Berkeley Cat Records – Page 16 – Berkeley Cat Records

Laughing Man single by Eric Din

Another “new” track from yours truly, this one a reboot of a song my UpTones brethren Paul Jackson wrote in the late 1980s. It was right after the original UpTones broke up and Paul and Ben and I started HOBO. We released it as a single and played it in our set for a while as we hoboed up and down the west coast playing concerts and nightclubs and the occasional campfire.

In 2017 I heard a new version with some different lyrics and asked Paul if he’d mind if I made a rewrite. Graciously Paul agreed and I tracked it at home with acoustic guitar and a “voice-box” lead guitar created with a Pignose amp and a funnel (for my fellow Frampton geeks!)

Now in the COVIDopalypse I wanted drums and bass to round it out so I called Dave Tweedie who put down some fabulous acoustic drum tracks, and then I played the bass. Mixed it up and here it be! I’m very happy with how it came out. Hope you also enjoy.

Oh, it’s been called, alternately, Laughing Man or The Laughing Man. I went with Laughing Man and Shannon’s artwork says The Laughing Man and that’s appropriate. “The Laughing Man, he can’t decide.” Full lyrics and credits below. Feel free to share any ol’ which way ya like. Thank you.

Laughing Man

There’s a pile of tacks where the floor meets the wall
He put them there so my pictures would not fall
The laughing man got a magic 8 ball
The laughing man sees and knows all

He is the laughing man
He is the laughing man
And he’ll do what he can
To see that we don’t understand

There’s a laughter where my hand pulls at my eye
He put it there so that I wouldn’t cry

And still the laughing children
Out on a summer’s day
Save their pennies and marbles
To hear the laughing man play

He is the laughing man
He is the laughing man
And he’ll do what he can
To see that we don’t understand

It ain’t a joke but here’s a punch line
He’s laughing at the knot I tied
The laughing man, he can’t decide
The laughing man, he never dies

And still the laughing children
Even as skies turn gray
Travel with minimal cargo
To hear the laughing man play

Produced by Eric Din at Din’s house
Eric Din: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Talkyboxen
Drums recorded by Dave Tweedie at Dave’s house
Cover art by Shannon Wheeler at Shannon’s house
Now you may listen to it at your house
Like magic

Russ Ellis interview on Break It Down Show

In this lively interview, Jon Leon Guerrero chats with Russ Ellis about his life, what led Russ to become a songwriter in his 80s, his song inspirations and collaborations, the Oom Chugga Remix Challenge, the upcoming election and plenty more. It’s a fun and inspiring talk full of energy and realness, and some hilarious and delightful moments. Check it out and please feel free to share it up!

Berkeley Cat Records recording artist Russ Ellis joins us to talk about new careers and taking your muse all the way to the goal line.

The Oom Chugga Remix Challenge continues with Din’s Psychopathic Caturday Dub Mix!

For my entry in the Oom Chugga Remix Challenge I went berserk on the tape echo and emphasized my unhinged guitars and Dave Ellis’ elegant keyboards to frame Russ’ concise and poignant vocals. I added a little vocals of my own (lyrics below) and mixed it as wildly as I wanted to. Even spun some parts in backwards here and there. It was a lot of fun.

Here’s the Oom Chugga Remix Challenge Album in progress! Track 1 is the original mix, produced by Dave Ellis, who also made the audio stems for these remixes. Track 2 is Micblake and Chris Burger, mixed by Josh Lubensky. And then my new crazy one is track 3 ->

What will be next after that?! Goodness knows. Are YOU up to the Oom Chugga Remix Challenge?! Send us a hello at oomchugga @ berkeleycatrecords dot com
if you’d like to have a go. Your note will magically be delivered to the Oom Chugga Remix Challenge Committee (ooooh!) so tell us who you are and what you envision for your remix, HOPEFULLY with an emphasis on lyrical content motivating people (especially young people) to register and VOTE. Mkay? And we’ll write you back with more details and probably the stems. That’s it!

