Material
featuring Whitney Houston and Archie Shepp
‘Memories’, an obscure Soft Machine song written by Hugh Hopper, was recorded by Material in 1982 and was one of the earliest recordings of Whitney Houston, if not the first.
Material were an American experimental punk-jazz-funk-noise-electro band, founded circa 1978/79 by bassist Bill Laswell and keyboard player Michael Beinhorn, and gradually coalescing as a band with Laswell, Michael Beinhorn, Fred Maher, Cliff Cultreri and Kramer as its core, and acting as a house band for visiting European musicians, such as Daevid Allen (Gong).
Material’s first released two Temporary Music EPs, followed by albums such as Memory Serves and One Down with an ever-revolving list of contributors, including singers such as Nona Hendryx, Bernard Fowler and Whitney Houston.
From 1982, the name would be used by Laswell and Beinhorn for many projects, including Herbie Hancock’s Future Shock album and “Rockit” single, Timezone’s “World Destruction” single, and from 1985 onward solely by Laswell such as on Sly and Robbie’s Rhythm Killers and Public Image Ltd.’s Album.
MEMORIES
I know, I cannot leave this place for the memories
Things like the way they knew us all over town
We used to walk the streets together
We could be seen
Past shops where people knew us
Yeah, people knew
I’ve got to choose between tomorrow and yesterday
Can’t stop to think about my life here today
Memories can hang you up and haunt you
All your life, you know
Get so you cannot stay
And yet cannot go
Hey, I could find out where you’ve gone today
I feel so unhappy
Streets seem so empty now
I want you, I want you with me
Maybe I’ll find someone to get you
Off my mind
Take me away from here and leave it
Leave it all behind
Oh, Memories can hang you up and haunt you
All your life you know
Get so you cannot stay and yet cannot go
.