I Am Kurious Oranj

Untitled

I Am Kurious Oranj is a 1988 album by British rock band The Fall. The album was written as the soundtrack for the ballet "I am Curious, Orange", produced by contemporary dance group Michael Clark & Company, and themed loosely around the 300th anniversary of William of Orange's accession to the English throne. The album is also notable for its reworking of William Blake's lyrics for the hymn "Jerusalem" by Fall front man Mark E. Smith. The album's title is derived from Swedish director Vilgot Sjöman's films I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967) and I Am Curious (Blue) (1968). The title appears as I Am Kurious, Oranj on some parts of the packaging on the cassette and CD formats.

The release of I Am Kurious Oranj came towards the end of a relatively successful year for the group, which had also seen the release of an "accessible" album, The Frenz Experiment, and a handful of singles in the UK singles chart. Kurious Oranj was critically well received at the time, as were the few performances of the ballet production. A later review of the album by Ted Mills of Allmusic, however, is more indifferent; he suggests, "For the first time tracks felt like filler, and indeed they were."

A live version of this album recorded during at one of the Edinburgh Festival performances of the ballet was belatedly issued in 2000, under the title I Am As Pure As Oranj. This is now out of print.

Track listing

In common with other albums released through Beggars Banquet Records by The Fall, I Am Kurious Oranj featured a different track listing across the various formats on which it was originally released.

Vinyl record

1. "New Big Prinz" (Mark E. Smith, Craig Scanlon, Steve Hanley, Marcia Schofield) – 3:25
2. "Overture from I Am Curious Orange" (Brix Smith) – 2:49
3. "Dog Is Life" / "Jerusalem" (M. E. Smith/M. E. Smith, William Blake) – 7:24
4. "Kurious Oranj" (M. E. Smith, Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft) – 6:21
5. "Wrong Place, Right Time" (M. E. Smith) – 2:54
6. "C.D. Win Fall 2080 AD" (M. E. Smith) – 2:45
7. "Yes O Yes" (M. E. Smith, B. Smith) – 3:34
8. "Van Plague?" (M. E. Smith, Scanlon) – 4:56
9. "Bad News Girl" (M. E. Smith, B. Smith) – 5:22
10. "Cab It Up!" (M. E. Smith) – 4:54
11. "Last Nacht" (excerpt) (M. E. Smith, Simon Rogers) – 1:04

CD version

1. "New Big Prinz" (Mark E. Smith, Craig Scanlon, Steve Hanley, Marcia Schofield) – 3:26
2. "Overture from I Am Curious, Orange" (Brix Smith) – 2:48
3. "Dog Is Life" / "Jerusalem" (alternative version) (M. E. Smith/M. E. Smith, William Blake) – 8:54
4. "Kurious Oranj" (M. E. Smith, Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft) – 6:20
5. "Wrong Place, Right Time" (alternative version) (M. E. Smith) – 2:52
6. "Guide Me Soft" (M. E. Smith) – 2:15
7. "Win Fall CD 2088AD" (alternative version) (M. E. Smith) – 4:41
8. "Yes O Yes" (alternative version) (M. E. Smith, B. Smith) – 3:25
9. "Van Plague?" (M. E. Smith, Scanlon) – 4:56
10. "Bad News Girl" (M. E. Smith, B. Smith) – 5:22
11. "Cab It Up!" (M. E. Smith) – 4:54
12. "Last Nacht" (M. E. Smith, Simon Rogers) – 3:56
13. "Big New Priest" – 3:08

Cassette version

1. "New Big Prinz" (Mark E. Smith, Craig Scanlon, Steve Hanley, Marcia Schofield) – 3:25
2. "Overture from ‘I Am Curious, Orange’" (Brix Smith) – 2:49
3. "Dog Is Life" / "Jerusalem" (M. E. Smith/M. E. Smith, William Blake) – 7:24
4. "Kurious Oranj" (M. E. Smith, Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft) – 6:21
5. "Wrong Place, Right Time" (M. E. Smith) – 2:54
6. "Guide Me Soft" (M. E. Smith) – 2:15
7. "Win Fall CD 2088AD" (M. E. Smith) – 2:45 · in some cases "C.D. Win Fall 2088 AD"
8. "Yes, O Yes" (M. E. Smith, B. Smith) – 3:34
9. "Van Plague?" (M. E. Smith, Scanlon) – 4:56
10. "Bad News Girl" (M. E. Smith, B. Smith) – 5:22
11. "Cab It Up!" (M. E. Smith) – 4:54
12. "Last Nacht" (M. E. Smith, Simon Rogers) – 3:56
13. "Big New Priest" (M. E. Smith, Scanlon, Hanley, Schofield) – 3:08

• "Last Nacht" is an alternate mix of "Bremen Nacht" from The Frenz Experiment.

Personnel

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Brix E. Smith – guitar, vocals, tambourine
• Steve Hanley – bass guitar
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Marcia Schofield – keyboards, cowbell

In popular culture

The late-nineties British comedy series This Morning with Richard Not Judy had a regular sketch involving a character called The Curious Orange, played by Paul Putner in a large, orange mask. He was a sentient and quizzical citrus fruit, who, as the show progressed, developed a darker, somewhat sinister undertone. The track "Kurious Oranj" was played at the beginning of his slot, and has been credited as partial inspiration for the character. The album also gives name to the British record label Curious Orange Records.

External links

• Photographs from the closing night of the ballet production at Sadler's Wells Theatre