What's all this "No. 11"/"Bluetonic" business then?

Originally Bluetonic was titled No.11, in fact it was released under this title on the ultra-collectible Fierce Panada 7", "Return To Splendour". The name changed pretty soon afterwards, and when I first saw them live (December 1994) Bluetonic was the title used on the set list.

The reason it's called No.11 is 'cos it was the eleventh track the band wrote.

What's all this "Celia Celia"/Adrian Mitchell bit on Bluetonic?

The song uses some lyrics extracted from a poem called "Celia Celia" written by Adrian Mitchell. To avoid any problems the band decided to credit Adrian as an author of the single. For those interested here's the poem:

Celia Celia

When I am sad and weary
When I think all hope has gone
When I walk around High Holborn
I think of you with nothing on.

Why Is That Song Called What It Is?

I thought that many of you might be interested to know why some of the band's songs are called what they are. So as a start to this here goes:

Ames

J. D. King tells me: "Ames is a town in America, in the Wild West, I presume, because REM played there in 1995 between gigs at San Diego and Las Vegas."

Curiously enough if you put the initials of the lads together you get Ames (Adam, Mark, Eds and Scott).

Anne wrote to say "I read in an encyclopedia that Ames is actually a psychological thing (Discovered by a person with the name Dr. Ames I think) Where you see only what you expect to see, based on your past experiences".

Colorado Beetle

I'm not too sure on this one - suggestions welcome as always.

I checked the copy of Microsoft Encarta '95 which came with my computer (I knew I'd find a use for it some time!) and it came up with the following:

The Colorado potato beetle is the most destructive of the insect pests; others include the potato leafhopper, the potato flea beetle, and species of aphids and psyllids.

"Potato," Microsoft ® Encarta. Copyright © 1994 Microsoft Corporation. Copyright © 1994 Funk & Wagnall's Corporation.

The Jub Jub Bird

The Jubjub bird is a monster from a famous poem by Lewis Carroll from "Through the looking glass". It's called JABBERWOCKY and goes like this:

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogroves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'

He took his vorpal sword in hand
Long time the manxome foe he sought-
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
and stood awhile in thought.

And, as in ufish thought he stood
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
he went galumphing back.

'And hast thou slain the jabberwock?
Come to my arms my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogroves
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Keep The Home Fires Burning

Drapes (from the blue_army) tells me, "Keep the Home-Fires Burning" was a popular song in World War I. The lyrics are by Lena Ford and the music by Ivor Novello.

Keep the home-fires burning,
While your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home;
There's a silver lining
Through the dark cloud shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out,
Till the boys come home.

Marblehead Johnson

Chris Wolfe tells me this title is the band's tribute to the comedian Bill Hicks who died in early 1994. Eds was quoted as saying, "I've got a lot of respect for him - he said a lot of things many people were to scared to say.".

Anyway, he was also an accomplished guitarist and formed a band under the name Marblehead Johnson. A number of other bands have paid tributes to him including Radiohead (the bends).

Unpainted Arizona

The film Raising Arizona staring Nicolas Cage features a furniture company called Unpainted Arizona. As we all know, Mark's a film obsessive so the reference is mostly likely taken from there!

UTA

The band won't tell anyone what this means, even asking people to stop asking what it means at gigs! However, suggestions so far are that it's just a play on the US state Utah or means "Up The Arse"!

Where/what are these infamous hidden lyrics?

There are a number of hidden lyrics in 'tones songs these include:

Slight Return, 1 min 47 seconds, Mark told Radio 1's The Evening Session that he says, "Make it funky now!" and he didn't think anyone would notice it! However, many people think it actually says, "In a f***in' hour!". I'll let you make up your own minds.

Castle Rock, 2 mins 34 seconds, Mark says, "Hello boys and girls!".

Did the band write a track called The Godfather?

When the band were recording the second album they gave two tracks (Tone Blooze and Unpainted Arizona) the working title The Godfather I & II. They used these names when playing the tracks at V99 which is why some people know them by this name.