Blotto (band)

Blotto was a rock band from Albany, New York which mixed music and humor. They were formed in 1979 out of the remains of the Star Spangled Washboard Band, a post-hippie comedy jugband. Blotto walked a line between a New Wave pop combo and a soul/R&B bar band, but with comical songs. Their songs were played on the "Dr. Demento Show" and they appeared on television's "Uncle Floyd Show". They toured frequently and were popular primarily in the northeastern United States, especially among college students.

After releasing two EP records on their own Blotto Records, they heard the siren song of the music video revolution early. They produced a video for their song "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard", working with video production students at University at Albany, The State University of New York. The video was played on the very first day MTV aired and continued in heavy rotation due to its catchy tune and humorous appeal. This exposure led to their album "Combo Akimbo", which was released with assistance from Peter Pan Records, and a "Video 45" on VHS from Sony with three videos of their songs that also received wide exposure on MTV. Blotto worked with producer Bob Clearmountain on one of the songs on their album.

The group eventually broke up in 1984, with the members pursuing more profitable interests. Drummer Lee Harvey Blotto graduated from Albany Law School, became an attorney with a specialty in intellectual property law, and continued to play with the band as "F. Lee Harvey" Blotto (a pun on famous lawyer F. Lee Bailey). Bassist "Cheese Blotto" passed away in October 1999. All the group's studio recorded material, excepting the song "Bud ... Is After Us", has been reissued on a compact disc titled "Collected Works". They have also released a second CD, "Then More Then Ever" featuring mostly unreleased and hard to find songs.

The band in its current incarnation (Broadway, Bowtie, Sarge, F. Lee Harvey, Clyde and Hammerhead) are still active, and still reunite occasionally for concerts in their home area of Albany, most recently the 2008 July 4th celebration at the Empire State Plaza.

In 2005, the group released a DVD assembled by Bert Blotto containing all the video material in their vaults. Included are appearances on "The Mike Douglas Show" (as The Star Spangled Washboard Band), "The Uncle Floyd Show", MTV with VJ Martha Quinn, "The Joe Franklin Show", and "Carmine's Table", among others.

Members

Group members took on psuedonyms for their performances. The members of the classic line-up were:
*Broadway Blotto (guitar, vocals)
*Sergeant Blotto (vocals, percussion)
*Bowtie Blotto (guitar, vocals)
*Cheese Blotto (bass guitar)
*Lee Harvey Blotto (drums)

Other members

*Bert Blotto - (Webmaster for Blotto.net, Merch Guy, Keeper Of All Things Blotto-Present)
*Johnny Blotten (drums; 1978 - 1979)
*Bluto Blotto (sax; 1978)
*Scott Blott (sax; 1978 - 1979)
*Chevrolet Blotto (vocals and keyboards; 1980 - 1981)
*Blanche Blotto (vocals and keyboards; 1978 - 1980)
*Clyde Blotto (bass; 2000 - present)
*Hammerhead Blotto (keyboards; 1988 - present)
*Ink Blotto (roadie; 1980-1982)
*Juan Pablo Blotto (1990 - 1995)

Discography

* "Hello, My Name is Blotto, What's Yours" (EP, Blotto Records)(1980)
* "Across and Down" (EP, Blotto Records)(1981)
* "When the Second Feature Starts" (Single, Blotto Records)(1981)
* "Combo Akimbo" (LP, Blotto Records)(1983)
* "Blotto" (compilation) (LP, Attic Records of Canada)(1984)
* "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard" (PVC Records)(1988)
* "Collected Works"* (CD, One Way Records)(1992)
* "Then More Than Ever" (CD, One Way Records) (1999)(previously unreleased tracks)
* "Metalhead" (Sony Video 45, VHS)(1982)
* "Blotto - Play Something Good!" The Definitive Video History (2005) The group also had a cover of Lou Christie's "Lightning Strikes" which appears on the compilation LP "Hudson Rock" and their "Collected Works". "Metalhead" appears on the compilation LP "Metal For Breakfast".

External links

* [http://www.blotto.net/ Official site]
* [http://Myspace.com/hellomynameisblotto]