10 Sep 99 - 12:02 PM (#113172) Subject: One Man Band contact From: ericroyer@msn.com Nice to meet you all. Cool place. I do a one man bluegrass band and am always looking for others who do old fashoned one man bands, just to talk shop, etc... |
10 Sep 99 - 12:52 PM (#113181) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: catspaw49 A One Man Bluegrass Band?..........uh,huh..........so whaddaya' call youself, "Lonesome Gillette, the Blue Blade?" Just wondering. Spaw |
10 Sep 99 - 01:03 PM (#113183) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: katlaughing Welcome to the Mudcat, Eric. You just met one our most Esteemed Wits.
Jump right in You will find this to be a magical place full of incredible people always ready for a good discussion, full of a wealth of information, and the Mudcat is filled with venerable members of the Folk movement. For more of an idea of what you stumbled on, read back over some of the threads. You can set the filter to go back a full year. They are full of discusions on all things musical and not. katlaughingmakingupthewelcomingcommitteewith'Spaw! |
10 Sep 99 - 01:06 PM (#113188) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Bert Welcome aboard 'croyer. |
10 Sep 99 - 01:49 PM (#113201) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gillette Well I found my new nickname, but you will have to explain the joke to me Spaw |
10 Sep 99 - 02:07 PM (#113209) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: catspaw49 How old are you Eric? You may not remember that Gillette, the razor people used to make safety razor blades, blue in color, called "Blue Blades." Then you are a ONE man Bluegrass Band and instead of "grass"...you're just one blade of grass, see and...................ya' know they lose a lot when ya' gotta' explain 'em! Spaw--'Course that one never had much to begin with...... |
10 Sep 99 - 02:13 PM (#113213) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Bert Lonesome Gillette, I hope you appreciate the miracle that you have just witnessed here. A subtle 'Spaw joke, that has no reference to bodily functions or orifices. Bert. |
10 Sep 99 - 02:20 PM (#113215) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gilette Hmm.. if they loose a lot when you gotta explain them, and that never had much to begin with, do you owe me something? |
10 Sep 99 - 02:23 PM (#113216) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Margo Gee, what all do you play? And how many do you play at the same time? My husband is a computer systems man, so around here we call it multi-tasking. The only things I can do musically at the same time is play and sing at the same time. Oh, and fart. I was at song circle and got up to get a drink in the kitchen. Someone was singing in the other room, and I farted right on key. Damn, there was no one there to witness my amazing ability. You gotta take my word for it. Margarita |
10 Sep 99 - 02:26 PM (#113218) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gilette Do I have to answer whittily? |
10 Sep 99 - 03:34 PM (#113231) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Allan C. To be witty is not required around here. But a sense of humor is readily appreciated. Welcome! |
10 Sep 99 - 03:45 PM (#113232) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Dave Swan Welcome to the madhouse Lonesome Gee. Dammit Catspaw, you have stuck in my head that godammed march that used to play behind the Gilette commercials. Help, I can't stop the marches in my head. E.S. |
10 Sep 99 - 05:16 PM (#113251) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: RiGGy Look Sharp, B#... etc Reminds me of the Stones' "Under-assitant West Coast Promo Man" "Sittin' here thinkin' just how sharp I am ..." Dr Lonesome, What DOES a one-man bluegrass band play for intruments as well as material ?? And DAVE ; Aren't you supposed to be leaving for Atlanta now ??? [ Don't forget your toothbrush ] RiGGy |
10 Sep 99 - 06:37 PM (#113263) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Mudjack Having a sense of humor is the minimum requirement, to be totally INSANE is the norm....welcome to the Mudcat eric, or "Lonesome Gillette"? Mudjack |
10 Sep 99 - 07:06 PM (#113268) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Cap't Bob Lonesome Gillette......You have not answered Margarita's question yet about what all you play. I'm really quite curious about the one man band thing. Years and years ago BTV (before television) I saw a one man band. He played a great variety of drums, horns, bells, etc., etc. I went home and made a very futile to duplicate his feat. With very little technical ability I constructed a rather.....well anyway it was a complete flop. Do you play all the instruments at one time......or just how does the one man band thing work?? Cap't Bob |
