| Jean the Birdman | |
| Cover: | Sylvian and Fripp - Jean the Birdman.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | David Sylvian & Robert Fripp |
| Album: | The First Day |
| Recorded: | December 1992 - March 1993 |
| Genre: | Art rock |
| Length: | 4:12 |
| Label: | Virgin |
| Producer: | David Bottrill, David Sylvian |
| Chronology: | David Sylvian |
| Prev Title: | Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) |
| Prev Year: | 1992 |
| Next Title: | I Surrender |
| Next Year: | 1999 |
"Jean the Birdman" is a collaboration between Robert Fripp and David Sylvian, co-written by Trey Gunn. The dreamlike music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh a year before he became famous for his work on Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun".
The single was released as two separate CDs, each including exclusive bonus tracks.[1] [2] [3]
"Earthbound (Starblind)" was co-written by Fripp and Sylvian, and was effectively in two parts, Sylvian singing a melodic verse and chorus over a simple acoustic guitar, which then gave way to a 6 minute Fripp soundscape of guitar and Frippertronics.
"Endgame" was a simple piece, again dominated by Sylvian's verse chorus vocal over a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. Sylvian explained: "These pieces were written after the completion of the Rain Tree Crow project. Lyrically, there is still this connection with that early material. I guess I hadn't worked the themes out of system entirely with Rain Tree Crow."[4]
On "Tallow Moon" Sylvian spoke the lyrics of a poem. The lyrics are taken from "Lettre Au Directeur Des Messageries Maritimes", released on Hector Zazou's album Sahara Blue. "Dark Water" was a ambient soundscape by Fripp.[5]