Our next Lithobag was proposed by Liliana Cafiero, the geojazz singer which you may have heard in “Tatti and its stones a few days ago” (if not, you should check it out NOW).
This song was launched in 1977, in Italy. Who knows if Alfredo Antonio Carlo Buongusto (aka Fred Bongusto) when writing of stones and ideas piling on top of each other was thinking about stones and ideas which were flying around the the streets of many Italian cities, in the turmoil of the years .
For us rockers Fred Bongusto is often (and with prejudice) avoided given his traditional crooner and romantic ballad role. But we were completely surprised preparing this article by learning that in 1973 he also covered Stevie Wonder’s super-funky Superstition. Rumor has it that at the time, in a couple of gigs, he presented himself as Fred Goodtaste, for a laugh. Now, on with the music, and then everybody go read the Participatory Lithology page as presented by the Metalliferous Hills Jug Band.
pietra su pietra idea sopra idea ce la faro’ dentro la forza che il sole mi crea ci riusciro’ ricominciare no senza di te ricostruire in me distrutto ormai nell’anima per te… per te, sono spento per te per me, devo solo combattere e pietra su pietra ridere piangere pietra su pietra una vita… per vivere ma lontano da te… giorno su giorno il tempo che va passa di qui io ti credevo intoccabile ma non e’ cosi’ devo convincermi ora, di piu’ che non ci sei piu’ tu un filo ormai mi sta tenendo su… per te, sono spento per te per me, devo solo combattere e pietra su pietra ridere piangere pietra su pietra una vita… per vivere ma lontano da te… per te… cosi’, sulla terra da solo io ma pietra su pietra rimettermi ad illudermi pietra su pietra una vita… ma lontano ma lontano da te… lontano da te…
The next Lithobag was suggested by Anne from the Netherlands. Anne is a perfect example of what in Participatory Lithology we have called “(at home) resident DJ”, among various entertainer roles.
This band deserves the Irony Nobel Prize. Half of The Netherlands’ surface is less than 1 metre above sea level (or below sea level). In 1993 Jack O’Malley visited the island of Texel, which he wanted to see driven by the resemblance of its name with the fictional character of Tex Willer. When he got there he noted that the island has a place called Hohe Berg (High Mountain), peaking at a breathtaking 40 metres.
The Dutch mountains, as we intend mountains, do not exist. So, The Nits mean to tell us something, that each of one should figure. The mountain is not a mountain, the stone is not a stone, rock is not rock. An watch out on where that shirt button keeps rolling.
The other thing we learn about Holland from this song is that it look like there are a lot o people painting the walls of their houses. If that is not the case, it sounds strange that in a song which tells about five “situations”, two of them mention wall painting…anyway..just drifting….
Remember that if for Participatory Lithology you cannot propose yourself as an entertainer, you might qualify as a collector, a classifier, and -in any case- a sponsor.
…on we go with The Nits live (but the official video gives a cool backdrop for the song), and thanks again to Anne and his family for their suggestion:
I was born in a valley of bricks | Sono nato in una valle di mattoni
Where the river runs high above the rooftops. | dove il fiume scorre alto sopra i tetti
I was waiting for the cars coming home late at night | stavo aspettando le macchine che rientravano tardi la sera
From the Dutch mountains. | dalle montagne olandesi
I was standing in a valley of rock | stavo in piedi in una valle rocciosa
Up to my belly in an early fog. | immerso fino alla pancia in una nebbia mattutina
I was looking for the road to a green painted house -| stavo cercando la strada per una casa dipinta di verde
In the Dutch mountains. | nelle montagne olandesi
In the Dutch mountains
mountains -.
