Bamboo Floor
lady.pen...@gmail.com
I've received today an email from my sister (who is currently
backpacking in China), titled 'In the house with the bamboo floor'.
Knowing her, I assumed it was a song quote, and my searches online
confirmed that there is indeed a John Cale song named 'Bamboo Floor',
whose obscurity seems very fitting to my sister's musical taste.
But try as I did, I couldn't find the lyrics to this song - so now this
is driving me crazy!
Please, can somebody help me out?
I would be eternally grateful if some music buff out there could either
post the lyrics, or alternatively let me know what song she is quoting.
Otherwise, this will bug me for weeks...
Thank you,
Yael
dickydoo
http://www.mixed-up.com/lyrics/round/mambo-bamboo/
lady.pen...@gmail.com
dickydoo wrote:
> Song called house of Bamboo refers to a bamboo floor.
> http://www.mixed-up.com/lyrics/round/mambo-bamboo/
I know, I found this song too, but it doesn't look right. First of all,
because my sister is less likely to know it (but that's not an
information you had), and mainly because it doesn't have the quote.
So I'm still looking for the John Cale one. :) Thanks though!
Frosty
08:24:07 -0700, and lady.pen...@gmail.com vomited forth this
bit of wisdom :
Maybe some of this info will help in your search.
John Cale
Born Mar 9, 1942 in Garnant, South Wales
Years Active: dai primi anni '60
Genres Rock
Styles Experimental Rock, Proto-Punk, Experimental, Prog-Rock/Art
Rock
Instruments Vocals, Viola, Keyboards, Harpsichord, Piano, Guitar,
Bass, Organ
Tones Reserved, Complex, Gloomy, Wintry, Provocative, Acerbic,
Hypnotic, Quirky, Detached, Literate, Cerebral, Eerie, Ironic, Bleak,
Volatile
Labels Island (5), Table of the Elements (4), Mango (4), Hannibal
(3), Rhino (2), Reprise (2), Crepuscule (2)
AMG BIOGRAPHY:
While John Cale is one of the most famous and, in his own way,
influential underground rock musicians, he is also one of the hardest
to pin down stylistically. Much has been made of his schooling in
classical and avant-garde music, yet much of what he's recorded has
been decidedly song-oriented, dovetailing close to the mainstream at
times. Terming him a forefather of punk and new wave isn't exactly
accurate either. Those investigating his work for the first time under
that premise may be surprised at how consciously accessible much of
his output is, at times approaching (but not quite attaining) a fairly
"normal" rock sound. There is always a tension between the
experimental and the accessible in Cale's solo recordings, meaning
that he usually finds himself (not unwillingly) caught between the
cracks: too weird for commercial success, and yet not really weird or
daring enough to place him among the top rank of rock's innovators.
Any assessment of Cale's solo contributions also tends to be
overshadowed by his other considerable achievements. Before launching
his solo career, he was, with Lou Reed, a primary creative force
behind the Velvet Underground, as bassist, viola player, keyboardist,
and occasional co-songwriter (the exact nature of his compositional
contributions is still a matter of heated debate among the group). He
was without question one of the most influential producers of
pre-punk, punk, and new wave, overseeing important recordings by the
Stooges, Nico, Patti Smith, the Modern Lovers, and Squeeze. Ultimately
he may be better remembered for his work in the Velvets, and as a
producer, than for his own large discography.
The son of a Welsh coal miner (his father) and schoolteacher (his
mother), Cale was a child prodigy of sorts, performing an original
composition on the BBC before he entered his teens. In the early '60s,
he drifted toward the avant-garde, gaining a scholarship (with help
from Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein) to study music in the United
States. Moving to New York in 1963, he participated in an 18-hour
piano recital with John Cage (pictures of Cale performing at the event
made the New York Times). More important, he became a member of
LaMonte Young's minimalist ensemble, the Dream Syndicate, whose use of
repetitious drones would influence the arrangements of his next group,
the Velvet Underground.
Cale founded the Velvets with Reed and guitarist Sterling Morrison in
the mid-'60s. John met Lou when the latter was a struggling songwriter
for the rock & roll exploitation label Pickwick Records. He tested the
rock waters as part of the Primitives (with Reed and fellow Dream
Syndicate member Tony Conrad), who did a few live shows to promote a
silly novelty that Reed had written and recorded at Pickwick, "The
Ostrich." What Cale and Reed shared was an ambition to bring the
sensibilities of the avant-garde to rock music.
