Thinking about Rudyard Kipling and Bobby and Jack

Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories have always been amongst my favorite “children’s” stories (plus “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” from the Jungle Book). I’m a fan of origin myths in general and as far as origin myths go, Kipling’s are as good as the come.

In 1987, Bobby McFerrin composed an adaptation of Kipling’s Just So Stories with Jack Nicholson narrating. Yeah, that Jack. It must have been 1987 when I was introduced to this guy, who’s name escapes me now, who first turned my on to “jazz.” This guy really took to me, and I guess he was happy a young kid (16) took as much interest in his music collection as I had. I would often receive homemade cassette tapes of various recordings and on one occasion I was given two McFerrin recordings; Spontaneous Inventions (1985) and the Just So Stories (1987). I later bought a copy of the Spontaneous Inventions album on vinyl, which now collects dust on a Greek island with the rest of my vinyl. The song bellow is off that album. Great album. But the Kipling adaptations were nothing short of brilliant. I wore that tape out, literally. My friends often hasseled me as they thought it strange that I would listen to that album alongside Depech Mode, Circle Jerks, and the Sugar Cubes in one sitting. The album has been out of print for some time. I’m looking for a torrent out there, somewhere in the digital ether. No luck. I’ve still got the 1978 print edition (including illustrations from Kipling’s wood cuts) which was read to me which I now read to my son. But I want him to experience Kipling through Bobby’s brilliant music and Jack’s haunting narration. Here’s “Thinkin’ About Your Body”