Come to Daddy
Encyclopedia
Come to Daddy is a 1997 EP
by electronic music
artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin
. "Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs; it peaked at #36 on the UK Singles Chart
. In October 2011, NME
placed it at number 42 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
James describes his work like this:
style of the first track. "IZ-US" features mellow synth tones with jazz
style drums. Each mix of "Come to Daddy" is completely different, the "Little Lord Faulteroy mix" is a calm track with bizarre vocal samples that ends up resembling nothing like the original track and the "Mummy mix" is, in a way, a remix of the song "To Cure a Weakling Child" from Richard D. James Album
. The other tracks also have their own style, most notably "Flim", an upbeat song similar in mood to the track "Xtal" from Selected Ambient Works 85–92
, possessing a cheerful melody and Aphex Twin's signature complex polyrhythms. The song "Funny Little Man" features, at the end, a PlainTalk
voice states "I would like, to Fuck you up the bunghole, and when I will sneak into your room, I will cut your cock off, and stuff it in my mouth, and chew it up with my little pearlies." The end of "Come to Daddy (Pappy Mix)" features samples from one of his earliest works, Isoprophlex.
Though Aphex Twin rarely uses vocals in his work, six of Come to Daddy' s eight tracks feature vocals. Because of this and the hit single title track, this EP is generally considered his most pop music
work.
Come to Daddy' s packaging features stark black letters against a white background. All the information, tracklistings and lyrics are printed the same way, and only two images are present, both photographed by Stefan DeBatselier and digitally altered by Chris Cunningham
, using James' face on children. James has used his likeness as the artwork on five of his releases: The ...I Care Because You Do
and Richard D. James Album albums, the Donkey Rhubarb
and Come to Daddy EPs and the Windowlicker
single.
The cover of the out-of-print second CD, with its white lettering against an orange background, makes reference to the fact that "To Cure A Weakling Child" had been used in a television advertisement for Orange
. The advertisement used an edit of the album version; a radically different remix appears on the EP.
"Come to Daddy, Pappy Mix" is heard twice in the film 8mm
starring Nicolas Cage
, the music video can be seen in part on a television screen in Dino Velvet's office and the vinyl record can be seen on a turntable
in Machine's room. It is also is heard in the movie CKY
2K during a skateboarding montage along with camera work that corresponds to the beats of the song. The song is also in the German film Curiosity & the Cat
, the Xbox 360
driving game Project Gotham Racing 3
, and the Playstation 3
racing game MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
.
"Bucephalus Bouncing Ball" was used as the fourth song on the soundtrack to the film. Pi
(released in October 1997) was directed by Chris Cunningham
and filmed on the same council estate where Stanley Kubrick
shot many scenes in A Clockwork Orange
. The scene is shot around Tavy Bridge Shopping centre, Thamesmead
, which was demolished in 2007. Much of the dark underground car parking is now gone. The video opens with an old woman walking a dog in a grimy, industrial setting. The dog urinates on an abandoned television lying on the pavement, causing it to sputter unexpectedly into life. This unleashes an evil spirit
, accompanied by a gang of small children, all of whom bear James' grinning face and who appear to inhabit the abandoned buildings. The children go around wreaking havoc, trashing an alley and chasing a man into his car. The demon (played by Al Stokes) emerges from the television, screams in the woman's face, then gathers the children around him. The music video was positioned number 35 in 100 Greatest Scary Moments, as voted by Channel 4
viewers in 2003. The video is included on the Directors Label
volume, The Work of Director Chris Cunningham. The video was also named the number one video of the 1990s by Pitchfork. The video features a break that consists of a young girl singing that isn't originally in the song. This sample can also be heard on the first AFX Analogue Bubblebath EP in the track "Isoprophlex" (see above).
.
The tracks were originally released on two separate CDs, WAP94CD and WAP94CDR, with the first four tracks on the former and the rest on the latter. These have since been deleted and replaced by one EP containing all eight tracks (WAP94CDX).
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist Richard D. James, commonly known as Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
. "Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]" — often simply called "Come to Daddy" — is one of Aphex Twin's best-known songs; it peaked at #36 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In October 2011, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
placed it at number 42 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
James describes his work like this:
Overview
Not all the tracks featured on this EP are the industrialIndustrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
style of the first track. "IZ-US" features mellow synth tones with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
style drums. Each mix of "Come to Daddy" is completely different, the "Little Lord Faulteroy mix" is a calm track with bizarre vocal samples that ends up resembling nothing like the original track and the "Mummy mix" is, in a way, a remix of the song "To Cure a Weakling Child" from Richard D. James Album
Richard D. James Album
Richard D. James Album is an electronic album by Aphex Twin, whose real name is Richard David James. It was released on Warp Records in 1996. The work features use of software synthesizers and unusual beats. It is his fourth official full-length album. The album garnered high acclaim from music...
