Showing posts sorted by relevance for query firesign. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query firesign. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

THE FIRESIGN THEATRE - "Volkswagen Mummy Fools"

 Welcome to yet another Wacky Wednesday in The Dungeon!
Our guests tonight are The Firesign Theatre!

The Firesign Theatre have been our comedic heroes for many, many years and we're referenced them many times in these pages before, as this Search Link will attest to.
I spend a lot of time rummaging around on the Internet Archive, and am always surprised what turns up at the end of the day. Lately, it's been The Firesign Theatre, so here's a couple of tidbits to tickle your funny bone in these dark times.

 First off, here is an actual TV commercial for a Los Angeles Volkswagen dealership that was made in 1969 that starts off with Peter Bergman at the helm!

 This would be about the same time that the boys came out with their classic LP,
"How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?"

It's poetic justice that Jack Poet Volkswagen would be the dealer giving these four bozos some air time!
This is Phil Proctor, one of the only two surviving members some 50 years later!

 Philip Austin was also the incredible genius behind "Roller Maidens From Outer Space!"

 David Ossman is the only other member still around today!!
Here's a YouTube link so you can watch this incredible thing for yourself.
Don't be fooled, the beginning is a commercial for the game "Battleship."

This really interesting 14 minute video that you can watch right here, shows the guys at work doing their thing in an impromptu radio podcast titled "Fools In Space" from 2002!

 Sadly, Peter Bergman on the right, left us in 2012 at the age of 72, and Phil Austin joined him in 2015 at the age of 74!

You can also watch this fun overdubbed 20 minute version of "The Mummy's Tomb" that was done by three of the Firesigns watching this movie on TV, telling radio listeners to turn to the TV channel and turn the sound down, and listen to the broadcast they were doing instead. You can also find links to other Firesign Theatre artifacts there, so what are you waiting for? Start Digging!

Monday, May 12, 2014

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG / Firesign Theatre - 1975

It's time to take The Golden Hind to Hellmouth, CA, with Tabonga!.. Then, we're going to get our facts straightened out by some sun baked conspiracy theories brought to us by that desert news hound.. Happy Harry Cox!

Dogs flew space ships!.. The Aztecs invented the vacation!.. Your brain is not the boss!.. Everything you know is wrong!

Eegah!! sent over a great little soundclip from this thing, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there by the giant atomic-powered fried egg, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's our audio offering for... EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG!

Here's the fun little album Eegah!! and I both had, the movie is just a lip-synched version of the original album recording! The cinematographer, Allen Daviau, went on to be the director of photography on E.T. and THE COLOR PURPLE.

Here's Happy Harry Cox, happily reporting the facts as he knows 'em from his trailer in the California desert. Philip Austin is Happy, there's his address in case you want to inform or warn him of something that has you confused or confounded.

I'd give anything to hear some Gas Music from Jupiter!

I swear, Hellmouth looks like parts of Bakersfield, if we ever do our next Dungeon Flick called BUG EXTERMINATORS: 2062, we have a place similar to this picked out for our location!

I really dig this shot of seventies clutter!

Happy interviews Sheriff Luger Axehandle pertaining to an incident that has just happened! David Ossman is Sheriff Axehandle.

Eegah!! loves this commercial, having been a real beer connoisseur hisself!

The local TV weatherman shows us where it's going to be over 130 degrees in the shade!

This stuntman is going to have to survive a stunt involving that insane hill at top left!

Now, it's time to take a trip on The Golden Hind, where we listen to commentary by Buzz and Bunny Crumbhunger and watch home movies from their recent vacation...

Hare are a couple of interesting shots from the Crumbhunger's exotic journey!

Love this, the dude writing on the blackboard gets gassed but good!

Here's the back of Peter Bergman's head, unfortunately, the only member of The Firesign Theatre that is no longer with us.

