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Jenny Le Blanc's Black Valentine (Rock / Experimental / Concept)

by Pete Murphy

/
1.
In 01:47
(Jenny) Are you still my valentine?
2.
1. Jenny, slipped on the blood stained ice And woke up in a violent dream She watched herself dying from the inside For what seemed, an eternity Chorus 1. Made a record in the eighties With a mirror and a bad sign I dreamt about it last night Jenny Le Blanc’s Black Valentine 2. Jenny, travelled from A to Z And all the way she listened to the Pleasure Club (Let me heal you) She plied her fears with a bottle of cheap red As the illingness took over Chorus 2. Made a record in the nineties In the haze of a landmine I dreamt about you last night Jenny Le Blanc’s Black Valentine 3. Jenny, played with loaded dice As desert hands pulled her closer Protection offered, it was all a lie It was just to take advantage Of another artist for the exposure… Chorus 3. Made a record in the noughties With a bullet and a Lichtenstein I wrote it down last night Jenny Le Blanc’s Black Valentine (Jenny) Her beauty is an echo on infinite repeat
3.
Legalize 03:13
(Narrator) February 1985. Atlanta, Georgia. March for the legalization of marijuana 1. Maybe the war on drugs isn’t working And the prison population’s a sign Maybe you should get your ducks in a row Before you fuck around with mine I got another way There’s another way Chorus. Legalize Legalize, shouldn’t be a crime Legalize Legalize 2. Now, Jenny Le Blanc Might have a lot of front But a seven year stretch Just for smoking a blunt is ridiculous I got another way There’s another way Chorus. Legalize Legalize, shouldn’t be a crime Legalize Legalize
4.
Lost Keys 02:32
The frozen man asked Why she wore so much make up She didn’t really have an answer But these days it’s ok to make up the facts So she told him she was an… Erotic dancer It was a half truth She got two left feet There’s always temptation To criticize what you don’t understand There’s always temptation To criticize what you don’t understand And it’s ok to lose your keys sometimes Ok to lose your train of thought sometimes It’s ok to lose your mind sometimes As long as you… As long as you… As long as you… … ah, I forgot what I was gonna say
5.
(Jenny) Non sequiturs are the order of the day Slipping deeper into a delta state Now I understand the plight of King Louis Son of Charlemagne As the darkness crept in And he was overthrown (He reclaimed his crown, not once, but twice) How much am I prepared to fight? Where the compass points bend and meet At the centre of time Thus spake Zarathustra With a Coltrane tongue Atonal wisdom spilled from every pore And spread like cracked ice vines His philosophy states That God is dead And that lack of intellectual progress Will lead to the decline of the human species I agree But what do I know…? Lying here with broken soul and punctured lung I see exotic shapes Collapsing into telescopic nights Desolate on the crest of life Eternal recurrence Visions of Lady Godiva Her beauty is an echo on infinite repeat But none of it is real All that there is, is here and now I can’t escape my fate This is my black valentine This is my black valentine This is my black valentine
6.
1. She sold a heart shaped record In a second hand store It was warped But she still thought it valuable A Zach Phillips lookalike Gave her a price And she parted ways With something sentimental 2. They talked mutual love Of Coltrane and War With tastes diverse And malleable Jenny dropped the bomb And gave him a price And he parted ways With more than just money He showed her videos Of old songs from before the accident (Narrator) Zach Phillips’ Identical Twin Asked if he could take her dancing But Jenny’s too self conscious To move like no one’s watching Somebody always is…
7.
1. Held down in a dream state She’s starting to hate the view Should’ve been a fairy tale Now her lips are turning blue Chorus 1. Blindsided by your transgression Broken by your jive confession This is the great repression 2. Blacked out in a freeze frame She can’t escape the moon The digitalis play the game The wisteria taking bloom Chorus 2. Blindsided by your transgression Learning these painful lessons This is the great repression
8.
1. Jenny’s direction signs are vital The cracks spread wild like poison vines Left for dead, lost and untitled He thought it was the perfect crime Chorus. In a delta state of mind Revelations of the violent kind There was venom in his kiss What kind of business is this? 2. Half awake and soaking wet In reverse the bluebirds sing But Jenny ain’t ready to die just yet There’s still so much on which to cling Chorus. In a delta state of mind Revelations of the violent kind There was venom in his kiss What kind of business is this?
9.
1. Jenny met a psychic On her 43rd Birthday In a Stepford town Of deep deception (She was down to earth despite her gift) And they discovered a past connection 25 years ago Same preacher, both believers Same highs, same lows Same singing teacher Chorus 1. Jenny got another mind to make up Rollin’ on another’s pen But Jenny gotta face another break up 2. Told her of the future All the things that she would lose Her mind, her keys, her train of thought (And maybe her intrinsic views) Predictions of a fall on ice Followed by a change of life Betrayal by a trusted one She didn’t believe what she was hearing Chorus 2. Jenny got another mind to make up Rollin’ on another’s pen But Jenny got another chance So wake up… wake up, Jenny Chorus 3. Jenny got another mind to make up Rollin’ on another’s pen But Jenny gotta face another break up Jenny needs a helping hand to break down And begin again But Jenny’s got another chance So wake up… wake up, Jenny
10.
Time To Rise 01:40
(Narrator) Laid out on the blood stained ice Jenny bathed in her own blood She scraped her nails on the frozen page And thrashed against the flood As the ice thawed Her old life sank She had written a note And signed it… Jenny Le Blanc It took 2 hours and 7 minutes to find her She was shivering in a plasma ocean A shipwreck in suspended motion Despite the cold her neurons fired And formed a bright and burning pyre Rising from the ashes of her old life Were resolve, passion, another way A new chapter in her story She left her memento mori On the blackened ice Like resolve from ashes Now’s the time to rise This is Jenny Le Blanc’s Black Valentine
11.
1. Her therapist, is an existentialist Well versed in Jungian analysis 2. She predicts Jenny’s future moods And places sutures on her mental wounds (Narrator) She encouraged Jenny to talk freely. She'd never talked freely before. And so she began... (Jenny) I've never seen a James bond movie But I'm aware of the chronology I get bored easily Never had a male role model The ceiling fan in my bedroom kinda scares me I have a need to control my environment And I overthink everything I eat breakfast every night before I go to sleep I once asked my mother to buy me a sketch pad and a pencil So I could draw a big triangle. It was my first three way... but not my last. I have a chequered past. I spent some time in prison back in 1985. I was marching for the legalisation of marijuana in Atlanta, Georgia. Sentenced to a seven year stretch. I ended up serving three. I grew up in a violent room. I don't want to talk about that right now Maybe I'll open up down the line. I made a record in the nineties At the dawn of the Gulf war At the record company's request I had to change the title I don't know what for They said it was something to do with sensitivity. Fuck sensitivity Fuck… …sensitivity (Narrator) She continued: (Jenny) Later on When I slipped on my own individuality They staged an intervention And talked about the foreshadowing early on in my biography. The exact moment that predicted When and how I would lose my identity. The journalists twisted my words. They always do (Narrator) Two years of intense therapy Changed Jenny's psyche And after the longest time After the years of depression and anxiety She once again began to sing (Jenny) Save the bees…. Save the bees.
12.
(Jenny) Maybe… there’s another way 1. Cigarettes and epithets Kinky sex in silhouette Criminal in blue and black They strike the sand And they swallow the match Chorus1. The flames rise ever higher This is man’s obsession with fire 2. Raging hate, self immolate To denigrate is tempting fate A smoking gun leaves you behind A direct look into the sun Will make you blind Chorus 2. The burn within requires You indulge my deepest desire To be one with this funeral pyre This is man’s obsession with fire Middle 8. Maybe there’s another way (making art with fuel) Let it burn let it burn Maybe there’s another way (petrol shining jewel) Maybe there’s another way Chorus 3. The burn within requires You indulge my deepest desire To be one with this funeral pyre This is man’s obsession with fire
13.
(Narrator) She’s at the end of history Standing on the precipice of humanity She makes the choice to be free (Jenny) I’m at the end of history Standing on the precipice of humanity I make the choice to be free
14.
Out 02:30
(Jenny) This is my black valentine...

