Roddy Doyle - The Commitments

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:

ABKCO Music, Inc.: Excerpts from the lyrics to Chain Gang, written by Sam Cooke. Copyright 1960, renewed 1988 by ABKCO Music, Inc. Excerpts from the lyrics to Good News, written by Sam Cooke. Copyright 1964 by ABKCO Music, Inc.

Almo Publications: Excerpts from the lyrics to Knock on Wood, lyrics and music by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. Copyright 1966, 1973 by East/Memphis Music Corp. Copyright assigned to Irving Music, Inc. (BMI), 1982. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Rights outside the U.S. controlled by Cotillion Music, Inc. Used by permission of Almo Publications and Cotillion Music, Inc.

Jobete Music Co., Inc.: Excerpts from the lyrics to Reach Out Ill Be There by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland Jr. Published by Stone Agate Music. Copyright August 1966; Excerpts from the lyrics to What Becomes of the Brokenhearted by James Dean, Paul Riser, and William Weatherspoon. Published by Stone Agate Music. Copyright March 1966.

Screen Gems EMI Music, Inc.: Excerpts from the lyrics to Walking in the Rain by B. Mann, C. Weil, and P. Spector. Copyright 1964 by Screen Gems EMI Music, Inc. Excerpts from the lyrics to At the Dark End of the Street by Dan Penn and Chips Moman. Copyright 1967, 1977 by Screen Gems EMI Music, Inc.

Silverman, Shulman and Slotnick, P.C.: Excerpts from the lyrics to Night Train by Jimmy Forrest, Oscar Washington, and Lewis C. Simpkins. Copyright 1952, 1980 by Frederick Music Company. Used with the permission of Frederick Music Company.

Tickson Music: Excerpts from the lyrics to Ill Feel a Whole Lot Better by Gene Clarke. Copyright 1964 by Tickson Music. All rights reserved.

Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.: Excerpts from the lyrics to Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine) by James Brown, Bobby Byrd and Ronald Lenhoff. Copyright 1970, 1973 by Dynatone Publishing Co., administered by Unichappell Music, Inc. Excerpts from the lyrics to Super Bad Super Slick by James Brown. Copyright 1975 by Dynatone Publishing Co., administered by Unichappell Music, Inc. Excerpts from the lyrics to Out of Sight by James Brown. Copyright 1969 by Dynatone Publishing Co., administered by Unichappell Music, Inc. Excerpts from the lyrics to Its a Mans Mans Mans World by James Brown and Betty Newsome. Copyright 1966 by Dynatone Publishing Co. and Clamike Records Music. All rights on behalf of Dynatone Publishing Co. administered by Unichappell Music, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Well ask Jimmy, said Outspan. Jimmyll know.

Jimmy Rabbitte knew his music. He knew his stuff alright. Youd never see Jimmy coming home from town without a new album or a 12-inch or at least a 7-inch single. Jimmy ate Melody Maker and the NME every week and Hot Press every two weeks. He listened to Dave Fanning and John Peel. He even read his sisters Jackie when there was no one looking. So Jimmy knew his stuff.

The last time Outspan had flicked through Jimmys records hed seen names like Microdisney, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Otis Redding, The Screaming Blue Messiahs, Scraping Foetus off the Wheel (Foetus, said Outspan. Thats the little young fella inside the woman, isnt it?

Yeah, said Jimmy.

Aah, thats fuckin horrible, tha is.); groups Outspan had never heard of, never mind heard. Jimmy even had albums by Frank Sinatra and The Monkees.

So when Outspan and Derek decided, while Ray was out in the jacks, that their group needed a new direction they both thought of Jimmy. Jimmy knew what was what. Jimmy knew what was new, what was new but wouldnt be for long and what was going to be new. Jimmy had Relax before anyone had heard of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and hed started slagging them months before anyone realized that they were no good. Jimmy knew his music.

Outspan, Derek and Rays group, And And And, was three days old; Ray on the Casio and his little sisters glockenspiel, Outspan on his brothers acoustic guitar, Derek on nothing yet but the bass guitar as soon as hed the money saved.

Will we tell Ray? Derek asked.

Abou Jimmy? Outspan asked back.

Yeah.

Better not. Yet annyway.

Outspan was trying to work his thumb in under a sticker, This Guitar Kills Fascists, his brother, an awful hippy, had put on it.

Theres the flush, he said. Hes comin back. Well see Jimmy later.

They were in Dereks bedroom.

Ray came back in.

I was thinkin there, he said. I think maybe we should have an exclamation mark, yeh know, after the second And in the name.

Wha?

Itd be And And exclamation mark, righ, And. Itd look deadly on the posters.

Outspan said nothing while he imagined it.

Whats an explanation mark? said Derek.

Yeh know, said Ray.

He drew a big one in the air.

Oh yeah, said Derek. An where dyeh want to put it again?

And And,

He drew another one.

And.

Is it not supposed to go at the end?

It should go up his arse, said Outspan, picking away at the sticker.

* * *

Jimmy was already there when Outspan and Derek got to the Pub.

Hows it goin, said Jimmy.

Howyeh, Jim, said Outspan.

Howayeh, said Derek.

They got stools and formed a little semicircle at the bar.

Been ridin annythin since I seen yis last? Jimmy asked them.

No way, said Outspan. Weve been much too busy for tha sort o thing. Isnt tha righ?

Yeah, thats righ, said Derek.

Puttin the finishin touches to your album? said Jimmy.

Puttin the finishin touches to our name, said Outspan.

Wha are yis now?

And And exclamation mark, righ? And, said Derek.

Jimmy grinned a sneer.

Fuck, fuck, exclamation mark, me. I bet I know who thought o tha.

Therell be a little face on the dot, righ, Outspan explained.

An yeh know the line on the top of it? Thats the dots fringe.

Black an whie or colour?

Dont know.

Its been done before, Jimmy was happy to tell them. Ska. Madness, The Specials. Little black an whie men. I told yis, he hasnt a clue.

Yeah, said Outspan.

He owns the synth though, said Derek.

Does he call tha fuckin yoke a synth? said Jimmy.

Annyway, no one uses them annymore. Its back to basics.

Just as well, said Outspan. Cos weve fuck all else.

Wha tracks are yis doin? Jimmy asked.

Tha one, Masters and Servants.

Depeche Mode?

Yeah.

Outspan was embarrassed. He didnt know why. He didnt mind the song. But Jimmy had a face on him.

Its good, tha, said Derek. The words are good, yeh know good.

Its just fuckin art school stuff, said Jimmy.

That was the killer argument, Outspan knew, although he didnt know what it meant.

Derek did.

Hang on, Jimmy, he said. Thats not fair now. The Beatles went to art school.

Thats different.

Me hole it is, said Derek. An Roxy Music went to art school an you have all their albums, so yeh can fuck off with yourself.

Jimmy was fighting back a redner.

I didnt mean it like tha, he said. Its not the fact tha they went to fuckin art school thats wrong with them. Its (Jimmy was struggling.) more to do with (Now he had something.) the way their stuff, their songs like, are aimed at gits like themselves. Wankers with funny haircuts. An rich das. An fuck all else to do all day cept prickin around with synths.