Back in 1979, I made the decision to accept Dr Demento as my personal savior. Since then, with the help of his apostles Spike, Al, Stan and Black-Eyed Susan Brown, I have made it my mission to spread the Gospel of the Firesign and the Word of the Waller. Please join me and my fellow seekers as we find the Wisdom we crave and the Rapture we deserve. A new sermon every Tuesday (and NO collection plate!).
Bitslap with KBC is also available as a podcast.
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| Artist |
Track |
Album |
Comments |
Year |
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PDQ Bach
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BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH CONCERTCAST
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Peter Schikele, Professor at the Extension Division of the Musicology and Musical Pathology Departments of the University of North Dakota at Hoople (which, by the way, is a real town way up in the norteast corner of the state, but has no school or, apparently, people). Professor Schikele specializes in the life works of the imaginary PDQ Bach, the youngest and oddest of J.S. Bach's twenty-odd children. Schikele is also an accomplished 'serious' musician who, until recently, had a running show, 'Schikele Mix' on NPR. Sadly, major budget cuts took care of that. Damn this Economy!
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Ludwig Von Beethoven
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SYMPHONY #7 IN A, OPUS 92
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Cleveland Symphony Orchestra
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This WILL wake you up. Remember that Beethoven assembled all this stuff in his head, having gone deaf long before and never got to hear it (in the conventional sense, that is). I first became acquainted with this piece as used by the Firesign Theatre as part of their 'Ralph Spoilsport' piece [see kbc pod of 8/04], and only recently was able to identify it.
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Eddie Lawrence
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LONGHAIR PHILOSOPHER
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Jazzy Old Philosopher, Red Dragon
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Yet another in his seemingly endless supply of 'Old Philosopher' bits. Born in 1919 as Lawrence Eisler in Brooklyn, he's paid his dues in standup, impressions, cartoon voiceovers, albums and movies. Also was the host on Channel 11 (WPIX) in New York of the daily 3 Stooges show for a year or two. Eddie is still going strong today at age 90.
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1994
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Temple City Kazoo Orchestra
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KAZOO'ED ON CLASSICS
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From an EP on Rhino that also includes unnecessary kazoo versions of "Stayin Alive" and "Thus Spake Zarathustra." They actually had two records on Rhino, "Some Kazoos" [their EP] and "Plateful of Kazoos." Nowhere have I been able to find the identities of these guys.
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Tuba Bloze
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STUMBLE OF THE FUMBLE BEE
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Viper's Drag [Cassette]
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from Dayton OH, presumably the only tuba orchestra in Ohio. Seems that any time a tuba wants to stretch out, they pick the Bumble Bee song. [I've actually heard it done elsewhere]
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Gugenheim Sour Kraut Band
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IL BACIO
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JESUS, WHERE THE #&%@ DID THAT RECORD GO??? I just had it here. Really, I did. Anyway, these guys are probably the inspiration for the Portsmouth Sinphonia, predating them by a good ten years.
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Leona Anderson
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IL BACIO
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Music to Suffer By
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Leona was born in 1885 and did some hard time in movies [her brother was "Bronco Billy" Anderson of silent-shorts fame]. She gravitated to "singing" in the 50s, where she was discovered by Ernie Kovaks, who put her on his TV show. Her first record, "Fish," was recorded with Bill Baird (the puppeteer) and Tony Burello ("Sound of Worms") on tenor tuba and calliope respectively (and you can count on one thumb the number of times those two instruments have been used together on a hit record). Leona died in 1973 at age 88.
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1957
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Gugenheim Sour Kraut Band
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RAYMOND OVERTURE
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Still can't find that damn record. Bet the cats ate it.
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Portsmouth Sinfonia
|
SWAN LAKE
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A real honest-to-goodness orchestra that was started by students at the Portsmouth School of Art [UK] in 1970. In order to join the Sinfonia, you had to prove you had no musical talent whatsoever [I'm not making this up]. There are several records, mostly rounded up and burned. Their last public appearance was around 1979, when they were chased down and dragged from their buses. See more than you need an www.portsmouthsinfonia.com
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Christam Marclay
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MARIA CALLAS
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Marclay was probably the original remix artist, long before digital technology made it child's play. He's been known to chop up tapes and cut up records like a pizza [you think that's gonna work? try it yourself!]. Hopefully nobody got hurt here, but you know how it is: I've suffered for my art, now it's your turn.
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PDQ Bach
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O.K. CHORALE
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Another mashup of sorts
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Spike Jones
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BLACK AND BLUE DANUBE WALTZ
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Spike Jones
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PAL YAT CHEE
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Featuring a young and impressionable Homer and Jethro, when they were new stars. Another version of this features Betsy Gaye, apparently to the same orchestral accompaniment.
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Spike Jones
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HOTCHA CORNEA [Black Eyes]
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Spike Jones
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LIEBESTRAUM
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Leona Anderson
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HABANERA FROM 'CARMEN'
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Christine Nelson
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POKERACCI
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Christine's moment in the sun came in one of Allen Sherman's biggest hit "Sarah Jackman"
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PDQ Bach
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EXHO SONATA [For Two Unfriendly Groups of Instruments]
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