OUT OF ONE BODY
Title:
OUT OF ONE BODY AND INTO ANOTHER
Artist:
ghetto girl
Originally Recorded & released:
1994 (g.i.g. entertainment
international cassette #147)
Issued on CD:
2002 (g.i.g. entertainment
international CD #202)
Produced by:
Jeff Mitchell & Chris Matthews
Personnel:
Jeff Mitchell
(all tracks)
•
Mairi Gl’amour (Greg Ohanian)
(tracks 3/17)
•
Tracy Rhoades
(tracks
3/10/16/17/18/20/22/23)
•
Walter “Levi” Briscoe
(track 1)
•
Chris Matthews
(all tracks except
8/9/10/13/18/20/23)
•
Paul Sidore
(tracks 1/9/12/22)
•
Jeremy Angier
(tracks 1/22)
•
John Gluck
(tracks 2/15)
•
Paige & Briley Butterfield
(track 5)
•
John Wilson & Danny Hesse
(tracks 7/11)
•
Jeanne Whalen, Lillian Friman, Harold Harrison, Lilyan Harrison &
Mike Edwards
(track 11)
•
Lawrence Harvey
(track 12)
•
Jake Mitchell
(track 13)
•
Tina Rainwater Bridges
(tracks 15)
•
Kat Laird
(track 16)
•
Mark Decker, Michael Fitzpatrick & Jimmy “Nova”
(track 17)
•
Heather Mitchell
(tracks 10/19)
CD Liner Notes:
~
1994 started out bright and shiny, with Jeff and I having just moved
out of our funky leaky-roofed Sylvia’s Diner pad and into a spacious
and sunny apartment on Lake Merritt in Oakland. It was also finally
time to sequence and compile all the songs we had meticulously
recorded and mixed down for this, the latest ghetto girl album --
our third creative collaboration in the five years since we’d met.
- Chris
Side One
1.
WALTERIAN INTRO / AZT 3 DAY ILLNESS
(Words and Music by Jeff Mitchell)
Walter “Levi” Briscoe: telephone call intro
Jeff Mitchell: vocals, electronic brass
Paul Sidore: lead and rhythm guitars
Jeremy Angier: bass guitar
Chris Matthews: drums
Produced by Jeff
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Ah, yes, Jeff may have “produced” the marvelous stylish sound here,
but I was the guy who had to mic and balance the recording of it
all! The drums came out
particularly nice, thanks to the natural compression of the swell
4-track reel-to-reel machine Jeff bought.
We used that thing on nearly every one of these tracks, along
with two identical Yamaha SPX-50 effects boxes and not much else.
I recall our contentious mixing sessions at the old Antenna
fort in Sausalito, with Jeff working my little hands and ears hard
to achieve the many layers he wished to add (and add, and add...) --
and ultimately, we’d always run out of tracks (hey, four isn’t
exactly plenty) and once all the bouncing that could possibly be
bounced had been, we’d have to actually play some of the last
overdubs LIVE while mixing to tape! Such is the case on this song,
with Jeff layering sampled horn licks from Antenna’s EMAX keyboard
while I slaved over the mixing board.
The result is a beautifully-embellished brass “section” that
suddenly made the song sound oh-so complete.
And to provide a suitable opening piece, Jeff dug out this weird
message left on his answering-machine long, long ago (circa 1985) by
his Monterey/Big Sur schizo buddy Walter.
Twenty points if you can identify the “religious” music
playing back there in whatever bar he was calling from.
- Chris
I
told the boys that I wanted this to sound like a stripper song, and
this is what we came up with.
Can’t you see the tassels twirling?
- Jeff
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2.
CD COLLECTION
(Words & Music by John Gluck)
John Gluck: guitars, bass, background vocals, handclaps
Chris Matthews: percussion, background vocals, handclaps
Jeff Mitchell: lead and background vocals, electronic snare
Produced by Jeff and Chris
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It
wouldn’t be a ghetto girl album unless I ripped off at least one
song from MLBF John Gluck.
He’s such a talented songwriter, as well as a fine
guitarist... I consider
myself blessed to have him to draw material from and play on my
albums. He’s on a
couple of other songs here too. Although John wrote the lyrics
(which were originally hetero but he let me switch ‘em) they
certainly could apply to me too.
- Jeff
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3.
TRANZMERGANCE
(Words by Mairi Gl’amour a.k.a. Greg Ohanian • Music by Chris
Matthews & Jeff Mitchell)
Mairi Gl’amour: lead vocals
Tracy Rhoades: intro and outro messages (from beyond the grave)
Chris Matthews: drums, drum triggers, tapes
Jeff Mitchell: keyboards, clarinet, backing vocals
Produced by Jeff & Chris
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A
stellar performance from Mairi Gl’amour!
