Roman P
Encyclopedia
Roman P is a song by Psychic TV
about director Roman Polanski
.
"Roman P." was first performed in nascent form during Psychic TV's 1983 gigs. This early version can be found on the live albums N.Y. Scum
and Those Who Do Not
. Of the many versions of the song, the best known is the "Fireball Mix" (from the Magickal Mystery D Tour
EP), which was featured in a mid-1990s Volkswagen
commercial, to the confusion of many fans.
and entitled "Neurology," contains a message from Mr. Sebastian, a spokesman of Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth, as well as collaged speeches by Charles Manson
and Jim Jones
which run simultaneously in different stereo channels. The release was pressed only as a 7" vinyl record, but two different versions of "Roman P" and both B-side tracks later appeared on the compilation CD Godstar: The Singles - Pt. Two. Side B is a double-grooved track. The needle must hit the correct groove in order to play a specific track.
The first edition was limited to 3003 numbered copies. There is a second edition of unknown unnumbered copies.
Psychic TV (PTV): "Roman P (Short Version)"
Side B
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth (TOPY): "Neurology"
1. TOPY Spokesman (spelled "TOPY's Spokeman" on the single sleeve)
2a. Jim Jones (right)
2b. Charles Manson (left)
band Asmodeus X
on their album Morningstar.
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
about director Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
.
"Roman P." was first performed in nascent form during Psychic TV's 1983 gigs. This early version can be found on the live albums N.Y. Scum
N.Y. Scum
N.Y. Scum is a live album by Psychic TV. The album was released as a 12" vinyl record in a limited edition of 5,000 copies. It was later released on CD along with a performance in Tokyo performance as Thee City Ov Tokyo/Thee City Ov New York....
and Those Who Do Not
Those Who Do Not
Those Who Do Not was an album released in 1984 by English group Psychic TV. This was a two 12” vinyl release that went into the market through Icelandic Gramm Records, and it contains 10 songs. There are two versions of the album cover; one with red title and another black and white with white title...
. Of the many versions of the song, the best known is the "Fireball Mix" (from the Magickal Mystery D Tour
The Magickal Mystery D Tour EP
-Temple Records TOPY 023, 7" vinyl:Side A#"Good Vibrations"Side B#"Roman P."-Temple Records TOPY 23T & TOPY 23 DJ, 12" vinyl:Side A#"Good Vibrations "#*Co-producer - Ken Thomas#*Mixed By - Phil Harding#"Hex-Sex "...
EP), which was featured in a mid-1990s Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
commercial, to the confusion of many fans.
Single
The A-side features the titular song Roman P. The B-side, credited to Thee Temple Ov Psychick YouthThee Temple ov Psychick Youth
Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth or TOPY was a fellowship founded in 1981 by members of Psychic TV, Coil, Current 93, and a number of other individuals...
and entitled "Neurology," contains a message from Mr. Sebastian, a spokesman of Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth, as well as collaged speeches by Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
and Jim Jones
Jim Jones
James Warren "Jim" Jones was the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, which is best known for the November 18, 1978 mass suicide of 909 Temple members in Jonestown, Guyana along with the killings of five other people at a nearby airstrip.Jones was born in Indiana and started the Temple in...
which run simultaneously in different stereo channels. The release was pressed only as a 7" vinyl record, but two different versions of "Roman P" and both B-side tracks later appeared on the compilation CD Godstar: The Singles - Pt. Two. Side B is a double-grooved track. The needle must hit the correct groove in order to play a specific track.
The first edition was limited to 3003 numbered copies. There is a second edition of unknown unnumbered copies.
Track listing
Side APsychic TV (PTV): "Roman P (Short Version)"
Side B
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth (TOPY): "Neurology"
1. TOPY Spokesman (spelled "TOPY's Spokeman" on the single sleeve)
2a. Jim Jones (right)
2b. Charles Manson (left)
Covers
A version of this song was recorded by the electro-industrialElectro-industrial
Electro-industrial is a music genre drawing on EBM and post-industrial that developed in the mid-1980s. While EBM has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial has a deep, complex and layered sound. The style was pioneered by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and other groups,...
band Asmodeus X
Asmodeus X
Asmodeus X is an American electro-industrial band whose music is frequently characterized as a mixture of EBM and darkwave and typically includes the use of environmental sampling. Their style is said to be influenced by the music of Laibach, Kraftwerk, Death in June, and Front 242, among others...
on their album Morningstar.