Neanderthal Yodeler - Robert Frank - Kerouac - Hunter - Hank - Epcot Germany
1984 1985 1986
399### I’m Not a Poet – I’m Not A Writer – Kerouac – Hunter Thompson – Spoken Word – Bukowski – The Neanderthal Yodeler/ my 1984 experience at Atlantic Center for the Arts was the trigger that changed my creative vision as a musician. I opened up to writing, music and media as a multiple art form. My first spoken word and visual creation is The Neanderthal Yodeler. “Music, Text, Lyrics and the visual character – Neanderthal Yodeler” Though I detoured into other projects that didn’t incorporate multimedia concepts, those ideas were always floating around in my mind.
As I became more aware of creative writers, artist, photographers, filmmakers and composers, my thought and ideas became more valid. The Neanderthal Yodeler is my favorite project of all time. From its production to release in 1986, I produced many spoken word, media still and moving image projects. Most of those recordings were terminated with extreme prejudice. The Kerouac House, drum TALK, I Don’t Care E Oh Key and my 2024, Mr. Welch! Who Do You Think You Are? Demonstrate returns to my 1984 spoken word baptism
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31*** You Don’t Know It/ I'm not a writer I'm not a poet this is not cute my words are not pleasant whatever social or psychological analysis you care to submit will go unanswered. It may be accepted fact it won’t matter these words don’t matter this is not poetry this is not prose we are much the same but you don’t know it. You are Langston Hughes you are Jack Kerouac you are Carolyn Cassidy you are Robert Frost you are EE Cummings you are Ann Waldman you are William Hank Allen Emily Billy.
400### Robert Frank (1924-2019)/ I knew zero about Robert Frank when my Atlantic Center of the Arts residency began. The first time I saw Robert he was walking around the campus with a VHS video camera on his shoulder. This was 1984. I became more familiar with him as the 3 weeks progressed.
Prints from his book ‘The Americans’ were displayed with other images from his catalog. During my residency Franks films ‘Pull My Daisy’ and the Rolling Stones, Cocksucker Blues were shown. A court order restricted Cocksucker Blues to be shown only in the presence of Robert Frank. I would later discover Robert Franks’ films, ‘Me and my Brother’ and Candy Mountain. Robert Frank’s photos were also presented on the cover of The Stones’ album Exile on Main Street.
32*** My Photo/ I had my photo taken was anything disturbed or removed? Did I look into the lens did she see into me, will the film show anything that matters? I'm numbers on a roll of other numbers, shot horizontal, knowing the shutter would click, trying not to pose I hate poses they’re fake. Not like Robert Frank.
401### Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997)/ my first vision of Allen Ginsberg was his cameo in the 1965 Bob Dylan video of Subterranean Homesick Blues. I saw Ginsberg on television shows. I knew of his profile as a ’Beat Poet’ and his collaborations with Jack Kerouac. I’d heard of Howl. Before Allen started making his appearances during my 3-weeks at Atlantic Center of The Arts, Elvin told a few of us about Allen. Elvin wasn’t apologetic or defending Allen, he just kind of downplayed his artistic and musical history.
He mentioned there had been and would probably be some spoken word drumming improvisation sessions. I enjoyed some of Allen’s vocal readings. I prefer Bukowski, Hunter, Kerouac and others.
#2 &&& (1987) - The Neanderthal Yodeler - out of print LP – Cassette/ With the money I had saved from my Miami Herald Paper route and my employment at Walt Disney World and Epcot, I purchased a Tascam 38 Tape Recorder. I also bought the matching 8-channel mixer. When I got my system hooked up and operating in my rented 2-bedroom house, I started recording drumtracks.
The Neanderthal Yodeler was my initial “drumtracks first” process. I continued that concept for the recording of TV Willie, Beatles, Hendrix and others. I’ve mentioned ‘The Neanderthal Yodeler’ as my favorite project. I started working at Epcot on opening day October 1982, as a drummer musician in the German Show Band in the Epcot German Pavilion. In 1982, I was recording, producing and editing my first record, Illegal Radio. The Yodeler became an evolving animation, story built upon my employment as a theme park musician playing drums in the German Epcot Show Band. ‘Yes I wore Lederhosen’ as a musician drummer at Epcot those years, I was known to be the oddity, Avant-Garde “Jazzer’ somehow employed in a traditional German Show Band.
I’ve written that I ‘probably’ wasn’t the first choice for the gig.
WDW needed someone. I was available. Being myself, the musicians I worked with those years were great. We became good friends.
402### Commodore Executive SX-64 Swinging Polkas/ Though I wasn’t a traditional player of ethnic German or Polish music, the musicians accepted and even enjoyed my style and playing. Polkas, Marches and Waltzes can swing. I played them in that manner with a Jazz Swing Feel. During breaks between shows, I would usually alienate myself into the lounge area and work on something productive. I had a little portable Commodore 64 Executive Computer that I brought with me to the park.
