Comedy Minus One is delighted to share the news that November 6th, 2012 will be more than just Election Day around these parts.
The first Tuesday of the year’s penultimate month is also the date that has been chosen for the digital reissue of Joel R.L. Phelps’ phenomenal first solo record “Warm Springs Night.”
Engineered on June 3rd and 4th, 1995 by James Hale at House Of Leisure in Seattle and originally released by El Recordo later that year, this record has not been available through proper channels with any ease in well over a decade.
Joel was kind enough to write up some recollections about “Warm Springs Night,” which follow after the jump. You should really join the Joel R.L. Phelps & The Downer Trio group on Facebook if you haven’t already.
WARM SPRINGS (the) NIGHT
Looking back, not possible without the goodwill of Timothy Cook, Terry Farrell, Greg Belnap, James Hale, Julia White, Lance Webber, Beth Webber, Samantha Dakke, Robert Mercer, William Herzog, Jade Devitt, Andy Brown, Rex Ritter, Michael Faeth, Dawn Smithson and Greg Anderson.
A band hadn’t emerged yet and we had never all played together in the same room prior to recording. This is probably evident in the final result and to my knowledge that’s just fine with us.
Andy brought in a large and extremely heavy organ.
At some point the guitar mic fell out of it’s stand and remained lying on the floor for a song or two or three.
The only pre-recordings of the songs were four track guitar instrumentals purposefully slowed down because it sounded cool. If I recall, Tim Cook remarked, “Wow these are really slow.”
Later, Jade would play much faster than I could reasonably be expected to.
“God Bless The Little Pigs” is a reference to Stanley Kramer’s 1972 film “Bless The Beasts & Children,” not to any rock group past or present.
House Of Leisure was later destroyed by fire along with any known evidence, other than this release, that we had ever been there.
Joel R.L. Phelps
September 2012