King Crimson — 21st Century Schizoid Man - Commentary

[Music] Welcome, I'm David singleton producer of King Crimson 50 To celebrate King Crimson's fiftieth anniversary, this year we will be releasing 50 rare or interesting King Crimson tracks, one week starting on the 13th of January which is king crimson's birthday the day in 1969 when they first began rehearsing in the Fulham Palace Cafe in London Appropriately the first rack is 21st Century Schizoid man the opening track on their first album This particular version also dates to my own first involvement with the band My first work. Robert Fripp and helped to compile a frame-by-frame box set in 1991 I recall exactly how this radio edit came to be made The record label Virgin Records were keen that there will be a radio friendly version of 21st Century Schizoid Man to help to promote the box set and I recall Robert Fripp telling them that there was no such thing as the track was about 7 minutes 30 long and in my naive innocence of King Crimson I recall telling him "well, of course, there's a shorter version because I can remember when I very first heard this Song thinking what a wonderful first verse, what a wonderful second verse, what a wonderful third verse and what on earth are all those solo is doing in the middle" Improving that he has a sense of humor, Robert Fripp suggested that I try making exactly that edit I'm not sure that I'd be entirely satisfied as is these days. Here it is the radio edit of 21st century schizoid man in 1991!