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belfast child (demo)
composer
Words and music: Simple Minds
publisher
© 1989 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd
background
This early instrumental demo of Belfast Child is one of the most
basic demos from the first reel of the Street Fighting Years. The arrangement
is almost there, but it lacks the power of the final recorded version. It's very stripped down featuring just organ,
violin, acoustic guitar and bodhram.
It first appears as the eighth track of the first reel of the Street Fighting Years library
in the Virgin archive. However, it is not a good recording, and suffers from distortion and lack of clarity.
Rough #1 is the basic, acoustic version of the song, but all the instrumentation is faded out
for the first verse and isn't faded in until the second verse. Jim
only has the first and second verses and he repeats those throughout the song. It ends with a gradual
fade. Rough #2 features the same instrumentation but with slightly different vocals and no fade.
Rough #3 is probably the Glenstrivin demo as it features a tin whistle. It's the most basic version of
the song with acoustic guitar, accordion, very basic drumming and tin whistle. Jim's
lyrics are also very basic and just repeat the first two verses. The song is complete with some chatter at the end. Rough #3 New Drums #1
is the same take but with the Bodhram drums added instead of the basic drumbeat of the original take. Rough #3 New Drums #2 adds
a tambourine.
Rough #4 is built on the previous rough mixes. The instrumentation builds rapidly during the
'Cause my love said to me with added electric guitar and Jim
almost shouting the lyrics. It sounds like the Glenstrivin demo with effects and guitars added to that one section
which sound almost like the final album mix.
Rough #5 is labelled Loch Earn it's almost the final version of the song.
The second half, just before Come back Billy includes extra acoustic pieces,
whilst some of the guitar overdubs and drumming is missing. However, there's extra instrumentation
with keyboards and guitars near the end of the song, especially a Hammond organ that isn't present
in the final version, and Jim sings
When the Belfast Child sings again three times. It's a great alternative
version but unfortunately there's a burst of static and distortion near the beginning. (This
could be replaced with the final recording as they're the same.)
Charlie And Lisa Jam #1 is just Charlie
and Lisa Germano jamming to the basic melody of the track.
It's a very loose jam and falters and then continues again several times during the duration of the recording.
12" version is well named as it's an extended version of the final album take.
It features extra violin overdubs throughout, lengthened middle-eight and slightly lengthened coda.
Electronic Jam #1 Instrumental is a rough instrumental version of the track which
is built up over various recordings. It includes Mel's
drumming, the Bodram drummming and Mick playing an
electronic backing arrangement which is unique to this take. The start of the track is missing
(it's been taped over by other material) but this take comes to a natural end.
Electronic Jam #2 Instrumental is another recording of the end of this same
instrumental. Electronic Jam #3 Instrumental is more of the same, but the
whole track are just starts and stops and it has no continuity.
Electronic Jam #4 Instrumental is a numbered of overlaid ideas which sound like they've
been mistakenly recorded together. It starts with the now familar Electronic Jam before
other keyboards are loudly recorded over the top, bits of Lisa's violin playing,
some pipe effects and finally Lisa singing something
in the background.
Electronic Jam #5 Instrumental again is missing its start, but this the next
stage of the jam. It's the same backing track with Mel's
drumming, the Bodram drummming and Mick playing an
electronic backing arrangement, but it now includes some rough keyboard ideas over the top. It
comes to an end halfway through and the rest of the recording features sporadic studio noise and
tuning.
Electronic Jam #6 Instrumental now includes Charlie
and John. Both Charlie
and John play their now standard pieces from the familiar
recorded version of the song. Again, only half the recording is the actual track, the rest
is tuning and various lone chords.
Electronic Jam #7 Instrumental is the most complete recording of the song, as it
has a true beginning, and doesn't cut at the start. It's the loosest of all the jams with
Mick,
Charlie and
John adding ideas over the electronic backing track.
Electronic Jam #8 Instrumental is a continuation of Electronic Jam #7 Instrumental
with more improvisation by Mick and
Charlie. Again, it's an incomplete version of the song
with the start missing.
