Censure Robert Sacks at the Worldcon!
Chris Carrier
censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
The text of the proposed resolution:
RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
Worldcon Business Meeting.
To be an official co-sponsor, one must be a member of Worldcon 54
(the 1996 Worldcon, also known as LA Con III).
If you are willing to be a co-sponsor, please write back email
along with your phone number and snail mail address (so I can
send you a copy of the resolution to sign).
LA in '96 ... IT'LL BE A RIOT!
Chris Carrier
Anti-Sacks League
INTERNET: 72157...@compuserve.com
Mary Kay Kare
done, I guess not. Does this belong in a filk group, by the way.
MK
Gary Farber
: Within his own circles, Robert Sacks is notorious. WorldCon is hardly
: the place to censure such a local pest; most people will never have heard
: of him.
Actually, Worldcon Business Meeting fandom is one of Robert Sacks' most
active circles, and everyone who attends them knows him much too well.
On the other hand, much as I sympathise with this motion, I think it
unwise for the Business Meeting to set a precedent of censuring anyone
without specific cause. So any such motion should minimally cite any of
the zillions of specific causes for which Sacks might be censured. :-)
--
-- Gary Farber Middlemiss gfa...@panix.com
Copyright 1996 for DUFF Brooklyn, NY, USA
Jonathan Waite
which quoted the original message in full. I've never heard of Robert
Sacks, I don't know what he's done, I don't know any good reason why I
should need to know, and I'm not in fandom to censure people. All those
who agree with me, please signify by not extending this thread any
longer....thanks.
Zander
Dick Eney
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
>
>The text of the proposed resolution:
>
>
>RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
>period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
>Worldcon Business Meeting.
>
>
>To be an official co-sponsor, one must be a member of Worldcon 54
>(the 1996 Worldcon, also known as LA Con III).
>
>If you are willing to be a co-sponsor, please write back email
>along with your phone number and snail mail address (so I can
>send you a copy of the resolution to sign).
>
profane nature.
Even at a court-martial, the trial begins with a statement of the charges
and specifications. Is this Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton we're talking
about, where the wicked deeds are matters of common knowledge?
|----------Dick Eney (dick...@access.digex.net)----------|
|If you think the system isn't working, ask someone who is|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
Gary McGath
<10222...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Since I have no idea who Sacks is or what he's supposed to have
>done, I guess not. Does this belong in a filk group, by the way.
It probably doesn't, and my spam filter apparently caught the original,
since I never saw it. In my own judgment, Bob is a good guy who treads the
paths of high-level fannish politics where one makes lots of enemies, so
this sort of thing is to be expected -- and, as you say, has nothing to do
with filk anyway.
--
Gary McGath gmc...@mv.mv.com
http://www.mv.com/users/gmcgath
"Keep your FCC-ing hands off my computer."
Michael Dillson
:>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
:>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
:>
:>The text of the proposed resolution:
:>
:>
:>RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
:>period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
:>Worldcon Business Meeting.
:>
:>
:>To be an official co-sponsor, one must be a member of Worldcon 54
:>(the 1996 Worldcon, also known as LA Con III).
:>
:>If you are willing to be a co-sponsor, please write back email
:>along with your phone number and snail mail address (so I can
:>send you a copy of the resolution to sign).
:>
:>LA in '96 ... IT'LL BE A RIOT!
:>
:>Chris Carrier
:>Anti-Sacks League
:>INTERNET: 72157...@compuserve.com
What the ......
--------------------
Mike Dillson
Atlanta, GA
dil...@mindspring.com
All content copyright by writer and may not be reproduced without
his written permission.
Lee Burwasser
>
>Even at a court-martial, the trial begins with a statement of the charges
>and specifications. Is this Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton we're talking
>about, where the wicked deeds are matters of common knowledge?
>
>|----------Dick Eney (dick...@access.digex.net)----------|
Within his own circles, Robert Sacks is notorious. WorldCon is hardly
the place to censure such a local pest; most people will never have heard
of him.
--
Lee Burwasser lburw...@crs.loc.gov
Landover MD USA
*working stiff -- don't blame me for policy*
Daniel S Goodman
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
>
>The text of the proposed resolution:
>
>
>RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
>period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
>Worldcon Business Meeting.
This way, your resolution sounds like a paranoid rant. You don't want
that, particularly if (as I suspect) it IS a particularly uninspired
paranoid rant.
Since one of the newsgroups you posted it to is alt.fashion, I infer that
Sacks has consistently violated fandom's dress code.
Dan Goodman goo...@freenet.msp.mn.us
Ben Yalow
>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
<rest of text deleted>
>
>Chris Carrier
>Anti-Sacks League
>INTERNET: 72157...@compuserve.com
I'm obviously opposed.
This motion, assuming it is seconded and offered, will be being brought
up for essentially the second time. It came up at ConFrancisco -- the
objection to consideration passed by a gazillion to two. As did the
onjections to several other motions.
Those interested in further research may want to consult the ConFrancisco
Business Meeting Minutes, at:
http://sflovers.rutgers.edu/archive/fandom/WSFS/WSFS.minutes93
and look at the preliminary business meeting (first day), New Business,
Items B through D.
Ben
--
Ben Yalow yb...@panix.com
Not speaking for anybody
Kay Shapero
:>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
:>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
:>
Unless some of those actions had to do with filkdom, d'ya think this thread
could stay out of alt.music.filk? Please?
(copy sent via netmail in case he doesn't read this group.)
Kevin Standlee
> I suppose this has been posted here because it's a natural for filks of a
> profane nature.
>
In parliamentary procedure, one would state the "charges" in "WHERAS,..."
clauses. OTOH, it's rarely a good idea to add a bunch of Wherases to a
resolution because (1) they have no effect and (2) some people who might
support the resolution wouldn't support the Wherases.
Note that the above is merely a parliamentary opinion, and does not
indicate my support for the original poster's goals.
Kevin Standlee
Deputy Chair/Parliamentarian, 1996 WSFS Business Meeting
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just a thought from Kevin Standlee -> (stan...@LunaCity.com)
LunaCity BBS - Mountain View, CA - 415 968 8140
Kevin Standlee
> What the ......
Look at the bright side. It may divert attention from the ongoing MOC
Topic 1 around here for a while.
Gary McGath
People -- it should be obvious to everyone that Chris Carrier's only
purpose in spamming this message to alt.fandom.cons, alt.fandom.misc,
alt.fashion, alt.music.filk, and alt.shared-reality.sf-and-fantasy was to
start a flamewar that would disrupt the newsgroups. Let's NOT give him the
satisfaction.
The Followup-To: line of this post redirects responses to alt.flame.
Danny Lieberman
>Within his own circles, Robert Sacks is notorious. WorldCon is hardly
>the place to censure such a local pest; most people will never have heard
>of him.
Actually Lee, Robert is well known at worldcons, and has earned a
reputation for a hard worker, if a bit tedious.
In the meantime, this is the same Chris Carrier that came to
ConFrancisco and insisted on motions to "ban" robert sacks from
a sixty mile zone around any worldcon.
What makes Chris Carrier think he can get away with his nonsense
again?
--
Danny Lieberman
d...@panix.com
http://www.panix.com/dfl/
Kelly Lockhart
: Since one of the newsgroups you posted it to is alt.fashion, I infer that
We have a dress code now? Damn it, I really have to stop missing all
these meetings! :-)
-- Kelly Lockhart
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| kel...@cris.com http://www.cris.com/~kellyl |
| k.loc...@genie.com Genie SFRT1 Category 38 Topic 4 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Keith A. Glass
'nuff said. . .
--
* Keith A. Glass, Fairfax, Virginia, USA, Filker/punster at large *
* Washington Coordinator, Electronic Freedom March *
* 30 June 1996, Washington DC URL: http://www.efm.org *
* Note: the following line is an intentional act of Civil Disobedience: *
* FUCK THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT--DEFEND THE FIRST AMENDMENT ! *
Keith Stokes(ConQuesT 27)
>Since one of the newsgroups you posted it to is alt.fashion, I infer that
>Sacks has consistently violated fandom's dress code.
Rather, he personifies the fandom dress code of an earlier period.
I find his whole routine rather cute.
Certainly cuter that Chris Carrier's routine at the Hogu awards.
But your mileage may very.
Keith
Chris Carrier
pointed out, I had thought that, as in the manner of our
President, Mr. Bill, or Speaker Gingrinch, their misdeeds would
be so well known as not to need repeating.
So, would anyone be interested in cosponsoring an Anti-Sacks
League resolution with a bunch of WHEREASes detailing his postal
cruelty to Michael Hopcroft, or his harassment of the lovely
Rhiannon? Or his attendance at the funeral of a fan "to make
sure" she was dead?
Let us conclude with some words of wisdom from Barney the
Dinosaur, to make this an appropriate posting for the filk ng:
I hate him, he hates me
Let's vote no on Bobby.
With a motion from me,
And a second signed by you,
Let Sacks know you hate him too.
