September 7, 2022

They Came From Next Door...

So tired, tired of listening to gossip, gossip and complaints...

'They came from next door'.....well, Bauhaus technically speaking came from Northampton actually😉 The song (a cheerful little number) entitled 'Rose Garden Funeral Of Sores'.

Roots Of Goth & Missed Chances

Again, like many other bands of this genre a bit like 'Marmite' I guess, personally I love the stuff, so this band worked for me. They were pretty much at the roots of the 'Goth Rock' sound from the early 80's and for a change they didn't come from that far North of the M25. From distorted feedback to mellow guitar sounds, slightly experimental, a bit 'edgy', but always cool with the looks and logos they used. I am quite 'gutted' that I never got to see them in their heyday, as I remember I even got the opportunity, but was unable to go.

The John Cale Version

John Cale, Rose Garden Funeral of Sores. The song initially released as a B Side to the 7" single Mercenaries released on the 'Spy Records Ltd' Label in 1980. I guess the A side being first recorded in 1979. Slightly avant-garde and more 'rock' sounding than the Bauhaus version, but equally moody and brooding.

John Cale produced first albums for acts like The Stooges and Patti Smith, he was of course himself in The Velvet Underground.

Press The Eject & Iffy Bootlegs

The Bauhaus version was also released on the B side of the single 'Telegram Sam', released also in 1980 on 4AD label and obviously the cover of the A Side was originally released way back when in 1972 by 'T-Rex'.

Rose Garden was also on the 'Press The Eject 'album which, according to My Ghetto Blogspot was "named after the member of the sound crew demanding a bootlegger handed over their recording". Ah! The joys of smuggling recording devices to concerts. I always remember from my misspent youth places like Camden Market flogging iffy bootleg concert tapes.

Bauhaus - Rosegarden Funeral of Sores (HD) Live from Introspection Minds on Vimeo.

Press The Eject

The Album 'Press The Eject & Give Me The Tape contained the band's raw energy from their 'live' performances from London and Liverpool and was released in 1982, it contained many classics such as their first released single and favourite 'Bela Lugosi's Dead', the dark and brooding 'Stigmata Martyr', the atmospheric 'Hollow Hills' to the more 'up tempo' tracks such as 'Kick In The Eye', 'In Fear Of Fear' and 'Dancing'. We obviously played the record to death, it was a great album. You can catch the 'Press The Eject Playlist' on youtube containing all but a couple of the tracks at the link.

Bauhaus Decor

Lyrically 'Rose Garden' is really quite strange, dark and brooding, like the stuff of nightmares or paranoia, but I like it nonetheless. The original has the distorted vocals, but both have the same rhythmic beat and bass line punctuated by guitar riff. The Bauhaus version having Daniel Ash's awesome guitar feedback, David J's cool bass line, steady pounding on the drums by Kevin Haskins and not forgetting Peter Murphy's maniacal vocals and stage presence.

On the original it was also the first time John Cale had used a drum machine on a single!

I was first introduced to it by a friend, sadly no longer with us, who was an avid Bauhaus fan. He had album and single versions, think if I remember rightly his whole bedroom was painted black except for a large Bauhaus logo. In memory of him...and his goth stylee student boudoir decor.