Art Bears were an avant-garde rock group from the United Kingdom formed dur… Read Full Bio ↴Art Bears were an avant-garde rock group from the United Kingdom formed during the disassembly of Henry Cow in 1978 by three of its members, Fred Frith on guitar, bass, violin, and keyboards, Chris Cutler on percussion, electronics, and lyrics, and Dagmar Krause on vocals. The group released three studio albums between 1978 and 1981, and toured Europe in 1979. After their third album in 1981, they disbanded, although Cutler and Frith continue to play concerts together as a duo.
The Art Bears' music was often deeply political in content, reflecting the bands' socialist leanings, and frequently experimental. Art Bears were more "song oriented" than Henry Cow, although much of the material that comprised their debut album release was actually written with the intention of being performed by Henry Cow.
Art Bears were formed during the recording of Henry Cow's last album after disagreements arose over the album's content. Frith and Cutler favoured song-oriented material, while others in the band wanted instrumental compositions. As a compromise, Frith, Cutler and Krause agreed, early in 1978, to release the songs already created on their own album, Hopes and Fears, under the name Art Bears, with the rest of Henry Cow credited as guests. The instrumental material appeared later on the final Henry Cow album, Western Culture (1979).
Hopes and Fears (1978) thus consisted of Henry Cow songs plus new Art Bears material recorded later by Frith, Cutler and Krause to complete the album. Towards the end of 1978, Art Bears returned to the studio to record their first "true" album, Winter Songs (1979). It comprised fourteen short songs composed by Frith around texts by Cutler that were based on carvings on the stylobate of the Amiens Cathedral in France.
In December 1978, Art Bears joined Rock in Opposition (RIO), and toured Europe in April and May 1979. For the tour, they added Peter Blegvad (ex-Slapp Happy, guitar, bass guitar, voice) and Marc Hollander (Aksak Maboul, keyboards, clarinet) to their line-up, and rehearsed at the Cold Storage Recording Studios in Brixton, London before leaving for Italy in late April. They performed in Italy, France, Belgium and Czechoslovakia, including an RIO festival on the 1st of May in Milan. Some of the songs recorded during the tour were later added to the album release of Hopes and Fears and The Art Box (2003), a box set of Art Bears material.
The band returned to the studio in 1980 to make one final album, The World as It Is Today (1981), before splitting up. In October 1983 Frith, Cutler and Krause reunited again, this time with Heiner Goebbels and Alfred Harth from Cassiber, Tom Cora and from Skeleton Crew, and George Lewis from the ICP Orchestra under the name "Duck and Cover". The ensemble was initially commissioned for the 1983 Moers Festival at the request of festival director Burkhard Hennen to Alfred Harth, but the group only materialised later that year after another commission by the Berlin Jazz Festival. "Duck and Cover" performed a 40-minute musical piece entitled "Berlin Programme" at the Berlin Jazz Festival in October 1983 in West Berlin, and again at the Festival des Politischen Liedes (Festival of Political Song) in East Berlin in February 1984. The second performance was recorded by Rundfunk der DDR (East German Radio) and broadcast nationally. An edited version of the broadcast was released in September 1985 on one side of the "RÄ Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.2" LP record. In 1993 Frith, Cutler and Krause worked together again on a song project, "Domestic Stories" (1993) by Chris Cutler and Lutz Glandien, with saxophonist Alfred Harth. While similar to Art Bears, the addition of Glandien's electronic music made "Domestic Stories" a distinctly different album.
An Art Bears "review" took place in May 2008 at the world premiere of the Art Bears Songbook at the 25th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada. It was performed by Cutler (drums), Frith (guitar, bass guitar, violin, piano), Jewlia Eisenberg (voice), Carla Kihlstedt (violin, voice), Zeena Parkins (keyboards, accordion), Kristin Slipp (voice) and The Norman Conquest (sound manipulation). Krause had been unable to participate and Frith and Cutler decided to rework the trio's repertoire for an expanded group, with the voices of Eisenberg, Slipp and Kihlstedt replacing Krause's "eccentric and idiomatic delivery". The project was so-named because Frith and Cutler did not want it to be seen as an Art Bears reunion. According to All About Jazz the Art Bears Songbook was "not just a highlight, but the highlight of the [five day] festival."
The Art Bears' music was often deeply political in content, reflecting the bands' socialist leanings, and frequently experimental. Art Bears were more "song oriented" than Henry Cow, although much of the material that comprised their debut album release was actually written with the intention of being performed by Henry Cow.
Art Bears were formed during the recording of Henry Cow's last album after disagreements arose over the album's content. Frith and Cutler favoured song-oriented material, while others in the band wanted instrumental compositions. As a compromise, Frith, Cutler and Krause agreed, early in 1978, to release the songs already created on their own album, Hopes and Fears, under the name Art Bears, with the rest of Henry Cow credited as guests. The instrumental material appeared later on the final Henry Cow album, Western Culture (1979).