. The other tracks also have their own style, most notably "Flim", an upbeat song similar in mood to the track "Xtal" from Selected Ambient Works 85–92
Selected Ambient Works 85–92
-External links:*...
, possessing a cheerful melody and Aphex Twin's signature complex polyrhythms. The song "Funny Little Man" features, at the end, a PlainTalk
PlainTalk
PlainTalk is the collective name for several speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies developed by Apple Inc.In 1990, Apple invested a lot of work and money in speech recognition technology, hiring many respected researchers in the field. The result was "PlainTalk", released with the...
voice states "I would like, to Fuck you up the bunghole, and when I will sneak into your room, I will cut your cock off, and stuff it in my mouth, and chew it up with my little pearlies." The end of "Come to Daddy (Pappy Mix)" features samples from one of his earliest works, Isoprophlex.
Though Aphex Twin rarely uses vocals in his work, six of Come to Daddy
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
work.
Come to Daddy
Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....
, using James' face on children. James has used his likeness as the artwork on five of his releases: The ...I Care Because You Do
...I Care Because You Do
-Song titles:Several of the song titles are anagrams:* of Aphex Twin: "Wax the nip"* of The Aphex Twin: "The Waxen pith", "Wet tip hen ax", "next heap with"* of Richard David James: "Acrid Avid Jam Shred"* of Caustic Window: "cow cud is a twin"...
and Richard D. James Album albums, the Donkey Rhubarb
Donkey Rhubarb (EP)
Donkey Rhubarb is an EP by electronic-music artist Aphex Twin, released in 1995 by Warp Records. This song was also used as the theme song for MTV UK's Pure Morning programming block....
and Come to Daddy EPs and the Windowlicker
Windowlicker
"Windowlicker" is a song by British electronic music artist Richard D. James , released as a single in 1999 on Warp Records. The single peaked at #16 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his highest-charting song on the chart...
single.
The cover of the out-of-print second CD, with its white lettering against an orange background, makes reference to the fact that "To Cure A Weakling Child" had been used in a television advertisement for Orange
Orange SA
Orange is the brand used by France Télécom for its mobile network operator and Internet service provider subsidiaries. It is the fifth largest telecom operator in the world, with 210 million customers . The brand was created in 1994 for Hutchison Telecom's UK mobile phone network, which was...
. The advertisement used an edit of the album version; a radically different remix appears on the EP.
"Come to Daddy, Pappy Mix" is heard twice in the film 8mm
8mm (film)
8mm is a 1999 mystery/thriller film, directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It stars Nicolas Cage as a private investigator who delves into the world of snuff films.-Plot:...
starring Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
, the music video can be seen in part on a television screen in Dino Velvet's office and the vinyl record can be seen on a turntable
Turntable
A turntable is generally a rotating platform, and may refer to:-Music:* Turntable, a motor-driven platform that normally rotates a gramophone record at a constant rotational velocity as part of a phonograph....
in Machine's room. It is also is heard in the movie CKY
CKY
CKY may refer to:*CKY , a rock band from Pennsylvania; CKY referring to "Camp Kill Yourself".**CKY , a series of videos released by Bam Margera, named after his brother's band...
2K during a skateboarding montage along with camera work that corresponds to the beats of the song. The song is also in the German film Curiosity & the Cat
Curiosity & the Cat
Curiosity & the Cat is a German crime-drama-thriller directed by Christian Alvart starring Konstantin Graudus, Detlef Lutz, Andreas Erfurth and Nadeshda Brennicke.- Plot :...
, the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
driving game Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3 is an arcade-style racing game that was released with the launch of the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005 for the US market and December 2, 2005 in Europe, and was released on January 12, 2006 in Japan. Developed by Bizarre Creations, it is the third installment in the Project...
, and the Playstation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
racing game MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift is a racing video game by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the sequel to MotorStorm and is followed by MotorStorm: Arctic Edge for the PS2/PSP, and MotorStorm: Apocalypse...
.