One of the founding members of ghetto girl, circa 1984, she’s
responsible for much of the entity’s fundamental attitude, style,
and philosophy, as well as the name.
A video of this song exists somewhere, featuring all of your
favorite ghetto girl celebrities in various states of tranzmergance!
- Jeff
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4.
FADING FAST
(Words and Music by Charlotte
Caffey • Originally performed by the Go-Go’s)
Chris Matthews: Jane-like guitar, Charlotte-y vocals
Jeff Mitchell: drum and keyboard programming, WX-11 MIDI-bass,
Charlotte-y guitar, Belinda-esque lead vocal AND Jane-based response
vocal
Produced by Jeff
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Always wanted to do a cover off of the first Go-Go’s album,
definitely one of my top ten of the Eighties.
Now I have.
- Jeff
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5.
GREAT BIG GOBS OF GREASY GRIMY GOPHER GUTS
(Traditional)
Paige Butterfield, age 6: vocals
Briley Butterfield, age 4: also vocals
Chris Matthews: guitar, percussion & more vocals
Jeff Mitchell: melodica & percussion & more vocals
Produced by Chris & Jeff
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This was Chris’s idea, really, to record my little nieces Paige &
Briley, and I’m glad he did it, too.
I’d like to document their musical growth each year with a
new song. This one will
eventually appear on a forthcoming compilation entitled “The Sheep
Children’s Project.” -
Jeff
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6.
SKYWAY TO FANTASYLAND
(Words by Jeff Mitchell • Music by Chris Matthews & Jeff Mitchell)
Chris Matthews: drums
Jeff Mitchell: synthesizers, wind-controlled MIDI-bass, melodica,
monkey chants, handclaps, and all vocals
Produced by Jeff from a original track by Chris
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This song has an interesting history.
Chris and I recorded the drums and original keyboards
simultaneously onto two tape-recorders back in 1990, the idea being
we’d each complete a song independently of the other.
Well, Chris won the “race” with his version, the title track
of his last tape “Singing Headache,” but I had this version
more-or-less finished before I heard his; they really don’t sound at
all alike. With my
vocals here, I was sort of going for a “Meatloaf meets Klaus Nomi”
sound... - Jeff
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7.
WAITING
(Words by Jeff Mitchell • Music by John Wilson & Jeff Mitchell)
John Wilson: rhythm guitar
Danny Hesse: guitar solo
Chris Matthews: drums & bass, finger cymbal & backing vocals
Jeff Mitchell: electro-brass, electro-woodwinds & electro-strings,
maracas and all vocals
Produced by Jeff
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This was known as “The John Wilson Song” for so long that I almost
titled it that! (As it
is, his name made it into the lyrics...)
When I put out the call to all my musician friends,
announcing that ghetto girl was now accepting submissions of
material for her next album, John offered up this chord progression,
which together we structured and laid down to tape at Sylvia’s.
From that original progression we embellished immensely.
Danny adds a real pro guitar solo.
Thanks guys!
- Jeff
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Side Two
8.
GRAND PROCESSIONAL / WHAT A KISS WAS
(Music by Jeff)
Jeff Mitchell: Keyboards, Drum Programming & Melodica
Produced by Jeff
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One from the archives, circa 1986, way before I had any idea how to
write or record a song.
The whole idea was sonic collage, a la Throbbing Gristle.
But I wanted to include an old nugget here and this song
always struck me as a good side opener, so here she be.
- Jeff
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9.
THE WHOMBATS OF CHREIGHTON
(Music and Chorus Lyrics by Paul Sidore • Verse Lyrics by Jeff
Mitchell)
Paul Sidore: guitars, bass, piano, drum programming, voice of the
Barman
Heather Mitchell: voice of Emilio’s forlorn sister
Jeff Mitchell: narrator who narrates the narrative, plus electronic
trumpet
Produced by Paul Sidore, Jeff Mitchell & Chris Matthews
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Paul had already recorded the basic drum/guitar track and the vocals
on the chorus when he graciously contributed this much-appreciated
song to the album. The
weird concept for the lyrics was prompted by the bullfight-like
sounding trumpet lick I added.
- Jeff
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10. TRACIAN RENAISSANCE MUSIC AND PROPHECY
(Music by Tracy Rhoades and Jeff Mitchell • Words by Tracy Rhoades)
Produced by Jeff Mitchell and Chris Matthews
-----------------------------------------------------------------
One day during the summer of ‘92, we set up a mic and fx box for
Tracy and let him go!
He improvised for about 20 minutes, coming up with some pretty
remarkable stuff, including the intro and outro to Tranzmergance.
I joined in with the recorder for a bit, and later added the
drum during the mix.
The words on this tape are even more illuminating to me now, coming,
as they do, from beyond the grave.
