Shipbuilding

DREW FIVE – British Versatile Electro Musician Covers 1982 Pearl ‘SHIPBUILDING’

Posted on by JL

8 July 2025

Artist: DREW FIVE
Who: A versatile musician from London who creates/records electronica, ambient minimalism, neo-classical and post-rock. He’s also half of electro pop duo Feral Five
and Dice Machine. Five also works on his own. Two weeks ago he released the atmospheric-ambient single The Runner

And now he comes up with his take on 1982 pearl Shipbuilding (linked to
the Falkland Wars), with lyrics by Elvis Costello, music by Clive Langer and sung
by the great Robert Wyatt.

A risky effort to cover this particular song, but Five does it
gracefully and stylishly, bringing soft Moby moments to mind.

DREW FIVE


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ROBERT WYATT

1 June 1973 – ROBERT WYATT Breaks His Spine

Posted on by JL

1 June 2025

On 1 June 1973, today 52 years ago, British renowned singer-songwriter ROBERT WYATT (now aged 80) broke his spine after attempting to leave a birthday party by climbing down a drainpipe and falling three stories. It left Wyatt permanently crippled and confined to a wheelchair.

At the time Wyatt was the drummer/co-vocalist for psych-prog-rock
band Soft Machine fronted by Kevin Ayers (1944-2013).

After the freak accident Wyatt went solo. He released
9 LPs, with 1974’s Rock Bottom as his most lauded one.


Uncut Magazine

In an 2014 interview with British Uncut Magazine, he announced
his retirement from music. He cited age and greater interest in
politics as the reasons.

SHIPBUILDING
His best known song (an ironic one about the Falkland war in 1982), although he didn’t write it. Elvis Costello wrote the lyrics and Clive Langer the music. Wyatt‘s remarkable voice did the rest.

All Solo Albums

Happy 80 To Shipbuilder ROBERT WYATT

Posted on by JL

28 January 2025

Singer-songwriter ROBERT WYATT (real name Robert Wyatt-Ellidge) was born
on 28 January 1945. Happy 80 to the man who formed Soft Machine (1966)
and Matching Mole (1971). He became paraplegic following an accidental fall
from a window in 1973.

He started a long and much-acclaimed solo career which ended in 2014 when
he retired with this message: “Here is a pride in stopping, I don’t want the music
to go off.”

To celebrate his birthday, here’s compelling pearl
Shipbuilding. A song about the Falklands War.

Clive Langer composed the music and Elvis Costello
wrote the lyrics as Wyatt wasn’t happy about his own
words. Released as a single in 1982, re-released a year
later.

Singular voice.

ROBERT WYATT: Biography – All Solo Albums

(photo on top: from the cover of his
‘Different Every Time’ album)