Do you have any idea how hard it is to search YouTube for a song called “Radio” by a band called Copyright?
It’s hard.
And I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to find a link. This is what the search is like.
So, if you’ve ever heard this song, just hum it in your head while I talk about it. And this is to prove that the band Copyright actually existed and that I’m not making this up.
I remember back in 1996, a song called “Transfiguration” was played pretty regularly on the old MuchMusic video channel. The singer is weird. He had weird hair. He also looked and acted like he did his fair share of drugs. This song, the one called “Radio” got a bit of air play, but not much. I do remember that I really liked these two songs and they were enough for me to go and buy the album “Love Story”. I don’t believe I’ve ever listened to it. One of these days…..
But here’s something interesting. Thomas Anselmi… the singer… the weirdo artsy-fartsy druggy dude… was in some punk band called Slow, playing at Expo 86 in Vancouver. I forget what year. Anyway, Wikipedia has a little story about it, so I’ll quote it:
Slow are most famous for a controversial incident which both marred the Expo 86 festivities and effectively ended the band’s career. On the opening night of the Festival of Independent Recording Artists, several people who were not attending the concert wandered into the pavilion, witnessed the band’s outrageous live show, and rushed out to complain to Expo management. The officials turned off the power, ending the band’s set. Anselmi expressed his displeasure by mooning the audience, and Hamm quickly followed suit, also exposing himself frontally.
The band were detained by the Vancouver police, who considered charging them with indecent exposure. Expo officials cancelled the evening’s concert, citing security concerns.[1]
Some of the fans in attendance got onstage and refused to leave the venue, others began to riot, and yet another group stormed BCTV’s onsite studios, where they protested the concert’s cancellation so loudly and persistently that the station had to pull its 11:00 p.m. newscast.
The following day, Expo announced the cancellation of the whole concert festival. A few days later, Vancouver band the New Heads performed “Expo Song” at the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret, in the style of Slow, swore at the audience and removed most of their clothing. The song was introduced by saying, “This is a song that Poisoned played at our world’s fair.” (Poisoned was the next act scheduled in the concert festival.)
The band subsequently split up. Anselmi and Thorvaldson formed the band ©, while Hamm and Russell launched Tankhog.
So, the singer started a riot with his ass. Sort of.
Now, what does this have to do with the really neat, well-played, tuneful and melodic song called “Radio”? Fuck all.
Sweet fuck all, to be exact. But here’s a little tidbit of information that will both perfectly describe both what this song sounds like and why this band didn’t stick around after 1997.
This sounds exactly like Radiohead.
Pretty much an exact copy (right?), only there’s a cello in the song “Radio” (head?) and the singer (with his mighty, riot-starting ass in tow) sounds exactly like Thom Yorke, only he’s not as good a singer and he doesn’t really sound like Thom Yorke. He’s got a breathy nerdy quivering whisper whine.
Maybe Copyright should have just called themselves “Asshead”. It’s certainly more memorable than “Copyright”, and it’s easier to search for on the interwebs.
No, I will not provide you with examples of “Asshead”, neither from Google image search nor from YouTube. Use your imagination.