Art of Noise
Art of Noise (also The Art of Noise) were an English avant-garde synth-pop group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn, and mus ...
released in April 1986, from their second studio album '' In Visible Silence'' (1986). The song's better-known version was a version released as a single, featuring television character
Max Headroom
Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...
on vocals. This version was first featured on the 1986 album ''Re-Works of Art of Noise''.
The 7-inch single features a monologue about Max Headroom being scared and unable to sleep (hence "Paranoimia", a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsmaster of ceremonies, talking about the music and making a pun-laden introduction of the alleged band members: Peter O'Toole on trumpet (the absence of a trumpet in the song explained by O'Toole, notorious at one time for his drinking, "just having a rest between
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
the Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
on drums.
Track listing
The 12-inch single was also available on a one-sided cassette tape with the following track listing:
# "Paranoimia" (extended version) – 6:40
# "Paranoimia" (7” version) – 3:18
# "Why Me?" – 2:56
# "A Nation Rejects" – 2:57
Some later issues of the CD ''In Visible Silence'', most notably the US version, include the single version in place of the original version, which did not include the Max Headroom vocals.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
"Paranoimia '89"
In 1989, a remix by
Ben Liebrand
Ben Liebrand () (born 27 September 1960 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands) is a Dutch dance music DJ and remixer. He has produced for artists such as Forrest and MC Miker G & DJ Sven and remixed tracks by artists such as Alexander O'Neal, Salt-N- ...