Uncle Wiggly
Encyclopedia
Uncle Wiggly was a band formed in New York City
circa 1988.
radio personality Wm. Berger with two members of the New York band Fly Ashtray
, James Kavoussi and Michael Anzalone.
Wm. Berger and James Kavoussi alternated as guitarist and drummer while Anzalone remained on bass. All three members sang and composed.
Their sound was a complex filter of their favorite music, including early Pink Floyd
, the Krautrock
movement and early SST Records
artists like The Meat Puppets and The Minutemen.
) and was titled He Went There So Why Don’t We Go? They were later signed to Shimmy Disc
and released Across the Room and Into Your Lap in 1991, with Shimmy guru Mark Kramer
creating the final mix from the band's master tapes.
During their tour of Europe in 1991, an equipment driver coined the bizarre phrase “There Was an Elk!”. This became the title of their self-produced third album, released on Shimmy Disc in 1992.
1994 saw the release of some rare live and unreleased tracks on cassette label D.U. Records called I Got Your Uncle Wiggly Right Here featuring tracks from 1988-93.
In 1995 came the vinyl-only 12" e.p. Non-Stuff on UK-based Hemiola Records. Many consider this to be their finest work, deftly combining their art-rock influences with some killer pop tunes; this record has never been issued on CD.
They then released the Jump Back, Baby album on TeenBeat Records
in 1996, their hook-laden bid for a wider audience and hopefully the commercial rewards that went with it. Their final release was on the Dark Beloved Cloud label, the 1999 all-instrumental disc called Farfetchedness.
Uncle Wiggly have featured on many compilation albums, including Rutles Highway Revisited, a tribute to The Rutles
, Soluble Fish and We're All Normal And We Want Our Freedom, a tribute to Arthur Lee
and Love
.
The band has not played together since an impromptu performance at Rubulad in Brooklyn in 2000, though there are rumours of a reunion, an unreleased album and other unreleased material.
Kavoussi stills plays in Fly Ashtray
and the band Gimme 5, as well as recording solo under the name Phoaming Edison. Wm. Berger has recorded solo under the names World (of Dreams) and Sinistre!
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
circa 1988.
Members
The band was formed by WFMUWFMU
WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
radio personality Wm. Berger with two members of the New York band Fly Ashtray
Fly Ashtray
Fly Ashtray is an American rock band, formed in 1983 in the Bronx, New York, by Chris Thomas, James Kavoussi, Eric Thomas, John Beekman and Mike Anzalone. At some point, Thomas and Anzalone left the band which led to Beekman moving from lead vocalist to bassist/guitarist, and then Kavoussi switched...
, James Kavoussi and Michael Anzalone.
Wm. Berger and James Kavoussi alternated as guitarist and drummer while Anzalone remained on bass. All three members sang and composed.
Their sound was a complex filter of their favorite music, including early Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, the Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
movement and early SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
artists like The Meat Puppets and The Minutemen.
Releases
Their first release was on the Nur Scheiss record label (AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) and was titled He Went There So Why Don’t We Go? They were later signed to Shimmy Disc
Shimmy Disc
Shimmy Disc was an influential New York City based record label founded in 1987 by Mark Kramer. Before it was sold to the Knitting Factory, it was responsible for providing a mass audience for acts including Bongwater, Daniel Johnston, Fly Ashtray, Galaxie 500, King Missile, Boredoms, Ruins, Ween,...
and released Across the Room and Into Your Lap in 1991, with Shimmy guru Mark Kramer
Mark Kramer
Mark Kramer , known professionally as Kramer, is a musician, composer, record producer and founder of the New York City record label Shimmy-Disc...
creating the final mix from the band's master tapes.
During their tour of Europe in 1991, an equipment driver coined the bizarre phrase “There Was an Elk!”. This became the title of their self-produced third album, released on Shimmy Disc in 1992.
1994 saw the release of some rare live and unreleased tracks on cassette label D.U. Records called I Got Your Uncle Wiggly Right Here featuring tracks from 1988-93.
In 1995 came the vinyl-only 12" e.p. Non-Stuff on UK-based Hemiola Records. Many consider this to be their finest work, deftly combining their art-rock influences with some killer pop tunes; this record has never been issued on CD.
They then released the Jump Back, Baby album on TeenBeat Records
TeenBeat Records
Teen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
in 1996, their hook-laden bid for a wider audience and hopefully the commercial rewards that went with it. Their final release was on the Dark Beloved Cloud label, the 1999 all-instrumental disc called Farfetchedness.
Uncle Wiggly have featured on many compilation albums, including Rutles Highway Revisited, a tribute to The Rutles
The Rutles
The Rutles are a band that are known for their visual and aural pastiches and parodies of The Beatles. Originally created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a fictional band to be featured as part of various 1970s television programming, the group recorded, toured, and released two UK chart hits in...
, Soluble Fish and We're All Normal And We Want Our Freedom, a tribute to Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee (musician)
Arthur Lee was the frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the Los Angeles rock band Love, best known for the critically acclaimed 1967 album, Forever Changes.-Early years:...
and Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
.
The band has not played together since an impromptu performance at Rubulad in Brooklyn in 2000, though there are rumours of a reunion, an unreleased album and other unreleased material.
Kavoussi stills plays in Fly Ashtray
Fly Ashtray
Fly Ashtray is an American rock band, formed in 1983 in the Bronx, New York, by Chris Thomas, James Kavoussi, Eric Thomas, John Beekman and Mike Anzalone. At some point, Thomas and Anzalone left the band which led to Beekman moving from lead vocalist to bassist/guitarist, and then Kavoussi switched...
and the band Gimme 5, as well as recording solo under the name Phoaming Edison. Wm. Berger has recorded solo under the names World (of Dreams) and Sinistre!
Discography
- 1990 - He Went There So Why Don't We Go? - LP/Cassette (Nur Sch.)
- 1990 - Litmus Nephew b/w Favorite Movie Theme - 7" (See Eye)
- 1991 - Across The Room And Into Your Lap - CD/LP/Cassette (Shimmy Disc)
- 1992 - There Was An Elk - CD/LP/Cassette (Shimmy Disc)
- 1994 - I Got Your Uncle Wiggly Right Here: Rare & Unreleased '88-'93 - Cassette (D.U.)
- 1995 - Non-Stuff - 12" (Hemiola)
- 1996 - Jump Back, Baby - CD/LP (Teenbeat)
- 1996 - Make You Crawl b/w "Nice" - 7" (Dark Beloved Cloud)
- 1999 - Farfetchedness - CD (Dark Beloved Cloud)