They succeeded in doing so over the next three years with the Velvet
Underground. While Reed was the most important member of the band as
the lead singer and primary songwriter, Cale was just as crucial in
devising the band's sound. It was Cale who was responsible for the
most experimental elements of their first two albums, The Velvet
Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat (1967), especially with
his droning viola parts on "Venus in Furs," "Heroin," and "Black
Angel's Death Song"; his pounding piano on "I'm Waiting for the Man"
and "All Tomorrow's Parties"; his deadpan narration of "The Gift"; and
the white-noise organ of "Sister Ray."
Yet Cale was ousted from the band in an apparent power play by Lou
Reed in the summer of 1968. Accounts still vary as to whether he was
fired and/or quit, but it's been suggested that Reed's ego found
Cale's talents threatening to his leadership of the band. Sterling
Morrison has said that Reed told him and Velvets drummer Maureen
Tucker that if Cale didn't leave, he would leave instead; the pair
reluctantly opted to side with Reed. The Velvets would continue to
make great music for a couple of years, but their experimental edge
was considerably blunted by Cale's absence.
Cale in any case was soon busy producing ex-Velvets singer Nico's
baroque-gothic The Marble Index (1969) and the Stooges' self-titled
debut album (also 1969). Though about as different as two projects
could be, both were extremely influential (though initially extremely
low-selling) cult items that helped lay the ground for punk and new
wave about five years later.
In 1970, Cale began his proper solo career with one of his best
albums, Vintage Violence. Those expecting a slab of radicalism were in
for a surprise; the material was the work of a low-key, accessible
singer/songwriter, working in the mold of the Band rather than the
Velvets. Listeners wouldn't have to wait long for something a bit more
radical; his next album, Church of Anthrax, was a collaboration with
minimalist composer Terry Riley that was almost entirely instrumental.
In some respects, these two records defined the poles of Cale's solo
career. Even at his most accessible, his music had a moody, even
morbid edge that precluded much radio airplay. Even at its most
experimental, it was never as avant-garde as, say, LaMonte Young. Cale
would reserve his most experimental outings for collaborations with
Riley, Brian Eno, and, much further down the road, Lou Reed.
On his own, he was more concerned with crafting songs, delivered in
his lilting if thin Welsh burr, and inventively arranged. It was in
his arrangements that his musical training and avant-garde background
were most evident, in its eclecticism (even drawing from country-rock
and guest shots from Lowell George at times) and touches of classical
music. Sometimes he'd take out his viola, but generally he focused on
the more traditional instruments of guitar and keyboards.
Cale has covered a wide territory on his solo albums without ever
quite making his mark as a major artist. His songs and concepts are
interesting, but ultimately he does not have the striking traditional
rock talents of someone like, say, his old rival Lou Reed. The hooks
aren't that sharp, the lyrics — often dealing with the psychological
and social dilemmas of late 20th-century life, in somewhat arty terms
— not as gripping.
Toward the end of the late '70s especially, his approach became
harder-rocking and a bit vicious, especially in concert, where he
would adopt a number of flamboyant costumes and theatrical poses that
verged on the confrontational (especially in a notorious incident in
which he killed a chicken on-stage). Generally he was most successful
in a more subdued and brooding mode, as on Vintage Violence or, much
later, Music for a New Society (1982). His discography is so large and
variable that the two-CD career retrospective, Seducing Down the Door,
might be the best place to start for those with enough interest to buy
more than one or two Cale records.
Cale never abandoned his production activities, and indeed a few of
the albums with his credits are destined to endure as more important
statements than anything he's done on his own. His sessions with
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (from the early '70s, but not
released until a few years later) anticipated punk and new wave. Patti
Smith's Horses (1975) was one of the best and most influential
recordings of the 1970s. There were also other albums with Nico, and
records with Squeeze, Sham 69, and others; for a couple years in the
early '70s, he was even a staff producer at Warners, handling unlikely
clients like Jennifer Warnes.
After the mid-'80s, Cale slowed (but did not curtail) work on his own
releases. His most high-profile outings since then have been
collaborations. Wrong Way Up (1990) matched him with Brian Eno. Songs
for Drella (1990), which got a lot more media ink, reunited him at
long last with Reed, with whom he had feuded on and off for a couple
of decades; the album was a song-cycle tribute to their recently
deceased mentor and ex-Velvet Underground manager, Andy Warhol.
Well-received both on record and in performance, it may have been one
of the factors that finally caused the pair to bury the hatchet and
re-form the Velvet Underground for a 1993 live European tour (and live
album). These events were not as successful with the critics; more
disturbingly, Reed and Cale were on the outs yet again by the end of
the tour, with feuds over direction, leadership, and songwriting
credits apparently resurfacing with a vengeance.
