Folklore: Sawing Your Own Foot Off (Lord Buckley)

Subject: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 12:10 AM

The Jazz raconteur/monologist/singer was not overly pleased to be following Frank Sinatra that night in the New Jersey Casino. He didn't mind opening for singers and jazz bands, because he had a dozen innovative ways of leaving an audience literally stunned. He may have been the most outrageous club act of the fifties.

But tonight, he could already see the crowd starting to chatter noisily and leave even before he'd been announced. And THIS guy HATED to be upstaged.

When he was introduced to the restless crowd, he walked to centre stage dressed per usual in immaculate white tie and tails, Pith helmet, and long pointy 'jester type' shoes with curled up ends and little bells on them.

He brought this time, also a saw from backstage. Not a prop one (like Penn and Teller might do today) but a real carpenter's saw. He then proceeded to SAW INTO HIS OWN FOOT. Not right through, thank goodness, but far enough into it so that a stream of blood shot up into the air.

The people who were leaving heard the rest of the audience gasp, and turned around to see the stage, the performer and some in the front rows getting sprinkled with real blood. Shock and disbelief.

The performer then straightened up, bowed and said "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we all know who YOU'RE going to remember from tonight!"

Later as his "friends" drove him back to New York, his mutilated foot bandaged with a bedsheet from his club dressing room, he chuckled at having totally, completely and decisively UPSTAGED Frank Sinatra.

Is anyone familiar with the man who "spoke like a Jazz man plays his horn"? "Lord" Richard Buckley. I even suspect there may be one or two catters who actually saw him live or on TV in the late fifties (he died in 1960)

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Padre
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 12:17 AM

"God's Own Drunk" was a favorite at the fraternity house in 1959.

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 12:32 AM

Padre, I haven't heard that one yet. My friend, Mudcatter Harvey, sent me the book "Dig Infinty" (the life and art of Lord Buckley) by Greatful Deadhead Oliver Trager, and I'm on my third read of it already.

Truly an amazing character. To be THAT eccentric, to be THAT much of a con man, and yet the author could not find one person that spoke of him negatively. He was very well-loved by his huge crowd of friends and acquaintances.

One man (a comic) tells of dropping by the Buckleys home one day and finding CHARLIE PARKER dressed in tights doing ballet steps with Lady Buckley!

Rick

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 12:36 AM

Wow, and I thought Hendrix at Monterey was pretty memorable. Pales in comparison.

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: reggie miles
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 01:39 AM

I was recently at a particularly unusual junk shop in a nearby city. I had heard about the place the day before by visiting other junque stores in the area. When I arrived at the store the next day the proprietor was just opening the place up and a Lord Buckley record was on the house sound system. It was quite an amazing shop, museum-like with it's displays, part funhouse and part theater of the bizarre with it's tiny twisting and turning aisleways, things hanging from all over the ceiling, stacked in huge mounds, psychedelic lighting, incense burning, a sensual feast. Once you went in you weren't altogether certain whether you could find your way out and all the while Lord Buckley's endless rap about one subject or another melting on and on, blending poetic political rant into a seamless almost mesmerizing sermon until I felt a flashback coming on and then there it was, the doorway to the outside and the sunlight. I felt like some kind of rodent lost in a maze of subterranean tunnels and then finally finding the one that leads to the surface and fresh air.

On top of all that I managed to find a early Hawaiian koawood uke hanging way up high near ceiling by the garage door entrance for a bargain price. So, the trip was well worth my time. I can't remember when I've had so much fun in a store!

I think I've got an album around here somewhere of Lord Buckley's stuff.

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: reggie miles
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 01:55 AM

I play a saw and it does draw a lot of attention when I play. From stage I even kid about things getting hacked off and not growing back from my exploits at flexing the dern thing betwixt me knees. Fortunately playing it seems to do the trick for me. I don't actually have to demonstrate sawing body parts off to get the attention of my audiences but I have been curious about doing that sawing a member of the audience in half trick. I'd like to add it to the act. I figure I can start with small, maybe with Barbie dolls in shoe boxes and work my way up to hecklers. ;~)

"So, what's your name honey? Barbie, you don't say. You here with friends tonight Barbie? Uh huh, just your boyfriend, Ken. Barbie have you got life insurance? Cuz I'm gonna be frank, this is my first time doin' this trick and I haven't quite got all the kinks worked out yet. Can I get you to sign this release?"....

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 10:43 AM

Thanks Reggie. There's nothing else in the book as bizarre (or dangerous) as his "saw bit" but there are some who might think that his constantly asking police officers for a match to LIGHT HIS JOINTS (in front of them) was far weirder. He could have gone to jail for years had any one of the cops clicked in to what was happening.

He might be on the Ed Sullivan show one night, spend ALL the money, and be reduced to busking (or conning) the next day!

Rick

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Amos
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 11:15 AM

One of my all time favorite characters, Rick. Useta could rattle off the Naz, Jonah, and Gawd's Own Drunk end to end. Can't now, though! :>)

A

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 03:15 PM

I have two CDs, The Bad rapping of the Marquis de Sade, and His Royal Hipness. Ear candy it aint, outrageously funny they are, and I love them dearly.
Long live "The Naz".....Giok

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 09:50 PM

I also got a kick out of his approach to business. He'd sit in the tub with a board across it...on which sat a lamp. He was totally in control of whatever environment he found himself in.

But......he DID want to be a star. So why'd he sabotage every big opportunity?

Rick

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Mudlark
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 11:32 PM

Totally off the wall. Only saw him once, in the mid-50's, remember mainly the feeling that he might do/say anything, ANYthing...and often did.

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: GUEST,clint keller
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 01:52 AM

I haven't thought about Lord Buckley for a long time. Never saw him; just heard the records. I used to have a book with some of his things in it, but it doesn't work to read them, you have to hear him.

And I suppose you really had to see him...

We need more genuine nuts.

clint

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Stewie
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 03:03 AM

I had not heard the 'leg sawing' story, Rick. I love his stuff - gloriously demented. The uninitiated can find transcriptions of some of the classic raps by CLICKING HERE. As clint says, reading them is a poor substitute for hearing the master at work, but it gives some idea of his thought patterns.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 10:51 AM

A group of people dropped by for a visit one evening (some friends, some just people who knew that SOMETHING was always happening at Buckley's)

His Lordship herded them into a small room, turned off the light, and turned it on and off for a second each time. Lady Buckley did different nude poses for the astonished assembly!

Not yer average get together!

Rick

P.S. He'd storm an AA meeting (he was a member) race to the front, push whoever was speaking, out of the way, and through lies, volume, and histrionics, keep the audience RIVETED for two hours. He would SOMETIMES then invite everyone out for a drink! (I THINK he was joking)

Rick

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 11:44 AM

Rick and Stewie--

Thank you once again for educating me. I never heard anyone do "God's Own Drunk" except Jimmy Buffett. Now I'm going to have to go hunt up some of Lord Buckley's stuff.

Thanks!

Lin

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: Mark Clark
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 11:59 AM

I love my recordings of Buckley, now I can see I'll have to track down the book.

Thanks, Rick, and everyone.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Sawing Your Own Foot Off For an Encore!
From: chip a
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 02:04 PM

"When the Nazz lays it down.......WABOMM!!!!....it stays down!

There is a Lord Buckley.com

Chip