Gareth Calway - Bard On The Wire: Transformer

October 08, 2024

walk on the wild side full band version

The original film https://youtu.be/g_Fp0EceMpA was just the two live takes - guitar and vocal and the bass track - filmed consecutively and then spliced together. Those two live takes remain the basis of this performance but the full band, including Maz on the vocal chorus, is now overdubbed onto the sound of the original film. So you get the satisfaction of the immediacy plus the extra textures of the various overdubs. This whole thing wasn't planned- we heard an interview with Herbie Flowers who created the unique bass part on the original Transformer track (and also played tuba elsewhere on that beautifully soft touch album) and just wanted to see how he did it and how much of it we could pull off in our own way. It happened quite quickly at first but then a little slower as we kept hearing more stuff on the Lou Reed track that we wanted to recreate as a Peacock Tale.

September 20, 2024

Walk on the Wild Side

Holly came from Miami, FLAHitch-hiked her way across the USAPlucked her eyebrows along the wayShaved her legs and then he was a she

They said, "Hey, babeTake a walk on the wild side"I said, "Hey, babeTake a walk on the wild side"Alright

Candy came from out on the IslandIn the back room she was everybody's darlingBut she never once lost her headEven when she was giving head

She said, "Hey, babeTake a walk on the wild side"I said, "Hey, CandyTake a walk on the wild side"And the colored girls go

"Doo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-dooDoo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-dooDoo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-dooDoo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-doo

Doo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-dooDoo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-dooDoo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-dooDoo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-doo"

Little Joe never once gave it awayEverybody had to pay and payA hustle here and a hustle thereNew York City's the place

Where you said, "Hey, JoeTake a walk on the wild side"I said, "Hey, babyTake a walk on the wild side"

Sugar Plum Fairy came down and hit the streetsLooking for soul food and for a place to eatWent to the ApolloYou should've seen them go, go, go

They said, "Hey, sugarTake a walk on the wild side"I said, "Hey, babeTake a walk on the wild side"AlrightHuh

Jackie, she is just speeding awayShe thought she was James Dean for a dayBut then you know that she had to crashValium would have helped that bash

She said, "Hey, JackieTake a walk on the wild side"I said, "Hey, babeTake a walk on the wild side"And the colored girls go