by Leo Casey
Part 2: The 24 Longest Live Versions Of The Song ‘Marquee Moon’ Are:
1
“June 4, 1982, The Ritz, NYC”
‘Marquee Moon’ (21:24.0 is the length of the track containing Marquee Moon, but 21:09.7 is the length of just the song itself.) However, the song-length is an even longer 21:17.9 if we include all of the quite audible, lingering, and wonderfully long-lasting reverberation/resonance in the room (i.e., in the Ritz) at the song’s end. This reverberation/resonance begins with the last guitar-crescendo at 21:01.8 (i.e., at elapsed time 21:02.0 - 0.2 pre-song cheers), and continues for 16.1 sec. until 21:17.9 (i.e., until 21:18.1 - 0.2). [Here is the detailed breakdown of the track: a) 0.0 - 0.2: audience’s pre-song cheers; b) at 36.7, i.e., at elapsed time 36.9 - 0.2, is the first appearance of vocals (‘I remember’); c1) at 1:07.8, i.e., 1:08.0 - 0.2, is the beginning of Verlaine’s short 1st guitar-solo; it occurs 2.6 sec. after Verlaine finishes the line: ‘hearing something elsssse’;c2) at 1:37.4, i.e., 1:37.6 - 0.2, is the 1st occurrence of a little crescendo immediately after the sentence ‘I ain’t waitinnnn’ ’, and it marks the end of Verlaine’s 1st solo (lasts 29.6 sec.);
d1) at 2:45.3, i.e., 2:45.6 - 0.2, is the beginning of Verlaine’s medium-length 2nd solo; it occurs 2.4 sec. after Verlaine stresses the word ‘sadddd’ in the lyric ‘ ... don’t you be so sadddd’; d2) at 3:29.2, i.e., 3:30.0 - 0.2, is the end of Verlaine’s 2nd solo (lasts 44.4 sec.);
e1) at 4:08.2, i.e., 4:08.5 - 0.2, is the beginning of Verlaine’s short 3rd solo; its occurs 2.7 sec. after Verlaine intones ‘ ... got out againnnn’; e2) at 4:34.4, i.e., 4:34.6 - 0.2, is a crescendo, and it marks the end of Verlaine’s 3rd solo; it occurs 3.4 sec. before Verlaine says ‘I ain’t waitin’. Unh Um, Um Ut Mmm Mmm’(solo lasts 26.2 sec.);
f) at 4:37.7, i.e., at 4:38.0 - 0.2, there is a crescendo concomitant with the ‘Mmm Mmm’;
g) from that crescendo until 5:07.6 ( i.e., until 5:07.8 - 0.2), the song reverts back to the ‘canonical’ ‘Marquee Moon’ (by canonical we mean the song’s three interwoven, hypnotic, rhythm parts);
h) but at 5:07.6 ( i.e., at 5:07.8 - 0.2), is the beginning of Verlaine’s long guitar-solo;
i) at 12:07.9 (i.e., 12:08.1 - 0.2) immediately following a guitar crescendo, are beautiful, ‘bird-like’ guitar notes, which continue for about 25 sec. until 12:32.8 (i.e., until 12:33.0 - 0.2) when a larger guitar-crescendo ends Verlaine’s solo (solo lasts 7:25.2!);
j) then shortly afterwards from 12:38.0 (i.e., at 12:38.2 - 0.2) until 13:02.8 (i.e., until 13:03.0 - 0.2) is a slow but dramatic guitar build-up;
k) then at 13:02.8 (i.e., at 13:03.0 - 0.2) until 13:16.2 (i.e., until 13:16.4 - 0.2) is a very fast but short guitar ‘rave-up’;
l) then from 13:16.2 (i.e., from 13:16.4 - 0.2) to 13:19.2 (i.e., to 13:19.4 - 0.2) is a kind of guitar-trilling by Verlaine added onto the ‘rave-up;
m) then immediately following this guitar-trilling , at 13:19.2 (i.e., at 13:19.4 - 0.2) is the beginning, unlike any of the studio versions, of a very long [4:55.0], jazzy, improvised section of just Verlaine on guitar (i.e., no other band members’ instruments) that lasts until 18:14.2 (i.e., until 18:14.4 - 0.2) when the song reverts back to the ‘canonical’ ‘Marquee Moon’;
n) by 18:34.4 (i.e., by 18:34.6 - 0.2) all of the other band members have resumed playing;
o) and then shortly thereafter, at 18:44.1 (i.e., at 18:44.3 - 0.2) Verlaine once again sings the vocal verse: ‘I remember how the darkness doubled …’ , etc.;
