Black Snake Diamond Röle

Untitled

Black Snake Dîamond Röle was the debut solo album by former Soft Boys frontman Robyn Hitchcock.

Backed on various tracks by his former Soft Boy mates Kimberley Rew, Matthew Seligman and Morris Windsor, Hitchcock confessed satisfaction at being able to record an album with only his own artistic goals to cater for, whereas previously he had been compelled to write for 'the band'. Vince Ely of the Psychedelic Furs, Knox and Pat Collier of the Vibrators, Gary Barnacle and Thomas Dolby also make guest backing appearances. The sessions were recorded from June 1980 to January 1981([1]) at the Barge, Alaska Studios in Waterloo, London, and Music Works with Pat Collier producing ("with a little help from Matthew Seligman").

The ensuing set falls somewhere between the harder edged style of The Soft Boys and Hitchcock's more reflective and melodic work with The Egyptians a few years later. Released in May 1981, the album included ten original Hitchcock compositions. Key tracks include concert favourites "Acid Bird" and the rocker "Brenda's Iron Sledge", plus some of Hitchcock's patent comedy in "Do Policemen Sing?" and "The Man Who Invented Himself". "I Watch The Cars" was recorded on the day John Lennon was killed.

The album's working title "Zinc Pear" is retained in the cover art, although the title eventually settled on refers instead to the early Soft Boys recording "Black Snake Diamond Rock". (Another working title had it listed as "The Perfumed Corpse".) The cover art and calligraphy are Hitchcock's work (credited as "R.R.H."), and the inner sleeve of the LP featured an original, cosmic Hitchcock pen-and-ink comic titled, The Enchanted Sewer.

The album has subsequently re-emerged on CD with several bonus titles, pulled from B sides and outtakes. The CD includes a different mix of "The Man Who Invented Himself", the original master having been lost in the intervening fourteen years.

Track listing

All songs written by Robyn Hitchcock.

Side one

1. "The Man Who Invented Himself"
2. "Brenda's Iron Sledge"
3. "Do Policemen Sing?"
4. "The Lizard"
5. "Meat"

Side two

1. "Acid Bird"
2. "I Watch the Cars"
3. "Out of the Picture"
4. "City of Shame"
5. "Love"

1st Reissue bonus tracks

1. "Dancing On Gods Thumb" - originally B-side to "The Man Who Invented himslef" single, 1981

Personnel

• Robyn Hitchcock - Piano, bass, lead guitar
• Morris Windsor - Drums, backing vocal
• Gary Barnacle - Saxophones
• Matthew Seligman - Bass, overbass on "Love"
• Vince Ely - Drums on "Brenda's Iron Sledge", "Do Policemen Sing?", "The Lizard" & "I Watch the Cars"
• Kimberley Rew - Guitar on "Do Policemen Sing?", "The Lizard", "I Watch the Cars" & "City of Shame"
• Knox - Guitar on "Out of the Picture"
• Robb Appleton - Backing vocals on "Love"
• Howie Gilbert - Backing vocals on "Love"
• Tom Dolby - Ocean on "Love"