Velvet Donkey
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Velvet Donkey
''Velvet Donkey'' is an album by Ivor Cutler, originally released in 1975 on Virgin Records. Cutler is joined on the record by Fred Frith who plays viola on several tracks, and by Phyllis King who reads six of her own poems and short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ... and is also credited with designing the album cover. Track listing All tracks written by Ivor Cutler except where noted ;Side one #"If Your Breasts" – 0:09 #"I Got No Common Sense" – 0:34 #"Useful Cat" – 0:27 (King) #"Oho My Eyes" – 1:30 #"The Dirty Dinner" – 3:34 #"Yellow Fly" – 1:37 #"Mother's Love" – 0:25 (King) #"The Meadows Go" – 1:11 #"Phonic Poem" – 0:47 #"Life in a Scotch Sitting Room Vol. 2, Ep. 2" – 3:40 #"Birdswing" – 0:49 #"Nobody Knows" – 1:54 #"Uneventful D ...
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Album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual Phonograph record#78 rpm disc developments, 78 rpm records collected in a bound book resembling a photograph album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl LP record, long-playing (LP) records played at  revolutions per minute, rpm. The album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption from the mid-1960s to the early 21st century, a period known as the album era. Vinyl LPs are still issued, though album sales in the 21st-century have mostly focused on CD and MP3 formats. The 8-track tape was the first tape format widely used alongside vinyl from 1965 until being phased out by 1983 and was gradually supplanted by the cassette tape during the 1970s and early 1980s; the populari ...
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Ivor Cutler
Ivor Cutler (born Isadore Cutler, 15 January 1923 – 3 March 2006) was a Scottish poet, singer, musician, songwriter, artist and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential eponymous late night radio programme (BBC Radio 1), and later for Andy Kershaw's programme. He appeared in the Beatles' ''Magical Mystery Tour'' film in 1967 and on Neil Innes' television programmes. Cutler also wrote books for children and adults and was a teacher at A. S. Neill's Summerhill School and for 30 years in inner-city schools in London. In live performances Cutler would often accompany himself on a harmonium. Phyllis King appears on several of his records, and for several years was a part of his concerts. She usually read small phrases but also read a few short stories. The two starred in a BBC radio series, ''King Cutler'', in which they performed their material jointly and singly. Cutler also ...
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Spoken Word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of recitation and word play, such as the performer's live intonation and voice inflection. Spoken word is a "catchall" term that includes any kind of poetry recited aloud, including poetry readings, poetry slams, jazz poetry, and hip hop music, and can include comedy routines and prose monologues. Unlike written poetry, the poetic text takes its quality less from the visual aesthetics on a page, but depends more on phonaesthetics, or the aesthetics of sound. History Spoken word has existed for many years; long before writing, through a cycle of practicing, listening and memorizing, each language drew on its resources of sound structure for aural patterns that made spoken poetry very different from ordinary discourse and easier to commit ...
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Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwide success over time, with the success of platinum performers Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Devo, Tangerine Dream, Genesis, Phil Collins, OMD, the Human League, Culture Club, Simple Minds, Lenny Kravitz, the Sex Pistols, and Mike Oldfield among others, meaning that by the time it was sold, it was regarded as a major label, alongside other large international independents such as A&M and Island Records. Virgin Records was sold to EMI in 1992. EMI was in turn taken over by Universal Music Group (UMG) in 2012 with UMG creating the Virgin EMI Records division. The Virgin Records name continues to be used by UMG in certain markets such as Germany and Japan. Virgin Records America Virgin Records America, Inc. was the company's North American ...
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Dandruff (album)
''Dandruff'' is an album by Ivor Cutler, originally released in 1974. It was the first of three LPs that Cutler released through Virgin Records in the mid-1970s; Cutler had signed to the label after an appearance on Robert Wyatt's '' Rock Bottom'', which Virgin had released earlier that year. Many of the album's 45 tracks are simple poems or brief short stories—including seven poems composed and read by Phyllis King, but there are also a number of musical pieces including the calypso-inspired "I Believe in Bugs", which became particularly well loved among Cutler's compositions.Mason, Stewart. Review A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indi ... Allmusic. Retrieved 12 Mar. 2006. The LP was also the first to feature episodes from Cutler's ''Life in a Scotch Sitting Room'' ...
