An ‘answer song’ is a song that replies to an existing song. They were popular in the 30's to 50's in blues and r&b, later too in country and also hip-hop. Just recall ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ from Lynyrd Skynyrd which provided an answer to Neil Young's ‘Southern Man’. Napoleon XIV’s ‘They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!’ was immediately answered by a certain ‘Josephine XV’ with ‘I'm Happy They Took You Away, Ha-Haaa!’. Boogie Down Productions' ‘The Bridge Is Over’ was an answer to MC Shan and Marley Marl’s ‘The Bridge’ (which claimed that Queens was the birthplace of hip hop instead of the Bronx).

This subject inspired Flat Earth Society to write a series of ‘Answer Songs’ provided with lyrics and music by the likes of actor Josse De Pauw, Jef Neve, illustrator Gerda Dendooven, Wim Willaert (= ½ Dolfijntjes), writer Peter Verhelst and also various FES-members,… Songs which were answered include: ‘Song to the Siren’ by Jeff Buckley, ‘Poupée de Cire’ by Serge Gainsbourg, ‘Should I stay or should I go’ by The Clash, 'Les filles du bord de mer'/'Vous permettez' by Adamo and ‘Is dit alles’ by Doe Maar. The result must be able to stand alone. You can hear how this sounds already on 29 October in AB during the CD Launch of ‘Answer Songs’.

Finally, you're still wondering who FLAT EARTH SOCIETY are? Well FES is still Belgium's wildest, most colourful and least traditional jazz big band, here or further afield, under the leadership of ex-X-Legged Sally man Peter Vermeersch with (ex-)members of Zita Swoon, Wawadadakwa, El Tattoo Del Tigre, Jaune Toujours, Jef Neve, Think Of One…