Starless
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"Starless" is a piece by British progressive rock band King Crimson. It was featured on the Red album in 1974.
The lyrics and melody for "Starless" were written by John Wetton. He originally intended the song to be the title track of the group's previous album Starless and Bible Black. Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford initially disliked the song and declined to record it for that album. Instead the group chose an instrumental composition as the title track for the Starless and Bible Black album. However, "Starless" was later revived, its lyrics altered and a long instrumental section (based on a bass riff contributed by Bruford) added to it, and performed live between March-June 1974. For the Red recording sessions, the lyrics were again altered (with contributions by Richard Palmer-James). The haunting introductory theme, originally contributed and played by David Cross, was taken over by the guitar, with Fripp making minor alterations to the melody. As the title "Starless and Bible Black" had already been used, the original title was shortened to "Starless".
The piece is roughly 12 minutes and 15 seconds in length, the longest on the Red album. As the last track on the last King Crimson album of the 1970s, it features several moments which recall earlier releases. It starts with mellotron strings, electric guitar and a saxophone, playing in a style recalling "Epitaph" from In the Court of the Crimson King. These introduce a vocal segment in conventional verse-chorus structure. The middle section of the song is a build-up in 13/8 which recalls "The Talking Drum" from Larks Tongues in Aspic. Starting with John Wetton's signature distorted bass, the playing gradually becomes louder and much wilder, though the tempo stays constant and all the while Fripp's guitar plays only two different notes. The song's final section begins with an abrupt transition to a fast, jazzy saxophone solo with distorted guitars and bass, and expressive tribal drumming by Bill Bruford, also in 13/8. This recalls the wilder section of "21st Century Schizoid Man", the band's signature piece from that era. The song ends with a short reprise of the opening melody.
Though the phrase "Starless and Bible Black" serves both as the chorus for the song's vocal segment and as the title of an instrumental track on the album Starless and Bible Black, there is little apparent similarity between the two pieces.
Cover versions
The song was also covered live by Asia, a supergroup of which John Wetton became a member. A recording of the song is available on an album documenting a performance at Moscow in 1992.[citation needed]
The song has been performed by the 21st Century Schizoid Band, going against their usual setlists of performing material the first four King Crimson albums (when members of 21st Century Schizoid Band were in King Crimson) though Collins and McDonald were both studio musicians on the album it came from.
The song has been covered by Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, and Randy George and was released on a bonus disc sent out to members of Morse's Inner Circle fanclub.[1] This version was played while the audience took their seats during some shows on Dream Theater's Black Clouds and Silver Linings tour. After Crying performs a live cover, featuring Wetton on guest vocals, on their album Struggle for Life.
The song was reworked by Craig Armstrong on his album As If to Nothing as "Starless II".
Japanese actor Masahiro Takashima covered the song in 1993 [2].
This song is distinct from the track of the same name on the epynomous debut album by South Carolina band Crossfade.
Personnel
- Robert Fripp: guitar, mellotron
- John Wetton: bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford: drums, percussion
- David Cross: violin
- Mel Collins: soprano saxophone
- Ian McDonald: alto saxophone
