"A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" is the debut single by English rock band Cardiacs, then known as Cardiac Arrest.[1] The song's title recalls "A Pound for a Brown on the Bus" from the Mothers of Invention album Uncle Meat (1969).[2] The release is branded as the Cardiac Arrest E.P..[3]
Until the release of The Special Garage Concerts Vol II, none of the tracks on the 7-inch single had been reproduced anywhere else. The single was supposed to contain four tracks and not three, but the limited space on the 7-inch format prevented it. The fourth track was to be "Keep Your Dead Mice with You",[4][5] which was later re-recorded as "Dead Mouse" on the Toy World album. The single is one of the rarest Cardiacs items.
Recording
According to Pugh, Jim Smith broke the E string on his bass during recording. Before recording Cade bought some children's items from a newsagent and brought them to the session. Smith proceeded to give each member a different item and conducted them like an orchestra to make noises on "A Cake for Bertie's Party" during the middle section. During the recording of "Keep Your Dead Mice With You", which was at the end of the session, Smith and Pugh tried to put together a vocal harmony but it was not finished. The songs were mixed at the end of the session and 1000 copies were pressed.
Track listing
"A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" – 4:33 (Smith, Pugh)
"A Cake for Bertie's Party" – 3:10 (Smith, Smith, Mayers)
"Food on the Wall" – 1:08 (Mayers)
Reissues and alternate versions of tracks
Cardiac Arrest E.P. has never been reissued, and thus is one of the rarest Cardiacs releases. None of the tracks have ever been reissued from the original master, although tracks have had live versions appearing on other albums.
^Cardiac Arrest E.P. (Vinyl liner notes). Cardiac Arrest. Tortch Records. 1979. TOR 002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