The conspiracy is brought into the light of day, giant flying fried egg saucers are revealed at last!! See you again on Wednesday when Eegah!! will pull post number 1,800 out of his hat!!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

ROLLER MAIDENS FROM OUTER SPACE - Red Greenback and The Blue Boys - "Everybody Seemed To Be Having More Fun Than Me" (1974)

Those "four beloved turkeys" Peter Bergmen, Phillip Proctor, David Ossman, and the guy in the spotlight tonight, Phil Austin, collectively known as "The Firesign Theatre" have probably had as much influence on what we do here as anybody or anything! Talk about movies for the mind, when they were on, those cats were the masters! So, that being said, tonight's special treat is just a snippet of what you will be in store for if you go out and Get Yourself a Copy of Phil Austin's solo release, "Roller Maidens From Outer Space!" Don't let that cover or any of these pictures fool you, this is one of THE most amazing things ever put on vinyl by musicians or comedians!

Joined by Proctor, Ossman, and Bergman, along with Michael C. Gwynne, and the inspirational Oona Elliot, this is a wild tale combining TV series's "Carhook!," "The Regular and Ethyl Show," "Oooh Juicy," "Celebrity Roller Rassling," and the movie "The Roller Maidens From Outer Space" into one gigantic fireball of thrills!

Oona also gets credit for the Rollie Maidens outfits or lack thereof!

Somewhere in the middle of the whole thing, there is also a telethon going on, and one of the talents of the evening was Red Greenback and The Blue Boys performing "You've Got All Night To Wrestle A Live Nude Stewerdess In Flight"!!!! Not only is it probably THE best country song EVER recorded by anybody, it's also freakin' hilarious, and there is not one word wasted. These guys pack more into two minutes and 35 seconds than most people get out of a career, with lyrics like "I shouted Good Lord, then I wish I hadn't said it, if I had one brain them people coulda read it!" Lyrics by Phil Austin!

Oona Elliot gets credit for some writing, background vocals, costume design and is who Phil dedicates the album to!

The other beautiful "Space Angel" maidens are Krissi Ronning, Jennifer Kampen, Elizabeth Grand, and Lynn Taylor!

Phil Austin does the vocals and plays guitar, and is joined by musicians Henry Diltz on Banjo, Douglas Hatlelid on Bass, Cyrus Faryar on guitar and Lee Vaunce on percussion!

My highest recommendation is that you go and seek out at least a minimum of three of the Firesign Theatre's releases, "How Can You Be In Two Places At Once, When You're Not Anywhere At all," "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers," and "I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus!!!"

And here's where you can get 'em!

I have no idea why Phil Austin is not "King Of The World" today, a guy with more talent in his toenail than 500 Picassos, I'm thinking he possibly sold his soul to the owners of those Almighty Switchblade Pitchforks in exchange for making this album!!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

ZACHARIAH - "A Head Of His Time" (1971)

I liked this movie so much after I saw it when it was first released, that I named the next dawg I got, a little caca-poo, "ZACHARIAH!"

I had never seen a surreal musical western before "ZACHARIAH," and not only did it have, as seen here, the James Gang in it, it also starred one of the best bands of all time, Country Joe and the Fish!

On the left is Don (Miami Vice) Johnson as Matthew, and on the right is John Rubenstein as Zachariah, best buddies about to go on the adventure of their life! Both Don and John are still actively working today and have works in production! No musical slouch, John Rubenstein is also a singer, and has composed the music for a quite a few movies himself, like "The Candidate" and "Kid Blue!"

Here's Country Joe McDonald as the leader of bad-guy gang, The Crackers. How can you not love a movie that just takes it for granted that there were rock bands and electricity in the 1800's? What a beautiful concept! Country Joe and the Fish released their first LP in 1967, and it was called "Electric Music For Mind And Body" and is arguably one of the most psychedelic albums ever! How is it even possible that they are not in The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame? But then of course, you could say the same thing about Link Wray or Steve Miller!! Abba is in the Hall of Fame, and Guns and Roses is in there, but not Country Joe and the Fish, what a travesty of justice!

