Her Favourite
Hitchcock Films

JERRY VESSEL

1

Give My Regards to Bellevue

2

The Sisters of Mercy

3

Her Favourite Hitchcock Films

4

Spirits Converge

5

The Buzzcocks Used to Play

6

Magic Shoes

7

Breakfast at Latif’s

8

Neubauten

9

Martha

10

The Girl with Stars in Her Hair

11

Queen of the Universe

12

Alexander McQueen

13

Bruce & Michele

14

Leonora Carrington

Album Credits

Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

1

Give My Regards to Bellevue

As I move another step away from you

I remember so many of our beautiful nights

like the time you were dancing through the room

in your slippers singing give my regards to Bellevue

You could always make me laugh with your humor so black

and the darkest thing you ever said to me

I can only repeat in cryptic back mask

‘When I die will you fuck me one more time’

Give my regards to Bellevue

give my regards to Bellevue

this girl’s got to find a new way home

We had that blue tarp on the roof

to keep the rain away We had the tesla and your medicine

to keep your pain away to keep your pain away

You had the footlights of Broadway

to illuminate your stage Your elegance descending the staircase

to take my breath away you take my breath away

this girl’s got to find a new way home

Give my regards to Bellevue

give my regards to Bellevue

give my regards to Bellevue

this girl’s got to find a new way home

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards, string arrangement
Matt Brubeck
cello parts and improv
Maria Grigoryeva
violin
Euros Rowlands
‘this girl’s got to find a new way home’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

2

The Sisters of Mercy

All of your kisses are laced in morphine

we leapt into the abyss

All of your cruelty is torturous to me

there is the ritual

In the dead of Winter I find you here

there is the scent of your perfume

in these empty rooms

There are the Sisters of Mercy

there is Leonard Cohen to whom you turn

on nights in which you seek tranquility

There is your disillusion there are your uniforms

and the secrets you have kept from me

There is your solace there is your quietude

and the distillation of your imperial majesty

There are the sounds of hinges

they’ll dive ascend and converge

like Black Sabbath guitars

You are the orchid I am solitude

you have been my darkness

you have been my light

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards, electric guitars, piano
Euros Rowlands
‘there are the sounds of hinges’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

3

Her Favourite Hitchcock Films

My neighbor told me that in the 1970s

The Marchants would deal heroin out of this house

and sometimes I wonder if any remnants from those days

are still here hidden in the walls or hidden in the ceiling

Now it’s just me and Alexis living together in this place

we sleep in the living room and watch old movies

She knows all about the cinema her favourite Hitchcock films

are ‘Strangers on a Train’ and ‘Marnie’

She loves Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery

when ‘Bladerunner’ came out she fell in love with Rutger Hauer

Last summer we went to see Die Antwoord at the Civic Center

little blondie Yolandi Ninja

then to the Tunnel Top Lounge for drinks

she looked so beautiful in pink

neon light as she spoke to me

Walking through Union Square on our way to Lori’s Diner

her reflection on the windows captivated me

stumbling in we saw that famous photograph of Sophia Loren

and Jayne Mansfield taken at Romanoff’s

She loves Michael Shannon and Faye Dunaway

the films of David Lynch

‘Blue Velvet’ ‘Lost Highway’

Jerry Vessel
piano, keyboards (Rhodes), vocal
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards, percussion
Paul Francis
"Sounds of the Universe"
Alexis O'Connell
voice
Euros Rowlands
‘Her favourite Hitchcock films’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

4

Spirits Converge

I remember William Saffer

as an old man and a bag of bones

but from his deathbed he arose

with the strength to embrace me and my brothers

Sidney slipped away when I was just a kid

gone up to fisherman’s heaven

floating on a river Tuolumne at Fox Grove

in an aluminum boat

I remember the congregation

of the old Prescott Bible Church

the empty fields where we would fly our kites

the Nagel sisters in their Sunday clothes

Spirits converge - human spirits converge

spirits converge

Fernando & Marcela

had a tarpaper shack

I always loved the smell of her kitchen

with chili con carne and tortillas on the stove

I remember her broken little finger

I remember her broken English

the pictures of Arvil and Joe

dressed in their army uniforms

The river bank smelled of chamomile

the waters were black and green

this is where the Okies would camp

with their tents and their fires and their dreams

In the morning I would always kiss you

gently enough to let you know I was about to go

and that I would ache for you and long for another night

in which our spirits would converge

Spirits converge - human spirits converge

Spirits converge - spirits converge . . .

