Kristian Weston
[redacted]
Regarding:
“Higher Than The Sun” by Primal Scream
PPL ID(s):
PRS tunecode: 032088KV
To whom it may concern,
Quite a few years ago I noticed the PPL listings were wrong for this track and spent several months correcting them. I spoke to Duffy of Primal Scream a few times about this, he asked the management to sort it out and it was supposedly done, they sent you a letter confirming my involvement (which is clearly printed on the cover of the record, even my band name exists in the title of some versions) – You confirmed you had received it. I didn’t receive a copy of this letter and would appreciate it for my records. I did go and check at the time and my name had been added to at least one version, I didn’t check them all. Now it seems I’ve been wiped off again or wasnt on a majority of the mixes, I have already notified you about this and ask that you please refrain from changing these entries without notifying me in future. I am the primary performer other than the vocalist on most of the versions that exist.
I solemnly swear the truth in regard to the following declaration:
The recordings I am performing guitar, bass (edit: synths as well!) and production on:
- Higher Than The Orb
- Higher Than the Sun
- Higher Than The Sun (Batteresea Sheild Mix)
- Higher Than the Sun [Higher Than the Orb Extended Mix]
- Higher Than the Sun [Higher Than the Orb Mix]
- Higher Than the Sun [Higher Than the Sun 12″ Mix]
- Higher Than The Sun [Single Mix]
and in a more limited role also on these recordings:
- Higher Than The Sun (A Dub Symphony In Two Parts) (Feat. Jah Wobble)
- Higher Than the Sun (A Dub Symphony in Two Parts)
- Higher Than The Sun (American Spring Mix)
- Higher Than the Sun [American Spring Mix]
PPL royalties for playing instruments should not be given for these mixes unless they contain parts from the master: (only as eligible original contracted featured producer)
- Higher Than The Sun [Original Version]
- Higher Than The Sun (Original Version)
- Higher Than the Sun [Live at the Los Angeles Palladium]
- Higher Than The Sun [Live At The Zepp]
- Higher Than the Sun (live audio)
Please make sure the following information is updated for all versions of the track “Higher Than The Sun” except the ones specifically listed above.
declaration:
The musical work “Higher Than The Sun” by Primal Scream was a production of what I was told at the time was a ‘demo’ (now renamed to “Higher Than The Sun [Original Version]” ISRC GBAAW9700555 and “Higher Than The Sun (Original Version)” PPL ID 26404548). The work I conducted along with Alex Paterson on this record was to be the original version, and was released as such in 1991 (see “Higher Than The Sun [Single Mix]” ISRC USWB19903985 and the “Screamadelica” album version which is also from the same mix sessions, as in fact all the mixes I did are)
You can clearly hear the work I have done if you compare any of the versions to the original demo. The elements that remain from the demo (depending on the mix) are the vocal, the ‘theremin’ sound, the pad chords and a few bars of the harpsichord sound.
In the credits, various members of primal scream are listed differently for the same mix sessions – now only one person can have composed these three elements, they are all keyboard elements so it probably wasnt the guitarist or the singer, I should imagine duffy did most of it, but you should ask primal scream to make a statutory declaration regarding who did what on the keyboard sounds left from the demo and apply those results
The rest of the ‘original’ 91 release was played, engineered, arranged, mixed, produced and constructed by myself with the DJ Alex Paterson providing samples for use in the work. Alex Paterson played no production role. I played the bass line and guitar parts on all versions (except the ‘demo’ referenced above )
I arranged, mixed and produced the work and played the bass and guitar on all versions listed. There is no other guitar on any of the mixes I did other than my own, and therefore Primal Screams guitarist should not be claiming my money. Primal Scream were not present when I did the production and arrangement, playing and mixing and had no say in my creative choices.
This is true for the following mixes:
Higher Than the Sun
the original version released in 91
- guitar: me
- keyboard choir stab: me
- electronic synth parts: me
- bass:me
- additional electronic sounds / loops and drum programming: me
- production: me
- arrangement and edit: me
- vocal: gillespie
- theremin: innes?
- 4 bars of Chord pad: duffy?
- 4 bars of harpsichord sound: duffy??
Higher Than The Orb
- guitar: me
- keyboard choir stab: me
- electronic synth parts: me
- bass:me
- additional electronic sounds / loops and drum programming: me
- production: me
- arrangement and edit: me
- vocal: gillespie
- theremin: innes?
- 4 bars of Chord pad: duffy?
- 4 bars of harpsichord sound: duffy??
Primal Scream need to clarify with a statutory declaration who played which particular part from the demo.
Specifically:
- Harpsichord
- Theremin type sound
- Chord pad
these then should be applied across all the tracks (they appear in)
Higher Than the Sun [Higher Than the Orb Extended Mix]
- guitar: me
- keyboard choir stab: me
- bass:me
- production: me
- arrangement and edit: me
- vocal: gillespie
the only other element from the demo used in this mix is the chord pad which has been heavily cut up by me using drawmer gate keying at 2.27m – 2.39m & 4.10m – 4.23m
Higher Than The Sun (Batteresea Sheild Mix)
another mix from the same sessions I did. As original version. Misspelled on database.
Higher Than The Sun [Single Mix]
another mix from the same sessions I did. As original version.
Andrew Weatherall / Hugo Nicholson mixes
Furthermore, during subsequent remixing by Andrew Weatherall of this same track, the record company (edit: was someone at the studio in fact) provided Andrew and Hugo with the multitrack of my work, and they ended up using some of my production and keyboard playing on his version. Specifically the effected breath sample, and my keyboard choir sound stab, please make sure I am listed on this track as well as keyboard / producer.
Higher Than the Sun (A Dub Symphony in Two Parts)
Higher Than The Sun (A Dub Symphony In Two Parts) (Feat. Jah Wobble)
in this mix they use elements of my production and playing specifically the effected breath sound and my keyboard choir stabs which are at the very beginning and end and splattered in between. I am unaware who did what on the rest of it. Ironically PPL added me to this mix which I have the least to do with.
Higher Than The Sun (American Spring Mix)
again this is weatheralls mix, featuring my choir pad from approx 1.40m and effected breath sample at beginning and end. Ironically again im down playing electric guitar in this, and there isnt even any guitar at all in the mix.
Yours sincerely
Kristian Weston