For Elsie (subtitled Intermission Music From The 13th Anniversary Show) is an instrumental suite by The Residents. First featured as pre-recorded intermission music during their 13th Anniversary tour between 1985 and 1987, the suite was commercially released as a single-sided 12" EP in 1987, with an extended CD edition given away to attendees of the Cube NYE show in 1989.
History[]
For Elsie, as its name implies, is based on "Für Elise" by Ludwig van Beethoven, whose opening melody is featured all over the suite. The compossition is divided in 9 different parts, and it appears to have served as a graveyard of sorts for abandoned Residents material from the previous two years.
The incomplete single Santa Dog '84 was used as Part 5. And an aborted cover of "Jingle Bells," recorded during The Big Bubble sessions, was used as Part 3. The suite also features material initially recorded for the abandoned Man album.
Release[]
The first public appearance of For Elsie was as intermission music for The 13th Anniversary Show. It would not get a commercial release until 1987, although in complete form, as an edited nineteen-minute version was sold in a single-sided 12" EP. This was a limited run of only 1000 copies, pressed on marbled green vinyl. Later that same year, Part 4 of the suite appeared as the B-side to the group's single "Hit The Road Jack" under the name "Excerpt from For Elsie".
The full suite would finally be made available during a special New Year's Eve show of Cube-E, named Cube NYE, in December 31st, 1989. To celebrate the dawn of the 90s, attendees were given a "bag of Residents goodies", which included a CD reissue of the suite, with a different cover, featuring 10 minutes of material cut from the earlier release. Only 500 copies of this release were made
Part 4 would be featured once again by itself in the 1997 compilation Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses, renamed as "For Elsie (Excerpt)". The whole suite was included as part of the limited edition instrumental compilation Best Left Unspoken... Volume Three by Ralph America in 2007.
Track listing[]
Original release (1987)[]
- Part 1 (1:04)
- Part 2 (1:19)
- Part 3 (2:31)
- Part 4 (2:08)
- Part 5 (5:05)
- Part 6 (2:13)
- Part 7 (4:20)
CD edition (1989)[]
Liner Notes[]
1989 CD reissue[]
A small present for having paid a large fee to enjoy Cube-E: The history of American music in 3 E-Z Pieces. For Elsie is based on a folk tune that has been ripped off by lots of people, most notably Beethoven. He first introduced "Für Elise" on New Years Eve 1889-1890, exactly 100 years ago tonight. Actually, I just made that up, but it would be wonderful if it were true, wouldn't it?
Best Left Unspoken... Volume Three[]
For Elsie is based on a folk tune that was popularized by Beethoven with his "Für Elise". Why The Residents picked it up is unknown, but they recorded this 30-minute version in 1987. After the first Cube E European tour, the band returned to San Francisco and performed series of shows ending with Cube NYE on New Year's Eve, 1989. Each member of the audience was given a goody bad which included the For Elsie CD. An edited version also appeared on a one-sided LP.
Credits[]
- Written By: The Residents
- Based On "Für Elise" By: Beethoven
- Who Stole It From: Some Folk Song
Release history[]
| Year | Format | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 12" | Edited version |
| 1989 | CD | Extended version. Given away at Cube NYE |
| 2007 | Extended version, part of Best Left Unspoken... Volume Three |
See also[]
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- "Für Elise"
- "Jingle Bell"
- "Santa Dog '84"
- "Hit The Road Jack"
- Best Left Unspoken... Volume Three
External links and references[]
- For Elsie at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
- For Elsie at Discogs