WHAT MAKES THE MONKEY DANCE

Hey folks,

Today is Friday. So, it’s Trip In The Country day around here. More on that in a hot second.

First off, my new record “The Land that Time Forgot” (Yep Roc) was originally scheduled to be released May 15. Because of disruptions of normal living that you probably are aware of, the release date has now been pushed back to August 21.

But that’s not all! Right this moment, there happens to be a mess of pre-sale bundles and other fun stuff available in our store. And we’ve got a UK store now too!

Is there more, Chuck? the voice inside my head asks. Funny you should ask, voice inside my head, because aside from the new record and T shirts and bundles, there’s a limited edition, deluxe collector’s edition of “What Makes the Monkey Dance: The Life and Music of Chuck Prophet,” by Stevie Simkin with photo prints all signed by me. It’s a hardcover edition with hand-sprayed page edges, housed inside a specially designed slipcase with a set of six photographic prints by Tom Erikson taken between 1988–1999. $75.00. ONE PER CUSTOMER.

And if you pre-order this collector’s edition of the book TODAY, you are cordially invited to attend an exclusive invite-only event: “Chuck Prophet in Conversation with Author Stevie Simkin” Live Zoom event and Q&A Saturday, May 30th 12:00 PM PDT / 20:00 PM GMT

PRE-ORDER AND SHOP HERE: http://www.chuckprophet.com/shop

Sorry I hadn’t checked in about this sooner. I’m keeping a real tight schedule. I’ve been super busy checking my e-mail and doing a lot of scrolling through my social media. [Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling…] Except when I’m drinking coffee and playing guitar in my pajamas. Or when I’m picking away at something I’m writing. And when I say “writing,” I of course mean crossing out a line, adding a comma, and then printing it out again and looking at it with satisfaction. That comma was a masterstroke!

And then, and then, and then, I decide it’s hopeless and pick up a book. Put it down. Pull a Roy Orbison record out of its sleeve and put it on the turntable. And before I know it I’m like, “What’s for dinner?” That’s a typical day here on the edge of the Castro.

I don’t know what it is. I have no discipline. I’ve got those pandemic blues. Why should I have any discipline? I had a mess of places to go and people to see. And now that’s all gone. I’m listless. Questioning my life choices.

Maybe I need a hobby. I can’t get to my studio to work on my collages, so that’s out. I’m thinking of taking up an expensive cigar habit. Please don’t send me your TV recommendations! I used to be good for about 3 episodes of anything. That was then.

All of this is because I’m not on tour.

Meanwhile, all this lying around and listening to Roy Orbison is pretty fun it turns out, and has come in handy for my radio show. We’re calling it the Trip In The Country show. It’s on Gimme Country every Friday at 2pm. Gimme Country is a streaming radio station.

Sure it’s Country music, but we take it places. Other countries. Places like Italy and Jamaica and Canada too! And the Americas. North America… South America… I’m enjoying doing the show. Seems like the more out there it gets, the more people dig it. And it’s fun turning people on to music.

Plus, I love radio. And this one is interactive. People from all over the globe come and hang out and mouth off in the chat.

I try to think back to the great radio shows that inspired me. I’m thinking of the old Maximum Rock and Roll show, Tuesday nights on KALX. Broadcast out of Berkeley and right into my suburban bedroom. That show had a kind of freeform spirit. The hosts would announce whatever live gigs were happening in the Bay Area. They’d spin records and inject some progressive politics between tunes. They also played local punk rock records, along with the latest imports from England, Kinks rarities, rockabilly sides. I used to tape the show. In fact, I’m pretty sure it was there I first heard about the Temple Beautiful. That show was a beacon. Something to aspire to.

So come hang out at Gimme Country. Download the app. And follow me. You’ll get a notification when the show is about to start. It’ll go out 10 minutes before the show starts to remind you. Fair nuff? HERE’S THE LINK: https://gimmecountry.com/#/radio

P.S.: In case it got past you, I filmed a travel show for Southwest Air and Luck Reunion. A kind of Anthony Bourdain (R.I.P.) styled show where you can ride shotgun with me and Aaron Lee Tasjan through the backstreets of San Francisco. The Luck Reunion team is brilliant. This ain’t some insidious internet trash. There are real production values. I think you’ll enjoy it.

LINK: https://southwest.fm/sites-and-sounds/episode-3/

Onwards,

-CP

STREAM STRINGS IN THE TEMPLE FILM NOW

Hey folks,

Attention all you streamers, loss-leaders, grim reapers, and powdered egg beaters. We’ve got something to share with all of you shut-ins.

Stream The STRINGS IN THE TEMPLE FILM NOW. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. FOR THE LOW COST OF FREE.

