The Fat Lady Of Limbourg

A wonderful song from Brian Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy).

Whatever isn’t BIAB came through Logic. The singer is Synthesizer V’s Kevin.

Ignore the video (though it's kind of fun) or listen on SoundCloud.

** BIAB Song Summary **
Style is _REGGAE1.STY
RealTrack: 1153:Bass, Electric, Reggae Ev16 100
RealTrack: 1156:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Reggae Ev16 100
RealTrack: 1154:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Reggae Ev16 100
RealTrack: 1155:Organ, B3, Rhythm Reggae Ev16 100
RealDrums: ReggaeClassic^1-Sidestick, Kick, HiHat

Well I rang up Santucci, spoke to Lucia
Gave them all they needed to know
If affairs are proceeding as we're expecting
Soon enough the weak spots will show

I assume you understand that we have options on your time
And will ditch you in the harbour if we must
But if it all works out nicely
You'll get the bonus you deserve
From doctors we trust

The Fat Lady of Limbourg
Looked at the samples that we sent
And furrowed her brow
You would never believe that
She tasted royalty and fame
If you saw her now

But her sense of taste is such that she'll distinguish with her tongue
The subtleties a spectrograph would miss
And announce her decision
While demanding her reward:
The jellyfish kiss

Now we checked out this duck quack
Who laid a big egg, oh so black
It shone just like gold
And the kids from the city
Finding it pretty, took it home
And there it was sold

It was changing hands for weeks till someone left it by their fire
And it melted to a puddle on the floor
For it was only a candle
A Roman scandal, oh
Now it's a pool

That's what we're paid for here

The 801 LIVE, (extended reissue), version of this is FABULOUS too...
This is a near perfect vehicle for Kevin.
B.E. would be amused at Kevin doing his thing, almost clone thing, I suspect.
I really like the musical backing: it's more rhythmic, a little faster and more outright "fun" than the original sly humour or 801 versions.
Three thumbs up.

Another 801 Live fan! Cool. I bought the original version on release in '76, but was unaware that an expanded version had bee released. Will have to look for it.

Rats. Only the original version is available on Amazon Music.

I would love to hear that 801 version, but Apple also only has the original. I had no idea anyone else ever did this song.

Anyway! Here's a cover of the 801 cover of Lennon's Tomorrow Never Knows with eBow solos...

TNK

Thanks for listening!

801's version of TNK is superb as well.
LIVE...
801TNK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-6s9JlNSkU
801 Fat lady
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t42y7xwdP4s

I'm still, slowly, learning eBow. I wanted one for decades and bought myself one this year. It's a fun, weird thing to go along with my Mel9 Melotron pedal.
I like the burbling interpretation of TNK.

Hey wow, that 801 version of TFLOL starts out kind of sour but really kicks in when it does. That would have been a fun show to see.

eBow, God... there's a reason I took the battery out of that thing before I put it away last time. I found it just about impossible to play on more than one string, which I would land the eBow on and stay on, to avoid the extensive rehabilitation involved in re-railing the thing onto new tracks (strings). Hope you're doing better than I did (although the solo on TNK isn't bad.)

You'll need to find Expression records or Burning Shed online to order it SUPER WORTHWHILE.

Excellent job Mark! That Kevin synthesizer surely sounds great, particularly with the (AutoTune?) FX you put on it.

Synthetic voices sure have gone a long way since that very first Vocaloid version!

Rob

No autotune needed, bots are born perfect. I did put a little Izotope VocalSynth buzziness on a doubling track at one point, I think the setting I used was "VibroCreep", which I love.

Thank you for listening!