M/A/R/R/S was a one-off collaboration between 4AD Records labelmates Colourbox and A.R. Kane. Label boss Ivo Watts-Russell had been approached by both acts at the time (1987), and both had expressed an interest in releasing a record that was inspired by American house music - a genre that was exploding at the time. Ivo hooked up the two acts, who apparently did not get along - different work ethics - so they each recorded a song and then passed the tapes to the other band for tweaking. The end result of the collaboration was the classic tune Pump Up The Volume (the Colourbox song) - a beat laden sample fest that became the first British made house hit. Everybody knows the A side so I've decided to post the flip side of the single - the A.R. Kane tune, called Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance). Where the A side was slick and funky and definitely chart material, this tune was dark and clattering and a bit spooky, with lyrics that were kind of creepy too -
Follow
I'll feed you sugarcane
Keep me close, hold me tight
Keep me close, hold me tight
Oh my little dolly, follow
Follow, holler
Follow, hollering
Oooh, sweet, oooh sweet
You can touch me where it's forbidden
Follow
Follow, holler
Follow, hollering
Little dolly's paper heart is wafer thin
Oh, dolly
Little dolly's paper heart is wafer thin
Oh, dolly....
Come and see
Sick
Due to the previously mentioned diffences the two bands never worked together again, so this remains a unique one off, and to me this track is as classic in it's own way as the A side.
3 comments:
This is the 12" I like to mention when people try to pigeonhole the "4AD sound." Most people can't believe this was released by 4AD.
Nice to see I'm not the only one who thought the b-side of this single was superior to the much more popular a-side (though it's still pretty great!). Of course Anitina (a palindrome!) was more of the AR Kane half of the collaboration, with its dreamy vocals and exotic percussion. Thanks for putting the needle on this record.
thanks...
it's a treasure...
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