Whoops, I’m An Indian (1998)
A Legend, With Only One Unknown Solo Album
In certain circles, Hal Willner is considered a legend. Since 1981, his various artist tribute productions – dedicated to the music of such disparate composers as Nino Rota, Monk, Kurt Weill, Mingus and others – are wildly inventive gatherings filled with as many groundbreaking artists as he can pile into a single project. From Sun Ra to Los Lobos to Nilsson to Tom Waits (just a few names from his Disney trib, Stay Awake), the credits on any Willner production are a staggering read. There’s also his catalog organizations for Lenny Bruce and Carl Stalling and his musical direction on TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Night Music. Even more amazing, Willner has released only one solo project of his own, 1998′s out of print Whoops, I’m An Indian (named for a Three Stooges short). Curiously, Willner doesn’t tap a single star from his vast Rolodex. Instead, Whoops is an experimental mix of backbeats and samples, incorporating tribal chants, old recordings, film dialog (Dragnet‘s Jack Webb in The D.I.), spooky atmospherics, and even humor, like his thumb-on-the-turntable interpretation of “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” Instead of manipulating a multitude of artists on a single album, he manipulates a multitude of samples in much the same way. Curiously, there’s little in the way of Willner’s stock in trade, avant jazz. Typical for a guy who’s always cruisin’ for something different to do. Amazon.
Whoops, I’m An Indian (3:50)
Nyack Oud Dance (4:13)
Levinsky Of The Spirits (3:53)
Do You Hear Me? (No Pie) with Jack Webb (4:00)
We Travel The Subways (2:27)
A Night At The Playpen (5:34)
Alamo Hellfire (6:29)
Putz Rapper (4:54)
King Of The Jews (0:56)
If I Had Known (3:14)
Bercuse On Parade (5:44)
Sango Montamaria (3:50)
Hal Sings ‘The Fatal Glass Of Beer’ While Ralph Honks (2:21)
What a Friend We Have In Jesus Revisited (4:30)
14 Comments
Thanks for the Hal Wilner! Have a great Fat Tuesday!
This is a blast, Thanks & Cheers! CM
It IS a blast! Thanks! I had to dl just to hear 'We Travel the Subways.' I expect Sun Ra would have approved!
btw, I'd LOVE to hear Stay Awake but can't seem to find it anywhere.
You've done it again. Amazing stuff. Thank you.
and remember, this is the guy who organised the william s burroughs hip hop album… nice.
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Thanks Cappy for all the years of great eclectic posts. Dont suppose you have the live 2004 Willner Randy Newman VA tribute SHOCK & AWE? I cant find it anywhere's "out there" thanks KURTZ robbybee@sbcglobal.net
Many thanks. Don't have that one. Never heard it, I don't think. Need to start poking around for it myself. Sorry… and thanks.
love it feel it = it invites a journey mental physical questions hallucinations slowing down on the memory process but before you overthink it just go with it, close your eyes and listen, it makes me want to be naked at burning man festival
Willard!
Thank you for this – never heard it before and from just the sample you posted I think I will have it on repeat for the better part of today – awesome.
Cheers,
TWDM
It’s a weird one.
Just poking around here and decided to try this one. So Willard and yotte (see 3rd comment) I’ve got a link to Stay Awake that I just used a couple days ago. It’s at 4shared so you’ll have to join but they don’t pester you with email or anything after you’re a member. No password was needed to open the file.
http://www.4shared.com/get/fKAUeX2j/stay_awake-_various_interpreta.html
I’d been looking for this for a while. Now if I could just find a copy of A Wild Pair featuring The Guess Who and The Staccatos (5 Man Electrical Band). The search continues………………
Many thanks.