A hidden gem, Clam Chowder were a folk group from the late 70's/early 80's that sang anything from sea chanties to traditional folk songs from around the world.
So give it a listen, here or on the go!
Edit: Thanks to Kirsten Houseknecht who directed me to their website and Facebook, where you can buy CD's and show your support. Apparently they still do shows at local festivals!
Harp Song of the Dane Women (Kipling/Sobansky) - 04:09
Wing Chang Lu (trad.) - 07:32
Madeira, M'Dear (Flanders & Swann) - 11:28
Simple Gifts (trad./Sobansky) - 15:54
No Man's Land (Bogle) - 17:33
Side B:
City of New Orleans (Goodman) - 22:09
It's Not Our Fault (Esty) - 25:14
Horn of the Hunter (trad.) - 28:07
Early One Evening (Wooten) - 31:23
Boozin' (trad.) - 34:46
Son of a Scoundrel (Silverstein/Sheehan) - 40:02
Liner notes:
\"Let's do a live album!\" bellowed the Walrus, as he unsteadily handed a bag of Hot Spanish Clams to the Turtle. The bearded Turtle, smelling slightly of charcoal and burnt metal, peered under the bag for any signs of redmeat.
\"Sounds good to me,\" he declared. \"In fact, I've got some old tapes from the last Clamicon.\"
\"You mean the ones recorded on recycled cassettes through the second hand microphone suspended above the squeezebox?\" asked the Mad Hatter, as he struggled to save the last of the swordfish steak from turning to cinders on the grill. His struggle was not aided by the several sheets of arcane economic equations stuck in his hatband that flopped inconveniently over his eyes.
\"We've got some good tapes made at the last Greasebelt concert,\" mentioned the Griffin. He stared dubiously at the scene in the kitchen while playing a tune that might have been an unhappy marriage of Beethoven's Fifth and 'Melancholy Baby' on his squeezebox.
\"Yes, the tapes are good,\" said the Comely Waitress, \"but what's on those is something else. We've recorded two concerts so far and gotten four songs that are usable. At this rate, it will be Christmas of 1984 before we get this album out.\"
\"Look,\" began the Hatter, frantically scraping cinders off the grill. \"I like live music as much as the next clam, but we just don't seen to get a lot of usable songs from our concerts.\"
\"You can't beat the spirit of a live concert!\" loudly proclaimed the Walrus. Some of his loudness was an attempt to be heard over the snoring of a large Bear in the back room.
\"Yeah, spirits!\" agreed the Griffin. \"for such are the joys of a ministrel on stage.\"
\"This may be true,\" the Waitress said, \"but if we keep trying to make an album until Christmas of '84, we'll be at each other's throats.\"
\"What makes you think that?\" demanded the Hatter, as he angrily threw his bass guitar strap on the grill.
\"Say what?\" inquired the Walrus.
\"If we want to get this album out before our backers kill us,\" argued the Hatter, \"we're going to have to use some studio recordings.\"
\"I don't like studio recordings,\" said the Griffin, as his squeezebox emitted a series of tuneless gasps. \"But, then again, nothing is ever quite good enough for me.\"
\"I want it live!\" randomly bellowed the Walrus.
\"We could do both,\" suggested the Turtle.
\"You mean, do one side of the album in the studio?\" asked the Waitress.
\"That's right,\" said the Turtle. \"We could even try to get an audience in the studio when we record.\"
\"And the other side could be songs taped live at our concerts,\" added the Hatter.
\"I like that!\" said the Walrus. \"Live music has got such spirit!\" The Griffin burbled agreement as he downed a glass of - ahem - ice water.
\"Yes, but what would we even call this album?\" asked the Hatter.
\"Do you guys serve Clam Chowder?\" asked a hapless customer who had just walked in.
And it was at this point the Comely Waitress asked what turned out to be the fatal question.
