Ok. Time for a bit of fun, or something. It’s rainy here, and I’m waiting for things to dry out before I go home. I’m between tasks, and I’m woozy from that extra beer at the weekly picnic (thanks, Ben!) so that’s my excuse. Not that I’ve ever needed one.
The other day while hiking I found myself singing Kate Bush songs. No, really. I get into a Kate Bush mood sometimes. Deal with it! Anyway, “Experiment IV” sort of stuck in my head and went around several times. It’s all about a science experiment, even if only a slightly naive exploration of how the military exploit scientific research. I simply love the way she made the phrases “We only know in theory what we are doing” and “We recorded it and put it into our machine” work with the rhythm and melody lines. Then I remembered, and checked on YouTube, how she’d construct these really excellent videos which were miniature movies, telling a little story, at least two of them (this song, and “Cloudbusting”) involving scientists.
Now of course, the scientists were the usual men-in-white-coats scientists (however, the image right is explained below). 
I know I go on a lot about trying to have in the media a wider variety of images of what scientists can look like, but that does not mean that I don’t like things that sometimes have the old chestnuts. Cloudbusting has Donald Sutherland as the scientist-father-figure, and Experiment IV has a similar figure (played by someone I don’t recognize) as the scientist whose work is exploited. There are a number of actors in supporting scientist roles too – look out for (I think) a young Hugh Laurie and (maybe) Dawn French in the video I’ll point you to, playing government assistant scientists. (There are other well-known faces appearing as well, I think, including fellow playing the top military guy… forgot the name for a moment.)
You can look at the official video with the standard archetypes in it, and then later on, you can look at the rather fun version Kate Bush and her band did for a UK television performance (and it’s the 80s, so of course everything is rather obviously mimed). The nice thing here is that Kate herself is one of the principal scientists, sitting at a desk “working” while singing to you (see image above right). Surrounded with all the Fairlight synthesizers and the like (a big treat for the heavily-into-electronics-and-music me back then, I have to say), it is a rather nicely put together set design…. Although there’s still the labcoats. (Huh. I should talk… see my own cave-in on Spike TV two years back. Oh boy… did I really point to that?)
Ok. Video below, followed by the words for you to sing along to. Then the tv performance with the fun set design follows.
We were working secretly
For the military.
Our experiment in sound,
Was nearly ready to begin.
We only know in theory
What we are doing:
Music made for pleasure,
Music made to thrill.
It was music we were making here until
They told us
All they wanted
Was a sound that could kill someone
From a distance.
So we go ahead,
And the meters are over in the red.
It’s a mistake in the making.
From the painful cry of mothers,
To the terrifying scream,
We recorded it and put it into our machine.
Then they told us
All they wanted
Was a sound that could kill someone
From a distance.
So we go ahead,
And the meters are over in the red.
It’s a mistake in the making.
It could feel like falling in love.
It could feel so bad.
But it could feel so good.
It could sing you to sleep
?”I’ll bet my mum’s gonna give me a little toy instrument!”?
But that dream is your enemy.
We won’t be there to be blamed.
We won’t be there to snitch.
I just pray that someone there
Can hit the switch.
But they told us
All they wanted
Was a sound that could kill someone
From a distance.
So we go ahead,
And the meters are over in the red.
It’s a mistake we’ve made.
Hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm.
And the public are warned to stay off.
-cvj
Blake Stacey:- Ha! That’s an amusing coincidence. Actually that’s a pretty funny commercial too!
-cvj
Steve, Robert…. I’m pleased to have done a post that so resonates with you. Kind of made my day*. I’d love to hear more about why it resonates, but I understand if it would put you in a difficult position to do so…. so say only what you’re comfortable with, of course.
Cheers,
-cvj
(*That and the super-exhilarating ride a bunch of us from the Center just did to go get lunch 12 miles away (and 1700 feet up). Report to follow.)
Did I work at RSRE? I couldn’t possibly comment on that.