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Darol Anger
violin
Skip Edwards
Hammond B3 organ
Mark Kozelek
backing vocals
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards, percussion, electric guitar, lap steel guitar
Euros Rowlands
‘gently enough to let you know I was about to go’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

5

The Buzzcocks Used to Play

The Buzzcocks used to play

frequently on the jukebox of Murio’s Trophy Room

‘Why Can’t I Touch It’  ‘Ever Fallen in Love’

with someone you shouldn’t have fallen in love with

The Pixies used to play

on the jukebox at Chel’s 6th Street Rendezvous

‘Where is My Mind?’ feet on the air head on the ground

instantly I dug their sound

I used to see you

walking near the corners of Shrader & Haight

white as a ghost all dressed in black

I could tell it was you by the spark of your heels

going to some destination I would never know

House Painters used to play

on the jukebox at The Uptown 17th and Capp

somewhere there’s a picture

a black & white Polaroid from those early days

We would rehearse at Carol Lennon’s studio

some of the girls from the scene would come around

meeting their boyfriends playing in bands

Nici Anna Rory and you

that was a time when our hearts and minds

were young and strong that was a time

when you and your mother lived in Daly City

on Olympic Drive

that was a time on Olympic Drive . . .

Jerry Vessel
piano, keyboards (Rhodes), vocal
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards, electric guitar
Anthony Koutsos
drums
Euros Rowlands
‘by the spark of your heels’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

6

Magic Shoes

I’d like to be on psilocybin or on ecstasy

maybe a little weed and a cup o’ tea

I’d like to listen to Jerry Reed singing ‘The Likes of Me’

Jerry Reed singing the likes of me

I never tried Quaaludes or Heroin

I used to listen to C W McCall on my way to work

‘A pint of blood and a rabbit’s foot’

a pint of blood and a rabbit’s foot

I love the skyline of San Francisco near Broadway & Columbus

near Spec’s Adler Museum near Tosca near City Lights

where North Beach meets Chinatown

I wish I’d seen The Cockettes in the 70s

Phyllis Diller and Lenny Bruce at The Purple Onion

Kashmir and Karen with their sleepy eyes

The Blue Lamp and The I-Beam

Tu Lan Vietnamese on 6th street in the midst

of the unsettling humanity

I remember the night Chris Kellas

set the table on fire with a bottle of Ng Ka Py

he set the table on fire with a bottle of Ng Ka Py

I always liked Chris Kellas except for the time

he closed the bar early on a Sunday night

when I was trying to get you drunk and take you home with me

I used to wait for you at the deli on the corners of Larkin & Eddy

while you and Paul would argue over money and drugs

one flight up cracked out of your heads - 550 Larkin at Eddy

You would walk around the Tenderloin in your magic shoes

gesturing ambidextrously impervious to the night

I could get through all of this if you were here beside me

which now is never never never never ever

I’d like to be on Mescaline or on LSD

or on peyote with you as my spirit guide

To have been with you was so beautiful - to touch your face

to breathe your breath - to hear your voice

coming home to you always delighted my heart

When I run out of paper - when I run out of ink

the story’s over ladies and gentlemen . . .

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards
Paul Francis
"Sounds of the Universe"
Euros Rowlands
‘a pint of blood and a rabbit’s foot’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

7

Breakfast at Latif’s

I wish you were here watching a movie with me

I wish we had taken our breakfast together

this morning downtown at ‘Latif’s’ as you call it

You were always so fond of the country potatoes

the sourdough toast and the blackberry jam

I was always enamored of you in the morning

I was always enamored of you completely

We never watched ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

I wish that we had

I remember your love for Audrey Hepburn

For David Lynch for ‘Lost Highway’

your favorite scene was the one

with Mr Eddy and Balthazar Getty

I was always enamored of you in the morning

I was always enamored of you in the evening

Into the midnights - into the afternoons

Enamored of you into eternity

Jerrry Vessel
piano, vocal
Bruce Kaphan
pedal steel guitar, keyboards, percussion
Euros Rowlands
‘we never watched Breakfast at Tiffanys’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

8

Neubauten

Dave Vanian and The Damned

Bela Lugosi and Telegram Sam

‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’

by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Stiv Bators and The Dead boys

‘A Girl Called Johnny’

by The Waterboys

‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ by Prince

Johnny Thunders and The Residents

‘Sabrina’ is your favorite song

Einstürzende Neubauten

I know you are in love with Blixa Bargeld

and I’m ok with that

he is a handsome and talented man

in a remarkable band

Watching ‘Raging Bull’ with you

we both loved Cathy Moriarty

the black and white cinematography

Fellini and Cassavetes

‘Eraserhead’ and ‘The Elephant Man’

life is full of surprises

‘A Case of You’ by Joni Mitchell

‘A Night Like This’ by The Cure

White Zombie Ministry

The Sisters of Mercy

‘Gimme Shelter’ by The Rolling Stones

give me a night with you all alone

just you and me

just you and me

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards, percussion (shaker)
Anthony Koutsos
drums
Milena Kalea
keyboards, Tibetan bowls, thumb piano
Paul Francis
"Sounds of the Universe"
Euros Rowlands
‘life is full of surprises’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

