This Mortal Coil - Kangaroo

[SmokeBen586]

This brings back so many wonderful memories. oh nostalgia! And now my friend of 25 years has committed suicide and this song meant so much to both of us that it now means so much to me.

[vogellied]

brilliant

[mayakane]

First heard this when it came out at university in a cold, dark northern town where I brooded a lot and took life very seriously. The perfect soundtrack.

[1983NAPALMSUNRISE]

This reminds me of my childhood sweetheart

[zimbag]

.youtube.com/watch?v=fP2t6flTm­yY

This a previous version of this beautiful song.

[Unfantastic1]

This is so upsetting, yet so wonderful.

[Justbattyable]

So evoking thanks to who ever put this video to to the web

[pamelamolinaj]

i love it

[MrCamparisafari]

i met my girlfriend 3 years ago and we stayed in bed for 2 days listening to this - one of the greatest songs ever written - pure and beautiful

[MIMNED]

Gordon Sharp has not a voice: he's THE VOICE !!!! I'm moved...

[evolsliek]

thank you 

[dareqlondon]

heh..80s :)

[theCluevi]

M aresi,ehi kati poli to diko tou,pou nomizis pos ine kai diko sou :)

[mymgftube]

such a classic

[deadheadtrea]

A truly great cover. 

[bimbshine]

I might be too young to be a part of that era, bur I believe that album changed my life

[SaffronSugar]

@bimbshine Nobody was part of that era. Music like this always stood (and stands) alone. If it changed your life, then you are as connected as anyone else :)

[cwarn56]

Can't like this as much as the Alex Chilton / Big Star version, but it's good and miles better than Beck's version.

[ThePoorhillbilly]

@cwarn56 its almost a different song

[guttersnype00]

Had no idea this video existed.

Like a brilliant fantasy.

[MyChacalo]

how a slowly song could be so powerfull ?? damn this song its so ,... powerfull

[betocracks]

POWERFUL SONG MY FRIENDS!

i sawww you!!! leaviiing!

[swanny2070]

Wow, great song, terrible quality. Never seen this video...

[dario1980ful]

I'm so sad This Mortal Coil don't exsist anymore...

[twistedviewlabs]

@dario1980ful probably one of the best "supergroups" to ever exist. definitely exposed a lot of people to some really awesome, obscure stuff (myself included).

TMC was the band that got me into the 4AD roster.

[neph13]

@dario1980ful actually, they do exist, but in another form. Ivo is doing something called The Hope Blister, which is somewhat of an updated version of TMC, but slightly different. Well worth hunting down if you can find it.

[dario1980ful]

@neph13 I know Hope Blister and i like them but i think the magic of TMC is something unique that never come back

[23angelful]

one of the greatest songs ever.this and the original woh!!!

[sigurosa]

this voice of Gordon Sharp is always giving shivers to me.. Thanks for the upload

[clemintinelucas]

I just got chills listening to this...

[JulianSacrifice]

One of my favourite songs of all time and boy do they do justice to it.

[713lucian]

one of my favourite !! i am glad many people like it too...

[cocteau2]

awesome.

[djbethell]

Full force!

[skatapoopy]

gawdamn, he has such an amazing voice!

[wovokanarchy]

Great cover but can never come close to the original due to the fact Chilton was an alcoholic in pain singing from actual experience.

[djbethell]

@wovokanarchy For me, I mostly find the 'original' is the one I hear first (even when I find out later it isn't) and that's usually the one I love.

In this case it's always been TMC version for me :)

[aage66]

1. I really miss the 80's. Yes. I do.

2. They also did Holocaust, which is even better.

3. You're absolutely right, all of you: both are Big Star songs; both are good with Big Star and both are good with This Mortal Coil. Maybe better with Big Star, maybe not. Both are good.

4. Check out Holocaust.

[jdavz1803]

:30 to about :40 is so typical of the look of that era. Brooding, handsome, and androgynous. So sad a thing when our youthful idealism is thrashed by the world's many pains.

[chato264]

this is the most beautiful song I´ve ever heard I dont give a fuck if is not the original version ii awesome

[khasperg]

Wow! I always thought Jeff Buckley wrote this song. I love this version, which I guess is the original

[khasperg]

@khasperg Sorry, just found out Big Star is the originator

[jessegpresley]

@khasperg

This isn't the original. It is originally by Big Star.

[rachey69baby]

so glad to have found the original video. one of my all-time favourites... beautiful!!

[TWolf7000]

fuck ya!

[I3loor]

how?

