Stinky first proposed the DOPPLENAMER idea many months ago. I was immediately excited by the concept, but found it more difficult than expected to come up with my own list of Dopplenamers. That was until I remembered that PERE UBU has a long list of songs with titles that were borrowed from other songs (as well as titles from film and literature).
Prior to the release of the Lady From Shanghai album in 2013, David Thomas announced that Pere Ubu's new record would "fix the problem" of dance music. I sometimes wonder if he intended to "fix" other songs when he borrowed their titles. Maybe he was just making mischief. His Dopplenamers were certainly more than a coincidence, judging by the sheer number of them that have been gathered here today.
There are only a few cover songs in Pere Ubu's discography, which is surprising when you consider that Ubu existed for almost half a century (starting in 1975, with a hiatus between 1982 and 1987, and ending upon the death of David Thomas earlier this year). Ubu recorded The Osmonds' Crazy Horses and The Beach Boys' Surfer Girl, and there were a few live covers (like Pushin Too Hard and Kick Out The Jams). David sang Sloop John B with The Pedestrians, and Strychnine with Rocket From The Tombs. Just a handful, unless you count the RFTT songs as covers.
Anyway, Stinky put a lot of time and thought into the Dopplenamer concept, and got some grief from a few readers. How about some encouragement to keep the Dopplenamers coming?
ELSEHWERE ON THE BLOG: more Halloween music!
Now you're talking, Jon! Love it!
ReplyDeleteDopplenamer III - UBU Edition!
ReplyDeletehttps://pixeldrain.com/u/PXQtDCn9
Fantastic , Ubu Roi
ReplyDeleteThanks! Sometimes it's interesting to listen to a band's history in reverse. 21st century Ubu has more in common with 1980's Ubu. 1990's Ubu ("the Fontana Years") is more commercial (?) or at least friendlier to the ears.
Delete"The Man With The Axe", the Bill Griffith-illustrated graphic novel biography of "Ubu Roi" author Alfred Jarry was shared on Twilight Zone not long ago by The Massacio of Gonzo. It is really quite a good history of the man and his work, well-researched and well-written by author Nigey Lennon. A different perspective from Roger Shattuck's description of Jarry in "The Banquet Years". And with more pictures! In case you missed the opportunity to download it from TZ:
https://mega.nz/file/WFoGCSIL#4so9XQmO6PwgufH0A8QA7Zn__dULhNvf0JNwvmrh8Vk
Bonus points for putting Ghoulardi (Ernie Anderson) on the cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks! David Thomas was a Ghoulardi fan (as was Lux Interior). Now where can I redeem these bonus points? I've been saving up for some Super Elastic Bubble Plastic!
DeleteGood one Jonder, I can't think of any artists pulling this off!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonds, even though I try to follow TZ at work, I somehow missed that one. Too bad none of those comments have a search bar as it is a great community of posts. Very cool post thanks again. CHeers!
ReplyDeleteNo intention to generate static from this corner. I think that what you guys do is great even when you wander away from where I would go.
ReplyDeleteVery much appreciated, Psychfan. The history of popular music is full of hits and misses. It's fun to wander around in it, even if we don't always score a hit! The journey is as interesting as the destination. When I visit a record store and someone asks me if there's something I'm looking for, I'm sometimes tempted to break into song like the late Lux Interior:
DeleteI'm lookin, I'm lookin', I'm lookin' for
Somethin' I ain't had before!
I'm lookin, I'm lookin', I'm lookin' to find
Some new kind of hit!
You're aces with us, Psychfan!
DeleteOh man, how did I miss this one? Love Pere Ubu -- and this was a brilliant concept! Congrats. Finchy.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't miss it, you're just fashionably late to our little Ubu Dance Party. Thanks for the kind words!
DeleteI missed a good 'un in my roundup of Halloween mixes:
ReplyDeletehttps://musichoardersrecordvault.blogspot.com/2025/10/helloween-treats-2025.html