I hate him, he hates me
We're feudy fans like fans should be
With a motion from me,
And a second signed by you,
Let Worldcon know you hate Sacks too.
Daniel B. Holzman
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>
>So, would anyone be interested in cosponsoring an Anti-Sacks
>League resolution with a bunch of WHEREASes detailing his postal
>cruelty to Michael Hopcroft, or his harassment of the lovely
>Rhiannon? Or his attendance at the funeral of a fan "to make
>sure" she was dead?
Unless any of this enters into the business of the WSFS, I don't see
where a censure from them is appropriate. You want to see Sacks shunned
by New York fandom for his stunts in New York, fine -- just open your
eyes. It's not as if Robert's topping people's invite lists for
parties.
--
Daniel B. Holzman -- Love does not subtract, it multiplies. -- All acts of love
and pleasure are Her rituals. -- An it Harm none, do what you Will. -- They
took my name and stole my heritage, but they didn't get my goat. -- The
word is all of us. -- Remember the Twelth Commandment and keep it Wholly.
Jonathan Waite
started.
Zander
Tom Smith
: Concerning my proposal to censure Robert Sacks ... as someone
: pointed out, I had thought that, as in the manner of our
: President, Mr. Bill, or Speaker Gingrinch, their misdeeds would
: be so well known as not to need repeating.
: So, would anyone be interested in cosponsoring an Anti-Sacks
: League resolution with a bunch of WHEREASes detailing his postal
: cruelty to Michael Hopcroft, or his harassment of the lovely
: Rhiannon? Or his attendance at the funeral of a fan "to make
: sure" she was dead?
: Let us conclude with some words of wisdom from Barney the
: Dinosaur, to make this an appropriate posting for the filk ng:
:
: I hate him, he hates me
: Let's vote no on Bobby.
: With a motion from me,
: And a second signed by you,
: Let Sacks know you hate him too.
:
: I hate him, he hates me
: We're feudy fans like fans should be
: With a motion from me,
: And a second signed by you,
: Let Worldcon know you hate Sacks too.
Ahem.
I would say that I'm not one to stick my nose into something where
it might get whacked off, but God and Fandom knows that ain't true.
So, not knowing you, not knowing Robert Sacks, I'd like to say
something that's been on my mind since this whole rigamarole started.
If you've got a beef with this guy, take it up with him in private
-first-. If you have, and have made no headway, then start exploring
other options. Has he done anything legally actionable? Are his
actions provable, and demonstrably odious to all those concerned?
Are there witnesses? Is there evidence?
Insisting that all of fandom get together at WorldCon and sponsor
a resolution censuring someone sounds like something Pat Buchanan
might have come up with. "Hey, everyone! We're in an informal
worldwide nonexclusionary social group. Somebody is purported
to have done some nasty things. Let's not do anything about it...
except all of us say 'We Hate You!'"
Not -once- have we really heard -either- side of this debate.
(And please don't e-mail it to me. At this point I don't care,
and I'm not taking sides.) The closest thing to specific
allegations I recall seeing is your post, above.
You got a problem with Robert Sacks? Take it up with Sacks.
Take it up with the law, if need be. But leave the fans out of it.
Fandom is a circle of literary acquaintances and hard-earned
friendships, not an army of moral vigilantes. And WorldCon is a
gathering of people with common interests, not a lynch mob to be
fired up at innuendo.
Oh, and... lose the song.
--
Best,
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Tom Smith (toms...@izzy.net) | Amiga - Babylon 5 - MST3K |
| The World's Fastest Filker | http://www.izzy.net/~tomsmith |
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+
Tad L. J. Pierson
TAD
Kay Shapero
TS>Take it up with the law, if need be. But leave the fans out of
TS>it. Fandom is a circle of literary acquaintances and hard-earned
TS>friendships, not an army of moral vigilantes. And WorldCon is a
TS>gathering of people with common interests, not a lynch mob to be
TS>fired up at innuendo.
Hear hear!!!!!
Chris Carrier
His Highness of 4861 Broadway, NYC, NY.
"Want to hear a few Sacks Stories?"
"Got a few days?"
Chris Carrier, Anti-Sacks League
Douglas E. Berry
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Path:
news.hooked.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.emi.net!scifi!bocanews.bocaraton.ibm.
com!watnews.watson.ibm.com!newsgate.watson.ibm.com!newsjunkie.ans.net!newsfeed
s.ans.net!gatech!news.jsums.edu!news2.cais.net!news.cais.net!news.ac.net!imci4
!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.compuserve.com!news.production.compuserve.com!n
ews
>From: Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM>
>Newsgroups:
rec.arts.sf.fandom,alt.fandom.cons,alt.music.filk,alt.tv.barney,alt.tv.dinosau
rs.barney.die.die.die
>Subject: Re: Censure Robert Sacks at the Worldcon!
>Date: 11 Apr 1996 01:39:27 GMT
>Organization: .
>Lines: 11
>Message-ID: <4khnsf$p8h$1...@mhade.production.compuserve.com>
>Xref: news.hooked.net rec.arts.sf.fandom:35291 alt.fandom.cons:14699
alt.music.filk:28082 alt.tv.barney:7280
alt.tv.dinosaurs.barney.die.die.die:4454
>Status: N
> "Want to hear a few Sacks Stories?"
>
>
> "Got a few days?"
Actually, no. I could care less about you, or what this person has done, or
anything that happens in New York City. You, sir, have annoyed me far more
than Mr. sacks has ever done. From what I can tell, with my personal
experience, it is YOU who needs a slap on the wrist.
If you can't handle one jerk, don't expect the WSFS to do it for you!
# ---------------------------------------------- #
# Douglas E. Berry dbe...@hooked.net #
# Writer, Professional Driver, Traveller Guru #
# #
# "Liberty consists in doing what one desires" #
# -John Stuart Mill #
# ---------------------------------------------- #
Jeremy95
situation... <G>
The bottom line is: Sacks likes to carp, and Carrier likes to whine. What
we have here is an unlikable force encountering an intolerable object....
I should also note that, outside of WSFS business, I have always found Mr.
Sacks reasonably charming. Not that I'd want to room with him, or have him
marry my sister, but hell - if that was the standard for fandom, then
fandom would be small indeed.
Anyway. Just my 2 cents (four cents canadian)
- Jeremy Bloom
Kevin Standlee
> The bottom line is: Sacks likes to carp, and Carrier likes to whine. What
> we have here is an unlikable force encountering an intolerable object....
An excellent way of putting it! Well spoken, Jeremy!
> I should also note that, outside of WSFS business, I have always found Mr.
> Sacks reasonably charming. Not that I'd want to room with him, or have him
> marry my sister, but hell - if that was the standard for fandom, then
> fandom would be small indeed.
You have a good point. I'm actually amazed at how politely Robert seems
to treat me even when I (politely, but pointedly) tell him that I
disagree with him or think his proposals are totally unworkable or
unreasonably complex. (You think _my_ schemes are complicated, you
should try reading through some of the stuff he proposes.)
(Aside: I've heard people say that if we really wanted to kill the
NASFiC, we should sell it to Robert and his pocket corporation. It would
fall apart due to internal complications fairly quickly.)
Sally
Dear Readers,
What ever happened to the Beatles??
I would like anyone who still follows the Beats to please write
to me!!! I think that Paul McCartney is a sex beast and that Lennon had
the greates mind on the planet. There should be a Beatle news group!!!!!
Yellow Matter Custard dripping from a dead dogs eye
Crabalocker fishwife pornographic priestess
boy you've been a naughty boy, you let your knickers down.
I am the eggman, OOHH!!
They are the eggmen, OOHH!!
I am the Walrus, GOO GOO G'JOOB
from a beatle fan.
mcre...@delphi.com
>the greates mind on the planet. There should be a Beatle news group!!!!!
than one.
as to your subject line: except as source material for parody, the Beatles
are not exactly on-topic here (except as examples for "ose" [Eleanor Rigby]
and "cheery-ose" [Maxwell's Silver Hammer]); this group is for the folk
music peculiar to, and of interest to, science fiction fans. There are many
filksongs written TO Beatles tunes (I daresay I've done a couple myself),
but the originals aren't quite what we discuss here, although there are
probably a fair number of Beatle fans here.
Check your news server under the alt.music.* and rec.music.* hierarchies;
I KNOW that there is at least one, and probably more than one, Beatles fan
newsgroups out there. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Mary the Filker (a Beatles fan for about 30+ years)
Kay Shapero
S>Subject: Why doesn't anybody on the newsgroup talk about the
S>Beatles??
Maybe because this is alt.music.filk? Check around; I suspect there's a
Beatles newsgroup someplace but this really isn't it.
Tom Digby
:
: Dear Readers,
Why not go to rec.music.beatles and see if anybody there is interested?
--
-- Tom
bub...@well.sf.ca.us
http://www.well.com/user/bubbles/
Keith Bierman QED
Perhaps we collectively misunderstand. Perhaps there is a new Filk
group known as the Beatles, or this is a request for Filk about
insects, or perhaps (unbeknownst to us all) the Beatles were a '60s
filk group ...
