Whoa Oh Records Presents 'Christmas for Breakfast!' 41 Toe Tapping Head Bopping Hip Swinging Hi-Fi Bug Beat Kiddie Pop Audio Adventures! Singles and Rareties

The following commentary was recorded in the winter of 2008 via satellite feed between France (James Leo Cahill), New York (Mike Faloon and Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer), New Jersey (Mike Jr.), Colorado (Bret Hagen), and California (John Ross Bowie and Johnny Reno).

While Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer was physically present for this conversation, his biographer and publishing house asked him not to speak publicly about his experiences in the Kung Fu Monkeys until after the release of his tell-all book, "They Call Me Pontiac: Reflections of a Kung Fu Monkey," with a forward by Arthur Herbert "The Fonz" Fonzarelli and an afterward by Rat Fink.

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James: Our first extended player, featuring songs I wrote when I was still a teenager! ÒArizonaÓ was actually the first song I wrote with the intention of having it played by a band. With the aid of my friends George OÕConner on bass guitar and the always barefoot and often shirtless TomŽ Jo Trujillo on drum kit, we become Dr. Pasketti and His Amazing Kung Fu Monkeys, which was later shortened to The Kung Fu Monkeys (teenagers have certainly had worse ideas).

I wanted a band with a ÒKÓ name so weÕd be in the same record row as the Kinks. Neither of the other founding members appear on the record, having moved on to bigger and better things, so my good chum Bret—previously of Implosion and later of Hawk Attack—began captaining the bass and TomŽ JoÕs friend Sidmizer—also a member of the Pasadena-area pop-ska band Miscellaneous—took over on drums. SidÕs insane drum rolls still make me smile—he insisted on performing all his own stunts on that record. BretÕs legacy in the band continues through his bass line for ÒDouble Bubble,Ó which Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer replicated when we recorded our CD ÒSchoolÕs Out, SurfÕs Up, LetÕs Fall in LoveÉÓ for Mutant Pop.

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James: This was my first collaboration with members of the mighty Egghead., and the recording session at 88 Christopher Street was a blast. It was also our debut on the venerable Mutant Pop imprint, run by Tim ÒTimboÓ Chandler, who was an incredibly generous booster of our bug music and kiddie pop sounds. 

Mike: James took us to a petting zoo the day before the recording session.  I had to eat a lot of ice cream because my teeth were itchy (turns out I'm allergic to ponies).

James: Yes, the infamous petting zoo incident. I remember being very insistent that we do that before entering the studio, in order to seek out good omens. If anything it proved we were popular with the kids -- we had them eating out of the palms of our hands. We later performed the song ÒSummer SchoolÓ on the great kiddie dance show ÒChicAGoGo.Ó

John:  James wouldn't let us record "Pop Rocks and Coke" unless we had all ingested the titular snack. If you listen carefully during the bridge, you can hear my esophagus tear open. To this day, I start every morning with 3 Prilosec, a shot of Pepto Bismol, soymilk and 14 Vicodin. Granted, the Vicodin thing is probably unrelated.

James: The esophagus pop was actually the primary reason Timbo marketed ÒShindigÓ as a ÒheadphonesÓ record.

James: This is the first record on which Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer and Mike Faloon appeared as official full-time members of the band. The concept behind the record was a mini-soundtrack to a Frankie-and-Annette/API style teenage surf movie, something that our friend Crystal (Please Stop Stealing My Bike) helped realize in her subsequent video for ÒOffice Surfer,Ó which in addition to featuring John Ross Bowie and Johnny Reno, stars a dog, a gorilla, and the punk rock band the Copyrights.

John: Used to only playing a single note throughout every gig, on PontiacÕs advice I locked myself in a cabin outside of Mersey (an actual Indian Sweat Lodge Pontiac had shipped in from the Pacific North West) to compose the thrilling organ contribution to ÒOffice Surfer.Ó The results (a record breaking 5 notes) excited me so much I shaved my eyebrows.

James: Those were pretty heady timesÉ For those who donÕt remember, Pontiac spent his first few royalty advance checks buying up Native American architectural structures and transporting them around with him on a Russian circus train he won in a card game (it still had a dancing bear in a pink tutu living in the caboose, which we kept until it almost mauled our hairdresser). And on the subject of trains, I wrote our theme song, ÒThe Kung Fu Monkeys are AmericaÕs Favorite BandÓ during a subway trip from St. Marks Place to Grand Central Station. This record also marked the bandÕs television debut, performing ÒLetÕs GoÓ on the legendary Uncle Floyd Show.

