Somebody left me crying
February 28, 2007 6:13 AM Subscribe
Children of the Sun rarely left the turntable during a big chunk of my pre-teen years. Sorry to hear this.
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posted by maryh at 6:28 AM on February 28, 2007
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posted by maryh at 6:28 AM on February 28, 2007
Ah Billy.
I remember Children of the Sun fondly.
(But...wow...does that site intro ever suck.)
Nonetheless...
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posted by Thorzdad at 6:33 AM on February 28, 2007
I remember Children of the Sun fondly.
(But...wow...does that site intro ever suck.)
Nonetheless...
.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:33 AM on February 28, 2007
Children of the Sun was one of those songs that scared me to death when I was a kid.
posted by punkfloyd at 6:44 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by punkfloyd at 6:44 AM on February 28, 2007
I'm downloading (legally) Children of the Sun right now, and I'm planning on finding every which way to play it at maximum volume. You can't listen to that song softly.
posted by thanotopsis at 6:51 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by thanotopsis at 6:51 AM on February 28, 2007
Anybody who has not already got the 1970 album, The Hoax is Over, and 1971's Aztecs Live (Melbourne Town Hall): you need to own these recordings, and you need to turn them up LOUD.
Gil Matthews, Aztecs drummer and original recording engineer, is in the process of re-releasing the entire Aztecs back catalog, among other things, so you'll be able to get them fairly soon.
ABC Local Radio did a segment on Thorpie this evening, and they played Somebody Left Me Crying from the Melbourne Town Hall recording. I was driving home. The only thing to do was turn the car radio up to speaker-ripping volume, wind down all the windows, and howl.
I often wish I'd been eighteen, instead of ten, for Sunbury 1972.
Yeah, yeah, gyofb, whatever.
posted by flabdablet at 7:09 AM on February 28, 2007
Gil Matthews, Aztecs drummer and original recording engineer, is in the process of re-releasing the entire Aztecs back catalog, among other things, so you'll be able to get them fairly soon.
ABC Local Radio did a segment on Thorpie this evening, and they played Somebody Left Me Crying from the Melbourne Town Hall recording. I was driving home. The only thing to do was turn the car radio up to speaker-ripping volume, wind down all the windows, and howl.
I often wish I'd been eighteen, instead of ten, for Sunbury 1972.
Yeah, yeah, gyofb, whatever.
posted by flabdablet at 7:09 AM on February 28, 2007
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For some strange reason I didn't even realise he was much known in the States.
I saw him as a teenager and it was awesome. I'm still partial to the real old stuff... 'Most people I know think that I'm Craaaaaaa zy' zings me every time.
posted by peacay at 7:18 AM on February 28, 2007
For some strange reason I didn't even realise he was much known in the States.
I saw him as a teenager and it was awesome. I'm still partial to the real old stuff... 'Most people I know think that I'm Craaaaaaa zy' zings me every time.
posted by peacay at 7:18 AM on February 28, 2007
Oh, and...
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[Even I didn't know of him, if I'm going to comment I should show respect for the dead.]
posted by jaded at 9:09 AM on February 28, 2007
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[Even I didn't know of him, if I'm going to comment I should show respect for the dead.]
posted by jaded at 9:09 AM on February 28, 2007
Wow, Children of the Sun is the song that convinced me that rock music was cool.
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posted by khaibit at 9:12 AM on February 28, 2007
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posted by khaibit at 9:12 AM on February 28, 2007
"Children of the Sun" was part of our morning ritual riding to high school in 1983, five of us stuffed into a 1970's decked out yellow Cobra - amped to the extreme! After that semester I had discovered DK, Agent Orange, Social Distortion, Replacements, New Order, etc. and didn't listen to it again until Napster.
"ARTIST: Billy Thorpe
TITLE: Children of the Sun
Lyrics and Chords
People of the earth can you hear me
Came a voice from the sky on that magical night
And in the colors of a thousand sunsets
They traveled to the world on a silvery light
/ E G D A / :
The people of the earth stood waiting
Watching as the ships came one by one
Setting fire to the sky as they landed
Carrying to the world children of the sun, children of the sun
All at once came a sound from the inside
Then a beam made of light hit the ground
Everyone felt the sound of their heartbeat
Every man, every woman, every child
They passed the limits of imagination
Through the door to the world of another time
And on the journey of a thousand lifetimes
With the children of the sun, they started to climb
Children of the sun, children of the sun
No more gravity, nothing holding them down
Floating endlessly, as their ship leaves the ground
Through the walls of time, at the speed of light
Fly the crystal ships on their celestial flight, on their celestial flight
/ E - - - G - - - / :
Children of the sun, children of the sun..."
posted by tzelig at 9:39 AM on February 28, 2007
"ARTIST: Billy Thorpe
TITLE: Children of the Sun
Lyrics and Chords
People of the earth can you hear me
Came a voice from the sky on that magical night
And in the colors of a thousand sunsets
They traveled to the world on a silvery light
/ E G D A / :
The people of the earth stood waiting
Watching as the ships came one by one
Setting fire to the sky as they landed
Carrying to the world children of the sun, children of the sun
All at once came a sound from the inside
Then a beam made of light hit the ground
Everyone felt the sound of their heartbeat
Every man, every woman, every child
They passed the limits of imagination
Through the door to the world of another time
And on the journey of a thousand lifetimes
With the children of the sun, they started to climb
Children of the sun, children of the sun
No more gravity, nothing holding them down
Floating endlessly, as their ship leaves the ground
Through the walls of time, at the speed of light
Fly the crystal ships on their celestial flight, on their celestial flight
/ E - - - G - - - / :
Children of the sun, children of the sun..."
posted by tzelig at 9:39 AM on February 28, 2007
Another USian here who's never heard of him. What album should I start with if I want to give him a listen?