Hopes and Fears (1978) thus consisted of Henry Cow songs plus new Art Bears material recorded later by Frith, Cutler and Krause to complete the album. Towards the end of 1978, Art Bears returned to the studio to record their first "true" album, Winter Songs (1979). It comprised fourteen short songs composed by Frith around texts by Cutler that were based on carvings on the stylobate of the Amiens Cathedral in France.
In December 1978, Art Bears joined Rock in Opposition (RIO), and toured Europe in April and May 1979. For the tour, they added Peter Blegvad (ex-Slapp Happy, guitar, bass guitar, voice) and Marc Hollander (Aksak Maboul, keyboards, clarinet) to their line-up, and rehearsed at the Cold Storage Recording Studios in Brixton, London before leaving for Italy in late April. They performed in Italy, France, Belgium and Czechoslovakia, including an RIO festival on the 1st of May in Milan. Some of the songs recorded during the tour were later added to the album release of Hopes and Fears and The Art Box (2003), a box set of Art Bears material.
The band returned to the studio in 1980 to make one final album, The World as It Is Today (1981), before splitting up. In October 1983 Frith, Cutler and Krause reunited again, this time with Heiner Goebbels and Alfred Harth from Cassiber, Tom Cora and from Skeleton Crew, and George Lewis from the ICP Orchestra under the name "Duck and Cover". The ensemble was initially commissioned for the 1983 Moers Festival at the request of festival director Burkhard Hennen to Alfred Harth, but the group only materialised later that year after another commission by the Berlin Jazz Festival. "Duck and Cover" performed a 40-minute musical piece entitled "Berlin Programme" at the Berlin Jazz Festival in October 1983 in West Berlin, and again at the Festival des Politischen Liedes (Festival of Political Song) in East Berlin in February 1984. The second performance was recorded by Rundfunk der DDR (East German Radio) and broadcast nationally. An edited version of the broadcast was released in September 1985 on one side of the "RÄ Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.2" LP record. In 1993 Frith, Cutler and Krause worked together again on a song project, "Domestic Stories" (1993) by Chris Cutler and Lutz Glandien, with saxophonist Alfred Harth. While similar to Art Bears, the addition of Glandien's electronic music made "Domestic Stories" a distinctly different album.
An Art Bears "review" took place in May 2008 at the world premiere of the Art Bears Songbook at the 25th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada. It was performed by Cutler (drums), Frith (guitar, bass guitar, violin, piano), Jewlia Eisenberg (voice), Carla Kihlstedt (violin, voice), Zeena Parkins (keyboards, accordion), Kristin Slipp (voice) and The Norman Conquest (sound manipulation). Krause had been unable to participate and Frith and Cutler decided to rework the trio's repertoire for an expanded group, with the voices of Eisenberg, Slipp and Kihlstedt replacing Krause's "eccentric and idiomatic delivery". The project was so-named because Frith and Cutler did not want it to be seen as an Art Bears reunion. According to All About Jazz the Art Bears Songbook was "not just a highlight, but the highlight of the [five day] festival."
The Riddle
Art Bears Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'The Riddle' by these artists:
(80-90Šµ) Gigi D'Agostino I got plans for us Nights in the scullery And…
Angels and Demons Ik laat je niet gaan Als ik terug denk naar de…
Ascence I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to carry on …
Audiosmog I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to carry o…
B.O.O.N. Ancient, carven halls of stone Madness waits within their va…
Buried Dreams Those eyes, like pits of damnation. Like orbs of black…
C%C3%A9cile Corbel I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to carry on…
CĆ©cile Corbel I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to carry o…
Chaos Before Gea When I opened my eyes I felt that I was awoken From…
Delta Goodrem Day turns to night Then night turns to day In the blink…
Dj Tricky near a tree by a river there's a hole in…
D\'AGOSTINO GIGI I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon With time…
Esoterica My name has two meanings ones literal ones not, you hear m…
Fainal & Sara Tunes Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
Fainal & Saratunes vs. Gigi D'Agostino I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to…
Feral-Fox Riddle me riddle that (Huh uh) That's cap, uh huh Put me…
Five for Fighting There was a man back in '95 Whose heart ran out…
Freddy Fader Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
Gigi DĀ“ Agostino I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to…
Gigi Argentino Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
Gigi d'Agostino I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to…
Gigi D'agostino (Prezioso & Marvin remix) I got plans for us Nights in the scullery And…
Gigi D'Agostino (Prezioso ft.Marvin) Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
Gigi D'Agostino - The Essential Gigi D'Agostino I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to…
Gigi Dagostino I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon With time…
