"Perfect Love" is the second track on The Residents' Commercial Album, released by Ralph Records on October 29th 1980. Like all songs on the album, it is one minute long.
It was one of four songs from the album selected for inclusion in the short film One Minute Movies; it was re-recorded by The Residents for the soundtrack of their 2001 video retrospective Icky Flix, in a new arrangement which was performed live on the corresponding tour.
History[]
"Perfect Love" was first released on The Residents' Commercial Album, on October 29th 1980. It was one of four songs from the album selected by The Residents to feature in the promotional film One Minute Movies", which premiered later in the year.
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 1992, the song's lyrics were used as the basis for the outro to the song "Perfect Goat" on the album Our Finest Flowers; the group's 20th Anniversary project, the album comprises a selection of "new" songs which were composed using elements of other songs from The Residents' catalog.
In 2001, "Perfect Love" (along with the other three One Minute Movies songs) was re-recorded by The Residents for their DVD video retrospective Icky Flix. This arrangement of the song was also performed live by the group on the subsequent Icky Flix tour in the same year.
In 2008 artist "Information Society" sampled this song for their track "Say It, Say It".[1]
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 videos[]
The original One Minute Movies clip, directed by The Residents themselves, features an old man (Bill Owens) lying on a bed, watching a film on a television set. The film is interrupted by four eyeball-headed hand puppets, singing the lyrics of the song. The man is blown off his mattress onto his wall, where he lies flat with his arm obscured by a portrait of a woman. The final shot is of the man sitting on the wall, holding the painting and looking at it sadly.
In 2004, a second music video for the song was produced by John Payson for inclusion in the Commercial DVD. This music video features an animated heart with legs and pubic hair, who is shown walking through a city and then menstruating onto a wall.
Lyrics[]
There's something I must tell you There's something I must say The only really perfect love Is one that gets away[2]
Radio ad announcer[]
It's time for the world premiere of The Resident's commercial album. This is cut number two: “Perfect love”. 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.
List of releases[]
- Commercial Album (1980) [Version 1]
- Ralph Video Volume I (1983) [Version 1]
- Video Voodoo Volume I (1987) [Version 1]
- Twenty Twisted Questions (1992) [Version 1]
- Our Finest Flowers (1992) [Version 2]
- In Memoriam Torso (1994) [Version 1]
- Louisiana's Lick (1995) [Version 2]
- Icky Flix DVD (2001) [Version 1][Version 3]
- Live! ...On The Outskirts (2002) [Version 4]
- Kettles Of Fish On The Outskirts Of Town (2003) [Version 4]
- Commercial DVD (2004) [Version 1]
- Icky Flix Live DVD (2009) [Version 4]
- Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents (2016) [Version 1]
- 80 Aching Orphans (2017) [Version 1]
- Loss of the Lizard Lady (2018) [Version 4]
- Commercial Album pREServed CD edition (2019) [Version 1][Version 3]
- Icky Flix - The Original Soundtrack Recording (2020) [Version 3]
- Commercial Album Radio Ads (2024) [Version 5]
List of versions[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Grove Street studio recording, September 1979 - July 1980 (1:00)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Studio recording, December 1990 - September 1992 ("Perfect Goat", 2:49)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Studio recording, August 1998 - August 2000 ("One Minute Movies", 1:07)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Icky Flix live recording, February - October 2001 ("One Minute Movies")
- ↑ Radio ad (1:00)
See also[]
- Commercial Album
- One Minute Movies
- Commercial DVD
- Icky Flix
- "Perfect Goat"
Buy Or Die![]
Listen online[]
External links and references[]
- Commercial Album at The Residents Historical
- Commercial Album at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
- Commercial Album on Discogs