Happy Caturday! US citizens, check your voter registration here! Do that now, right now! Byeeee!

-Eric Din

Lyrics (Russ):

Oom chugga oom chugga oom chugga chugga chugga

Ain’t got no money
Done lost my honey
My nose is runny
The president’s crazy

Insane

Lyrics (Din):

Cuckoo, cuckoo

What?

Meow

I can’t tell sometimes if it’s the end or the beginning

Berkeley cats in a
Berkeley hats in the
Berkeley flats makin’
Berkeley tracks, what?

(All together now)

CRAZY

Am I Not Alien? b/w People I May Know

Brand new single from Eric Din

The A side!

A man is an island
Unto a shining black mirage
A man is in silence
As he moves through the garage
Can’t complain, he plays the game,
He’s happy to be alive on this fine day

Though he don’t belong here,
A castaway cast in some role,
He never tried out for,
It’s been so long since he’s been whole
Can’t complain, the old refrain,
He’s happy to be alive on one more day

I start to wonder,
Am I not alien?
When I see another,
Am I not alien?
Am I not alien?

Out on a mission,
Ready to conquer planets,
A man has gone AWOL,
Cos he thought better of it he just met,
Another stray, she’d like to stay,
They’re happy to be alive on this fine day

And still I wonder,
Am I not alien?
When I see another,
Am I not alien?
Am I not alien?

One in a million,
It’s only natural to find,
Just when you don’t care, and you’re nowhere,
Out of the blue someone arrives,
To change your mind, and set you right,
I’m ready to come alive on one more day

And still I wonder,
Am I not alien?
As I cross the border,
Am I not alien?
Am I not alien?
Am I not alien?
Hmmm

Eric Din – Guitars, Bass, Synth, Organ, Vocals
Jay Lane – Drums

Produced by Eric Din
Mastered by Michael Romanowski at Coast Mastering

Artwork by Shannon Wheeler

And the B side!

Yes we have B sides. We like to think we do. Here are the lyrics as scrawled. Audio in the player above. Like a record. With two sides.

Eric Din – Guitar, Vocals, Bass and sampled Drum wrangling

You can read my thoughts about these songs and the saga of creating them, at my personal blog here.

Thanks and as always, please feel free to share any ol’ which way ya like.

Thank you!

Oom Chugga Remix Challenge – Episode 1 is here!

Greetings one and all, I am SO pleased to announce our FIRST WINNING ENTRY in the OOM CHUGGA REMIX CHALLENGE! And you KNOW I’m excited because cats don’t usually use ALL CAPS. This is a perfect first round, and our friends Micblake, Chris Burger, and Josh Lubensky have set the bar HIGH! These cats totally got the spirit of this endeavor and delivered a powerhouse reinvention of Oom Chugga with some awesome and up to the minute verses. Have a listen, do. And please share it to the moon and back. Thanks!

-Dinsky

Micblake & Chris Burger leading the way

What Is This Oom Chugga Remix Challenge?!

We are so glad you asked. Russ Ellis made this fabulous track for his now nearly completed album, Songs From The Garden. And we all thought it would be a great track to invite people to rap or sing or play instruments or rant poetry over, or remix or reboot however the inspiration may strike you. Russ’s theme for this is simple and direct: he wants to motivate people to VOTE, especially young people, to VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!! Go.

How Can I Participate In This?!

Again we are glad you asked! All you need to do is get in touch and let us know who you are and tell us a little about what you have in mind for your remix! Then we may, at our discretion, send you the high-resolution, Dave Ellis-produced, audio STEMS for you to download and have at it. So easy.

Send an email to: oomchugga @ berkeleycatrecords dot com
Your note will be magically delivered to the Oom Chugga Remix Challenge committee. We will review and if it’s approved we will follow up with details and the audio and you can get started pronto!

