"Thela Hun Ginjeet" is a single by the band
King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
, released in 1981 and on the album ''
Discipline'' (1981). The song name is an
anagram of "heat in the jungle", which is a reference to crime in the city. (The term "heat" is American slang for firearms or for police.)
While most of the instruments are in
time,
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is a British musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session ...
's electric guitar plays in
time during part of the song, creating an unusual effect. In the middle of the song, voice recordings are heard.
Adrian Belew
Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual and impressionistic approach to ...
talks about his experiences with London
Rastafarians
Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of ...
and the police, while he was trying to get voice recordings for the song.
Live versions
During their tour for the ''Discipline'' and ''
Beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
'' albums, Belew would tell the story while the song was being performed. During the ''Beat'' tour, the story-telling was somewhat improvised. In later live performances, beginning on the ''Three of a Perfect Pair'' tour, as evidenced by the performance on ''
Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal'', the storytelling was dropped, leaving only the sung lyrics.
The storytelling re-appeared on the Double Trio tours (cf. ''
Vrooom Vrooom'') but it was in the form of a backing tape identical to the album version.
Cover versions
* Groups with ''
Discipline''-era
King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
members (e.g.
Adrian Belew Power Trio,
Stick Men,
The Crimson ProjeKCt) have covered the song live.
*
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...
has covered this song live, along with
Primus, his musical project
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (also known as The Les Claypool Frog Brigade) is a musical project with rotating personnel, led by American singer/bassist Les Claypool. The Frog Brigade was formed during a hiatus from Claypool ...
(included on their live album ''
Live Frogs Set 1''), and The Claypool Lennon Delirium.
Track listing
7" version
#"Thela Hun Ginjeet" (
Adrian Belew
Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual and impressionistic approach to ...
,
Bill Bruford
William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English former drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording ...
,
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is a British musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session ...
,
Tony Levin
Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...
)
#"
Elephant Talk" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)
12" version
#"Thela Hun Ginjeet" (dance mix) (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)
#"Elephant Talk" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)
#"
Indiscipline
''Discipline'' is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 22 September 1981 by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States.
This album was King Crimson's firs ...
" (Belew, Bruford, Fripp, Levin)
Personnel
*
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is a British musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session ...
–
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
*
Adrian Belew
Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual and impressionistic approach to ...
– guitar,
lead vocals
*
Tony Levin
Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...
–
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
*
Bill Bruford
William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English former drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording ...
–
drums
Notes
{{Authority control
King Crimson songs
1981 singles
Songs written by Adrian Belew
Songs written by Bill Bruford
Songs written by Robert Fripp
Songs written by Tony Levin
1981 songs
Warner Records singles