The RSRE (+ successor organisation(s)) thread is very relevant to “Experiment IV”. Do you sell your research “soul” to the military, or do you sell it to Mammon, or do you a bit of both maybe? Whichever path you choose is a generic “Experiment IV” scenario, because your research gets twisted away from its natural path. The path to Mammon is very corrupting because it leads to people passing off any old rubbish as research simply in order to get paid loadsamoney.
It could feel like falling in love.
It could feel so bad.
But it could feel so good.
It could sing you to sleep
How true!
Oddly enough, the advertisement which Spike TV played before the vending-machine clip was Neil Patrick Harris walking down a fake hospital corridor and saying, “As a former fake doctor, I know there’s only one product proven to eliminate odor and unpleasant sweat. . .” While wearing a white lab coat, of course.
Clifford
Steve and I both worked for the UK MOD at RSRE Malvern. We are both fans of Kate Bush. In our different ways, we have grappled with the man. UK Ltd. has disengaged itself from its scientific heritage. How we are to deal with this is up to us. Perhaps I, for one, became a little lachrymose, hell that’s what Kate’s stuff is supposed to do, and went a little too far. And I’m sorry. The career in fashion – well that’s what you get for suggesting that your daughters play with dolls and do sums. If all of this is a bit weird, perhaps you could delete my 7.50 contribution. On reflection – perhaps you should.
Actually, I’m rather curious. Could one or both of you say a little more about what’s going on with the facility?
(And, for the record…. there’s nothing wrong with careers in fashion!)
Cheers,
-cvj
Steve – I can’t see that any of this means shit to a tree, or to most of our host’s visitors. I can only hope that somehow, somewhere, the UK can make contact with what is real in its funded scientific research. Failing that – a career in fashion beckons. (How gay is that?)
My apologies. When I said Rik Mayall, I meant Hugh Laurie! For some reason I frequently get these two people confused. Don’t ask me why.
I don’t think many people at RSRE’s successor organisation give a hoot about its cold war legacy, because they are so focussed on counting shekels rather than bullets. But maybe there are some people there who find inspiration in Kate Bush’s art.
That Del Palmer deserved everything he appeared to get – just listen to ‘Red Shoes’. Peter Vaughan – ‘Grouty’ to UK TV Gold viewers – was the military bad guy; Hugh ‘in the House’ Laurie also popped up, and was mown down, in the official vid. As the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment muses on its legacy, post privatisation, it might well chalk up its inspiration of at least one genius as a plus.
I recognised Dawn French, Rik Mayall, and Del Palmer (KB’s then boyfriend being tortured in the chair!) in the “official” video, and I also recognised the two older actors but I can’t recall their names.
The violinist in the TV performance is indeed Nigel Kennedy. His style of playing is very distinctive, and the profile shot right at the end of the video clearly show the younger version of the NK that we know today.
“Experiment IV” (circa 1986) could well be inspired by the military research laboratory at Malvern, which was festooned with highly visible aerials and radar dishes hinting at the dark deeds being wrought by the scientists and engineers toiling within.
Brilliant – she’s a goddess.
It is interesting to note that KB worked with Nigel Kennedy at that time (it might even be him in the video – in his pre-punk manifestation). Towards the end of the eighties Kennedy spent a lot of time around Malvern in the UK – home of Elgar and one of the UK’s largest defence research labs. (He even set up home there for a while) It’s tempting to think that Kate was inspired by the boffin-shop, which is only too visible from the Malvern Hills.
And your right about all the electro-pop stuff – what a blast to see the Fairlight again, not to mention the guitar-synth. In fact the fiddle was the only thing that was ‘real’ in the entire set up.
This post has already made my day.
Yeah… the true eccentric original that so very many totally copied without accreditation. Keep an open mind, Yvette! 🙂
-cvj
Wait, Kate Bush? The same chick who did the “Wuthering Heights” song?
Sorry, but might not be able to deal with this. Especially after coming across the music video on YouTube trying to confirm my suspicions. 😛