p) the song concludes with the usual long ‘rave-up’-guitar-ending which begins at 19:34.3 (i.e., at 19:34.5 - 0.2) and which includes a final guitar-crescendo and its reverberation/resonance [this long ‘rave-up’-guitar-ending lasts 1:27.5 or 1:35.4 if we include its reverberation/resonance];
q) both the final guitar-crescendo and its reverberation/resonance begin at 21:01.8 (i.e., at 21:02.0 - 0.2);
r) the song finally concluding with a cymbal-flourish, clicks of the drum-sticks, a drum-roll, and then a final (third) click of the drum-sticks at 21:09.7 (i.e., at 21:09.9 - 0.2). 1.9 sec. earlier at the first click of the drum-sticks at 21:07.8 (i.e., at 21:08.0 - 0.2), the audience’s cheering had started prematurely and continued for about another 14.0 sec. until it was truncated by the taper at 21:22.0. Prior to the song’s ending at the third drumstick-click at 21:09.7 (i.e., at 21:09.9 - 0.2), there is a final drum-roll (lasting only 0.4 sec.), and a second click of the drum-sticks at 21:08.1 and 21:08.8, respectively (i.e., at 21:08.3 - 0.2, and 21:09.0 - 0.2, respectively) which are 1.6 sec. and 0.9 sec. before the song’s end at 21:09.7 (i.e., at 21:09.9 - 0.2).] If we include all 16.1 sec., of the reverberation/resonance in the room at the song’s end, instead of just the first 7.9 sec. of reverberation/resonance that occurs before the song’s final (third) click of the drum-sticks, then the song-length is an even longer 21:17.9 (i.e., 21:18.1 - 0.2) as mentioned above.
2
“April 22, 1987, The Mean Fiddler, Harlesden, London, England”
‘Marquee Moon’ (20:30.6 is just the song itself). The improvised section lasts until the end of the song itself at 20:30.6! (i.e., at 20:30.7 - 0.1 pre-song cheers). That is to say, the song never reverts back to the ‘regular’ ‘Marquee Moon’, and never goes back to the vocal verse: ‘I remember how the darkness … etc.’; the song does, however, end with its ‘usual’ ‘rave-up’-guitar-ending and final guitar-crescendo, finally concluding with a cymbal-flourish and drum-hit at 20:30.6 (i.e., at elapsed time 20:30.7 - 0.1 pre-song cheers). The length of the song’s long, ‘jazzy’, improvised section of just Verlaine on guitar is 8:49.5 (the longest ever).3
“ ‘A Future In Noise’: October 11, 1981, Toad’s Place, New Haven, Connecticut”
‘Marquee Moon’ (19:37.6 is just the song itself). The improvised section lasts until the end of the song itself at 20:30.6! (i.e., at 20:30.7 - 0.1 pre-song cheer). The length of the song’s long, ‘jazzy’, improvised section of just Verlaine on guitar is 4:55.74
** “June 21, 2001, The EMP (Experience Music Project), The Sky Church, Seattle, Washington”
Steve Rovner on his Phishhook page wrote: “The recording is not good, as the mics were overdriven, thus causing a lot of distortion in the recording.”. We agree that the sound quality is absolutely execrable! It is probably the worst sounding Television/Verlaine bootleg in existence, which is very sad since it was described by several Marquee Moon Listers, who attended, as a great show, and because it contains a 19:21.3 version (just the song itself) of ‘Marquee Moon’5
“May 20, 1987, Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo, Japan”
‘Marquee Moon’ (18:40.8 is just the song itself). The length of the song’s long, ‘jazzy’, improvised section of just Verlaine on guitar was not measured.6
“October 8, 1981, The Ritz, NYC”
‘Marquee Moon’ (18:40.6 is just the song itself). The length of the song’s long, ‘jazzy’, improvised section of just Verlaine on guitar is 5:03.2.7
“April 17, 1987, The EXO 7, Rouen, France”
‘Marquee Moon’ (18:33.9 is just the song itself). The length of the song’s long, ‘jazzy’, improvised section of just Verlaine on guitar was not measured.8
