A Quiz From Under The Floorboards

Answer: Martin Hannett

Martin "Zero" Hannett (1948-1991) produced "Spiral Scratch" EP for The Buzzcocks (1976) which is considered to be the first indie punk release. He co-founded Factory Records and produced Joy Division's albums, "Unknown Pleasures" (1979) and "Closer" (1980), The Durutti Column's debut album (1979), early works by The Stone Roses (1985, collected as "Garage Flower") as well as singles for U2, OMD and New Order.

His early acquaintance with Howard Devoto (who was a member of The Buzzcocks at the time "Spiral Scratch" was recorded) led him to produce Magazine's third album, "The Correct Use Of Soap" (1980) from which "A Song From Under The Floorboards" is taken. He also produced their fourth and last album "Magic, Murder and the Weather" (1981).

Answer: Bob Dickinson

Magazine's 1980 line up:

Howard Devoto - vocals and lyrics
Barry Adamson - bass guitar
Dave Formula - keyboards
John McGeoch (1955-2004) - lead guitar
John Doyle - drums

Bob Dickinson played keyboards for Magazine in their debut single "Shot By Both Sides" (1978) and also co-authored "Motorcade" for their debut album "Real Life" (1978). He was replaced by Dave Formula.

Answer: Twenty Years Ago

The 7" single was released by Virgin Records, labeled VS321 (1980).

A side - "A Song From Under The Floorboards" (3:58)
B side - "Twenty Years Ago" (3:02)

Many years later, I was lucky to trace it strolling down Portobello market, right under the bridge. The young vendor couldn't quite understand my evident jubilation.

The wrong options are all from "The Correct Use Of Soap" (1980 Virgin Records, labeled V2156).

"A Song From Under The Floorboards" is considered one of Magazine's "hits" although the single did not make it to the UK charts' top 100.

Answer: Electric guitar

One of Magazine's characteristics was that each one of its members had the ability to form and deliver an extreme experience out of his music, which is also why the band was so producer-dependent. Their second album "Secondhand Daylight" (1979) is an example of a producer gone astray in this forest of talent (namely Colin Thurston). But when correctly produced the aggregate result is overwhelming - in my opinion "A Song From Under The Floorboards" is one of the two best examples for that, along with "The Light Pours Out Of Me" (produced by John Leckie).

Here, the neurotic atmosphere is beautifully built with the late John McGeoch playing the same triad of notes six times over, accompanied by Barry Adamson's monotonic bass, joined in the fourth repetition by Dave Formula's piano, leading to a coda after the sixth repetition, then starting all over again with drummer John Doyle taking his seat at the rhythm section. Now, its time for Howard Devoto to sing the marvelous lyrics he's written.

Answer: as ugly as sin

"I am angry, I am ill and I'm as ugly as sin
My irritability keeps me alive and kicking
I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit
I know beauty and I know a good thing when I see it"

p.s. the wrong options are all lines from Patrik Fitzgerald's song "As Ugly As You" (1979).

Answer: False

The way I see it, the song is all about the disharmony within one's soul and his efforts to reconcile the various demons in his mind. A fully rhymed chorus could not have served such a purpose right.

"This is a song from under the floorboards
This is a song from where the wall is cracked
My force of habit, I am an insect
I have to confess I'm proud as hell of that fact"

Answer: quality

The beautiful lyrics of verse two:

"I know the highest and the best
I accord them all due respect
But the brightest jewel inside of me
Glows with pleasure at my own stupidity"

Answer: he just got tired

There's not much energy left in one whose routine consists of an incessant energy-sucking self-examination:

"I used to make phantoms I could later chase
Images of all that could be desired
Then I got tired of counting all of these blessings
And then I just got tired"

Answer: Fyodor Dostoevsky

The opening line of "Notes from the Underground" leaves little room for doubt:

"I am a sick man. ... I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man."

Now all there's left to do is listen to the song and read the book.

A nice unofficial music video a-la phantom of the opera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3LaNeG5fu8

A superb live rendition can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p58kCYsiwt0

A transcript of the book can be found at: http://www.planetpdf.com/planetpdf/pdfs/free_ebooks/Notes_from_the_Underground_NT.pdf

Answer: Morrissey

If a single person on earth had to connect to the lyrics and atmosphere of this song, written by a fellow Mancunian, it has to be Morrissey.

Morrissey included "A Song From Under The Floorboards" in his maxi-single of "The Youngest Was The Most Loved" (2006).

Thanks for taking my quiz, hope it succeeded in reviving good memories, and maybe in creating new ones to come.