Dear Friends (Firesign Theatre)

Infobox Album |
Name = "Dear Friends"
Type = Album
Artist = The Firesign Theatre


Released = 1972
Recorded = September 1970 - February 1971
Genre = Comedy
Length = 1:14:07
Label = Columbia
Producer = The Firesign Theatre
Reviews = "The New Rolling Stone Record Guide" Rating|2|5
Last album = "I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus"
(1971)
This album = "Dear Friends"
(1972)
Next album = "Not Insane or Anything You Want To"
(1972)

"Dear Friends" is The Firesign Theatre's fifth album to be released on Columbia Records. It is a compilation album, collecting the best bits from the group's nationally syndicated radio program, also titled "Dear Friends".

Track listing

ide One - “A Properly Religious Opening”

#Toad Away – 3:19 - 12/9/70
#Sodom And Jubilee – 3:15 - 12/9/70
#Freezing Mr. Foster – 2:38 - 11/8/70
#I Was A Cock-Teaser For Roosterama! – 3:05 - 11/8/70
#Deputy Dan Has No Friends – 2:28 - 11/8/70
#The Someday Funnies – 1:56 - 1/10/71
#A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Inquisition – 1:42 - 10/18/70

ide Two - “The T.V. Set”

#The T.B. Guide – 5:50 - 11/1/70
#40 Great Unclaimed Melodies! (Live From The Ash Grove 11/15/70) – 2:27 - 11/15/70
#The Chinchilla Show – 2:39 - 10/11/70
#Live From The Senate Bar (If You Call That Living) – 2:55 - 10/4/70
#Minority Street – 1:11 - 12/9/70
#Dr. Whiplash – 3:24 - 1/24/71

ide Three - “Animals Vegetables and Minerals”

#Echo Poem – 2:02 - 1/17/71
#The Small Animal Administration – 1:54 - 11/1/70
#The Giant Toad – 1:04 - 11/1/70
#The T.V. Glide – 3:34 - 12/9/71
#Balliol Bros. – 0:45 - 11/8/70
#Poop's Principles – 2:25 - 11/1/70
#International Youth-Sex On Parade – 1:41 - 10/18/70
#Brickbreaking – 2:03 - 1/24/71
#Coal! – 3:00 - 11/1/70

ide Four - “It's Sure Realistic!”

#Duke Of Madness Motors – 1:23 - 1/17/71
#Mark Time! – 3:52 - 11/1/70
#Driving For Dopers – 4:29 - 1/10/71
#Praise The Hoove! – 2:22 - 12/9/70
#Bob's Brazerko Lounge – 0:57 - 1/24/70
#$100.00 Ben – 3:19 - 1/24/70
#Sleep – 1:07 - 1/24/70

The dates following the track listing for the tracks on this album indicate the date of the live show at which this track was recorded.

Information about this LP

Between September 9, 1970 and February 17, 1971 The Firesign Theatre performed a one hour live show on radio station KPFK in Los Angeles titled "Dear Friends". These live shows were recorded by the group and then edited into a slightly shorter shows which the group syndicated to radio stations across the country on 12 inch white label LPs.

The group later collected what they thought were the best segments from the "Dear Friends" radio program and compiled this double album from those selections.

Issues and reissues

This album was originally released simultaneously on LP, cassette, 8-track, and reel-to-reel.

*LP - Columbia KG-31099
*Cassette - Columbia GA-31099
*8-Track - Columbia GT-31099
*Reel-to-Reel - Columbia GR-30199

It has been reissued on CD at least twice

*1992 - Mobile Fidelity MFCD-758
*2001 - Laugh.com LGH1074

Miscellanea

The tracks on each side were selected thematically and each side was given its own sub-title.

References

*Firesign Theatre. "Dear Friends". Columbia Records, 1972.
*"FIREZINE: Linques!." "Firesign Theatre FAQ". 23 January 2006 .
*Marsh, Dave, and Greil Marcus. "The Firesign Theatre." "The New Rolling Stone Record Guide". Ed. Dave Marsh and John Swenson. New York: Random House, 1983. 175-176.
*Smith, Ronald L. "The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide". Iola: Krause, 1996.