Hi everyone!
I'm new here, I just discovered this website, but I like some Surf Rock bands since some years. I've got a question about The Astronauts: is there any live recording of The Astronauts where they play instrumental Surf Rock, such as Baja or Surf Party? I know there is Everything is A-OK and all that, but that is more a Rock and Roll album than a Surf Rock one. User IvanP told me about Movin' (Thank you!) but is there anything else, any "Bootleg",audience or soundboard recording of their instrumental stuff?
Thank you and congratulations for the website!

I don't think the Astronauts had any concept of themselves as an instrumental band at all. The survivors don't seem to, anyway.

Officially, there's Movin' (太陽の彼方に). There's at least one comparable bootleg "all-instrumental" collection floating around, assembled from issued sources.

There's Eddie Katcher's Astronauts tribute band that played a couple times in 2013, and some Colorado surf musicians were working on a project to rerecord some of the material in something like the original spirit about a year ago, but for various reasons the project is moribund at present.

Satan's Pilgrims are the closest thing I've seen to subsequent work "in the Astronauts' spirit." Some of it anyway.

Last edited: Apr 17, 2014 20:18:54

So, I'll someday shall buy "Movin'". I'll search for Eddie Katcher's Astronauts and Satan's Pilgrims, but I think I've already heard something.
Do you know where could I get that bootleg?
Thank you!

Tuck wrote:

I don't think the Astronauts had any concept of themselves as an instrumental band at all. The survivors don't seem to, anyway.

Officially, there's Movin' (太陽の彼方に). There's at least one comparable bootleg "all-instrumental" collection floating around, assembled from issued sources.

There's Eddie Katcher's Astronauts tribute badn that played a couple times in 2013, and some Colorado surf musicians were working on a project to rerecord some of the material in something like the original spirit about a year ago, but for various reasons the project is moribund at present.

Satan's Pilgrims are the closest thing I've seen to subsequent work "in the Astronauts' spirit." Some of it anyway.

There's a video on YouTube of the Astronauts being inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Something I posted. The band, which includes Jim Gallagher (being doubled on drums, which is sad) and Stormy Patterson along with some current Colorado musical luminaries, non-surf, plays Baja. It's not at all worth listening to. I'm sorry. There are people in Colorado who could have made it work and would probably have given blood to be involved. They weren't involved. Neither was Rich Fifield, through some indisposition or unhappiness on his part.

Maybe sometime the folks involved in that re-recording project will consider letting out some of the video I took of it, or even the mixed recordings. For the moment I don't think that's possible. It was a decent job and they had a lot of fun with it. The video is pretty weird, because I'm shooting from odd corners of the basement they were playing in. It's various mixes of the AquaSonics (original) and Royal Aces plus Jeff Lewis. I missed one session, the one that included an augmented Royal Aces doing Banzai Pipeline.

Satan's Pilgrims have done a lot of really good things. I think the earlier stuff has the highest percentage of three guitar arrangements. They are awe-inspiring to watch in action. They're playing a reunion show in Portland on July 11th, 2014. A few years ago at SG101 I got to stand near one end of the stage watching them assemble a bunch of things as three parts. It was awe-inspiring. Fortunately or unfortunately the unattended video camera was out in front, and doesn't show that as well. But you can hear it on their CDs and maybe in video of them. There's a DVD you might be able to find with two of their shows on it, from back when they were (more) active. They make a fairly lively corpse. They tend to play about once a year in Portland or California.

Last edited: Apr 17, 2014 20:16:02

Tuck wrote:

They make a fairly lively corpse.

I think this is my favorite thing ever written about us. Thanks Tuck!

http://www.satanspilgrims.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Satans-Pilgrims/8210228553
https://satanspilgrims.bandcamp.com/
http://www.surfyindustries.com

You're welcome, Ted. And I meant the metaphor well. Perhaps I should have said "a fairly cohesive diaspora." Actually, I think I heard that the Satanic Diaspora is currently working on a new CD. These days a band don't all have to occupy the same part of the space time continuum to exist as a creative force. But so far bands still have to reassemble to play out. If you reassemble the Peregrine Corpus it's all there and it seems to stagger about pretty well.

Last edited: Apr 17, 2014 20:34:34

spskins wrote:

Tuck wrote:

They make a fairly lively corpse.

I think this is my favorite thing ever written about us. Thanks Tuck!

Perhaps there's an album title in that

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

BUY THIS NOW!

Insect Surfers
The Tikiyaki Orchestra
The Scimitars
Lords Of Atlantis
Fiberglass Jungle - Surf Radio

The one I have, has that cover above.
Never seen anything different.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Old_Tele_man wrote:

Does anyone else have a copy of this little-known "Astronauts" LP?

TITLE: The Astronauts, Instrumental Album
LABEL: New Voice Record Company (Taiwan), LW-210
SONGS, SIDE-A:
1. Hearbreak Hotel
2. Love Me Tender
3. A Big Hunk O' Love
4. His Latest Flame
5. Blue Moon
6. One Mint Julep
SONGS, SIDE-B:
1. The House of the Rising Sun
2. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
3. Tequila
4. Fortymiles of Bad Road
5. Honky Tonk
6. I Walk The Line

I've never heard of it, but of course it would be great to have a copy and listen to that "House of the Rising Sun"