Halo of Gold is a B-Side that appears on both the Tropicalia and Cold Brains singles. It also appeared on the compilation album Stray Blues.
Description[]
Skip Spence is well known to rock history fans. His work is in the borders of '60s psychedelia and introverted folk music. Spence was also known as one of the many members of Jefferson Airplane, and had further success as a member of Moby Grape. Both groups were at the front of the San Francisco's '60s psychedelia scene.
After Moby Grape, Spence has issues with drugs and mental illness (He reportedly attacked a band member with an axe while on LSD, and ended up in a psychiatric hospital after leaving Moby Grape). While in the hospital, he wrote songs to what would become his solo masterpiece, Oar. After being released from the hospital, he went to Nashville and recorded every song in a couple of days, with him playing all instruments. Many years later, the album was reissued with some bonus tracks, with one being "Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold)"
Thirty years later, a tribute album was released named "More Oar". The tracklist is same as the original, and each song was performed by someone different, including Robert Plant and Tom Waits. Beck covered "Halo of Gold" for the album.
The original sounds like a folk song played on bass, and is very unique. It does sound like a demo, though, and in many ways, Beck came in and finished it for him.
After this, Beck made his "Record Club" project, where he and his friends tackle entire albums in a single day. One of these albums was Oar, where he and Wilco also covered it. Halo of Gold wasn't included though, because it wasn't on the original, and was an outtake.
Lyrics[]
Have you got a fine place to slip to
When you're feeling down?
Have you had a week or two
Just to get your troubles down?
Found a lot of life and laughter
With a grandfather in the bowery
She had a body of sixteen or seventeen
She had a mind of forty
I met her on a cold day in a city far away
When the world's about zero
And I saw at once into her soul
She's bound to call me her hero
Then like a walk in the rain or the lane
I found a lot of death that day
With the grandfather in the bowery
'Cause I like her like the world
She had a halo of gold
Told me stories of her life
And the courage was sublime
'Cause you're mine, I walk the line
'Cause you're mine, lalala
Have you got a fine place to slip to
When you're feeling down?
Have you had a week or two
Just to get your troubles down?
Found a lot of life and laughter
With a grandfather in the bowery
She had a body of sixteen or seventeen
She had a mind of forty
When the world's about zero
And I saw at once into her soul
She's bound to call me her hero
Then like a walk in the rain or the lane
I found a lot of death that day
With the grandfather in the bowery
'Cause I like her like the world
She had a halo of gold
Told me stories of her life
And the courage was sublime
'Cause you're mine, I walk the line
'Cause you're mine, lalala
Tigers and elephants' teeth
Elephants climb the zoo
Monkeys, beggars and thiefs
Little orphan Annies too
Everything under the sun
Could be evened out ??
But if I didn't like it that way
I'd have to change it
Aahaah
Listen[]
Beck - Halo Of Gold
Tracks
- 1: Cold Brains - 3:41
- 2: Nobody's Fault but My Own - 5:02
- 3: Lazy Flies - 3:44
- 4: Canceled Check - 3:14
- 5: We Live Again - 3:05
- 6: Tropicalia - 3:20
- 7: Dead Melodies - 2:36
- 8: Bottle of Blues - 4:56
- 9: O Maria - 3:59
- 10: Sing It Again - 4:19
- 11: Static - 5:18
- 12: Diamond Bollocks - 6:02 (unlisted)
B-Sides
Black Balloon • Diamond in the Sleaze • Electric Music and the Summer People • Halo of Gold • One of These Days • Runners Dial Zero
| B-Sides |
|---|
| Too See That Woman of Mine • Steal My Body Home • Mutherfuker • Untitled (Cupcake) • Alcohol • Corvette Bummer • Fume • MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack • Soul Suckin Jerk (reject) • Totally Confused • Special People • Super Golden Black Sunchild • Trouble All My Days • Asskizz Powergrudge (Payback! '94) • Got No Mind • Spanking Room • Feather In Your Cap • Whiskey Can Can • American Wasteland • Bonus Beats • Clock • Dark And Lovely • Lloyd Price Express • Make Out City • Where It's At (Remix by John King) • Where It's At (Remix by Mario C and Mickey P) • Where It's At (Remix by U.N.K.L.E) • 000.000 • Electric Music and the Summer People • Lemonade • Richards Hairpiece • The New Pollution (Remix by Mickey P) • The New Pollution (Remix by Mario C and Mickey P) • Thunder Peel • Burro • Brother • Devil Got My Woman • Jack-Ass (Butch Vig Mix) • Strange Invitation • Erase the Sun • SA-5 • Black Balloon • Halo of Gold • Diamond Bollocks • Diamond in the Sleaze • One of These Days • Runners Dial Zero • Salt in the Wound • Sexx Laws (Malibu Remix) • Sexx Laws (Wizeguyz Remix) • This Is My Crew • Arabian Nights • Dirty Dirty • Mixed Bizness (Alternative Mix) • Mixed Bizness (Cornelius Remix) • Mixed Bizness (Dirty Bixin Mixness) • Mixed Bizness (DJ Me DJ You Remix #1) • Mixed Bizness (DJ Me DJ You Remix #2) • Mixed Bizness (Fernando G Rmx) • Mixed Bizness (Nu Wave Dreamix) • Mixed Bizness (Transatlantic Remix) • Midnite Vultures • Zatyricon • Bad Cartridge • Ghost Range • Venom Confection • Bit Rate Variations in B-Flat • Girl (Octet Remix) • Ghettochip Malfunction • Gucci Bag in Flames • O Menina • Vampire Voltage No. 6 • Bonfire Blondes • Half & Half • Corrina, Corrina • Blue Randy • Up All Night (Oliver Remix) |