I met a woman in a valley of stone | Ho conosciuto una donna in una valle di pietra
She was painting roses on the walls of her home. | stava dipingendo rose sui muri della sua casa
And the moon is a coin with the head of the queen – | e la luna è una moneta con la testa della regina
Of the Dutch mountains; in the Dutch mountains. | delle montagne olandesi; nelle montagne olandesi
I lost a button of my shirt today | oggi ho perso un bottone della camicia
It fell on the ground and it was rolling away. | è cascato per terra e stava rotolando via
Like a trail leading me back to the Dutch mountains | come un sentiero che mi riportava alle montagne olandesi
To the Dutch mountains, mountains
I met a miller on the back of a cow | ho incontrato un mugnaio sul dorso di una mucca
He was looking for the wind | cercava il vento
but he didn’t know how. | ma non sapeva come fare
I said: “Follow the cloud that looks like a sheep” | io gli ho detto: “segui la nuvola che assomiglia a una pecora”
In the Dutch mountains | nelle montagne olandesi
in the Dutch mountains
The next song was proposed in parallel by Elena from Casotto Pescatori (GR) and Carlo Simeoni from Rome. This is a total song, an icon from the soul/R’n’B planet, and many of you must have heard at least a little bit of it at least once. As yesterday’s Lithobag, it has a very long intro, but it is kind of smoother. As a presentation, I am picking one that I wrote for this song over seven years ago. I like re-reading it, and I hope you will like it too. As a coupled PELP sample, we have item A038 from Forestano’s collection, which could actually roll if you find the right slope.
originale del 27/9/12 – prima della vendemmia
…it’s not the same, but if this track was not inspired by “Papa was a Rolling Stone”, I will eat my hat, as Tex Willer used to say to Kit Carson.
Directly from Savona, defined by my friend Andrea the Italian city with the worst-dressed women (but he never said the worst women), here come Bobby Soul and Alessio Caorsi…..take it away!
It was the third of September | Era il tre di settembre That day I’ll always remember, | quel giorno me lo ricorderò per sempre Yes, I will | eh sì ‘Cause that was the day that my daddy died | perché fu il giorno che il mi’ babbo morì I never got a chance to see him | non ho mai avuto modo di vederlo Never heard nothin’ but bad things about him | e di lui ho sempre sentito dire ogni male Mama, I’m depending on you | mamma, dipendo da te To tell me the truth | per farmi dire la verità Mama just hung her head and said, “Son,.. | la mamma abbassò la testa e disse: “Figliolo…
[Chorus:] Papa was a rolling stone. | il babbo era una mina vagante Wherever he laid his hat was his home. | dovunque appoggiasse il cappello, era casa sua And when he died, all he left us was alone. | e quando è morto, ci ha lasciati tutti soli Papa was a rolling stone, my son. Wherever he laid his hat was his home. And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
Hey, mama! | Ehi mamma Is it true what they say that papa never worked a day in his life? | ma è vero che babbo non ha mai lavorato nemmeno un giorno in tutta la vita? And, mama, some bad talk goin’ round town sayin’ that papa had three outside children and another wife, | e, mamma, si sentono brutte voci in città, dicono che babbo aveva tre figlioli in giro, e un’altra moglie And that ain’t right | e questo non va bene Heard them talking papa doing some store front preachin’ | ho sentito che dicevano che babbo stata a predicare davanti ai negozi Talked about saving souls and all the time leechin’ | parlava della salvezza delle anime, e si approfittava della benevolenza degli altri Dealing in debt and stealing in the name of the Lord | era pieno di debiti e rubava nel nome del Signore Mama just hung her head and said,
[Chorus] “Papa was a rolling stone, my son. Wherever he laid his hat was his home. And when he died, all he left us was alone. Papa was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home. And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
Hey, mama, | Ehi mamma I heard papa called himself a “Jack Of All Trades” | ho sentito che babbo si faceva chiamare un “tuttologo” Tell me is that what sent papa to an early grave?| dimmi, è questo che ha fatto arrivare il babbo a una tomba prematura? Folks say papa would beg, borrow, steal | la gente dice che babbo faceva l’elemosina, prendeva prestiti e rubava To pay his bills | per pagare le bollette Hey, mama, | ehi mamma Folks say papa never was much on thinking| la gente dice che babbo non è stato mai un gran pensatore Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking | passava la maggior parte del tempo a rincorrere gonnelle e a bere Mama, I’m depending on you To tell me the truth Mama looked up with a tear in her eye and said, “Son,.. | mamma guardo in su con una lacrima nell’occhio e disse..”Figlio…
[Chorus] Papa was a rolling stone (well, well…) Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone Papa was a rolling stone Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
[Chorus] I said, “Papa was a rolling stone (yes, he was, my son) Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone My daddy was (papa was a rolling stone), yes, he was Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
[If you missed Lithobag #1, with the preface to this blog series, you can find it here]
[If you don’t know Participatory Lithology, check out its first week summary, and be sure to check our title track before you read on.]
