Kylie Said to Jason

"Kylie Said to Jason"

The sleeve of "Kylie Said to Jason", featuring a still from The White Room
Single by The KLF
Released 31 July 1989
Format 7", 12", CD, VHS
Genre Electropop
Length 7:04
Label KLF Communications (UK)
Songwriter(s) Jimmy Cauty, Bill Drummond
Producer(s) The KLF
Drummond & Cauty singles chronology
"3 a.m. Eternal (Pure Trance)"
(1989) 3 a.m. Eternal (Pure Trance)1989		 "Kylie Said to Jason"
(1989) Kylie Said to Jason1989		 "Last Train to Trancentral (Pure Trance 5)"
(1990) Last Train to Trancentral (Pure Trance 5)1990

"Kylie Said to Jason" was a 1989 single by The KLF, "Kylie" being Kylie Minogue and "Jason" being Jason Donovan, then stars in the popular Australian TV soap opera Neighbours. Designed for chart success, the single nonetheless failed to enter the UK top 100.

Background

In 1989, The KLF embarked upon the creation of a road movie and soundtrack album, both titled The White Room, funded by the profits from their number one hit single, "Doctorin' the Tardis".[1] The film project was fraught with difficulties and setbacks, including dwindling funds. Ultimately, neither the film nor its soundtrack would be formally released, but one track from the aborted album, "Kylie Said to Jason", saw commercial release.

"Kylie Said to Jason" was intended to be a top 10 record which The KLF — Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty — were hoping could "rescue them from the jaws of bankruptcy".[2] Instead, it flopped commercially, failing even to make the UK top 100 and forcing the entire film and soundtrack project to be put on hold. The release did peak at number 6 on the UK Indie Singles Chart during August 1989.

Composition

"Kylie Said to Jason" ( sample ) is an electropop record whose title and lyrics allude to Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan ("Scott and Charlene"), then stars in the popular Australian TV soap opera, Neighbours. The lyrics also feature references to Archie Bunker, Todd Terry, Rolf Harris, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and BBC comedy programmes The Good Life and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.

Drummond and Cauty confessed that on "Kylie Said to Jason" they had worn "Pet Shop Boys infatuations brazenly on [their] sleeves".[3] True to this claim, the lush synth chorus and house piano recalls several Pet Shop songs, while the rap vocal recalls West End Girls.

The CD single release of "Kylie" also premiered the track "Madrugada Eterna" which would later be a central piece on The KLF's ambient house album, Chill Out. "Madrugada Eterna" (meaning "eternal dawn" in Spanish) is an ambient piece, featuring pedal guitar played by Graham Lee, and samples a detailed news report of a fatal road accident from American radio.

Reviews

Mentioning "Kylie Said to Jason" retrospectively, Q magazine called the song "supremely wry",[4] and NME called it "Pet Shop Boys-lovely".[5]

Formats and track listings

"Kylie Said to Jason" was first released in the UK by KLF Communications on 31 July 1989.[6] The CD single was released on 7 August.

Given the poor sales of the recording, and the subsequent increase in interest in The KLF, the CD single of "Kylie Said to Jason" became a moderately valuable collectors' item, a mint condition copy being worth £30 in 2000.[7]

Format (and countries) Track number
1 2 3 4 5
7" Vinyl: KLF 010 (UK) KE KTE
12" Vinyl: KLF 010T/010P/PROMO2 (UK) K KT
CD Single: KLF 010CD (UK) KE ME KT
"The Remixes" 12" Vinyl: KLF 010R (Export) TKE KIT KSH
"The Remixes" 2x12" Vinyl: KLF 010RR (UK)[8] TKE KIT KSH KITE KITER
VHS Video: KLFVT 010 (UK; promo) KE

Key

References

  1. ↑ Mellor, C. "Beam Me Up, Scotty - How to have a number one (The JAMs way)", Offbeat Magazine, February 1989 (link)
  2. ↑ KLF Communications, "Information Sheet Eight", August 1990, passim (link)
  3. ↑ Sleevenotes, Indie Top 20 Volume 8, published by Beechwood Music, catalogue number TT08, 1990.
  4. ↑ George, Iestyn, The White Room album review, Q magazine, March 1991 (link)
  5. ↑ "Tate tat and arty", New Musical Express, 20 November 1993 (link)
  6. ↑ Longmire, Ernie et al. (2005), KLF discography Archived 2008-01-11 at the Wayback Machine., passim. Compiled by Ernie Longmire, this has been the authoritative KLF discography on the internet for some 10 years or more and has been the subject of long-term scrutiny and peer review by KLF fans and collectors. It is now maintained by the fan site klf.de.
  7. ↑ Hamlyn, Nick, The Penguin Price Guide for Record & CD Collectors (Fourth Edition), Penguin Books, 2000, ISBN 0-14-051466-X, p548.
  8. ↑ Tracks 4-5: "tracks/titles unconfirmed", according to the KLF discography.
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