--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Keith H. Bierman keith....@Sun.COM| k...@chiba.Eng.Sun.COM
SunSoft Developer Products | k...@netcom.com
2550 Garcia UMPK16-304 415 786-9296 | (415 7869296) fax
Mountain View, CA 94043 <speaking for myself, not Sun*> Copyright 1996
jk...@watson.ibm.com
In <taz3f5s...@chiba.eng.sun.com>, keith....@eng.sun.com (Keith Bierman QED) writes:
>Perhaps we collectively misunderstand. Perhaps there is a new Filk
>group known as the Beatles, or this is a request for Filk about
>insects, or perhaps (unbeknownst to us all) the Beatles were a '60s
>filk group ...
Note that many (most? all?) Beatles songs have been filked,
usually multiple times. If you're looking for a filk of a particular
song, someone here can probably point you in the right direction.
Paul Ciszek
jk...@watson.ibm.com writes:
I am not familiar with ALL of the Beatle's output; did they ever cross the
line into Filk? Pop music often has. Usually as novelty songs ("Earth Girls
Are Easy" by Julie Brown, "Yoda" by Weird Al) but not always.
Paul Ciszek "Literacy will not be a priority where our children
are concerned." --Yusef Dakari, advocating the
pci...@nyx.net creation of Afro-centric schools
Sallie Montuori
On 28 Apr 1996 jk...@watson.ibm.com wrote:
> Note that many (most? all?) Beatles songs have been filked,
> usually multiple times. If you're looking for a filk of a particular
> song, someone here can probably point you in the right direction.
_All_? You mean there's a filk based on "Revolution 9"? This I have got
to see! (Or hear...)
Sallie Montuori >insert snappy one-liner here.<
fox...@widomaker.com
Dick Eney
In article <taz3f5s...@chiba.eng.sun.com>,
Keith Bierman QED <keith....@eng.sun.com> wrote:
>
>> On <Apr 16 20:22>, Sally <s105...@frodo.student.gu.edu.au> inquired;
>>
>> S>Subject: Why doesn't anybody on the newsgroup talk about the
>> S>Beatles??
>>
>> Maybe because this is alt.music.filk? Check around; I suspect there's a
>> Beatles newsgroup someplace but this really isn't it.
>
>group known as the Beatles, or this is a request for Filk about
>insects, or perhaps (unbeknownst to us all) the Beatles were a '60s
>filk group ...
Then, too, maybe he's thinking of that song from ChiCon III whose author I
never found out:
You should have been on top/ Of things from the beginning;
You'd read the books of rules/ From Luttwak back to Lenin
But then you blew it/ When Boris Yeltsin said NO THANKS!
Yeah, you blew it/ When you didn't use your tanks!
You blew it, yeah, yeah, yeah,
You blew it, yeah, yeah, yeah,
With a coup like that you know there's no return!
|----------Dick Eney (dick...@access.digex.net)----------|
|If you think the system isn't working, ask someone who is|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
Steve Glover
pci...@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Paul Ciszek) wrote:
>I am not familiar with ALL of the Beatle's output; did they ever cross the
>line into Filk? Pop music often has. Usually as novelty songs ("Earth Girls
>Are Easy" by Julie Brown, "Yoda" by Weird Al) but not always.
I wouldn't call any of that filk. I'm trying to remember Randall Garrett's
quote about Magic... "A matter of [something] and intent"...
Yes, there have been songs (not always novelty items) with SF relevance, but
that doesn't make them filk (see the SF/Music FAQ that used to get posted). I
*may* concede that these songs aren't out of place at a filksing (Hell, is
*anything*? One of the best things I ever heard at a filk is now given as the
canonical reason for why we don't have "pick, play, pass or pun" anymore), but
given the looseness in the definition of filk, we need to each of us draw the
line somewhere. And for me, that line is "if the author didn't intend it, then
it's not, and can't be filk".
Steve FQF
-- steve....@ukonline.co.uk or kur...@tardis.ed.ac.uk
No longer steve_...@hicom.lut.ac.uk and soon not even
cs...@cds1.dl.ac.uk or ss...@festival.ed.ac.uk
Mazhak
I'd think all the Weird Al parodies aren't filk as my understanding of
filk is origanal words refering to sf/fantasy set to traditional or
popular tunes. Am I off base or what?
Kay Shapero
On <Apr 29 13:30>, Steve Glover (steve....@ukonline.co.uk) wrote;
SG>I wouldn't call any of that filk. I'm trying to remember Randall
SG>Garrett's quote about Magic... "A matter of [something] and intent"...
"symbolism". And y'know, I think you've got something there.
SG>Yes, there have been songs (not always novelty items) with SF
SG>relevance, but that doesn't make them filk (see the SF/Music FAQ
SG>that used to get posted).
You mean other than the FILK FAQ? I'd like to see that myself. Got a
copy?
Dick Eney
I agree, except for any he wrote that are referring to sf/fantasy topics.
In the larger definition, they may be included as filk if not repeated
too often, but the larger definition(s) are extremely inclusive.
I remember a newbie with an AM radio repertoire being gently told that we
come to filksings to hear the songs we _can't_ hear on the radio, and I've
pretty much kept that as one of my definitions.
Besides, parodies of rock music are very hard to sing without the rock
band, since most of them don't have words for all the parts of the tune.
IMO. YMMV.
-- Tamar Lindsay (sharing account dick...@access.digex.net)
Solomon Davidoff
In response to the question of whether or not Weird Al is filk, I tend to
consider his work, or at least most of it, "Found Filk," refering to songs
that would be considered filk if they had been performed in a filk room, and
created by fans.
-Solomon Davidoff
Chris Croughton
>I'd think all the Weird Al parodies aren't filk as my understanding of
>filk is origanal words refering to sf/fantasy set to traditional or
>popular tunes. Am I off base or what?
Well, it depends how many 'original words' you want per tune. Philip
Allcock has written some filks in which only a few of the words are
changed, the rest are as the original song had them.
Then there are filks which have their own original tunes, and filks
which aren't about SF or Fantasy (but are about fans, fandom and/or
things fans are interested in - are you going to tell Kanef that
"Nobody's Moggy Lands" isn't filk? I'm not).
I still stick to "the folk music of the subculture known as 'Fantasy
and SF fandom'" (noting that "folk music doesn't describe a musical
style, it means "the music created by people in that culture" as opposed
to music created by an 'elite' subgroup such as those sponsored by the
ruling class or by big business).
And yes, that comes back to one of the other definitions: filk is what
filkers write.
By that definition, Weird Al's songs are not filk, as they aren't
created within the subculture (fandom), and this is reinforced by
reports that *he* doesn't consider them filk...
.-------------------------------.-------------------------------------.
| ch...@keris.demon.co.uk | FIAWOL (Filking Is A Way Of Life) |
`-------------------------------^-------------------------------------'
P. Alan Thiesen
In article <c01_960...@salata.com>,
Kay Shapero <kay.s...@salata.com> wrote:
>On <Apr 29 13:30>, Steve Glover (steve....@ukonline.co.uk) wrote;
>
>You mean other than the FILK FAQ? I'd like to see that myself. Got a
>copy?
Article 19921 of rec.answers:
From: r...@aspen.circ.upenn.edu (Rich Kulawiec)
Newsgroups: rec.music.misc,rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: SF-references-in-music List
Date: 27 Apr 1996 11:28:35 GMT
Organization: Cardiothoracic Imaging Research Center
Lines: 3849
Expires: 10 Jun 1996 11:28:09 GMT
Reply-To: r...@gynko.circ.upenn.edu
Keywords: science fiction, sf, music, fantasy
X-Last-Updated: 1994/09/20
Archive-name: music/sci-fi-refs
Version: $Header: sf.music,v 1.28 94/09/19 23:34:08 rsk Exp $
Copyright Rich Kulawiec 1993, 1994.
This is the revised SF-in-music list. It isn't comprehensive, but
it does try to cover rock, jazz, folk, classical and electronic music.
Most of the items listed here fall pretty well into these categories.
There is also a list of SF-based operas, which was assembled by
Evelyn C. Leeper and is reproduced here with permission. I've attempted
to list everybody who helped in the large (and growing) montage at the end.
SF can stand for whatever you'd like it to; science fiction, science fantasy,
speculative fiction, you pick it. My personal definition is rather broad,
which, coupled with the copious contributions of those of you on the
various networks, accounts for the length of this list.
One thing that I've changed since the last revision: I'm now listing
purely instrumental pieces along with everything else, rather than
bundling them at the end. This is mostly due to the large number
of updates that folks have sent in which list instrumental pieces.
I guess we'll see how it goes.
I'm not really interested in adding filk or novelty records to this list;
not that I have anything against them, but they would probably be
more appropriate on another list.
In most cases, I've relied on the contributions that have been sent in;
in others, I've verified spellings and attributions. Thus, the accuracy
of the information is uneven; so be it. Corrections (VIA MAIL ONLY)
are quite welcome, as are additions. I will be maintaining this list
and re-sending it periodically.