"Bucephalus Bouncing Ball" was used as the fourth song on the soundtrack to the film. Pi
Music video
The accompanying music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
(released in October 1997) was directed by Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....
and filmed on the same council estate where Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
shot many scenes in A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
. The scene is shot around Tavy Bridge Shopping centre, Thamesmead
Thamesmead
Thamesmead is a district of south-east London, England, located in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley. It is situated east of Charing Cross....
, which was demolished in 2007. Much of the dark underground car parking is now gone. The video opens with an old woman walking a dog in a grimy, industrial setting. The dog urinates on an abandoned television lying on the pavement, causing it to sputter unexpectedly into life. This unleashes an evil spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
, accompanied by a gang of small children, all of whom bear James' grinning face and who appear to inhabit the abandoned buildings. The children go around wreaking havoc, trashing an alley and chasing a man into his car. The demon (played by Al Stokes) emerges from the television, screams in the woman's face, then gathers the children around him. The music video was positioned number 35 in 100 Greatest Scary Moments, as voted by Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
viewers in 2003. The video is included on the Directors Label
Directors Label
Directors Label is a series of DVDs devoted to notable music video directors. First released in 2003 by Palm Pictures, the series was created by Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, and Michel Gondry, the subjects of the first three volumes. Four new volumes were released in 2005, this time featuring...
volume, The Work of Director Chris Cunningham. The video was also named the number one video of the 1990s by Pitchfork. The video features a break that consists of a young girl singing that isn't originally in the song. This sample can also be heard on the first AFX Analogue Bubblebath EP in the track "Isoprophlex" (see above).
Track listing
All tracks written, produced and engineered by Richard D. JamesAphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
.
- "Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]" – 4:22
- "Flim" – 2:57
- "Come to Daddy [Little Lord Faulteroy Mix]" – 3:50
- "Bucephalus Bouncing Ball" – 5:44
- "To Cure A Weakling Child, Contour Regard" – 5:10
- "Funny Little Man" – 3:58
- "Come to Daddy [Mummy Mix]" – 4:24
- "IZ-US" – 2:57
The tracks were originally released on two separate CDs, WAP94CD and WAP94CDR, with the first four tracks on the former and the rest on the latter. These have since been deleted and replaced by one EP containing all eight tracks (WAP94CDX).
Cover/Remix versions
- Come to Daddy has been covered by The Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
on their EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Irony is a Dead SceneIrony Is a Dead Scene-Personnel:The Dillinger Escape Plan* Liam Wilson – bass* Adam Doll – keyboards, sampling* Chris Pennie – drums, keyboards* Ben Weinman – guitar, keyboards* Brian Benoit – guitarGuest musicians* Mike Patton – lead vocals, percussion, samples, keyboards...
featuring Mike PattonMike PattonMichael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
. - The song "Flim" was covered by jazz trio The Bad PlusThe Bad PlusThe Bad Plus are a jazz trio from the United States, consisting of pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King, originating from Minneapolis, MN.-History:...
on their second album These Are The VistasThese Are the VistasThese Are the Vistas was the second studio album released by the jazz trio The Bad Plus, and the band's first album for a major label...
. - The song "Flim" was covered in a scored version by Dutch contemporary music ensemble Lunapark on their first album Flim.
- Belle Orchestre have covered Bucephalus Bouncing Ball live.
- A remix of "Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]", two remixes of "Flim" and two remixes of "Bucephalus Bouncing Ball" were done as part of V/VmV/VmV/Vm is the experimental music and sound collage project of James Leyland Kirby, from Stockport, England. Although starting out mainly in the style of noise music, Kirby is also a composer of original electronic music and remixes. His vast output is released primarily on his own V/Vm Test Records...
's Helpaphextwin series. - The computerized voice at the end of "Funny Little Man" was sampled by PlaceboPlacebo (band)Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
on "Evil Dildo", the secret track on their second LP Without You I'm NothingWithout You I'm Nothing (Placebo album)Without You I'm Nothing is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 1998 via Hut Records. The song "Pure Morning" was the first Placebo single to have moderate success in the United States.- Production :...
. - "Come to Daddy" has been covered by Joystixx on The Tranzmutation of Joystixx Album.
Personnel
- Aphex TwinAphex TwinRichard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
– synthesizer, piano, guitar, bass guitar, production - Chris CunninghamChris CunninghamChris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....
– Images - Stefan de Batselier – PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
36 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
37 |
External links
- Come To Daddy at the Warp Records website
- "Come To Daddy" video analysis
- "Come To Daddy" at the unofficial Chris Cunningham website
- The "Come To Daddy" video