"HISTORY REWRITTEN" THE KLF BIOGRAPHY -- AUTUMN 1991 ("Mu" sleevenotes)- Library of Mu
- Library of Mu record:
- Title: "HISTORY REWRITTEN" THE KLF BIOGRAPHY -- AUTUMN 1991 ("Mu" sleevenotes)
- Date: 1991-10-00
- Journal: -
- Author: KLF Communications
- Type of resource: Official
- Status: text
- No. views: 2425
- Description: Taken from the booklet accompanying the Japanese CD, "MU" an update of previous biographies (e.g. on the US press release for The White Room, or KLF BIOG 012).
"HISTORY REWRITTEN" THE KLF BIOGRAPHY -- AUTUMN 1991 ("Mu" sleevenotes)
By KLF Communications (1991-10-00, -)
"HISTORY REWRITTEN"
THE KLF BIOGRAPHY -- AUTUMN 1991
The KLF is the creative partnership of Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond. They
started working together in January 1987.
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1987
----
For the duration of 1987 Cauty Drummond operated under the name The Justified
Ancients Of Mu Mu (The JAMS for short). Using the personal aliases Rockman
Rock and King Boy D, the JAMS recorded two albums, "1987 (What The Fuck Is
Going On?)" and "Who Killed The JAMS?", as well as several 12" singles.
These were released on their own label, KLF Communications.
Although primitively recorded, their rap, rhyme, and scratch approach to
making music was the first to totally make use of the cheap new sampling
and computer technology. Their liberal use of other artists' tracks within
the construction of their own music led to the infamous court case with Abba
over the track "Dancing Queen", which resulted in all unsold copies of their
debut LP "1987" being destroyed. Secondhand copies of this LP now change
hands at vastly inflated prices.
Throughout the year they gained much media exposure with their illegal but
effective use of large scale graffiti on billboards and public buildings.
This was done is such a way as to attempt to subvert the original meaning of
the existing adverts on these sites.
----
1988
----
Cauty and Drummond decided to have a UK Number One record. They changed their
name to The Timelords and recorded "Doctorin' The Tardis". Within three
weeks of release, the record was Number One in the UK national charts.
Despite being a "celebration" of a very British strand of pop music "Doctorin'
The Tardis" went on to repeat its UK success around the world. No Timelords
follow-up was attempted.
Cauty and Drummond then wrote a book "The Manual (How To Have A Number One The
Easy Way)" in which they revealed the "Zenarchistic" methods used.
November and December 1988 saw filming begin on their movie "The White Room".
Directed by Bill Butt, the project is only ever likely to reach completion
after the both of them have died.
----
1989
----
Now operating as The KLF Cauty and Drummond released "What Time Is Love?" and
"3 a.m. Eternal". Both tracks went on to become anthems of the huge summer
raves at which the KLF became a regular live attraction, blasting their
audiences with polystyrene pellets, cornflakes, and Scottish pound notes.
"What Time Is Love?" inspired numerous cover versions and sound alikes, the
best of which the KLF collected together and released on one album entitled
"The What Time Is Love Story".
As the rave season drew to a close the KLF coined the phrase "ambient house"
to describe a type of music they had been working on since the remix of
"Doctorin The Tardis".
----
1990
----
The KLF released "Chill Out", the first "ambient house" LP in February.
In May Cauty and Drummond spent eight days on the Isle of Jura off the west
coast of Scotland. Whilst there they filmed and recorded a forty-five minute
piece entitled "Waiting" which is available as a music video cassette only
(now deleted).
The KLF's own cover version of their own now classic track "What Time Is
Love?" was released in July and reached Number 5 in the national charts in the
UK.
Since January 1987 various friends ("additional communicators") have often
worked with the KLF providing raps, vocals, and additional instrumentations,
but all have their own careers away from the KLF.
----
1991
----
In the latter part of 1990 the KLF re-recorded the 1989 track "3 a.m. Eternal"
as the follow-up to "What Time Is Love?". Released on January 7th 1991 the
record became the UK Number One for two weeks. The single reached Number 2 in
the pan-European charts and was a top 10 single in 12 of the 15 European
countries with sales charts. It recently reached Number 5 in the USA
Billboard Hot 100 chart and has now sold in excess of 1.5 million copies
worldwide.
In March they released an LP of songs that were originally written for the
unfinished "White Room" film. Unimaginatively entitled "The White Room" the
album entered the UK chart at Number 3 and has now sold well over one million
copies worldwide.
In April the KLF released "Last Train To Trancentral (live from the lost
continent)", the third and final single in what is now commonly known as "The
Stadium House Trilogy". A considerably different instrumental version of
"Last Train To Trancentral" had been released in 1989, but only 2000 copies of
these had been pressed and many of those were warped. The updated "live from
the lost continent" version peaked at Number 2 in the UK singles and at Number
3 in the pan-European chart.
"Stadium House (the trilogy)", a commercially available video containing the
video clips for the three singles and a short feature entitled "This Is Not
What The KLF Are About" was released in July.
To celebrate the summer solstice the KLF returned to the Isle of Jura. To
document the events surrounding this celebration a short film entitled "The
Rites Of Mu" was made.
At the time of writing Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond have plans to release
three further singles, "It's Grim Up North", by the Justified Ancients of Mu
Mu; "Justified and Ancient (stand by the jams)", by The KLF with lead vocals
by "The First Lady Of Country" Miss Tammy Wynette; "America: What Time Is
Love?", by The KLF which is a celebration of the 1000th anniversary of their
'discovery' of America in the year 992.
The KLF have not yet arrived at Trancentral.
They do not know where The White Room is.
They are yet to find out what K.L.F. stands for.
Until history is rewritten yet again please accept the contradictions inherent
within.
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