The Origin of Ka Ka Cat

Another treat culled from the Out Of Bodies archives - one of Dan Banic's earliest films - The Origin of Ka Ka Cat, featuring another surprise from even deeper in the archives, a rare Out Of Bodies "lost" track, "Green Tangerine" - a tune I haven't heard in years! Enjoy - and Happy New Year!!!

My favorite part of the song... "Mongrels.... ask no questions!" I hope Dan tells me what the heck that means!!

Jeff Lynne - When I Was A Boy

One of my favorite songs from Jeff Lynne's new album, "When I Was A Boy"...reminds me a little of The Beatles "Free As A Bird", in both sound and visuals.... enjoy!!

A peek behind the curtain

Here's a little something Dan threw up on YouTube a while back that I had forgotten all about, until he just posted it to his Facebook page a couple of days ago. It features a somewhat sloppy (but infectiously fun) jam session between Mark, Dan and myself where we do mostly Beatles and Rutles tunes. This is also the very first introduction of Mark to our impromptu recording sessions - so we pretty much held him hostage and forced him to do this against his will!! Hah hah!! Enjoy...

The Arcade Chicken and the Dragon Peepshow

Does anyone remember this place? I have the strangest recollection of going to this video arcade when it still had two of the oddest attractions I have ever seen - EVER.... One "game" was actually a live chicken in a box, who for a quarter would either pick your fortune or give you redeemable tickets (I can't remember exactly what it did) - and even more bizarre than THAT was in the back of this place... you'd drop a quarter in the wall and (sort of like a peepshow booth) a plastic window would rise up, exposing a glass one behind it, where you would peer down, literally into the basement, and see an actual life-size mechanical dragon!! As I recall it would move it's head and it's tail, (and perhaps it's wings?) and you'd hear the blaring soundtrack of some old Godzilla movie - that infamous Godzilla screech!! I remember getting up close to the glass, hoping to see more of the dragon - but the only extra surprises that revealed themselves were some boxes and a wash bucket with a mop in it - which no doubt were NOT intended as part of the illusion! I remember going back some years later and both the live chicken (probably due to PETA) and the dragon peep show were GONE... today I'm not even sure if the rest of this crowded little arcade is even still there anymore, but without the chicken and dragon it wouldn't be the same anyway.......

Daisy House covers the Out Of Bodies (again!)

Once again, finding inspiration whilst surfing through our music page, Daisy House did yet another cover version! Back in June, you might've heard, they did a great version of Dan's "Willow" - and THIS time around they've undertaken an even MORE impressive feat by taking "Superman" (which only lasts about 34 seconds) and created a trippy, beautifully harmonic blanket of sound lasting 2 minutes and 22 seconds! A nice surprise to us was some great harmonies they added - very reminiscent of the Mama's and Papa's!

For the full effect of illustrating just how Daisy House can take a tiny germ of a tune and grow it into something brilliant, just listen to our snippet first...

Superman (demo)

and then listen to the Daisy House cover...

Superman (Daisy House cover)

Dan was eager to tell me the news, "Doug Daisy did it again, they covered "Like A Superman",
It's awesome. He filled in the other melody that was missing and added a Mama & Papas feel - plus he used the backwards parts as the key to the song more than once which was your idea in the first place when you did that backwards demo for me... so technically all 3 of us wrote this song, take a listen, it's a hit , Ha Ha!!!"

Just 10 or 12 more songs and they can put out an entire "Daisy House sings The Out Of Bodies!" album - like Harry Nilsson did with a mostly yet-to-be discovered Randy Newman! Wouldn't THAT be somethin'!!

ADDED Aug 16, 2015: For those of you who've asked on Facebook who Daisy House is, it's a LOT easier to just direct you all back here to the OOB Blog, where you can read an interview with Doug Hammond of Daisy House right here...

bigtakeover.com: Interview with Doug Hammond of Daisy House

Witness the strength of sheer nonsense...

Daisy House covers The Out Of Bodies' Willow!

This is a first!! Someone actually did a cover of an Out Of Bodies song!! That's never been done before!! Listen to Daisy House and their cover of "Willow"!! I think they did a wonderful job... embellishing upon, completing, and generally adding new life into this Out Of Bodies track!! ...





You can also download "Willow (Daisy House Cover)" here  - do a right click/save link as, and it's yours.

Daisy House is a Folk-Rock duo from Long Beach, CA featuring Tatiana Hammond on vocals/guitar and Doug Hammond on guitar, bass, vocals and keys. Cover girl by Alle Dicu.

