We Saw a Chicken …

Tag: hmr

  • Holy Modal Rounders – Live 1965

    Someone helpfully posted Holy Modal Rounders – Live 1965 as MP3s. Both Pete and Steve are clearly out of their heads when they played, but it’s a diamond in the rough of the freak folk scene.

    The recording has a chequered history. Recorded on June 5th 1965 (no-one knows or remembers where) by WDTM Detroit, the tape belonged to Peter Stampfel’s mother. It was found after she passed away, and mastered to CD for release in 2002. According to Peter, Steve borrowed a CD-R copy, and released it through an acquaintance. Much to Steve’s dismay, the acquaintance claimed that all the money from the release disappeared as expenses. It is now out of print, and seemingly any release could trigger legal action from either party.

    Whatever the history, it’s a great record of the time.

  • moicy!

    The Holy Modal Rounders documentary DVD, Bound To Lose is now available for us international types. But the price? $28 in the US balloons to $40 elsewhere. At that price, I’d expect Peter and Steve to deliver it in person!

  • happy easter, with apologies to Irving Berlin

    In Your Easter Vomit
    by Peter Stampfel & Antonia, circa 1970s

    in your easter vomit with all the flies upon it
    you’ll be the drunkest wino in the easter parade
    you’ll be all hung over and when they roll you over
    you’ll be the rankest wino in the easter parade

    on the avenue tenth avenue the
    photographer will snap us and he’ll say that
    you’re like a pile of manure

    fifty pounds of comet
    could not remove the vomit
    and all the flies you’re wearing
    to the easter parade

    Happy Easter … and remember, don’t eat the little “eggs” the bunny leaves on the lawn.

  • no more rounders

    I heard last night that Steve Weber has announced his retirement, and thus the chances of new releases and shows by The Holy Modal Rounders are slim to none. Let’s hope that Steve enjoys his retirement, but I can’t exactly see him on the golf course.

  • tunes I must learn (eventually)

    Not all of these could be classed as banjo tunes, but I’d want to try, anyway:

    • The Coo-Coo Bird (it’s not optional)
    • The Old Plank Road (Uncle Dave’s delivery, which was more demented than the Rounders)
    • Hot Corn, Cold Corn (like HMR; just how does one spell moo’m moo’m moo’m de boo’m boo’m de boo’m?)
    • I’m Going In A Field (Nic Jones style)
    • Bridges & Balloons (Joanna’s song’s just crying out to be covered with a broad Glasgow accent)
    • Needle of Death (too many banjo tunes are too happy)
    • Ghost (the Neutral Milk Hotel one)
    • something by Sufjan (even if Peter Stampfel says he plays banjo kind of boringly)
    • I Love How You Love Me (like Mangum, not Spector)

  • Chance encounters on the Ivor Cutler list

    I joined ivor-list during the week. In this short time, I’ve met on the list:

  • Steve Weber abides

    Judith & Steve called me again. Steve treated me to a great version of ‘Skin Game’ (from Too Much Fun!) over the phone. I think having one of the elder statesmen of psych-folk play a personal concert for me while I waited for the Bathurst streetcar to take me to the CNE must be one of the weirder episodes in my life.

  • Messages from Steve

    Got two messages from the taller Holy Modal Rounder, Steve Weber,
    tonight. He was jamming away, and recorded a great song for me, Blue Navigator.

  • An apt captcha

    apt_captcha.jpg
    How apt that, in order to join have_moicy (the Holy Modal Rounders discussion list), I got the above captcha.

    Oh, and did I say that we really enjoyed hearing Chris Smither play at Hugh’s Room last Friday?