Coming up is a Lithobag suggested on March 25 by Elio from Cascina, not far from Pisa and the leaning tower. This comes after yesterday we learned that Participatory Lithology was presented as a “rocky” project…so want to share some real rock.
The peculiar thing about this song is that for some reason “Big Tube” does not expose the original version by Jimi Hendrix…you get it as covered by Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Lukather, played at 45 rpm, in reverse…and the version by Jaco Pastorius, who manages to go beyond Jimi in terms of psychedelia. But I couldn’t find the original version on Big Tube (so here it is from an alternative site).
As a proper video, I would in any case like to propose one of the most recent covers. Please welcome Gary Clark Jr. (which we like in the Jug Band Colline Metallifere, often proposing hisGovernor song).
This version of Third Stone from the Sun should possibly go with a big cup of tea, and sample C018 from the Participatory Lithology gallery. The original version actualy has some lyrics, which Jimi’s successors eventually forgot. And regards to Elio!
Strange beautiful grass of green, | strana e bellissima erba verde
With your majestic silver seas | con i tuo maestosi mari d’argento
Your mysterious mountains I wish to see closer | le tue misteriose montagne, che vorrei vedere più da vicino
May I land my kinky machine? | posso far atterrare la mia strana macchina?
Although your world wonders me, | per quanto il vostro mondo mi stupisca
With your majestic and superior cackling hen | con le vostre maestose e superiori galline starnazzanti
Your people I do not understand, | non riesco a capire la vostra gente
So to you I shall put an end | per cui metterò fine a voi
And you’ll never hear surf music again | e non sentirete mai più musica surf
Imagine a jazz club ambiance: low ceiling, spirals of smoke in the air, whisky with ice, stirred, not shaken.
Images flow in the background, between snapshots of Tatti, Southern Tuscany, the home base of Participatory Lithology, and details of some of the “rocks” that the classifiers are analyzing from their homes.
A Tatti dei sassi ho ritrovato | In Tatti I found some stones Lì giù nella cantina del poro zio Renato | Down in poor old Uncle Renato’s cellar
Forse li avrei buttati via | I might have thrown them away data la mia ignoranza di gee-ooo-logia | given my ignorance in geology
Poi venne l’ispirazione | Then I had an inspiration metter le foto in rete per catalogazione | to put their photos online to have them catalogued
Grazie agli amici in rete | thank to friend I have across the network mi son fatta un elenco che in molti invidierete | I eventually made a list that many of you will envy
[If you missed Lithobag #1, with the preface to this blog series, you can find it here]
[If you don’t know Participatory Lithology, check out its first week summary, and be sure to check our title track before you read on.]
Who knows if Ashford & Simpson, composing Solid (which was in yesterday’s Lithobag) were inspired by this fancy tune by the formidable Ella. Only the most cunning music experts might solve such an intriguing enigma. In the meantime, we will propose associating the levity of the music and the voice of this song with Carolina’s sample C035.
For some specific demographic segments the levity of the music might turn to basalt weight if they delve into the lyrics. Are you curious on the solidity of the Rock of Gibraltar. Learn more about it here.
