmnichordOmnichordThe Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument, introduced in 1981 and manufactured by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It typically features a touch plate, and buttons for major, minor, and diminished chords...
, DulcitoneDulcitoneA dulcitone is a keyboard instrument in which sound is produced by a range of tuning forks, which vibrate when struck by felt-covered hammers activated by the keyboard....
, penny whistle, pitch pipes, harmonium, shakers, drums, ring modulator, rubber band, electronic organ, milkbottles, triangle, violin, drum, Linn Drum computerLinn LM-1The LM-1 Drum Computer, manufactured by Linn Electronics Inc., was the first drum machine to use digital samples of acoustic drums. Conceived and designed by Roger Linn, it was also one of the first programmable drum machines...
, soloban, spinet, Prophet V, fretless guitar, BluthnerBlüthnerBlüthner, formally Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH, is a piano-manufacturing company founded by Julius Blüthner in 1853 in Leipzig Germany.- History :...
and BosendorferBösendorferBösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha. The brand is known for producing pianos with a uniquely rich, singing, and sustaining tone...
pianos, zebra drum, tape, pianica, mandolin, electric aeolian harp - Helen LiebmannHelen LiebmannHelen Liebmann was a founding member of the avant garde music group Penguin Café Orchestra in 1973. A cellist, she studied at the Royal Academy of Music. In addition to playing cello with a number of different ensembles, she is also a practising music therapist.-References:...
– cello - Steve NyeSteve NyeSteve Nye is a music producer for several artists. Some of his better known artists include Bryan Ferry , Penguin Cafe Orchestra, XTC , Japan , David Sylvian , Clannad, TM Network, Scary Thieves , as...
– electric piano, cuatro, BluthnerBlüthnerBlüthner, formally Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH, is a piano-manufacturing company founded by Julius Blüthner in 1853 in Leipzig Germany.- History :...
piano, WurlitzerWurlitzerThe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
piano, harmonium - Gavyn WrightGavyn WrightGavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra, best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions as well as numerous TV and movie soundtracks Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London...
– violin - Geoffrey Richardson – viola, slide guitar, bass, bongos, metal frame, ukelele, mandolin, electric guitar, penny whistle, clarinet
- Emily YoungEmily YoungEmily Young is a British sculptor. She is considered one of the foremost sculptors working in Britain today. She was born in London into a family of artists and writers...
– vocals - Mike GilesMichael GilesMichael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...
– drums - Dave DefriesDave DeFriesDavid DeFries is a British jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and percussionist born in London, UK, probably best known for having been a member of Brotherhood of Breath founded by Chris McGregor....
– trumpet, fluegelhorn - Annie WhiteheadAnnie WhiteheadAnnie Whitehead is an English jazz trombone player.-Career:Annie learned trombone at school; at 14 she was already busy playing with brass bands, local dance groups and the Manchester Youth Jazz Orchestra and began her professional career at sixteen. Among her initial influences were Miles Davis,...
– trombone - Nigel KennedyNigel KennedyNigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
– violin - Nana VasconcelosNaná VasconcelosNaná Vasconcelos is a Brazilian Latin jazz percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player, most notable for his works with Pat Metheny, Don Cherry, Egberto Gismonti, and Gato Barbieri....
– clay pot, twigs - Kathryn TickellKathryn TickellKathryn Tickell is an English player of the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle. She has recorded over a dozen albums, and toured widely.-Life and career:...
– Northumbrian small pipes - Chris LaurenceChris LaurenceChris Laurence is an English jazz double bassist born in London, perhaps most noteworthy for his 1980s work in various trios with Tony Oxley ....
– bass - Wilfred GibsonWilfred GibsonWilfred Gibson is an English violinist who played in the band Electric Light Orchestra, and has performed as a session musician. He replaced original ELO violinist Steve Woolam in 1972 and performed in their first live concert...
– violin - Roger ChaseRoger ChaseRoger Chase is a British violist who currently teaches at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University....
– viola - Braco – drums
- Marcus Beale – violin
- Barbara BolteBarbara BolteBarbara Bolte played oboe and English horn with Penguin Cafe Orchestra. A Canadian, she has performed and studied on both sides of the Atlantic. She is an accomplished oboist and pianist, who performs with many ensembles, including Opera York and the Kingston Symphony...
– oboe - Stephen FletcherStephen FischerStephen Fischer is a British singer famous for his participation in the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest as part of the duo Bardo. He is married with two children and lives in London....
