Broccoli and Saxophone
"Broccoli and Saxophone" is a part of the soundtrack to Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats?, The Residents' 1984 re-edit of their unfinished epic Vileness Fats. The track was intended to score Scene 17 and 23, and contains a studio recording of their 1971 demo "Eloise."
It is 1 of the 4 vocal songs from the mostly instrumental soundtrack album, although CD issues separate the vocal portion as its own track.
Background
Writing and Recording
The song contains two distinct parts, and is divided into such on most releases. The second part, "Eloise," is a spoken word poem with sinister and chaotic accompaniment, first demoed by N. Senada and Residents Uninc as part of their "Hallowed Be Thy Wean" suite in 1971. Senada also performed the poem live at Residents, Uninc's Party of '72 event on February 12th 1972.
In Vileness Fats, "Eloise" is featured in Scene 23, where N. Senada performs the song for patrons of a night club, acting as a showcase for Senada, and estabishing the location of Willy's Hot Spot, where Arf and Omega Berry had been lured in Scene 17.
When The Residents re-edited Vileness Fats into the abridged Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats?, Scenes 23 immediately followed 17 to better draw connection between the locations. The abridged re-edit completely rescores this sequence, utilising the Em-U Emulators which had featured on much of The Residents' recordings throughout the 1980s.
Release
As well as appearing on the Mole Show/Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? VHS release, "Broccoli and Saxophone" was included on the 1984 soundtrack LP for Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats? . The title refers to Arf & Omegas refusal to eat broccoli in Scene 17, and N. Senada's saxophone playing in Scene 23. The track also appeared on the UK exclusive PAL TV LP in October of 1985, misspelt as "Brocolli and Saxaphone," serving as an alternate soundtrack album to the VHS, with musical extracts from both films split across two sides.
Later versions
The official title for the second part, "Eloise," would not be officially revealed until it appeared on The 13th Anniversary Show Live in Japan LP in 1986, although it had been printed in the track listing the the B.S. demo tape in the 1979 W.E.I.R.D. Guide to The Residents. "Eloise," by itself, has been performed in concert by The Residents a total of 71 times, with the song featuring in 2 known live performances by N. Senada.
The 1991 CD reissue of Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats? presents the track in two parts, making the 'Saxophone' half of the title somewhat antiquated. The 2014 CD reissue maintains the same abridged cut, but does not feature "Eloise."
The Residents re-recorded both parts of the suite for their 2001 Icky Flix DVD, for its even further abridged version of Vileness Fats. The scenes set in the banquet hall feature a chorus relaying the more less clear aspects of the plot, with the Singing Resident overdubbing the original dialogue. An instrumental version was released as part of the digital single "RZ VF" in 2011.
Lyrics
Brocoli and Saxophone - full version
[Instrumental intro]
The foul flavor of bourbon coated my nostrils like a seething hatred! The stench of bitch was more than a breathing body can understand But all bodies don't breathe, do they Eloise? No! Some play by the night, and bubble with scorn And plead on the knees of the never been born! God! How I hated that day of all days! At the end of the nights with the sultry pink tights Ahhhhh! It split me in two! From the bowl of a beam with the edge of a blade of another nightshade! And could I? Could I? Could I cry out from all that I've heard? Huh? Huh? No, no, no, never a word from this Mortimer Snerd!
The Banquet Hall - from Icky Flix (2001)
Chorus: The town has no meat to eat Just broccoli and pickled beet Omega: "Nyehh!" There is a secret plan to make the twins irrelevant.
The Mayor: Where would we be today, without these fine emissaries of justice?
Saint Steve: "Come from my lips, and my mind, in my heart, in my soul. yes my friends, there are still clothes that haven't been worn, feet that haven't been shorn, causes that haven't been given a principle, need I say more ?
Arf & Omega: No!
Saint Steve: "And of course, these things don't come free."
Omega: Yeah, that's it, put the bite on 'em whitey!
Saint Steve: Say my friend, you're going to have to pipe down there.
Omega: Sure shorty! When a ghost roasts liver I will!
Arf: Not bad! not bad! But listen to this - Hey whitey. Is that your complexion or do you eat paste for breakfast?
Omega: How about this!
Arf: Yeah? Why can't he!
Credits
- Produced by The Residents
- Scripted by The Residents
- Written and performed by The Residents [1]
Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats?
- Edited by Nik Fault
- Audio Consultant Philip Perkins
Releases
See "Eloise" for alternative recordings of that part.
- Mole Show/Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats (1984) [Version 1]
- Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats? (1984) [Version 2]
- PAL TV LP (1985) [Version 2]
- Video Voodoo (1987) [Version 3]
- Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? / The Census Taker CD (1991) [Version 4] [Version 3]
- Twenty Twisted Questions (1992) [Version 3]
- Icky Flix DVD (2001) [Version 5] [Version 6]
- Icky Flix CD (2001) [Version 7] [Version 6]
- RZ VF (2011) [Version 8]
- Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? / The Census Taker CD (2014) [Version 4]
- 80 Aching Orphans (2017) [Version 3]
Versions
- ↑ 1984 Clementina Street studio version (4:09)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 1984 Clementina Street studio version LP edit (3:35)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Eloise" edit, 1984 (1:15)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 1984 Clementina Street studio version CD edit (2:24)
- ↑ 2001 "Banquet Hall'" version (2:52)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 2001 "Nightclub 1" version (1:23)
- ↑ "Eloise" edit, 1984 (1:15)
- ↑ 2001 version instrumental (4:09)
References
- ↑ 1991 CD reissue