[DamienOlsen]

who gives a fuck about "the original?

this is what it is, just beautiful.

did you hear America by Paul Simon on the Yes version?

who the fuck cares about the original...?

you make a song original every time you play a new version, if it is a good one.

and this one is excellent. so go fishing.

[Alesserio]

Beautiful cover of the song of the band Big Star (Alex Chilton).

[amykat93]

always

[LIVIKIA]

who is the singer? yes, i know it was an Ivo's project.

poor Chilton

[NameyMD]

Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk.

[touchedraw]

RIP Alex Chilton - thank you for this beautiful song :-(

[unautregarcon]

sublime

[brittonsimon]

Beautiful song, funny i was recommended TMC because of my love for Dead Can Dance and now TMC is by far my favorite and most listened to of all my cds!:)

[Xephon212]

@brittonsimon I love this song too. This version is gorgeous.

Originally this song was written by Alex Chilton from the band Big STar. I highly recommend Big Star as well as TMC. Big Star are adifferent style tho.

[MrNutinfancy]

leamanc WTF?????????? Im from the south and that is CRAP.

[madammelemort]

How romantic and sad is this song...

[poeticastro]

I'm in love with his voice

[noself9]

yeah big star's is better.

[westwickate]

my all-time-favorite

[MarcoMartini81]

I've known this amazing record casually: if I died last week, I'd have never known masterpieces like this. I've always known the 80's Madonna crap, instead, though I never liked it. Sign of (sad and dirty) times...

[dcorby23]

Alex Chilton, the one and only!

[rufibrag69]

what an amazing voice!

[vesodoc]

First time a heard this chef d'ouevre, it was 1991. But I never realised until now, that it might really be a cover of an earlier song. Please, tell me which one and by whom. Thanx for posting!

[ILICKdogs]

its by big star, and its called kangaroo.

[bathorymk]

is magic ...........

so beautiful so pure

[SamHO]

so beautiful. i DJ'd this the other nite in a quiet little bar. SOmeone came up and gave me a dollar and said it was the most beautiful song she'd ever heard

[pensivelyd]

geez...i would have given someone $20 if i heard this played in a bar!

[Redvaliant]

As good as this is, Big Star's original is even better. Alex Chilton is a genius

[JorgeDC23]

@SamHO AWESOME!

[MrCamparisafari]

@SamHO marry that woman 

[kdavs823]

Horrible cover

[kristlkrost]

oh I want you.....like a kangaroo???

I mean,,,,,,.it's fucking brilliant

Sigh fuck sigh

[alilochia]

Gordon Sharp has such a striking voice!

[ashwednesday69]

I concur Alilo!

[stevensm100]

the most beautiful heartbreak song ever.thankyou.

[VoyageursDetournes]

Even if I prefer Cinder/Gordon as Cindytalk singer but this cover is beautiful. Now my 7inch is dead but this song will remain forever in my heart L.

[upfrontbear74]

God that was amazing

[FredericaBimble]

The times I listened to this in my down moods. It always gets right in there. It really touches so deeply.

[blatspanner]

this singer blows shit-balls. immature little twat. boo.

[bathorymk]

me guxta este tema buen disco para reflexionar

[taravanflower]

i love gordon

[raunchboy]

I remember listening to this while sleeping on the floor in the first rental I lived in after I left home. It seems like a million years ago but only yesterday.

[ssseverin]

@raunchboy This is the most ideal romantic scenario.

[reanimate21]

Gordon Sharp = BRILLIANT

Freeze, Cindytalk, This Mortal Coil, Darkmatter Soundsystem, Cinder

[westfriet]

1.56-2.28 elke keer weer kippevel;

everytime again chickenskin

[Dopje91]

zeg dan goosebumps±s

[kickfostermac]

Thank you for posting.I like it more than the original.

[LongJohnHill]

Heartbreakingly good.

[barnabasthegreat]

Gordon sharp was an incredible man. In more ways than one.

[Rhondaarxxx]

was?

[aidancostello]

brilliant!

[phensley1]

i almost feel like i'm into this one more so than the original..

[cinnamonspiderbones]

Amen.

[CultureShockxox]

I had this in my head for many days long loves

it is beautiful

[placebo1234]

jeff buckley version rulz :P

[isabeau82]

Yes :)

[roywonka]

But Big Star Did The Original Version.Or Not?

[isabeau82]

Yes, Chilton wrote it :)

[smw10000]

memories!.....still one of my faves,and still sounds as good as anything!

[guband]

loved this album at the time, love this song and of course 'siren' trying to find 'holocaust' think howard devoto sang it? any know if it's on the tube?

