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Music: Dion McGregor, the world's most famous sleeptalker

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  1.  (2461.1)
    I got deep into a Wiki Hole last night, researching parasomnias. And through the somniloquy page I came across Dion McGregor, the world's most famous sleeptalker.

    From McGregor's Wikipedia page:
    McGregor talked in his sleep. Not in quiet, barely-comprehensible mumbles: while he slept, McGregor would essentially narrate his dreams at conversational volume. As a narrator of his (often terrifying) dreams, Dion adopted various personas but frequently established a fey, argumentative, insolent approach to the subject at hand – be it a hot air balloon trip to the moon with a group of multi-ethnic children, a frantic journey around New York, or a tattooing job on a woman's tongue. As Phil Milstein notes, the Tzadik LP could just as well be called Dion McGregor Screams Again, as most of McGregor's dream narratives end with him shrieking in terror.

    An LP of his dream diatribes – The Dream World Of Dion McGregor (He Talks In His Sleep) – was even released to minor acclaim by Decca Records in 1964. A book of the same name, containing the transcripts of a wider selection of McGregor's dreams, and with illustrations by Edward Gorey, was also published in 1964.

    McGregor died in 1994, but researcher Phil Milstein gathered recordings of McGregor's dream-speech considered too risque to be released in the 1960s and assembled them for the 1999 album, Dion McGregor Dreams Again, released on Tzadik Records. A third album, The Further Somniloquies of Dion McGregor: More Outrageous Recordings of the World's Most Renowned Sleeptalker was assembled by Toronto poet Steve Venright and released in August 2004 on the Torpor Vigil Industries label.
    I clearly need to buy these records -- which isn't difficult, since Dion McGregor Dreams Again is on Amazon (including an mp3 version) and iTunes. And a book of it all, illustrated by Edward Gorey? That's my shit right there.

    Here's two mp3s off The Further Somniloquies. There's also a MySpace fan page with four more tracks on it.

    The Horseshoe Crabs

    Food Roulette
    Fascinating, fascinating shit.
  2.  (2461.2)
    Oh, and here's a great quote about it: "The net result is like Kafka performed by drag queens."
  3.  (2461.3)
    My roommate told me yesterday (or the day before) that I talk in my sleep. Perhaps I should experiment and record myself sometime...
  4.  (2461.4)
    thats amazing! it's like the inane dribblings of a drunk but sophisticated baby...

    'and everybody took out their bananas' is a great quote :D
    • CommentAuthorradian
    • CommentTimeJun 3rd 2008
     (2461.5)
    That was my favourite line too.
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      CommentAuthorFauxhammer
    • CommentTimeJun 3rd 2008
     (2461.6)
    @trini_naenae

    I talk in my sleep. I am told I say some weird, weird shit.
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      CommentAuthorglukkake
    • CommentTimeJun 4th 2008
     (2461.7)
    @Fauxhammer, trini_naenae

    I talk in my sleep too, but apparently it's all either in gibberish or another language because no one understands it. I don't really speak other languages and it ain't Spanish. Perhaps we should all record these things - it might be important.


    That book will be mine come next payday. I love hearing about weird dreams from people and Edward Gorey seals the deal.
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      CommentAuthorDigitalyn
    • CommentTimeJun 4th 2008
     (2461.8)
    @trini-naenae
    My mom used to tell me i was singing in my sleep... I wonder if i still do actually, i should record myself at night.
  9.  (2461.9)
    @glukkake: Unfortunately, it looks like the book may be long out of print. I'm having trouble finding the first album of his recordings in CD format either (or in any format, really). All I'm finding is the two posthumous CDs, one of which I'll be buying with my next paycheck.

    I have been known to talk in my sleep too. My favorite was the following dialogue:

    Me: ... Thasss really, cooool.
    Girlfriend: ... What is?
    Me: About'yer ninja roooomates.
    Girlfriend: ... I don't have ninja roommates.
    Me: Oh. Okay. G'night...
  10.  (2461.10)
    She never approaches anything so grand as Mister McGregor, but my girlfriend is absolute comedy gold when she talks in her sleep. Nothing makes me laugh more than getting her to talk in her sleep. She'll often give me some odd command (like "stop talking to the lady that was yesterday"). Then after I ask why, she'll actually try to give about half of a ridiculous reason before trailing off (like "it's important for when she didn't use the car, but the cat was running after me when you said..." mumble mumble mumble). Then after I ask her to repeat that last bit, she'll get a little mad and embarrassed and beg me to leave her alone in her adorable confused sleepy voice.

    Maybe doesn't translate too funnily. Oh well.
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      CommentAuthorJay Kay
    • CommentTimeJun 5th 2008
     (2461.11)
    Wow. I wish I had awesome, vivid dreams like those. :(
  12.  (2461.12)
    i accidentally punched my woman in the spine while sleeping, it was one of those falling in your sleep things...
  13.  (2461.13)
    This is intriguing. All I ever do is scream in my sleep.
  14.  (2461.14)
    I can have whole conversations in my sleep and not remember them. Having the phone by my bed is a bad idea,
    "Where were you today, we were supposed to meet up?"
    "You never told me!"
    "I phoned you yesterday!"
    "Um, was this before or after noon.."

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