If There Is Something
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "If There Is Something" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Roxy Music | ||
| from the album Roxy Music | ||
| Released | June 1972 | |
| Recorded | 17 March 1972 at Command Studios, London | |
| Genre | Art/Glam-rock | |
| Length | 6:34 | |
| Writer(s) | Bryan Ferry | |
| Producer(s) | Peter Sinfield | |
| Roxy Music track listing | ||
| Ladytron (2) |
"If There Is Something" (3) |
Virginia Plain (4) |
"If There is Something" is a song by Bryan Ferry, recorded by his Roxy Music for their eponymous debut album. A live version can be found on their Viva! live-album.
The song begins in a rather light-hearted, jaunty fashion, a slight pastiche of country music, with honky tonk style piano and twangy guitar. Ferry's singing is nonchalant and jocular.
However the mood of the song builds with a repeated instrumental motif played between guitar and saxophone, Ferry's vocals re-entering to provide a fraught vocal climax, the lyrics guldering with inexplicable passion about potatoes.
The instrumental motifs then return, finally giving way to an emotional end section where Ferry's impassioned and melacholy vocals are set on top of a lush blend of backing vocals and the mellotron "three violins" tape set.
Contents |
[edit] Live performances
The song was played on all the early Roxy Music tours and the instrumental passages were extended greatly, increasing the length of the song from 6:34 to sometimes over 12 minutes. On 18 February 1972, the BBC sessions aired a performance of over 11 minutes. During the Country Life tour the song was also performed, and the performance at Newcastle City Hall on 27 or 28 October 1974 was used for the 1974 Live album Viva!. After 1975 however, the song was no longer played until the Roxy Music Reunion tour in 2001.
[edit] Musicians
[edit] On the Roxy Music album-version
- Andy MacKay – saxophone, backing vocals
- Bryan Ferry – Voice, Piano, mellotron
- Eno – EMS VCS 3 synth, backing vocals
- Graham Simpson – Bass Guitar.
- Paul Thompson – Drums
- Phil Manzanera – Guitar
[edit] On the Viva! live-version
- Andy MacKay – Saxophone And Oboe
- Bryan Ferry – Voice And Keyboards
- Eddie Jobson – Strings, Synthesizer and Keyboards
- John Wetton – Bass
- Paul Thompson – Drums
- Phil Manzanera – Guitar
[edit] Cover versions
- Tin Machine covered their song on their self-titled album in 1989.
| Roxy Music |
|---|
| Bryan Ferry | Andy Mackay | Phil Manzanera | Paul Thompson |
| Brian Eno | Eddie Jobson | Graham Simpson | Paul Carrack | Andy Newmark |
| Discography |
| Studio albums: Roxy Music | For Your Pleasure | Stranded | Country Life | Siren | Manifesto | Flesh and Blood | Avalon |
| Live albums: Viva! | The High Road | Heart Still Beating | Concert Classics | Concerto |
| Compilations: Roxy Music Greatest Hits | The First Seven Albums | The Atlantic Years | Street Life 20 Great Hits | The Ultimate Collection | More Than This | The Thrill of It All | The Early Years | Slave To Love | The Best of Roxy Music |
| Related Articles |
| New Wave music | Glam rock | New Romantic | EMS VCS 3 | Chris Thomas |
