Misplaced Childhood

Misplaced Childhood is the third studio album of the neo-progressive rock band Marillion. It was released in 1985 and has been their most commercially successful album, reaching number one in the UK album charts in June 1985 and spending a total of 41 weeks on the chart, the longest chart residency of a Marillion album.^[1]

The album features the band's two most successful singles, the guitar-led "Kayleigh", which reached No. 2 in the UK and was a worldwide success, and the piano-led "Lavender", which reached No. 5. The name Kayleigh was devised by Fish to slightly obscure the name of a former girlfriend named "Kay Lee" (with "Lee" being the middle name), whom the song was mostly about.

Misplaced Childhood was the band's first full concept album, consisting of two continuous pieces of music on the two sides of the vinyl. In live concerts preceding the album, Fish had originally claimed as a teaser that the next album would consist of only two tracks, 'Side One' and 'Side Two'. Then, during the Misplaced Childhood tour, Fish would announce "Now there is time for one more track... the name of the track is 'Misplaced Childhood'", and the band performed the entire album in sequence.

The story has thematic elements of lost love, sudden success, acceptance, and lost childhood, along with an upbeat ending. As Fish explains, he conceived the concept during a 10-hour acid trip.^[2] Several of the songs and titles contain notable autobiographical references; one example is that track 2 ("Kayleigh") references past girlfriends. Another example is track 5 ("I was born with the heart of Lothian"), which is a reference to a traditional region of Scotland – Fish himself being from Midlothian – and a reference to the Heart of Midlothian (Royal Mile) – a mosaic heart in the pavement of Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

A 2-CD remastered version with additional B-sides and demos was released in 1998.

Track listing

Side one

"Pseudo Silk Kimono" – 2:14
"Kayleigh" – 4:03
"Lavender" – 2:25
"Bitter Suite" – 7:56
1. "Brief Encounter"
2. "Lost Weekend"
3. "Blue Angel"
4. "Misplaced Rendezvous"
5. "Windswept Thumb"
"Heart of Lothian" – 4:02
1. "Wide Boy"
2. "Curtain Call"

Side two

"Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)" – 2:13
"Lords of the Backstage" – 1:52
"Blind Curve" – 9:29
1. "Vocal Under a Bloodlight"
2. "Passing Strangers"
3. "Mylo"
4. "Perimeter Walk"
5. "Threshold"
"Childhoods End?" – 4:33
"White Feather" – 2:25

Remastered CD bonus tracks

"Lady Nina" (Extended 12" Version) – 5:50
"Freaks" (Single Version) – 4:08
"Kayleigh" (Alternative Mix) – 4:03
"Lavender Blue" (Lavender Remix) – 4:22
"Heart of Lothian" (Extended Mix) – 5:54
"Pseudo Silk Kimono" (Demo) – 2:11
"Kayleigh" (Demo) – 4:06
"Lavender" (Demo) – 2:37
"Bitter Suite" (Demo) – 2:54
"Lords of the Backstage" (Demo) – 1:46
"Blue Angel" (Demo) – 1:46
"Misplaced Rendezvous" (Demo) – 1:56
"Heart of Lothian" (Demo) – 3:49
"Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)" (Demo) – 2:00
"Passing Strangers" (Demo) – 9:17
"Childhoods End?" (Demo) – 2:23
"White Feather" (Demo) – 2:18

Formats and re-issues

The album was originally released on Cassette, vinyl LP, 12" Picture Disc and CD. In 1998, as part of a series of Marillion's first eight studio albums, EMI re-released Misplaced Childhood with remastered sound and a second disc containing bonus material, listed above. The remastered edition was later also made available without the bonus disc.

A new 180 gram vinyl pressing was released in May 2013 by EMI. It was identical to the original vinyl release from 1985.

