MisK.

[IED0DXM%OAC.UCLA.EDU@mitvma.mit.edu]

 To: Love-Hounds
 From: Andrew Marvick (IED)
 Subject: MisK.

   Stephen Thomas asks, in re his and Jeff's transcription project:
 >1.) What is the name of the studio where _The_Dreaming_ was shot?

   IED is unable to make out the name any better than you and Jeff
were, unfortunately. It sounds like "U-ex" to IED's ears. (Phonetically,
anyway.) The general location was Wandsworth, that much comes
through clearly enough. The director's name is Paul Henry, and this
last bit is confirmed in the credits at the end of the _Whole_Story_
video collection.

 >2.) What was the name of the Rolf Harris song, and what's its signi-
 >    ficance?

   The title of the song is indeed _Sun_Arise_. It was a major novelty
hit in England in 1962, or a little later. It was first heard by Kate
on the radio when she was very little, but her brother Paddy bought
the single at some point thereafter, and the sound of _Sun_Arise_
became firmly ingrained in Kate's childhood consciousness. On a
December 31, 1980 BBC radio programme she brought a copy and played
it over the air. _The_Dreaming's_ rhythmic pulse, dijeridu drone, phras-
ing--even its imagery of shafts of sunlight hitting the Aborigine lands--
all are directly influenced by Rolf Harris's _Sun_Arise_.
   In the U.S. Harris scored a minor pop hit with another of his
characteristic Australian recordings of ca. 1962: _Tie_Me_Kangaroo_
_Down_. The reason all the interviewers raise their eyebrows at the
mention of Harris's name in connection with Kate's records is that
in more recent years Harris has made a quite different reputation
for himself as a children's television personality. As usual, their
despicable smugness is undermined by their ignorance.

 >3.) What vocal part did Gordon Farrell, Kate's one-time voice
 >    teacher, sing on _Houdini_?

   This has already been answered, more or less, so IED will
just make it a little more specific. On the LP's liner notes
Farrell is credited for the _word_ "Houdini"--just as Del,
one line below, is credited for the words "Rosabel Believe".
This would seem to prove that Farrell's vocal contribution,
which Kate herself was very specific in identifying as the
male vocal which comes in at the very last line, simultaneous
with her own line "You and I and Rosabel believe", is indeed
a long, drawn-out note spun out on the name "Houdini"--although
IED admits that to his ears this note has never sounded like
that word or any other word in particular. Still, the album
note is very positive about it.
   Richard Caldwell asks whether his backstage pass could be
real. IED sees nothing in your description of it which casts
doubt upon its authenticity, Richard. There must have been such
things, so why not? A very nice little item to snag, too. Congrats.
   bilbo asks:
 >What does "Cobulus Castellus" mean in _The_Big_Sky_, and who is
 >doing those voices?

   The term is "Cumulus castellus", and is the technical meteorological
name for a particular kind of great, billowing white cloud formation.
   Paddy and John do many of the spoken vocals on the _Big_Sky_ 12-inch
re-mix, but IED believes Del may do one or two of the lines, and Kate's
father Robert, as well. No specific credits have ever been given,
however, so it's hard for IED to be more positive.

-- Andrew Marvick