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Jammy Smears
''Jammy Smears'' is a studio album by Ivor Cutler, originally released in 1976. It was the last of the three albums he released on Virgin Records, and as with the previous two he is joined by Phyllis King, who reads six of her own poems and short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t .... Track listing All tracks written by Ivor Cutler except where noted ;Side one #"Bicarbonate of Chicken" – 0:50 #"Filcombe Cottage, Dorset" – 0:22 (King) #"Squeeze Bees" – 2:24 #"The Turn" – 0:30 #"Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 2 Ep. II" – 3:54 #"A Linnet" – 0:25 (King) #"Jumping and Pecking" – 0:44 #"The Other Half" – 0:46 #"Beautiful Cosmos" – 2:10 #"The Path" – 0:40 #"Barabadabada" – 1:02 #"Big Jim" – 3:01 #"In the Chestnut Tree" – 1:29 #"Dust" – ...
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Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as CDs replaced LPs as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he researched using metadata to create a music guide. In 1990, in Big Rapids, Michigan, he founded ''All Music Guide' ...
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Album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual Phonograph record#78 rpm disc developments, 78 rpm records collected in a bound book resembling a photograph album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl LP record, long-playing (LP) records played at  revolutions per minute, rpm. The album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption from the mid-1960s to the early 21st century, a period known as the album era. Vinyl LPs are still issued, though album sales in the 21st-century have mostly focused on CD and MP3 formats. The 8-track tape was the first tape format widely used alongside vinyl from 1965 until being phased out by 1983 and was gradually supplanted by the cassette tape during the 1970s and early 1980s; the populari ...
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Fred Frith
Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. He was also a member of the groups Art Bears, Massacre, and Skeleton Crew. He has collaborated with a number of prominent musicians, including Robert Wyatt, Derek Bailey, the Residents, Lol Coxhill, John Zorn, Brian Eno, Mike Patton, Lars Hollmer, Bill Laswell, Iva Bittová, Jad Fair, Kramer, the ARTE Quartett, and Bob Ostertag. He has also composed several long works, including ''Traffic Continues'' (1996, performed 1998 by Frith and Ensemble Modern) and ''Freedom in Fragments'' (1993, performed 1999 by Rova Saxophone Quartet). Frith produces most of his own music, and has also produced many albums by other musicians, including Curlew, the Muffins, Etron Fou Leloublan, and Orthotonics. He is the subject of Nicolas ...
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Viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the violin family, between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth above) and the cello (which is tuned an octave below). The strings from low to high are typically tuned to scientific pitch notation, C3, G3, D4, and A4. In the past, the viola varied in size and style, as did its names. The word viola originates from the Italian language. The Italians often used the term viola da braccio meaning literally: 'of the arm'. "Brazzo" was another Italian word for the viola, which the Germans adopted as ''Bratsche''. The French had their own names: ''cinquiesme'' was a small viola, ''haute contre'' was a large viola, and ''taile'' was a tenor. Today, the French use the term ''alto'', a reference to its range. The viola was popular in the heyd ...
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Phyllis King
Phyllis April King is a British poet. She appears and reads her material on Ivor Cutler's albums ''Dandruff'', ''Velvet Donkey'' and ''Jammy Smears''. King designed some of the Ivor Cutler album covers, and has published poetry and children's books. She worked with Cutler on the radio series ''King Cutler'' which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 1990. Personal life King was first married to Canadian film director Allan King. Later she was in a long-term relationship with Ivor Cutler for over forty years up to his death in 2006 though they did not live together, preferring to retain their independence. Like Cutler, she was a teacher. Cutler wrote the song "Beautiful Cosmos" about her. She has a daughter and lives in Wiltshire. Stage portrayal In 2014 she was portrayed by Elicia Daly in the stage play ''The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler'', a co-production by Vanishing Point and National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the natio ...
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Poem
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, a prosaic ostensible meaning. A poem is a literary composition, written by a poet, using this principle. Poetry has a long and varied history, evolving differentially across the globe. It dates back at least to prehistoric times with hunting poetry in Africa and to panegyric and elegiac court poetry of the empires of the Nile, Niger, and Volta River valleys. Some of the earliest written poetry in Africa occurs among the Pyramid Texts written during the 25th century BCE. The earliest surviving Western Asian epic poetry, the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', was written in Sumerian. Early poems in the Eurasian continent evolved from folk songs such as the Chinese ''Shijing'', as well as religious hymns (the Sanskrit ' ...
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