--
Rich Kulawiec, r...@gynko.circ.upenn.edu
--
10 CC:
Old Mister Time (from the album "Bloody Tourists") is
a story about an old man (living in a broken shack on the railway)
who is collecting junk to build a time-machine;
eventually he makes it work and disappears.
1919:
Has an EP "Machine".
801
Track "East of Asteroid". See also Eno, Brian.
AC/DC:
"Who Made Who" from the Maximum Overdrive soundtrack.
Acen:
Has a song called "Trip II the Moon (The Darkside)".
Adam Ant:
"Ants Invasion" (elsewhere reported as "Forbidden Zone")
from "Kings of the Wild Frontier" is about the invasion of the earth by ants.
Adolphson & Falk:
This Swedish band had a hit with "Control is Flashing Blue", a song
about how computers/sensors say everything is okay, but something
is crawling in the shadows. Most of their albums have a very dominant
SF theme. One example is 'Med Rymden I Blodet' (With Space In The Blood).
(In the same sense that one might say that a family with a seafaring
tradition "has the sea in their blood").
After the Fire:
"Suspended Animation" is either about weightlessness or genuine
suspended animation, and "Starflight" describes interstellar flight.
Alan Parsons Project:
Albums "I, Robot" (but not based on Asimov) and "Tales of Mystery and
Imagination (Poe). The title track from "Ammonia Avenue" is about a
world destroyed by pollution.
Alarm, The:
"The Stand" -- about Stephen King's "The Stand".
Alice Cooper:
On "School's Out", the words "Klaatu barada nikto" occur in background
vocals near the end of "My Stars". The album "Alice Cooper Goes to Hell"
is a fantasy. "Clones (We're All)" appears on "Alice Cooper '80: Flush
the Fashion"; it's about a collection of clones who revel against their
situation. He also refers to "the twilight zone" in "The Quiet Room"
from "From the Inside" and in "Wish You Were Here" from "...Goes to Hell".
Also, check out "BB on Mars" from "Pretties for You".
Finally, "No Baloney Homo Sapiens" from "Zipper Catches Skin" is about
a human challenege to potential marauding aliens.
Alien:
Early '80's post-disco group whose album "Sons of the Universe" has SF
themes running all through it.
Alphaville:
The album "Afternoons in Utopia" include tracks such as "Afternoons
in Utopia", "20th Century" and "Lady Bright" (which contains an old
rhyming couplet about generally relativity). See also "For a Million"
of "Breathtaking Blue", with its reference to dancing under an alien sun.
Ambrosia:
"Nice, Nice, Very Nice" is from the 53rd Calypso of Bokonon from
Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut. Also "Time Waits for no One"; both
are on "Ambrosia", which also contains a reading of Jabberwocky.
Ambrosia is probably known to most readers for their mid-70's
hit "Holdin' On to Yesterday".
America:
"Sandman" refers to Nolan's "Logan's Run."
Amin Bhatia:
Has an entire album entitled "Interstellar Suite" about space travel.
Amon Duul II:
Some sf-oriented material; German band from the mid-seventies.
Two of their albums are "Made in Germany" and "Vive La Trance".
Amos, Tori:
"Tear in Your Hand" contains the line "If you need me,
me and Neil are hanging out with the Dream King." Neil Gaiman is the
creator of "Sandman", and is apparently a good friend of Tori's.
(Side note: The "Sandman" issue "Brief Lives" includes
some of the lyrics from that song. Tori also wrote the introduction
to the "Death: High Cost of Living" trade paperback.) And the song
"Happy Phantom" is about traipsing around the world after one is dead.
Anderson, Ian:
Vocalist from Jethro Tull. His 1983 LP, "Walk Into Light" contains a
notable SF-related track, "User Friendly".
Anderson, Jon:
Vocalist from Yes. Solo album, "Olias of Sunhillow", from 1976.
"Olympia" from "Animation" seems to discuss a futuristic world;
"Boundaries" from the same album may be about the aftermath of a future war.
Anderson, Laurie:
Surrealism & sf-type music. Try "O Superman" and "Language is a
Virus From Outer Space", which I seem to recall is derived from
Burroughs (William S., that is). Anderson has released several
works in collaboration/cooperation with Burroughs:
"You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"
(This one is not very easy to find) (Laurie, William, and one other
artist all contribute sections of this, but there is no tie between
the sections; more like an anthology than a collaboration in effect.)
"Home Of The Brave" (soundtrack from her movie "Home Of The Brave",
which included Burroughs in person);
"Sharkey's Night" (the album companion to "Home Of The Brave" movie;
the movie's -artistic- companion, rather than its soundtrack)
(Burroughs speaks once or twice)
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe:
(With bassist Chris Squire, these are the five core musicians of Yes.)
The eponymous album includes "Fist of Fire", a song about some sort
of acension after death, and "Birthright", about British atomic testing
carried out at Maralinga during the 50's and early 60's, which has
left many Aboriginal sacred sites and traditional lands uninhabitable.
Android Sisters, The:
"Songs of Electronic Despair".
Androids of MU:
A punk band that never got anywhere; their album "Blood Robots"
includes a track called "Lost in Space".
Ange:
(French progressive group) "Au-dela du delire" is a time-travel story.
Ant, Adam:
"Apollo 9" is about a trip to the moon.
Anthrax:
The album "Among the Living" contains "I Am the Law" (about Judge Dredd,
the 2000 AD hero) and "Among the Living" (about the antihero of Stephen
King's "The Stand").
Anvil:
"Mothra", about the monster from the "Godzilla" movies.
Aphrodite's Child:
The album "666" is the veritable armageddon waltz; it is a musical
retelling of the Apocalypse (Book of Revelations). Vangelis was
in this band back then.
Apocrypha:
"West World" is presumably about the film.
April Wine:
A heavy metal band who indulge in fantasy imagery; note "The Whole
World's Goin' Crazy" and its references to Lewis Caroll. Along
with Nektar and Pavlov's Dog, cult heroes in the St. Louis area
thanks to twenty years of airplay on KSHE-FM.
Archer, Tasmin:
Her first hit, "Sleeping Satellite" (from her album "Great
Expectations") is a lament for the end of the Apollo programme.
[ Damn...I thought it was about the end of a love affair! ---Rsk ]
Art of Noise:
"Paranoimia" features Max Headroom.
Asia:
"After the War", from "Astra" refers to post-WW III era.
"Wildest Dreams", from the first album, might also be about a war that
is yet to happen. "Sole Survivor", also from the first album, seems
to be in a similar vein.
Atlantics:
An Australian instrumental band from the early 1960s, had popular singles
entitled "Moon Man" and "War of the Worlds." The latter is
amazing for its evocative sound effects.
Atomic Rooster:
(one of the early heavy metal bands) "Lost in Space".
Automatic Man:
Two albums of SF-ish mystic stuff; notable track "I.T.D."
(Interstellar Tracking Device).
B-52's:
"Planet Claire", and "53 Miles West of Venus" from "Wild Planet".
"Cosmic Thing" and "Planet" (is this the correct title/album?)
from "Cosmic Thing" Also see the soundtrack to "Earth Girls Are Easy".
B.A.L.L:
"Little Tex in Trouble" and "Little Tex's Prelude" from "Trouble Doll"
are about a cowboy who sees his cattle being taken by aliens.
The Bags:
"September", from the album "Night of the Corn People", is about
a love affair between astronauts. "L. Frank Baum" is a tribute to the
Wizard of Oz books.
Ball, Edward:
Releases under many names, including Teenage Film Stars, The Times and
The Missing Scientists. Has done several songs with references to "The
Prisoner" including "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape".
Banks, Tony:
See "Man of Spells" from "Fugitive".
Barbarella:
Their album "The Art of Dance" consists only of songs about
Barbarella and containing samples from the film Barbarella.
Barenaked Ladies:
Another Canadian Band, with a song called "Grade 9", with the lines:
"Some of them are crazy and the others are depressed,
None of them can help me study for my math test.
I got into the classroom and my knowledge was gone;
I guess I should have studied 'stead of watching Wrath of Khan."
Bauhaus:
Did a cover of "Ziggy Stardust", and the song "Bela Lugosi's Dead",
which opens the film "The Hunger" (they perform in it, too). Their lyrics
are obscure enough so that most of their songs can be taken for SF - or
anything else, for that matter. They broke up in '83. 3 members became
Love and Rockets, the other, Peter Murphy, got a solo career. (See below)
Be Bop Deluxe:
Tracks include "Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus" (vague reminiscences
about '50s British SF-comics, also thought to be poking a little fun
at Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) and "Life In The Air Age" (a time
traveller stranded in a Gernsbackian future). Also see
"The Dangerous Stranger from the Highway to the End of Time" on "Modern Music".
Beatles:
The "Yellow Submarine" movie and accompanying soundtrack probably deserve
a mention as an example of an interesting animated fantasy experiment.
