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John Callaghan's Cortical Charabanc

by John Callaghan

supported by
Leo Stableford
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Leo Stableford Full disclosure I have been a friend of John's for over 10 years.

With this album John has here produced a smorgasbord of eccentronic morsels sure to freshen up the palate of anyone who likes bizarre samples, bleeping noises and thoughtfully insane art-pop.

By turns amusing, confrontational, raunchy, introspective, hopeful,. open and honest this album represents the best of a diverse roster of sub-genres. Excellent work. Favorite track: The Nation's Industrial Powerhouse.
Purple Stuart
Purple Stuart thumbnail
Purple Stuart Experimental pop in turns imaginative, thoughtful, funny & surprising.
Favorite track: It's The End, But....
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1.
I started my mission to pass myself off As a debonair hipster who's styled like a toff Proudly I stood as they narrowed their eyes Was there a clue to my perfect disguise? I realise now that I should have said gin When I offered to get the alco-pops in I cannot exude that old library smell I'm not a real chap and I think they can tell I can't even rap, I'm not really a chap I'm not so much steam punk, I'm more a cream puff My dress sense is loud but it's not up to snuff Dapper chap dandies can easily discern My style's Enid Blyton instead of Jules Verne Wait a minute, those cogs are just badly-glued on Your name isn't Tarquin, it's actually John That's not a real pipe, it's for blowing out foam And it sounds like you left your Home Counties at home Now let's raise the tone with some masterful scat And no, you know I don't mean it like that The queen of jazz singing and I am her herald Ladies and gentlemen - Ella Fitzgerald! Jazzamatazz! When one wears a hat, it's an elegant cap And mine's bubble wrap, I'm not really a chap I tried to defuse all their menacing scowls But I'm not Bertie Wooster with my Birmingham vowels It's "spiffing" not "bosting", it's "splendid" not "brill" Air guitar won't succeed where air sousaphone will I tried to go retro, they didn't look pleased When I played them my old happy hardcore CDs Now they're building a pyre from 78s I'm not a real chap and I fear it's too late They've shown me a map, "where's the Watford Gap?" I think it's a trap, I'm not really a chap Note to self: use a monocle, not binoculars My ermine cravat was in fact a dead bat It's the end of the track, I'm not really a chap
2.
3.
This is the sound of my life One day I won't be here And people will hear this and know how I felt This is the sound of my life This is the sound of my fear One day I'll disappear And millions of people have passed before me This is the sound of my fear This is the sound of my pain Not easy to explain So I put it to music and what do I get? I get the sound of my pain This is the sound of my joy I'm such a happy boy And this is the reason that I am so happy This is the sound of my joy This is the sound of my hate It's such a heavy weight Intolerance, ignorance and sometimes myself This is the sound of my hate This is the sound of my love Something that I have found You know that I love you, I love everybody And I love myself and my sound
4.
Life Begins 05:38
Here, now our life begins This is where life begins Ah, falling through the days So while the music plays Sing, scream and dance and shout Loud, life begins right now So when history stops And while the record spins And when yesterday ends Is where life begins So when history stops And while the music spins And when yesterday ends Is where life begins Dance as the music spins Here, now our life begins Here, now our life begins This is where life begins
5.
6.
7.
8.
Sexy Sex 03:28
9.
Arguing every point, when will you give it a rest? Together we ending up fighting much more than on our own, and You and me both know how this will end but we do it again You and me both tired of being wrong, why can't we get along? Tell me why you and me both are tired of fighting when fighting's all we do now? Together we will be forever on each other's toes now Oh, that sounds terrible Yes, we should swap Oh, OK then Tell me why you and me both are Arguing every point, when Together we will be Much more than on our own, and... You and me both know how this will end but we do it again You and me both tired of being wrong, why can't we get along? You and me both tired of that brick wall, can we face it at all? You and me both know how this will end but we do it again
10.
11.
10 strokes of a cane Being collared and chained It don't strike my chord in 2084 The endurance of pain Don't blow up my brain I thought there'd be more in 2084 Human advance has brought us to Mars With the blink of an eye My lust said goodbye Spaceships and stars Made human fun dull I dreamed I was toying with aliens and droids They say I'm a fool They're all so old school "You've spent far too long Watching tentacle porn" Long gone are the days Smacking bums was the craze Laser beams are now top Of the list in sex shops CBT, needles, rope No longer my dope The wonders of space A new kink to embrace I'm heading offshore in 2084 To Venus, to explore in 2084
12.
13.
Want to be high on life Instead you're low on time And then the walls you climb Start closing in You try to seize the day But want to hide away Feels like a swarm of bees Under your skin You shouldn't spend too long On being numb and strong Sometimes it's good to feel But keep control You want to flinch and fret But you're not beaten yet Don't even break a sweat You're on a roll Life has done you a disservice Wonder what you ever did to deserve this Keep up the fight, we Know that quite rightly Sometimes we're mighty, sometimes nervous Doubts can overcome our fervour Second-guessing moments sometimes disturb us Stay in the light, we Keep it in sight we know Sometimes we're mighty, sometimes nervous Your body wants you safe And so the stimulant flows It overdoes the dose You're swept away Your mind is not a jail Where you can only fail And flail to no avail You hold the key When an exciting thrill Just has you feeling ill Know you're the master still And not alone Adrenaline's your tool That pounding blood's your fuel And you're nobody's fool And not your own No need to ever doubt That you can see it out You're what it's all about You are the star And everyone is prey And we all feel the same But it will be OK And so will you
14.
So, you've been a hero, carried the whole show, shone like a star Now it's time for your curtain call, take a bow for all you are Will the world cope without you? Suppose that we'll have to, now you're not there But you've done enough, to leave's only tough because you care See it through the end, be true to the end, you knew it's the end But the moment has been prepared for It all led to the end, decided it's the end, you said it's the end But the moment has been prepared for (It's the end but it's the moment) Every moment we build we build in the shadow that you cast And though this is the last moment you make, we can make this moment last Though we'd never believe that you'd ever leave us, it's time for the fall And we could depend on you being our friend throughout it all See it through the end, been there to the end, we knew it's the end But the moment has been prepared for It all led to the end, decided it's the end, you said it's the end But the moment has been prepared for

