Translucent as a jellyfish: Spotlight on Robyn Hitchcock · May 17, 09:45 PM by Don
The 3-inch CD single had a short life in the late 80’s and early 90’s. During its lifespan, I bought two: Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians’ “Balloon Man” and The Church’s “Under the Milky Way.” They are somewhere in my house, hidden away in some box. I rectified the absence of the Hitchcock single by buying one on eBay. Luckily, I was the only bidder and got it for less than $7.00 (that’s with shipping). Below you’ll find the two “b-sides” from the 3-song single.
Robyn Hitchcock’s psychedelic folk-influenced rock is not for everyone. The dealbreaker for many is the lyrics. Hitchcock’s preoccupations are not unfamiliar: love, sex, death. But these preoccupations are regularly obscured by fauna and flora. Example: “A Globe of Frogs” is about a woman whose flowers and fish (even her floorboards and the neighboring houses) are positively smitten with her. In a welcome twist, the electric version is the alternate version and the acoustic version is the official version.
mp3: Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians – A Globe of Frogs :: from Globe of Frogs (1988)
mp3: Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians – A Globe of Frogs [Electric] :: from the “Balloon Man” 3-inch CD single (1988)
Go to Hitchcock fansite The Asking Tree for “A Globe of Frogs” lyrics and trivia.
Next is “The Ghost Ship” (just “Ghost Ship” on You & Oblivion), a solo lament for a ship with which Hitchcock is in love.
mp3: Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians – The Ghost Ship :: from the “Balloon Man” 3-inch CD single (1988)
mp3: Robyn Hitchcock – Ghost Ship [live on KUSF, 1986] :: from You & Oblivion (1995)
Go to Hitchcock fansite The Asking Tree for “Ghost Ship” lyrics and trivia.
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Songs in the MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 format are offered for a limited time only. Songs that are no longer downloadable from Timedoor can be streamed for several weeks courtesy of Hype Machine’s Timedoor Pop-up Flash Player. Dead mp3 links take you to the top of page one.
Support your favorite artists by buying their music at your local independent record store or eMusic.
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This version of ‘The Ghost Ship’is superior to the “You & Oblivion” version; I just got my replacement copy a few months ago via Amazon…How about posting ‘Eerie Green Storm Lantern’,‘Take Them In Remembrance’, & ‘Statue with a Walkman’?...very hard to find, indeed…
I love your fidelity to the Hitch.
— Timothy McCown Reynolds May 21, 11:04 PM #
Ah, 3-inch CD singles — I bought a few of those too, including that Robyn Hitchcock one (and a Chuck Berry one, and one from Brian Ritchie — I wonder if they’re worth anything?). Anyway, that version of “The Ghost Ship” is absolutely spine-tingling, too. That particular Robyn single was also released by A&M on a regular 5-inch CD single too, btw.
— Gene May 26, 04:05 PM #
Syd Barrett lives on – god bless Robyn Hitchcock.
— Paul May 27, 04:31 AM #
Hey, enjoyed seeing Robyn Hitchcock on your site. I’m looking for an MP3 of My Wife and My Dead Wife if you ever run across it. I originally found you looking for Bill Berry’s (late of REM) single, which is dead on your site. I actually have the A side, but am looking for the B, Things I’d Like to Say. Any way I could get ahold of it that you know? Thanks for the cool site.
— Kathy May 29, 09:38 PM #