This is Barry Melton, amazing guitarist and sometimes vocalist for The Fish!

Much to the chagrin of nice guys all over the world, even back in the olde west it was true that the chicks dug the bad boys!

Chicken Hirsch and David Cohen were the original drummer and keyboard player for The Fish, but by the time this movie was made, they had been replaced by Duke Dewey and Mark Kapner!

"ZACHARIAH" is a film about trials and tribulations and is based on the book "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse! At the beginning of the movie Zachariah has just gotten himself a shiny new pistol, and he and Matthew set off to make something of themselves, and the first thing they do is join up with The Crackers!

The boys devise a plan where they go into a new town, and The Crackers set up and start playing on one end of town, and while all the town folk are distracted, Zachariah and Matthew rob the bank on the other side of town!

Joe Massot wrote the main script, but all the jokes and one liners were written by our favourite band of zanies, The Firesign Theatre. The four members of The Firesign Theatre were Phillip Austin, Phil Proctor, David Ossman, and seen here in a small role as the bank teller is Peter Bergman, who I'm saddened to say, just passed away a couple of months ago on February 9th. R.I.P. Peter, we're sure gonna miss you!!

"ZACHARIAH" is a cornucopia of musical talent that you'll never see in one place again. The Ragin' Cajun Doug Kershaw has the role of 'The Fiddler,' and performs a manic version of a song also written by him, the "Ballad Of Job Cain!"

Job Cain is the baddest gunfighter in the West, and Zachariah thinks he's the one who can take him down, even though 'The Fiddler' told him that "20 man tried, and 20 men died, and you've killed only one!" When Zach and Matthew arrive at the lair of Job Cain, the house band is ironically enough, the James Gang!

Joining Joe Walsh on guitar were drummer Jim Foxx, and bassist Tom Kriss! After Joe Walsh left the band in 1971, he was replaced for a while by the fantastic Domenic Troiano, who two years later was replaced by the brilliant but troubled Tommy Bolin! The two awesome songs the James Gang perform are "Country Fever," and "Laguna Salada!"

Here he is, the man himself, one of the most dynamic drummers in the world, Elvin Jones, as Job Cain!

Elvin Jones played the traps with John Coltrane for six years, and recorded with the quartet one of the most beautiful jazz records ever put to vinyl titled "A Love Supreme!" Elvin also performed with other legends Charles Mingus, and Miles Davis. He also played with his two talented brothers, Hank, and Thad Jones!

After polishing off some nitwit in a showdown, Job Cain takes over from Jim Foxx and plays a powerful drum solo that just accentuates how bad he really is!

Zachariah wasn't ready to take on Job Cain just yet, and Zach and Matthew have a parting of the ways, and Zachariah heads off to Belle Starr's to become a man!

Talk about your cult musicals, Patricia Quinn who has the role of Belle Starr, was also Alice, in Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant!" The music at Belle Starr's joint is a song called "Grave Digger" and is provided by yet another great but mostly unheralded band, The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble! Before he passed away in 2002, Ensemble keyboard player Mark Kamen founded the now legendary Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation!!

Two round pegs in square holes were the duo of Byard Ray and Obray Ramsey from North Carolina who performed as White Lightnin'. Their musical contributions to "ZACHARIAH" were two great tunes called "Shy Ann" and "Down In The Willow Garden." They recorded at least two LP's, "Fresh Air" which was fairly traditional material, and "File Under Rock!" that features an odd amalgam of musicians including bassist extraordinaire Chuck Rainey and jazz trumpeter Jimmy Owens among others!

I well imagine that you're familiar with the expression "to ride off into the sunset," well, what kind of ending were you really expecting? Do something nice for yourself, you can get the movie from Netflix, or buy the soundtrack from Amazon, either way you can't go wrong!

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