Their eponymous debut album is up now on Bandcamp at: daisyhouse.bandcamp.com/

Doug and Tattiana Hammond of Daisy House

Everyplace is free
free enough to live
I just saw the lightning on the willow
Roses are so green
green enough to give
All I want's my blanket and a pillow
Morning is the eve
painted up for free
have you heard the singing of the willow?
Haunted is the wind
weeping thru the trees
Wind is for the singing of my Willow
Willow…willow….willow…..willow
la la la lalala la la
everybody lives inside a Willow
Children up the street
sleep through all the years
Dreamers should be up to push the pillow
...or to kiss the girl
laughing is so free
Little kisses for the baby Willow
fly across the sea
skip across the lakes
Tinderboat desire all a'billow
Multi-colored sand
mountains over deep
they just want their baby colored willow
Willow….willow….willow….willow….
la la la lalala la la
everybody lives inside a Willow

...and just in case you were curious, here's Dan's original 4-track take...
Willow - The Out Of Bodies

Menace in ape costume spotted in Flushing Meadow Park

Revelers who attended the World's Fair Anniversary Celebration in Flushing Meadows Corona Park this past Saturday reported being harassed by an unidentified man running around the park dressed in a gorilla costume...

...no confirmation yet to verify a later report stating that others have seen this same ape-costumed menace hanging upside down from the center of the Unisphere, with a note attached to his ass reading "I tol you I didn' whan no stinkin' bananas, you simio maloliente!!!

Remembering Paul Winchell, my video tribute

A little tribute video I put together - remembering Paul Winchell... ventriloquist, inventor, actor... wasn't easy finding usable video and photos of poor "Winch" as so much of his legacy was intentionally destroyed by MetroMedia Inc during a spiteful dispute over syndication rights. Winch ended up winning a few million bucks in damages - but I'm sure he would've rather have had the shows instead... I read that over 300 half hour shows were destroyed, and although reports vary, I've read that only about a dozen water-damaged tapes of Winchell-Mahoney Time exist. So tragic....

The idea to make a video tribute started after I heard one of Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcasts where Steve Buscemi was the guest. Frank Santopadre (Gilbert's co-host) asked Buscemi if he had ever played with puppets - and he confessed, yes... "I had a Jerry Mahoney doll" - and that led into a hilarious walk down memory lane with all three of them talking about the "Winchell-Mahoney Time" show. Gilbert (who's got a mind like a time capsule) began to sing the theme song - and it was fairly close to the record - word from word. Now, this was a record I had also purchased on eBay some years back - so I then thought it would be a great idea taking clips of that interview, the songs on the record and any pictures I could find on the internet and make something that perhaps would be seen by many others. If the influence Paul Winchell had on Gilbert, Frank and Steve was any indication that there are probably many more out there - then my work would not have been done in vain.

So here's my little tribute to Paul Winchell I titled "Remembering Paul Winchell"... I hope you enjoy it!!

.......and yes....... I had a Jerry Mahoney doll too.......

Musician Mugshots!

Just for the hell of it - - musician mugshots!! The only one I couldn't bring myself to include was Micheal Jackson's.... creeps the bejeezuz outta me...

Even without sneaking a peek at the names, can you name 'em all?...

Okay, I said I wasn't going to - - but here it is... don't say I haven't warned you...

Yeeeeee-YIKES!!!

outofbodies.com releases Dan Banic - Gun Hill Road album!

Before we get into the good stuff here...

I just want to preface this blog entry (and perhaps the entire outofbodies.com website) with this little reminder... as you know it's always been our collective intention to present you with free music downloads - because basically that's what this little website is all about - sharing creative content with people with like minds, without the trappings of logins, fees, and assorted restrictions... however I do want to remind folks that outside of the music we provide here for free that we still need and appreciate your support - particularly via donations to help keep this site going, and also to inform those who enjoy our sound that Dan offers a lot more where that came from on his own music pages - so make sure to drop in there as well and purchase some tunes! Also help spread the word, whether it's on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, Foursquare - basically everywhere!

The Good Stuff...

One of the very first "Out Of Bodies" compilations that I've helped package for Dan was simply titled "The Out Of Bodies - Volume One" - but in reality us other guys had nothing to do with it and it should've been credited to JUST Dan. Well, that was over 20 odd years ago and TODAY I'm going to CORRECT that by re-creating the "album cover" so to speak to reflect a brilliant solo Dan album!!...

I've titled it "Gun Hill Road" (for it's obvious wink and a nod to The Beatles - Abbey Road) and because that was where Dan would pass every day as he headed home, up to his bedroom in the Bronx where he created ALL of this sound on his own, on his beat-up Fostex 4-track cassette recorder... guitars, keyboards, percussion, multi-layered vocals - this was Dan at his prolific best...

