If you are a fan of the Rumble Bees, you'll want to own a copy of this album. Or maybe you won't. Hey look, what's the difference? We made the album, it's available, if you have disposable income, you may want to dispose of it here.
This CD features several of your favorite songs that you know from our live shows and some songs that you've never heard before. It may contain songs that you'll never want to hear again.
Smartly produced by Todd Homme, there is a bit more "production" on this CD compared to our first record, "Be Pretty, Be Naked, Be Quiet".
In addition to our regular line up, this CD features an all star horn section and some guest appearances by absolutely outrageous musicians including guitar great Joe Bonamassa, former Frank Zappa sideman Bruce Fowler (trombone) Wayne Burgeron (trumpet) Bucket Baker (percussion) Harry Garfield (piano) and lots of other very cool people.
But at the end of the day, in the final analysis, when it's all said and done, (add your own cliche here) it's the same shallow, ridiculous, stupid point of view in the songs that Rumble Bees fans have come to demand and expect.
Some song highlights taken from the liner notes:
1 HAIRY BACK, FLABBY BELLY... Sounds sexy, right? Wrong? Oh. Bruce Fowler and Harry Garfield jammed on this one.
2. SCARED.... I will face my fears, as soon as I stop screaming. This song was featured on Los Angeles radio on KROQ and KLOS, and national T.V. on "Cold Pizza" on ESPN 2. We hope to get on the real ESPN someday.
3. YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME...
Is anyone else sick of hearing people say this? You will be now. Featuring Mike Tavera's Stinger Horns, a guitar solo by Mike Novitch, and the smokey vocals of Carol Eckstein.
4. YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER.... your step child reminds you. On the other hand, he's not your kid. The great Joe Bonamassa is featured on guitar
5 PUBLIC FOOL FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL...
I AM a public fool from a public school, and that may be the best advertisement for private schools yet. Hot Rod arranged the rhythm track and Joe Bonamassa took the honors on guitar.
6 BIGGER! FATTER! MEANER! UGLIER!...They say if you want to know what your girlfriend will look like when she gets older, look at her mother. I don't know if this is really true, but why should that stop me from having fun at other people's expense?
7 WHAT'S THE HUBBUB BUB?..I mean, what? Solo: Hot Rod Mystery voice: Jay Graydon
8. THE SCENT IS ON ME.. take a whiff! Hot Rod solos
9 A LITTLE MORE BLACK COFFEE...I have gone from three chords to two chords to one chord. It can't be long till my songs have no chords and no words, just a random series of shrieks.
10 TEQUILA... That's Mike Curry on sax & Hot Rod on guitar
11 CHICKEN LIPS...She didn't want to kiss mine, so she can kiss mine. Hot Rod solos.
12 TROUBLE MAKER...We have a girl like this in our band. She knows who she is. Her name is Carol Eckstein. That's "Happy" Mike Novitch on lead guitar.
13 NEEDY Through hard knocks and medication I've learned that it's "Ok" to express my needs. Joe Bonamassa and I wrote this, and then we went to Jerry's Deli for something to eat.
14 YOU DON'T GET IT...And a guy like YOU never will get it, Actually, a guy like ME will never get it. And who cares? And so what? Whatever.
MICKEY MOUSE, HE AIN'T NO RAT!... I've written a lot of children's songs for Walt Disney Records. This is one they took a pass on. Darlene Medore, who understands the sentiment behind this song, sang with us. Mike Novitch and Mike Turner solo.
BAD ASS FIGHTING MAN...Damn straight! Hot Rod's arrangement and solo
OVERDRIVE... A John "Hot Rod" Tompkins original. All of the sumbitches in the know agree that this sumbitch can play that sumbitch like a sumbitch
FEED THE KITTY... A song about pet care, written by Dena Diamond and me.
The band:
Mike Himelstein vocals
John "Hot Rod" Tompkins guitar
Greg "Rock Bottom" Bowden bass
Mike Curry saxaphone & bass
John Lawson drums
Mike Novitch guitar
Carol Eckstein vocals
Hope Levy vocals
Darlene Medore vocals
You add it all up, this is a collection of songs that any self respecting Rumble Bees fan will want to own, and cherish.
Well maybe not cherish. Hey, if you want it, buy it, if not, don't. Actually, please buy it.
Thank you.
THE RUMBLE BEES BIO:
How tight are the Rumble Bees? About as tight as the dresses worn by the SEXY WORKER BEES, and that's as tight as you can get without being nude.
But exactly who are these bluesy RUMBLE BEES, and why are they causing so much excitement whenever they headline at clubs like B.B. KINGS, or at festivals like the International Lobsterfest, (that's right, Lobsterfest, baby!), or good old Rusty's Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier? And why have their songs been featured on the "Tonight Show" "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" and "Cold Pizza" on ESPN 2 (not the real ESPN, but ESPN 2) And who cares?
Who are these guys?
Mike Himelstein is the group's founder, leader, singer and songwriter. He is, in his own words "An idiot". His R&B and blues songs have been recorded by great artists including the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Al Jarreau, The Temptations, the Baha Men, Vanessa Williams, William Shatner, Billy Gilman, CeCe Winans, Joe Bonamassa, Karyn White, and many others. Legendary blues man Johnny Winter recorded Mike's classic Rumble Bee song "Hey You". Rick Derringer recorded his "Big Time Love". He's written songs for films such as "Shrek" and is a frequent contributor to Walt Disney Records childrens albums, and has recorded for them. He wrote and produced the children's CD "Bozo And Pals" for the Music For Little People label. He is a Dreamworks Music staff songwriter. If you add it all up, he's a heck of a guy.
John "Hot Rod" Tompkins is the group's co-founder and lead guitar player. He's got fast hands and a knock out punch. When we all played basketball together on the playground, he followd his shots. He's that type of guy. In his hands, the guitar is a weapon. He recently tried to buy a guitar and had to go through the seven day waiting period while they did a background check.
In 1990 Del fi Records released "A Lot Like Life" and "Hey You" as a single, and it made it to the top twenty in several alternative radio markets before failing miserably.
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