Monday, August 16, 2010

Christopher Knowles - Philip Glass

I heard Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach years ago (because David Byrne mentioned it in an interview or somewhere), and never found out that a lot of it was based on text from Christopher Knowles. Coming across some of Knowles’s Typings today, courtesy of G.C. Waldrep (who emailed them to me), has taken me back. So here are several sections of the piece along with some poems from Christopher Knowles (not related to the Einstein).



HOW COULD I SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO YOU


If you know this thing in true. It would be very strange. If you know. If it to know.
On the suit for your kingdom for real ghost throat, if you know, if it is it.
If you say Hi.
If I know that in since we off to the heat to hot too hot to keep us warm.
How could I send my message and your message to you in this how is done for this.
How could I send my of this.
How could I send your messag.



Philip Glass
Einstein On the Beach: Knee Play 1


THE MORNING HAS BEEN BROKEN


The morning has been broken life for on for real.
If it was deeper life for fun. It was to heavy in like that to be so good on the hills.
If it was a scale in like standing up, it was clever off to the ground in this calls for help.
If I am late for excuses to be. It could be a reason.
On to the dry skin.
The morning has been broken life for on for real.
If it was deeper life for fun. It was to heavy in like that be so good on the hills/
If it was a scale in like standing up, it was clever off to the ground in this calls for help.
If I am late for excuses to be. It could be a reason.
On to the dry skin.
The morning has been broken life for on for real.



Philip Glass
Einstein on the Beach: Knee Play 2


YOU KNOW THAT


You know that.
It was a cow who has milk to drink into the crane.
It was a frame picture, in since when you see like that.
The thing is the choice of those things happens then.
In televisions ver into that.
You know that.
It was a cow who has milk to drink into the crane.
It was a frame picture, in since when you see like that.
The thing is the choice of those things happens then.
In televisions ver into that.



Philip Glass
Einstein on the Beach: Knee Play 3 (Jukebox Version )


RADIOS FOR FUN


In the town in which radios in this to know. Be sure to do this.
In the red van of all of those stuff,
masks of those could it self. In viting the whole friends.
On to the table.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
In the town in which radios in this to know. Be sure to do this.
In the red van of all of those stuff,
masks of those could it self. In viting the whole friends.
On to the table.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.
Radios for fun to roast in those plates.,, radios for fun to listen with bo th radios,,...



Philip Glass
Einstein On the Beach: Knee Play 5


PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM


I used to be a boat rower in times in dreams at least to be freaky. Be on your on.
So turn off your taperecorder off and go to sleep. So that why we call so.
Like bad mad sad but you shold be glad to be proud of you.
So this won't wreck and destroy your things to be.
So if your actress no behave to be so.
To be announcing the Philadelphia Freedom. But when you're with my Daddy never is.
I used to be a boat rower in times in dreams at least to be freaky. Be on your on.
So turn off your taperecorder off and go to sleep. So that why we call so.
Like bad mad sad but you shold be glad to be proud of you.
So this won't wreck and destroy your things to be.
So if your actress no behave to be so.
To be announcing the Philadelphia Freedom. But when you're with my Daddy never is.
I used to be a boat rower in times in dreams at least to be freaky. Be on your on.
So turn off your taperecorder off and go to sleep. So that why we call so.
Like bad mad sad but you shold be glad to be proud of you.
So this won't wreck and destroy your things to be.
So if your actress no behave to be so.
To be announcing the Philadelphia Freedom. But when you're with my Daddy never is.
I used to be a boat rower in times in dreams at least to be freaky. Be on your on.
So turn off your taperecorder off and go to sleep. So that why we call so.
Like bad mad sad but you shold be glad to be proud of you.
So this won't wreck and destroy your things to be.
So if your actress no behave to be so.
To be announcing the Philadelphia Freedom. But when you're with my Daddy never is.
To be announcing the Philadelphia Freedom. But when you're with my Daddy never is.
To be announcing the Philadelphia Freedom.

5 Comments:

At 8/16/2010 3:29 PM, Blogger Imola said...

Quite an interesting this you've got going here!

 
At 8/04/2011 7:02 AM, Blogger aniess said...

How did you obtain these texts? I've been searching for Christopher Knowles' works to purchase, but none of his work seems to be published.

 
At 8/04/2011 7:22 AM, Blogger John Gallaher said...

I don't recall now, where I came across them. But this is all I have, just these few things.

I wish someone would make them all available.

 
At 12/07/2011 3:39 PM, Blogger Annabel Lee said...

Vehicle Editions, of which I am publisher, published "Typings: 1974-77" in about 1979 and the book is still available. The most delightful way for you to order it would be for you to go to your local bookstore and ask them to order copies from Small Press Distribution. Vehicle Editions does have a website www.vehicleeditions.com. And I'm delighted to report that just this past fall Printed Matter here in New York City had copies in their window, so they are a good place to buy the book. Most of the book is the text from "Einstein on the Beach." For those of you who saw it you will especially recognize "we could get some wind for the sailboat..."

 
At 4/11/2013 7:52 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Reminds me of John Cage . . . word-wise . . .

 

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