- Jeff
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11. CRUMBLEFACE
(Words by Jeanne Whalen Harrison and Jeff Mitchell • Music by Jeff
Mitchell)
Lead singing by Jeanne / Keyboards, drum programming, percussion &
background vocal by Jeff
Hi-hat & percussion by Chris / Whispers by Harry & Jeff
Guest insults by Lillian Sr., Danny, John, Mike, Chris & Jeff /
Heartbeat by Lilyan Jr.
Produced by Jeff
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When Jeanne was working on Get Off The Road, I thought that she was
doing too many covers and that all of her songs were too happy!
So I offered to write and produce a song for her, as long as
it was about a “serious” subject.
I was so happy with the end result, a true ghetto girl /
Jeanne collaboration, that I wanted to include it on my album, too.
- Jeff
When I was little I used to cry about everything. There was a boy in
our neighborhood who gave me the nickname. I told this to Jeff and
we wrote this song. -
Jeanne
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12. THE STATE YOU’RE IN
(Words by Jeff Mitchell • Music by Chris Matthews & Jeff Mitchell)
Elizabeth Rockey appears as Talky Tina
Paul Sidore appears as The Guitarist
Chris Matthews appears as Programmer of Drum Sounds and as
Bass-Synthesist
Jeff Mitchell appears as The Singer, Percussionist, Keyboardist,
Vocoderist & Emaxist
Produced by Jeff and Chris
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I
got mad at Chris because he was always writing these fab disco songs
and giving them to everyone but ME!
So he did the basic rhythm trax, then turned them over to me.
(I’m very good at overdubs, but not so good at getting
started...) The first
verse (which has nothing to do with the rest of the song) was
inspired by Paul’s Lawrence Harvey record, which is also sampled
here. - Jeff
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13. OH, DEM GOLDEN SLIPPERS
(Traditional)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My
pop, Jake Mitchell, recorded himself playing harmonica on a little
portable Panasonic with cheapie tape.
I cherish that tape for it contains the sounds of music I
grew up hearing my pop play.
Here I’ve added wind-controlled bass and spoons, and Chris
plays maracas. Go Pop!
- Jeff
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14. JUNGLA
(Music by Billy May & Moises Vivanco • Originally Performed by Yma
Sumac)
Chris Matthews: tape & sample manipulation, congas, bongos, cymbals
Jeff Mitchell: vocals, electronic brass and woodwinds, keyboard
bass, maracas
Produced by Jeff and Chris
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Definitely the weirdest song on the album, and the rough mix is
already a smash hit at “Wilde Ones” in London, Mairi Gl’amour’s
shoppe in King’s Road.
This is a more-or-less faithful cover of a track off the Mambo album
by the “Incan Princess” herself!
Features a sample from Perez Prado, too!
- Jeff
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15. NOT EXACTLY MARRIED
(Words & Music by Jeff Mitchell)
John Gluck: guitar
Tina Bridges: Ray Conniff Singer
Chris Matthews: drums, Ray Conniff Singer
Jeff Mitchell: lead vocal, Ray Conniff Singer, electronic bass
Produced by Jeff and Chris
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The last song on the album was also the last one to be finished. (In fact, this tape had its L.A. and London premieres with a rough mix of this song.) As noted on the credits, I was going for that “Ray Conniff Singers” sound on the background vocals, and we got pretty close, thanks to Tina’s music-major soprano! With any luck, someday gays and lesbians will have equal civil rights in this country, and these lyrics will no longer be true... - Jeff
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Additional Tracks
16. THE CUTTING EDGE OF MASS HYSTERIA
(part one of the Tracy Rhoades Marathon Recording Session at
Sylvia’s *)
STATISTICS
(vocal demo for the radio mystery “The Tabloid Torture of Tess von
Tosterone”)
THE STATE SHE’S IN
(a
little bit o’ vocal trax)
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17. TRANZMERGE & TRANSFORM
(more bits & pieces by
Tracy Rhoades) *
TRANZMERGANCE VIDEO
TRANZFORMANCE SESSIONS
(featuring Greg, Jeff,
Chris, Jimmy “Nova”, Mark Decker & Michael Fitzpatrick)
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18. TRACY’S ‘FIRST NOEL’
*
CRUMBLEFACE
(vocal demo)
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19. HEATHER’S “¡Emilio!” SESSION
(for “Whombats of Chreighton”)
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20. FADING FAST
(original demo version -
remix)
“A
WOUNDED LITTLE GIRL” *
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21. THE STATE YOU ARE & WERE & WILL HAVE BEEN IN
(another little bit o’ vocal trax)
NOT
EXACTLY MARRIED (a
cappello B-side)
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22. TRACY EN DENTALIA
*
AZT 3 DAY ILLNESS
(basic music trax at The
Diner)
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23. THE ISLAND
*
WX-11 No. 1
(Jeff’s unreleased first instrument test)