The Bug

"The Bug" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and originally performed by Dire Straits on the final studio album by the band, On Every Street (1991). It was covered by Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1992 and also recorded on the albums Blues Ballads (1996) by The Alex Bollard Assembly and Keep Your Hands to Yourself (2002) by Mike Berry & The Outlaws.

Dire Straits

The song is the fourth and final UK single from the album On Every Street by English rock band Dire Straits, and it also was to be Dire Straits' final single release in the UK. Other songs from the album were released as singles in selected countries ("You and Your Friend" in France and Germany or "Ticket to Heaven" in Netherlands).

7" vinyl single

5" CD single

Mary Chapin Carpenter

The song was covered by Mary Chapin Carpenter on her 1992 album Come On Come On and was released as a single the next year, peaking at 16 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks. This version of the song is also included on the soundtrack of the 2006 computer animated film Everyone's Hero.

Kevin Martin (British musician)

Kevin Martin is a London-based English musician, record producer and journalist, often known under his recording alias The Bug. He moved to London around 1990, and he has been active for over two decades, in the genres of dub, jazzcore, industrial hip hop, dancehall, and dubstep.

His projects include GOD, Techno Animal, Ice, Curse of the Golden Vampire, Pressure, and most recently, King Midas Sound. He has collaborated with such figures as Daddy Freddy, John Zorn,Justin Broadrick, Experimental Audio Research,El-P, Blixa Bargeld, Alec Empire, Dälek, Vast Aire, Warrior Queen, Anti-Pop Consortium, DJ Vadim, Cutty Ranks, Flow Dan, Mark Stewart and Keith Levene.

Early life

Martin first became interested in music as a teenager going to Handsome Dick's, a record store in Weymouth, England, UK. At the same time, he was introduced to Joy Division, the Sex Pistols, Captain Beefheart, the Birthday Party, and Throbbing Gristle. He has described his initial interest in music as stemming from his difficult family situation during his childhood, and said, "It seemed like everything that I hated about English conservative monoculture was being burned and turned upside down through music," and, "Post-punk music was tearing up rule books and asking questions of everything, particularly structure in terms of music, art, politics, you know, the law."

The Bug (horse)

The Bug (1943–1963) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist sprinter, he was trained first in Ireland and then in Britain during a racing career which lasted from 1945 until September 1947. After being beaten in his first three races he recorded ten consecutive victories including the Wokingham Stakes, July Cup, Nunthorpe Stakes, Diadem Stakes and Cork and Orrery Stakes. He was then injured and finished unplaced in his comeback race, ending with a record of ten wins from fourteen races. He was retired to stud where he had little success as a sire of winners.

Background

The Bug was an unimpressive-looking, lightly built chestnut horse, with a white blaze and a white sock on his right hind leg. He was bred in County Limerick, Ireland, by either Mary Ellard or S. Donoghue. As a yearling The Bug was sent to the Ballsbridge sales where he was bought for 700 guineas by the Hon. Gerald "Ginger" Wellesley, a relative of the Duke of Wellington. The colt raced in the colours of Norman Wachman, a boot and shoe manufacturer, as well as a noted gambler, and was trained by Wellesley at Castleknock, County Dublin.