inthemix | International News | Fatboy Slim & David Byrne concept album reveals guests

The full guest list for Here Lies Love – David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s concept album about Imelda Marcos – has been released and looks set to be one of the more interesting releases of the summer.

Making its world premiere at the Adelaide Festival of Arts back in 2006, the album features an amazing collection of female singers including Santigold, Sia, Cyndi Lauper, Sharon Jones, Alice Russell, Róisín Murphy and Kate Pierson of the B-52s. Country renegade Steve Earle and Byrne – who sings on two tracks – provide the only male vocals on the record.

The musical follows the story of the former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, who rose from childhood poverty to a life of high powered extravagance as the wife of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Known as “Steel Butterfly”, Imelda befriended Ronald and Nancy Reagan, charmed everyone from Pope John Paul II to Emperor Hirohito of Japan, and amassed a shoe collection in excess of 3000 pairs during her reign.

Byrne was inspired to write the musical after learning that Marcos converted the roof of her Manila palace into a disco after a trip to Studio 54. Describing the music as “house, techno, vaguely Latin”, Byrne says “it was liberating being able to write from the point of view of another character. No one’s going to think you’re using that character to voice your own opinions. I love the idea that it’s all true, that I can write a song about her dancing with Kissinger and it’s documented and there’s video footage to prove it.”

Presumably some of that footage is included on the DVD in the box set, due out on February 23, which also includes a 100 page book and the double album.

Full Here Lies Love tracklist:

CD 1:

01 Here Lies Love (Vocals by Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine)
02 Every Drop of Rain (Vocals by Candie Payne and St. Vincent)
03 You’ll Be Taken Care Of (Vocals by Tori Amos)
04 The Rose of Tacloban (Vocals by Martha Wainwright)
05 How Are You? (Vocals by Nellie McKay)
06 A Perfect Hand (Vocals by Steve Earle)
07 Eleven Days (Vocals by Cyndi Lauper)
08 When She Passed By (Vocals by Allison Moorer)
09 Walk Like A Woman (Vocals by Charmaine Clamor)
10 Don’t You Agree? (Vocals by Róisín Murphy)
11 Pretty Face (Vocals by Camille)
12 Ladies in Blue (Vocals by Theresa Andersson)

CD 2:

01 Dancing Together (Vocals by Sharon Jones)
02 Men Will Do Anything (Vocals by Alice Russell)
03 The Whole Man (Vocals by Kate Pierson)
04 Never So Big (Vocals by Sia)
05 Please Don’t (Vocals by Santigold)
06 American Troglodyte (Vocals by David Byrne)
07 Solano Avenue (Vocals by Nicole Atkins)
08 Order 1081 (Vocals by Natalie Merchant)
09 Seven Years (Vocals by David Byrne and Shara Worden)
10 Why Don’t You Love Me? (Vocals by Cyndi Lauper and Tori Amos)