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:59 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:59 AM on February 28, 2007
(Oops, didn't see that "Children of the Sun" was an album title too. I guess that's the one I'll be downloading tonight....)
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:01 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:01 AM on February 28, 2007
From the site Re. Children of the Sun - "It shot up the charts in the middle of the disco boom eventually making number one in practically every US state and Canada and stayed there for weeks."
Is there some data backing that up? I grew up in this era (in NY), and I've never heard, nor heard of, this song before. Also never heard of Billy Thorpe. Sorry to hear the guy's gone, but I listened to Children of the Sun (on the site) expecting to hear what apparently Billy's fans are on about. I kept waiting for the song to pick itself up out of its psychedelic overtones (I'm being kind), and lazy pace, but it only managed to get even lazier during the middle eight. In fact, every time I expected it to go somewhere, there was another breakdown. Sorry, but I just don't hear it. Maybe it's nostalgia for some, but to me that song is a disjointed collection of ideas (all of them bad), that doesn't sound any better with the volume turned up loud.
There are other songs on that site that I think are much better, so Children of the Sun is not what I would want to judge this guy on. I wouldn't want to recommend that song to anyone as an introduction into what this guy does.
Anybody got any better recommendations?
posted by mikhail at 10:06 AM on February 28, 2007
Is there some data backing that up? I grew up in this era (in NY), and I've never heard, nor heard of, this song before. Also never heard of Billy Thorpe. Sorry to hear the guy's gone, but I listened to Children of the Sun (on the site) expecting to hear what apparently Billy's fans are on about. I kept waiting for the song to pick itself up out of its psychedelic overtones (I'm being kind), and lazy pace, but it only managed to get even lazier during the middle eight. In fact, every time I expected it to go somewhere, there was another breakdown. Sorry, but I just don't hear it. Maybe it's nostalgia for some, but to me that song is a disjointed collection of ideas (all of them bad), that doesn't sound any better with the volume turned up loud.
There are other songs on that site that I think are much better, so Children of the Sun is not what I would want to judge this guy on. I wouldn't want to recommend that song to anyone as an introduction into what this guy does.
Anybody got any better recommendations?
posted by mikhail at 10:06 AM on February 28, 2007
Now, where have I heard Children of the Sun before???? It's not on Heavy Metal, I even have it in my MP3 Player and yet, don't know why. Help me out here!
posted by winks007 at 10:25 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by winks007 at 10:25 AM on February 28, 2007
His book, Sex and Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll is a lot of fun too. See you, matey.
posted by Wolof at 1:10 PM on February 28, 2007
posted by Wolof at 1:10 PM on February 28, 2007
Even though I always changed the words to "Children of the CORN", I did love that song. Didn't realise he had so much other good stuff as well...or that he was still active. God Speed old friend.
posted by wavespy at 1:45 PM on February 28, 2007
posted by wavespy at 1:45 PM on February 28, 2007
mikhail, you know waaaaaay too much about music. Maybe that's why you have a hard time enjoying it? I just listen and I'm magically transported there. Also...I can't play a lick/carry a tune in a bucket and am very envious of you who can.
posted by winks007 at 1:46 PM on February 28, 2007
posted by winks007 at 1:46 PM on February 28, 2007
mikhail, you want to get onto the live recordings. Start here.
posted by flabdablet at 3:31 PM on February 28, 2007
posted by flabdablet at 3:31 PM on February 28, 2007
Now, where have I heard Children of the Sun before???? It's not on Heavy Metal
Yes, but it's definitely of that style of music. I can load up Heavy Metal and Children of the Sun back to back, and be transported back to the late 70s like no other music can take me.
I just heard "Couldn't Get it Right" (Climax Blues Band) playing over the PA at a local eatery the other day, and I had to find out who did that song, as it was another one of those time-travel songs.
posted by thanotopsis at 5:36 PM on February 28, 2007
Yes, but it's definitely of that style of music. I can load up Heavy Metal and Children of the Sun back to back, and be transported back to the late 70s like no other music can take me.
I just heard "Couldn't Get it Right" (Climax Blues Band) playing over the PA at a local eatery the other day, and I had to find out who did that song, as it was another one of those time-travel songs.
posted by thanotopsis at 5:36 PM on February 28, 2007
I only know Billy Thorpe for one song (even though I own two of his albums), but damn, I played the shit out of that song in Jr High and High School. And years later it was one of the first songs I transfered from vinyl to CD. "Children of the Sun" is one of those those songs I feel a bit daft liking so much. It's cheesy, dated, and over-the-top, but every time I hear it I want to turn it up and then play it again.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:38 PM on February 28, 2007
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:38 PM on February 28, 2007
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posted by winks007 at 6:24 AM on February 28, 2007