You gotta like “Boobs a Lot”…
Ever get a song stuck in your head you haven’t heard in years? That’s happening to me this morning. When I was growing up, I liked listening to morning radio shows, which usually featured silly songs. One song I used to hear all the time on morning radio shows back in the late 80s was called “Boobs a Lot”.
I had forgotten all about “Boobs a Lot” until one day a few months ago when it popped into my head and wouldn’t leave. I didn’t know who sang the song or when it was originally unleashed on the public. I went searching for it and soon found out that “Boobs a Lot” is older than I am, having been recorded by The Holy Modal Rounders in 1971. I was immediately surprised, since I thought in the early 70s, people were more conservative about such things.
The song “Boobs a Lot”…
I ended up downloading the album this song came from and learning more about this band, which seemed very obscure to me. I mean, I had heard the song a lot as a teenager, but never knew who sang the song. The Holy Modal Rounders has been around a long time. The folk duo, consisting of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber, got its start in New York City in the early 1960s. Lots of people were into this group and, in fact, American actor and playwright Sam Shepard was featured in the band for awhile. Over the years, the Holy Modal Rollers put out quite a few albums and had a cult following. There was even a documentary made about them in 2006 entitled The Holy Modal Rollers: Bound to Lose.
So why hadn’t I heard of them before “Boobs a Lot”? And why haven’t I heard their other songs? Okay, so I have heard the songs on their 1971 album, Good Taste Is Timeless, which does sound a little dated, but is actually very appealing in a goofy sort of way. The music is like an odd mix of folk, bluegrass, psychedelia, and silliness.
The Holy Modal Rounders on Laugh In back in 1968
Check out the flashy silver pants on Peter Stampfel. He comments on YouTube that they were his girlfriend Antonia’s idea and that he pre-dated glam rock by a few years. I see on YouTube that someone managed to interview Peter Stampfel in 2010 and he offers tips for musicians.
Peter Stampfel offers some handy tips for musicians.
Here’s a little more silliness for a Tuesday morning. The Holy Modal Rounders sing “Low Down Dog”.
Listening to this song, I can sort of see why this band had such a cult following. Their music is fun and quirky and it sounds like they enjoy playing together. Obviously, Peter Stampfel and his bandmates took his good advice about getting along and not being “pissy”.
Peter Stampfel plays “Stick Your Ass In The Air”.
Looks like Peter Stampfel still plays an entertaining show. And he still sings goofy songs about body parts. We should all take his advice and stick our asses in the air. That’s harder for some of us to do than others. Frankly, I appreciate “Boobs a Lot” a lot, not just because it introduced me to such a fun band with a long history, but because I happen to have big boobs that my husband loves. Long live comedic radio shows in the morning!
