Big Black Bus

Side A
1. White Knuckles
2. My Monkey
3. Same Strange Dogma
4. Red (In My) Head

Side B
5. Answering Machine Messages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liner Notes:

copyright 1990 berkowitz/manson

MUSIC/BERKOWITZ
LYRICS/MANSON

MARILYN MANSON
vocals
DAISY BERKOWITZ
guitars, percussion
GIDGET GEIN
bass
MADONNA WAYNE GACY
samples, percussion

RECORDED AT SYNC STUDIOS/MIAMI, FL
PRODUCED BY SCOTT PUTESKY
ENGINEERED BY RALPH CAVALLARO
2ND ENGINEER: TONY SCHREIBER

MANAGEMENT: BLIND MAN PRODUCTIONS, JOE DISANO
(305) 749-5926

the new spooky kids hotline
number is 972-0541

MUCH THANKS TO JOE DISANO, SCOTT DAVID
TRENT REZNOR, BOB SLADE, GLENN RICHARDS,
RICHARD KENT, OUR GIRLS AND ALL OF YOU
WHO HAVE SUPPORTED OUR BOUNDLESS PERVERSITY

According to Daisy, this is the first demo cassette that was officially sold. It included new recordings of four songs they had previously done in the sessions for Beaver Meat Cleaver Beat, but recorded again here with a fuller sound. Side A inlcuded the four songs, while side B included 15 minutes of messages that fans left on the Spooky Kids hotline answering machine.

Big Black Bus - fake or alternate version?

There is another version of the cover that has been found by Atrac that bears resemblance to the BMCB cover, which I believe to be fake. Again, note the blocks of computer-generated justified text compared to the other cover above. While it's certainly possible that it could have been created in 1990, it wouldn't have been as simple as it is today. However, it is also possible that the band produced more than one variation of the cover, and this may have been an early or alternate version that was released.

The liner notes to this second version have a message from Mr. Manson:

"HELLo from the gutters of Fort LauderHELL that are filled with piss, stale wine, and broken toys. HELLo from the clogged arteries of your abyssmal hear. "We" have come to "see" and multiply like the tiny cockroaches in your closets; a bead alone can watch; a beaded necklace can strangle. The voice called "Rise up Son of Man," and I came. The voice said to "gather," I did. You are here, the voice had known. With a purposeful grimace and a knife in hand we will spread our dogma across the land. Pen pierces paper flesh... in in blood and maggots crawl through thin veins. Oppression from the worry-fucks and sycophants only made "The We" grow, father above delivers the sex, son below saturates our brains with chemical salvation. To complete the "trinity" our holy spirit must make the "word" be knonw even to the smallest of ears (in the hills and in the mountains). That is "our and your" past. For now it has been "discovered" and in time you WILL feel "our" strength. Accept the acid eucharist as our taste of things to come and kneel to the wet, obscene god. Your scabbed knees tell no lies... Love and I am, Marilyn Manson"

In addition to this apparent fake, before an original copy of BBB had surfaced, in 1996 there was another fake that was being traded that had the supposed track list of: IV-TV/My Monkey/Red In My Head/Cake & Sodomy/Meat For A Queen/ Cat In The Hat/She's Not My Girlfriend/Someone Get That/Charlie's Ditty. Most likely, these tracks were all taken from the 100 Minute Demo. "Someone Get That" is surely "The Telephone" and "Charlie's Ditty" is probably one of the "Number Nine" tracks.

White Knuckles

Smack dab flat on my back
Solid ground beginning to crack
I pulled her down and down and down
I lost my breath I thought I'd drown
Fistfuls of you
Fistfuls of you
You pulled me through with white knuckles
Fistfuls of you
Fistfuls of you
You pulled me through with white knuckles

Her leg my hand a smoldering brand
Sticking to her wet, body like sand
Her place distaste we fell from grace
Red smears across our face

Fistfuls of you

Fistfuls of you
Fistfuls of you
You pulled me through with white knuckles
Fistfuls of you
Fistfuls of you
You pulled me through with white knuckles
White knuckles
White knuckles
White knuckles
White knuckles

Strange Same Dogma

Burn you fucker!