11 Sep 99 - 10:46 AM (#113396) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gillette I'm back, I had to go shave. OK... Hey, Captian Bob, the household where I was raised was not much into art but I used to watch a TV show early on sunday mornings called Captian Bob, it was a pencil drawing show. It's been all down hill from there. Are you THAT Captian Bob? Back to the One Man Band thing. I play either Banjo or Dobro in the conventional manner (with my hands) while playing bass and guitar with my feet using a contraption I built, It's got a real guitar and bass in it. I've recorded two albums on this thing and should be doing another soon. This all emerged from playing wierd folk music out in Tucson, wierd like Captian Beefheart and stuff like that, started out half serious and now is 7/8 serious. This site seems like it might have people who do similar stuff hanging around, or I dont know, not shure what I'm doing here. This is all so damn sience fiction to me. |
11 Sep 99 - 11:15 AM (#113399) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gillette oh, Im a street musician by the way |
11 Sep 99 - 12:36 PM (#113422) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Rick Fielding Lonesome Gillette. Just for mentioning Captain Beefheart on the Mudcat.. I welcome you. I assume you're familiar with the greatest one man band who ever lived - Jesse (Lone Cat) Fuller. If not, lemme know, cause you're in for a treat. Rick |
11 Sep 99 - 12:49 PM (#113427) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gillette Yup, heard of Jesse (Lone Cat) Fuller, he's cool. |
11 Sep 99 - 09:07 PM (#113506) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: RiGGy Whaddabout his "footdela" ? Was it a "calimba-ized" 55 gallon drum or what ?? RiGGy |
11 Sep 99 - 09:19 PM (#113513) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gillette What I've heard about the footdella is it's a big wooden bass type body a bunch of strings, probably tuned to some key, each string having a paino type hammer and key mechanism, a string would get struck when he would depress a pedal. (I'm not shure if this is accurate, I heard this from someone). |
11 Sep 99 - 09:44 PM (#113521) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Cap't Bob Lonesome Gillette ~ Thanks for the info....what you do sounds real interesting. I would really like to see you in action. Say...if you go to the little box marked "QUICK LINKS" (above) ..... then go to bbc's Mudcat Resources..... then go to Mudcat photos..... you can see what some of the Mudcatter's look like. If you have some way to send a photo (preferably while doing the one man band thing) bbc could get it listed for you and who knows you might just inspire a lot of other folks. By the way I'm not that Captain Bob either. If I would have known there were so many famous/infamous Captain Bob's I could have selected another name. I'm captain of a little 22 foot sloop on Lake Huron. Cap't Bob |
12 Sep 99 - 02:04 AM (#113555) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Gene The Carter's may have recorded this also... ONE-MAN BAND SHEB WOOLEY Ever' saturday you could see him On the courthouse square with a guitar 'cross his lap A beat up drum that he worked with his feet And a harmonica stuck in his mouth I used to stand right up in front 'Cause I was his biggest fan Altho I never did even know his name We just called him the ONE-MAN BAND. Notes to: [When the roll ... is called up yon-der WEhen the roll ... is called up yon-der I'll be there.] The guitar had a crack or two You could tell the drum was old But he had a special way of playin' His music came from the soul Aw! he brought us an awful lot of pleasure Playing them old-time songs When he'd hit one that we all knew Ever'body'd sing along. CHORUS When the roll ... is called up yon-der When the roll ... is called up yon-der When the roll ... is called up yon-der When the roll ... is called up yon-der I'll be there. A lot of time has passed and things have changed Since I've seen this old courthouse square And I'm kinda disapointed Like I expected him to be sittin' there Folks say he just keeled over one saturday Not far from where I stand But in my mind I still can hear The music of the ONE-MAN BAND. CHORUS TAG: When the roll ... is called up yon-der I'll be there.