Prospects for an American Velvet Underground tour never came to
realization, Cale and Reed vowing never to work with each other again.
The death of Sterling Morrison in 1995 ended any reunion hopes,
although it did apparently serve to reconcile Reed and Cale, who
played together when the Velvet Underground were inducted into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Cale in any case didn't need Reed to
keep busy (or vice versa). In the 1990s, he continued to record as a
soloist and a soundtrack composer. One of his most ambitious
collaboration was The Last Day on Earth (1994), a song cycle and
theatrical production written and performed with cult
singer/songwriter Bobby Neuwirth. In 1998, Cale released Nico, a
tribute to his Velvet Underground bandmate. — Richie Unterberger
RELATED ARTIST:
Similar Artists: David Bowie David Sylvian Captain Beefheart Roxy
Music Brian Eno Kevin Ayers Robert Wyatt Tom Waits Nico Phil
Manzanera Robert Fripp Terry Riley Michael Nyman Daevid Allen The
Soft Machine La Monte Young Manuel Göttsching Faust Henry Cow
King Crimson Epic Soundtracks
Roots and Influences: The Beach Boys
Followers: The Blue Nile Epic Soundtracks Goya Dress Richard Youngs
Nic Endo Alan Moore
Formal Connections: Reed/Cale Patti Smith Eno/Cale The Velvet
Underground Lou Reed Tony Conrad John Cale/Bob Neuwirth
Performed Songs By: Brian Eno Lou Reed Larry Sloman Mae Boren Axton
Tommy Durden Elvis Presley Dylan Thomas Kevin Ayers Leonard Cohen
Jonathan Richman Sadie Vimmerstadt Sam Shepard Jimmy Reed
Worked With: Andy Warhol Squeeze Joe Boyd Fred Smith Super Furry
Animals Gary Kellgren Siouxsie & the Banshees Victor Gamm Jonathan
Richman Jools Holland
DISCOGRAPHY (albums)
1965 New York in the 1960s, Vol. 1: Sun Blindness... Table of the
1970 Vintage Violence Columbia/Legac
1971 Church of Anthrax Columbia
1972 The Academy in Peril Reprise
1973 Paris 1919 Reprise
1974 Fear Island
1975 Slow Dazzle Island
1975 Helen of Troy Island
1979 Sabotage/Live Diesel Motor
1981 Honi Soit A&M
1982 Music for a New Society Rhino
1984 Caribbean Sunset Mango
1984 Comes Alive Mango
1985 Artificial Intelligence Beggars
1989 Words for the Dying Opal
1990 HN Mango
1990 Songs for Drella Sire
1991 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues ROIR
1992 Fragments of a Rainy Season Hannibal
1992 Paris S'eveille Crepuscule
1993 23 Solo Pieces for La Naissance de L'Amour Crepuscule
1995 Antartida Les Disques Du
1996 Walking on Locusts Hannibal
1998 Nico Elektra/Asylum
1998 Dance Music Detour
1999 Le Vent de la Nuit Import
2000 Inside the Dream Syndicate, Vol. I: Day of... Table of the
2002 Inside the Dream Syndicate, Vol. 2: Dream... Table of the
2002 Inside the Dream Syndicate, Vol. 3:... Table of the
DISCOGRAPHY (compilations, boxes[x])
1977 Guts Mango
1994 Seducing Down the Door Rhino
1996 The Island Years Island
1997 Eat/Kiss: Music for the Films of Andy Warhol Hannibal
1999 Close Watch: An Introduction to John Cale Island
DISCOGRAPHY (eps, singles[s])
1977 Animal Justice Illegal s
DISCOGRAPHY (bootlegs[b], videos[v])
Art Project Munich RiscDisc b
APPEARS ON:
Kevin Ayers-John Cale-Eno... June 1, 1974 (1974) Keyboards, Viola
Vince Bell Phoenix (1994) Piano
Art Bergmann Crawl With Me (1988) Keyboards, Vocals, Producer
John Cale/Bob Neuwirth Last Day on Earth (1994) Keyboards, Viola,
Vocals, Producer
Julie Covington Julie Covington (1978) Keyboards
Julie Covington Julie Covington Plus (2000) Piano, Clavinet
Nick Drake Bryter Layter (1970) Organ, Piano, Celeste, Cello,
Harpsichord, Viola
Nick Drake Fruit Tree (1986) Organ, Piano, Celeste, Harpsichord,
Viola
Earth Opera Great American Eagle Tragedy (1969) Guitar, Vocals
Eno Another Green World (1975) Keyboards, Viola
Brian Eno Music for Films (1978) Viola
Brian Eno & John Cale Wrong Way Up (1990) Organ, Bass, Dumbek,
