Non-canon robyn hitchcock songs
In addition to Hitchcock’s central discography ('the canon'), surveyed on the rest of this site, there are a number of other, tangential releases which contain otherwise unavailable material of some sort. Such releases are detailed below...
1982-83 Sessions with Captain Sensible
In 1982, Captain Sensible teamed up with producer Tony Mansfield and Robyn Hitchcock. His album, Women And Captains First included two Sensible-Hitchcock collaborations, “Brenda Parts 1 and 2" and “Croydon”. The following year, Sensible released The Power of Love and this album contained another four collaborations: “I'm A Spider”; “Stop The World”; “It's Hard To Believe I'm Not” and “Secrets”. A few of these titles also appeared on singles.
1989 Brenda of the Lightbulb Eyes
This videotape compiles several promo videos for Hitchcock releases, some of which are also available elsewhere. The music is of course standard, but it’s worth listing the video here for its visual interest. Song videos included are: “One Long Pair Of Eyes”; “Madonna Of The Wasps”; “Balloon Man”; “Raymond Chandler Evening”; “Brenda's Iron Sledge”; “I Often Dream Of Trains”; “The Man With The Lightbulb Head”.
1990 Queen of Eyes (Live) / Foxy Lady (Live)
Single released under the pseudonym, Nigel and the Crosses, via Bucketfull of Brains. The group consisted of Robyn Hitchcock, Andy Metcalfe, Morris Windsor, Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Peter Holsapple.
1990 Pave the Earth (an A&M Sampler)
This label compilation was issued on CD and includes an otherwise unavailable live version of “Birdshead”. Note that in 1990, this song had not yet been released commercially in any form.
1999 “Psychedelic Love”
An unreleased (officially) song which dates back to the Soft Boys’ early days. It was picked up by the group Loveletter, and issued on their album, Beethoven Chopin Kitchen Fraud, following the release of a Soft Boys bootleg version.
2002 Tunes on Toxic Terrain: WFMU Live from New Jersey
This album (released 2004) included a Soft Boys recording made live in the studio on 25 October 2002: "If You Know Time" - a track new to the public, but which would later appear on Robyn's solo album, Spooked, in an acoustic rendition.
2003 Wig in a Box
The album, Wig in a Box, was released as a charity fundraiser. Hitchcock contributed his song, “City of Women” which was not part of his own discography at the time. (It has since appeared on a Japanese Hitchcock CD, bringing it into the canon.)
2004 Caught in the Net
A compilation album on the Spyda label. Robyn donated his “Crumble Like Dust” to the collection.
2006 Graciously: A Gulf Relief Compilation
Robyn donated the song, "I Wish I Was Doing This" to the benefit CD issued by Funzalo Records. The song is otherwise unknown in his discography.
2009 Rachel Getting Married
Robyn contributed a couple of songs to this Jonathan Demme movie - "Up to our Nex" (as included on the album Goodnight Oslo) and an alternative recording of "America". When the DVD edition came out in 2009, this became publicly available. (It can also be heard on YouTube).
2012-2014 Phantom 45s
Hitchcock released a number of download-only ‘singles’ through his website, calling them phantom 45s. All were previously unreleased songs, and they have since been placed on vinyl for collectors (see the 2013 double 12-inch, There Goes the Ice). It seems likely that more will appear in due course...
1982-83 Sessions with Captain Sensible
In 1982, Captain Sensible teamed up with producer Tony Mansfield and Robyn Hitchcock. His album, Women And Captains First included two Sensible-Hitchcock collaborations, “Brenda Parts 1 and 2" and “Croydon”. The following year, Sensible released The Power of Love and this album contained another four collaborations: “I'm A Spider”; “Stop The World”; “It's Hard To Believe I'm Not” and “Secrets”. A few of these titles also appeared on singles.
1989 Brenda of the Lightbulb Eyes
This videotape compiles several promo videos for Hitchcock releases, some of which are also available elsewhere. The music is of course standard, but it’s worth listing the video here for its visual interest. Song videos included are: “One Long Pair Of Eyes”; “Madonna Of The Wasps”; “Balloon Man”; “Raymond Chandler Evening”; “Brenda's Iron Sledge”; “I Often Dream Of Trains”; “The Man With The Lightbulb Head”.
1990 Queen of Eyes (Live) / Foxy Lady (Live)
Single released under the pseudonym, Nigel and the Crosses, via Bucketfull of Brains. The group consisted of Robyn Hitchcock, Andy Metcalfe, Morris Windsor, Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Peter Holsapple.
1990 Pave the Earth (an A&M Sampler)
This label compilation was issued on CD and includes an otherwise unavailable live version of “Birdshead”. Note that in 1990, this song had not yet been released commercially in any form.
1999 “Psychedelic Love”
An unreleased (officially) song which dates back to the Soft Boys’ early days. It was picked up by the group Loveletter, and issued on their album, Beethoven Chopin Kitchen Fraud, following the release of a Soft Boys bootleg version.
2002 Tunes on Toxic Terrain: WFMU Live from New Jersey
This album (released 2004) included a Soft Boys recording made live in the studio on 25 October 2002: "If You Know Time" - a track new to the public, but which would later appear on Robyn's solo album, Spooked, in an acoustic rendition.
2003 Wig in a Box
The album, Wig in a Box, was released as a charity fundraiser. Hitchcock contributed his song, “City of Women” which was not part of his own discography at the time. (It has since appeared on a Japanese Hitchcock CD, bringing it into the canon.)
2004 Caught in the Net
A compilation album on the Spyda label. Robyn donated his “Crumble Like Dust” to the collection.
2006 Graciously: A Gulf Relief Compilation
Robyn donated the song, "I Wish I Was Doing This" to the benefit CD issued by Funzalo Records. The song is otherwise unknown in his discography.
2009 Rachel Getting Married
Robyn contributed a couple of songs to this Jonathan Demme movie - "Up to our Nex" (as included on the album Goodnight Oslo) and an alternative recording of "America". When the DVD edition came out in 2009, this became publicly available. (It can also be heard on YouTube).
2012-2014 Phantom 45s
Hitchcock released a number of download-only ‘singles’ through his website, calling them phantom 45s. All were previously unreleased songs, and they have since been placed on vinyl for collectors (see the 2013 double 12-inch, There Goes the Ice). It seems likely that more will appear in due course...
The songs...
The non-canon songs/recordings which do not appear elsewhere in the discography are listed here:
- America [2008 movie version]
- Birdshead [live, 1990]
- Brenda Parts 1 & 2 [recorded by Captain Sensible]
- Croydon [recorded by Captain Sensible]
- Crumble Like Dust
- I Wish I Was Doing This
- I'm A Spider [recorded by Captain Sensible]
- If You Know Time [live, 2002]
- It's Hard To Believe I'm Not [recorded by Captain Sensible]
- Psychedelic Love [recorded by Loveletter]
- Queen of Eyes (Live) [recorded by Nigel and the Crosses]
- Secrets [recorded by Captain Sensible]
- Stop The World [recorded by Captain Sensible]