Welcome to the Last FM page of t… Read Full Bio ↴http://www.thecorrespondents.co.uk/
Welcome to the Last FM page of the swing-hop duo, The Correspondents. MC Mr Bruce and DJ/Producer Mr Chuckles collaborate to make Hip Hop for the 1930s, Big Band music for the 00s. Splicing swing samples with squelchy synths over dusty drum loops they’ve depicted a modern day journey into time of rogues, lust, affordable clowns and foot-tapping toe curling "get your brogues on" dance floor swing beat.
The Correspondents started out in November 2007, when old friends, Mr Bruce and Mr Chuckles, returned to London after a firm schooling at their respective Universities. In Leeds Mr Chuckles had been tinkering with the sounds of Hip Hop, Jazz and Dance music for several years, meanwhile further North in Edinburgh Mr Bruce exerted his vocal dexterity over Drum 'n' Bass, Breaks & Funk. The unlikely pair cut their teeth at a few parties and decided to cement the live performance relationship in their makeshift recording studio. Since then tracks have been recorded, stages have been stomped and knees have hit nipples.
The Correspondents have shared stages with the likes (or unlikes) of Florence & The Machine, Lilly Allen, Mika, Little Boots, VV Brown, Bat For Lashes, Lazy Habits, Daedalus, Bassment Jaxx, Rob Da Bank, Rusko, Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Cuban Brothers, Brass Roots, Jocelyn Brown, Dub Pistols etc... etc...
You might have seen them at Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Bestival, Shambala Festival, Lovebox Weekender, The Big Chill Festival, Camden Crawl, Innocent Village Fete, Scala Amersham Arms, Bungalow 8, Soho Revue Bar, Vibe Bar, Concord 2, Bloomsbury Bowls, Art Car Boot Fair, Last Days Of Decadance, Madame Jojo's, Notting Hill Arts Club, Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, 33 Portland Place, Shepard's Bush Pavillion, 5 Cavendish Sq, Corsica Studios, Proud Camden, Village Underground, The Cobden Club, The Battersea Arts Centre, The Colony Rooms, and Selfridge's.
www.myspace.com/thecorrespondentsmusic
"The Correspondents aren't the first group you'd expect to see at a South London dubstep/fidget house night and yet their performance at Corsica Studios over a year ago had everyone quickly switching their allegience from wobbly basslines to beats over samples from 'The Jungle Book'. The skin-tight trouser clad MC Mr Bruce strode to the stage and began shaking his impossibly long legs to the beats put down by his DJ, Chuckles, and from that point on, everyone was a convert." NME.COM
“Pop also-ran Frankmusik was far more exciting, revealing his 'great voice for a white boy' but also the overly perfect future pop that's thus far prevented him finding fame with a mass audience. One duo who could, however, are the Correspondents, who filled in between sets throughout the weekend. With fast-spit rhymes over twenties flapper tunes, and MC Mr Brogues a gangly enthusiastic dancer with natty threads to match, these two deserve a stage all themselves.” INTHENEWS.CO.UK – BESTIVAL REVIEW
“My fear for the contents of my wallet and the softer parts of my anatomy were quickly replaced by joy at the sights and sounds of The Correspondents. These two dapper purveyors of swing-hop derring-do pretty much stole the show. I’m proper feeling the vaudeville approach to hip-hop (cfThe Anomalies, Krugers passim), and The Correspondents are amongst the most charming to take that approach. Everyone had a sing-a-long with them. Aww. Find them on MySpazz – you’ll be glad you did (and relieved MySpazz still has its uses).” KRUGERS MAGAZINE – DAEDALUS @ CORSICA STUDIOS REVIEW
"A stark contrast with the reaction received by The Correspondents, the Wandsworth duo who wander onto the Great Stage in the middle of the hottest day of the year and through the skatting, scratching and infectious dancing of the Mask-a-like Mr Bruce, managed to persuade everyone to forget their heat induced woes and dance like they had some serious itch to scratch. Forced back on to the stage by a fiery and pumped up crowd demanding more, Mr Bruce and compatriot DJ Chuckles then do it all over again, much to the amazement of them and their newly acquired groupies. Which goes to show the wonder that is Secret Garden Party. Hierarchies are toppled and the unknown underdogs are taken into the bosoms of the crowd while the headlining 80s superstars are made to look like, well, bosoms." LOUD AND QUIET MAGAZINE - SECRET GARDEN PARTY REVIEW
"Sunday starts with a beautifully bizarre moment, as Wandsworth swing-hip-hop duo The Correspondents enthral an unfeasibly huge midday main stage crowd with a rendition of 'I Wanna Be Like You' from The Jungle Book. After that we’re delirious putty in their capable hands and the stunned pair are summoned back for a giddy encore." WWW.VIRTUALFESTIVALS.COM - SECRET GARDEN PARTY REVIEW
Two Tone Intro
The Correspondents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La, La, La, La
The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge (La, La)
The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge (La, La)
The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge (La, La)
The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge (La, La)
Business abroad that′s what correspondents do,
But why do these things have the same name?
