In June 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono produced the landmark 8.13 audio collage revolution 9 for The Beatles’ White Album. Considered by many as the worst thing the Beatles ever issued on vinyl and by others as at least forty years ahead of its time, Lennon described it in interview as “an unconscious picture of what I actually think will happen when revolution happens … it’s just like a drawing of revolution”.

Across Liverpool in 2007 we notice Revolution Scooters on Aigburth Road, Smoothie Revolution on Leece Street, Urban Revolution in Wavertree and of course Revolution itself on Wood Street and nine years ago, JMU and FACT organised the revolution98 programme of events and exhibitions as part of the 9th ISEA.

revolution999 would be a two-part audio work comprising 999 uses of the word revolution in post-revolution 9 music. It explores the continual appeal of the word; the aesthetics and language of revolution as opposed to the direct action itself.

Top ten surprises:
Shirley Bassey
Chris de Burgh
Hilary Duff
Kylie Minogue
Barry Manilow
Billie Piper
Ella Fitzgerald
Diana Ross
Michael Ball
Simply Red

Top ten omissions:
Dead Kennedys*
Johnny Thunders/New York Dolls
Bjork
Abba
Beach Boys
Blur
Paul McCartney
New York Dolls
Iggy Pop and/or Lou Reed
Sonic Youth**

“In the past we can say all revolutions have essentially aimed at changing the environment in order to change the individual” Aldous Huxley

“We may not know, the question or solution, when I'm calling, for a revolution” Kylie Minogue (we know the meaning of love)

* although as RJ rightly points out, jello biafra and mojo nixon's "will the fetus be aborted" includes the line "tania lived for revolution"

** there is reportedly a live Sonic Youth cover of Thunderclap Newman’s something in the air with the word revolution

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