Music made/performed by your parents

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Sometimes I wonder if I ever have kids what they would think of tape after tape after CDR after CDR of various bands I've been in or music I've made myself. Will they think it's cool, or hopelessly lame? A lot of us are of the generation that our parents were old enough to be a part of the garage band craze of the '60's. Did either of your parents have a band or play music? Have you heard any of the stuff they did as a youth?

My parents are both pretty nonmusical, but my girlfriend's dad played keyboards in a garage band called the Mystique that played covers at parties and stuff.

― eat fudge banana swirl (Nick A.), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad would sit around and play Phil Ochs songs in front of the fireplace. That's about it on that front.

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

My parents met when they were both in a musical in college!!

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

i had a painting prof who was in an obscure 1960s garage-psych band whose album was reissued by some dutch bootlegger. i thought that was awesome. but he was not my dad.

― amateur!!!st, Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Though they both still like to sing, neither of my parents is adept at any musical instruments.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

my dad sang and played harmonica and keys in an 80's new wave band called "the backbe@ts"
i like a couple of their songs, but for the most part they were cheesy. on an interesting note, v@nce deg3neres of the daily show fame was in the band, as were a couple members of c0wb0y m0uth.

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

My Dad's reforming his band from the 60's, the 4th Street Union. He plays drums. Apparently they were once approached by a manager in the Castleford area but the guitarist didn't want to take it anywhere. I've not heard anything they;ve done since they got back together, though.

― matthew james (matthew james), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's a photo of my mom in the musical that she met my dad in (Oh What a Lovely War, 1968). Unfortunately, the dude in the picture is not my dad, although he kinda looks like him:

http://www.lewisu.edu/academics/theatre/img/68war5.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

my dad has played bluegrass guitar for like 30 years or so - stuff like doc watson/tony rice/norman blake. ive been through phases of liking/loving/hating it through the years.

― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad was in a band called "Ex-Lax and the Smooth Moves" in high school.

(I grew up hearing him play piano, which I like a lot.)

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't forget to tell me what you thought of your parent's musical efforts, if you've heard them (thanks, felonius drunk, that's pretty cool).

― eat fudge banana swirl (Nick A.), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

My mate's parents were in an 80s crusty underground band called The Oroonies who supported MBV on tour, pre-Isn't Anything. They seem pretty cool. Oh, and there was a thread on here about the band they're in now, some pun on 'Ska'. Gringo Ska. That's the one

― DJ Mencap0))), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

are you people like 12 years old????

― amateur!!!st, Wednesday, 18 August 2004 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

No, why?

― DJ Mencap0))), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I had no idea until a few years ago that my father is a brilliant erhu (Chinese two string violinish inst) player.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

My Dad played in a string of cover bands during his high school and college years - one was a CSNY tribute act that had a decent following in our home town. He quit playing to teach high school shortly after I was born. Then when I hit my teens and started gigging in bands of my own, Dad became a weekend warrior and started playing with a bunch of fortysomething professionals. They started out as an oldies act, but starting writing Celtic-country-folk originals, put out an indie CD, and have picked up a decent-sized audience for themselves.

My Dad still teaches, though.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

jaymc that is so cool

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

More pix of yr mamas when they were young, k thnx bye.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"Don't forget to tell me what you thought of your parent's musical efforts, if you've heard them (thanks, felonius drunk, that's pretty cool). "

I think my Dad's guitar playing is awesome, and I don't say that just because he's my father - he's got really clean country / folk rhythms, with very tasteful soloing.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

mom and dad couldnt sing or anything but the old man was president of a fraternity in the 60's and they based a little movie about it. so thats cool. he has one story of how they all used to go out on the porch and sing louie louie in their underwear

― kephm, Wednesday, 18 August 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Mom was a fingapickin' MASTA back in the day. I've been playing for 15 years and I still can't figure out what she was doing. Good stuff.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad won a Grammy! Whee! Mind, he's a recording engineer, and just happened to record the album in question, but it's still nifty. it was Penderecki's Credos, btw.

I had a friend in high-school whose dad played keyboards in Trooper!

― derrick (derrick), Thursday, 19 August 2004 08:04 (twenty-one years ago)

My daughter can't stand any recordings of bands I was in. She even turned Goat Science off after about 90 seconds.

She likes Busted and McFly.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 19 August 2004 08:32 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad produced the demo tape for an acoustic folk act called Ivall and Bacchus. It was probably more because of the fact he owned a decent tape recorder rather than for his musical ear.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 19 August 2004 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

My parents have no musical ability whatsoever. My father in law was a big folkie back in the day. Two years ago I discovered his guitar sitting in a closet collecting dust. I asked mother in law when the last time he had picked it up was, she said probably 30 years. So I concocted a plan to steal the guitar and have it all fixed for Christmas. I got the guitar fixed for him as a christmas present, surprisingly it was in great shape and only needed a little bit of work. The man was brought to tears when I gave it to him, it was also like he had been playing for 30 years as well. Never missed a beat. Now when I go to visit we have little folk jams. He's a cool guy.

― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Thursday, 19 August 2004 10:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think my parents ever played or sang, with the exception of a few piano lessons when my mom was young. Her brother played drums in a bar band for a while, though...some covers, some originals, you know the story. He still has his drum kit. His kid is in a band now, he's like 18 and screwing around with his friends. Also my dad's dad, who's kind of a crazy drunk, apparently used to sing in nightclubs and stuff, but I don't have the full story on that.

― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 19 August 2004 12:58 (twenty-one years ago)

More pix of yr mamas when they were young, k thnx bye.

I refuse to let "jaymc's mom" become the new "dog latin's sister."

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 19 August 2004 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Btw, that's a really sweet story, Chris.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 19 August 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

my great uncle used to play drums for some jazz/R&B band in the 40's. he payed for dental school with gigs on bourbon street in bars and strip clubs. never heard him play, but apparently he was pretty good.

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:07 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad started a band when he was in his early 40s w/ guys from his work. After recruiting most of the members for the band, he then figured it would be a good idea to learn an instrument. He taught himself to play the congas the day of their first practice. They would practice in our living room and started playing weddings, stuff like that. The played covers of mostly Chicano rock type stuff, like Santana, Malo, etc.

As they started to get good and began playing more gigs, some members started to get really ambitious (read: money). My dad's good friend was the drummer and they wanted someone better - stuff like that. So he and few other members quit the band - at the peak of their game, no less! I think the other members went on playing for a while, but with essentially the heart of the band ripped out, the project collapsed a few months later.

― kickitcricket (kickitcricket), Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.pulsators.com/mp3.htm

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Thursday, 19 August 2004 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Aaron, can I assume one of these guys is your dad??

ihttp://www.pulsators.com/images/group.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 19 August 2004 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

the one holding the blue strat would be my father, yes.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Thursday, 19 August 2004 23:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I recently found out that my dad did a day-workshop thing with Cornelius Cardew and then performed in the evening - improvising on a radio. This was late 60s. [I think the flaming lips must have been there ;)]

Mum was a folk revival head and learnt to play guitar on the Aldermaston peace marches.She taught me and the first song I ever learned to play was 'The Sun is Burning'.

They seem amazingly square now, though.

― Jamie, Friday, 20 August 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad is a songwriter in Nashville. I think he wrote a b-side for Tim McGraw at some point, but I can't remember what it was called.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 20 August 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad played in the local beat combo/swing band in the early 60s. I keep hoping that they'll turn up on some bizarre South African garage band compilation, but they never do. I don't think they recorded anything, unfortunately.

Up until a year or two ago, he was still playing folk music in the Silicon Valley area. He has a beautiful Gibson acoustic 12-string that is older than I am, but he says he doesn't play it any more. This upsets me so much.

― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Friday, 20 August 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

(I used to have a great picture of him on the internet somewhere, playing guitar and looking like a dead ringer for Buddy Holly, but I think the website died)

― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Friday, 20 August 2004 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

my father was a bedroom guitarist and my mother used to play one of these:

http://www.tienghatquehuong.com/images/deko/DanTranh.jpg

she was also into aerosmith and blondie. my dad was way into elvis presly, connie francis and doris day (how gay does that sound?). they're both big fans of country music, julio iglesias and englbert humperdink.

and strangely enough were big into the vietnamese/american new wave scene and used to throw new wave parties in our garage when i was little.

― waxyjax (waxyjax), Friday, 20 August 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

ugh...the image is broken...well, here's the URL

http://www.tienghatquehuong.com/images/deko/DanTranh.jpg

― waxyjax (waxyjax), Friday, 20 August 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

my dad was in this band called nir-something and my mom's just launched a solo career after some hazy days in an outfit called Hole

― francis bean (ken taylrr), Friday, 20 August 2004 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad played in a folk band called New Century Singers that released a couple records on Swan (ahem same as the Beatles). Their LP was produced by Ray Vernon (Link Wray's brother). The songs are excellent but the whole style sounds pretty dated. Think A Mighty Wind.

― mcd (mcd), Friday, 20 August 2004 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

well, my dad wasn't exactly into music but he did serve in the British Royal Air Force with Gerry Marsden (later of Gerry and the Pacemakers fame) and lived down the road from Eric Burdon (of Animals fame). he also tells me that the Kinks once came into his model toy shop in Newcastle, UK

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 20 August 2004 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Mother on autoharp and glass of vermouth singing along to Leonard Cohen.

― Thea (Thea), Friday, 20 August 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad's father played trumpet in Buffalo Bills Wild West Show band.
That's all I know of him.

My mom, a church organist, had a piano and an organ at home. She could play any standard of the day even if she had heard it only once.

Cool lady. She bought me my first guitar when I was 13.

― jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 21 August 2004 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)

shot that thread right between the eyes

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 22 August 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

My parents weren't musical. That sucks, cuz I love music so much.

Shit, I never remember hearing music from my mother (I never knew my father). My mom's not that into music.
My various foster parents - who are just semi-friends to me - have introduced me to some music. Mainly stuff I've already heard of, but, because I was always buying other records and shit - never had the money to buy: Devo, the Kinks, the Ramones, Johnny Cash, and so on.

― Nowell, Sunday, 22 August 2004 10:04 (twenty-one years ago)

(I used to have a great picture of him on the internet somewhere, playing guitar and looking like a dead ringer for Buddy Holly, but I think the website died)

I think it's still there:

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/8466/family.html

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/8466/dad.jpg

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Sunday, 22 August 2004 10:24 (twenty-one years ago)

(Not stalking - just googled "fugue state lollies")

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Sunday, 22 August 2004 10:26 (twenty-one years ago)

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