"Roman P" is a song by

Psychic TV Psychic TV (aka PTV or Psychick TV or several other aliases) were an English experimental music, experimental video art and music collective, formed by performance artist Genesis P-Orridge and Scottish musician Alex Fergusson (musician), Alex ...

about director

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...

. "Roman P." was first performed in nascent form during Psychic TV's 1983 gigs. This early version can be found on the live albums '' N.Y. Scum'' and '' Those Who Do Not''. Of the many versions of the song, the best known is the "Fireball Mix" (from the ''Magickal Mystery D Tour'' EP), which was featured in a mid-1990s

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

commercial, to the confusion of many fans.

Single

The A-side of the original 7" single release features the "Short Version" of the titular song. The B-side, credited to Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth and entitled "Neurology," contains a message from Mr. Sebastian, a spokesman for TOPY, as well as collaged speeches by

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal, cult leader, and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some cult members committed a Manson ...

and

Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrat ...

which run simultaneously in different stereo channels, and references to Sharon Tate. The B-side is double-grooved, which results in hearing either one of the two tracks when it is played from the start. The B-sides, the Fireball Mix, and the full-length recording of the original studio version of "Roman P" (which Sordide Sentimental previously released on the 1987 CD-Video ''Listen Today...''), later appeared on the compilation CD ''Godstar: The Singles - Pt. Two''. The first edition was limited to 3003 numbered copies. There is a second edition of unknown unnumbered copies. "Roman P" gave the band their first hit, reaching number 13 on the

UK Independent Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the ...

and staying on the chart for nine weeks.

Track listing

Side A
Psychic TV (PTV): "Roman P (Short Version)"
Side B
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth (TOPY): "Neurology"
1. TOPY Spokesman ''(spelled "TOPY's Spokeman" on the single sleeve)''
2a. Jim Jones (right)
2b. Charles Manson (left)

Reissue with "Good Vibrations"

"Roman P" was re-issued as a double A-side in 1986 with a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of "

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock music, rock band the Beach Boys, produced and composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. Released as a single on October 10, 1966, it achieved immediate critical and commercial success, ...

". The single reached number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and number 65 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...

.Rust, Victor (2010) ''The Cliff Richard Recording Catalogue'', , p. 176

Covers

A version of this song was recorded by the

electro-industrial Electro-industrial is a music genre that emerged from industrial music in the early 1980s. While EBM (electronic body music) has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial tends to have a grittier, complex and layered sound ...

band Asmodeus X on their album ''Morningstar''.

References

1984 singles Psychic TV songs Roman Polanski 1984 songs Works about film directors and producers {{1980s-single-stub