There was another musician in the band (Steve Bohn) that was very smart with PC – Amiga and Commodore computers. I was just a beginner. He helped me create a newsletter for my music representative business. I also had one of the first computer software midi sequencers for my Commodore SX-64. The template tracks for ‘I Need A Gig’ were created with my Commodore Sequencer and a Casio CZ-101.
403### The Yodeler Character Conceptual Evolution/ Over a period of time, I started creating my imaginary character of The Neanderthal Yodeler. The German Pavilion for the musicians included our own upstairs dressing rooms, lockers, bathrooms and lounge facility. It was really one of the best gigs on property.
We usually punched in on the clock around 3 pm in the afternoon. The first of four shows was around 4 pm. We usually finished by 9 pm. Leaving each night I’d see and hear the Epcot Illuminations fireworks display.
During breaks I began acting out The Neanderthal Yodeler. “He started walking on all fours and eventually stood upright and began to play the accordion and yodel” This became the beginning of The Neanderthal Yodeler. Conceptual Evolution – “The Yodeler was born”
404### Textural Content – Observations – I Need A Gig – Round and Round/ “My years of employment at Disney and Epcot was unique and productive” Though I felt I was wasting away playing that music, in reality it was as avant-garde as anything I’m ever done. That gig also financed and gave me the freedom to be creative and productive. The Neanderthal Yodeler’s text and lyrics are based upon observations from my Epcot German Band employment.
405### The Recording Process/ the recording process for The Neanderthal Yodeler was a unique sequence of events. I’ve mentioned that the drumtracks were recorded first. All of the instrumental tracks were recorded before any of the vocal spoken word. I have more information and detail about each tune on my web site.
406### Glenn Lee – Yodel Sample/ Glenn Lee was the genius behind the Yodel sample. Glenn also utilized tape splicing. Upon completion of the instrumental tracks, I overdubbed my vocals, spoken word. My microphone of choice was a Shure headset microphone.
Glenn was at the controls with compression, EQ, gating and limiting.
33*** Ballad of the Neanderthal Yodeler/ this is the ballad of the Neanderthal yodeler, long ago before the invention of the Volkswagen or the accordion in a place called theme park world just north of Cuba we’re not talkin about your normal group of musicians that go around playing wedding and bar mitzvahs we’re talkin parties. He started walkin off on all fours and his goal was to work in a theme park pavilion no more polka bars.
Hey he had his lederhosen he had his squeezebox he knew how to do the gemutlichkeit shuffle he knew how to play beer barrel polka but he just couldn’t get that gig at the theme park pavilion, so the Neanderthal yodeler he was very upset I mean he paid his union dues I mean you know you can’t be a sideman the rest of your life so they said you’re gonna have to learn how to yodel we want to hear them happy sounds hepsiwillkommen hepsiwillkommen so the Neanderthal yodeler he bought some new lederhosen and he got him a job at that theme park.
So now he’s happy. I mean he had all the schnitzel he could eat he had to no longer live in the black forest he bought a new BMW he had him a girl a new girlfriend Heidi. But he just couldn’t work on his yooooooooleeeeeeeehuuuuuuuuuuuuu (yodeling)
34*** Big Number Three/ wait-un on the big one, that big number three, doom and gloom is the name of the game, that big number three, it’ll all be over in awhile, don’t worry. Is your life made of history is history made of your life? Army-get-in how close how far the earth’s grand finale the planets final bar wait-un on the big one the big number three.
35*** Bad Planet/ bad planet someone pushed the war button shame on you someone pushed the war button shame on you, brown people yellow people white people too all the people up in smoke shame on you bad planet whatya gonna do all the people up in smoke shame shame on you someone pushed the war button red people purple people green people too all up in smoke shame on you bad planet bad planet bad bad bad planet all the people up in smoke bad planet.
36*** I Need A Gig/ I need a gig, I said I need a gig, eye eye eye need a gig. Call me need a duo need a trio a quintet quartet I need a gig. Ya like this music, yea I’d come to L A. I’d go to Boston, Chicago, Miami, Cleveland that rock and roll city.
I need a gig, say hey, Mr. d j…I heard I need a gig, where’s it at? I don’t see it on your top 20…you need to call your radio station, or rolling stone, call musician, downbeat, call the voice, the new Yorker, call billboard…say hey where’s I need a gig, I need to sell some records.
You want to advertise on my next record? You write me, that’s mike welch p o box 3 6 2 5 in Orlando, Florida 3 2 8 0 2 I need a gig I I I I I I need a gig, yea I’m in the union I’ll come to Chicago, I’ll go to new jersey I’ll go to Minneapolis, I’ll go to Dallas I’ll go to Washington I’ll come to your city. ‘I need a gig’
37*** Fat Piggy/ ya know once upon a time I was a fat piggy and I went around eaten houses and macaroni. But the best I think was all of that paper and glue. But I also use to like salami and beach water. You know them things use to creep out of the dark holes, they’re indescribable wrinkled and rotten I mean they’re rotten to the core creepy creepsie quick and boo fightin howlin moanin and groanin bla bla aru aru. Yeah I wish I had me a macaroni house right now with some chocolate bees, livin in a candy world, but, it’s kinda creepy with all that chocolate macaroni’