RockyMusic

This is Richard O'Brien's first solo album. It was originally intended to be a studio recording of the Disgracefully Yours stage show, which featured him as Mephistopheles Smith. But then he apparently had a burst of songwriting inspiration while in Australia filming Dark City (1998). The forthcoming album was re-announced as Five Card Tarot, which would include six songs from Disgracefully Yours combined with other original songs. It was eventually re-titled Absolute O'Brien, and a common jazz element was used in all the songs. The result is a very eclectic album, which has frequently been called 'Apartment Jazz'. Here's what Richard himself had to say about it:

Well, it's a bit Chet Baker meets Willie Nelson. It's bluesy kind of stuff. I tried to sing it as ego-free as I possibly could, I didn't want any ego in the voice. I wanted it to be as pure as I could possibly make it and it's a bit hit and miss, and um, I'm very pleased with what I've got at the end of the day. But whether there's a target audience for it or not, I have no idea, but we had no idea with Rocky either. So that's the way I work. All I can do is do the things I enjoy doing, and hopefully, there'll be somebody out there who appreciates it.

Six of the songs are from Disgracefully Yours. Five were written while I was in Australia filming Dark City. I didn't want to make an album of songs which differed wildly in style and so consequently, even though a couple of them have a slight country feel, the jazz element remains to tie the album together.

But I've got no idea how the album will be received. It's the kind of album that people might hear at a dinner party, ask what it is and then go and buy it, as opposed to rushing out to the stores.

I think it will have quite a long life - it's not locked into what's hot at the moment. I'm a big fan of Chet Baker and Willie Nelson and I think the album is somehow between those two. It's a very sexy album. I like to describe it as so cool you'll want to take a warm bath with a friend.

The six songs from Disgracefully Yours are: "Incubus of Love", "It's up to you", "Ain't that to die for", "The Dance of Love", "Rhythm of the Heartbeat", and "Angel in Me". Though "It's up to you" and "The Dance of Love" were not sung by Mephistopheles Smith in the original stage show. "Angel in Me" was chosen as the single for the album and a promotional video was actually shot for it by Noel Donnellon, with Richard in full Mephistopheles Smith costume. You can see stills from this in the CD liner notes.

As of this writing in 2009, at least the Oglio Records CD is available direct from Oglio for $1.00 plus shipping (which I can only really interpret to mean that they're desperate to get it out of their warehouse). It is also available digitally in MP3 form from Amazon MP3 Downloads.

The actual CD contents are identical between releases (in fact my CD-ROM can't discern any difference between the two). Only the packaging was changed. The original Medical Records release in the UK featured the extremely magenta color throughout both covers and liner notes, and was designed by "Andy at GJGG". The later Oglio Records release in the US was completely redesigned by Lisa Sutton, who had previously designed Rocky Horror box sets for Lou Adler and Rhino Records. Both releases feature a full set of song lyrics in the CD liner notes.

Richard O'Brien - Absolute O'Brien     [ Music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien. ]

• Incubus of Love
• It's up to you
• Ain't that to die for
• Fixation
• The Dance of Love
• One Hundred Dollars an Hour
• Rhythm of the Heartbeat
• I've been there before
• Running with the Noisy Boys
• I will always hold you in my Heart
• Angel in Me

Album Production Credits

Produced by Pip Williams for Pachuco Management
(Original Backing Tracks 4,6,8,9,10 directed by Richard O'Brien and Hugh Burns)
Recorded and Mixed at Route One Studios, London, England
Engineer - Damian Korner, assisted by Eli Devonte and Euan Hill
Additional Recording and Mixes of "Incubus of Love", "The Dance of Love" and "Angel in Me" at Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire, England
Engineer - Pip Williams, assisted by Ewan Davies
Digital Editing - Bias Boshell
Mastered by Tony Bridge at Whitfield Street Mastering, London

All Music and Lyrics composed by Richard O'Brien
Published by Druidcrest Music

Special Thanks to
All our wonderful musicians, Damian, Eli, Euan, Sappho, Helen and all at Route One, Ewan, Steve, Andy, Louise, Munch and all at Chapel, Tony, Graham Carpenter, Neil Warnock, Chris Malcolm, Jill Sinclair, Tony Lewis, Andy Leighton and of course the lovely Nina.

The Copyright in this sound recording is owned by Medical Records.
For more try www.interfishnet.co.uk

Musicians

Incubus of Love

Kevin McAlea - Keyboards
Les Davidson - Electric Guitar
Pip Williams - Heavy Electric Guitar
Bob Jenkins - Drums
Andy Brown - 5 String Bass
Nicky Payne - Alto Sax, Alto Flute
Paul Clarvis - Percussion
George Chandler, Jackie Rawe, Zeitia Massiah - Backing Vocals

It's up to you

Kevin McAlea - Keyboards
Dave Brown - Keyboards
Pip Williams - Spanish Guitar, Electric Guitars
Ed Spevock - Drums
Bill Robinson - Bass Guitar
Nicky Payne - Harmonica
Paul Clarvis - Percussion

Ain't that to die for

Kevin McAlea - Keyboards
Les Davidson - Electric Guitar
Bob Jenkins - Drums
Andy Brown - 5 String Bass Guitar
Nicky Payne - Tenor Sax

Fixation

Rob Melvin - Piano
Bias Boshell - Synths
Hugh Burns - Vibraphone Synth Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Richard O'Brien - Acoustic Guitar
Andy Brown - Bass Guitar

The Dance of Love

Dave Brown - Keyboards
Bias Boshell - Keyboards
Pip Williams - Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar and Electric Guitar
Ed Spevock - Drums
Nicky Payne - Harmonica
Paul Clarvis - Percussion

One Hundred Dollars an Hour

Rob Melvin - Piano
Bias Boshell - Keyboards, Percussion Programming
Andy Brown - Bass Guitar
Pete Beachill - Trombone

Rhythm of the Heartbeat

Dave Brown - Keyboards
Les Davidson - Electric Guitar
Ed Spevock - Drums
Bill Robinson - Bass Guitar
Nicky Payne - Soprano Sax
Pip Williams - Bass Synth

I've been there before

Rob Melvin - Piano
Richard O'Brien - Acoustic Guitar
Hugh Burns - Acoustic Guitar
Pip Williams - Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Bob Jenkins - Drums
Andy Brown - 5 String Bass Guitar

Running with the Noisy Boys

Richard O'Brien - Acoustic Guitar
Hugh Burns - Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Pip Williams - Steel and Nylon Acoustic Guitars
Bob Jenkins - Drums
Andy Brown - Bass Guitar

I will always hold you in my Heart

Rob Melvin - Piano
Hugh Burns - Jazz Electric Guitar, Vibraphone Synth Guitar
Pip Williams - Electric Rhythm Guitar
Bob Jenkins - Drums
Andy Brown - 5 String Bass Guitar
Guy Barker - Trumpet Solo

Angel in Me

Kevin McAlea - Keyboards
Bias Boshell - Piano Low Notes
Les Davidson - Electric Rhythm Guitar
Pip Williams - Slide Guitars, Electric Guitar, 6 and 12 String Acoustic Guitars
Bob Jenkins - Drums
Andy Brown - 5 String Bass Guitar
Sappho Korner - Backing Vocals
Richard O'Brien - Backing Vocals