Shamen, The - Ebeneezer Goode

Often blamed for being the final nail in the coffin of the “serious” rave scene, I think "Ebeneezer Goode" is a fantastic pop moment and a definite cultural event - a point where a nation had to face the fact that a significant portion of its population were not only using large quantities of illegal substances, but were thoroughly enjoying themselves and laughing in the face of the establishment while doing so. It was also a great modern sounding techno pop song and catchy as Chlamydia. It wouldn’t have worked if it hadn’t been - to be truly subversive, you have to infiltrate the mainstream. The Small Faces had done a similar thing with "Here comes the Nice" and “Itchycoo Park” back in 1967.

Of course the Shamen argued that it wasn’t about drugs - almost as hilarious as the song itself. But they somehow managed to avoid a BBC ban and it went to the top of the UK charts. What many forget is that the Shamen actually deleted this themselves, possibly fearing that their credibility was suffering. By then though, the damage was done.

Prior to Ebeneezer, the Shamen were considered THE FUTURE by many: A new techno psychedelia with a new enlightened philosophy, based on advocating the widespread use of Ecstasy, believing it would bring increased insight, empathy and understanding to an increasingly materialistic and selfish world: An update of the 13th Floor Elevators acid philosophy of 1966/7, but this time with a drug that didn’t send you mental. After this release, they were seen as a joke by just about everyone. I remember arguing with friends of mine who had accompanied me to the Hacienda to see them before Ebeneezer was released. They were horrified by the song, feeling that it was a betrayal of their underground ideals. I had always found the Shamen to be a little po-faced and preachy, whether they were talking politics or drugs, but this showed that they at least had a sense of humour.

Basically the nice thing about this mediocre The Shamen release 'Ebeneezer Goode', is the metaphorical humour. The track is about this strange guy called Ebeneezer Goode and everytime when he's around it's funtime. In fact the track is just an hommage to 3,14 mdma aka ecstacy. The "Eezer Goode, Eezer Goode!" shouts are just hilarious. E's are good, E's are good ... get it?

This excerpt from the track's lyrics is a lovely illustration of the above:

"Ebeneezer Goode, leading light of the scene
Know what I mean, see
He created the vibe
He takes you for a ride and as if by design
The party ignites like he's comin alive
He takes you to the top, shakes you all around
Then back down, you know as he gets mellow
Then as smooth as the groove that is making you move
He glides into your mind with a sunny Hello
A gentleman of leisure, he's there for your pleasure"

Unbvelievable that The Shamen topped 4 weeks at the number 1 spot in the UK charts with this cheeky drug hymn. Naughty, naughty, very naughty.