This is unreal

Burn burn burn
Burn the witches
Burn the witches
Don't take time to sew the stitches
Burn the witches
Burn the witches
Don't take time to sew the stitches
Hand shake ring sign
Snake eye bite mine
Hand shake ring sign
Snake eye bite mine
I don't need your hate
Burn burn
I decide my fate

Burn burn burn burn
Burn your bridges
Burn your bridges
Don't take time to sew your stitches
Burn your bridges
Burn your bridges
Don't take time to sew your stitches
Levi crowley golden dawn
Strange same dogma on and on
I don't need your hate
Burn burn
I decide my fate
We don't viscerate
Your mind masturbates
Burn you fucker

Burn burn burn burn
Burn and burn and burn the witches
Burn and burn and burn the witches
Burn and burn and burn the witches
Don't take time to sew your stitches
Burn burn Burn burn Burn burn Burn you fucker
Burn the witches
Burn Burn the witches
Burn burn Burn the witches
Burn
No age no pain no gray hair
Strange same dogma I don't care
I don't need your hate
Burn burn
I decide my fate
Burn you fucker

We don't viscerate
Burn burn Your mind masturbates
Burn burn I don't need your hate
I decide my fate
Burn you fucker
Burn you fucker
This is unreal


Burn the witches burn the witches
Don't take time to sew your stitches
Burn the witches burn the witches
Don't take time to sew your stitches
Burn burn Burn the witches
Burn burn Burn burn

 

 

 

My Monkey

"The world of madness is a lot bigger than the world of sane"

I had a little monkey
I sent him to the country and I fed him on gingerbread
Along came a choo choo
Knocked my monkey koo koo
And now my monkey's dead
At least he looks that way
But then again don't we all

"I'm the Pope, I'm ten times the Pope, I'm a fifty times the Pope. But I'm the Pope in the hills and in the mountains"

I had a little monkey
I sent him to the country and I fed him on gingerbread
Along came a choo choo
Knocked my monkey koo koo
And now my monkey's dead...
Yeah he's dead...
Poor little monkey

Lying down, on the ground, with his head stuffed under his arms
My monkey my monkey my monkey bought the farm

I play music, people are affected by the music I play
That doesn't mean I direct the traffic
That I put a knife in somebody's hand
Tell them to go kill somebody...


We are our own wicked gods
With little g's and big dicks
Sadistic and constantly inflicting a slow demise

heh heh yeah...

I had a little monkey
I sent him to the country and I fed him on gingerbread
Along came a choo choo
Knocked my monkey koo koo
And now my monkey's dead
Dead...dead my monkeys dead he's dead
Now why why...

I had a little monkey
I sent him to the country and I fed him on gingerbread
Along came a choo choo
Knocked my monkey koo koo
And now my monkey's dead

The primates scream of consonance is a reflection of his own minds dissonance

Redrum!

Red (In My) Head

Smiling faces on the wall
I took a walk down the hall
I banged my fist against the door
I tossed a quarter to the whore
The camera flashes in my eyes
I spread the news she spreads her thighs
Red, red in my head
Red, red in my head

I grabbed her knuckles and I yanked them all
I bent her in half like a barbie doll
Love, hate, viscerate
Take this flesh and meditate

I sat there with her
We sat there too
She said to me
What should we do
Well, I know some tricks
And I'll show them to you
Your mother won't mind at all if I do
To you
The poor little girl
The poor little girl
The poor little girl didn't know what to say
For her mother was out of the house today
Today
Today
Red, red in my head
Red, red in my head

I didn't exactly kill her, it was an accident
I killed a girl once, it was not accident
I was in love
I was in love
He's still killing her

The poor little girl
The poor little girl
The poor little girl didn't know what to say
For her mother was out of the house today
Today
Today
Red, red in my head
Red, red in my head

I mean they're evil, you had to kill her
He's still, he's still, he's still killing her

