Talk:120 Minutes Song

Interesting but too long for the trivia section: "In the MTV studio a few days before Christmas, Linnell and Flansburgh, in full television makeup, are waiting to do the station's alternative-music show, 120 Minutes. They discard the scripted comments about their band and decide to sing "120 Minutes Before We Die," which they have just written. The producer, who has a shaved head and thick eyeliner, looks peeved. Linnell and Flansburgh try to work out some last-minute harmonies while he plays a noisy game of pinball. When the cameras blink on, Flansburgh, the more outgoing and image-conscious of the two, can't seem to get the song right. "That was too fast, sorry," he says, breaking in after a few bars. Undernourished-looking technicians in huge headsets fidget and signal for the intro music to start again. After a few bars, Flansburgh stops again. "I hit the wrong note," he says. A makeup woman blots the sweat from his brow. Linnell, who is most animated when he is performing, is a caricature of patience. He crosses his hands on his accordion and stares off into space, as if he is writing music in his head. "We are running behind schedule," says the producer tightly, "but don't worry about it."" (New York Magazine, February 6, 1989) - Wout