Bedford, David:
Albums include "Star's End"; could this be a reference to Asimov's
Foundation series ("Star's End", "Tazenda")?
He also wrote a sort of Rock Opera, "Rigel 9", to text by
Ursula le Guin. And "The Dark Nebula" to words by Arthur C Clark.
The Bee Gees:
"Edge of the Universe" is a space travel/love song
which first appeared as a track on the "Main Course" LP in 1975.
Two years latter was included as part of the "Here at Last .. Live"
album. The live version was released as a single and was the last
Top 40 hit for the Bee Gees before their "Saturday Night Fever"
releases and disco fame.
Belew, Adrian:
"Phone Call from the Moon", as well as "Looking For a UFO" from "Young
Lions" - a message of hope that aliens will come and save us
from destroying ourselves. The song "The Momur" from "Lone Rhinoceros"
tells the story of a man who's wife turns into a "momur" (a critic);
probably not really science fiction.
Benatar, Pat:
"My Clone Sleeps Alone".
The Bevis Frond:
Lots of SF and fantasy imagery, eg. "The Miskatonic Variations" from
"The Auntie Winnie Album".
Big Country:
Some songs have a magical theme, but the most outstanding is "The
Seer" from the album by the same name, about a woman who foretells the Roman
invasion of Scotland.
Black, Frank:
Frank Black is Black Francis from the Pixies. His solo album has the track
"Parry the Wind High, Low" which is about a UFO/Trekkies convention.
Black Sabbath:
Sort of. Tends to black magic et. al. See "Paranoid" for
"Iron Man" (mechanical golem?), "Plant Caravan" and "Electric Funeral"
(nuclear war?);"Black Sabbath" (1st LP) for demented ravings like
"Behind the Wall of Sleep" (Lovecraft). "Heaven and Hell" is all fantasy.
Some speculation that "Iron Man" refers to the comic book hero (paraplegic
w/special iron alloy suit and powers far beyond...) The song "Computer God",
from "Dehumanizer" concerns a sinister cyberpunk-like virtual reality.
Blake, Tim:
Electronic New Age. Albums "Crystal Machine", "Blake's New Jerusalem",
both SF. Was in Hawkwind 1979-80, and Gong 1972-1975.
Blitzkrieg:
The song "Blitzkrieg" talks about aliens arriving and some sort of war.
Song was covered by Metallica.
Blondie:
SF themes in some songs: e.g. the "Man from Mars" in "Rapture";
also "Dragonfly" from "The Hunter", which is a half-spoken half-sung
description of a race between spaceships that uses a collage of
sf buzzwords. See also "The Attack of the Giant Ants".
Debbie Harry (lead singer) and Chris Stein (lead guitar) sing in the
animated SF/fantasy movie _Rock and Rule_ (along with Lou Reed and Iggy Pop).
Blue Oyster Cult:
Many tracks on many albums with SF themes; "Veteran of the Psychic
Wars" (which also was on the "Heavy Metal" soundtrack; the narrator
is Corum, of Moorcock's "Chronicles of Corum") from "Fire of
Unknown Origin", "E.T.I.", "The Subhuman", "Flaming Telepaths" and most
of the rest of the LP's "Tyranny and Mutation" and "Secret Treaties".
Later work includes "Godzilla" (from "Spectres" and "Some Enchanted
Evening"), which about our favorite Tokyo-bashing reptile; "Monsters"
(from "Cultosaurus Erectus"), which is about a small group of people
who escape a ravaged Earth but wind up battling each other over one of
the women; "Black Blade" (from "Cultosaurus Erectus" and "E.T. Live",
a song done with Michael Moorcock; the nararator is Elric, from
his Elric saga) "Nosferatu" (from "Spectres"), which is a
retelling of the Dracula story; "Vengeance (The Pact)" (from "Fire
of Unknown Origin), which retells the "Taarna" segment from the movie
"Heavy Metal"; and "Sole Survivor" (also from "Fire..."), tells the
story of the last man alive on earth, who runs away when aliens come to
rescue him. The LP "Imaginos" tells the story of a sorcerer attempting
to release the demonic other-worldly beings called "Les Invisibles".
"The Great Sun Jester" from "Mirrors" is based on the novel
"The Fireclown" by Michael Moorcock (also released as "The Winds
of Limbo"). "Joan Crawford" from "Fire..." might be SF depending
on how you feel about wire hangers. Incidentally, a couple of
Karl Edward Wagner's "Kane" series contain direct references to
the BOC song "Astronomy" (from "Secret Treaties"); in particular,
there's a chapter entitled "On the Origin of Storms". "Take Me Away"
(from "The Revolution by Night") is about a guy who wants to go visit aliens.
Boiled in Lead:
Minneapolis-based folk-rock-world outfit. They record some
folk/fantasy-sounding numbers. Their latest album, Antler Dance,
includes some songs co-written by SF author Steven Brust (or is it Stephen?).
Boney M.:
"Night Flight to Venus" (title track of LP), and "Steppenwolf",
a werewolf story, on the same LP.
Bonzo Dog DooDah Band:
"Urban Spaceman" from "The Best of the Bonzos",
and "There's a Monster Coming" from "Gorilla".
Boom Crash Opera:
Australian band whose song "The Best Thing" from "Look! Listen!"
describes an astronaut's experiences in flight.
Bored Games:
Song "Joe 90". Classic Kiwi underground pop.
This schoolboy band was one of the early proponents of the "Dunedin Sound"
associated with the Flying Nun label, and band members went on to play
in virtually every important Dunedin band, including the Chills,
the Verlaines, the Clean, Straightjacket Fits etc.
Boston:
The LP "Third Stage" has a track emulating a spaceship take-off.
(All three of their album covers tell the story of the Guitar Spaceship
and its quest for a new home.)
Bow Wow Wow:
Punk. "I want my baby on Mars", "Giant sized baby thing!".
Bowie, David:
"Space Oddity" (most emphatically NOT "Major Tom") discusses eerie
experiences in orbit. Also has a film, "The Man who Fell to Earth".
See also "Diamond Dogs" (mutated life on earth after the bomb)
and "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", about a rock band on
an earth with five years left; this LP also contains "Five Years"
and "Starman". From "Hunky Dory", see "Life on Mars", and from "Station
to Station", see "TVC15". See also "Ashes to Ashes", "Memory of a
Free Festival", and "1984". Also, "Cat People (Putting out the Fire)"
from "Let's Dance", the title song to the movie. His collaboration
with the Sales Brothers (Tin Machine), released an album with some
SF-oriented tracks, such as "Tin Machine", "Video Crime", and "I Can't Read".
--- Some commentary on Bowie...
Bowie, David:
A lot of his albums contain at least a few sf songs. The major ones are:
"Space Oddity", the title track (often mistakenly referred to as "Major Tom")
was apparently played on the BBC broadcast of Neil Armstrong's moon walk;
"The Man Who Sold the World"; "Hunky Dory" which contains 'Life on Mars';
"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", the first
side has sf songs, the second is about a rock band whose lead singer self-
destructs (presumably the band which sang the first side); "AladdinSane";
"Diamond Dogs", a sort of Orwellian '1984' album which contains the song
'1984' and other songs about big brother; "Heroes", "Scary Monsters (and
super creeps)" which contains the title track and 'Ashes to Ashes', a
followup to 'Space Oddity'. Also, 'Cat People (Putting out the Fire)'
(tenuosly sf) from "Let's Dance", the title song to the movie of the same
name. "Tonight" contains a song, 'Loving the Alien" and his latest
album, "Never Let Me Down", has another. "Station to Station" was originally
written, but not used, as the soundtrack to one of his films, "The Man who
Fell to Earth", a classic about an alien stranded on earth. Bowie has done
a couple of other sf films, "The Hunger", about vampires, and "Labyrinth",
where he plays the goblin king who has kidnapped a young girl's baby brother
after she brattishly announces, "I wish the goblins would take him away!"
-- Scott Butler
---
Brickel, Edie and the New Bohemians:
The title track from "Ghost of a Dog" is, uh, well, about the ghost of a dog.
Brightman, Sarah
"I Lost my Heart to a Starship Trooper", "Love In A U.F.O.", and
"The Love Crusader" (not quite sf, but has many snips of supposed
intergalactic radio conversations, etc.) and "Lost in Space"
are all from a 1979 album.
Broderna Brothers:
Swedish band, with an song "Karlek i rymden" ("Love in Space") about
the boyfriend of a female astronaut.
Brown, Arthur:
In the late sixties, "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown" had a big hit
with "Fire". In the mid-to-late-70's, he released an album called
"Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come", rife with SF themes. For example,
the first track is "Time Captives", about a group of people who have
crashed their timeship. (The album may have been a double LP in the UK.)
Brown, Julie:
"Earth Girls are Easy". :-)
Brownsville Station:
"The Martian Boogie" was a 1977 single about an alien who learns to
rock n' roll. The song was sort of a minor cult classic for this
band in the midwest as they tried to follow-up on their "Smokin' in
the Boy's Room" success. The single was issued on the Private Stock label.
