"Roman P" is a song by Psychic TV about director

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

. "Roman P." was first performed in nascent form during Psychic TV's 1983 gigs. This early version can be found on the live albums '' N.Y. Scum'' and '' Those Who Do Not''. Of the many versions of the song, the best known is the "Fireball Mix" (from the ''Magickal Mystery D Tour'' EP), which was featured in a mid-1990s

Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...

commercial, to the confusion of many fans.

Single

The A-side of the original 7" single release features the "Short Version" of the titular song. The B-side, credited to Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth and entitled "Neurology," contains a message from Mr. Sebastian, a spokesman for TOPY, as well as collaged speeches by Charles Manson and

Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American preacher, political activist and mass murderer. He led the Peoples Temple, a new religious movement, between 1955 and 1978. In what he called "revolutionary suicide ...

which run simultaneously in different stereo channels, and references to Sharon Tate. The B-side is double-grooved, which results in hearing either one of the two tracks when it is played from the start. The B-sides, the Fireball Mix, and the full-length recording of the original studio version of "Roman P" (which Sordide Sentimental previously released on the 1987

CD-Video CD Video (also known as CDV, CD-V, or CD+V) is a format of optical media disc that was introduced in 1987 that combines the technologies of standard compact disc and LaserDisc. CD-V discs are the same size as a standard 12-cm audio CD, and cont ...

''Listen Today...''), later appeared on the compilation CD ''Godstar: The Singles - Pt. Two''. The first edition was limited to 3003 numbered copies. There is a second edition of unknown unnumbered copies. "Roman P" gave the band their first hit, reaching number 13 on the

UK Independent Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...

and staying on the chart for nine weeks.

Track listing

Side A
Psychic TV (PTV): "Roman P (Short Version)"
Side B
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth (TOPY): "Neurology"
1. TOPY Spokesman ''(spelled "TOPY's Spokeman" on the single sleeve)''
2a. Jim Jones (right)
2b. Charles Manson (left)

Reissue with "Good Vibrations"

"Roman P" was re-issued as a double A-side in 1986 with a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of "

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966 and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record ...

". The single reached number 48 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number 65 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streamin ...

.Rust, Victor (2010) ''The Cliff Richard Recording Catalogue'', , p. 176

Covers

A version of this song was recorded by the

electro-industrial Electro-industrial is a music genre that emerged from industrial music in the early 1980s. While EBM (electronic body music) has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial tends to have a grittier, complex and layered sound ...

band Asmodeus X on their album ''Morningstar''.

References

1984 singles Psychic TV songs Roman Polanski 1984 songs Works about film directors and producers {{1980s-single-stub