Red, red they call me red
Red, in the bed
The girl

Answering Machine Messages

Tracy: ...your call. I just sit by the phone waiting for your call. I won't even go take a shower for fear that I might miss your call. They're afraid I'm gonna hurt somebody. They're afraid I'm gonna hurt myself. Does it smell in here?
(feedback)
Tracy: Kim?
Kim: Mm-hmm.
Tracy: Over (?)
Kim: Did you do it?
Tracy: Yeah, I didn't click back to you?
Kim: No.
Tracy: I thought I did!
Kim: No.
Tracy: Uh oh, I think I...
Kim: Did you do it without laughing?
Tracy: Hold on...
(click)
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: Sitting by the phone
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: Givin' Marilyn Manson a call
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: And then I find out
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: He don't want me at all
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: So I'm just sitting here weeping
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: I fear the rejection
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: I really hope this message
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu
Tracy: Will give you an erection
Kim: Du-nu-du-nu-nu-do-do-do.. (etc.)
Tracy: Marilyn Manson, I wanna...
Kim: Du-nu-du-du
Tracy: In case you didn't know who left all these messages, I'm not gonna tell you! No, um, it's Tracy and my number, as I've left before is 749-9036.
(click)

Paul (in fake British accent): Yeah, my name is Paul man, and my phone number is 978-9514 and I wanna get blown away dude! Cool!
(click)

Tracy: Mmm-hmm. Uh oh.
(click)
Tracy: Kim?
Kim: Yeah?
(click)

Kim: Marilyn, yes it's us again for the ninth time today
Tracy: And we've wrote a little song for you.
Kim: I'm sure you'll really enjoy it once you're done throwing up. Okay, one two three
Together: We keep calling you but you don't call back, you don't call soon we're gonna turn you black, all these times we're pretty tired, so if you don't call back we'll set you on fire, word. Okay, we want those tapes and we want them now, and we're prepared to wait for the cows, mooo. You better call us back when you say you will, cause if you don't well have to kill, word. (cough, hack)
Kim: Okay, anyway this is ninth time and it's probably the last time..
(beep)

Some Guy: Hi, you guys have the most bogus crapolla message I've ever heard in my life, and I'm gonna come see this trash because it's so fucking ridiculous.
(click)

Tracy: Kim, you're boring!...
Kim: (talking to another girl in the background) I know, okay, Stephanie I don't get any money. I just have a... what? What are you talking about? No, Stephanie, okay, I'll give you fifty dollars. Okay.. did you call yet?
Tracy: Yeah, um, Kim, we're leaving a message right now.
Kim: Oh (laughs) Stephanie, this is all being recorded on the guy's answering machine.
Tracy: Oh yeah.
Kim: Stephanie... hang up the phone
Tracy: Oh no, we're still being recorded.
Kim: Hang it up
Tracy: Why? He never calls us.
Kim: I know but Tracy, um, tell him what? Oh yeah, Stephanie's giving me the money so I can go to Universal and I'll have to pay her back, I just have to give her back the fifty dollars which is interest anyway cause...
(beep)

Some Guy (in fake Brooklyn accent): You're a skinny fuckin' runt douchebag.

Kim: Hi, it's Kim again but you should be really thankful this is only the first time that I've called today, but um, okay, it's Friday night and it's 9:34 and 49 seconds and I was wondering if you had a tape for me yet? And if you do, like, you know, could I get it like tomorrow? And, if you, like, if you're going to insist on sending me on a wild goose chase after it, then well, I guess I could handle that but um, just like you know me and Tracy were thinking bout maybe like we could get it tomorrow or something. Just think about it. And I want underwear too.
(click)

Paul (in fake British accent): 'allo, 'allo, do tell. My name is George McCartney (?) and I should call you again.
(click)

John: ...853-7496. My name is John, uh, and Jim Camacho. 653-8218. Uh, we really, we really would like to win this um, thing. Jim?
Jim: Ever since... ever since the first night when we...(a sudden loud noise interrupts)... and that spooky lane of, I'm reminiscing, I, I had that, that vibe to call, and now this gives me a real reason that I just want to (clears throat) a, you know, a real reason to call. Beacause, you know, it's, it's a hotline. I figure it's perfect.

Some Girl (voice is slurred and quiet): I wanna see you god... feel you so bad I can almost taste it.
(sudden loud guitar sound from Rage Against The Machine's "Freedom" interrupts for about two seconds - see below - then a busy signal)

Elaina: Hi Marilyn, my name is Elaina. I'm one of Tracy's friends and she just gave me this number...