Solid as a rock | solido come una roccia Solid as a rock Love is as solid as a rock of Gibraltar | l’amore è solido come una rocca di Gibilterra So come to the altar with me | per cui vieni all’altare con me [x2]
You’ll only wander wayward if you ramble | starai solo a cincischiare se vai in giro a caso May I suggest a license and a ring | posso suggerirti un permesso di matrimonio e un anello When you’re in love it’s really not a gamble | quando sei innamorato non è un azzardo Cause you’re betting on a real sure thing | perché scommetti su una cosa davvero sicura
Solid as a rock Solid as a rock Love is as solid as a rock of Gibraltar So come to the altar with me
(Hey!)
Solid as a rock Solid as a rock (Solid as a rock) Love is as solid as a rock of Gibraltar (Solid as a rock) So come to the altar with me (Love is as solid as a rock of Gibraltar) (So come to the altar with me) [x2]
Love’s solid as a rock!
Solid as a rock Solid as a rock Love is as solid as a rock of Gibraltar So come to the altar with me
In the participatory lithology exercise, this song came to Jack O’Malley‘s mind back from this high school times…So Eighties. He remembered the chorus…solid, solid as a rock BOOMM..but he never actually listened to the lyrics. Having read them, Solid presents itself as a great soul tune with Christian nuances (these ars possibly not casual, given the story of this duo between gospel choirs, Baptist churches, etc.). The big tube gives us the original version, that Jack’s peers used to watch on MTV (or, before that existed in Italy, on a channel called Videomusic), and an interesting live version at Montreux. In the latter Nicholas Ashford is dressed like he just walked out of a Star Trek set, where is plays the bad guy.
Since we need to choose a sample from the Participatory Lithology collection, paired with the song, I will go with item A036 from Uncle Enzo’s collection. This is kind of brittle, and with a fingernail you can chip some pieces off of it. On A036, one of our classifiers, Cris Carlone from Turin commented: “A sample with numerous inclusions. The white ones look like quartz. It would be interesting to have photos from different angles.”… so we will make sure more photos appear soon.
A nice anecdote on Ashford & Simpson: they were invited to perform at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, and for that event the proposed a modified version of this song, where the chorus said: “Solid…solid as Barack”. Talk tomorrow!
And for love’s sake, each mistake | e in nome dell’amore, ogni errore
Ah, you forgave | hai perdonato
And soon both of us learned to trust | e dopo poco tutti e due abbiamo imparato
Not run away, it was no time to play | a non scappare, non era il tempo di scherzare
We build it up and build it up and build it up | ci abbiamo costruito sopra
And now it’s solid | e ora è solido
Solid as a rock | solido come una roccia
That’s what this love is | è cosi questo amore
That’s what we’ve got, oh, mmm | è quello che abbiamo
Solid
(Oh)
Solid as a rock
And nothing’s changed it | e niente l’ha cambiato
(Ooh)
The thrill is still hot, hot, hot | l’emozione è calda
Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot
Oh, oh, oh, ah
You didn’t turn away | non hai voltato la schiena
When the sky went gray | quando il cielo si è fatto grigio
Somehow we managed | in qualche mondo l’abbiamo sfangata
We had to stick together | dovevamo restare insieme
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
You didn’t bat an eye | non hai mosso ciglio
When I made you cry | quando ti ho fatto piangere
We knew down the line | sapevamo che in fondo
We would make it better | le cose sarebbero migliorate
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
And for love’s sake, each mistake Ah, you forgave And soon both of us learned to trust Not run away, it was no time to play We build it up and build it up and build it up
Now it’s solid
Solid as a rock
(Ooh)
That’s what this love is
(Oh, oh)
That’s what we’ve got
(Oh, oh)
(Yes, it is)
Solid
Solid as a rock
And nothing’s changed it
(Oh)
The thrill is still hot, hot, hot
Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot
Oh, oh, oh, ah
Gone with the wind
Another friend
Got in between
Tried to separate us
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
Oh, knock-knock on wood
You understood
Love was so new
We did what we had to
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)
And with that feeling
We were willing to take a chance
So against all odds, we made a start
We got serious, this wouldn’t turn to dust
(Ooh)
We build it up and build it up and build it up
And now it’s solid
(Ooh)
Solid as a rock
That’s what this love is
(Oh)
That’s what we’ve got, oh
(Oh, oh)
Solid
(Yes, it is)
Solid as a rock
(Ah)
And nothing’s changed it
(Ooh)
The thrill is still hot, hot, hot
Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot
Solid
(Oh)
Solid as a rock
(You know it)
(Well)
(You know it, baby)
Solid
Solid as a rock
(Lovin’ me, lovin’ me, oh)
Solid
(Don’t leave me, baby)
Solid as a rock
(Well, well, why, why)
(Oh)
Solid
Solid as a rock
(Every day it gets sweeter, now)
(Ooh)
Solid
(You know I like it)
Solid as a rock
(Good, good, well, it’s good, good, good)
Solid
(Solid, solid, solid, solid, solid)
As a rock
[If you missed Lithobag #1, with the preface to this blog series, you can find it here]
[If you don’t know Participatory Lithology, check out its first week summary, and be sure to check our title track before you read on.]