(Your editor would like to mention that he saw Brownsville Station and
Styx on a double bill in a converted skating rink outside St. Louis around
1975 or so...it was an interesting pairing, to say the least. ---Rsk )
Buckner and Garcia:
"Hyperspace", "Defender". (These *are* the guys that did
that awful Pacman song.)
Buggles, The:
The LP "Age of Plastic" contains many SF themes;for instance, the title
song has the lines "They send the Heart Police to put you under
cardiac arrest" (1984 meets Harlan Ellison's Ticktockman?) Also "I Love
You, Miss Robot". See also "Johnny on the Monorail". See also
"Adventures in Modern Recording", with SF tracks such as "Vermillion Sands",
"Inner City", "Rainbow Warrior", and maybe "On TV".
For trivia fans: "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first video shown
on MTV.
Bunnydrums:
"PKD", for Phillip K. Dick.
Burnett, T-Bone:
"We Are Humans From Earth" from the soundtrack of "Until the End of
the World".
Bush, Kate:
"Breathing", about breathing the fallout following a nuclear blast, (supposed
to be sung by an unborn child) is from "Never For Ever", and "Experiment IV"
from "The Whole Story" about designing a sound that can kill.
"Cloudbusting" is about a boy (played by Kate in the video) whose father
builds a rain-making machine and is kidnapped by the government.
(This song was inspired by Peter Reich's "The Book of Dreams".
The lines "I hid my Yo-yo/In the garden/
what made it special/made it dangerous"
is a reference to the fact that the rainmaking energy was inhibited
by radiation, so Peter's father made him throw away his yo-yo.
Peter buried it in the garden instead. -- Theo O'Neal)
(Peter Reich's father, Wilhelm Reich, was actually a 'scientist'
(regard the quotes) who did research in 'orgone energy'. Don't ask
me seriously what 'orgone energy' should be, but one of it's
abilities should have been to make it rain. The story
behind that is not sci-fi at all, it is true life (more or less).
Wilhelm Reich was actually arrested by the government and died in
prison, something the nine (or so) year old Peter couldn't comprehend
as a child. Peter later wrote 'a book of dreams' to cope with that
experience. -- Ulrich Grepel )
See also "Hammer Horror" from "Lionheart", a throwback to the
horror films of the 60's. "Deeper Understanding" from "The Sensual
World" is about computer addiction. "Hello Earth" from "Hounds of Love"
refers to an astronaut viewing the earth from his spaceship.
KB also covered Elton John's "Rocket Man".
Byrds, The:
"Hey Mr. Spaceman" from "The Fifth Dimension". "Space Odyssey"
from "Notorious Byrd Brothers" is a retelling of Clarke's "The Sentinel".
Byrne, David:
"In the Future", from the "Civil Wars" soundtrack is an
often-contradictory list how we will be in the future.
Camel:
Lots of fantasy stuff on various albums, notably "Mirage", which
contains the song "White Rider" (about Gandalf). "Moonmadness" contains
the instrumental "Lunar Sea". See also "Echoes" from "Breathless".
Camper Van Beethoven:
"The Day That Lassie Went To The Moon" from "Telephone Free Landslide
Victory", 1985; cover of Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" from self-titled
album, 1986. Other songs include some "fantastic" imagery. The title of
their album "II & III" is an oblique reference to R.A. Wilson's
"Illuminatus!" books (they also did the theme for a TV show Wilson did,
apparently; it appears on their album "Key Lime Pie").
Can:
First album "Monster Movie", 1969; occasional spacey themes in songs
("Cascade Waltz" on "Flow Motion" mentions a spaceship and an astronaut).
Candlemass:
A Swedish heavy metal band - pretty much slow heavy doom metal
with fantasy themes. LP's include "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", "Nightfall",
"Ancient Dreams" and "Tales of Creation". This last often suggests
Michael Moorcock characters, particularly Corum.
Canto, Bel:
"Picnic on the Moon" from the album "Birds of Passage".
It's about a girl (the singer) who finds an old diary and reads an old story
she dreamed up about taking a Baron's old balloon (hot-air, I assume),
flying to the moon, and, upon arrival, well, having a picnic...
Captain Beefheart:
"Big Eyed Beans from Venus" and "The Floppy Boot Stomp". The latter is
that tale of a farmer who accidentally summons the devil while squaredancing.
Captain Beyond:
"Astral Lady", "Voyagers From Distant Planets", etc.
Caravan:
"Cthulhu" from "Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night".
Carlos, Wendy (Walter):
The soundtrack recording to "A Clockwork Orange".
Carpenters:
See "Klaatu".
Jim Carrol Band:
The song "Nothing is True" is as Robert Anton Wilson as you can get.
Cassandra Complex:
Their album "Satan, Bugs Bunny and Me..." contains "E*O*D", a track
which discusses Cthulhu. The album "Cyberpunx" contains some tracks
with cyberpunkish dark visions of the future, e.g. "Nightfall (over the EC)".
Caswell and Carnahan:
Do a song called "Borderlands" which is about a man who
goes back in time to meet a woman but must return to his own time.
[There is a novel called The House On The Borderland by William Hodgeson(?)
Among its (sub)plots there is a man who goes back (or maybe sideways) in
time to meet a woman but must return to his own time.]
Cheap Trick:
"Dream Police" (title track).
Chicago:
Last side of Chicago III is a suite named "Elegy" about ecodeath and final war.
----Some commentary on this from Ed Eastridge:
The side as a whole is named Elegy. Elegy's principal writer was trombonist
James Pankow. It is about humans killing themselves off in the name of
progress. Another song off of this album which is in a similar vein is
"Mother" describing the Raping of the Earth by Highways and other man-made
occurences. Anyway, If I can rememeber correctly Elegy consists of five
movements, the names As I can recall are:
"When All the Laughter Dies in Sorrow" (a small poem)
"Canon" (Brass quartet type of feel,interesting harmonies.)
"Once Upon a Time"(Soft Jazz ballad featuring Flute and Trombone.)
"Progress?" (Dissonant and forboding. Uses taped sounds of jackhammers,
traffic, etc. Most interesting is the use of the toilet...:))
"The Approaching Storm" (Normal Jazz type number like mid-60's "cool" sound)
"Man vs Man = The End" (Contemporary almost 12-tonal in sound, definitely not
like "normal" Chicago)
All in all, this is a good piece. The songs are cohesive, transitions are
smooth and subtle. (If you couldn't tell by now, yes, I am a Chicago freak).
--- Ed Eastridge
----
The Church:
Their last three albums ("Priest = Aura", "Gold Afternoon Fix", and
"Starfish") contain a good deal of SF material, such as:
"Pharaoh", "City", "Terra Nova Cain", "Priest = Aura", and "Dome".
Clannad:
New-age Celtic-folk stuff; numerous songs about druids, Stonehenge,
that sort of thing. Also did much of the music for the British
"Robin Hood" TV show, as well as the film "Last of the Mohicans".
Borderline for inclusion here, since they tend more toward New Age
stuff rather than sf&f.
Clarke, Stanley:
Jazz bassist, who spent considerable time with Chick Corea and Al Dimeola
in "Return to Forever". His self-titled solo release (mostly instrumental)
has a vocal track called "Vulcan Princess", about a woman he has loved
"through eternity". This track also appears on a recently released CD
of his live performances, "Stanley Clarke Live 1975-1976".
Clash, the:
A band pretty much centered in the (then) Now, but had a couple songs
taking place in the future. "Groovy Times" (from "Black Market Clash")
is roughly about a fascist state, apparently sparked by the sight of
chain-link fences around a soccer stadium. "London Calling" (from the
LP of the same name) is about the apocalypse, a possibility which is
treated rather ambivalently. "Atom Tan" (from "Combat Rock") is about
the apocalypse again, from sort of a Beat-Marxist angle.
Clark, Allan:
Album (title unknown) with multiple songs dealing with reincarnation.
Clark, Anne:
On her "Changing Places" album, "Sleeper in Metropolis" deals
with loss of all human contact in a future (or present) world;
"Poem for a Nuclear Romance" is about what will happen to two
lovers in a nuclear war.
Clinton, George (and Parliament/Funkadelic):
Parliament released a series of albums during the seventies with overt
SF themes: "The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein", "Mothership Connection",
and others. Clinton had a solo hit with "Atomic Dog" in the mid-80's.
All this music ranges from slow-burn funk to beat-heavy disco.
(Their influence is still felt in a number of places -- e.g. one
of the sequences in the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" film.)
Clouds:
Australian pop music quartet. Have a song "Fox's Wedding" inspired by
a Japanese fairy tale. Their debut album "Penny Century" is named after
the character in Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez' comic book "Love and Rockets".
Colourbox:
A track from their "Colourbox" LP entitled "Just Give "em Whiskey." has
quotes from "Prisoner", "2001" and "West World" on it.
Concrete Blonde:
The album "Bloodletting" has "The Vampire Song" which sounds like it
was patterned after Anne Rice's Vampire novels.