Guitar, Piano, Strings, Harp, Horn, Keyboards, Timbales, Viola,
Vocals, Producer, Tympani
Brian Eno Eno Box II: Vocals (1993) Organ, Dumbek, Piano, Keyboards,
Viola, Vocals, Multi Instruments, Producer, Chords
Brian Eno Eno Box I: Instrumentals (1994) Viola
Brian Eno Sonora Portraits (1999) Keyboards, Viola, Producer
FGL De Granada a la Luna (1998) Keyboards, Programming, Vocals,
Producer
Gordon Gano Hitting the Ground (2002) Piano, Vocals
Glassharp Glass Harp [MCA/Decca] (1970) Viola
Goya Dress Rooms (1996) Producer, Mixing
Happy Mondays Squirrell and G Man Twenty Four... (1987) Producer
Happy Mondays Loads (& Loads More) (1995) Producer
Mike Heron Smiling Men With Bad Reputations (1971) Bass, Guitar,
Vocals
Ian Hunter You're Never Alone With a... (1979) Piano, Keyboards, Arp
Ian Hunter Once Bitten Twice Shy (2000) Piano, Arp
The Jesus Lizard Jesus Lizard (1998) Producer
David Kubinec Some Things Never Change (1978) Keyboards, Producer
Maids of Gravity First Second (1996) Piano, Viola, Handclapping,
Producer, Clapping, Mixing
Phil Manzanera Manzanera Collection (1995) Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Kate & Anna McGarrigle Kate & Anna McGarrigle [Carthage] (1975)
Keyboards
Kate and Anna McGarrigle Dancer with Bruised Knees (1977) Organ,
Marimba
The Mediæval Bæbes Undrentide (2000) Producer
Morning Glory Two Suns Worth (1968) Engineer
Geoff Muldaur Is Having a Wonderful Time (1975) Violin
Nico Marble Index (1969) Bass, Guitar, Arranger, Keyboards, Mixing
Nico Desertshore (1970) Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Multi
Instruments, Producer
Nico End (1974) Organ, Synthesizer, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Guitar,
Percussion, Piano, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Bass), Keyboards, Marimba,
Piano (Electric
Nico Camera Obscura (1985) Producer
Nico Classic Years (1998) Organ, Synthesizer, Guitar (Acoustic),
Bass, Guitar, Piano, Arranger, Celeste, Vocals (bckgr), Xylophone,
Multi Instruments, B
Nico Innocent & Vain (2002) Producer
Lou Reed & John Cale Songs for Drella (1990) Keyboards, Viola,
Vocals, Producer, Mixing
The Replacements All Shook Down (1990)
The Modern Lovers Modern Lovers (1976) Producer
Jonathan Richman & the... Beserkley Years (1987) Producer, Original
Recording Producer
Jonathan Richman & the... 23 Great Recordings by Jonathan... (1990)
Producer
Leon Russell Stop All That Jazz (1974) Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
Siouxsie & the Banshees O Baby, Pt. 1 (1994) Producer
Siouxsie & the Banshees O Baby, Pt. 2 (1994) Producer
Siouxsie & the Banshees Rapture (1995) Producer, Mixing
Sister Double Happiness Heart & Mind (1991) Sound Effects
Jack Smith Evening Gowns Damnees (1999) Sarinda
Patti Smith Horses (1975) Bass, Producer
Patti Smith Gone Again (1996) Organ
Patti Smith Patti Smith Masters: The... (1996) Bass, Producer
Patti Smith Gone Again [Bonus CD] (1999) Organ
Patti Smith Land (1975-2002) (2002) Organ, Producer
U.K. Squeeze U.K. Squeeze (1978) Producer
Squeeze Classics, Vol. 25 (1987) Producer
Squeeze Six of One... (1997) Producer
Squeeze Annie Get Your Gun Producer
Alan Stivell 1 Dour (1998) Bass, Producer, Mixing
The Stooges Stooges (1969) Viola, Producer
Super Furry Animals Rings Around the World (2001) Piano
Super Furry Animals Rings Around the World [Japan... (2001) Piano
Super Furry Animals Rings Around the World [UK Bonus... (2002) Piano
Tax Free Tax Free (196 ) Viola
Moe Tucker I Spent a Week There the Other... (1991) Synthesizer,
Viola
The Velvet Underground White Light/White Heat (1967) Organ, Bass,
Guitar (Bass), Keyboards, Viola, Vocals, Multi Instruments, Viola
(Electric), Electric
The Velvet Underground Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) Bass, Piano,
Guitar (Bass), Keyboards, Viola, Viola (Electric)