(loud, slowed down music interrupts. Elaina can still be heard faintly talking in the background. I doubled the speed of the music in Sound Forge, and it turns out it's a 2 min 20 sec. live audience recording of Rage Against The Machine playing "Wake Up" off of their first album. I already hear you thinking "but wait a minute, their first album didn't come out until 1992, and this tape was supposedly released in 1991!" I thought maybe that the band had toured around Florida in '91 but I checked out a RATM tour date archive and it looks like their first show was in late '91 and even in '92 they only played in California. It's possible that the recording that I have did somehow get the RATM stuff mixed in by another trader at some point. However, it would also make sense that the recording is slowed down from the original answering machine tape, because cassette answering machines often would use slower tapes speeds to increase the recording length. If somehow the record head on the machine did not erase that section of the tape, then when the phone messages were recorded over it, it would be slowed down to half speed when played back. Another possible explanation would be that they later reissued the tape in '92 or '93, with the phone messages on the back. This could also explain the second variant of the cover. Also, you may have noticed that several people calling the hotline were asking about tapes, which would be unusual if Big Black Bus was the first tape actually released to the public.)

Elaina:

(more messages play in the background, it's hard to decipher under the music)

(loud music ends)
TV commercial: ... all of these mean nothing.
(beep)

(song being played into the phone): Twisted Sister, come out and play! Twisted Sister, come out and play! {note: from Twisted Sister's "Come Out And Play" album, duh!}
Bill: Alright fellow, give me a call. This is Bill. Bye.
(click)

Jason: Hi this is Jason, I love you guys. Give me a call at 437-4210. Thank you.
(click)

Some Guy: My dog barks (film?)
(click)

Guy: Where do we get tape info, huh? 467-6425.
(click)

Sparkles' Dad: You still there, who was it?
Sparkles: Say, "this is Sparkles' Dad"
Sparkles' Dad: This is Sparkles' Dad. We don't have a problem here, we happen to like your music so how do we go from here? My phone number is 341-9341. Thank you very much, bye bye.
(click)

Christine: Hey Marilyn baby, I'm a big fat siamese cat and I'm interested in you. Why don't you call me some time. My name's Christine. I forget the phone! (laughs)
(click)

Christine: Hey Marilyn, it's me the big fat siamese cat with no rake. Sorry but my bitsy horny dog, you know she like stepped on the phone, I think she was trying to use it as a dildo. But you know man, you guys sound like really cool, I'm like really intrigued by you. It's Christine and why don't you call me some time cowboy. Maybe we can go for a ride. As you can tell, I have this like, enourmously like sex drive and I don't know, just call me back. 742-2572. Later man.
(click)

Woman (maybe Manson's mom): Hey, when you come Wednesday night, bring me directions to the junkyard please. Okay, bye.
(beep)

Julie: Hey Marilyn, the coolest thing happened today at school, you're not gonna believe this right? So it's like I'm sitting in the caffeteria right, and it's no big thing, I'm just being bored and waiting for something to happen, right, so there's this girl, I don't know who she is, I still don't know her name, well anyways this is really weird, okay, so anyway I'm sitting there and she has a picture on her folder and I get up to look at it and I realize she was wearing Marilyn on her shirt and I'm like freaking out and I said to her "Where'd you get that shirt? Where'd you get that shirt?" and she's like.. and I'm like I'll buy it off you for $20 and she's like if you get me money I'll get you a shirt at the concert on Friday, I'm going to the concert on Friday and I'm like, wait, you got that shirt at a concert and she's like, yeah, I don't know if you know her, she's like Chinese and she's got really long hair with a streak and I don't know and actually..
(beep)

Julie: Anyways, like I was saying, right, I was freaking out and she's like, Julie...
(end)

{note: Julie rambles so damn fast it's almost impossible to make out every word. But that's the general gist of her message.}

Thanks to Spooky Nate for the lyrics and liner notes!
Also, please don't call any of the numbers that are listed here in the phone messages! It's extremely unlikely that any of these people are still at these numbers fourteen years later.

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