What Happens If You Like My Remix!?

All approved entries will be added to the Oom Chugga Remix Challenge ALBUM! – a digital release on Berkeley Cat Records which will be hosted at BandCamp and then released to the streaming wilds. Get in touch and we’ll tell you more.

What Does The Original Track Sound Like?!

You ask all the good questions, don’t you? Here is the ORIGINAL, uncut, direct from Ellis Island Studios, song that started us down this path, Oom Chugga!

That address again is: oomchugga @ berkeleycatrecords dot com
I spelled it that way so the bots wouldn’t spam us. Kitties don’t like spam.

Long Time by Russ Ellis

Ladies and gents, the 11th track on the Russ Ellis album-in-progress, “Songs From The Garden,” is here! Long Time is a collaboration involving Russ Ellis, Dave Shul, Zoe and Dave Ellis, and Al Marshall. It’s a classic love song, though brand new. Please have a read and a listen and a share. Russ’s notes and the lyric sheet you’ll find below. With Russ’s vocals recorded by Jeremy Goody at Megasonic Sound, the Daves recorded in their home studios, and everything mixed together by Mr. Shul, I’m delighted and honored to host this, and without further ado, here’s Long Time.

-Dinsky

Liner notes from Russ:

My son said last month, “Dad, you gotta have Dave Shul on this album.”

I knew he was right, but was a bit intimidated by the prospect. This was partly so because I did not have anything working in my head that seemed worthy of Shul’s talents and status in the Bay Area music scene. It was also true because of the place Dave Shul occupied in my memory.

It was at Cazadero Music Camp during the period of The Fuzzy Lefties’ management of the camp. I think Dave Shul was about twelve or thirteen. I remember being impressed with how much beer he could drink, but when I first witnessed him playing the guitar, he seemed like the instrument’s avatar. I was genuinely astonished that that small person could play like that. There was too much wisdom in his playing. I had him pegged as a kid.

I did work up the courage to send Shul a Voice Memo of a lurking tune. I sent him the line beginning “You been with me a long time….” Later I sent him what I thought might have the makings of a chorus, beginning “Still can’t figure why you stayed with me.”

He immediately wrote back. “Reverse them.” The next day he sent me the basics of what the song became. I am extremely happy with the outcome, just as my voice seems to be fading into the sunset. It’s my last recording.

Thank you, Dave Ellis, for the suggestion.
Thank you, Dave Shul, for bringing the song into existence.

Credits:

Words: Russ Ellis, Zoe Ellis
Music: Russ Ellis, Dave Shul
Arrangement: Dave Shul
Guitars, Dave Shul
Drums, Al Marshall
Horns, Dave Ellis

Recorded at the various homes and studios of the cats listed above
Russ’s vocals recorded by Jeremy Goody at Megasonic Sound

Matte Martin – Bridge – Full Album!

It’s an exciting Caturday at Berkeley Cat Records. Today we see the full release to the digital wilds of Matte Martin’s Bridge album. This happens to be the first full-length album on our label and I’m very proud to host and distribute it far and widely starting….. now!

This record was composed, performed, recorded and produced by Matte Martin with a little help from his friends. My first thought when I heard this was, “Who knew Kurt Weill and Gentle Giant had a baby and why wasn’t I told?” Bridge is a bold and revelatory musical and lyrical journey.

Give ‘er a spin! You can find this in your favorite streaming service as of nanoseconds ago, or better yet, purchase it directly from the artist at his BandCamp page. Above is an embed of said page. Below, you will find links to said stream-o-nets.

On a personal note, this record touches my heart as it looks unflinchingly at the wreckages we have wrought, while radiating an irrepressible and intentional light. There is love in these tracks. And heartbreak and redemption. And humor and venom, and healing and collapse. I invite you to listen and share!

Thank you,

-Eric Din
Berkeley Cat Records
Cat-Herder in Chief

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