"Operating Theatre: The Early Years" - Operating Theatre

Compilation Album

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Full Track Listing:


Disc One:
  • SIr Geoffrey (2:44)
  • Positive Disintegration (3:18)
  • Part of My Make-Up (3:30)
  • Fingerdance Waltz / Hymn (7:56)
  • Rampwalk (3:47)
  • Satanasa (3:54)
  • Ah Love, Ah Love (3:24)
  • Clubmusic / Amene-Moi (6:01)
  • No Come (2:21)
  • Austrian (3:29)
  • Dragon Path (3:27)
  • The Confectioners (2:26)
  • Miss Mauger (3:29)
    Disc Two:
  • Blue Light and Alpha Waves (3:44)
  • Belisa in the Garden (4:20)
  • Don Perlimplin Has No Honour (2:20)
  • The Tractor (2:26)
  • Queen of No Heart (3:51)
  • Syllable (2:46)
  • Spring is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth (4:24)
  • Before She Was Asked to Dance (2:29)
  • Johnny’s Body At 002 – Pt. 1 (8:25)
  • Johnny’s Body at 002 – Pt. 2 (7:40)

Background Information

This 2-disc collection was a collection of tracks by Operating Theatre, a musical theatre project spearheaded by Roger Doyle. At one point Operating Theatre signed to U2’s label Mother Records, releasing a double A-Side single, “Queen of No Heart“ / “Spring is Coming with a Strawberry in the Mouth“ in 1986 on 7-inch and 12-inch. Bono worked on the single, and is credited as Executive Producer on the release. Although credited as Executive Producer on all five tracks, Bono was only present for the recording of the two titles tracks. Bono also played guitar on “Queen of No Heart”.

The collection here features four of the tracks included on the original single Bono was involved with. It includes the 7-inch single version of “Spring is Coming”, “Queen of No Heart”, “Part of My Make-Up” and “Satanasa”. A later release would include the 12-inch single version of “Spring is Coming” as a bonus digital track.

This 2-disc collection looked back on the entire career of Roger Doyle and Operating Theatre. The compilation was first released in 2006 as part of the program guide for the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival. The CDs were inserted in the program, and given free with the guide. The following year, the set was also released by Incunabulum Records, a limited release of 500 copies. The CD release was two plain black sleeves, with an exterior card wrapped around the CDs, including liner notes and the cover image, in a plastic slipcase.

In 2019, the collection was issued again by Allchival through Bandcamp. The CD version, available through BandCamp included the same four tracks mentioned above. The digital version initially was the same, but later digital bonus tracks were added, including the 12-inch version of “Spring is Coming”.

In 2023, the original Operating Theatre “Spring is Coming“ single was reissued via Allchival and Bandcamp.

Liner Notes

“Queen of No Heart” and “Spring Is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth” were the result of an initial collaboration between singer / lyricist Elena Lopez and Roger Doyle and were released on Mother Records, the label set up by U2, as a single by Operating Theatre, with Lopez on main vocals and drummer Sean Devitt joining the band for this recording.

Roger Doyle: keyboards on all tracks. remastering of all tracks.
Olwen Fouere: backing vocals on “Spring is Coming…” and “Queen of No Heart”
Elena Lopez: lyrics and vocals on “Spring is Coming…” and “Queen of No Heart”
Sean Devitt: drums on “Spring is Coming…” and “Queen of No Heart”
Bono: Guitar on “Queen of No Heart” and production on “Spring is Coming…” and “Queen of No Heart”.

(Original credits from the vinyl single list Bono as Executive Producer, Kevin Moloney as Assistant Producer / Engineer, and thank Pat McCarthy).

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