However this was also a bit before our website was created, so we didn't have this forum in which to share Dan's sound with the masses - and certainly not spontaneously. The best we could do at the time was to make up cassettes. Today you'd be lucky if you even saw a cassette player. So basically this reintroduction all came about recently as I discovered one of the original cassettes while wading through the OOB archives. After popping it into my player and hearing it once again I thought it certainly deserved it's long over-do internet debut - and so here you have it...

Click on the song titles below and enjoy some great Dan! Share this, link to us, download it for yourself and as Mike Myers would say as Linda Richman on SNL "discuss amongst yourselves!"... We'd be happy to hear your feedback!

1. Blue Sky

2. I Can See You Miles Away

3. Blue Eyed Girl

4. I Was Made To Live So

5. Heart Of Soul

6. I Love My Girl

7. The Robe

8. Beautiful Sunday

9. I Can Live My Life Upon A Stream

10. She's Gone

Please show your support!
It's what helps keep this site going...

Donate today to outofbodies.com
(this link will take you to our music page, where you'll find a lot more
music to enjoy and our little PayPal donation button on the right side)

Also...
make sure you check out more Dan Ban songs and purchase some downloads!

Thanks!!

Dan's Visitor and Donald does Dylan

I missed Throw Back Thursday, so how's about I Almost Forgot About This Friday?

Found this whilst wading through the archives - a live jam recording taped at our friend Scott's apartment on New Year's Eve 1991/1992. Joe, Mark and myself come close to figuring out what that circle drawing in Dan's room was all about - and Dan opens up (just a LITTLE bit) about that time an alien communicated with him while he slept...

...oh yes, and per Dan's request I do my lousy impersonation of Bob Dylan...

Thanks a LOT, SCOTT!!
New Year's Eve at Hooter's House - 1991/1992

Here's just a short little clip to whet yer appetite... eventually I'll be posting more of this jam in our new SIDES pages, Out Of The Archives - stay tuned!!

Click here to listen to Dan's Visitor and Donald does Dylan

Even MORE songs!! An early Easter basket!!

As if all the new site additions announced last week weren't enough - - here are a few MORE new songs that will soon find their permanent spots on outofbodies.com...

ENJOY!!! - - and have a great Easter, everybody!!

Note: Click on the links below the pictures to hear the songs...

Twenty Little Pinheads

Such a LOT of fuss over such a stupid little song! Heh heh... this is actually one of those rare occasions where four OOBs appear on the same recording... started out with Dan, Joe and myself - and then later Lloyd and I added a chorus. It seemed fitting to blow it all up at the end...

The Giant

A terrific "lost" gem I discovered while wading through the archives... this is Dan at his poetic best... telling the tale of a feared giant who becomes missed after he packs his bags and leaves...

Piccadilly Circus

I saved the best for last... this song had me laughing so hard and you'll see why... no matter how many times Joe and I sang the name of the song correctly - Dan kept singing pull-a-dicky circus (or something like that) and I DON'T think he was trying to do it on purpose! Heh heh... anyway, this is one of those wonderful boom box recordings that never got finished to 4-track - and so I souped it up a bit in post and I think it worked out great! It will have you smiling!

Stick around, folks! There's more to come, I'm sure!! 

Lots of NEW ADDITIONS added to outofbodies.com!!

Yum yum eat 'em up!! Uncle George loves SIDES!!

 
Uncle George looks quite excited - and why not? FINALLY, the updates have gone LIVE - and without further ado, here's where you'll find 'em!!...
The biggest addition is the SIDES page, "sides" being any side projects, collaborations and miscellaneous obsessions that we've done (or are STILL doing) ASIDE from the music we've created collectively as the Out Of Bodies... Got it? That includes a plethora of previously unheard recorded material - including but not limited to "The Comedy of Lloyd & Donald" where you'll find such lost "gems" like the infamous "Grandma's Shit Chips" sketch and the underground favorite, "Preparation Buttock"!

Also previously unheard, "The Minstrels - Medieval Radio One!" - a pre-podcast "radio" program featured in two parts (Joey and myself) - and other miscellaneous odds and ends which defy definition...

Add to that the solo music of Dan Ban, the cartooning websites of Mark and myself, and Joe's Haunted Barn Movie Museum/Movies To Go - - and then add to THAT a few MORE songs added to the MUSIC page and some new VIDEOS on the OOBtube page - - just to keep you as satisfied and pleased as ole' Uncle George!

Doodles!!

Some doodles by Mark, Dan, Joe and myself - collected by Joe!! Thanks Joe - I've never seen those by you, Dan and Mark!! Love it!! hah hah....