21st Century Schizoid Man - Commentary

Welcome
I'm David Singleton
Producer of King Crimson 50
To celebrate King Crimson's 50th anniversary
This year, we will be releasing 50 rare or interesting King Crimson tracks
One a week, starting on the 13th of January
Which is King Crimson's birthday, the day in 1969
When they first began rehearsing in the Fulham Palace Café in London

Appropriately, the first track is 21st Century Schizoid Man
The opening track on their first album
This particular version also dates to my own first involvement with the band
When I first worked with Robert Fripp
And helped to compile a frame by frame box set in 1991

I recall exactly how this radio edit came to be made
The record label, Virgin Records
Were keen that there would be a radio friendly version
Of 21st Century Schizoid Man to help to promote the box set
And I recall Robert Fripp telling them that there was no such thing
As the track was about 07:30 minutes long

And in my naive innocence of King Crimson
I recall telling him, "Well, of course there's a shorter version"
Because I can remember when I'd very first heard this song
Thinking, "What a wonderful first verse, what a wonderful second verse
What a wonderful third verse, and what on Earth were all those solos doing in the middle?"

And proving that he has a sense of humour
Robert Fripp suggested that I try making exactly that edit
I'm not sure that I'd been entirely satisfied with it these days
But here it is, the radio edit of 21st Century Schizoid Man in 1991