Cooder, Ry:
"UFO has Landed in the Ghetto" from "The Slide Area". Cooder is
extremely well-regarded among other professional guitar players,
and is known responsible (with Steve Vai) for the music in the
film "Crossroads".
Consolidated:
Rap group, used a sample from They Live!. It's part of the speech that
someone (the President?) is holding on TV. Part of it is "We have faith in our
leaders".
Costello, Elvis:
"Tokyo Storm Warning" from "Blood and Chocolate"; mentions the cheap
sets found in some Japanese horror/sf movies. (In the sleeve notes to
"Girls Girls Girls" (a retrospective collection of Elvis Costello + The
Attractions songs) Costello says that Tokyo Storm Warning is influenced
by "brutal SF stories", and mentions Philip K Dick as one of the
influences.) "Waiting for the End of the World" from "My Aim Is True",
(self explanatory) and "Night Rally" (fascist rally/totalitarian government)
"Hurry Down Doomsday (the Bugs Are Taking Over)" from "Mighty Like a
Rose". "Satellite" from the album _Spike_ is based on concepts from
"Radio Free Albemuth" by Philip K. Dick.
Crack the Sky:
"Robots for Ronnie" off "Crack the Sky" (not about Ronnie Reagan, but
could easily be adapted!). "Invaders from Mars" off "Animal Notes"
(the martians are coming for our hero, but he doesn't care, 'cause
it's probably better over there!). "Nuclear Apathy" off "Safety in
Numbers" discusses how the situation looks to those on the Moon.
Cracker:
Led by David Lowery, formerly of Camper Van Beethoven.
"Nostalgia" (from "Kerosene Hat", 1993) is about a stranded cosmonaut,
also mentioned on the single "Low", from the same album.
Cramps:
Contributed a song to the soundtrack of "Return of the Living Dead",
called "Surfin' Dead" (about zombies and the like, not
to mention numerous uses of 50's-60's era hot-rod lingo.)
Crash Test Dummies:
A Canadian group. "Superman Song" from their first album, "The Ghosts that
Haunt Me", is about the man of steel himself, comparing his lifestyle to that
of Tarzan.
The Cravats:
A number of albums contain SF references. For example the album "The
Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes" uses recordings from TV's "The
Twilight Zone" and "The Prisoner" plus the film "Them!". The title
track ends with the narrator's father being eaten by his roses. The
Cravats later turned into The Very Things and released the album
"Motortown!", which contains the track "The Land of the Giants" about
the TV series.
Cream:
(Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce.)
"Tales of Brave Ulysses" from "Disraeli Gears" is about the
well-known mythological character; "Those Were the Days"
from "Wheels of Fire" is about Atlantis.
The Creatures:
"Pluto Drive" from "Boomerang".
Creedence Clearwater Revival:
"It Come Out of the Sky".
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young:
"Wooden Ships" is a resigned tale of survival in a post-nuclear world.
"Teach Your Children" is part of the soundtrack to "Silent Running".
The Cure:
On the "Faith" LP there is a track called "The Drowning Man" based on
chapter 75 in 'Gormenghast' by Mervyn Peake describing the death of Fuschia.
Dalek I Love You (aka Dalek I):
Who are these folks?
The Damned:
"I Just Can't Be Happy Today" (single + live on "The Black Album")
deals with a future military state in the UK.
Danse Society:
On their "Heaven is Waiting" LP is cover of "2000 Light Years from home".
DeBurgh, Chris:
"The Vision", "The Leader", and "What About Me?", a three-song
series from "Into the Light" discusses the Revelation, which may or
may not be a fantasy, depending on your viewpoint. See "A Spaceman Came
Travelling" and "The Tower" from "Spanish Train", "The Girl With April
in Her Eyes" from "Crusader", "Sight and Touch" from "Man on the Line"
(post-WW3), and "Don't Pay the Ferryman" from "The Getaway".
Also note "The Devil's Eye" from "Crusader", about the Devil taking over the
world through TV screens, and "Sin City" from "Far Beyond These Castle Walls",
about the Devil tempting people on Earth.
Dead Milkmen:
Have done a number of SF songs, including "Right Wing Pigeons" from
"Big Lizard in my Backyard", and "The Thing That Only Eats Hippies".
See also "Rocketship" and "Blood Orgy of the Atomic Fern"
on "Buckey Fellini".
Deep Fix:
Michael Moorcock's band of the late seventies-produced one album, "The
New Worlds Fair". A sort of cross between rock and slow square dance.
Deep Purple:
Occasional forays into SF. "Space Truckin'", from "Machine Head".
"The Mule", from "Fireball" (Asimov's 'Foundation'?).
Def Leppard:
Heavy Metal. First album ("On Through The Night" has a futuristic track,
"When the Walls Came Tumblin' Down", and a fantasy "Overture".
The videos for "Foolin'" and "Rock of Ages" from "Pyromania" contain
fantasy/SF elements, although the lyrics of the songs aren't explicitly
SF-ish. The LP "Hysteria" includes "Gods of War", "Run Riot",
"Armageddon it" and "Rocket" which have s-f themes (It sounds so, at least).
The video for "Women" (also from "Hysteria")is about a s-f comic story
(called "Def Leppard and the Women of Doom").
Devo:
"Q: Are we not men? A: We are DEVO" and "Duty Now for the Future" are
full of SF themes; examples are "Space Junk" and "Jocko Homo". "Freedom
of Choice" and "New Traditionalists" also have some SF material.
Also "Shout" has a couple of SF tracks on it: "Are You Experienced?"
(the Hendrix song) and "4th Dimension". "Mr DNA" from "Duty Now for the
Future" is apparently about genetic engineering.
Diamond, Neil:
"Heartlight" is based on "E.T."
Dio:
Most Dio albums are fantasy in tone, i.e. covers & liners. "The Last
in Line" is about a quest to find a witch. Other songs and videos
have similar themes.
Divinyls:
Australian grunge band, did a track called "Science Fiction" on
their "Desperate" album. It's more about your average sf fan
"I thought love was science fiction...now that love is my addiction,
I've thrown all my books away."
DOEF:
(the OE being O umlaut, DOEF stands for Deutsch-Oestereichische-Freunschaft,
German-Austrian-Friendship) once wrote a song called 'Codo'. It's about
a peace and love bringing alien.
Dogzilla:
Boston funk band with songs "Mr. Toad's WIld Ride", "Scarab of Ra",
"The Two-Headed Baby Song" and "Giant Squid" as examples from "There's
Always Something Wrong"/"Allizgod". Fun.
Dolby, Thomas:
"Golden Age of Wireless" is mostly (if not all) songs about
science/technology and man. "The Flat Earth" also contains these themes
to a lesser extent. The album "Aliens Ate My Buick" (an SF title if ever
I heard one) includes the track "May The Cube Be With You" (first line -
"Late one night a happy Martian with nothing to do"). See also the
album "Astronauts and Heretics".
Donovan (w/Paul McCartney):
"Atlantis" (Georg Danzer translated and sang a German version.)
See also "The Intergalactive Laxative" and the title track
from "Cosmic Wheels". "Sunshine Superman" probably deserves
a mention as well.
Dorough, Bob:
"Little Twelvetoes" is about an alien with 12 toes.
Geoffrey Downes New Dance Orchestra:
"Plastic Age" on one of their albums (which one, anybody?).
Dr. John:
"Gris-Gris" and "Gumbo" are heavily into New Orleans voodoo party mysticism.
Dschinghis Khan:
A German band with a song called "Kaept'n Nemo" about Jules Vernes'
undersea captain.
Duran Duran:
(Note: The group's name comes from a character in the Jane Fonda/Roger Vadim
film "Barbarella".)
Some comments from Gabrielle de Lioncourt on Duran Duran:
Their first album has "Planet Earth" and "Sound of Thunder" (the
latter about waiting for the bomb to drop). A B-side, "Faster than
Light", was also SF. Duran Duran have a very interesting video
history for SF lovers. The majority of their videos were directed
by Russel Mulchaey, director of Highlander. Some video plots:
"Night Boat" - zombie horror video
"Hungry Like The Wolf" - man chases woman who turns into panther.
"New Moon On Monday" - near future story of peaceful revolt against
totalitarian regime.
"Union of the Snake" - man from Earth travels into the world
beneath ours.
"View to a Kill" - James Bond fantasy.
"Wild Boys" wasn't a tribute to Barbarella. It was taken from
their film "Arena", a _very_ surreal story that takes place half
in the arena where Duran Duran are holding their concert and half
in the strange underworld below the arena (where Wild Boys takes
place). The videos by Arcadia, a splinter portion of the band,
are also surreal and SF-ish.
Dylan, Bob:
"Talkin' World War III Blues"
Earth, Wind & Fire:
"Jupiter" from "All 'n All"; the singer is visited by an alien
who wants to bring love and peace to the world by means of a
flower from his plant. "Electric Nation" from the "Electric Universe" album
tells how it won't be so bad to become a country of robots, as long as
we can still dance. ;-)
Edelweiss:
An Austrian band who've recorded a parody of the Star Trek theme entitled
"Raumschiff Edelweiss" ("Spaceship Edelweiss"); they also have a
corresponding video.