about

Jenny Le Blanc’s Black Valentine is the 10th solo album by experimental pop avant funk artist Pete Murphy.

For many years he lacked the confidence to play his music to anyone. As a result, there are hundreds of songs in the vaults that no one has ever heard.

He released his first album, the grunge soaked melodic funk rock ‘Cognitive Decline’, in January 2017, and has been writing, recording, and releasing music at an alarmingly prolific rate ever since.

10 solo albums, one collaboration album with Swedish experimental singer/songwriter Acousticmaddie, and various EP’s and singles.

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“Jenny Le Blanc's Black Valentine draws heavily on my dreams (the title track, Zach Phillips’ Identical Twin), and real life experiences (I really did meet a psychic on my birthday, and we had connections dating back 25 years, including having the same singing teacher).

The story begins in tragic circumstances – the titular character shot and left for dead by her lover - and runs through a series of dreams, flashbacks, and hallucinations, that ultimately change the course of Jenny’s life for the better.

The album/concept was conceived in a dream. I was in a record store, searching through the racks for an album called Black Valentine, by an artist called Jenny Le Blanc. As far as I’m aware, neither artist nor album exist in real life. Originally I was going to fit the story into one song, but the idea kept nagging at me, and as I started work on what was supposed to be a funk album inspired by Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, Prince, and Curtis Mayfield, the story grew and evolved and became what you’re (hopefully) listening to right now.

I also dreamt of selling a heart shaped record in a second hand store, to Zach Phillips’ Identical Twin.
As a child, I liked to look through my dad’s vinyl collection, and amongst the collection was a record by an artist called Alan Price, which was on red, heart shaped vinyl.
I have no idea if Zach Phillips has an identical twin. I don’t think so.”

JLBBV serves as therapy for both artist and protagonist.
Never give up, especially on your dreams.

Maybe there’s another way…

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I am honoured to have some of my favourite people in the world guesting on the album –
Lynsey Murphy narrated, Suzanne Cooper Morris voiced Jenny Le Blanc, Matt Malone sang backing vocals.

Thank you to James Hall for allowing me to use a sample from 'Illingness' on the title track.

Jenny Le Blanc’s Black Valentine is dedicated to Abigail Morris. Please visit The Cure Starts Now and consider making a donation - thecurestartsnow.org/heroes/view-heroes/abigail-morris/

Thanks -

Lynsey Murphy
Suzanne Cooper Morris
Matt Malone - www.malonerocks.com
James Hall - jameshall.com
Dominic Robertson - composterofmusic.bandcamp.com

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credits

released July 4, 2018

All music, words, instruments, recording, mixing, and mastering by Pete Murphy, except...

Suzanne Cooper Morris - The voice of Jenny Le Blanc
Lynsey Murphy - narration
Matt Malone - backing vocals

The song Jenny Le Blanc's Black Valentine contains a sample from 'Illingness' by James Hall, from the 1996 album Pleasure Club (copyright Possession Songs - ASCAP)

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Pete Murphy Birmingham, UK

Pete Murphy, UK songwriter. I make unpopular music in numerous styles... everything recorded, performed, mixed, and mastered by me in a tiny corner of the lounge in my house. Avant pop, experimental, electronic, techno, solo jazzy piano, techno jazz, rock, musicals, sound art, comedy, and more... ... more

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