Babylon (Faster Pussycat song)

“Babylon”, written by Tamie Down and Greg Still, is the most unusual song from the album and is a frivolous Beastie Boys -style song with abundant use of samples of the word “Pussycat” spoken by Down and shouted out by the rest of the band “Shut up”. The first verse mentions the British pop duo Wham! ("And tourist started screamin '" Hey, ain't you that guy in Wham? ""), At the time of the release of the album it had already broken up.

Scratching on the song was performed by Ricky Rachtman, who, together with Down, owns the Cathouse club, and in the future became the VJ of the Headbangers Ball program. As a guest guitarist Mitch Perry took part. ^[2] Although the video wasn’t made on Babylon, it is one of the band’s favorite songs and has performed twice: as part of the Live and Rare mini-album (1990) and the Front Row for the Donkey Show live album (2009).

The song “Smash Alley”, written by Down and Muscat, tells about the lives of teenagers on the streets of Los Angeles and their dangers. A new version of Smash Alley was released on the 2001 remix album Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy .

The cover of the single was painted by artist Mick Wilmot, who in the future created the cover of the album Acid Eaters of the punk band Ramones . The cover shows a cat in a cap with the phrase “Shut up” scribbled on it, a twisting (scratching) record on which three mice, dressed in the style of the rap group Beastie Boys, are trying to hold on. In the background are Hollywood hills with the Babylon sign stylized as the Hollywood Sign .

List of Songs

7 ": Elektra - 7-69413

1. Babylon - 3:14
2. Smash Alley - 3:28

Record Members

• Tamie Down - vocals
• Greg Steel - guitar , backing vocals
• Bret Muscat - guitar, backing vocals
• Eric Stacy - bass , backing vocals
• Mark Michaels - drums

Additional musicians

• Ricky Rachtman - Scratching at Babylon ^[2]
• Mitch Perry - Guitar on Babylon

In 1998, the Swedish glam punk band Backyard Babies recorded a cover version of the song for the back of their single “ (Is It) Still Alright to Smile? " ^[3] . The recordings of “Babylon” were attended by the vocalist / guitarist of the British band The Wildhearts Ginger, who played the guitar and performed backing vocals, as well as DJ Champain who performed the scratching.

In 1999, "Babylon" was released as an independent single. The Swedish version was published on 12 ”vinyl with a print run of 1,000 copies and included the bi-sided“ Babylon (Idiot fo 'Life Remix) ”by DJ Champain and Yod, as well as a poster. ^[4] In March 1999, the British version of the single was released, which was released on seven-inch vinyl in a thousand copies and sold during the British Spring Backyard Babies tour. ^[5] The song “Stars” became her bi-side to her. The song “Stars” refers to punk musicians who influenced Backyard Babies. Among them are Iggy Pop , Johnny Thunders ( New York Dolls ), Sid Vicious ( Sex Pistols ), as well as unflattering songs about Guns N 'Roses vocalist Axl Rose ("I do like flowers but I don't like Mr. Rose / If Mr . Rose was a flower I'd put a bullet up his nose ").

“Babylon” was included in the 1998 mini-album Safety Pin & Leopoard Skin , and in 2001, along with the concert version of “Stars”, in the Independent Days collection, consisting of material from 1997-1998. Also, along with both b-sides, she entered the boxing set of 2009 Them XX , containing various rare recordings of the group.

List of Songs

7 ": Coalition Recordings - COLA 073, MVG Records - COLA 073

1. Babylon - 3:00
2. Stars - 2:21

12 ": Pastor BYBS-1

1. Babylon - 3:00
2. “Babylon (Idiot fo 'Life Remix)” - 3:18

• Nike Borg - vocals , rhythm guitar
• Dregen - lead guitar , backing vocals
• Johan Blomqvist - bass
• Peder Karlsson - drums , backing vocals

Guest musicians

• Ginger - vocals, guitar on Babylon
• DJ Champain - scratch on Babylon