Fighting Clowns

Infobox Album |
Name = "Fighting Clowns"
Type = Album
Artist = The Firesign Theatre


Released = 1980
Recorded =
Genre = Audio theatre, satire, music
Length = 38:50
Label = Rhino
Producer = The Firesign Theatre and Fred Jones
Reviews =
"The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide" ref|gmrating
rating|2|4
Allmusic [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3hq7g4gttvoz (linked review)] ref|amgrating
rating|2.5|5
|
Last album = ""
(1979)
This album = "Fighting Clowns"
(1980)
Next album = "Lawyer's Hospital"
(1982)

"Fighting Clowns" is a 1980 album by The Firesign Theatre. It is unique among Firesign Theatre albums by virtue of the fact that it is primarily made up of songs rather than the group's usual audio theatre or sketch comedy pieces. Many of the songs on this album were recorded live in front of an audience while some of the songs and much of the linking material was recorded in the studio.

Track listing

ide one

# "The Bozos Song"
# "The Four Gobs"
# "The 8 Shoes"
# "In The Hot Tub"
# "Hey, Reagan"

ide two

# "In The War Zone"
# "Oh, Afghanistan"
# "In The Alley"
# "Violent Juvenile Freaks"
# "In The Hot Tub Again"
# "This Bus Won't Go To War"

Bonus tracks

# "Jimmy Carter" ref|album

Performers

*Phil Austin — Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
*Peter Bergman — Vocals
*David Ossman — Vocals
*Philip Proctor — Vocals
*Richard Parker — Keyboards
*Jeff Baxter — Lead Guitar
*Tim Emmons — Bass
*Ed Roscetti — Drums
*John Mitchell — Tenor & Baritone Sax
*Dick Spencer — Alto Sax & Clarinet
*Richard Cooper — Trumpet ref label|album|3a|a

Issues and reissues

There have been numerous issues and re-issues of this album (and excerpts from this album) in a variety of formats including a one-sided picture disc.

*LP - Rhino RNLP-018 - 1980
*Cassette — Rhino RNC-018 - 1980
*Picture Disc — Rhino RNPD-904 - 1980
*CD Mobile Fidelity MFCD-748 - 1993
*CD Firesign Theatre Records (distributed through Whirlwind Media) - 2001
*CD Firesign Theatre Records / [http://lodestonecatalog.com/cgi-bin/ltmcat.cgi?sku=MSUG106 Lodestone Catalog] 2006

Miscellanea

The cover for this album was designed and illustrated by Phil Hartman during his pre-Saturday Night Live career as a graphic artist ref label|album|3b|b.

The lyrics of the song "Oh, Afghanistan" refers to the town of "Billville" which will feature prominently in the group's 1999 album Boom Dot Bust.

The bonus track "Jimmy Carter" is only available on the picture disc release and the CD reissues of this album.

Citations

# Smith, Ronald L. "The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide". Iola: Krause, 1996.
# Carruthers, Sean. "Fighting Clowns > Overview." "Allmusic". 04 Mar. 2006 .
# note label|album|3a|a note label|album|3b|b Firesign Theatre. "Fighting Clowns". Mobile Fidelity, 1993.

External links

* [http://www.firesigntheatre.com/ The Firesign Theatre's Official Website]
* [http://firezine.net/faq/ FIREZINE: Linques! (A Firesign Theatre FAQ)]