"Science Friction" is a song by Andy Partridge. It appeared on the 1977 3D - EP and was later included as a bonus track on re-releases of White Music.
A live version appeared on the 1998 Transistor Blast box set.
The CBS demo appeared on the 2002 Coat of Many Cupboards box set.
Single tracklisting[]
- A-side: "Science Friction"
- B-side: "She's So Square"
Quotes[]
Colin: “Definitely a case of a band in the studio for the first time getting red-light nerve fever.” Andy: “It's weird because you start to think about really odd things like, ‘Did my trousers squeak in that take?’.”
Andy: “Comics and comic art played a big part in my life at one time, I would try and slip in words and phrases that would paint a kind of surreal but dynamic world that reflected the real one, but in stronger simpler ways. Freud would have a great time with me because as a youngster I actually had a fear of stars (astrophobia?) and would run home from cub scouts sweating and shaking in case I actually looked up.”
Andy (on the CBS demo): “One keyboard player, John Perkins, had left; and another one, Barry Andrews, had joined, after a rather collegiate drinking/bonding initiation. CBS had called us back in for our second demo try out session (the first was on Wednesday 5/1/77), they obviously still weren't sure whether they wanted to sign us, so up to their studios in London's Whitfield Street we duly traipsed. The producer who oversaw the session was either (French accent) very brave or very stoopeed, one Nicky Graham. He was certainly silly enough to let slip the fact that he had produced Andy Williams, for which the rest of the day he was bombarded with questions. We wanted to know all there was to know about ol' cardigan face, in a sort of ‘my mum wouldn't be pleased to know that’ sort of way.
“We did manage to record a few songs as well, here's one. ‘Science Friction’. A daft tale of nothing much in particular, except for my bouts of astrophobia. You can hear, beneath the wobbly guitar, wobbly piano and wobbly Crumar organ, that my voice hasn't got its P.A. breaking, Buddy Holly on Red Bull bark, it's a relatively low pitched song and I didn't feel quite at home with it. The key takes me into crooner range. However Nicky Graham did calm us down and get a reasonable dance hall throb from what was previously a very spazzy twitch of a tune. I think we ended with a compromise. He got a glitterball beat if we could keep in our Saturnian funfair ‘Rockin' Goose’ middle section. Now is the winter of our discotex made spring by etc. etc.
“Ultimately CBS passed on us, wonder why? But the good thing was now we had reasonable demos to shower DJ John Peel with. Which we did. Which led to a session on his show. Which led to more gigs in London. Which... and as you know the rest is histoplasmosis.”
Neville Farmer's XTC: Song Stories: "Andy wandered the building hitting things to add to the sound, settling on a metal microphone cabinet, which it was Terry's job to hit toward the end of the song"
Lyrics[]
I look out of my window at night
I see the stars and I'm filled with fright
I got a feeling someone's looking
It ain't the aliens at the foot of my bed
It's more the ale inside my head
I got a feeling something's cooking
Science friction burns my fingers
Electricity still lingers
Hey put away that ray, how do you martians say
I love you
I read my comics from front to back
I'll be ready for any attack
I got a feeling someone's looking
It ain't the aliens at the foot of my bed
It's more the ale inside my head
I got a feeling something's cooking
Science friction burns my fingers
Electricity still lingers
Hey put away that ray, how do you martians say
I love you
It ain't the aliens at the foot of my bed
It's more the ale inside my head
I got a feeling something's cooking
Science friction burns my fingers
Electricity still lingers
Hey put away that ray, how do you martians say
I love you
Videos[]
Promo[]
Promo video of "Science Friction." Uploaded by YouTube user "23Daves."