Tag Archives: the bpa

My iPod #496: The BPA ft. Iggy Pop – He’s Frank (Slight Return)

The BPA (aka The Brighton Port Authority) was a little short-lived side project carried out by DJ Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim). The only album to date released under it entitled I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat came out in 2009, and features a wealth of appearances from guests vocalists ranging from Talking Heads man David Byrne and grime MC Dizzee Rascal, to relatively unknowns like Cagedbaby and Olly Hite.

Starting the album off is a cover of the song “He’s Frank” by British post-punk band The Monochrome Set and singing it is no other than the ever charismatic Iggy Pop. He performs quite the subdued vocal take here bar a scream and a few wordless improvisations during the instrumental break, but in context of the whole album and the listening experience it is a decent way to get things rolling. Very enjoyable, at least to me anyway.

The music video features a frightening life-size puppet of Mr. Pop, which then proceeds to physically assault the puppeteers controlling it. It’s strange. But it’s there if you want to see it.