E18: The Flying Hearts – Arthur Russell pt.5 [excerpt]
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We continue our mini-series on Arthur Russell by turning to his mid-70s pop and folk work. Starting in the famous Poet’s Building in 1975, Tim and Jeremy explore life in the East Village, in particular the area’s poetry scene. They discuss the aesthetics of setting spoken word to music, stop by Ginsberg, and drop in some Tibetan Buddhist classes. Elsewhere in the episode we hear about a number of recording sessions at the Columbia Records studio, get haunted by the spectre of Dylan, and speculate on whether Arthur could have been the fourth Talking Head. Tim shares some demos from Arthur’s short-lived band the Flying Hearts, a version of Psycho Killer with punchy cello that didn’t make the final cut, and some Laraaji-ish keyboard noodlings.
Books:
Philippe Bourgeois - In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio
Tracklist:
Arthur Russell - Barefoot in New York
William Carlos Williams - The Red Wheelbarrow
Bright and Early - Apple to the Orange
Arthur Russell - Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart
Arthur Russell - I Couldn’t Say it to Your Face
Arthur Russell - Reach One (with Two Fender Rhodes)
Talking Heads - The Girls Want to be with the Girls
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (acoustic version)
The Flying Hearts - Ballad of the Lights
The Flying Hearts - What’s It Like