OOB blog
The rather silly blog page of outofbodies.com
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
The Royds Reinvent the Podcast
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
The OOBs Win BEST SONG Alternative Pop Rock 2021 at IndieMusicPeople.com
Friday, June 17, 2022
Beavis and Butthead Meet Cher
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You read that right... Beavis and Butthead are back in a new movie set for release this June, "Beavis and Butthead Do The Universe" and here's a little sneak peek.
Mike Judge returns as the voices of both Beavis and Butthead, and this time they're on a space mission with NASA in the year 1998 (the year after the original series ended) - - but somehow they wind up in the year 2022 (oh, God - help them!) As the NSA and the U.S. government track them down, the two struggle to adjust to this bizarre new world they find themselves in - while retaining their juvenile sense of wonder and awkward innocence. I guess the lesson here would be is, if Beavis and Butthead can get through this, so can we.
Regarding the cameo with Cher - she looks pretty damn good here (I just googled her - is she really 76 years old?) - she looks better here than she's looked 10 years ago. With modern de-aging technology available these days could there be some digital tampering afoot? Regardless, she's a good sport - even to go as far as making Butthead think he's got a chance to score with her, "You feeling' lucky, Butthead? ...You know all you gotta do is... yeah... lose... (gesturing with her eyes towards Beavis) ....lose... you know who...". Butthead lifts off his virtual helmet and looks at Beavis, who still has his on and says "Hey, Beavis... get OUT of here!" Butthead's already forgotten the whole encounter with Cher was via virtual reality. But to Butthead scoring is scoring... even virtually.
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Monday, June 6, 2022
Pine Bush UFO Fair
If you were at the Pine Bush UFO Fair this weekend you probably saw THIS guy! That's our Joey (with some friends) posing between the kiosks I made for him! It was a lovely event - and unlike last year the transient lunatic touching all the objects clearly marked "do not touch" was a no show - although they were ready for him this time! (I'm imagining security guards dressed up as extraterrestrials).
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Sarah Silverman Flashing Varying Groups of People
It's been roughly 4 or 5 years since I posted Sarah Silverman in a Gorilla Suit (for no apparent reason - other than Joey likes gorillas - and subsequently, gorilla suits, and I like... well... Sarah) and as I recall the hits went through the roof. Search words like "Out Of Bodies" gets barely a trickle... but Sarah Silverman in a Gorilla Suit? Jackpot!
With that in mind Sarah Silverman Flashing Various Groups of People may just crash the internet. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? We could all probably use a little downtime - we're all just a bit over-saturated with social media, aren't we? Yes we are - and that includes you too! Yes, YOU!!
This one's my favorite of the three - - oddly enough it's got the least of Sarah, but look at the expressions on those Japanese tourist's faces! (Oooooooh you - - Click! Click! Click!) And while we're on the subject of Sarah Silverman - make sure to check out her excellent podcast, The Sarah Silverman Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts - and keep an eye out for her brand new off-Broadway Musical production of her best seller book The Bedwetter.
Friday, May 13, 2022
Friday, April 29, 2022
Sunday, April 17, 2022
Happy Easter, everybody!
- from The Out Of Bodies
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Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Unicorn Song - The Out Of Bodies
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Out of everything ever recorded by the Out Of Bodies I'd say the Unicorn Song is the most collaborative effort between Dan and I - especially when it came to one particular effect we used during the recording process - in which we borrowed heavily out of the Beatles/George Martin handbook of psychedelic recording techniques! Inspired by songs like "Rain", "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Taxman", which all feature backward guitar licks, I thought it'd be interesting to see if we could pull off the same trippy effect using Dan's ole' Fostex 4-track cassette recorder.
Kickin' it old school
If you're at all familiar with how those old 4-track mixers worked, then you're also probably a member of AARP - - I mean, AHEM!! Sorry 'bout that - I meant to say you're probably familiar with how BASIC they were. Kids, listen up, because the more you know what we had to work with, the more you'll appreciate what we had to figure out! Remember, this was an analog recorder - as opposed to DIGITAL. Some would say the difference between the two was as evident as CDs are to VINYL. I know, I know... WHAT'S a CD? I think I've just lost half my audience - - ha ha!!
Okay, hang in there with me. I know this is all defunct old school talk - but still, pretty cool stuff if you ask me. Okay... Dan's 4-track recorder worked with cassette tapes. Now there are plenty of YouTube videos out there that will tell you about the problems associated with cassettes (they'd unravel, they'd stick, and in time the tape oxide that recorded your music would deteriorate - all true) but you'll ALSO find videos praising them for their unbelievable sound and "punch". Okay, now considering you probably have at least seen a cassette tape in your lifetime - remember that they could be played (and likewise recorded) on two sides. There was side A and the flipside was side B. Each side utilized 2 tracks each - a left and right channel, which gave you stereo. 4-track cassette recorders simply utilized ALL 4 tracks at once - recording in one direction only.