The Monkees started as a kind of “engineered” band to mimic to Beatles. The were conceived to portray a beat band in a series which was aired in the USA between 1965 and 1968 (and which Jack O’Malley from Jug Band Colline Metallifere got to watch in the UK in the mid-Seventies). Then the series was closed, but they kept on playing until 1971 and that wasn’t a bad idea (they have been selling around 75 million records).
Their most famous song outside of the US of A (even though not all may know it is from them) is I’m a believer. This was also covered in Italian in the Sixties by Caterina Caselli, with the title “Sono bugiarda” (I’m a liar), and with completely unrelated lyrics. However, the Monkees song we must propose for participatory lithology is -necessarily- “Stepping stone”, calling sample U007 by Amos.
Rit. I I I I I’l not your stepping stone | Io io io io io no sono la tua pietra da guado
You’re trying to make your mark in so – cie – ty, | stai cercando di affermarti in società
You’re using all the tricks that you used on me, | stai facendo tutti i giochetti che facevi con me
You’re reading all them high fashion maga – zines, | stai leggendo tutte ‘ste riviste di moda
The clothes you’re wearing, girl, are causing public scenes | e coi vestiti che porti, bimba, stai facendo scandalo
When I first met you, girl, you didn’t have no shoes, | la prima volta che ti ho incontrato non avevi nemmeno le scarpe
But now you’re walking ’round like you’re front page news, | ma ora te ne vai in giro come se avessi la prima pagina
You been awful careful ’bout the friends you choose, |sei stata molto attenta agli amici che ti sei scelta
But you won’t find my name in your book of ‘Who’s Who’! | ma non troverai il mio nome nel tuo libro del “Chi è chi..”
[If you missed Lithobag #1, with the preface to this blog series, you can find it here]
[If you don’t know Participatory Lithology, check out its first week summary, and be sure to check our title track before you read on.]
…so we move on from “them” to an Italian band which I got to know personally quite well in the first decade of this century. I am speaking of The Pretty Face from Milano, Italia.
The Staggers, from Graz, Austria, at the 2005 Pianello Val Tidone Beat Festival (Italy)
Thanks to the Pretty Face, and one of their peers, Corrado from LO-FI Milano, I was introduced to the world of contemporary garage-beat. I was so into it that in 2005 I recall proposing them to launch as sort of “national strategy for the return of Beat”. The plan did not take off…but some of the ideas which were laid on the table in that period eventually took different shapes and are now alive. Among other business, The Pretty Face asked me to produce a video for the release party of one of their singles. This was at The Rocket Club in Milano. For this venture I summoned Lucio Monocrom, the director with whom I collaborated for The Revenge of the Killer Chihuahua and of the Zombies, and Ermanno X, the news that kills. Below you can see what we came up with, with a surprise finale…for a garage band.
Per l’occasione alleghiamo una foto di un campione C013 della Litologia Partecipativa a forma di cuore. Più o meno. Dalla Collezione C (Fam. Cortesi) a Tatti. Grazie a Carolina e a risentirci domani.
