Be Kind to the Gaffa(s)

[IEDSRI@aol.com]

Chris Williams writes of "Be Kind to My Mistakes": 

 > The easiest way to hear the complete version is to rent the 
 > film. It's not hard to find the song in the film, as it
 > appears over the opening credits. 

No doubt the above incautious advice is due to the time that has
passed since the movie came out.  Whatever the explanation for Chris's
uncharacteristic slip, IED cannot recommend the suggested course of action.
 The version of "BKtMM" that is heard over the opening credits of the movie
"Castaway" is the original, yes; but it is not "complete" at all. In fact, it
is rather obviously edited in the middle in order to reach the fadeout by the
time the director's name appears. As far as IED is aware, the complete,
original mix of "BKtMM" can still only be found on the official soundtrack
album, which is indeed, as Chris correctly states, hard to find.
 
The original version is, as Chris knows, not only longer, but quite
different, than the version known to us from the CD releases.  IED shares
with Chris a strong preference for the original, but cannot agree with him
that the original is therefore superior to the later version, since IED
cannot accept the premise that relative quality obtains among the various
acts of God.

Finally, though it pains him to mention it and thus reinforce his reputation
as the philocanine pedant par excellence, IED is compelled by force of his
own flaws of personality to point out that there is no French plural "gaffa".
The French plural of "gaffe" is "gaffes". If there is a legitimate
transliteration of the word into Italian as "gaffa", then its plural,
unfortunately, would be "gaffe". This paradox has helped to sustain the
enigma of Kate Bush's song for thirteen years. 

-- Andrew Marvick (IED),
   astonishing and appalling Love-Hounds for far too long now
   Hi, MarK!