My Big Eye b/w My Life Is Wrong

Our Cavalcade Of Stars (in alphabetical order)

Cliff Bernard (lead vocal on "My Big Eye," backing vocal on "My Life Is Wrong"): First time I laid ears on Cliff, he was stepping shyly on stage with The Skels to sing the blues. Now he fronts his own band, The Cliffhangers. Ain't shy no mo'.

Tim Barnes (drums on "My Big Eye"): Tim's old band and mine used to gig together. These days he drums for Ditchcroaker, a Fine Corinthian rock band.

Carole Filangieri (design): Art queen of the rave underground, Carole's design for TOD1 got better reviews than the music. So I kept her.

Al Houghton (engineer): Al's talent is the only thing standing between me and my total embarrassment. I'd praise him more but I'm afraid he'll raise his rates.

Ivan Julian (alto sax on "Eye," bass on "Wrong"): He made punk history with the Voidoids, toured with Shreikback and Matthew Sweet. What's he doing with a loser like me? Not playing guitar!

Renee LoBue (backing vocals): Renee is the voice of Melting Hopefuls, whose debut album, Space Flyer, just came out on Big Pop/Shanachie Records. This is her first recording outside the Hopefuls.

Andy Moore (drums on "Wrong"): We met musically when he played conga on the first Tang S'Dang record. Andy now is the drumbeat of Jenifer Convertible. He speaks softly but carries a big stick.

Jon Rosenblatt (lead guitar on "Eye," banjolin & backing vocal on "Wrong"): Jonny was such a sport playing sax on TOD1, I let him come back and play his main instrument. His band, Cryptic Soup, just released an epic indy debut, Salty Pretzel Dog Logic.

Jim Santo (guitar & lead vocals on "Wrong"): Lead guitarist for Jenifer Convertible, Alternative Press demo reviewer, budding cyberjournalist, TOD mastermind...what nerve!

Deborah Schwartz (backing vocals): Back by popular demand, the divine Ms. Deb at this writing had just quit The Aquanettas after seven rockin' years. Currently she's playing guitar for Cardinal Woolsey and indulging her muse.

Perry Serpa (keyboards): We both quit our bands around the same time. One day the former Lifehouse singer said to me, "I've been playing piano since I was a kid, but no one's ever asked me to." Well?

Jerry Smith (bass on "Eye"): Jerry pioneered post-punk in Phantom Tollbooth; now he makes dark, mind-bending music with Down And Away. (He's also Carole's cousin, but that's not why I recruited him.)

Lenny Zenith (backing vocals on "Wrong"): Lenny is singer and songwriter of Jenifer Convertible, a noisy, twangy pop thing that has nothing to do with sofabeds. We're putting out our first single this fall.

Produced by Jim Santo
Engineered by Al Houghton
Recorded at Dubway Studios, NYC
Designed by Carole Filangieri

Thanks to:

Tom Curiano & Doren Berge for 4-track demos.
Eric Neher for "My Life Is Wrong" cover concept.
Mark & Brandon at Jiffy Boy Records, for being my "label."
Maria Royle for Tim's tom-tom concept.

Special Thanks to F.M. Cornog...for his song.

Cover painting: "The Cyclops" by Odilon Redon.

"My Big Eye" ©1994 Cupcake Man Music/BMI
"My LIfe Is Wrong" ©1992 Hawk Be Out/BMI

We Did It Again

I was nervous about the second Time Or Dirt session.

Having succeeded beyond my dreams with the first record ("The Consul At Sunset" b/w/ "The Ghosts Of New York"), the pressure was on to make the next one even better.

Covering F.M. Cornog's "My Life Is Wrong" added more tension. I love the guy, have immense respect for his work — and hadn't a clue how to improve the tune.

Then I had to go and invite Ivan Julian to play sax and bass. Sure, he asked me first, and I just accepted his offer, but hey, he played lead guitar on "Blank Generation"! (Luckily, Ivan was more nervous than I was.)

Were that not enough, I waited forever to make the demo, and then the damn post office lost half of them. I had to run around town the week before the session, personally delivering the things. Jerry only got to listen to it once, on the way to the studio.

As it turned out, I shouldn't have worried. The sessions were a blast. Everybody gave their all and the results speak for themselves.

I'm not going to get into detail — I've indulged myself enough already — but I want to share one moment.

We were cutting the backgrounds for "My Life Is Wrong." Lenny, Renee, Debbie, Cliff and Jonny did one take, came in and listened to it, and grimaced as a group. Wasn't happening.

They all ran out of the control room, gathered around the microphone and, as I listened over the studio monitor, began working out the harmonies. As I sat there in rapt amazement, these five strangers came together to create something beautiful. Then and there I knew why I started Time Or Dirt, and why I'll keep on doing this as long as I have friends to help me. Thanks to all.