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Side NYC:
"Hats Off To Hawaii"
"Holiday In Waikiki" (R. Davies)
"Christmas In Hawaii" (Lilioukalani)

James: Our tribute to the 50th state, and to itÕs finest band, the Sticklers. ÒHatÕs Off to HawaiiÓ was my attempt to write a song that would combine an account of the bandÕs cartoonish misadventures in Hawaii with educational content in such a manner as to pay homage to both a band I love (the Sticklers, you dink!) and a place IÕd never been and only knew about from television shows. I remember feeling it was very important at the time to record in an authentic atmosphere, so we had 30 bags of sand delivered to the studio, much to WilliamÕs displeasure (for a Murder Junkie he was incredibly meticulous: I hope thatÕs not slanderous).

Mike: I was excited to record a Kinks' cover but was disappointed that James' original plan didn't take hold. He was going through a numerology phase so we learned all of Cat Stevens' "Numbers" album--we had a kick ass arrangement of "Banapple Gas." It took me over a year to lose the 30 pounds I gained to play the part of Monad.

James: At that point I felt it was okay to scrap because the charts said it would be better to record ÒNumbersÓ in 2009 when the moon is in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligns with Mars. So donÕt hold back on the gravy fries and daily pints of melted ice-cream Mike, the time is almost upon us...

ÒRave OnÓ was recorded on 16 tracks (digital) at Fun House by William Gilmore Webber. Previously unreleased.

James Cahill: electric guitar and vocals.
Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer: electric bass guitar and vocals.
Mike Faloon: drum kit, percussion, and Tarzan scream.

ÒRave OnÓ (Buddy Holly cover)

James: Pontiac selected this cover of the great Buddy Holly song, and we replaced the piano solo with MikeÕs great drum solo/Tarzan call. It was originally destined for a compilation that never materialized.

Mike: James was afraid my Tarzan would come out all "Johnny Weismuller," so I had to watch "Tarzan the Fearless" a dozen times to get the Buster Crabbe version.

James: ThatÕs right Mike -- and do you remember Pontiac insisting that we both screen ÒThe Adventures of TarzanÓ for 12 hours on end, so you could add more ÒElmo LincolnÓ to your performance. We were both a bit miffed by PontiacÕs choice this silent film version, but he insisted it had more ÒitÓ in it, more Òenigma.Ó

James: This is our first and only Òimport recordÓ having been released by the very cool Finish record label KillerÉ The title to the record comes from the chorus of the RamoneÕs ÒGo Lil Camero Go.Ó I wrote two songs about the Ramones the day they broke up, though only one of them made the cut. ÒSomebody Put Something in My Ovaltine,Ó a play on Dee DeeÕs ÒSomebody Put Something in My Drink,Ó is as much a tribute to Boris the Sprinkler as it is to the Ramones. I came up for the idea for that song when I was drinking a Yoohoo and listening to ÒMega AnalÓ while stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Mike: I was worried about James during these sessions. I think his diet, nothing but pixie sticks and organic snow peas, was affecting his judgement.  At first he wanted to spend the budget on a plane ticket for Dolph Sweet (James wanted him to hum on "Ovaltine," convinced that Sweet had faked his death in the mid 1980s in order to get out of his contract with NBC. Legend has it that Sweet, an accomplished bass player, was always hanging out at Dream Syndicate shows and wanted to join the Paisley Underground). When that fell through James had the studio turned into a bog.  He said the crocodiles were trained but Pontiac and I had our doubts.

Pontiac: [shakes his head]

James: This ep was recorded as a Òthank youÓ to all the great people who helped us out with our tour in 1999. This is one of the first records where I felt we got the production right, thanks to PontiacÕs expertise at the recording console. ÒIt Just CanÕt Be ChristmasÓ is one of my favorite KFM songs, though most people seemed to prefer the peppier B-side.

...Get Along Famously (KFM/JV split)

Recorded onto 16 tracks at Water Music by Chris Mazer.

