Louder After 6

Two main versions:

* "Throbbing Keyboard Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool 1 (4:42), Ancient Daze (4:21), Ancient Daze CD-R (4:26)

Called "Louder after Six #1" on some versions of Chemical Playschool.

All mixes start with a recording of somebody dialing a telephone, followed by a dial tone. The song begins suddenly. In the middle of the song you can barely hear a recording of the "at the sound of the tone, the time is..." operator, as well as a dial tone, and then somebody attacking their telephone. The Ancient Daze mixes fade out, whereas the Chemical Playschool mix stops suddenly with the sound of a receiver hanging up.

Instruments: Choppy organ chords in a rhythm; obnoxious rhythmic synth which modulates strangely; two vocal tracks.

* "Jolly Version" (1982) - Brighter Now (5:07)

At 2:33 the drums are played backwards for a bar.

Instruments: Single drum machine pattern that occasionally switches to a breakdown; occasional synth effects; another organ providing accents during the middle portion; bass guitar; organ chords and melody; electric guitar; single vocal track that sounds like it's coming through a telephone during one verse; two sped-up vocal tracks near the end.

Sounds a Lot Like:

"The Wrong Impedance," which uses new lyrics with nearly identical backing tracks.

Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):

A click says you're connected and a buzz says that you're heard.
Fingers slide across a panel. They're recording every word.
Try to talk about the weather, don't say anything absurd
'Cause their tapping the phone again... insane!

Invitations from the Kremlin, interference on the line.
Dial a friend to find some comfort; stroke her nicely and she'll tell the time.
And a voice checks in the distance "Christ, it's nearly half past nine!"
Tapping the phone again - what a pain!

Give away a little secret and it ends up in the file
numbered EK5320. In the archives for a while.
They're taking notes, flicking switches, feeding programs, reading dials.
They're tapping the phone again - nice!

And the bill lands on the doormat, calls to Moscow, calls to Mars.
You'd call the cavalry to save you, but you can't afford the charge.
Cut the wires! Axe the pylons! Such fun to sabotage.
Attack your phone again.

Take a cleaver to your receiver. Attack your phone.
Take the pliers to the wires. Attack your phone.
Attack attack attack attack attack

Why you should care:

The "can't afford the charge" line is a terrific pun.