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12 Sep 99 - 09:10 AM (#113589) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Eric, the footdiller that Jesse played was a five string bass instrument that did indeed have pedals though he'd sometimes pluck it with the big toe of his right foot. This account was passed along to me by my friend Robert Oneman Johnson who has carried on where Jesse has left off with a foot piano bass instrument of his own (12 srings) and highhat cymbal. He has recorded a good many songs most of which I perform regularly though not in the oneman band form. I play percussion on a washboard/sound effects gadget as well as a number of other instruments though as I said not in a oneman form. I think I would like to take a stab at making one of those foot pianos someday. |
12 Sep 99 - 10:07 AM (#113600) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Roger in Baltimore One of the memories of my life was to seeing Jesse Fuller at the Foghorn in B'more. Jessie played a twelve string guitar with his hands, his fotdella with his right foot and a high hat cymbal with his left foot. He had a harmonica and a kazoo taped into a harmonica rack. It all worked! And wonderfully so. Oh, yeah, he sang, too! The fotdella I remember was not a hugh device, maybe the size of an old fender amp turned on its short side. The strings were piano wire stretched from top to bottom. The pedals were like bass drum pedals. Must have been a challenge for the soundman. Roger in Baltimore |
12 Sep 99 - 11:17 AM (#113607) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Mike Billo Hi Lonesome Gillette. This thread illustrates why I love the mudcat. 1. a warm welcome for a newcomer. 2.A guy says that his musical progression went from Captain Beefheart to Bluegrass and nobody bats an eye. 3. A well-informed discussion on the music and instruments of Jesse Fuller. I had the great pleasure of meeting Jesse Fuller in the later years of his life, and the Electric Rag Band of Tulsa OK, has an anecdote I sent to them about this meeting on their website at http://www.netmagic.net/~snake/people/fuller.htm in response to their story about a club owner ripping them off because they didn't play enough Blues. |
12 Sep 99 - 11:55 AM (#113614) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Rick Fielding Jesse Fuller played a number of times in Toronto. Often he would stay with an acquaintance of mine. She once recounted how after dinner and his club date (or whatever) he would return to her place, say goodnight, and then sleep in his car. He always told her that "the authorities" would not look kindly on a black man spending the night in a white family's house. Naturally, she tried to explain that this was Canada, not the United States, but apparently Jesse assured her that "authorities" were the same everywhere. He was probably right. Rick |
15 Sep 99 - 04:14 PM (#114503) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Lonesome Gillette Thanks Everybody from adding to this thread. I did a search for "Robert Oneman Johnson" but didn't find anything, is he still playing? Capt bob- I posted a photo to mudcat Photos of me & my equipment. About Jessie Fuller sleeping in his car... I wonder if in addition to his being worried about "the athorities" he had a bit of a hermit or anti-social personality (like me) that might have drawn him to the one man thing? Just a thought. Anyone ever talk to him, know him? |
15 Sep 99 - 07:16 PM (#114541) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: MandolinPaul I've always wanted to join a one-man band. Anyone up for it. |
15 Sep 99 - 10:48 PM (#114585) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Mike Billo Yeah, I talked to Jesse and knew him in his later years. He was outgoing and friendly. Quite an eccentric though. I think what brought him to the one-man band thing was originality and creativity, rather than any anti-social feelings. I remember him belching at the end of harmonica solos and not thinking anything of it. One of these belches can be heard on the end of the Arhoolie recording of "Got A Hump In Your Back". The belch, though barely audible on the vinyl record, is loud and clear on the CD re-issue. A rare moment for audiophiles. |
16 Sep 99 - 12:48 AM (#114616) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: reggie miles LG, I'm not surprised that you could not find Oneman Johnson. He's busy with a teaching gig and has little time to perform these days. He has self produced a number of recordings. Sweet Mama Don't Let It Fall, '54 Chevrolet Panel Truck Blues, Bruise...Live In Nagoya, Mideast/Midwest, just to name a few. He's written about 130 songs with more on the way. He is, as I metioned earlier, as fine an example of that Jesse Fuller form of onemanbandism as can probably be found, when you can catch him. There's a club called The Sanctuary in Iowa City that he performs at occasionally while on summer vacations. That's the best I can do. Saw ya. |
01 Apr 02 - 11:10 PM (#681219) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Steve Latimer Well, this guy Lonesome Gillette was featured on Rick Fielding's Radio show tonight. I had people over fro dinner so I was craning to hear, but what I did hear sounded fabulous. A nice tune by Jed Marum.
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01 Apr 02 - 11:17 PM (#681225) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Steve Latimer Sorry, I meant say that Rick also played a nice tune by Jed Marum. |
02 Apr 02 - 12:18 PM (#681582) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: GUEST,ghost Hey is Lonesome Gillette still out there? It's been three years or so since I posted to this thread. One man Johnson's website is www.housedogmusic.com and you can contact him via email from there. |
02 Apr 02 - 12:29 PM (#681594) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Steve Latimer Actually, I only caught the fellows Mudcat name, but I noticed from his original post that his name is Eric Royer, his website (very much worth visiting) is here: |
02 Apr 02 - 01:26 PM (#681638) Subject: RE: One Man Band contact From: Francy I'm an ole street busker and still go out now and then to the old city square and play...... I played a big ol flattop Guild....two tambourines on a towel(to keep them from slipping) on the ground, behind my guitar case, and a plastic kazoo in a harp holder....Loved every minute of it..........Played on the streets of Portland Oregon the entire year of 1985......In New Orleans in 1962.....and at the City Market in Kansas City Missouri in 1997..And too many stops in between to mention here.......Miss it a lot....And on sunny days like today, I get the urge real bad.......Frank Of Toledo.......Keep playin Lonesome.....It's the music that keeps us goin..... |