Fritzi on albums

The Uncle Henry Collection

I have a box full of my own uncle's old 78 rpm records, which my cousins gave me after his memorial service a couple of years ago. My goal was to clean them up and transfer the songs onto CD for them - life, of course, has gotten in the way.

Part of my plan when I got back to the Attic was to get to that project, make it a regular segment of the podcast - "gems from Uncle Henry's stash" or some such. Still an idea.

The trouble with my Biggest Ideas for the new series is that they're labor-intensive upfront; I'd need to get a lot of extra work done before the launch. I do want to try it, though, so I guess I should just get to it and quit whining.

Getting it ready on a timely basis may mean forgoing the iguanodon sound effect. I think everyone could probably live without it, though.

Remodeling the attic

I'm telling you, I'm sure this is going to work if I just have some time to get the job done - hey come on, I'm on the phone here, what do you need? The iguanodon sound effect? I don't know, we'll figure it out. Wait a minute! Do iguanodons make any sounds anyway? You know what, I should call you back anyway. I've got some situations here, and oh! Somebody just walked in. Talk to you later, OK?

Hi there — sorry the place is such a mess, you know what happens when you leave something alone for a whole summer. I nearly choked on the dust when I opened things up.

I've had some plans for this place in the back of my mind for a couple of months now, and it's long past time to put them in motion. They involve at least a 16-week series, and hopefully that will give us enough momentum to keep sailing.

Sorry to hit and run, but I've got my hands full. Hard to find good help, you know. See ya! Hey!!! The guitars go next to the mixing board! What good are they going to do in that closet? Yumpin yiminy anyway ...

Music and podcasts coming

I will have a second collection of free old recordings up soon.

Later this summer I will be putting a collection of new music up for sale and launching a 13-episode season of Uncle Warren's Attic.

Just so's ya know.

The Will To Fly - a w.p. bluhm collection

First and foremost, thanks to Sunni for her comments about "Wanting To Live Forever" and suggesting that I make it more readily available. Without further ado, click here to listen or download the song (there's another link below, of course.)

THE ALBUM: From a dub between two cassette recorders with a nylon string guitar in 1974, to a recording using all computer-generated instruments in 2000, these 15 tracks comprise what I consider my "best of" those years.

The songs cover a variety of adventures, misadventures, ups and downs that we should talk about some night over a beer or two. For now, thanks for listening and I hope you like it.

Words and music by w.p. bluhm (except for track 8)

THE SONGS: You can play them by clicking on 'em or download using your computer's standard download procedures.

1. Years of Our Lives (6:55/Written 1977/Recorded March 18, 1986)
2. Seems Like Old Times (2:25/1978/Dec. 22, 1985)
3. Crying Over Spilled Thyme (2:56/1977/1977)
4. Always Love You (2:49/1976/March 30, 1986)
5. Sweet Sarah Wilde (5:08/Sept. 6, 1984/Dec. 21, 1985)
6. Priscilla (3:33/1972/1975)
7. Darling Don't You Cry (3:52/1974/1974)
8. Happy Talk (4:32/Rodgers-Hammerstein 1949/1992)
9. Sha-la-la-la-la-la (1:49/June 6, 1985/Dec. 22, 1985)
10. Snuggle Bunny (2:31/Feb. 7, 1999/Feb. 21, 2000)
11. The Best is Yet To Be (3:36/June 22, 1986/1987)
12. Wanting To Live Forever (5:05/Jan. 27, 1986/March 30, 1986)
13. Billy and Jody (2:51/June 30, 1988/July 26, 1989)
14. Don't You Worry (3:25/Aug. 30, 1986/1987)
15. I Thank God (4:15/Jan. 30, 1987/1987)

THE PITCH: These 10- to 35-year-old recordings are offered for whatever you choose to pay for them. If you want me to toss out a number, let's go with the standard $9.99 for all 15 songs, or 69 cents a song. Feel free to pay less, feel especially free to pay more. These songs are worth whatever you think they are. You can download them for free, but if you have a PayPal account I'd also encourage you to contribute by clicking the PayPal logo over in the sidebar.