WATCH IT HERE NOW: https://found.ee/jRYk

I don’t know about you, but I am totally barricaded, holed up, shut in but not shut down. And make no mistake, this crisis is serious. Life and death serious. As for now, I’ve got all I need. I’ve actually got three Honeycrisp apples in the kitchen. Plus, one Fuji apple. Fujis are not my first choice but I am 100 percent prepared to eat that Fuji if the whip comes down. Although I could be hurting for paper towels here before too long. (Stephanie’s out of town. Pray for me.)

As for this film. A little background:

Back in 2012, we released the Temple Beautiful LP - an open love letter to San Francisco and its history and characters. Written in my shoebox no-internet-having work space South of Market along with klipschutz. Lunches were had. Arguments were settled. (Never did we stoop to tossing a coin.)

After two years of playing the songs around the world, in late 2013 my band and I delivered the 12-song cycle at the Great American Music Hall - itself a former bordello and an art deco S.F institution - with a string octet scored and conducted by Brad Jones. Which turned out to be the first step that culminated in Strings in the Temple.

Director Darrell Flowers brought along at least four camera operators and a few more assorted pros from Dover to film it. We had one chance to get it right. And this film is a document of the twists and turns in the road that brought us to that one-night-only sold-out performance at the GAMH.

Some will have you believe that here in Start Up City, USA technology is the new culture. Then again, how can technology equal culture? (On what planet?) Where’s the google bus - or better yet, the Virtual Stock Option (VSO) - for the out-of-work dishwasher who commutes in every day from Stockton? Or the people who commute three hours each way just for the privilege of cleaning our toilets? Where’s the facebook live Zuckerberg Tip Jar (ZTJ) for them?

Let me ask you a question: Can songs connect people to the world? I’ll take my answer off the air.

The songs performed that night touch on all kinds of San Franciscos and include characters like Willie Mays, martyred supervisor Harvey Milk, Cain & Abel porn kings Jim & Artie Mitchell, mythic oddball “Red Man,” preacher/Svengali Jim Jones, politician-turned assassin Dan White, and Emperor Norton himself, with cameos by Laffing Sal, Carol Doda, Bill Graham, and Fatty Arbuckle. Locations too. Including the Castro and Mission Districts. One song channels the White Night Riots, sparked by the light sentence handed out to poster-boy-for-closet-cases Dan White for the assassination of Milk and Mayor Moscone.

Dig in. And do yourself a favor and stick around. At the 10:00 mark don’t miss the image of Stephie smiling and James shrugging when Roy Loney makes a kind of sideways entrance. That’s why I play music. I could watch that moment once a week forever. We miss you Roy.

P.S.: If you want to download the LP of the concert. You can do it over at Bandcamp. For the next 24 hours Bandcamp is waiving their 10% fee, so you know what that means, right? More paper towels for ol’ CP.

Here is the Bandcamp Link https://found.ee/uO1W

And if you are feeling like you want to give back. My newsletter costs money. I pay a service to deliver it. And sometimes, even though I’m on the list I don’t even receive it. I don’t know what the dealio is but if you want to show your appreciation feel free to roam around my online store and throw down.

Sincerely,

-Chuck Prophet

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What the critics have to say about Temple Beautiful:

“Experience the album as one man’s alternative history of three decades of West Coast culture and politics.” - Fresh Air

“A heroic all round smash and grab raid on rebel rock across the generations.” - Classic Rock

“A dozen beautifully melodic, razor-sharp guitar-pop elegies. Mythological in scope, soulful in execution – tracking everything from the city’s vaunted musical history to baseball star Willie Mays and madman/murderer Jim Jones, it’s a feast of contextual songwriting and sizzling guitar. The whole lot is first rate.” - Uncut

“Not since Lou Reed paid homage to the city and era that forged him with New York has there been a song cycle dedicated to a place and reality that offers the core immediacy with the thump, churn and ferocity of Chuck Prophet’s Temple Beautiful” - Paste

“Above all it rocks. A hooky, memorable album.” - Mojo

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Obviously everything is a hot mess due to the current state of events surrounding COVID-19. We’re taking all of this serious. Life and death serious. And exploring the possibility of rescheduling shows down the road. Some shows will be postponed. Some promoters have no plans to reschedule. All the regional UK dates will be postponed to Jan 2021 which we are working on now. We’ll gather all that info for you including refunds and the like here in coming newsletters and on the CP web site. Please be patient. And don’t hesitate to e-mail if you think we can help.

We plan to send an updated list of rescheduled/confirmed dates soon.

For now, these dates appear to be on.

5/8/2020 SEBASTOPOL CA HOPMONK TAVERN**

5/9/2020 SACRAMENTO CA HARLOW’S**

5/16/2020 BIG SUR CA HIPNIC**

Show details: http://chuckprophet.com/gigs/