The group was formed in 1988 by Dr. Alex Paterson (full name Duncan Robert Alex Paterson) and Jimmy Cauty (one half of The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and later The KLF). The Orb's first release was the acid house anthem "Tripping on Sunshine".
In May 1989, The Orb released the "Kiss EP", which was heavily influenced by New York's KISS FM. Paterson began DJing around London, England at this time when he met Paul Oakenfold. At Oakenfold's behest, Paterson began DJing at Land of Oz, the chill-out room at Heaven.
Paterson mixed samples of BBC nature recordings, NASA space broadcasts and everything in between into the music of ambient pioneers such as Brian Eno. Around this time, Paterson met Steve Hillage and Hillage later contributed guitar to the Orb's "Blue Room" single. In return Paterson worked on Hillage's System 7 project.
In October 1989 The Orb released the 22-minute single "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From the Centre of the Ultraworld", which contains large chunks of Minnie Riperton's "Loving You". The single managed to reach the lower end of the UK chart. Although Paterson and Cauty had been working on a debut album, the two split in April 1990. Cauty removed Paterson's contributions to the album and released the remainder as "Space".
Killing Joke's Youth, who'd recently found dancefloor success with Blue Pearl assisted with the single "Little Fluffy Clouds", but existing commitments made it impossible for him to be anything more than a part-time member. In his place, Paterson recruited Kris Weston (aka Thrash), a young studio engineer who had worked on "Little Fluffy Clouds" and recently left Fortran 5.
In April, 1991, The Orb's debut album, "Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld" was released in the United Kingdom to critical acclaim. The double-album obtained a top 30 placing in the UK.
"U.F.Orb" was released in July, 1992. It featured the 39 minute 59 second "Blue Room" which was their third single to reach the UK charts, although the album version was only 17 minutes long. Early pressings of the album were available in three differently coloured sealed plastic packs (black (10,000) and blue (5,000) in the UK and green (1,000) in the US) containing an additional disc with the soundtrack from Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (Patterns & Textures edition), a mail order only long form video released by the Orb.
During 1993 and 1994 The Orb were dismayed by Big Life's intention to re-issue some of the Orb's earlier material. As a result, Paterson and Thrash opted out of their contract and Paterson signed an international deal with Chris Blackwell's Island Records. The double-album "Live '93" soon followed. It was a mix of recordings made in Glastonbury, Copenhagen and Tokyo. The album's credits included, Simon Phillips, Nick Burton, Kris Weston, Fluff and of course Paterson.
In June, 1994, they released their first studio album for Island, "Pomme Fritz (The Orb's Little Album)". The album reached number six on the UK, but critics hated it, even comparing Paterson to Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett.
August, 1994 saw the release of a collaboration between Robert Fripp, Paterson, Weston, and Thomas Fehlmann, hence the name FFWD or Fripp, Fehlmann, Weston and Duncan. Weston's input was already diminishing by this time and following the release of FFWD, he finally parted company with Paterson. He was replaced by Thomas Fehlmann.
"Orbus Terrarum" was released in March, 1995. In February, 1997, following an ambitious world tour, they released "Orblivion".
The retrospective "U.F.Off" came in October, 1998 and was initially available in a Limited Edition double CD.
"Cydonia", although recorded in 1999, was delayed by Island until its release in February, 2001. Several different versions of the album were leaked on the Net some time before the official release.
The 2004 released album "Bicycles & Tricycles" strongly departed from their earlier ambient sound, and incorporated strong hip-hop influenced rhythms, including rap on one of the tracks.
In 2005 The Orb released a new studio album, "Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt", which focused heavily on the microhouse and pop ambient sounds that the Kompakt label is well known for.
2005 also saw the release of "Orbsessions Volume 1", which was an album of rarities from throughout The Orbs' career.
Sadly, Andy Hughes, long-time mixer and producer of many of The Orb's works, passed away on June 12 2009, following a 'short illness'.
