On a cold November evening, a meeting of the Quite Interesting Music Society was convened at Dr Ps house with the subject of The Bedroom. The evening was run from his iPad via a Sonos unit. John Grant won Mojos album of the year and hes playing a church in Leeds next year, but Ive no idea what hes like says I. Lets have a listen then and a couple of taps on the screen later, Napster are playing us Queen of Denmark loud and clear..jealous? Me!!
The subject of this meeting was The Bedroom which led to a lot of soporific tunes with Rogers choices inspired by the different stages of sleep (see below) and a fair share of intimate activity tunes with Jezs themed around four Fs – Flirtation, Foreplay, Fornication and Falling asleep (I couldnt think of an F for morning regret).
Ballad of John and Yoko The Beatles (Bob)
The English Patient theme (Hungarian Lullaby) Gabriel Yared (Roger) “Pre-sleep”
In My Room Langley School project (John)
Primitive Painters Felt with Elizabeth Fraser (Simon) My teenage years were spent in my bedroom listening to John Peel who introduced me to a whole new world of music this track combines two of my favourites from that era
Why dont we get drunk (and screw) Jimmy Buffett (Jez)
Tuesday Morning The Pogues (Bob) “No Shane but still pure class”
Starlings Elbow (Roger) Beginning stage of sleep – for those Myoclonic Jerks
Dirty Dream No.2 Belle & Sebastian (John)
Some girls are bigger than others the Smiths The kind of thing you discover in your bedroom
Closer Nine Inch Nails (Jez) inspired by Sometimes Jasmine Pender of Pleasure Brides
Closer Jonathan Richman (Bob) Same song name different sentiment!
Living Dub Primal Scream (Roger) “2nd stage of sleep – that woozey stage”
Sex Life Black Box Recorder (John)
Toothpaste Kisses The Maccabees (Si)
Underwear Pulp (Jez) Which upset Bob cos he wanted to play Babies
Bed & Breakfast Man Madness (Bob)
Deep Blue Day Brian Eno (Roger) “1st Stage of sleep”
Sex (Pussyface) Teardrop Explodes (John)
The Menstrual Rag Amateur Transplants (Si)
Caress Me Down Sublime (Jez)
Sleep Will Come Durutti Column (Bob) From the From Brussels with love Compilation the only record I have in 3 formats. It originally came out as a cassette when this track was credited to Vini (Reilly) and Jez (Kerr). I then got it as a double LP with a sl different track list and just got it again on CD with the orig tracks but some different credits
Comfortably numb Pink Floyd (Roger)”3rd stage of sleep”
When You Sleep My Bloody valentine (John)
I Sleep Alone Richard Hawley (Si)
Why I cant stand one night stands Catatonia (Jez)
Bedsitter Soft Cell (Bob)
Karma Coma (Portishead mix) Massive Attack (Roger) “5th Stage of sleep”
Atmosphere Joy Division (John) whats the connection here? That lineyou turn away in your sleep thats from love will tear us apart Course it is! Well, theres usually an atmosphere in my bedroom
Emergency Contraception Blues Bombay Bicycle Club (Si)
Sleeping in the devils bed Daniel Lanois (Si)
Vibrator Motorhead (Jez)
Back in the night Dr Feelgood (Bob)
Undertow REM (Roger) “I could have just done R.E.M. songs of course”
Bedhezd Sleeper (John)
Dominoes Big Pink (Si)
You Shook Me All Night Long AC/DC (Jez)
Rogers reasoning:
We sleep in bed.
My choices are based upon the following insights!
The Beginnings of Sleep
During the earliest phases of sleep, you are still relatively awake and alert. The brain produces what are known as beta waves, which are small and fast. As the brain begins to relax and slow down, slower waves known as alpha waves are produced. During this time when you are not quite asleep, you may experience strange and extremely vivid sensations known as hypnagogic hallucinations. Common examples of this phenomenon include feeling like you are falling or hearing someone call your name.
Another very common event during this period is known as a myoclonic jerk. If you’ve ever startled suddenly for seemingly no reason at all, then you have experienced this seemingly odd phenomenon. While it may seem unusual, these myoclonic jerks are actually quite common.
Stage 1
Stage 1 is the beginning of the sleep cycle, and is a relatively light stage of sleep. Stage 1 can be considered a transition period between wakefulness and sleep. In Stage 1, the brain produces high amplitude theta waves, which are very slow brain waves. This period of sleep lasts only a brief time (around 5-10 minutes). If you awaken someone in the stage, they might report that they weren’t really asleep.
Stage 2
Stage 2 is the second stage of sleep and lasts for approximately 20 minutes. The brain begins to produce bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity known as sleep spindles. Body temperature starts to decrease and heart rate begins to slow.
Stage 3
Deep, slow brain waves known as delta waves begin to emerge during stage 3 sleep. Stage 3 is a transitional period between light sleep and a very deep sleep.
Stage 4
Stage 4 is sometimes referred to as delta sleep because of the slow brain waves known as delta waves that occur during this time. Stage 4 is a deep sleep that lasts for approximately 30 minutes. Bed-wetting and sleepwalking usually occur at the end of stage 4 sleep.
Stage 5
Most dreaming occurs during the fifth stage of sleep, known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is characterized by eye movement, increased respiration rate, increased brain activity. REM sleep is also referred to as paradoxical sleep because while the brain and other body systems become more active muscles become more relaxed. Dreaming occurs due because of increased brain activity, but voluntary muscles become paralyzed.
Sleep does not progress through these stages in sequence, however. Sleep begins in stage 1 and progresses into stages 2, 3 and 4. After stage 4 sleep, stage 3 and then stage 2 sleep are repeated before entering REM sleep. Once REM sleep is over, the body usually returns to stage 2 sleep. Sleep cycles through these stages approximately 4 or 5 times throughout the night.
On average, we enter the REM stage approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. The first cycle of REM sleep might last only a short amount of time, but each cycle becomes longer, so REM sleep can last up to an hour as sleep progresses.