It was a mystery to me, then I found a little piece of History
Aristocratic man used to hire out French calves,
To bed their wives because revealing them a slag
So they could file for divorce,
Retaining the money of course
The failsafe way to spot a French rouge was by his footwear,
A Black and White Rouge
The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge
The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge
Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge
Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge
Business abroad that's what correspondents do,
It′s also the name of a two-tone show
And now its the name of a two-man band,
Wise fear not we deal with the job at hand
The song "Two Tone Intro" by The Correspondents is a catchy and upbeat track with interesting lyrics that take the listener on a journey through history. The chorus repeats the phrase "The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge", which refers to a way of identifying a Frenchman who was hired to impregnate a wealthy woman so that she could divorce her husband and keep her money. The identification was done through the Frenchman's footwear, hence the use of the term "Black and White Rouge".
The verses explore the historical background of this practice and provide insight into the ways in which people used to manipulate the system to their benefit. The song also draws parallels between this practice and the work of correspondents, who often have to navigate complex international business deals and social situations. The lyrics suggest that both the Frenchman and the correspondent have to play the game to get what they want, and that sometimes the only way to succeed is by adopting certain strategies or codes.
The song ends by acknowledging the fact that times have changed, but that there are still challenges and obstacles that need to be overcome in order to navigate the complex social and economic landscape. Overall, "Two Tone Intro" is a clever and thought-provoking song that uses history as a way of exploring the challenges and opportunities of contemporary life.
Line by Line Meaning
La, La, La, La
Repetitive nonsensical sounds used for musical effect
The Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge (La, La)
The only way to identify a French rogue was through their footwear, referred to as a Black and White Rouge
Business abroad that′s what correspondents do,
Journalists often travel outside their homeland to report on international news
Its also the name of a two-tone show
There is a two-tone music show with the same name as the Black and White Rouge
But why do these things have the same name?
There is a historical reason why the two-tone show and the footwear have the same name
It was a mystery to me, then I found a little piece of History
Initially, the similarities between the show and the shoes were confusing until a relevant historical fact was discovered
Aristocratic man used to hire out French calves,
In the past, wealthy men would pay to use French military men as mercenaries
To bed their wives because revealing them a slag
These hired men were used to cheat on their wives, without the wives being labeled as promiscuous
So they could file for divorce,
Infidelity allowed men to file for a divorce more easily
Retaining the money of course
Divorce settlements often favored the men, allowing them to keep their money
The failsafe way to spot a French rouge was by his footwear,
The way to tell who was a French mercenary was by the shoes they were wearing
Only Way to Tell was Through a Black and White Rouge
The only way to identify a French rogue was through their footwear, referred to as a Black and White Rouge
And now its the name of a two-man band,
The historical name also inspired the name of the musical duo, The Correspondents
Wise fear not we deal with the job at hand
Trust us to handle the task efficiently, without worry
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gxilskamore
You wanna download the EP with better audio quality? So there it is: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1VE3lwiDZz0vZmc8c5AlQD7S7p635dsSF
Again, thanks to u/codenameClio on reddit for helping me finding this gem!
@adamdavis5056
Thank you so much for uploading and the drive! What's the story of how you got a hold of these?
@gxilskamore
I was trying to get this EP because i didn't find it anywhere, then i posted on the lost media subreddit where a user said that is on Soulseek (a p2p windows program) and just downloaded and gave me the link. The true hero is this reddit user
@adamdavis5056
Amazing work & much appreciated