Naked City was an avant-garde music group from New York City, New York, Uni… Read Full Bio ↴Naked City was an avant-garde music group from New York City, New York, United States led by saxophonist and composer John Zorn, performed from 1988 to 1993. The ensemble was notable for remaining unconfined to any musical category, juxtaposing unrelated styles of music often within individual compositions at breakneck speed. Its music incorporated recognizable elements of jazz, grindcore, surf, classical, thrash, country music, punk rock and other genres. Carl Stalling has been cited as an influence on Zorn and the work of Naked City.

An embryonic version of Naked City appeared on Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary (1990). Zorn was joined by singer Yamatsuka Eye, guitarist Robert Quine, bass guitarist Bill Laswell and drummer Ted Epstein, for a spastic, caterwauling version of The Stooges' "T.V. Eye".

In Naked City's characteristic early style, songs were often performed at astonishingly fast tempos, drawing heavily on thrash metal and hardcore punk's emphasis on extreme speed. Many songs were quite brief, and typically switched musical genres every few measures, perhaps comparable to spinning a radio dial at random and hearing the same band performing on every station. One critic described Naked City's music as "jump-cutting micro-collages of hardcore, country, sleazy jazz, covers of John Barry and Ornette Coleman, brief abstract tussles — a whole city crammed into two or three minute bursts." This fast-change tendency was inspired in part by Carl Stalling — a Zorn favorite — who wrote music for many Warner Brothers cartoons (featuring Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and others); music that featured frequent shifts in tempo, theme and style.

Naked City's eponymous first album was distributed by Elektra Nonesuch and featured a famous Weegee photograph (taken 1943) of a dead gangster on its cover along with macabre illustrations by Maruo Suehiro. There was disagreement between Zorn and the label over cover art on subsequent albums. Zorn wanted to use explicit S&M pictures, images from 19th century medical archives, and execution photographs, most notoriously of a Leng Tch'e victim; Elektra Nonesuch refused. Zorn ended his relationship with Elektra, releasing subsequent Naked City albums on Shimmy Disc and his own Avant and Tzadik labels.

Naked City varied their stylistic approach on later releases. The cover repertoire was expanded to include pieces from various modern classical composers such as Alexander Scriabin, Claude Debussy, Charles Ives and Olivier Messiaen, whose works are featured on the album Grand Guignol. The album Leng T'che featured a single piece, over 31 minutes in length, of gruelingly slow heavy metal. Torture Garden was made up of several "hardcore miniatures," and Absinthe was ambient and noise textures.

Naked City found perhaps their greatest following among the fans of the many death metal, metal and grindcore bands with which they performed, such as Blind Idiot God, Napalm Death, Carcass and Live Skull. The appearance of "Osaka Bondage" - taken from the album Torture Garden - on the Earache sampler Grindcrusher 2: The Ultimate Earache helped this to some extent.

Zorn discontinued Naked City after Absinthe in 1993 when he felt "... the need to write music for other ensembles, in other contexts, with new ideas." A brief reunion occurred in 2003 for a few shows at European jazz festivals.

The original lineup:

John Zorn - saxophone, vocals, composer;
Bill Frisell - guitar;
Wayne Horvitz - synthesizer, piano;
Fred Frith - bass guitar;
Joey Baron - drums.

Additional members:

Yamataka Eye - vocals (early years);
Mike Patton - vocals (mostly for live shows).

Whiplash
Naked City Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Whiplash' by these artists:

2.06 I got a whiplash I'm trying to break ice I'm popping bottle…
7xvn I do hate you they said i'd never break through Glock…
Alexa Cappelli Disclaimer, I don't want nothing serious Until I do like whe…
Beanbag Jesus will never let you go Jesus will never let you…
Billy Milano Late at night all systems go You have come to see…
Black Math 5 4 3 2 1 on the clock Break out the…
Bobby Brackins Give 'em whiplash What it do? I see you fond of…
Cake Or Death It was a whiplash It was the colour of the setting…
Catalina You left me With nothing but the phone It's past three But y…

Dead Silent Local rappers wanna say I sound like this or sound…
Demxn How we talk it , we gon' do it aye I…
Destruction Late at night all systems go You have come to see…
Earth 2 Ethan I got a whiplash I'm trying to break ice I'm popping bottle…
FAR EAST MENTION MANNEQUINS You're just a dead weight sinking to the bottom) Oh, I…
FEMM Don't break your neck, love Because she's gorgeous She'll ne…
Fish Hang a left, turn a right We're driving through the night …
G.U.TEN The way your hair shines so bright Baby girl It's like diamo…
Gxner. Aye swear to god I want be hanging from the…
John Diva & The Rockets Of Love Whiplash Bare Skin Welcome To The House Of Sin Your Thrill Y…
left. You got me dealin' with Whiplash, Whiplash U got me feelin' …
Little Fish The night Is sleeping And the people They are waking I'm…
Maya Killtron Way back I was stepping with another And he walked into…
Metallica Jason, you're too fucking metal man Too metal for your own…
MetallicA (Kill'em All) Late at night all systems go You have come to see…
METALLICA & JASON NEWSTED Jason, you're too fucking metal man Too metal for your own…
Metallica (mx) Late at night all systems go You have come to see…
Metallica - Mama Said Jason, you're too fucking metal man Too metal for your own…
Metallica feat. Jason Newsted Late at night all systems go You have come to see…
Metallica; James Hetfield; Lars Ulrich; Cliff Burton; Kirk Hammett Jason, you're too fucking metal man Too metal for your own…
Metallica氀 Late at night all systems go You have come to see…
Motörhead - Topic Late at night, all systems go You've come to see the…
Motörhead Late at night, all systems go, you've come to see…
NCT 127 채찍질로 나를 깨워줘 My baby you are like (널 데려가) Palazzo Rocco,…
Polar333 Broken i said that i don’t feel the same Way the…
poppy tears / smoke me You don't wana talk to me like that Told me…
R3hab You pull me under the way Throwing me up every day Underwate…
Scott Ian Late at night all systems go you have come to see…
Selena Gomez Oh baby, moonlights Hits the spotlight I'm on my flight To t…
Silverstein Late night, I try to focus on the blurred lights Neon…
So-Ma Uh, hello? I believe this is yours Oh, okay I been talking s…
stellar* Here you are again Back from where you've been Acting all …
Sunbreed I'm sippin lean and dancing in the purple light Don't you…
Sunglasses As I rise through the trees A feeling fills my heart As…
THE BOYZ Ay ay ay! Whip (whip), whip (whip), whiplash Whip (whip), wh…
Theophilus London Uh, uh, woo! Yeah 96, 92 Uh, whiplash, whiplash Whiplash, wh…
Tommy Ashby He works the night shift She works in the city and She's…
Vera It's my bad, I can't take it slow Full gas, I'm…
wndrlnd. She said come a little closer dear 'Cause you seem a…
X&G The way your hair shines so bright Baby girl It's like diamo…
Xavier Wulf Maso I already decided bitch that I don't need no side…
Zetenwupe Yo Mnożę dowody na to że nie mam czasu Ale chyba powinienem…
더보이즈 Ay ay ay! Whip (whip), whip (whip), whiplash Whip (whip), wh…