Gigi DŅAgostino I got plans for us Nights in the scullery And…
Gigi DāAgostino I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to…
Giorgio Prezioso & Marvin Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
GROMS Now we look like in a mirror, in a riddle Then…
Imaginary Family The riddle was impossible to solve I read it over and…
Induction Seems like the rain hates my guts This ain't goodbye There's…
Jacco Gardner Everyday he can hold it by working someplace hoping for a…
Joan Baez & Pete Seeger I gave my love a cherry that has no stone I…
Kershaw Nik I got two strong arms Blessings of babylon Time to carry on…
Lovehammers I might be lost in my hands heartbroken But my aim…
Lovehammers/Marty Casey I might be lost in my hands heartbroken But my aim…
Marc Korn I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to…
Marco Van Bassken I got two strong arms blessings of babylon with time to ca…
Marty Casey I might be lost in my hands heartbroken But my aim…
Marvin Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
N.Kershaw I got two strong arms Blessings of babylon Time to carry on…
Necromancia Paranoia possessing my thoughts Try to piece together the j…
Nik Kershaw I got two strong arms Blessings of babylon Time to carry on…
O.B.C. Hear a snap in the woods cut your night Feel your…
Ollie & Jerry We could have That restaurant on the corner Your indecisive …
Opus It's a riddle, this world it's a mess It's a riddle,…
Paul Tell me why, tell me why Wonder if I could…
Paul & Luke Holy, holy, holy God above Something must has happened to yo…
Prezioso Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
Prezioso Feat. Marvin Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
Prezioso/Marvin Near a tree by a river There's a hole in the…
Roger Miller He's the riddle what has two eyes that cry constantly For…
Sam Feldt LateShift Down in Down in riddle of love Down in Oh, like a riddle Dow…
Silly Boy Blue Looking behind, searching the feels It shouldāve hurt but I …
Starranko Ay Ay Ok Forwards backwards Inwards outwards Yo we off to j…
Steve Vai So let's make love... Let's make love again... Is that a p…
Terry Mann See the moon slink down in the sky, darling Let your…
The Psychedelic Ensemble Here in the night I am searching my song How…
The Riddle Ladies and babies Welcome to the freak show Oh Riddles, read…
Thunderstone I got to strong arms Blessings of Babylon With time to car…
Top 100 Trance and Techno/Gigi D'agostino I got two strong arms Blessings of Babylon Time to…
Vai Steve There is nothing that could Never be misunderstood. So let'…
XD I got two strong arms blessings of Babylon With time to…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Art Bears:
3 Wheels The double wheel Of the sun Rolls in the sky Out step t…
All Hail! Like a waterfall Descending From a cloud A stream of fire…
Civilisation Night came down like a curtain ā stuck with stars A-midstr…
Collapse Stone blocks spin Earth turns It whirls, it Hurls these m…
Democracy I saw a lion and a snake Each killed the other. From…
Dividing Line Over thee high rise Great shadow falls In yellow streets Eac…
First Things First Two dead trees Strain to each pole Alone Divided ever Un…
Force The Dead Tower Cracked Like Phanes' Egg Where She Haule…
Freedom After this I saw multitudes Forced from the land, Cleared …
Gold I was born in the Earth Out of fire and flood Owned…
In Two Minds She sits up all night, every night Down in the kitchen,…
Joan Was I a witch? In the dark days I heard voices Emptied…
Labyrinth Money bought me, Lusts made my labour, Greed sustained me,…
Law I saw our masters Sat to dine, Bloated on liberty, Yours …
Man and Boy The boy is chopping down The twisted tree The man feeds …
Maze All in a maze Dancing our dream days away Misled by coinci…
On Suicide In such a country and at such a time, There should…
Peace An angel, leashed Was loosed, and chaos Reigned, In Engla…
Piers When I lay on Malvern hills To sleep, I dreamed of you,…
Riddle I turn in gravity upon a law. I swallow stars, a…
The Bath of Stars He steps from a crucible Held by an angel The angel is…
The Dance I trod the mazes in my prime I learned the dance. I…
The Dividing Line Over thee high rise Great shadow falls In yellow streets Eac…
The Hermit The hermit sits Before the fire And toasts a fish Upon a …
The Skeleton He danced off his clothes In the grip of a demon He…
The Slave Once as the sun was setting A slave came to the…
The Song of Investment Capital Overseas Out of town, my work takes me Out of town, I empty…
The Song of the Dignity of Labour Under Capital As I stood at my Bench And the job hurried By- While my …
The Song of the Martyrs All our lives, all of us Whose bones you have Climbed on …
The Song of the Monopolists Keep calm! The small. ones will go down, The air will clea…
The Summer Wheel The midsummer fire was made by the Friction Of a wheel sp…
The Tube Lines flicker, pictures vanish. On the street a window open…
The Winter Wheel A fence leans In the driving Snow Upon a Wheel a Cock…
Truth Then I went walking And I saw Long queues ā But little F…
Winter/War Where time has stood I passed And glanced aside I saw t…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Cristaux Feur
top tier track, deliciously over-the-top, shame it has so few views
I TURN IN GRAVITY UPON A LAW