The Velvet Underground Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground (1971) Bass,
Keyboards
The Velvet Underground Another View (1986)
The Velvet Underground Best of the Velvet Underground (1989)
The Velvet Underground and Down for You Is Up (1990) Organ, Bass,
Vocals, Electric Viola
The Velvet Underground Live MCMXCIII [Double Disc] (1993) Bass,
Keyboards, Viola, Vocals
The Velvet Underground What Goes On? (1993) Organ, Bass, Piano,
Viola, Vocals (bckgr), Viola (Electric)
The Velvet Underground Peel Slowly and See (1995) Organ, Bass, Piano,
Celeste, Viola, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Viola (Electric)
The Velvet Underground Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition (1997) Organ
The Velvet Underground Velvet Underground & Nico [Limited (2002)
Bass, Piano, Celeste, Vocals (bckgr), Electric Viola
The Velvet Underground Velvet Underground & Nico [Deluxe... (2002)
Bass, Piano, Celeste, Vocals (bckgr), Electric Viola
Hector Zazou Sahara Blue (1994) Vocals
Hector Zazou Songs from the Cold Seas (1995) Vocals
Original Soundtrack Sixteen Candles (1984) Producer
Original Soundtrack Sid & Nancy (1986) Producer
Original Soundtrack I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) Arranger, Producer
Original Soundtrack Basquiat (1996) Producer
Original Soundtrack Somewhere in the City (1998) Guitar, Piano,
Arranger, Producer, Score
Original Soundtrack Beach [Original Soundtrack] (2000) Engineer
Original Soundtrack Up the Academy Producer
Original TV Soundtrack More Music from Northern Exposure... (1994)
Producer
Various Artists No Wave (1978) Producer
Various Artists Propaganda (1980) Producer
Various Artists These People Are Nuts (1989) Producer
Various Artists I'm Your Fan (Tribute to Leonard... (1991) Piano,
Vocals
Various Artists Great New York Singles (1992) Producer
Various Artists Chance Operation: The John Cage... (1993) Producer
Various Artists Rare on Air, Vol. 1 (1994) Piano, Vocals
Various Artists In Their Own Words, Vol. 2 (1996) Piano, Vocals
Various Artists Kerouac: Kicks Joy Darkness (1997) Keyboards, Voices,
Engineer, Mixing
Various Artists Down & Out (2001) Producer
Various Artists Pop Art: Underground Sounds from... (2002) Producer
Various Artists Acoustic, Vol. 2 (2002) Organ, Piano, Celeste
Various Artists Michigan Rocks
SONGS APPEAR ON:
Bauhaus In the Flat Field [Reissue] / Press the Eject and Give Me the
Tape
Bettie Serveert Plays Venus in Furs and Other Velvet Un
Billy Bragg Peel Session Album
William S. Burroughs Dead City Radio
John Cale/Bob Neuwirth Last Day on Earth
Dream City Film Club Stranger Blues
Brian Eno & John Cale on 4 albums: 1 2 3 4
Alejandro Escovedo Bourbonitis Blues
Galaxie 500 Copenhagen / This Is Our Music
Nina Hagen BeeHappy / freuD euch
Hope Blister Smile's OK
Human Drama 14,384 Days Later
David J Candy on the Cross / On Glass
Joy Division Still
Paul Kelly & the Messengers Comedy
Lee Konitz Medium Rare
Luna Slide EP
Phil Manzanera Manzanera Collection
Nectarine No. 9 Niagara Falls
New Order BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert [2000]
Nico Camera Obscura / Chelsea Girl / Classic Years
NY Loose Year of the Rat
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Liberator
Poi Dog Pondering Liquid White Light
Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Dust to Dust
Lou Reed & John Cale Songs for Drella / Songs for Drella [Video]
Revenge Slave [UK]
S.F. Seals Truth Walks in Sleepy Shadows
ST 37 I Like to Talk, If There's Anything to
Throwing Muses Firepile #2
Sally Timms To the Land of Milk & Honey
The Velvet Underground on 14 albums: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
The White Rope Spoor a Compilation
Yo La Tengo Fakebook / President Yo La Tengo/New Wave Hot Dogs
Original Soundtrack on 5 albums: 1 2 3 4 5