Fancy Cover by H Bird

One of the first complete songs for H Bird. Written in my room in Kentish Town in March 2005 when - before I knew that Kate Dornan could not only play every instrument but sing as well - I had a different idea for who was going to front the project. It never happened with that singer though things always work out for the best. And in the end Kasia sang this one live and on record. Released as a single as it didn't quite fit in with the rest of the album - darker, more electro. The title comes from Chapter 8 of Ian Fleming's 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', my favourite James Bond novel (and film for that matter). It was my wont to use Bond chapter titles for songs back then. Not a bad idea.

Fantastic remix by BigSexyLand whose club we used to frequent at The Albany. It was the first time I ever saw a dancefloor throb to one of my songs. I remember some trepidation when they first sent us the remix, wondering whether or not they had sampled an x-rated film. But no, it's just Kate's vocals cut-up and ultra-compressed. John Doran summed it up best with "I hope her mother never has to hear this!" Though I had been warned. John Tatlock had sent an introductory email with the words:

"...give you some idea of what we are likely to do to your
unsuspecting tune.

I see it as a wide-eyed, eyes-met-across-the-dancefloor sort of song,
skipping gaily . What we are going to do is send it out clothes shopping
with the girls from the Human League, and then round for drinks at
Kraftwerk's house. They’ll give it a couple of lines of Ketamine and a
cocktail (and not a Cosmopolitan, I mean something proper like a West Indian Yellow Bird), and then they’ll get a taxi to some shady basement club that has naked boys and girls dancing in cages, fire breathers, and people walking around with panthers on diamante leashes. Robot panthers.

What will happen next is anyone's guess."

Pop Magic.