21/2 ARTBOY

GALLERY artefact #008

picture by Danny Vallely -1987 -

STUDIO artefact #001

Thanks to the house band for playing us inexplicably into a new week with one of four demo tunes recorded by GM in 1993 with the legendary Jo Callis of The Rezillos and Human League fame - songwriter and composer of the perennial League hit ‘Don’t You Want Me’ along with many other songs you may have grown up singing along to tonelessly or otherwise.

This ‘90s take on ‘70s glam is a favourite, coming as it does from a very specific post-Stone Roses, pre-Britpop musical era.

This recording was retrieved from a 30-year old cassette tape discovered in a cardboard box – damage to the artefact explains sound quality, pops, clicks and drop-outs! Time makes holes in things, ringed with haloes of mysterious decay…

Words and melody, vocals, and rhythm guitar are by GM, otherwise all instruments, production and arrangement come courtesy of Jo Callis, whose frantic guitar solos on this track came about as a result of being asked to ‘play the guitar like Jackson Pollock painted’ which he duly did to dazzling effect.

Thirty years ago – ‘g-g-gulp how long have we been wasted, Scoob? ‘-

The title Artboy was borrowed from one of a multitude of unrealized Malcolm McLaren film projects.

Artboy

Wearing a dress that he stole from his Uncle Ray!

His hair’s in a mess but you know that he meant it that way.

Out on the town with a girl from the Isle of Wight.

And you know for a fact that he’ll get no sleep tonight…

And the girls all want to have his babies!

And the boys all feel the same way too!

He’s a killer with an empty canvas!

Wouldn’t you die for it?

Love?

Artboy! Artboy! Artboy! Artboy!

He’s sleeping all day or he’s planning the perfect crime.

He’ll smile when he says that today is the perfect time for a boy.

But he’s still got time to quote Picasso.

And paint his name on every wall.

He’s a killer with an empty canvas.

Wouldn’t you die for it?

Love?

Artboy! Artboy! Artboy! Artboy!

And the girls all want to have his babies.

And the boys all feel the same way too.

He’s a killer with an empty canvas.

Wouldn’t you die for it?

Love?

Love?

Love?

Artboy! Artboy! Artboy! Artboy!..

GALLERY artefact #009

Contact sheet 1993 Paul McGuigan, director of The Acid House, Lucky Number Slevin, Victor Frankenstein, Sherlock etc…

SUPERMAN and the AUTHORITY annotations at it again on WEDNESDAY!

Song ©1993 - Grant Morrison and Jo Callis.

Do not reproduce without permission or else…eels…you have been warned!