Technically Speaking
For the Unicorn Song I knew that if you recorded a guitar solo on one track, and then turned the cassette over and listened to it, you'd hear how it sounded going backwards. If you then listened to that track and again played (and recorded) what you were hearing - you can then DISCARD the first track and replace it with the track you just mimicked - and played backwards THAT would give you a backwards guitar - only it'd ALSO give you the FORWARD playing melody! Get it?... Okay, you can come off that window ledge now - I'm sorry! I'm sorry... I know that was a LOT to handle all at once...
Just know this - - we tried that and it WORKED - - and you can hear it for yourself here in our brand new video... ENJOY!!
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Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Please Don't Ever Change - The Out Of Bodies
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Prologue
As any Beatles fan worth his weight in salt knows, "Please Don't Ever Change" (Yes, I know I added the word "please" - I'm very polite!) was a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in '61, which was recorded by Buddy Holly's backing group The Crickets in '62. The Beatles (who were big Buddy Holly fans, especially Paul McCartney who ended up purchasing the publishing rights to his song catalog) recorded Holly's "Words Of Love" on their "Beatles For Sale" album in '64 - but aside from that, in spite of being huge fans of Holly, they never recorded any other Buddy Holly songs on any of their albums during their Beatle years.
They did, however, do a few Holly/Crickets covers for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation - nicknamed the BEEB) on their own "Pop Go The Beatles" radio program in '63, before most of the world knew who they were - "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and "Don't Ever Change". Before eventually finding their way to an official Beatles release titled "Live At The BBC" in 1994 these rarities, and many other gems, circulated the bootleg market for over 20 years.
Digging for treasure
My buddy Lloyd and I would always dig deep into The Beatles unreleased booty - and we'd make frequent trips into the city looking for Beatles bootlegs (which were, of course, illegal) going store to store, scouring through dusty record store bins. When the heat was on, and the word "bootleg" became a dirty word, you'd have to find a way to ask for them *differently* by asking the store owner if they had any Beatles "imports" (wink wink) - which he'd then proceed to pull out from somewhere behind the counter. We felt like criminals... it was very... "naughty!"
Aside from the legal standpoint there was an issue of quality and sincerity. You never knew what you were going to get. Bootlegs were VERY hit or miss back then, and often pricey - so you had to be very careful - and with the inherited "no return policy" of dealing with bootlegs, it was understood you were always taking a risk. You could find gold or something that wasn't even the Beatles. (case in point, Have You Heard The Word or Genius Is Pain). But even before we ever saw "Don't Ever Change" in the record stores (and way before the Live At The BBC album came out) Lloyd and I were introduced to it in the strangest of ways...
From Cowboy Boots to Beatle Boots...
I was commissioned to do some western-themed cartoons for some entrepreneur businessman from Texas in the early 80s - - which I know sounds like the beginning of a joke - but it's true... and I can't for the life of me recall how I got to know this man or how he found me - or what these cartoons were for (but that's really not an integral part of this story). All I know is I had some cartoons to deliver to this address somewhere in Greenwich Village, and invited Lloyd to come along with me. Before my scheduled cartoon drop-off we visited our usual record store and comic book pit-stops - and then headed out to meet this mysterious Texan.
Lloyd recalls the huge wood-paneled loft with western themed decor right down to the giant steer horns on the wall and horse saddle lamp shades. The guy was probably dressed normally, but my thwarted recollection sees him wearing a rodeo bolo tie and cowboy boots - but again, that's neither here nor there. After our cartoon transaction the conversation somehow went to The Beatles - and he showed us his vast collection of unreleased Beatles tracks on vinyl. But THIS is where our stories splinter off into two different directions.
Lloyd recalls the discs being what was yet to become "The Lost Lennon Tapes" and I recall specifically reading a record sleeve imprinted with the words "Beatles at the BEEB" (which as I mentioned earlier was the nickname given to the BBC.) He pulled out a few records from plain, unmarked boxes and played some stuff - and I believe this is when we first heard "Don't Ever Change" - although at this point it might've been John Lennon's "Real Life" - who knows? Granted, it was years before EITHER of these things were heard by the public - so, could we have actually heard *BOTH* of these things and BOTH Lloyd and I are right? It's possible... anything is possible... anyway, that leads us to the next part of this story...
Jump to the 90s
Okay, so at this point you're probably wondering - Buddy Holly... Buddy Holly's back up band The Crickets... bootlegs... a Texan entrepreneur... and "Don't Ever Change" - where's this going? Well, now we're in Donald's attic bedroom in College Point with Donald, Lloyd, Dan and his Fostex Double Cassette 4-Track recorder. Dan suggested we do something from the Beatles - and somehow Lloyd and I gravitated towards - you guessed it - "Don't Ever Change". (I don't think we knew at the time it wasn't actually a Beatles song - but The Crickets!) Lloyd and I jotted down some lyrics - and in one take we nailed down the vocal track without so much as a single rehearsal - Dan was SHOCKED! Who would've guessed that mimicking the Beatles, singing over their records would've primed us for just such an occasion?...and NOW ...it's 2021
Monday, January 4, 2021
I Wonder 2021 REMIX - The Out Of Bodies
Working on this re-edit of our 1986 music video for "I Wonder" was a surreal experience... particularly the dummy attack that happens midway through...