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
The Orb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the night and the empty skies, my love
To the night and the empty skies
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth turn in my hand
That was there at my command my love
That was there at my command
The first time ever I lay with you
And felt your heart beat close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And would last 'till the end of time my love
And would last 'till the end of time
The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the night and the empty skies my love
To the night and the empty skies
The lyrics to The Orb's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" speak to the overwhelming feeling of love that takes over when one first encounters their significant other. The singer describes the sensation of seeing this person for the first time- the sun rising in their eyes, and the grand nature of the gifts they seem to give to the world (the moon and the stars). The gifts are not tangible items, but rather the illumination and wonder that this person brings to the world around them.
In the second verse, the singer describes the first time they kissed this person- the earth seemed to shift beneath them, and the feeling was all-consuming. The imagery of the "trembling heart of a captive bird" illustrates the power dynamic- the singer feels in control, yet their partner is willing and eager to follow their command.
Finally, the third verse speaks to the completion that comes from spending time with this person. The singer knows that their love will last until the end of time, and that their union is one that will bring joy to the world around them.
Overall, the song is a deeply romantic and introspective exploration of the power of love. It speaks to the way that one person can completely change another's worldview, and how the energy of love can ripple out into a larger community.
* "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was originally written in 1957 by Scottish folk singer Ewan McColl, and later famously covered by Roberta Flack in 1972, reaching #1 on the US charts.
* The song has been covered by a variety of artists, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Celine Dion.
* The song's lyrics have been interpreted as references to slavery or to a child's birth as well as being a straight-out love song.
* The song's gentle, minimalist arrangement emphasizes the power of the lyrics and the singer's emotive vocal performance.
* The Orb's version, while still romantic in tone, features a more atmospheric and electronic backdrop that creates a dreamy, otherworldly aura.
* The Orb's version was included on their 1991 album, "The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld".
* The song has repeatedly been described as one of the greatest love songs of all time, thanks to its poignant lyrics and powerful message.
* Roberta Flack's version of the song was used in the 1973 movie "Play Misty for Me".
* The song's popularity has led to it being featured in numerous TV shows, movies and advertisements over the years.
* In 2020, Sam Smith released their own version of the song, incorporating their signature soulful style into the classic tune.
Chords:
The original key of the Roberta Flack version is C major, with the chords being:
Verse: C, Am, F, G
Chorus: Em, F, C, Dm, Em, F, G, C
Line by Line Meaning
The first time ever I saw your face
Upon meeting you for the first time, I immediately believed you to be a radiant presence, with the power to light up the world around you.
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
I perceived your eyes to be as bright and fiery as the sun, the very source of all life and energy on earth.
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
I felt that in your presence, the moon and the stars themselves were yours to control, as if you had the power to command the entire universe.
To the night and the empty skies, my love
You seemed to me to be a force of nature, bringing light and warmth to the dark and cold corners of the world, and I couldn't help but feel drawn to you with all my heart.
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
From the very moment I first tasted your lips, I felt a thrill of passion and desire that consumed me completely, leaving me breathless and wanting more.
I felt the earth turn in my hand
As our bodies entwined in the fiery embrace of our passion, I felt the ground beneath me shift and turn, as if the entire world were revolving around us in that moment.
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
The intensity of my feelings for you was so overwhelming that it felt as though my own heart might burst from my chest, like a bird trapped in a cage, desperate for release.
That was there at my command, my love
Despite my own sense of being completely under your spell, I also felt a sense of control and power over the situation, as if I were the one calling the shots.
The first time ever I lay with you
As we lay together, our bodies entwined in the embrace of our love, it felt as though we were joined together at the very core of our being, with nothing else in the world mattering but our own happiness.
And felt your heart beat close to mine
As I listened to the rhythm of your heart, in perfect sync with my own, I knew that together, we were capable of overcoming any obstacle, no matter how great.
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
I felt as though our love was so powerful, so all-consuming, that it had the power to transform the very world around us, bringing happiness and light to all who encountered it.
And would last 'till the end of time, my love
Above all else, I knew that our love was eternal, stretching on into infinity, and that nothing in the world could ever change the depth of the bond we shared.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Wahana Musik Indonesia (WAMI)
Written by: Ewan Maccoll
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scott Potential
Wonderful!