James Cahill: electric guitar, 12 string electric guitar, acoustic guitar, ukulele, Wurlitzer, and vocals.
Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer: electric bass guitar.
Mike Junior: drum kit and percussion.
Liz Pierson: violin and vocals.
Dirt Bike Adam and Dan: backing vocals.

Mike Jr.: This was my first ever sessions with the Kung Fu Monkeys. I first heard about this record a couple years before I was in the band. I thought "what a perfect pair for a 7" split". I was pretty excited to find out I'd be playing on it.

James: This was an incredibly fun record to write and record and Mike Jr.Õs enthusiasm certainly was infectious in the studio. ÒIÕm in Love with Junior VarsityÉ,Ó besides continuing our practice of writing about bands we love, features the second cameo appearance by Sigmund Freud (here played by Liz, doing her best imitation of me imitating BretÕs Freud on ÒArizonaÓ), and the first and only appearance of a ukulele on a KFM record, during the ÒAlex ChiltonÓ/Tootsie roll jingle inspired acoustic breakdown. If I could have been a member of any other band, Junior Varsity would have been it (well, perhaps Egghead. too, or the Kinks or Modern Lovers or the SoftboysÉ). With ÒHow I WishÉÓ we attempted a bit of musical archaeology in reverse, infusing this Mersey beat bopper with a few quick winks to The Wonders/Oneders and the Beatles.

Rock n Roll Dance Party with the Kung Fu Monkeys, Shindig! Vol. 2

Recorded onto 16 tracks in a bathroom in New Jersey by Chris Mazer.

Released by Knock Knock Records in 2001. Cover art by Marc Crisafulli.

James Cahill: electric guitar and vocals.
Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer: tape machine.
Mike Junior: snare drum, china cymbal
Liz Pierson: violin and backing vocals.

James: This record acknowledges our strong debt to Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, particularly his great record on Twintone, ÒRockinÕ and Romance.Ó In order to approximate as closely as possible the sound of me singing in the shower (for which the band often accompanied me, to my discomfort), we recorded this ep in the tiled bathroom of a studio in New Jersey for our friend Mark EnochÕs fab record label.

Mike Jr.: Ahhh. My first ever bathroom session. These stripped down KFM-lite sessions were a lot of fun.

James: Indeed! And Pontiac deserves considerable credit for helping get the sound we were after. ItÕs worth mentioning weÕve been friends as long as weÕve been alive (we grew up next door to each other) and IÕve never felt I had a better collaborator. I think we always sounded best when he was at the helm of the tape machine. As for the songs, ÒI, HermanÓ adapts the structure of Robert GravesÕ ÒI, ClaudiusÓ—a fictional memoir of the Roman Emperor—to tell the story of Peter Noone of HermanÕs Hermits. ÒIÕm Combing My HairÉ,Ó a sequel of sorts to ÒLetÕs Go,Ó was actually my wedding song. It should also be noted that all the songs on this ep begin with the letter ÒiÓ—a concept the Magnetic Fields borrowed from us for their record Òi.Ó

The Wedding Ep
(KFM/Dirt Bike Annie split)

Recorded onto 4 tracks by James Cahill in his living room in Chapel Hill, with additional recording by Chris Mazer and Adam Rabuck in New Jersey.

Cover art by Dyna Moe. Released by Whoa Oh Records in 2001.

James Cahill: electric guitar and vocals.
Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer: 12 string guitar and clarinet.
Mike Junior: drum kit and percussion.
Billy Sugarfix: acoustic guitar and vocals.

Mike Jr.: This was my first split with myself [ed. note: at the time Mike was the drummer for Dirt Bike Annie, The Kung Fu Monkeys, and The Ergs]. KFM were a band of many firsts for meÉ It was recorded for a 7" vinyl wedding present for our good friends Chad and Jessa.

James: The concept was the brain child of Chadd Derkins and Jonnie Whoa Oh. The double-7Ó features something old and something new (the songs), something borrowed (a cover song), something blue (blue vinyl). Billy (of the great Evil Weiner) and I recorded the basic tracks in my living room in Chapel Hill and then mailed the cassette to Pontiac and Mike Jr. in New Jersey...

Mike Jr.: We added the rest of the tracks in a single afternoon session I believe. We got to play the wedding as well!  

