power pop criminals

PHILIP CHEVRON - THE CAPTAINS & THE KINGS (1983)

Philip Chevron about the single: "I think Behan wrote the music or adapted it from a folk source. This, at least, is the assumption myself and Elvis made at the time, though I confess I do not actually know the tune from anywhere else. My version has a small string orchestra under the baton of David Bedford, who wrote the new orchestration especially for me. Behan claimed to have written the song in 5 minutes at the barrel of his publisher's gun! It is sung by the character Monsewer in the play THE HOSTAGE. This track and its B side "Faithful Departed" are also available individually on the CD's "Life In The Folk Lane Vols 1 & 2" though I couldn't say if these are still in catalogue or not. Elvis and I recorded these tracks in London in July 1983, so they pre-date his involvement with The Pogues as a band by some months.
Declanologists may want to know that as well as producing (with Colin Fairley) Elvis plays Hammond Organ, Spanish Guitar, Piano and Bass on "Faithful Departed". That is, he plays everything except rhythm acoustic and tambourine (both me). The Rainfall ("by Big G" as Elvis's sleeve credits claim) was real: I sang the song in one take under the studio's conservatory roof as a July rainstorm pounded down. The nature of the summer rain meant that there was only a small window of opportunity to get the take - that is, it had to be done in a single take, vocal repairs were not possible. This is very evident to me on at least one of the choruses when I slip into the key of Z Minor momentarily. But hey! I suffered for my art, why shouldn't you?"

Imposter IMP002
The Captains & The Kings / Faithful Departed