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"Amber" is the fifth track from The Residents' Commercial Album, released by Ralph Records on October 29th, 1980. It features vocals from Helen Hall (aka "Mud's Sis"), then-wife of The Residents' producer and co-composer Hardy Fox.
History[]
As with the other 39 tracks on The Residents' Commercial Album, "Amber" was written to be one minute long, resembling a bizarre radio ad or one-third of a 3-minute pop song. "Amber" was prominently featured in the album's promotion; it was included on both the Buy Or Die 1980½ sampler EP and the Commercial Single.
The song features a guest appearance from Nessie Lessons, aka Helen Hall (then-wife of The Residents' producer, co-composer and arranger Hardy Fox), who has historically been credited as "Mud's Sis" for her appearances on the Commercial Album.
The song's first verse is sung by Hall from the perspective of an unnamed woman who views life as "a whirlpool, and it's calling out my name". The following two verses, sung by The Singing Resident, describe the amber color of the autumn leaves and the woman's skin as "the whirlpool pulled her in".
In 1982 a documentary was made to archive the work of early residents friend "Maurice Bejart". A portion of this was featured as a easter egg in Icky Flix but the full version includes a choregraphed rehearsal to this song. It is never known if this ballet was performed live but the whole version can be viewed on Youtube.
In 2020, The Cryptic Corporation asked The Residents to curate a list of their favorite songs from their own back catalog for a Spotify playlist of their own music titled "Residents' Personal Favorites"; this song was one of forty selected by the group.
Later versions[]
Between 1985 and 1987, The Residents performed "Amber" on their 13th Anniversary tour with Snakefinger. This version almost doubles the length of the original by adding an extended outro that features a reprise of the opening lyrics to "Easter Woman" - performed earlier in the medley. In 1992, The Residents recorded "Six Amber Things" - a sort of follow-up to the song combining the lyrics with "Six Things to a Cycle."
In 2005, The Residents performed the track for the first time in 18 years, with Molly Harvey taking the second and third verses - a gender reversal of the original. Unlike many other live arrangements of Commercial Album songs, this version lasts only a minute, staying true to the original structure.
Cover versions of the song have been featured on the official Klanggalerie released tribute albums The 180 Gs' Commercial Album and Alieno de Bootes' Unconventional Residents II. Popular 1990s indie rock act Dump released a cover of the song in 2019.
In 2024 psychofon records released an accompanying CD to the brand new Commercial Book. This CD contains the original radio ads played shortly before the albums released marking the world premiere of the songs. Every song was featured from this album including this one.
Music video[]
Still from "Amber" video by Doug Carney, Commercial DVD, 2004
In 2004, animator Doug Carney created a video for "Amber", featured on The Residents' Commercial DVD. Carney's video depicts a shirtless man dancing in a wasteland; he narrowly avoids death by hazardous rocks, but remains optimistic and continues to dance.
Lyrics[]
Commercial Album (1980)[]
Life is just a situation Life is just a game Life is just a whirlpool And it's calling out my name
Amber were the autumn leaves And amber was her skin Amber was the evening When the whirlpool pulled her in
It was irresistible Was what she used to say Like the sound of running horses Early in the day.[1]
The 13th Anniversary Show (1985-1987)[]
Life is just a situation Life is just a game Life is just a whirlpool And it's calling out her name
Amber were the autumn leaves And amber was her skin Amber was the evening When the whirlpool pulled her in
It was irresistible Was what she used to say Like the sound of running horses Early in the day.
Down Feeling down I'm down Way down
Radio ad announcer[]
It's time for the world premiere of the resident's commercial album. This is cut number five: “Amber”. You've just heard a snatch from one of the 40 strange tunes found on the resident's commercial album. The Residents are on Ralph records. Demand it! At your local record store.
Credits[]
- Mud's Sis (aka Helen Hall)
- The Residents
List of releases[]
- Commercial Album (1980) [Version 1]
- Commercial Single (1980) [Version 1]
- Heaven? (1986) [Version 1]
- 13th Anniversary Show - Live In Japan (1986) [Version 2]
- Live In The USA! 13th Anniversary Tour (1986) [Version 3]
- In Memoriam Torso (1994) [Version 1]
- UWEB Box Set (1995) [Version 3]
- Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses (1997) [Version 1]
- Commercial DVD (2004) [Version 1]
- The Way We Were (2005) [Version 4]
- 13th Anniversary Show - Ritz NY - Jan 16, 1986 (2010) [Version 5]
- 13th Anniversary Show - Cleveland (2014) [Version 6]
- 80 Aching Orphans (2017) [Version 1]
- Loss Of The Lizard Lady (2018) [Version 4]
- Commercial Album pREServed (2019) [Version 1] [Version 3] [Version 4]
- Commercial Album Radio Ads (2024) [Version 7]
List of versions[]
See also[]
- Nessie Lessons
- "Six Amber Things"
- The 13th Anniversary Show
- The Way We Were
External links and references[]
- Commercial Album at The Residents Historical
- Commercial Album at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
- Commercial DVD at The Residents Historical
