THE TRUE STORY OF A FABLED ARTWORK WHICH USED THE WRONG RECIPE
Back in the mid 1960s, the days of flower power and a few substances, other than alcohol, which could mess with your head I was fortunate enough to be living and working in the middle of London.
Naturally I was cautious about imbibing in substances other than water or eating anything more adventurous than a cucumber sandwich.
At that time, around 1965, a young troubadour by the name of Donovan was making waves in the music world. His lyrics were a little difficult to understand but a modicum of research has revealed that he may have been the unwitting instigator of the great artwork in Fremantle which is now refusing to leave.
MELLOW YELLOW
One of his hits from around 1966 was ‘Mellow Yellow’. Nobody has actually been able to work out what it was all about, let alone Donovan himself.
One verse runs:
Electrical banana
Is gonna be a sudden craze
Electrical banana
Is bound to be the very next phase
Nobody actually knew what an Electric Banana was. Donovan was unable to offer a clear explanation and there may have been a good reason.
However one story is that an Electric Banana was made by getting a couple of sticks of Juicy Fruit chewing gum and inserting them under the skin of the ‘nana. The fruit was then left to mature over a few days and, in fact, go a little mouldy. Hence ‘Mellow Yellow’ Then, and there are several versions of this, you simply peel the banana and eat it, gum and all. The net results were some pretty wild hallucinations.
Some people say it didn’t work. I confess my memory is not serving me well.
FAST FORWARD TO FREO FESTIVAL 2017
It does appear that our mayor dreamt that a lot of banana shaped curves, draped artistically on the walls of the West End buildings, would serve the city well.
Thus the dream of Brad and Felice the Artist came to fruition (fruit being the operative word). The High Street was decorated with banana peel look-alike graphics. It worked and the world woke up to the dream.
Sadly, or at least amusingly, the artwork is refusing to leave us and true to the legend, going a little mouldy. It’s now supplying endless entertainment. It is, as the mayor likes to expound – a sustainable dream come true.
MISSING: PAINT STRIPPER AND AN ELECTRIC DILDO
Those of us who have been around since well before the last rains know the original recipe for the Mellow Yellow bananas didn’t work too well.
A modified version was derived using Dichloromethane injected into the bananas. It apparently worked wonders. But here’s the real rub – Dichloromethane is nothing more than paint stripper! Had the Mayor used an up-dated recipe for the idea in the first place maybe the art would disappear immediately, just like any other hallucinogen. (I’m not sure up-dated is the right word)
Of course it doesn’t end there. Donovan did at one time confess he’d heard an electric banana is a yellow, battery powered, dildo.
The mind boggles but there may be enough of them in the sex shop in High Street to supply council members with a few to strip paint, or whatever moves their fancy. I didn’t use ‘up-dated’ in this paragraph but was tempted.
Here are the lyrics to Mellow Yellow. Maybe they can sing along to them while they work and dream.
MELLOW YELLOW (Written by © Donovan Leith, circa 1965)
I’m just mad about Saffron
Saffron’s mad about me
I’m just mad about Saffron
She’s just mad about me
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
I’m just mad about Fourteen
Fourteen’s mad about me
I’m just mad about Fourteen
She’s just mad about me
They call me mellow yellow
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Born high forever to fly
Wind velocity nil
Wanna high forever to fly
If you want your cup I will fill
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Electrical banana
Is gonna be a sudden craze
Electrical banana
Is bound to be the very next phase
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Saffron, yeah
I’m just mad about her
I’m just mad about Saffron
She’s just mad about me
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Roger Garwood
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