Daddy , Can I Turn This - from disaster flight to song

[johnfoyle]

Today, March 23 2004, is the tenth anniversary of a tragic event that partly inspired a Costello song.

On March 23 1994 Captain Yaroslav Kudrinsky, of Aeroflot flight SU593 from Moscow to Hong Kong, let his children visit the cockpit , while the `plane was on autopilot. A cockpit tape-records his 13-year-old girl, Yana, saying “Daddy, can I turn this?” Then his 15-year old son El'dar took over at the controls, and a calamitous sequence happened. Eagerly swivelling the control column, the child disconnected the autopilot. The plane, still at full power, rolled over sideways and began to plummet at a dizzying 65 feet per second, while crew members shrieked instructions at the bewildered teenager and his father desperately tried to shift him out of the seat. Kudrinsky at last levelled out at 1300 feet, too late to stop the Airbus A310 shattering against a Siberian hillside, killing all 75 aboard.


Elvis first performed the song in August 1996. On what would turn out to be the final Attractions tour it was little more than an instrumental used to conclude shows , with Elvis shouting the title line repeatedly in-between introducing group members. A completed lyric for the song was part of the Elvis and T-Bone Burnett’s proposal for a TV series in November 2000. The released song was first performed in the Vicar Street venue, Dublin as part of a charity show in February 2001.

A transcript of the cockpit recorder can be seen at

http://www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/h ... e_282.html

[Gillibeanz]

Very sad.

[johnfoyle]

The fact that Elvis has done Daddy , Can I Turn This for the first time in ages gives me a good enough excuse to update this !

Now there's a wiki page -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_593

and it was even turned into a tv show -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0644763/

[Neil.]

Wow, I haven't thought about this song for aaaages. I actually really like this, and its other thrashy cousin, Dissolve, on the same album. Loads of great images in these songs, and great vocals in both cases!

[reviR]

Whilst I guess it is dangerous to contradict the eminent John Foyle but I have recently been listening to the "Back With A Vengence" Volume 2 bootleg. I was walking our dog Buddy and I suddenly heard the single lyric "Daddy Can I Turn This?" and I stopped in my tracks and checked my iPod. It was apparently from a 27th July 1996 show at the Roundhouse and entitled "The Roundhouse Theme" on the track listing. If I recollect it also appears elsewhere on this compilatation but it is not delineated as a seperate track.

I didn't know the tragic story behind the lyric - thanks for the enlightenment!

[johnfoyle]

Sounds very possible , rev - well spotted!

[reviR]

Elvis also sings the refain whilst doing the band intros following Mystery Dance and then moves on to God's Comic reiterating the refrain again - same night 27/07/1996.

Had a re-listen on the train home tonight!

[johnfoyle]

Kinda thinking of this song lately..

[bronxapostle]

had the pleasure of hearing one of its earliest performances at the BEACON in August 1996. it was tacked on at the end of the night and band intros were phenomenal during it. i called it DADDY DADDY DADDY in my archives until it was released six years later. that song KICKED ASS attractions style. love this little gem, ESPECIALLY THAT NIGHT. i miss those nights when Elvis would regularly give us new songs in the live setting. one day soon, i hope he returns to this element of surprise with IMPOSTERS appearances.

[SCIENCEFICTIONTWIN]

From YouTube: Air Crash Investigation Aeroflot Flight 593 Kid in the Cockpit (reenactment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEQWwU6yUMw

[SCIENCEFICTIONTWIN]

"Daddy, Can I Turn This?" - Elvis Costello

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb-0ZCmaVUY

[The imposter]

From YouTube: Air Crash Investigation Aeroflot Flight 593 Kid in the Cockpit (reenactment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEQWwU6yUMw

That link was blocked for my country. I found a longer documentary about the disaster. I was surprised to learn that there was much more to it than the child "turning" some instrument. Apparently the autopilot was only partially disengaged without warning to the pilots, a feature unique to this new Airbus plane and something they clearly were not trained for. Quite a bizarre string of coincidences really. Interesting watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwXwQ8rNuqM