The Moth Confesses
Encyclopedia
The Moth Confesses is the 1969 debut album
by The Neon Philharmonic
. Described as "A Phonograph Opera," it was inspired, according to the liner notes, by a production of Samuel Barber
's Antony and Cleopatra
, which Saussy attended after The New York Times
claimed that it was a terrible opera, and wanted to see what a terrible opera looked like, which he surmised was its deliberate attempt to appeal to a one-time audience. In response, he conceived this album as a condensed opera
, with a moth
-like protagonist
, focused on the "literary theme" of desperation
. Saussy did not imagine it could be staged like Tommy
, but offered it up as a challenge.
"Brilliant Colors" and "Morning, Girl" were both released as singles, while "The New Life Out There" was used to promote the record as a contemporary opera in radio advertisements. "Morning, Girl" hit #17 and was later covered by The Lettermen
, which slowed and made rubato the tempo and was backed mostly by strings. Shaun Cassidy
covered "Morning Girl, Later" with a few tweaked lyrics (omitting the reference to "Catherine" that complicates the song implying that the protagonist now has a wife or daughter) and titled it "Morning, Girl." The songs primarily cover the topic of striking out towards a new life when relationships fail for various reasons.
.
in 1995 with six bonus tracks. The six extra songs are noted to be more straightforward than the original songs found on the original album. The liner notes for this album were written by Andy Zax
, who later compiled and produced Rhino's 2003 Neon Philharmonic
anthology Brilliant Colors: The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings.
)
"The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline" features excerpts from two Johann Sebastian Bach
arioso
s, including a different section of the one quoted in The Beatles
's "Hey Jude
", while "Little Sparrow" is actually about Mickey Newbury
's stay in Saussy's family's guest room.
"Morning Girl" was so popular at the time that the reference to Cheerios
sparked interest from General Mills
to arrange the song for Bobby Bloom
as part of a promotion for a premium for a doll called Beautiful Dawn.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by The Neon Philharmonic
The Neon Philharmonic
The Neon Philharmonic was an American psychedelic pop band led by songwriter and conductor Tupper Saussy and singer Don Gant. They released their only two albums in 1969, and they scored a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Morning Girl", when it hit the Top Forty in May of that...
. Described as "A Phonograph Opera," it was inspired, according to the liner notes, by a production of Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber
Samuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
's Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra (opera)
Antony and Cleopatra is an opera in three acts by American composer Samuel Barber. The libretto was prepared by Franco Zeffirelli based on the play Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare...
, which Saussy attended after The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
claimed that it was a terrible opera, and wanted to see what a terrible opera looked like, which he surmised was its deliberate attempt to appeal to a one-time audience. In response, he conceived this album as a condensed opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, with a moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
-like protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, focused on the "literary theme" of desperation
Desperation
Desperation is a horror novel by Stephen King. It was published in 1996 at the same time as its "mirror" novel, The Regulators. It was made into a TV film starring Ron Perlman, Tom Skeritt, and Steven Weber in 2006....
. Saussy did not imagine it could be staged like Tommy
Tommy (rock opera)
Tommy is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records/MCA in the United States. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was...
, but offered it up as a challenge.
"Brilliant Colors" and "Morning, Girl" were both released as singles, while "The New Life Out There" was used to promote the record as a contemporary opera in radio advertisements. "Morning, Girl" hit #17 and was later covered by The Lettermen
The Lettermen
The Lettermen are an American male pop music vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959...
, which slowed and made rubato the tempo and was backed mostly by strings. Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy...
covered "Morning Girl, Later" with a few tweaked lyrics (omitting the reference to "Catherine" that complicates the song implying that the protagonist now has a wife or daughter) and titled it "Morning, Girl." The songs primarily cover the topic of striking out towards a new life when relationships fail for various reasons.
Track listing
All songs written by Tupper SaussyTupper Saussy
Frederick Tupper Saussy III was an American composer, musician, author, and artist. He was born in Statesboro, Georgia; grew up in Tampa, Florida; and graduated from the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1958. His jazz combo there put out a university-subsidized album, Jazz at...
.
- "Brilliant Colors" – 4:18
- "Cowboy" – 2:18
- "The New Life Out There" – 5:32
- "Morning Girl" – 2:12
- "Midsummer Night" – 5:44
- "Little Sparrow" – 3:16
- "The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline" – 3:42
- "Morning Girl, Later" – 2:31
1995 reissue
The album was reissued by Sundazed RecordsSundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
in 1995 with six bonus tracks. The six extra songs are noted to be more straightforward than the original songs found on the original album. The liner notes for this album were written by Andy Zax
Andy Zax
Andy Zax is a music historian and producer of CD boxed sets and reissues by Talking Heads, Rod Stewart, Echo & the Bunnymen, Television, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Judee Sill, John Cale, Nico, The Neon Philharmonic, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, The Sisters of Mercy,...