I'll accept the payments as your encouragement to me to keep going as a singer-songwriter. Thank you in advance!

Please e-mail me with questions and comments.

THE LEGALESE:


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Uncle Warren's Attic 58: The Pedestrian, and more

A dramatic reading of one of my favorite Ray Bradbury short stories anchors this session. Try to ignore the fact that I refer to a Bradbury "tune"; in fact, as musical as the master's prose is, it's probably as accurate a misstatement as you're ever going to hear. Vintage ads for Coca-Cola and a prominent Illinois politician are also on the agenda.

Plus, I spend a couple of minutes reminding you that I'd love to sell you some musical fiction of my own ...

The songs:
She Said Her Name Was Saffron - Marc Gunn
You Bug Me Baby - Larry Williams
For Your Boy and My Boy - Peerless Quartet
God's Gonna Cut You Down - Odetta
Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits - Marc Gunn

Download here, click the podcast icon or press "play" on the player at the top of the right rail.

UW Attic 57: History of recorded music

A 3.5-minute journey through seven audio formats is featured in this particular trip through the attic - to wit:

"Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" - Odetta
"The House of the Rising Sun" - Jack Elliott
"Old Blue" - Cisco Houston
"In the Mood" (2 78s, a cassette, 45, 33, CD and download versions) - Glenn Miller
"Tar Paper Stomp" - Wingy Manone and his Orchestra

Along the way you'll hear clips from "The First Family" with Vaughn Meader and "Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD" starring David Hasselhoff.

Download here, hit the pod icon or click "play" at the top of the right column.

Uncle Warren's Attic 56: New Year's Rockin' Attic III

OK, maybe you don't "rock" when you're talking Ole Svenson & His Smorgasbord Band, Bing Crosby and Benny Goodman ... download and enjoy!

First off, I tell you about the tri-speed turntable that powers this podcast, and then Ole checks in with the now-classic "Yingle Yingle Yumping Beans." After a word from the company that brings you the very best chocolate, we check out a couple of Beatles covers from Bing Crosby ("Hey Jude") and Benny Goodman ("Octopus's Garden").

While we're on the subject (and after a commercial message a la National Lampoon Radio Hour), a brief introduction to Emitt Rhodes, who was marketed as a McCartney sound-alike but was quite an artist in his own right. The link takes you to a nifty interview that I discovered after the show was put to bed.

I had to hear the Ballad of Serenity again before bringing in Marc Gunn's version of "Hero of Canton," and then it was time for Rockosaurus Rex to ring in the new year a couple of days early.

UPDATE: Sometimes the obvious escapes me, but this is ridiculous: Download here or click the player up there on the right.

Playing catch with my daughter

She came into our lives about 18 months ago, on Friday the 13th of July, 2007. As I turned onto the U.S. 41 on-ramp, a little black kitten darted across the road in front of me and disappeared into the brush on the side of the ramp.

I pulled over, thinking that she probably would just run away in the tall grass - but instead she popped back onto the shoulder and started croaking, like E.T., "Home! Home! Home!"

So I took her home. The vet said she was 5 weeks old and healthy.

I called her E.T. for a few days, until her dry throat healed and she started mewing like a normal kitten. Red named her Blackberry, and it fit.

The thing that became clear fairly quickly is that this cat is smarter than the others. All of our little beasts (yes, all seven) have their front claws removed - it's a defense measure to save our property. (We don't let them outside where they can become predators and prey, either.) The time for declawing is usually ripe when they start climbing the door jams and the patio door screen.

Well, after being stymied by the loss of her front climbing implements, this kitten learned to brace her back against the open sliding door and use her back claws to climb the screen - working her way down the same way. Smart kitten.

She has invented a game on the stairs. She will drop a little green Nerf ball down the stairs and try to catch it on the way down. It works better if I help. From the bottom, I'll toss it over her head so it bounces off a top stair, and she'll chase it down.

The other day, she stayed on a middle stair and pounced for the ball as it bounced past. When she caught it, she'd play with it for a couple of moments, and then bat it over the side so it bounced back down to me. Sometimes she'd whap it as it went by to give it extra momentum and try to get it past me.