9

Martha

I remember the sound of your cello

presumably named after Ichabod Crane

Talking with you yesterday

I recall the bands in which you once played :

Amber Asylum The Cherubs and Shiva Dancing

Martha we are living through precarious times

I’m sorry to present myself to you in such a state

like I said I have a massive crush on you

I always thought you were

intelligent and beautiful

You look to the left a little outside

letting your freak flag fly

disclosing the details of your heart to me

reflections of a time that used to be

I wanted to be in a band like Jethro Tull

I wanted to be in a band like The Cure

I wanted to be in The Flaming Lips

I wanted to be in The Velvet Underground

You know my love - she had her delusions

I suppose I have them as well

but she was pure in her affinity for

Dave Gahan and Rozz Williams for

Stiv Bators and Johnny Thunders

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Maeve Gilchrist
harp
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards
Euros Rowlands
‘I wanted to be in the Velvet Underground’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

10

The Girl with Stars in Her Hair

I once had a girl she was beautiful like you Anna Carow

we had a little dog she named after Fritz Lang

she was the center of my world for nearly three years

until one Monday in Spring she disappeared

The first time I saw Sparklehorse they open the show for Cracker

Mark Linkous sang and played guitar from his wheelchair

I always liked the poetry of David Lowery especially

‘Life is Grand’ from the Camper Van Beethoven days

I saw The Flaming Lips and Vic Chestnutt at Slim’s

I saw Arab Strap and Deerhoof at

The Great American Music Hall

I saw Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci at a festival in Spain

I always dug their whimsy and their ancient magic

It was Emmylou Harris who introduced me to Townes Van Zandt

And it was she who informed me of his leaving

then I bought all his cassettes from the Tower Outlet store

I wish I’d seen him play underground at Spike’s Cafe

You were always so beautiful

the girl with stars in her hair

hardcore like Rozz Williams and Darby Crash

with your gleaming smile your confrontational style

with your glamour fashion and your love for Daniel Ash

You dealt me a blow from which I’ll never quite recover

in oranges and in blue it crushes me to know

that you lost sight of the beautiful light

waiting for you there on your horizon

Jerry Vessel
vocal
Mark Kozelek
backing vocals
Bruce Kaphan
piano, keyboards, percussion, lap steel guitar
Milena Kalea
backing vocals
Paul Francis
"Sounds of the Universe"
Euros Rowlands
‘in oranges and in blues’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

11

Queen of the Universe

Being with you intimately is always like overdosing on ecstasy

your electric vibes moving through me from inside

Your décolletage your Kryolan

your amblyopia your tourmaline

breathtakingly perverse you’re the queen of my universe

with your aura and with your allure

you come singing to me

Being with you sensually is always to discover

your profound mystery your glitter and your glam

the amplitude of your circuitry

With your Kabuki theater make-up on

you have been my dominatrix and I’ve been your switch

With your aura and with your allure

you come singing to me

When I said I love you

you thought it was strange you thought it was strange

you’re a work of art and my heart knows what it wants

it wants what it wants

Being with you

being with you . . .

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Lyle Workman
electric baritone guitar
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards, electric guitar
Paul Francis
"Sounds of the Universe"
Euros Rowlands
‘you come singing to me’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

12

Alexander McQueen

I love the way you’ve told me about fragrance & perfume

with their notes of patchouli & sandalwood

and of the designers who inspired you in school

Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier and

Alexander McQueen Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

I love your impersonation of Laura Dern

when she played Lula in Wild at Heart

and the way you portray Tallulah Bankhead

makes me laugh you always make me laugh

You are wild at heart you are wild at heart

you are wild at heart

The picture that you took of yourself standing on the porch

is a work of art you’re a work of art

and the picture that you took of yourself on the Greyhound bus

breaks your mother’s heart it breaks her heart like

Alexander McQueen Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards
Matt Brubeck
cello
Aurelia Frances Axiak
backing vocal
Euros Rowlands
‘with their notes of patchouli and sandalwood’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