Song references

The album contains several references to song titles or lyrics by Marillion and other artists. These include:

"Home Thoughts from Abroad" by Clifford T. Ward referenced in "Kayleigh" ("By the way, how's your broken heart"/"By the way, didn't I break your heart?")
"Script for a Jester's Tear" by Marillion, referenced in "Kayleigh" ("I never did write that love song"/"I'm still trying to write that love song")
"Love, Reign O'er Me" by The Who, referenced in "Windswept Thumb" ("Rain on me" – NB not in lyric sheet)
"Ashes are Burning" by Renaissance, referenced in "Lords of the Backstage" ("Ashes are burning, burning")
"A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" by Van der Graaf Generator, referenced in "Lords of the Backstage" ("I'm so far out [and] I'm too far in")
"Childlike Faith in Childhood's End" by Van der Graaf Generator, referenced in "Childhoods End?"
"Lavender Blue", originally an English folk song dating to the 17th century. This song became very popular during the 1950s rock and roll era, when it was sung by Sammy Turner, Bigtop 3016, 1959. A hit version of the song, sung by Burl Ives, was featured in the Walt Disney movie "So Dear to My Heart".

Artwork

The boy on the cover art is Robert Mead, a then ten-year-old who lived next door to sleeve artist Mark Wilkinson. Mead also appeared in the music video for "Kayleigh" and was portrayed on the sleeves for three of the singles from the album, "Kayleigh", "Lavender" and "Heart of Lothian".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Q
Allmusic	^[3]
Music Street Journal	(very favourable) link

The album topped the 1985 readers' poll for best album in Sounds magazine and came sixth in Kerrang! magazine's Albums of the Year 1985.^[4] The album came fourth in Classic Rock's list of the 30 greatest concept albums of all time.^[5] In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came No. 17 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".^[6]

Notes

The album was the inspiration for comedian Will Smith’s Edinburgh Fringe show "Misplaced Childhood" in 2005, which also led to a successful tour in 2006.

Personnel

Fish – vocals
Steve Rothery – guitars
Mark Kelly – keyboards
Pete Trewavas – bass
Ian Mosley – drums

References

↑ David Roberts British Hit Singles and Albums, Guinness World Records Limited
↑ Fish. Misplaced Childhood reissue liner notes, pp. 9–10. 1998.
↑ Allmusic Review
↑ "Readers' Poll 1985", Sounds, 11 January 1986, p. 19
↑ Classic Rock, March 2003.
↑ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.

External links

More information available (on the marillion.com album page ):

Reflections from some of the band written in 1998
More album details and song lyrics
Kayleigh on YouTube
Lavender on YouTube
Heart of Lothian on YouTube

Preceded by Boys and Girls by Bryan Ferry	UK number one album 29 June 1985 – 5 July 1985	Succeeded by Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen

v t e Marillion

Steve Rothery Mark Kelly Pete Trewavas Ian Mosley Steve 'h' Hogarth Mick Pointer Brian Jelliman Doug 'Rastus' Irvine Fish Diz Minnett Andy Ward John 'Martyr' Marter Jonathan Mover

Studio albums	Script for a Jester's Tear Fugazi Misplaced Childhood Clutching at Straws Seasons End Holidays in Eden Brave Afraid of Sunlight This Strange Engine Radiation marillion.com Anoraknophobia Marbles Somewhere Else Happiness Is the Road Less Is More Sounds That Can't Be Made

Compilations	Brief Encounter B'Sides Themselves A Singles Collection The Best of Both Worlds The Best of Marillion The Singles '82–88' The Singles '89-'95

Live albums	Real to Reel The Thieving Magpie Made Again Anorak in the UK Marbles Live Early Stages Live from Loreley Recital of the Script

Singles	"Market Square Heroes" "He Knows You Know" "Garden Party" "Punch and Judy" "Assassing" "Kayleigh" "Lavender" "Heart Of Lothian" "Lady Nina" "Welcome to the Garden Party" "Incommunicado" "Sugar Mice" "Warm Wet Circles" "Freaks (Live)" "Hooks in You" "The Uninvited Guest" "Easter" "Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)" "No One Can" "Dry Land" "Sympathy" "No One Can" (1992) "The Great Escape" "The Hollow Man" "Alone Again in the Lap of Luxury" "Beautiful" "Man of a Thousand Faces" "80 Days" "These Chains" "Between You and Me"/"Map of the World" "You're Gone" "Don't Hurt Yourself" "The Damage" (Live) "See It Like a Baby" "Thankyou Whoever You Are"/"Most Toys" "Carol of the Bells"

Related articles	Marillion discography

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