His first album Songs From A Tomb [left - Ed.], a collection of songs recorded at his Providence, R.I. lodgings, remained unreleased at the time (1930) as the vinyl long-playing record had yet to be invented.
Today, Howard laughs at his tyro efforts in the singer-songwriter vein. In this exclusive interview, Howard ("call me Howie!") looks back on his pioneering career in the music business with affection and insight.
HPL: I was just this young guy, trying to get laid, like we all were. I saw how attractive musicians were to dames, and thought I'd grab myself a little of that action! I reckoned my songs about eldritch horrors and ululating abominations would get me pussy! That's how out-of-the-loop Howie was! (laughs)
FMF©: Tell us a little about the songs. How they were recorded.
HPL: Gee - it's such a long time ago? I composed them all on the Ondes Martenot. I had the only one in the U.S. at that time. It used a shitload of electricity, and I remember one time blowing all the fuses in my apartment building! (laughs) Howie was not a popular neighbor - what with that and opening up a dimensional portal for the Elder Gods in the closet. Oops!
FMF©: You turned your room into a recording studio?
HPL: Right. Ring-and-spring mic, direct onto the wax master disc. I set the whole thing up. Pretty advanced tech! Problem was, I was cutting a ten-song album, and the album format just didn't exist yet.
FMF©: Nor did the entire singer-songwriter genre ...
HPL: That's right! By the time it did, late 'sixties, I'd moved on to psychedelic rock.
FMF©: Did you get laid?
HPL: Oh man! The stories I could tell! Those were the times of free love, man! Hippie chicks just giving it away! WOO-HOO!
FMF©: So - get any action?
HPL: Uh - no.
FMF©: Those are great albums, though.
HPL: Thanks. I prefer the third, myself, when I changed my name to just Lovecraft. Kinda country rock thing happening there. [FoamFeatured antecedently - Ed.]
FMF©: Years before Prince and Madonna, the name thing. You never got credit for that.
HPL: Yeah. But, you know - no regrets! I've had a great life! Great times! NYARLAGHOTEPALHAZREDCTHULHUULULULU!
Phoned home. Nobody there.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you here, then. Have some beer nuts. Try the Ticklefish Spa.
DeleteHow Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?
DeleteSorry, just picked up that and another ("I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus")(The story of 4-or-5's life?) at a charity resale shop...
They're two of the Firesign's Four Or Five Albums.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has not been removed by the author.
DeleteI had to remove it due to embarrassingly poor grammer
DeleteOops grammar
Oops speling
It's a feature of blogger that all comments are sent to my email - even the ones removed by the auther.
DeleteIs there an extremely stealthy stealth link for "FiveGunsWest To Aisle Three! Spillage In Aisle Three!"?
ReplyDeleteThere might have been ...
DeleteOkay, but did Lovecraft invite Terry Melcher so he could duet with Chtulhu?
ReplyDeletepardon me - so back to the show....it seems back in the day H.P Lovecraft -"thee band"....not the autererist.. was considered a magnificently talented act- classically trained keyboards, brillant song arrangements, conscientious song writing efforts and exquisitely lush vocals. But there was a tragic flaw. The Gracie Slick sort off band voice was played by a middle aged balding guy. Even though they have a great live album they could have had a sweet lady standing there just for stage presence- Hell they coodha done a McCartney-Wings thing with Linda not being plugged in....in fact Robbie Robertson spent his band career in that state as well...thankfully.......and hasnt our host positioned the female form to our delights to brighten our aspect....& just Lovecraft......oh well it was just the drumma
ReplyDeleteI saw the band a couple times in San Francisco in 1968. Pretty great live...and on record. And...Jerry McGeorge - their bass player - had been in the Shadows Of Knight just a year or two before.
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