Second Skin
| Second Skin | |
| Track by Dave Ball featuring David Claridge | |
 | |
| Year | 1983 |
| Written | David Claridge |
| Composed | David Ball |
| Produced | David Ball |
| Genre | leftfield |
| Related | In Strict Tempo |
Origin and record[edit | edit source]
David Claridge is an English actor who came to prominence in 1980s as creator and performer of children television puppet character Roland Rat. In early 1980s he created independent sublabel The Mobile Suit Corporation, under Phonogram Records,[1][2] where Dave Ball helped Vicious Pink Phenomena to release their debut single in 1982.[3] Around the same time Claridge started series of fetish nights titled Skin Two, at gay club Stallions in Soho, London,[2] which Ball, along with Marc Almond and other artists, were visiting.[3]
When Ball started working on his solo album In Strict Tempo he wanted to record a track about happenings in the club and invited Claridge to write and narrate the lyrics for it. Title of the track was “Second Skin”, as a reference to the club, and both being slang for fetish clothing. In 1983 the track was recorded and ready to be released with the album.[3] At the same time, in interviews with Ball, the song was referred as “Strict Tempo”, thus being album's title track.[4][5] The music was described to have military rhythm, referring to discipline aspect of BDSM.[5]
The song wasn't included on the album by Claridge's urgent request later – in the wake of Roland Rat's popularity the tabloids had uncovered other projects started by actor.[2][3] However, the music and title got seemingly repurposed for new lyrics by Gavin Friday, resulting in a different piece as album's title track.[?]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- A reference to Claridge, and possibly the song itself, was left as etching on A-side of In Strict Tempo LP: “A rubber rat sheds his skin”.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ david claridge - California. (about.me) archived
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Curious British Telly: David Claridge: Who Is the Man Behind Roland Rat?. 1 July 2017. (curiousbritishtelly.co.uk) archived
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Electronic Boy (autobiography by Dave Ball)
- ↑ Page 18 - Number One - Issue 9 - 2nd July 1983 | Michael Kane (Archive of magazines). (Flickr) archived
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Knocking back a wee drama (or two) – Simon Tebbutt, Record Mirror, 23 July 1983
