The premier performance by my ensemble The Chadbournes

took place in 1979 at the basement venue Studio Henry in

New York City.  Only one player on the “stage” (a space in

front of a fish tank display) went on to play in later versions

of the band, Mark Kramer.  The material recovered from this

concert for “UNCLE RAKE” has not been available for a long

time. Kramer, playing trombone as well as his customary

organ and his tapes, is joined by M.E. Miller on drums and

violinist Jim Katzin.  

For the ensuing three years, The Chadbournes were active in

an ever-shifting line-up as I shifted residency between NYC and

Greensboro and figured out who would put up with me. 

Which was, especially, drummer David Licht.

Whenever home I worked with all of my recording equipment,

creating home recordings that I released on my own, my home

label productions shifting from the expensive investment-heavy

vinyl to the instant profit and unbelievable freedom of the cassette.

Inevitably the “final” version of The Chadbournes trio with Licht

and Kramer changed its name to Shockabilly and dominated my

band activities. Nonetheless another trio with Licht and bassist

Tom “Shep the Hep” Shephard was convenient for many regional

performances and although nicknamed “Son of Shockabilly” to

cash in on my main band’s success, Greensboro locals knew the

band as “The Chadbournes”, or better, simply “Chadbournes”.

The same must be said for Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the venue

The Chukker, where the owner/booker publicized a Shockabilly

gig under the name of The Chadbournes, because he said “Folks

here know Chadbournes!”

Almost immediately after the 1979 show, a critic described my

Country and Western direction as “Frank Zappa on LSD.”

So I wondered, what would my “Uncle Meat” be?  It would

be a history of The Chadbournes, 1979-1982, comprised of

recordings recently rediscovered and digitized from cassette

archives.