Since reading Cloud Atlas, I’ve been a big fan of David Mitchell, and this evening our book circle will be having a chat about his latest novel:, the spooky Slade House.
So I was interested to read a short interview with him in the latest Mojo about his enthusíasm about the music of Kate Bush. He wrote about this in The Guardian a few years back (see comments) and she rung him up to thank him. “The call made the room wobble a bit”:
And then a few years later, she got in touch for some help with writing some scenes for her stage show.
I’d be intrigued to hear what else he has in his record collection.
It’s not the first piece of bridge building between the worlds of fiction and popular music. Ian Rankin and Jackie Leven springs to mind.
Anyone else got any other examples of artists from two different fields involved in a collaboration?
David on Kate.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jan/01/kate-bush-hero-david-mitchell
Neil Gaiman’s dabbled in the music world – collaborations with Tori Amos and Alice Cooper are the first two that come to mind (not forgetting that these days he is Mr Amanda Palmer).
What an interesting couple! Good value for a dinner party.
Here is a marvellous Xmas version of that song by Western Caravan
Michael Moorcock and Hawkwind.
Nick Hornby.
Is this the kind of thing you mean KFD ?
http://www.nickhornbyofficial.com/category/charity/
Certainly was, That was fascinating, Dodger. There really are some interesting projects going on.
If in doubt, post! That is my motto!
At a total and utter tangent, that project made me think of this Guardian article that I just read. 4 year olds were asked to come up with ideas for Hollywood blockbusters! Very amusing comments from the producer, Stephen Woolley.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/15/four-year-old-movie-blockbuster-ideas-monster-trucks?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Another of his collaborations, with Ben Folds and Pomplamoose.
Alan Moore and Bauhaus.
A couple of Warren Zevon’s best later songs were collaborations with Paul Muldoon, Oxford Professor of Poetry. More details here https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/20/popandrock
Doesn’t David Gilmour write songs with the novelist Polly Samson (who happens to be his wife)?
Pete Atkin and Clive James?
These kinds of collaborations are perfect for attracting a larger, crossover audience.
Popular writer plus hitmaking band: a dream team.
If only Professor Tolkien had been born a bit later! He’d doubtless be writing lyrics for and appearing live with Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard.
Now that would be a gig to remember.
Ernest Hemingway and Metallica, Virginia Woolf and Anthony and the Johnsons, Jane Austen and Slipknot ……
I hope the sketches he did for BTD aren’t indicative of his writing in general…they were the only bum note in the show.
Didn’t see the show, so difficult to comment. But he’s a novelist not a playwright, so he was a rather unexpected choice.
Artist David Shrigley and Arab Strapper Malcolm Middleton
I hadn’t heard of Shrigley. Clearly I should have. I liked that track.
And this one too.
Life is tough up north!
Architect, the late Zaha Hadid, worked on the Pet Shop Boys 1999 ‘Nightlife’ world tour.
BBC 6 Music has a good series ‘Paperback Writers’ in which writers choose and talk about music important to them. I heard David Mitchell on it recently and as well as Bush his choices included Sufjan Stevens, Talking Heads, and Joni Mitchell.
Paul Simon is, apparently, good friend with the Irish poet Paul Muldoon (who has a band of his own). He thanks Muldoon on the sleeve of Stranger to Stranger and I’ve heard him talk about Muldoon encouraging him to develop a lyric around the idea of a ‘Wristband’. Here they are giving a talk together
https://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/eC88b3E8xk6aL_fPxUdVfQ.aspx
See also my Warren Zevon entry above.
Ah yes, hadn’t spotted (and didn’t know) that…
Thanks Blue. Interesting to know what is on the stereo chez Mitchell. Must listen to a couple of those programmes.
And Paul Muldoon was a new name to me. What an interesting chap!
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/mar/24/featuresreviews.guardianreview12
Swedish literary TV show Babel had the rather amusing idea a couple of seasons ago to ask lots of authors to write lyrics to a new song (same melody for all lyrics) written by Benny Andersson (of ABBA fame), they were all recorded (by the same singer) and the viewers got to vote for their favourite at the end of the series.
The winner was Horace Engdahl, a man with a very intellectual image, member of the Swedish Academy and author of essays etc, and here is his winning entry performed live by BAO on the final show of the season.
Not something you’d have bet money on ever happening…
Poor john & yoko.