– piano - Peter McGowan – violin
- Jennifer Maidman – percussion/bass/ukelele/guitar
- Giles Leaman – woodwinds
- Bob Loveday – violin
- Neil Rennie – ukelele
- Julio Segovia – percussion
- Jill Streater – oboe
- Peter Veitch – accordion
- Fami – drums
- Trevor Morais – drums
- Danny CummingsDanny Cummings-Musical biography:The first Latin percussion instrument that Danny Cummings ever acquired was a second-hand conga he persuaded his parents to buy him for his 21st birthday. "I remember thinking that black fiberglass drum marked the beginning of a new era for me," says Cummings...
– percussion - Paul Street – guitar
Arthur Jeffes' Penguin Cafe (2009 onwards)
In 2009 a new band called Penguin CafePenguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe is a band originally conceived by Arthur Jeffes, son of Simon Jeffes and Emily Young, as a continuation of his father's project, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Penguin Cafe's current ten-person line-up was originally brought together in 2009, featuring a group of musicians ranging from...
was formed by Arthur Jeffes, son of Simon and Emily Young, and appeared at the BBC Proms on 8 September 2010. The line-up included Darren Barry (violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
), Cass Browne
Cass Browne
Cass Browne was a member of the band The Psychotics who became the Senseless Things in 1986. The Senseless Things had a couple of top 20 hits and many other singles in their nine years together, they split up in 1995. Jamie Hewlett was a big fan of the band and designed many of their sleeves...
(percussion/drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s), Tom Chichester-Clark (piano
Piano
The 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...
/harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
/cuatro
Cuatro (instrument)
The cuatro is any of several Latin American instruments of the guitar or lute family. The cuatro is smaller than a guitar. Cuatro means four in Spanish, although current instruments may have more than four strings....
/guitar
Guitar
The 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...
/melodica
Melodica
The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
), Neil Codling
Neil Codling
Neil John Codling is an English musician. He is best known as the keyboardist for the alternative rock band Suede.-Early life:...
(piano/guitar/ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
/harmonium/cuatro), Vincent Greene (viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
), Oli Langford (violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
), Des Murphy (ukulele), Pete Radcliffe (percussion/drums), Andrew Waterworth (double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
), Rebecca Waterworth (cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
) and Kathryn Tickell
Kathryn Tickell
Kathryn Tickell is an English player of the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle. She has recorded over a dozen albums, and toured widely.-Life and career:...
(Northumbrian smallpipes
Northumbrian smallpipes
The Northumbrian smallpipes are bellows-blown bagpipes from the North East of England.In a survey of the bagpipes in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University, the organologist Anthony Baines wrote: It is perhaps the most civilized of the bagpipes, making no attempt to go farther than the...
/fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
).
Studio albums
- Music from the Penguin CafeMusic From The Penguin CafeMusic From The Penguin Cafe was the first album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and was recorded between 1974 and 1976, and released in 1976. The line-up for much of the album consisted of the original Penguin Cafe Quartet: Simon Jeffes , Helen Leibmann , Steve Nye , and Gavyn Wright...
(1976) OBSCURE 7, later EEGCD 27 - Penguin Cafe OrchestraPenguin Cafe Orchestra (album)Penguin Cafe Orchestra was the second album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and was recorded at the Penguin Cafe between 1977 and 1980. By this time the line-up for the band had expanded greatly, with contribution including Simon Jeffes, Helen Leibmann, Steve Nye, Gavyn Wright of the original...
(1981) EEGCD 11 - Broadcasting from HomeBroadcasting From HomeBroadcasting from Home is the fourth album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and was released in 1984 on E.G. Records. The opening song was named after PCO leader Simon Jeffes found a discarded harmonium in an alleyway in Japan....
(1984) EEGCD 38 - Signs of Life (1987) EEGCD 50 - UKUK Albums ChartThe 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...
#49 - Union Cafe (1993) ZOPFD 001
- A Matter Of Life... (2011) (As Penguin Cafe)
Extended play
- The Penguin Cafe Orchestra Mini AlbumThe Penguin Cafe Orchestra Mini AlbumThe Penguin Cafe Orchestra Mini Album is an EP by Penguin Cafe Orchestra consisting of six pieces, two derived from previous released recordings , two that were recorded from a live performance in Tokyo , and two previously unreleased pieces which had not appeared elsewhere The Penguin Cafe...
(1983) EGMLP 2 -- Six-song mini-LP consisting of 2 previously released tracks, 2 live tracks, and 2 new compositions.
