Playing With Fire (1989) expanded on the psychedelic and drone themes of the earlier albums; its second single, "Revolution" reached #1 on the UK indie charts. But soon after, a combination of personnel changes, drug problems and intra-band tension (especially between Kember and Pierce) began to break the band apart. Recurring, released in 1991, was their last proper album, though its recording reflected the split between Pierce and Kember as each recorded their own side of the album in different studios, with a cover of Mudhoney's 'When Tomorrow Hits' to separate them (Mudhoney would later return the favour with a cover of Spacemen 3's 'Revolution'). It was their most popular record, but by its release Kember and Pierce had already formed new bands, Spectrum,were self described "noise experimentation" and Spiritualized, respectively. The final conflict that contributed to the split was Pierce's decision to release a cover of The Troggs' 'Any Way That You Want Me', as the first Spiritualized single, which Kember had been wanting to cover for years.
From the outset Spacemen 3 had a very defined set of aesthetic principles. They based almost their entire sound on their own concept of minimalismโdroning guitars, feedback, as few chords as possible, pounding drumsโwith their motto โTaking drugs to make music to take drugs toโ. Their minimalism bled into their stage show as well. Sitting down to play their guitars and covered in the spinning colours of a cheap psychedelic light show, their stage โactโ was very anti-performance. Another striking aspect of Spacemen 3 was their willingness to cover and share their influences. Song titles, lyrics and interviews were peppered with references to bands and artists they believed shared their โminimal is maximalโ aesthetic. The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, The Stooges, MC5, early Captain Beefheart, out-there jazz legend Sun Ra, Silver Apples, garage punk of the 1960s such as the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, and the Electric Prunes; the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and other surf bands; โ80s rockabilly groups The Cramps, the Gun Club, Tav Falco; blues and gospel acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, the Staple Singers and John Lee Hooker; and the production techniques of Joe Meek, Brian Wilson and Delia Derbyshire were just some of the names mentioned by the band.
Since the break-up there have been a stream of semi-legitimate albums, early demos and live recordings, many of which have been issued by the Kember-affiliated Space Age Recordings. Highlights include Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music, a 45 minute drone piece performed in front of a live audience, Forged Prescriptions, a collection of Perfect Prescription demos and alternate versions (Kember claims in the liner notes that the alternate versions reproduce the layers of guitars they recorded but later removed because they felt they'd never be able to reproduce them live), and the band's singles compilation, which is perhaps the best introduction to the breadth of their work.
In 1998, a tribute album was released on Rocket Girl, which included tracks by Mogwai and Low. Kemberโs Spectrum has toured under the banner โSongs the Spacemen Taught Usโ, while Pierce routinely includes their songs in his Spiritualized set. In 2004, US journalist Erik Morse published his account of the bandโs life and work, Dreamweapon: Spacemen 3 and the Birth of Spiritualized.
Members of the band went on to form Spiritualized, the Darkside and Spectrum (AKA Sonic Boom). Spiritualized carry on, to critical acclaim, though they have largely discarded the dark psychedelic edge. Sonic has also been on the road, playing gigs in London and occasional tours in the US as E.A.R. (Experimental Audio Research), which features synthesizers heavily. The Darkside split, while Rosco (AKA Sterling Roswell) went on to form the Sterling Roswell Blues Band and now is currently in The Gimps.
Take Me to the Other Side
Spacemen 3 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it just won't go away
I have it each and every day Lord
Sure as the sun comes up each day
Come on take me for a ride
Take me to the other side
Come on take me for a ride
And we'll walk across the sand
We'll go to places we ain't been
See all the things that we ain't seen
Come on take me for a ride
Take me to the other side
Come on take me for a ride
I have a passion sweet Lord
And it just won't go away
I have it each and every day Lord
Sure as the sun comes up each day
The lyrics to Spacemen 3's "Take Me to the Other Side" evoke the desire for adventure and escape. The opening line "I have a passion sweet Lord / And it just won't go away" speaks to a longing for something more, and the repetition of the phrase "each and every day Lord / Sure as the sun comes up each day" emphasizes the intensity of this desire. The chorus, "Come on take me for a ride / Take me to the other side," is a plea for someone to help fulfill this craving for something new and exciting. The line "And we'll walk across the sand / We'll go to places we ain't been / See all the things that we ain't seen" paints a picture of a journey to a new destination, with the promise of discovery and adventure.
Overall, the song captures the desire to escape the monotony of everyday life and seek out new experiences. The repetition of certain phrases reinforces the idea of an unrelenting passion that cannot be satisfied. The quest for adventure and the unknown is a common theme in music, and "Take Me to the Other Side" is a prime example of this.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a passion sweet Lord
I have a strong desire, sweet Lord
And it just won't go away
And this desire persists without falter
I have it each and every day Lord
It's a daily occurrence, Lord
Sure as the sun comes up each day
As sure as the dawn, it arises
Come on take me for a ride
Take me on a journey
Take me to the other side
Take me to a different realm
Come on baby take my hand
Join me in this adventure
And we'll walk across the sand
We'll venture across the sandy terrain
We'll go to places we ain't been
We'll travel to uncharted domains
See all the things that we ain't seen
Experience everything we haven't before
Come on take me for a ride
Take me on that journey again
Take me to the other side
Take me to that unknown land once more
Come on take me for a ride
Take me on that journey once more
I have a passion sweet Lord
I have an unwavering drive, sweet Lord
And it just won't go away
And it remains steadfast and constant
Lyrics ยฉ DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JASON ANDREW PIERCE, PETER JOHN KEMBER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@siian
One of their very best. Minimalist magic & then that almighty crashing riff. Been listening to this 30 odd years & it never bores me. An iconic track from an iconic band.
@strawberrylemonadekristina
The Perfect Prescription is probably the greatest concept album of all time. And what a concept! A drug trip from its euphoric inception to the inevitable tragic comedown. Sadly some concept albums are bloated and have songs that are just filler to push the story along but this album is a brilliant organic whole where every song is thoroughly fleshed out and listenable. I'll go to the other side if Spacemen 3 are playing there!
@Dungee99
This is everything I ever wanted
@saturatedneowax
i love this one
@beataspiewakjonsson1749
Heavy ๐๐ค
@thenintendogamer9318
Wow revolution in 1987... now we are surrounded with junk
Public Enemy Spacemen Happy Mondays time of evolvememt
@ausgaze436
here it is folks
@RoryLynott
A masterpiece, just Take Me To The Other Side............
@user-mi7ld3ox4d
ใใ้ฃใใงใ
@gigio.zimmerman
Maravilloso