Queens of the Circulating Library is a 2000 album by the experimental British group Coil

Coil (band)

Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...

. It is unusual in the sense that it is perhaps the only release without participation from Peter Christopherson

Peter Christopherson

Peter Martin Christopherson, a.k.a. Sleazy was a musician, video director and designer, and former member of the influential British design agency Hipgnosis....

. On this album, Coil were: "Thighpaulsandra

Thighpaulsandra

Thighpaulsandra is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. As Tim Lewis, he began his career working with Julian Cope. A collaboration with Cope in 1993 followed, as the experimental duo Queen Elizabeth...

 & John Balance

John Balance

John Balance , born in Mansfield, England, was the founder of the experimental music group Coil, along with his partner Peter Christopherson...

 with Dorothy Lewis as the queen of the circulating library. Thanks to Simon Norris." The lyrics were written by John Balance

John Balance

John Balance , born in Mansfield, England, was the founder of the experimental music group Coil, along with his partner Peter Christopherson...

 and spoken by Dorothy Lewis, Thighpaulsandra

Thighpaulsandra

Thighpaulsandra is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. As Tim Lewis, he began his career working with Julian Cope. A collaboration with Cope in 1993 followed, as the experimental duo Queen Elizabeth...

's mother. The line "It's in the trees, it's coming" that appears in the lyrics is from the 1957 British horror film Night of the Demon

Night of the Demon

Night of the Demon is a 1957 British horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. An adaptation of the M. R...

, and had previously appeared in sampled form in the song "Hounds of Love

Hounds of Love (song)

"Hounds of Love" is the title track of the Hounds of Love album by Kate Bush, the third of the album's four singles. The single was released on 24 February 1986, and reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart...

" by Kate Bush

Kate Bush

Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...

.

The album was initially released on the date of the Coil Presents Time Machines

Coil Presents Time Machines

Coil Presents Time Machines was a live CD by Coil. This CD was produced in a limited amount of 1,000 copies and was given away with the initial mail orders of Musick To Play In The Dark Vol. 2. The CD is a live performance which took place on April 2, 2000 at the Cornucopia festival in the Royal...

concert. The original packaging was clear, however a wider issue of the album used pink, c-shell CD cases. No album art was included for this release.

The catalogue number for this release is ESKATON 20.

Lyrics

I am a queen of the circulating library

I have declared an amnesty

All books may be returned without a penalty

Return the books to me

Return the books

Don't burn the books

You cut down the trees to make paper disease

It's in the trees: it's coming

Return the book of knowledge

Return the marble index

File under "Paradox"

The forest is a college, each tree a university

I am a queen of the circulating library

I'm here to answer your enquiry

All knowledge resides within me

Your membership has expired

You are way past expiry dates

Words, words, words, words!

You may as well listen to the birds