13

Bruce & Michele

Teardrops don’t stream down my face anymore

instead they come pouring like a mountain cascade at the waterfall

Bruce and Michele have been my harbor for the past five days

they understand I’m not beyond being overcome by love

My closest friends understand my grief

they understand my nihilistic tendencies

I told them I might fall apart if I got too fucked up

but I did not and the room they offered me was lovely and dark

I could feel the air upon my skin

I slept in comfort and in dreams

in the evening Michele would feed me quinoa and Fava beans

I was always hungry I was always grateful

to sit at your table as a lost vagabond

Alexis used to ask your not angry with me are you

that’s a sentiment I know all too well

moving through the night I’m a drunken tyrant

I certainly can’t remember everything that I do

On those beautiful June afternoons

I would stand at your window as the sun

would set upon the hills of Niles

I would long to lie beside you in the dust in the dust

I would ache to behold you forever once again

Townes Van Zandt Rickie Lee Jones Nina Simone

on a Sunday morning

I tell myself take care as I long

to behold you forever once again

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Bruce Kaphan
piano, keyboards, percussion
Matt Brubeck
cello
Kelly Atkins
backing vocal
Euros Rowlands
‘and the room they offered me’
Euros Rowland's accompanying artwork

14

Leonora Carrington

Some nights I hear in microtones like Harry Partch

Some nights I sit at the keys pretending to be Thelonious Monk

Some nights I image you as a hologram

With your beautiful laser light

When I contemplate the infinite universe

When I contemplate the many beautiful facets of you

It causes my head to spin

When I look into your eyes in the morning light

I can see the ancient Druid forest in kaleidoscope

I can see you lost like Dorthy in The Wizard of Oz

I can see the orange and blue

I can see the grey and the green

I can see your coat of arms and the heraldry

I can see you with pomegranates and tangerines

As a figure in a beautiful Leonora Carrington

And now I will sleep in beautiful

Benzodiazepine dreams of you . . .

Jerry Vessel
piano, vocal
Maeve Gilchrist
harp
Darol Anger
violin
Bruce Kaphan
keyboards
Paul Francis
"Sounds of the Universe"
Euros Rowlands
‘dreams of you’
Leonora Carrington painting
Photo of Alexis in silhouette

For Alexis

The songs presented here have primarily been informed by American fashion designer Alexis O’Connell

Her love of cinema fragrance and music has hopefully been made obvious

Her fantastical and enigmatic monologues reside within me

For Alexis

The songs presented here have primarily been informed by American fashion designer Alexis O’Connell

Her love of cinema fragrance and music has hopefully been made obvious

Her fantastical and enigmatic monologues reside within me

ALBUM CREDITS

Songs
Jerry Vessel
Production
Bruce Kaphan & Jerry Vessel
Mix
Bruce Kaphan at Niagara Falls
Mastering
David Glasser at Airshow Mastering
Audio Engineering
Bruce Kaphan
Additional Engineering
Darol Anger
Kelly Atkins
Matt Brubeck
Will Chason
Skip Edwards
Paul Frances
Maeve Gilchrist
Maria Grigoryeva

Milena Kalea
Anthony Koutsos
Nathan Winter
Album Art 
Website

Thanks To

Sidiki Camara, Per Gisle Galaen, Paul Olguin, Joice Garrison, Ivo Watts-Russell

Eternal Love and Gratitude to

Bruce Kaphan, Alexis O'Connell, Euros Rowlands, Michele White

Alexis in the morning

Alexis was a black cat she told me that

she had become the persona she created

She wore a sleeveless dress Emilio Pucci green

she wore her silver rings pouring drinks for me

On those Summer nights at The Trocadero

upstairs at the bar underneath the gothic black light

She had a youthful dream to be on the Olympic team

swimming through the water for The Daly City Dolphins

She wanted to play bass in a punk industrial band

I called her from a pay phone outside The Kennel club

after a show by Pussy Galore I walked to her apartment

slept in her bed nothing more

She’d become a needle user and to find her next fix

she worked as a stripper and dominatrix

She took her leather whips to a dungeon she kept

at The Power Exchange so appropriately named

She harbored a great resentment toward the men who preyed

upon the girls who danced on the stages

of places like The Mitchell Brothers’ O’Farrell Theater

She was elegantly wasted at the time of heroin chic

I was never into that scene give me a dive bar like The Club Car

places that open at 6 a.m. to accommodate the old men

as they congregate over their love of John Barleycorn

Places to retreat into the darkest corners to contemplate

Jack London and assuage the DTs

places where the patrons have become dusty fixtures

drinking Irish coffees at The Buena Vista

On Sunday mornings I would go to Rich Levy’s house

stinking of hard liquor but arriving on time

We built an 8 string bass an SG-prototype

Junkyard was a genius he was always DIY

making home-made soup making home-made pie

crafting beautiful solid-body electric guitars

growing magic mushrooms from imported spores

undisclosed locations undisclosed sources

Alexis sometimes in the morning I find my blood is empty

I’m dying to lie beside you in the wilderness

On overdose evenings we would cling to one another

the wino and the junkie you sang to me from the bath

compassion in your voice you would let me know

I was your boy and you would never let anything bad

ever happen to me

BACK 
TO TOP