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Snakefinger interview, KSAN-FM San Mateo, 1978

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Chewing Hides The Sound cover art, 1979

In 1978, guitarist Snakefinger was interviewed on radio station KSAN-FM in San Mateo, California, to promote the Ralph Records single "The Spot". Both sides of the single are played, as well as "Laughing Song" from The Residents' Duck Stab! EP.

The interview has been archived in MP3 format and transcribed on this wiki by The Mysterious Spanish Ladies.

Transcript

KSAN:
Right now, is, uh... the first guest is Snakefinger, he's with us in the studio tonight. Hello.
Snakefinger:
Hello.
KSAN:
Welcome.
Snakefinger:
How's it going? Alright?
KSAN:
Alright. Welcome to San Francisco.

[applause in background]

Snakefinger:
Thank you, thank you. Appreciate it.
KSAN:
Applause in the background.
Snakefinger:
[laughs]
KSAN:
[laughs]
Howard (in background):
[unclear]
KSAN:
Really. You've been jumpin' up around LA last, uh... weekend doing some promo for your single...
Snakefinger:
Yep.
KSAN:
...which is great, by the way...
Snakefinger:
Oh, thank you. Appreciate it.
KSAN:
On Ralph Records.
Snakefinger:
Yep.
KSAN:
Yes, we're going to be hearing that, but, uh... did you want to say something, Howard?
Howard:
I wanted to say that, um... the... the single is number one in the, um... New Wave chart in, in... Sounds this week.
KSAN:
Yeah, the new list that just came out. Number one.
Howard:
Yeah. Yeah.
Snakefinger:
Yeah. Ralph are very pleased and proud that we have this number one New Wave single. We'd like to thank all our fans, everywhere in the world, particularly in Japan and Australia. Bruce...
KSAN:
Very powerful.
Snakefinger:
Thank you, Bruce.
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
And Sheila. Thank you, too.
KSAN:
They can hear you, all the way.
Snakefinger:
I know, I know. They've got... [unclear]
KSAN:
It's a strong underground...
Snakefinger:
They've got big ears, too.
KSAN:
Well, to keep people who don't know what you sound like, we... before we talk to you a little bit more, I think we should go to the A-side, which is "The Spot", and give them an earful.
Howard:
Number one song in...

[Song: "The Spot"]

KSAN:
Um, you are on Ralph Records, which we know is the home of The Residents... Snakefinger.
Snakefinger:
Yeah, that's correct. I'm, uh... with them.
KSAN:
You want to tell the story of how you got your [unclear] with it? What's the label, of...
Snakefinger:
Certainly, yeah.
KSAN:
...the anonymous Residents?
Snakefinger:
Well, it all started when I went on holiday to Bavaria. I was going on a cycling holiday in some of the mountains around there... at the time. And, uh... I met this strange guy in the forest one day.
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
He was recording bird noises. He thought Mahler's music was based on them, you see. So, uh, we got together and went around recording noises that we heard all around, and, uh... generally, uh... calling them music. And then on our way to Munich, we heard, uh.... these tapes that were meant to be from these people from California, who were meant to be on a similar sort of, uh, level to what we were doing. As I was thinking of going over there anyway, we just shot over, and, uh... the next thing you know we were creating the sound of [unclear] sounds together. [laughs]
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
Re-organizing musical...
KSAN:
What year was that? How long ago?
Snakefinger:
That was in... seventy...
Cryptic (in background):
One.
Snakefinger:
I hear my record company manager from behind...
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
...prompting me with the correct date in... '71. 1971 was when we finally got over here.
KSAN:
The Residents, um... have performed very few times, therefore... you played with them once at the Long Branch, is that correct?
Snakefinger:
Yeah, yeah.
KSAN:
So, there's a few people I'm sure who remember the Rather Ripped birthday party that happened at the Long Branch earlier in the...
Snakefinger:
That was, uh... that was exactly when it all happened, yeah.
KSAN:
I know you were up on top of a, uh... kind of a... a platform, and you were rocking back and forth, just like [unclear]...
Snakefinger:
That's right. I was dressed up as a giant, uh, avocado at the time. [laughs]
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
And I was on a pair of ski boots that were nailed to the floor...
KSAN:
Great. [laughs]
Snakefinger:
...so I could, uh... move at any angle I wanted to, basically.
KSAN:
I loved it. It was great.
Snakefinger:
Oh.
KSAN:
And so is the record, and I think we should go back and hear side two... of it.
Snakefinger:
Okay, I could bear that.
KSAN:
Alright, this is it. "Smelly Tongues".

[Song: "Smelly Tongues" by Snakefinger]

[Song: "Laughing Song" by The Residents]

KSAN #2:
Alright, sounds great, there... [unclear]
KSAN:
Oh, yeah. That was from the Duck Stab!... The Residents' EP, that, uh... Snakefinger plays violin on.
Snakefinger:
Yeah. That's right, it was violin on that one.
KSAN:
A laughing violin. [unclear]
Snakefinger:
Hilarious, I would say. [laughs] [unclear]
KSAN:
We didn't give your background, as far as, you know, the people you've played with, I've just remembered. I should... you should do some credentials.
Snakefinger:
Well... yeah, I played with the, uh, old Chilli Willis back in England.
KSAN:
A great pub band.
Snakefinger:
Yeah, yeah. Alright. [laughs]
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
[laughs]
Howard (in background):
[unclear] ...in the background, there.
Snakefinger:
[laughing] Well, if the rubbish doesn't stop rolling these big joints I'm not going to be able to play anything! [laughs]

[laughter in background]

Howard:
You can't... [unclear] ...on the radio.
Snakefinger:
Oh, I'm sorry. I... I retract that last statement.
KSAN:
You can't say rubbish... on the radio.

[laughter in background]

Snakefinger:
[laughs]
KSAN:
No rubbish, or anything...
Snakefinger:
No rubbish. Alright. And, uh, let's see... the old Nick Lowes, and, uh... the, uh, the drummer from the old Willis is playing for Elvis Costello now, and, uh... tried making some millions of bucks with, uh...
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
...Jake Perry's productions all over the world. Wonderful to see.
KSAN:
That's alright, it's alternative music. That's always what I saw him going for anyway.
Snakefinger:
Oh, right, yeah. Definitely.
KSAN:
Well, if people want to meet you, they can see you tomorrow over at Aquarius Records, which is a store I know pretty well.
Snakefinger:
Definitely, a wonderful record store.
KSAN:
[laughs]
Snakefinger:
One of the grooviest, if not the grooviest, in town.
KSAN:
You'll be there at two o'clock?
Snakefinger:
I'll be there at two o'clock.

Resources

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See also

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