Burroughs influence on rock music

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William Burroughs the famous beat writer and consumer of hallucinogenic substances has been an inspiration/influence for quite some rock musicians. I found three bands/artists which can be linked to him, do you know any more?

- The band name "Thin White Rope" derives from the Burroughs code for sperm.
- Burroughs spoke in several Laurie Anderson songs, e.g. "Sharkey's Night". "Language is a virus" is a Burroughs quote.
- Patti Smith has been influenced a lot by Burroughs. Especially her lyrics have a Burroughs touch sometimes.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Steely Dan and The Soft Machine are both named after ideas from Burroughs books.

― J, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think "REO Speedwagon" is a phrase from JUNKIE.

woo woo.

― Gage-o, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kurt Cobain plays guitar behind Burroughs reading one of his stories on a CD called "The Priest They Called Him".

― o. nate, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

He's sometimes credited w/ coining the term "heavy metal", isn't he?

― fritz, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kurt Cobain recorded a record with Burroughs.

David Bowie used Burroughs's "cut-up" technique in his lyric writing.

― Sean, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ah, o. nate beat me on the Cobain reference...

― Sean, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

- The Soft Boys took their name from a hybrid of "The Soft Machine" and "The Wild Boys".

- Duran Duran's "the Wild Boys". Apparently, the director of the video wanted to make a film of the Burroughs work, but never got around to it, so settled for the Duran's take on it.

- Ministry worked with the man -- somewhat regrettably -- on their single, "Just One Fix."

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

REO Speedwagon was a brand of fire engine. Nothing to do with Burroughs, sorry.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Courtney Love played his wife in a movie that never came out (Keifer Sutherland was Burroughs).

What about Edgar Rice Burroughs? What was his influence on rock music besides Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy" and the Kinks "Apeman"? What is the Tarkan/Tarzan connection?

― Arthur, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

What was his influence on rock music besides Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy"

Good lord, what more do you need? "Tarzan Boy" is the apex of all that is good in this world! Best EVUH!

― J, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Me want MORE!!!

― Arthur, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

edgar rice burroughs also created Conan The Barbarian, so he's got as much of a claim on inventing Heavy Metal as wm. s.

― fritz, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

William Burroughs was a big inspiration to lots of early post-punk and industrial groups. Genesis P-Orridge released an album of Burroughs cut-up tape experiments called "Nothing Here but the Recordings". In 1982 Burroughs appeared at a festival in England called the Final Academy. On the same bill were Cabaret Voltaire, 23 Skidoo and Psychic TV. 23 Skidoo took their name from a phrase contained in a cut-up text by Burroughs.

― Mark Dixon, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

nah, 23 skidoo is ancient slang for "scram" or "get out of here". If "23 skidoo" comes from Burroughs, he stole it from my grandmother

― fritz, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I always heard it as "22 skidoo" (the "let's scram" phrase, that is.)

― Mark, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

http://kepler.poly.edu/~imilan01/flatiron.jpg

the corner of 23rd st and bway manhattan is v. blustery and windswept and the police would yell "skidoo" or whatnot at the street lechers who came to ogle skirts flying up a la marilyn monroe... the lady above demonstrates the modern, sensible fashion approach for navigating this intersection.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"skidoo" is what I say to gratuitous nyc photos.

― dyson, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Miranda Sex Garden came from a Burroughs novel. Possibly THE TICKCACK THAT EXPLODED.

― Brave Ulysses, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Burroughs is featured on the song 'words of advice' on the Material album Hallucination Engine. (as is the music from Billy Cobham's 'Red Baron' - it's a sample-fest.)

― Ron, Monday, 1 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

He did collaborate with R.E.M on a version of Star Me Kitten and he also pops up in the video clip for U2's Last Night On Earth.

― Damian, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Cabaret Voltaire says they took alot of burroughs cut up techs, and was influenced of his language. I also have a faint memory of Billy idol speking of Naked Lunch... But it was Robert E howard that created Conan!

― Tobias Ankner, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Acording to the Wire, Burroughs INVENTED sampling with his cut up techniques! hahahhahahaaha....

Seriously though - I think Bowie used the cut up thing for some of his early lyrics

Most influencial film/book for band names = Clockwork Orange. Heaven 17, Moloko, and a few other's I can't remember...

All counted however, the book that has probably inspired most band names and song titles is the bible, i would guess.

― Robin, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, Bug Powder Dust by Bomb the Bass is all about Naked Lunch, and even samples the film

― Robin, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

There 23 new responses when I looked at this just now.

― DeRayMi, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the band 'cupid mount etna' is named after a burroughs character.

the band 'clem snide' is named after a burroughs character.

― fields of salmon, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

He collaborated with Tom Waits circa THE BLACK RIDER

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Thin White Rope took they're name from a line in Naked Lunch. There was a band (prog I think) called The Mugwumps.

― john-paul, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

MEat Beat Manifesto have cited Burroughs as a major influence

― ejad, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

He's also on Material's Seven Souls album. And he has a part in the movie Drugstore Cowboy.

― nickn, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Insect Trust

― mt, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

No, Robin - not at all! ILLUMINATUS! = most fruitful for band names: Primal Scream, Dead Kennedys, Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu - and they took that "saying": "Lie down on the floor and keep calm" from ILLUMINATUS! Trilogy. Many others I can't think of offhand.

― Brave Ulysses, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mugwumps = not prog but mid 60s folk group featuring Mama Cass.

― rw, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nicky Wire said that Burroughs charged them $5000 to use a quote from "Naked Lunch" on the first Manics album.

Also Peter Buck said in an interview once that he thought Old Bull Lee was overrated.

― Justyn Dillingham, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Killed his wife, a very bad visual artist, more of a life-long junkie than acid freak, not as bad as Ginsberg. Clothes horse.

― Bob, Friday, 5 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Edgar rice burroughs, eh? "Tarzan boy" by Baltimora?

― bob snoom, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

seven years pass...

No mention of Joy Division? Ian Curtis was an obsessive. There was a funny anecdote in the recent JD doc about Curtis approaching Burroughs at some hip art venue all cocksure saying he should get his latest book for free (or something) because he bought all of his earlier stuff and was the BIGGEST FAN EVER. Ended up getting shot down with a "Fuck off, kid" much to the amusement of other JD dudes in attendance. Probably messing that story up a bit.

But yeah, the industrial guys loved him. And didn't Cobain use the whole cut-up thing for some of his lyrics?

― buttslam is a pretty good move (circa1916), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 10:53 (sixteen years ago)

Used it on his head I think.

― Passantino Complexion (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 10:55 (sixteen years ago)

poor

Courtney Love played his wife in a movie that never came out (Keifer Sutherland was Burroughs).

also this came out and was TERRIBLE.

― buttslam is a pretty good move (circa1916), Wednesday, 15 April 2009 10:58 (sixteen years ago)

That Curtis/Burroughs connection in full:

http://realitystudio.org/biography/william-s-burroughs-and-joy-division/

― Zelda Zonk, Wednesday, 15 April 2009 11:08 (sixteen years ago)

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