In the Participatory Lithology project we are opening the sixth season of our branobag blog series. Given the context of the project, the articles will be issued as “lithobags”. If you don’t know what a branobag is, you can easily find out from this page.
There will be two important differences with respect to previous branobag series. The first one is that on this round we will make an effort to publish also the English version of these articles (most of the pibinko.org site is maintained in Italian and English, but due to their daily frequency and length of some articles, in the past we preferred not to translate the original Italian versions). The second one is that for the lithobag series the playlist has been created in one week from the launch of the project, as a brainstorming exercise by various folks with the base quartet of the Metalliferous Hills Jug Band. In the past the each track was selected “on the spot” by pibinko, day by day.
On this round we had the response of various musicians and music experts from Sassari (Sardinia), going North. They responded to the call of the Participatory Lithology project to play as “entertainers”, suggesting tunes which are related to rocks, stones, minerals, etc. These tunes will help to give the other characters in the project (we have collectors, classifiers, and sponsors, and please see the project presentation to review what these roles should do). As the project unfolds, we will be introducing to you our DJs, and we will relate them to one or more elements of the project (one of the samples in the process of being classified, some other character, etc.).
Take for example the header image, where you can see sample Z012. This comes from Guido and Valeria’s collection in Tatti. At the time of writing we don’t know what it is, but it reminds me of a bird’s eye view of the town portrayed in Dark City.
How long will the lithobag series last? This will all depend by suggestions we receive. At present we can run the show for about a month.
Without further ado: let us hear the track which inspired the motto for Participatory Lithology (“between a rock and a hard phase“).
…and we start with “them”, as Gabriele from Sassari calls the Rolling Stones. HE and his family are so incredibly into the Stones that they don’t even need to name them…and to refer to Keith Richards they just call him “him”. Below you will also find the Italian translation of the lyrics, made on-the-fly by Mauro Tirannosauro. In addition to being a participatory lithology expert, Mauro also has an excellent command of English, since he spent several years in the UK when he was a kid. Enjoy our lithomusic, and talk to you tomorrow.
The fields of Eden | I campi dell’Eden Are full of trash | sono pieni di mondezza And if we beg and we borrow and steal | e anche se preghiamo, prendiamo in prestito o rubiamo We’ll never get it back | non ce li ridaranno mai People are hungry | la gente ha fame They crowd around | si raggruppano qua e là And the city gets bigger as the country comes begging to town | e la città cresce mano a mano che la campagna viene a elemosinare in città We’re stuck between a rock | siamo fra l’incudine And a hard place | e il martello Between a rock and a hard place This talk of freedom | Queste chiacchiere di libertà And human rights | e diritti umani Means bullying and private wars and chucking all the dust into our eyes | voglio dire maltrattare i più deboli, guerre private e tirarci un sacco di terra in faccia And peasant people | e i contadini Poorer than dirt | più poveri della terra Who are caught in the crossfire with nothing to lose but their shirts | stanno in mezzo al fuoco incrociato, con niente da perdere se non le loro camice Stuck between a rock | presi tra l’incudine And a hard place | e il martello Between a rock and a hard place You’d better stop put on a kind face | meglio che tu ti fermi, fai un’espressione gentile Between a rock and a hard place We’re in the same boat | siamo sulla stessa barca On the same sea | sullo stesso mare And we’re sailing south | e viaggiamo verso sud On the same breeze | con la stessa brezza Guiding dream churches | guidando chiese da sogno With silver spires | con spire argentate And our rogue children | mente i nostri bimbi molesti Are playing loaded dice | giocano coi dadi truccati Give me truth now | ora dammi la verità Don’t want no sham | non voglio finzioni I’d be hung drawn and quartered for a sheep just as well as a lamb | mi farebbero impiccare, sventrare e squartare comunque Stuck between a rock And a hard place Between a rock and a hard place You’d better stop Put on a kind face Can’t you see what you’ve done to me | non riesci a vedere quello che mi hai fatto