Electric Light Orchestra:
"Mission (A World Record)" on "A New World Record". The entire album
"Time" involves a man from 1981 winding up in the 21st century (or perhaps
the other way around). The "10538 Overture" is a dystopia set in that year.
(Although closer examination of the lyrics indicates that "10538" might
be a person, not a year.)
Elektric Music:
The Kraftwerk offshoot band's first album "Esperanto" has a song about
making love to a machine ("Kissing The Machine"). Co-written by and
features the vocals of OMD's Andy McCluskey.
Elephant's Memory:
The track "Old Man Willow" is apparently a reference to the sentient
trees described by Tolkien.
Eloy:
(German/Swiss electronic progressive rock) See "Ocean", the atlantis
myth; "Planets","Time to Turn", a two album story of fantasy with a
twist. (It's about "the rise and fall of the most beautiful planet in
the universe, Salta".) Also, "Giant" from "Colours" and "Night Riders"
and "Metromania" from "Metromania", about the high tech near future. The
LP "Power and the Passion" is based on a story involving a student who
ingests some of his father's experimental timedrug. He travels back 600
years and falls in love, gets involved in her father's fight with the
peasants and eventually finds a wizard to send him back to the future.
(The name of the band was based on the Eloi race from H. G. Wells'
"The Time Machine".)
Emerald Web:
(small obscure west coast duo [flute & synthesizer]) New age material,
but one album is "Dragon Wings and Wizard Tales", a fantasy story set
to music.
Emerson, Lake, & Palmer:
Space battle in "Karn Evil 9" from "Brain Salad Surgery". (Artwork
by H R Giger, of "Alien" fame.) See also "Tarkus", whose tracks
seem to loosely correlate with the cover artwork, but which I've
never been quite able to figure out.
Eno, Brian:
Albums: "Apollo" and "On Land"; see also "The Fat Lady of Limbourg"
from "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy", a bizarre story of
SF and espionage. See also "Nerve Net".
----Some commentary on Eno from Tim Day:
Re "Apollo": This is purely instrumental. It was apparently written as
sountrack for a video documentary of the Apollo missions (bits were
also used in the film "Static"), but I don't think this qualifies
it for the main section of the list any more than <random Tangerine Dream track>
"On Land" is also instrumental. #1 of a series entitled "Ambient" (sort of
intelligent background muzak). It is intended to suggest large open spaces
(and succeeds very well). But SF ? No way.
Eno's philosophy towards song lyrics seems to be summarized by the first
track (I forget the name) on "Another Green World":
"All the clouds turn to words;
All the words float in sequence
And no-one knows what they mean
Everyone just ignores them"
Eno's songs generally aim to invoke an atmosphere, mood or emotion.
Like the music, lyrics are just another tool to serve this purpose; this can
often be done using particular words or phrases. However, the song they form
in combination is essentially meaningless (which is why it's so difficult
to classify any of his stuff as SF !). "The Fat Lady of Limbourg" is
probably the closest he's come. (Though it really seems to be just about
bumbling espionage agencies.)
--- Tim Day
-----
Enya:
"Aldebaran" is dedicated to Ridley Scott; the liner notes about it read:
"The Red giant star, Aldeberan, found in the constellation of Taurus,
is the Eye of the bull. From the Arabic, Al Dabaran, it means
'the follower' as it 'follows' the Pleiades. This piece portrays
future Celts passing Aldebaran on their journey to new territories,
continuing the migratory pattern which was so predominant in their
early history."
Another track, apparently Tolkien-derived, is "Lothlorien".
The album "Shepherd Moons" is a sort of reference to moons found in
the rings of Saturn, which, due to their gravitational influence,
hold some of the rings in place. (See also Clannad: Enya is the sister of
the former lead singer, and was part of their early line-up.)
Eon:
Their album "Void dweller" include several tracks with samples from SF
and horror movies. For example, "Spice" and "Fear: The Mindkiller"
have samples from Dune (saw that coming, didn't you?), "Electromagnetic
Waves" has samples from "Prince of Darkness" and so on.
Erasure:
Their song "Sweet Sweet Baby" includes samples from the films "Dark Star"
and "Barbarella".
Erickson, Roky:
"The Evil One" has a track entitled "Creature with the Atom Brain"
Also see "I Walked with a Zombie" (now you know all the lyrics :-) ).
Etheridge, Melissa:
Her 1992 release "Never Enough" includes "2001", a rocker with
semi-cyberpunk lyrics about the near future.
Europe:
A Swedish pop-slanted hard rock band, which did the song
"The Final Countdown", about being exiled from Earth.
Eurythmics:
Did the soundtrack to the recent version of "1984".
FM:
The album "Black Noise" is entirely SF, and deal with topics such
as suspended animation; "RocketRoll" from "Surveillance" is about SF Rock.
Also see "Phasers on Stun".
Fagen, Donald:
"True Companion", about a lonely starship pilot, appears on the
soundtrack for "Heavy Metal". (Incidentally, some folks have
interpreted I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year) to be futuristic;
but it refers to the optimistic vision held *during* the IGY, 1957.)
"Tomorrow's Girls" from "Kamakiria".
Fairport Convention:
A few fantasy-related songs -- most notably "Tam Lin", the classic
celtic tale of an encounter with the Queen of Faerie. F.C.'s music
is mostly based around traditional English folktales. (See also
Steeleye Span.)
Faith No More:
The last-minute addition of new singer and lyricist
Mike Patton before they came out with "The Real Thing" necessitated
that he write all the songs in about eight days, so he went on sort
of a scavenger hunt for topics. Among the usual assortment of love
songs, and some other truely weird topics, "Surprise! You're Dead!"
is about getting turned into a Vampire. "The Morning After" is about
a ghost, and is an adaptation of the film Siesta.
The Fall:
They have a song called "Lay of the Land" which starts with the
chanting of some "Planet people" from the British TV series
"Quatermass". "Spectre vs. Rector" on "Dragnet" is a story about
exorcism/possession- the demon is called Yog Sothoth (from H.P.
Lovecraft's horror books). "Jaw Bone and the Air-Rifle" on "Hex
Induction Hour" is about a curse. See also "Elves", "Bug Day".
Falling Joys:
Australian band; the title trakck from the album "Psychohum" is the
story of the galaxy being saved by the crew of a spaceship...until
the lyrics abruptly change direction and start describing a genie.
Farmer, Mylene:
This French singer has a song "Tristana" which tells the story of that
beautiful girl ("Schneewitchen" in German) with the seven dwarfs.
Fiona:
"Nights on Earth", from the soundtrack to "Hearts of Fire",
features the chorus line "Remember all the nights we spent on earth, long
before the colonies were planted in the sky".
Firm:
"Star Trekkin'". This is not the same "Firm" who did "Radioactive",
i.e. it's not Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page.
Fink Brothers:
"Mutants in Mega City One", from 2000AD comic (origin of Judge Dredd).
America portrayed as three cities under police control.
Fishbone:
Off their self titled album, "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." stands for
"Voyage to the Land of the Freeze-Dried Godzilla Farts" and is
about a government attempt to convince everything that Hiroshima was
actually caused by Godzilla farting. I kid you not.
"Party at Ground Zero" from the eponymous album.
Fischer Z (the Z is pronounced the Britisch way, sead with a soft s):
The title track from their album "Red Skies Over Paradise" is
about nuclear war in Britain.
The Five Blobs:
"The Blob".
The Fixx:
"Driven Out", about environmental disaster, from "Calm Animals".
(Known for early-80's hit "One Thing Leads to Another".)
Flaming Youth:
The album "Ark II" is a concept LP about the trials and tribulations of
a generation ship leaving earth. (Phil Collins was the drummer.)
Flash & the Pan:
"First and Last" is based on a combination of Olaf Stapledon's
"Last and First Men" and Arthur C. Clarke's "The Sentinel" or "2001,"
whichever you prefer. The song "California" is based on the novel
"Fail-Safe". See also "Atlantis Calling".
Flash Fearless and the Zorg Women, parts 5&6:
Another weird IGTB type collaboration album from the
late 70's with some well-known rockers on it.
Includes "I'm Flash" by Alice Cooper.
Fleck, Bela and the Flecktones:
"Flight of the Cosmic Hippo", and "UFO Tofu" a couple of songs
with self-explanatory titles. Incidentally, one of the Flecktones
is called "Future Man" and plays a futuristic SynthAxe Drumitar.
Fleetwood Mac:
"Green Manalishi". (Judas Priest did an eminently forgettable version.)
"Rhiannon" is about a Welsh witch.
Flock, The:
"Dinosaur Swamps" is an early LP. Notable for quality of musicians,
including Jerry Goodman who later joined the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Flock of Seagulls:
British band (circa 1982) very much associated with science fiction.
Songs with titles like "Man Made", "DNA", "Modern Love is Automatic",
and "Space Age Love