Live albums
- When In Rome... (1988) EEGCD 56
- Concert Program (1995) ZOPFD 002
Collections
- Preludes, Airs & Yodels (A Penguin Cafe Primer) (1996)
- A Brief History (2001) CDV 2954
- History (2001) Virgin Records LCO 3098
- The Second Penguin Cafe Orchestra Sampler (2004)
Simon Jeffes albums
- 'Still Life' at the Penguin Cafe (1990) DECCA 425 218-2
- Piano Music (2000) ZOPFD 003 -- Solo pieces, collected after Jeffes' death.
Soundtracks
- Night ShiftNight Shift (film)Night Shift is a 1982 comedy film, one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long, who later in the year would star as Diane Chambers in the popular sitcom Cheers. Also...
(1982) ("Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter") - MalcolmMalcolm (film)Malcolm is a 1986 Australian cult film, written by David Parker and directed by Nadia Tass. The film stars Colin Friels as the titular tram enthusiast who becomes involved with petty crime. The film won the 1986 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film.At the start of the film Malcolm is...
(1986) - She's Having A BabyShe's Having a BabyShe's Having a Baby is a 1988 American romance film directed by John Hughes.The film portrays a young newlywed couple, Kristy and Jake Briggs played by Elizabeth McGovern and Kevin Bacon, who try to cope with being married and what is expected of them by their parents. Jake must also deal with the...
Trailer (1988) ("Music For A Found Harmonium") - Oskar und Leni (1999) (10 songs, all previously released)
- Slim SusieSlim SusieSlim Susie is a 2003 Swedish comedy crime film. It was directed by Ulf Malmros and written by Malmros and Petteri Nuottimäki.-Plot:The film is set in a small industrial town in the Swedish province of Värmland, where a young man returns from the big city to investigate the sudden disappearance of...
(2003) ("Perpetuum Mobile") - The Good GirlThe Good GirlThe Good Girl is a 2002 black comedy-drama film directed by Miguel Arteta from a script by Mike White, and stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.-Plot:...
(2002) ("Air" and "Steady State") - The Princess and the WarriorThe Princess and the WarriorThe Princess and the Warrior is a 2000 German drama film written and directed by Tom Tykwer with Franka Potente, star of his previous movie Run Lola Run , in a leading role...
Official Soundtrack (2000) ("Nothing Really Blue") - Napoleon DynamiteNapoleon DynamiteNapoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca....
Official Soundtrack (2005) ("Music For A Found Harmonium") - It's All Gone Pete TongIt's All Gone Pete Tong-CD 1:#"Pacific State" - 808 State #"Cloud Watch" - Lol Hammond#"Dry Pool Suicide" - Graham Massey#"Moonlight Sonata" - Graham Massey#"Baby Piano" - Lol Hammond#"Ku Da Ta" - Pete Tong...
Official soundtrack (2005) ("Music For A Found Harmonium") - Hewlett Packard - Advert (2006) ("Perpetuum Mobile")
- 3 lbs3 lbs3 lbs is a drama that aired on CBS from November 14 to 28, 2006, replacing the cancelled series Smith. The show itself was then canceled three weeks later due to poor ratings....
- "Lost For Words" (2006) ("Perpetuum Mobile") - Year of the DogYear of the Dog (film)Year of the Dog is a 2007 comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike White, and starring Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, Regina King, Tom McCarthy, Josh Pais, John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard...
(2007) ("Music for a Found Harmonium") - All the Little AnimalsAll the Little AnimalsAll the Little Animals is a 1999 feature film, directed and produced by Jeremy Thomas, based on the novel of the same name by Walker Hamilton. It was adapted for the screen by Eski Thomas, and starred Christian Bale and John Hurt....
Music written by Simon Jeffes, performed and recorded by PCO members Geoffrey Richardson, Jennifer Maidman and Steve Fletcher - Capitalism: A Love StoryCapitalism: A Love StoryCapitalism: A Love Story is a 2009 American documentary film directed, written by and starring Michael Moore. The film centers on the late-2000s financial crisis and the recovery stimulus, while putting forward an indictment of the current economic order in the United States and capitalism in general...
(2009) ("Music For A Found Harmonium") - Mary and MaxMary and MaxMary and Max is a 2009 Australian clay-animated black comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. The voice cast included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Bethany Whitmore, with narration by Barry Humphries. The film premiered on the...
(2009) ("Perpetuum Mobile") - Origin Energy 'Sustainability Drive' advert ("Perpetuum Mobile")
See also
- 'Still Life' at the Penguin Cafe, a ballet composed by Simon Jeffes and choreographed by David Bintley