Other members include Tom Chant (saxophone), Phil France (double bass), Luke Flowers (drums), Nick Ramm (piano), Stuart McCallum (guitar); former members include Jamie Coleman (trumpet), T. Daniel Howard (drums), Alex James (piano), and Patrick "PC" Carpenter (turntables).
In both live and studio context, the Cinematic Orchestra employ a live band which improvises along with a turntablist and electronic elements such as samples provided by Swinscoe. In their studio releases Swinscoe will often remix the live source material to produce a finished product that is a seamless combination of live jazz improvisation with electronics, such that it is difficult to tell where the improvisation ends and the production begins. It is worth mentioning that in the sound of the Cinematic Orchestra the role of traditional solo instruments, such as piano or wind instruments, is not the same as in traditional jazz; instead of performing intricate solos they provide a mature accompaniment environment and quite often there is more space for the drums and the double bass to have a lead role.
The Cinematic Orchestra have been noted for their new score to the classic 1929 Dziga Vertov's Ukrainian film "Man with a Movie Camera". They have worked on two other scores: they recorded some tracks for "Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants" (2004) and made the music for the Disney Nature movie "The Crimson Wing" (2009).
The Cinematic Orchestra released their latest album "Ma Fleur" on 7th May 2007. The album features vocals from Patrick Watson, Fontella Bass and Lou Rhodes. In 2010 their compilation Late Night Tales followed.
They have started their own record label: Motion Audio Records. One record has been released by Lou Rhodes. More releases will follow, including Grey Reverend.
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Odessa
The Cinematic Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The British ship Veronica was lost without a sign.
Baa baa black sheep, you haven't any wool.
Captain Richardson left himself a lonely wife in Hull.
Cherub, I lost a ship in the Baltic sea.
I'm on an iceberg running free.
Sitting, filing this berg to the shape of a ship;
One passing ship gave word that you have moved out of your old flat.
You love the Vicar more then words can say.
Tell him to pray that I won't melt away.
And I'll see your face again .
Odessa, How strong am I?
Odessa , How time goes by.
Treasure , you know the neighbors that live next door.
They haven't got their dog anymore.
Freezing, sailing around in the North Atlantic.
Can't seem to leave the sea anymore.
I just can't understand why you just moved to Finland.
You love that Vicar more then words can say.
Ask him to pray that I won't melt away.
And I'll see your face again.
Odessa, How strong am I?
Odessa, How time goes by.
Fourteenth of February , eighteen ninety nine.
The British ship Veronica was lost without a sign
The lyrics to The Cinematic Orchestra's song "Odessa" are filled with mystery, longing, and loss. The first verse sets the scene with a historical reference to the British ship Veronica that was lost at sea in 1899. The line "Baa baa black sheep, you haven't any wool" is a reference to the code that was used to communicate distress at sea - three repetitions of a particular phrase, in this case, "baa baa black sheep," indicated that the ship was in trouble.
The second verse introduces the singer or protagonist of the song, who is known as "Cherub." He says that he has lost a ship in the Baltic Sea and is now on an iceberg, shaping it into the form of a ship to sail his way back to the one he loves. He receives word from a passing ship that she has moved out of her old flat and is in love with the Vicar. The singer asks the Vicar to pray that he won't melt away on his journey back to her, hoping that he will see her face again.
In the final verse, the singer is identified as "Treasure," and he mentions that his neighbors have lost their dog. He is sailing around in the North Atlantic, unable to leave the sea and unable to understand why the one he loves has moved to Finland. He once again asks the Vicar to pray for him and hopes to see his beloved's face once more. The song ends with the repeated lines "Odessa, how strong am I? Odessa, how time goes by," suggesting that the singer is facing a difficult journey but determined to find his way home.
Line by Line Meaning
Fourteenth of February, eighteen ninety nine.
This is the date when the British ship Veronica was lost with no indication.
The British ship Veronica was lost without a sign.
The British ship Veronica was lost without any sign of what happened to it.
Baa baa black sheep, you haven't any wool.
This line is not directly related to the main story; it is a reference to the English nursery rhyme 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' with no apparent relevance here.
Captain Richardson left himself a lonely wife in Hull.
The captain of Veronica left his wife lonely in Hull when the ship was lost.
Cherub, I lost a ship in the Baltic sea.
The singer is speaking to his lover 'Cherub', claiming he lost a ship in the Baltic sea.
I'm on an iceberg running free.
The singer is floating on an iceberg without any control.
Sitting, filing this berg to the shape of a ship;
The singer is shaping the iceberg to resemble a ship while sitting on it.
Sailing my way back to your lips.
The singer is metaphorically sailing back to his lover's lips.
One passing ship gave word that you have moved out of your old flat.
A ship that passed by informed the singer that his lover moved from her old apartment.
You love the Vicar more then words can say.
The singer thinks that his lover cares more about the Vicar than him.
Tell him to pray that I won't melt away.
The singer asks his lover to have the Vicar pray for him so he won't melt away on the iceberg.
And I'll see your face again.
The singer is hopeful that he will see his lover's face again.
Odessa, How strong am I?
The singer is questioning his own strength in the city of Odessa.
Odessa, How time goes by.
The singer is pondering how time passes in Odessa.
Treasure, you know the neighbors that live next door.
The singer addresses his lover 'Treasure', mentioning that she knows the neighbors that live close by.
They haven't got their dog anymore.
The neighbors do not have their dog anymore, implying that it might have died or gone missing.
Freezing, sailing around in the North Atlantic.
The singer is sailing on icy waters in the North Atlantic and feeling the cold.
Can't seem to leave the sea anymore.
The singer feels like he cannot leave the sea anymore, either physically or metaphorically.
I just can't understand why you just moved to Finland.
The singer is unable to comprehend why his lover moved to Finland.
Ask him to pray that I won't melt away.
Once again, the singer asks his lover to have the Vicar pray for him so he won't melt away.
And I'll see your face again.
The singer remains hopeful that he will see his lover's face again.
Odessa, How strong am I?
The singer repeats his question about his strength while in Odessa.
Odessa, How time goes by.
The singer repeats his contemplation about time passing in Odessa.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY GIBB, MAURICE ERNEST GIBB, ROBIN HUGH GIBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Adamson
on Channel 1 Suite
Excellent!!!!