[smartin684]

Oh I wish I had never watched this video. Horrible video. Great song. I only hope I can forget the terrible imagery.

[miloboy1]

i miss the cowbell

[chillidogdupree]

and the rest of it!

[lucasteixeira1987]

P-E-R-F-E-C-T

[jtnunes]

Alex Chilton... wanna chime in on this?

[Swimbig]

An uber-goofy, poorly recorded 80's video of one of the most beautiful songs ever from its genre. Funny to watch, but the visuals severely detract from the magnitude of the original recording.

[Alianger]

It's not great, but it's not bonnie tyler or anything like that.

[gleblue]

i have a question is the women singers in this mortal coil shakespears sister just asking

[ExaltedCompanion]

No, its Liz Fraser from the Cocteau Twins

[ednorgrove]

.tooth abcecc. up late feeling shitty. forgotten about this song. made me feel a bit better. god bless tmc

[Motavian]

Maybe I'm alone on this... But I really feel that the grainy sound quality actually builds on this song

[ivano0o0o0]

ya, that's why i always end up flippin to this

[nietzschecreature]

Gordon Sharp - whatever happened to him?

I loved Cindytalk. He did backing vocals on a couple of Cocteau Twins tracks, too. Love his voice.

[touchedraw]

Hello, If you're in the London area this sunday coming (12th October) CINDYTALK will be playing at the LUMINAIRE, 311 High Rd Kilburn NW6 7JR.Doors open 7.30pm,£6 entry.Also

playing are JOHN & JEHN and Tenebrous Liar.Come along if you can.Cinder x.

[JAMR1977]

Is A wonderful Song......Impresionante tema....Thanks

[crezz2]

and you should know coz you talk it....WANKER!

[crezz2]

Im refering to XxyourmaxX comment,he would not know a good song if it was shoved up his arse!

[lemsilver]

If you listen only to techno .... then you're right... this music may be shit for you ...

[tigertacco]

tmc shaped my life. and strangely, it didnt all end up in tears. the video is beautiful. gave it four stars only because of the slightly bad sound. tnanx for the post gukrik.

[bonggebongge]

very nice colaboration of artist..this mortal coil...which i have an album before...wonder where it is?...

[willywatchit]

cheers for this song i lost it a long time ago .with a couple of loves as well! x

[khurit]

its about the love of a fine kangaroo okay!?

[bluenimue]

Khurit-

You are my kangaroo.

[khurit]

blue nimue are you a cute college girl with a baby chupacabra!? if so email me on my myspace page and we will meet for purple kangaroo tea

[anonymouswhore]

I always thought a black woman was singing this song. But it's an androgynous white guy who has great vocal range

[kmtt84]

Its not about cute animals, its not about babies. In a way it is about wanting to come closer,, kangaroo = cocaine!!! "Oh I want you.. like a kangaroo."

[World2008rain]

i take it to mean he longs to be close to the person... seeing a kangarro and it's baby in the pouch i get the feeling of closeness.. how close the kangaroo is to each other and that closeness is what he longs for if it be just to hold someone close and tight or sexual or whatever just a deep closeness.

then again it's nearly impossible to decode the true meaning of songs.

[quizdoc]

Don't know what it's about & knowing may possibly spoil it.

[rhondaar]

Well personally I have always thought the

"Oh I want you like a Kangaroo" line meant that, I want to carry you around my abdomenal region, like in a pouch, so I can keep you all the time, because I love you that much.

Either that, or, some strange obsession with Australians. :)

Damn Cinder you look so young there! Guess I never seen it before, heh.

[flatwear]

lol.  he's hott!

this mortal coil will always live inside of me. beautiful. thoughtful. genuine. :) but :( too.

[xhaxhkazulu]

I think Gordon Sharp is one of the greatest singers of all time!

[beshameless]

what does 'kangaroo' refer to? - it's eluding me

[786hanif]

only alex chilton knows

[torpedofish]

You are not alone! I have always adored this little ditty, must have heard it 500 times, but never could quite get a grasp on that title. : )

[leamanc]

It's supposedly a phrase from the American south....any sentence that ends with "you," you then follow up with "like a kangaroo." i.e., "I see you/like a kangaroo", "I heard you/like a kangaroo", or, as in the song, "Oh, I want you/like a kangaroo."