Take 3 is almost the final take except it features some extra instrumentation during
the final section of the song. It's very subtle difference. The extra track length is due to
a long gap recorded after the song. Mix sounds like another recording of
Take 3. Instrumental is an instrumental version of the master mix (which is
slightly odd as there are gaps where Jim sings the
vocal alone). Even though it's not marked as such on the tape, the fourth track is the Master and hence the
final take; whilst the fifth track is a safty copy.
The Air Remix is the final full-length mix of Belfast Child
which was commercially released. It was called the Air Remix
after the studio and features the final mix of material recorded at Loch Earn.
see also:
Belfast Child
lyrics
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Rough #1
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this world here and all that it's offering.
Some say troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
Fathers, brothers, sisters, where are you now?
As I push my way through the crowd.
All my life here I've spent,
With my faith in God and trust in the Government.
But there's sadness abound,
Some day soon they're gonna come pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this old world here and all that it's offering.
Some say that troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna come pull the old town down.
But one day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
And the Belfast Child sing agains.
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the old oak tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this strange world and all that it's offering.
They say troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna come and pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
[la, la, la]
OK
Rough #2
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this strange world here and all that it's offering.
They say troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
Sisters, brothers, where are you now?
Where I look for you through the crowd.
All my life here I've spent,
With my faith in God and trust in the Government.
You know there's troubles abound,
Some day they say they're gonna pull the old wall down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this old world here and all that it's offering.
They say that troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna come pull the old wall down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
OK
My true love, she said to me,
Meet me down by the old oak tree.
Because it's sad news I bring,
About this old world and all that it's offering.
You say troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna come and pull the old wall down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
[Hep!]
[la, la, la]
Rough #3
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this strange world and all that it's offering.
They say troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
Brothers, sisters, where are you now?
Where I look for you right through the crowd.
All my life here I've spent,
With my faith in God and trust in this Government.
But there's troubles abound,
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
When the Belfast Child sings again.
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this old town and all that it's offering.
Some say that troubles abound,
Some day soon they're gonna come pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
When the Belfast Child sings again.
[la, la, la]
Rough #4
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this strange world and all that it's offering.
They say troubles abound,
Some say soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
Brothers, sisters, where are you now?
Where I look for you right through the crowd.
All my life here I've spent,
With my faith in God and trust in this Government.
But there's troubles abound,
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
When the Belfast Child sings again.
'Cause my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this town here and all that it's offering.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
When the Belfast Child sings again.
[la, la, la]
Rough #5
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this old town and all that it's offering.
Some say troubles abound,
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
Brothers, sisters, where are you now?
As I look for you right through the crowd.
All my life here I've spent,
With my faith in God the Church and the Government.
Some say troubles abound,
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
So come back Billy, won't you come on home?
Come back Mary, you've been away so long.
The streets are empty, and your mother's gone.
The girls are crying, it's been oh so long.
And your father's calling, come on home.
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home?
Come back people, you've been gone a while,
And the war is raging, through the Emerald Isle.
That's flesh and blood man, that's flesh and blood,
All the girls are crying but all's not lost.
The streets are empty, the streets are cold.
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home?
The streets are empty,
Life goes on.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again,
When the Belfast Child sings again,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
12" / Take 3
When my love said to me,
Meet me down by the gallow tree.
For it's sad news I bring,
About this old town and all that it's offering.
Some say troubles abound,
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
Brothers, sisters, where are you now?
As I look for you right through the crowd.
All my life here I've spent,
With my faith in God the Church and the Government.
Some say troubles abound,
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
So come back Billy, won't you come on home?
Come back Mary, you've been away so long.
The streets are empty, and your mother's gone.
The girls are crying, it's been oh so long.
And your father's calling, come on home.
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home?
Come back people, you've been gone a while,
And the war is raging, through the Emerald Isle.
That's flesh and blood man, that's flesh and blood,
All the girls are crying but all's not lost.
The streets are empty, the streets are cold.
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home?
The streets are empty,
Life goes on.
One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again,
When the Belfast Child sings again.
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demo discography
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