We played the game for 10 minutes. I'd try to stop when she was chewing on the ball and say, "OK, I have to get ready for work," but after I took a few steps away I'd hear the ball bounce down the last few stairs. She wasn't ready to stop playing.

Why didn't I just keep walking? I don't have kids of my own, so the animals are the closest thing I'll have to children. About halfway through this episode, it struck me that this sweet joy I was feeling must be something like fathers feel when they're playing catch with their children. I wasn't ready to stop playing, either.

Uncle Warren's Attic 55: A Tale of Two Whaps

A special hat tip to Wally Conger, who influenced this show in ways you'll hear about. Wow, it's good to be back — I hope you agree.

Coming your way: Vintage ads for Camel and Budweiser, with The Crew-Cuts stepping in for the latter. Also ...

+ Sweet Dawn My True Love, a B-side from Crispian St. Peters
+ You Can Have Him, a lost treasure by Dionne Warwick
+ Railway Station, from Oshkosh's own Bill Waters Band
+ Sixteen Tons by Eric Burdon, the best thing about Joe Versus the Volcano

... and a lot of jabbering from yours truly. Download here or by clicking the Pod icon.

UPDATE 12-17-08: Yumpin Yiminy, I went almost a week forgetting the "55" illustration I tracked down for this episode. Whatever. It's there now.

Where I hope to be heading

I think back in September of '06 I had a different feeling when I sat down to do Uncle Warren's Attic #2. More relaxed, having more fun — it wasn't "I have to do a show." I think that's where I want to get back to.

So, while I'm assembling the new one, check out the old — #2. Or #3. Or Number nigh-yun.

Thanks for checking

It's nice of you to visit, even though I haven't been here for a while. So here's a secret you can tell your friends and family: Uncle Warren's Attic #55 will arrive soon.

I've spent the last couple of days listening to UWA #2-5, and I think going "back to the basics" may make the show fun to make again. I found some fascinating stuff poking around in the Attic last night, and I think you'll get a kick out of 'em.

So consider this viral marketing - if you know anyone who has enjoyed the show in the past or might like what I did back in those early shows, pass the word. Thanks!

In case you're wondering

It's possible you have heard that I'm bringing back Ikthuscast, my little "15 minutes of Jesus twice a week" celebration of independent Christian music. And that announcement may have caused you to wonder if there will be an Uncle Warren's Attic #55 and beyond.

The answer to that question is: Yup. At least I think so. At least I plan to. The Attic is a little more labor intensive, so I can't say when fer sure.

But I'll keep you updated.

What happened

I don't know what happened, really. I just woke up one morning, realized I hadn't done a podcast for a while, and my brain said, "That's OK, you're done for now."

I suppose I could write about the press of daily stuff — what B.W. Richardson refers to as "the quotidian' — but it's not that. Something inside just shifted and I didn't want to do podcasts. Nothing personal, I just had a "been there, done that" moment, and I don't have anything more to toss out.

Oh, The Imaginary Revolution thing? I suppose B.W. being weeks behind on that project had a little something to do with it, but the Attic could have gone on without him. Yeah, I'm irritated about that, but as you know it's hard for me to stay mad at Richardson.

When I'm having fun with Uncle Warren's Attic, there's no fun quite like it, so I'm not going to close the door and walk away forever. But I have closed the door and walked away. Sorry about that, and thanks to everyone who has sent words of encouragement over the course of my 53.5 episodes.

I like the idea of UWA too much to let go of it. I've just misplaced the spark for it. It's around here somewhere and I'll reboot down the road a ways, no doubt. After six weeks without a show, though, I figured I owed you at least a few words to say, yeah, the podcast is on hiatus or whatever you want to call it. Thanks for listening!

I-Rev as a separate podcast

In case you'd rather just have The Imaginary Revolution without all of the marvelous trappings of Uncle Warren's Attic (why you'd want that, I don't know), I'm going to post the chapters over there on the right, underneath "View my complete profile." You probably will even be able to download chapters 2 and 3 before I finish UWA #55, although it escapes me why you'd want to enjoy the story outside the trappings of my marvelous Attic.

Here is another place to grab the opening chapter.