[beshameless]

the buckley version mesmerises me - i wrote a song about hearing it - i'm a sucker i know

[dincstudiosf]

To a cool jerk

[touchedraw]

yes,the original was written by alex chilton of big star and was released on the "third (sister lovers)" album in 1978.this mortal coil released "kangaroo" as a 7inch and on the album "it'll end in tears" in 1984.jeff buckleys version was recorded around 1995/6 and was released posthumously on the "mystery white boy" album 2000.buckley's version starts off paying homage to this mortal coil and ends up doing the same with big star.

[jespero93]

jeff buckley has done a very good cover of this song.

[sergie1969]

Just in case you are serious mate this is actually their cover of Buckley. I can see why you might be confused they definitely own it but alas not theirs!!!

[sergie1969]

I owe you an apology it was actually Big Star! Dont I feel like a twat

[marsie06111961]

Nice--I'm only givin this 4 stars, however, because the soumd quality is rather poor...

[tigertacco]

a beautiful song, one of those which formed my childhood. and i realy didnt know it was a man either.. good music to play sitting in the middle of a vast green field.

[rohban2007]

Oh man! It's a dude! A friend in college use to play this all the time. I thought it was a girl all these years. The friend later came out... Funny how all things fit together eventually. I remeber the cover had a blue feather or something like that.

[forrestlyone]

Yeah Gordon Sharp from Cindytalk..mostly an obscure noise band..he had such an incredible voice!

[jamesandrew2000]

I was unceremoniously dismissed from a band that a friend had started. We never stoke afterwards. Later he and his wife were having troubles. Mortal Coil was playing when I bent her over my sofa. A satisfying finale.

[lumineas]

forever this mortal coil.best band ever...

[riverrhine9]

What the hell kinda bass is that!?Someone tell me please!It has octave strings like a 12 string guitar which is highly bizarre to me!

[touchedraw]

possibly an 8-string bass.normally they would have 4-sets of two strings side by side,giving the bass a bit more of a ring alongside the boom...

[cowboystitching]

Yeah, that's an 8 string bass. Hagstrom were real famous for making them. You could get a similar effect with a chorus pedal, if one was so inclined. (Which is what I thought it was before you guys mentioned it.)

[aaronesteb]

music is great!!but very gay

[sean2e5]

A great song and a great voice.

[MIMNED]

This singer is called Gordon Sharp,he comes from an obscure band,Cindytalk.He also collaborated with his unique voice to the 12" by This Mortal Coil "Sixteen days/Gathering Dust".

Wonderful voice.

Gordon Sharp is one of the greatest unknown singers of the world.

[maddanana]

what I'd give to have pipes like that!

[maddanana]

that was a compliment, jackass who marked me!

[twolunches]

I helped art direct on this video. It was shot in Brixtom Academy. Ivo wanted it to resemble a "heroin trip", to that end I remember buying some mercury from a chemist on a sunday in charlton village so that it might run down the walls of the bar. It was Directed by Ian Wyse a graduate of the National Film School, they all got a shot at Directing Video's (the students there). Unfortunatley the end product is a bit thin to say the least. Ian had a great potential, but not for making Pop Promo's.

[touchedraw]

uhm,somebody forgot to tell the singer about this "heroin trip".jean marais,orphee and narcissism was mentioned ,even some goofy "we could make you turn into a tree" surrealism but no "heroin trip".mind you,it would make sense coming from big star's original recording which is certainly a lot more "dopey" (all the better for it too,i'd suggest.)

[maddanana]

hi cinder!

[germindian]

his name is gordon sharp and he did sing for cindytalk

[aptek23]

NOT the WORDS.

NOT the VIDEO.

NOT the MUSIC.

BUT..

our childhoodness.

goodfellas we are dying.

day by day.

end message.

bye bye

[Motavian]

Beautiful. I love listening to this album on any given day.  This and Edward Ka-spell or the Tear Garden.

[geoffhutch]

it will end in tears... I listened to this for months after my mother died

[maddanana]

I bet many would sell their kidneys to have a voice like that!

[mjshikeli]

Yes "jessegpresley", "The hope blister" is "TMC" but under another name & i was really disappointed by this production. It sounded to me like a failed attempt to recreate TMC.

[mjshikeli]

No he is from a band called "Cindytalk" they produce a rather dark & spooky kind of music, similar to some early "Cocteau Twins" productions. But yes there are some "colourbox" musicians on "TMC" releases.

[jcmlr1970]

Gordon Sharp, Elizabeth Fraser and Dominic Appleton: Ivo's finest selection of vocalists to cover this obscure treasures.

[djrubus]

is this Colourbox singer?

[PoisonStreet]

No, singer for CINDyTALK...