"Ten Feet Tall" is a song by Colin Moulding. It appeared on the 1979 album Drums and Wires. It was re-recorded at the request of Virgin with more emphasis on electric guitars and released in the US as a single. The single reappeared on the odds-and-ends compilation Rag and Bone Buffet.
A live in-studio recording, for John Peel, appeared on Drums and Wireless, then later on the 1998 Transistor Blast box set.
Single tracklisting[]
Single[]
- A-side: "Ten Feet Tall (single version)" 3:11 (Moulding)
- B-side 1: "Helicopter" 3:54 (Andy Partridge)
- B-side 2: "The Somnambulist" 4:21 (Partridge)
Promo single[]
- A-side: "Ten Feet Tall (single version)"
- B-side: "Ten Feet Tall (single version)" (mono)
Quotes[]
Colin: “Now and again one should be able to throw a spanner in the works for a bit of devilment. This song was my spanner in 1979.
“I suppose it was my reaction to the ‘Quirk, Jerk, Spiky, Crikey, Start, Stop’ of our previous form. Back then, we had a particular aversion to anything that sounded remotely ‘west coast’ and cries for me to do this song as a solo record came from some quarters. Now of course, having tried every style under the sun, all of us can listen to it now and wonder what all the fuss was about.
“I was contacted at the time by the representatives of the Italian film director Michaelangelo Antonioni, who wanted to use the song in his forthcoming film. Whether it got there or not, I never found out. It will probably turn up on the late night BBC2 spot reserved for foreign films, for people to discover when they come back from the pub a bit blurry eyed.”
Andy: “Why did we stop there? I just can't remember. Well, here we are, up to our skinny ties recording the Drums And Wires album, and just being a tad daring by working in an acoustic powered song, courtesy of our Colin Ivor. This is one of the nicest quality recording we've done, but we did have the genius fingers of Hugh Padgham flitting across the faders. Virgin asked us to record an electric version for U.S. single release. Which we did. But it never had the bittersweet charm of this one.”
Andy (on the single version): “An electric version of the song on Drums And Wires for a never released American single.”
Dave (on the single version): “Only a single in America - our first, in fact. . .” Colin: “Personally I prefer the album version.” Andy: “I remember [Terry] Chambers getting quite irate because Phil kept trying to put timbale breaks in. I think he managed to slip them on while we were away on tour, and Terry wasn't around to nut him.”
Andy (on the Peel session): “This is the ‘Americanized’ version. Virgin said they really liked the song, and they thought it was going to be a great single, except they wanted us to record it electric and faster and that we had to change the structure of it. So we played it a little faster, and got more of a rolling feel, with hopefully the same sort of integrity.”
Lyrics[]
Happy I'm floating
Around on my feet now
You make me go dizzy
I'm weak at the knees
I feel like I'm walking
Round ten feet tall
Well you say I'm faking
And I say don't worry
The way that I bubble
There's something in the make
I feel like I'm walking
Round ten feet tall
Right, the chemistry is right
This boy has reached his height
The feeling just goes on and on...
From strength to strength
I'm ten feet long...
Happy I'm floating
Around on my feet now
You make me go dizzy
I'm weak at the knees
I feel like I'm walking
Round ten feet tall
Well you say I'm faking
And I say don't worry
The way that I bubble
There's something in the make
I feel like I'm walking
Round ten feet tall