I was getting a real Zapruder film vibe working on this - watching a rabid ventriloquist doll go on a killing spree (in slow motion) and feeling the need to "liberate us" from our spleens... chilling, to say the least... "Back, and to the left.... back, and to the left" - 35 years ago and the footage still makes your hairs stand up on end.
But here it is, with all it's charming little "add ons"... the Batman TV-series word balloons that pop up to emphasize the horrors unfolding before your eyes... the behind the scenes photographs of Lloyd directing the shoot, and going over with Jerry - his "motivation"... and or course, that chilling newspaper story, which only gives you a fleeting glimpse of what really happened that hot, summer day.
The fainting and stumbling at the end of the video were all too real - after prancing, which turned into leaping, which accelerated into running (you'll see why) was too much for us - and by the video's end you can see it take it's course on all of us. For Jerry, it was like shooting fish in a barrel.
Monday, December 21, 2020
Green Tangerine - The Prequel
Some nice feedback regarding our latest OOB Blog posts featuring "ultra rare and priceless" finds from the (ahem!) Capitol Records collection - including my sis, Becky who told me Dan sounds like Mick Jagger! I was reminded also that way before "Green Tangerine" was an OOB Blog post it was the background song for this animated cartoon of Dan's... The Origin of his Ka Ka Cat!... ENJOY!
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Cartoon and Music by Dan Banic, added sound effects and editing by Donald Jefferes
Friday, December 18, 2020
A near encounter with a naked old man
Opened my front door this wintery morning and my peripheral vision picked up a brief yet unmistakable image of an old man scampering down the block, sideways like a crab, diving into bushes and disappearing behind a snowdrift... he might've also been naked, I'm sort of trying to block out that part.
As I stepped out from my doorway I almost tripped on a box he had left at my door. At closer inspection I discovered, aside from a few back issues of Juggs Magazine, it was a box of old 45rpm records - and a note which read "My wife will no longer allow me to keep these in the house. I've heard you might be interested - please do not throw out as I might be encouraged to scour through your trash and take 'em back! Please - they are yours now... ENJOY them as I used to ............in my younger days. Signed, Old Man".
The most bizarre discovery in this collection of random records (we'll just forget about the magazines, shall we?) was an ULTRA RARE and priceless record from The Out of Bodies, Green Tangerine! Apparently aside from being completely insane this old man had taste! I must tell Dan about this!
(Click below to hear the songs)
More extremely rare and priceless finds coming SOON! Stay tuned!
Monday, December 14, 2020
Another Out Of Bodies RARE 45rpm - Capitol Records
Hey, would you look at THAT!! Yet ANOTHER extremely RARE and priceless find! Gee, they seem to be falling out of the sky, now - don't they? Well - here's two great tracks of Dan's - The "Boogah Boogah Song" backed with "Come Out & Play"!
(Click below to hear the songs)
More extremely rare and priceless finds coming SOON! Stay tuned!
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Saturday, December 12, 2020
Out Of Bodies RARE 45rpm - Capitol Records
Oh - - if only!! Gee, what a cheap way to get Blogger hits with a title like that! (I'm sorry!)
Still, enjoy this (ahem!!) extremely RARE and PRICELESS find... "Crazy Boy", featuring Joe Vento, Dan Banic and Donald Jefferes... backed with "All Over Now" an even rarer audio track salvaged from the cutting room floor during the filming of the Out Of Bodies documentary "Let Me Pee" - their last ever jam session.
(Click below to hear the songs!)
(Watch Out For That) Crazy Boy
More to come as we continue to dig through the archives! Stay tuned, friends!
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Thursday, December 10, 2020
'Tis that time again!
'Tis that time where it is somewhat acceptable to say the word 'Tis and get away with it! Yes, we're talking Christmas Time, folks! Immediate households only, please! Let's face it - we can barely stand the sight of each other, much less the thought of all those germs! No thank you!
But I digress - what sort of Holiday Spirit is THAT? Let's think about the GOOD things, shall we?
Family... Friends...
...and ventriloquist dummies...
Monday, December 7, 2020
Cruel Evolutionary Joke: Full Music Video
The Royds have a brand new music video!
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Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Dan Colors
"Donald, I tried a test with a frame grab. Color apps always work best with high quality pics, but what I did was colorize it and then fix it up in my photo editor to make it even better. Not too bad! You can put this up in the OOB site! Ha Ha!"
- Dan
November 24, 2020
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