Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, Anderson did a variety of different performance-art activities. She became widely known outside the art world in 1981 when her single "O Superman" reached number two on the UK pop charts. She also starred in and directed the 1986 concert film Home of the Brave. Anderson is a pioneer in electronic music and has invented several devices that she has used in her recordings and performance art shows. In 1977, she created a tape-bow violin that uses recorded magnetic tape on the bow instead of horsehair and a magnetic tape head in the bridge. In the late 1990s, she developed a talking stick, a six-foot-long baton-like MIDI controller that can access and replicate sounds. Anderson started dating Lou Reed in 1992, and was married to him from 2008 until his death on October 27, 2013.
Links To Peel[]
Laurie Anderson's 'O Superman' - John Peel Documentary
Laurie Anderson acknowledging Peel for her success of 'O Superman' on Channel 4's 2005 John Peel's Record Box
Peel is credited with leading the success of 'O Superman' in 1981, after he played the unedited version of the track on his late-night show before any other DJ in the UK. The record received so much acclaim from listeners that London's Capital Radio decided to include the record in their daytime schedule.
The single ultimately reached number 2 in the UK singles chart in October 1981. On Peel's show, the track placed number 34 in the 1981 All Time Festive Fifty as well as number 49 the following year. Follow-up singles failed to equal this impact on the charts or Peel's playlists.
In 2004, however, a Henry Cullen remix version of 'O Superman' was played regularly by Peel , which was one of his favourite singles for May 2004 (Peel's Record Box) and after his death the track reached number 28 in the 2004 Festive Fifty.
Despite the fact that the record's success can be laid almost entirely at Peel's feet, he revealed that she never thanked him for his support and though she was in London at one time neglected to even bring him a bottle of wine in gratitude [1]. However, Anderson posthumously praised Peel in the 2005 Channel 4 documentary John Peel's Record Box, after discovering that the 'O Superman' single had been found in Peel's box of favourite 45s, acknowledging how he had helped to drive its popularity.
According to an extract from Alex Reed's book Laurie Anderson's Big Science, published on The Quietus website in December 2021, the single had actually first been played on Peel's show by Bob George during a guest spot in August 1981.[2]
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- 1981 Festive Fifty: O Superman #34
- 1982 Festive Fifty: O Superman #49
- 2004 Festive Fifty: O Superman (Henry Cullen Remix) #28
Other Shows Played[]
Laurie Anderson - O Superman Official Music Video-0
- 1981
- 27 August 1981: O Superman (7") One Ten OTR 005 "Well that's as good as anything I ever heard, and the chances are if you don't like that, that you're a phonebox." "My thanks to Scott at Rough Trade for bringing to to my attention."
- 01 September 1981: O Superman (7") One Ten OTR 005
- 10 September 1981 (BFBS): O Superman (7") One Ten OTR 005
- 24 December 1981: O Superman (7") One Ten OTR 005 FF#34
- 1982
- 15 April 1982: Example #22 (12" - Big Science) Warner Bros. K 17941T
- 18 April 1982 (BFBS): Big Science (12") Warner Bros. K 17941T
- 15 December 1982: 'O Superman (LP-Big Science)' (Warner Bros) FF #49
- 1988
- 02 May 1988: Language Is A Virus (LP - Home Of The Brave) Warner Bros.
- 2003
- 09 October 2003: O Superman (7") One Ten OTR 005
- 2004
- 28 October 2004: 'O Superman (LP-Big Science)' Warner Brothers
- Henry Cullen XBooty 'O Superman' remix
Henry Cullen & Julian Sandel - Superman (Techno 2004)
- 27 April 2004: Untitled (O Superman)' (12") (White Label)
- May 2004 (FSK): O Superman (Henry Cullen Remix) (12" - XBooty 01) Not On Label
- 04 May 2004: Untitled (O Superman)' (12") (White Label) (JP: "Well I'll tell you what, if this rapture business comes about and we all rise on pillars of fire into heaven, I want to take that record with me.")
- 18 May 2004: Untitled (O Superman)' (12") (White Label)
- 29 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): 'O Superman-Henry Cullen Remix (12")' (X Booty) FF #28