, who later compiled and produced Rhino's 2003 Neon Philharmonic
The Neon Philharmonic
The Neon Philharmonic was an American psychedelic pop band led by songwriter and conductor Tupper Saussy and singer Don Gant. They released their only two albums in 1969, and they scored a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Morning Girl", when it hit the Top Forty in May of that...
anthology Brilliant Colors: The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings.
Bonus tracks
(All songs written by Tupper SaussyTupper Saussy
Frederick Tupper Saussy III was an American composer, musician, author, and artist. He was born in Statesboro, Georgia; grew up in Tampa, Florida; and graduated from the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1958. His jazz combo there put out a university-subsidized album, Jazz at...
)
- "Heighdy-Ho Princess" – 3:23
- "Don't Know My Way Around My Soul" – 2:57
- "Flowers for Your Pillow" – 2:17
- "Clouds" – 2:39
- "Snow" – 3:21
- "To Be Continued" – 2:26
2003 reissue
The album was reissued again in 2003 on Brilliant Colors: The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings (Rhino Records in collaboration with Warner Brothers/Seven Arts) in which it is the first eight tracks of Disc 1. The remainder of disc one is The Neon Philharmonic, while the bonus tracks that appear on the Sundazed edition are moved to the second disc with more songs as well as mono single versions of songs from the albums. The album cover is reproduced in CD size with the original liner notes provided in larger print in the booklet."The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline" features excerpts from two Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
arioso
Arioso
In classical music, arioso is a style of solo opera singing between recitative and aria. Literally, arioso means airy. The term arose in the 16th century along with the aforementioned styles and monody. It is commonly confused with recitativo accompagnato....
s, including a different section of the one quoted in The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
's "Hey Jude
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
", while "Little Sparrow" is actually about Mickey Newbury
Mickey Newbury
Mickey Newbury was an American songwriter, a critically acclaimed recording artist, and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
's stay in Saussy's family's guest room.
The Band
- Kenneth A. Buttrey - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Jerry Carrigan - Drums
- Don GantDon GantDonald W. Gant was an American singer, songwriter and record producer.With Tupper Saussy, in the late 1960s he formed "The Neon Philharmonic." Singing vocals, with Saussy on the keyboards, they recorded five singles and two albums for Warner Bros. Records between 1969 and 1971...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Dennis Good - TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, Brass - Rufus Long - FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, PiccoloPiccoloThe piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
, Wind - Pierre Menard - StringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, Concert Master - Norbert Putnam - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Rhythm - Tupper SaussyTupper SaussyFrederick Tupper Saussy III was an American composer, musician, author, and artist. He was born in Statesboro, Georgia; grew up in Tampa, Florida; and graduated from the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1958. His jazz combo there put out a university-subsidized album, Jazz at...
- Conductor, PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, HarpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Don Sheffield - TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, Brass - Chuck Wyatt - Flute, Piccolo, Wind
- Chip Young - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Rhythm
Additional musicians
- Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- Rhythm - George Tidwell - Trumpet, Brass
- Norris Wilson - Rhythm
Technical Staff
- Chris Athens - Mastering
- Don Gant - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineer - Ronald Gant - engineer
- Bob Irwin - Mastering, Compilation Producer
- Bob McCluskey - producer
- Tupper Saussy - arranger, producer
- Glenn Snoddy - Engineer
Charts
USA - Singles| Year | Chart | Song | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Pop Singles | "Morning Girl" | #17 |
"Morning Girl" was so popular at the time that the reference to Cheerios
Cheerios
Cheerios is a brand of breakfast cereal by General Mills introduced on May 1, 1941 as the first oat-based, ready-to-eat cold cereal. Originally named CheeriOats, the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945 because of a trade name dispute with Quaker Oats. The name fit the "O" shape of the cereal pieces...
sparked interest from General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
to arrange the song for Bobby Bloom
Bobby Bloom
Robert "Bobby" Bloom was an American singer-songwriter. He is known best for being a one-hit wonder with the 1970 song, "Montego Bay," which was co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry.-Biography:...
as part of a promotion for a premium for a doll called Beautiful Dawn.
External links
- [ The Neon Philiharmonic] at Allmusic