about

A melange of solo songs, collaborations, light-hearted confections and pieces with more samples than I'd usually use!

johncallaghan.co.uk

credits

released February 24, 2019

Photograph by Robert Bettelheim

02, 03, 04, 06, 08, 09, 10, 12, 14) (Music, Words: JC)

06, 14 - Written for wifeinspace.com

01) Not Really A Chap - John Callaghan and Namtao (Music: JC/Namtao/Morton. Words: JC)
namtao.com
The piece incorporates elements from "Georgia Swing" by Jelly Roll Morton, Ella Fitzgerald and a 3-year old Dutch girl from a recording by Klankbeeld (available on Freesound.org).

05) Snowgrip - John Callaghan and David Van-Cauter (Music: JC. Words: David Van-Cauter)
Voice: David Van-Cauter
David's book Mirror Lake will be available at arenig.co.uk

07) Gibbous - John Callaghan and David Wade Evans (Music: JC & David Wade Evans)
Banjo, electronics: David Wade Evans

10) You And Me Both - Eccentronic
Voice, theremin: Hypnotique

11) In 2084 - John Callaghan and Micol Brunelli (Music: JC. Words: Micol Brunelli)
Voice: Micol Brunelli

13) Sometimes We're Mighty, Sometimes Nervous - John Callaghan, Louise Jones, Lucy Jones and Professor Elemental (Music: JC. Words: JC; inspired by Nervous by Professor Elemental)
Voices: Louise Jones, Lucy Jones, Elizabeth Yates, Professor Elemental
professorelemental.com

Videos:
Sexy Sex: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SEc4XbXodU

The Nation's Industrial Powerhouse: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hciCPACwbk

Hate And Destroy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBcM_9CI3G4

It's The End, But...: youtu.be/92xPSxiAJ9g

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John Callaghan UK

John Callaghan is an unusual songwriter / performer of thoughtful and spiky electronica from Birmingham (UK).
More of his songs can be found at bleep.com/artist/153 (the stuff on Warp Records, basically, including "I'm Not Comfortable Inside My Mind").
He is 173cm tall, weights 73kg and has a blood pressure of 110/60Hg.
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