Re: Be Kind to the Gaffa(s)

[chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (Chris Williams)]

>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.

    Very sorry, my mistake. I have not, in fact, seen the film since the 
original theatrical showing. 

>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.

   Far be it from me to disagree, but the edited version of "Be Kind To
My Mistakes" is like the Duck-Billed Platypus. It is very hard to 
understand a reason why it was created. Not a "mistake," but something 
beyond mere human understanding.

>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".

   I am aware of this. "Gaffa" is Kate's coinage. She has invented
words before, "audioually" (her word complimenting "visually") and 
"filmic" (I'm not sure that this is her's alone) are the classic 
examples.

>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". 

   I did find it in an unabridged Italian dictionary. I don't believe 
that she knew the Italian word, but it is interesting.

>This paradox has helped to sustain the enigma of Kate Bush's song for 
>thirteen years. 

                          Chris Williams of
                             Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago
                               chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (his)
                                 vickie@njin.rutgers.edu      (hers)