Re: (TV) Leo On-topic for change

["Brian Young" <raggedglory57@hotmail.com>]

> The one I'm more interested in is "A Scientist Writes A Letter (the >Paris 
> version)". I had known it existed but had never heard a copy. It >is 
> actually quite different than the 12" EP or cd version on "Flash >Light".

Leo, I have that one what is probably my favorite Verlaine boot (what 
follows is all of the info on it that I have):

"Tom Verlaine- Vanity Fair  The 1986 London Sessions

Sixteen tulips
Caveman-Flashlight
Anna
The Scientist Writes a Letter (Paris version)
Call me The
Circling
Smoother than Jones
Vanity Fair
One Time at Sundown

Bonus track:

Marquee Moon (live)

The most 'complete' account of the "lost album" comes from Clinton Heylin, 
in the (admittedly dreary) liner notes for THE MILLERS TALE compilation. And 
it's not very detailed, besides.

Anyhow, here it is: Apparently, Verlaine and producer Dave Bascombe
recorded at least an LP worth of material in 1986 in London, but it was 
rejected by Fontana. (Whether Fontana rejected a 'finished', sequenced LP is 
unknown - no prospective track listing or LP title has ever come to light). 
Minus Bascombe, Verlaine returned to the studio and recorded FLASH LIGHT 
instead, although he did retain "The Scientist Writes a Letter" from the 
Bascombe sessions.

Fontana subsequently released 9 tracks from the "lost" album as b-sides
for material from FLASH LIGHT and THE WONDER (and one track, "Anna", on a 
various artists' compilation). Those tracks are:

Sixteen Tulips
Circling
Smoother Than Jones
The Scientist Writes a Letter (Paris Version)
Vanity Fair
Call Me The
One Time At Sundown (The London 1986 Version)
Anna
Caveman-Flashlight

Whether these are *all* the tracks recorded for the 1986 LP is unknown, but 
it seems unlikely. First, we know there were two versions of "The Scientist 
Writes A Letter" since a slightly different one showed-up on FLASH LIGHT!

Second, while the total running time of the 9 tracks I named is 38 minutes, 
the production of the tracks varies quite a bit - for example, "Call Me The" 
and "Sixteen Tulips" both have a sheen that is absent from "One Time At 
Sundown (The London 1986 Version)" or "Circling" or "Smoother Than Jones".

Third, I have it on some authority that at least one more song was recorded 
during these sessions that did *not* make it to either a b-side or get 
re-recorded for FLASHLIGHT.

Similarly, not all of the 9 b-sides I named above are clear on who produced 
them or when, so it's possible I might be making some bad assumptions. For 
example, given its sonic quality, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that "One 
Time At Sundown (London 1986 Version)" was never intended as more than a 
demo, rather than a track for the 'lost' LP. Essentially, it isn't clear 
whether some of the Fontana b-sides are actually from the 'lost' 1986 LP, or 
if they might just be outtakes from the FLASH LIGHT sessions, or tracks 
recorded *after* FLASH LIGHT was completed. Then again, Verlaine has rarely 
been one to release outtakes or demos as b-sides - the most he has done is 
to release an occasional alternate mix ("Ain't That Nothin'", "The Blue 
Robe", "Always") or an instrumental version of an LP track. (Exceptions: 
"Your Finest Hour", and I think "Lindi-Lu" was only released as a b-side in 
the UK, but it was on COVER in the US).

Here's a final piece of information. In the text of QUOTE / UNQUOTE, the 
Verlaine promo booklet released to promote FLASH LIGHT, John Angus notes 
that Verlaine "recently recorded a batch of songs which may emerge as a 
mini-album in the near future" (paraphrasing), and he mentions "Anna" as 
being among these. Does this mean "Anna" and unnamed other tracks were never 
intended for anything *other* than this "mini-album"? Or was Verlaine trying 
to salvage the 1986 sessions with this proposed mini-album instead? Or is 
Angus misinformed?

For all we know, some or much of the "lost" 1986 LP remains in the vaults, 
unreleased. It's quite possible that Fontana only used the lesser material 
(like "Circling" or the alternate "One Time At Sundown") for the b-sides, 
and that Verlaine either re-recorded much of the 1986 sessions for use on 
FLASH LIGHT or THE WONDER or else holds much of it in reserve to this day.

It's even possible that Verlaine & Bascombe *did* get as far as finalizing a 
track listing and LP title in 1986, and if so, I'd love to know what it 
was!"

Best regards to all,

Brian

n.p. The Zulus- Down on the Floor (found it!)


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