PLAYLIST/CREDITS

Music is my fuel, and I found out that it helps me write and sets the mood to my words. So, as a "green salt" writing my first novel, I've sprinkled music everywhere. I loved quoting lyrics. It was a homage to some of my favorite artists and a way of sharing with readers what my characters (and I) were listening. It was also lots of fun, because I used music to add another layer to the narrative.

Then I learned that by American laws you need permission to do that, even to quote one single line. Sometimes permission can be denied, or you have to pay for usage, or you inquire about permission and never hear back... I had about 50 songs and poems quoted throughout the novel, plus a piece of dialogue from a film, which altogether spelled sheer nightmare.

So I combed through the whole thing, removing lyrics and describing them with my own words instead — sometimes with good, sometimes with somehow ridiculous results. When I felt some poetry was absolutely necessary, I created my own lyrics or used public domain verses. I also created my own film, which was fun. As for Brazilian music and poetry, fortunately small portions can be quoted, and they remained here in all their glory. Some of the foreign lyrics were left here temporarily as a sample, since I plan to get usage permission soon.

So here are the playlists and credits for what's in RED: the current list and the original list. I like them both...

1) PLAYLIST (CURRENT)

∞∞ Part 1: White — Welcome to the surface

2. Hobbits and sexual deviations from A to Z

— Jabuticaba (Bebel Gilberto)

6. Strategic pause

— Light my fire – Hot Rocks Club Remix (Infected Mushroom feat. The Doors)

7. Tropical rain

— The pageant of the bizarre (Zero 7)

— Storm ending (adapted poem by Jean Toomer)

8. Rolling the die

— Waltz no. 14 in E minor (Chopin)

— Claire de Lune (Debussy)

— Life ("Vida", poem by Augusto de Campos)

— Timespace (("Tempoespaço", poem by Augusto de Campos)

— Here are the lovers ("Eis os amantes", poem by Augusto de Campos)

9. Dream a little dream of me

— Dream a little dream of me (Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong)

10. A slanted-eye prank

— Wonder milky bitch (Air)

— Be a bee (Air)

11. Close encounter of the third kind

— The split truth ("A verdade dividida", poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade)

12. Duet story

— My way (Frank Sinatra)

— If I catch you with another man I'll kill you ("Se te agarro com outro, te mato", Sidney Magal)

13. There won't be roses tonight

— I don't know (Ruth Brown)

14. Carnival

— Sans toi (Amadou & Mariam)

16. The graduation

— Finally vs. Love story (Kings of Tomorrow vs. Layo & Bushwacka!)

— Hesperus: a legend of the stars (adapted poem by Charles Sangster)

17. Behind the peephole

— Nobody's business — Main vocal (H2O feat. Billie)

— Song for the usual every day ("Canção do dia de sempre", poem by Mário Quintana)

— Its sacred name ("O seu santo nome", poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade)

∞∞ Part 2: Black — A plunge into the abyss

1. A plunge into the abyss

— Háry János suite (Kodály Zoltán)

9. In the bedroom

— My heart, my life (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan)

∞∞ Part 3: Red — Black and white converge

1. Turning the page

— Could it happen to me (Roxy Music)

2. On the way to the airport

— Above ground (Norah Jones)

— Dream-song (adapted poem by Walter de la Mare)

3. Serendipity

— Piano piece played by Nora the cat vs. a DJ from London (unfortunately I don't know the name of the DJ who mixed the track, which is showed in a BBC Extraordinary animals documentary no longer available on the Web, as far as I can tell; the song was really catchy and club goers loved it; the pathetic lyrics are mine)

4. Wear flowers in your hair

— What happened to you (LoveLikeFire)

— Wear flowers in your hair (The Mamas and The Papas)

5. The Kashmir Lounge

— Plus profond – Original recording (Hooverphonic)

— The wind and the moon (adapted poem by George McDonald)

— Down on me (Paul Black's take on Janis Joplin's song, both versions great!)

9. The ball at the Devil's Lair!

— Anemone (The Brian Jonestown Massacre)

10. A little surprise

— Ride (Supreme Beings of Leisure)

11. Dopamine, pheromones, nonsense

— The best Marigold Hotel (film by John Madden; mention to the quote that everything will be all right in the end)

— Never enough (The Cure)

— Need U 100% (Duke Dumont)

— Take my soul (Thievery Corporation)

14. Nostalgia

— Lenda ("Legend", Céu)

17. Speaking of love

— It could be sweet (Portishead)

— My right eye (Laurie Anderson)

19. Full circle

— Revenge of the number (Portishead)

* Additional track: La femme d'Argent by Air. It's not mentioned in any chapter because it has no lyrics. But hell, for some reason it got my creative juices flowing, and I must have listened to it a gazillion times while writing this story. Do I love it? You bet. :-)

1) PLAYLIST (ORIGINAL)

Here are the differences... Besides the quotes from above, I had also included some film dialogue and lyrics from the songs below. Since they were organically threaded into my text, I had to cut them out altogether in order to replace them with my own material.

∞∞ Part 1: White — Welcome to the surface

3. What's up with Sartre

— Donnie Darko (film by Richard Kelly; I had used the scene where Donnie encounters Frank, the monstrous gigantic bunny who announces the end of the world, and later the scene where Donnie is strolling with Gretchen on a trail, tries to kiss her and is rejected... because there's a ridiculous fat man dressed in orange watching them)

16. The graduation

— Come on over (Neoelectrique)

∞∞ Part 3: Red — Black and white converge

3. Serendipity

— Quando te veo (Mo' Horizons)

7. The Leather Dream Fair I

— Horny as a Dandy (The Dandy Warhols vs. Mousse T.)

8. The Leather Dream Fair II

— Horny as a Dandy (The Dandy Warhols vs. Mousse T.)

13. The devil laughs

— Supergrass (DJ Marky feat. DJ Addiction/Carlito)

— Magic carpet ride (The Crystal Method feat. Steppenwolf)

18. Two ships passing in the night

— Ships in the night (Brazilian Girls)

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

And, besides the amazing artists and poets already mentioned, can I ever give enough credit to all the authors and artists whose ideas broadened my horizons and enriched this novel? They're all here, engraved in my brain, my soul, my heart. Some aesthetical pleasures are never forgotten, some ideas change a person forever. Thank you.

And now... what are you waiting for to read RED 2? Brace yourself for an intense ride...

If I might suggest, check out my 50 Shades of Grey spinoff "Mr. Grey meets his match" too. It's a lot of fun, I promise!

xoxo