James: That was a blast too. If the truth must be told, both of our original songs were new: I wrote them a few hours before recording, but the Milkshakes influence is as old as the band itselfÉ I absolutely adore PontiacÕs clarinet playing on our version of DBAÕs ÒAll Systems Go.Ó

ÒCookin' Dinner with the KFMÓ was recorded live to video tape by Dyna Moe at James CahillÕs kitchen in Chapel Hill in summer 2001.

James Cahill: electric guitar and vocals.
Mike Junior: bucket, spoons, and tambourine.

James: Dyna Moe recorded Mike Jr. and I playing this song in the kitchen of my apartment in Chapel Hill. We wrote the song minutes before she taped us, for a hilarious video she made, which sadly is now lost. I played my guitar through a 12 watt 1964 Sears amplifier (also used on Shindig 3), and Mike beat on a plastic mop bucket with a couple of wooden spoons. The original lyrics were ÒEatin' Pudding with the KFM.Ó

Mike Jr.: HA! I forgot about this one. Proof that creative genius can strike at any time.

Electric Tangerine Smile:
Shindig vol. 3 in 3-D

Recorded and mixed onto 4 tracks by James Cahill in his living room in Los Angeles with additional recording and mixing done by Chris Mazer at his home in Ithaca, NY.

Released by Whoa Oh Records in 2005.
Cover art by Dyna Moe.

James Cahill: electric guitar and vocals.
Johnny Reno: electric guitar and vocals.
John Bowie: 12 string guitar and vocals.
Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer: organ and keyboards.
Mike Junior: pizza box, drum sticks, and tambourine.

James: Ah, our controversial psychedelic anti-war record! This was actually deemed by the Maximum RockÕnÕRoll reviewer as Òtoo psychedelicÓ for their magazine. Most of this was recorded live to 4-track using two microphones hung from the ceiling of my living room in Los Angeles. The vocals were done around a single microphone set up in the bathroomÉ

Mike Jr: We recorded this a mere four hours before I witnessed Greg Ginn soil the good name of Black Flag forever. I was in LA for the "First Four Years" reunion show and we decided to schedule a KFM recording session. I didn't have a drum kit so I used a pizza box and a tambourine. "Black Flag" were awful and I decided I didn't like music anymore. I spent the next few weeks listening to Negativland Sound collages. I think the first music I listened to after that was the rough mixes for this record before we played a KFM show in the basement of our friend OliverÕs house in Queens. At least something good came out of that weekend.

Johnny Reno: Yeah, I remember this. James was reading a lot of Lovecraft at the time.  He was always carrying around a paperback and making notes in the margins.  One time when he was on the phone with his dealer I  took a look.  It was all stuff like, ÔMake ready the path for Yog-SothothÕ and ÔSomeday theyÕll all see.Õ  It was pretty weird, but the money was good, and I had just lost my job at the hospital, so I stuck it out. 

James: Yes, I was really big into Lovecraft, and into antiques (hence often breaking from recording sessions to speak on the phone with my antique dealer: I bought 78,000 US worth of Queen Anne arm chairs that weekend). I canÕt recall where we got the idea at the time [ed. note: BrewsterÕs Millions starring Richard Pryor] but I remember we all vowed to spend every last penny of our royalties – over 1,000,000 pounds, in less than a week, with the idea that somehow a rich uncle, or Timbo, would give us even more money. Hence the famous Òdropping silver dollars from a hot air balloonÓ incident, which our lawyers have asked us not to discussÉ

Johnny Reno: Oh, wait, also, this was the one where James wanted to record the whole thing in the house where the Tate-LaBianca killings took place, but it turns out they tore it down, so we rented an apartment across the street from where Squeaky Fromme used to buy her sweaters.  It was spooky as shit.

John: Nobody writes a phrase like "we're having Christmas for Breakfast" without gobbling the kind of treats that make you think you can "smell purple" and "taste hope." Cahill ran around clad only in a diaper (my idea, you're welcome guys) and writing things on the walls like "we're having Easter for dinner" and "we're gonna invite Yom Kippur over to watch the game." Finally he fell asleep for 6 days and we recorded most of the basic tracks without him.

James: Best nap of my life. I didnÕt wake up until my manager kicked in the door demanding to know why the tour bus has been traded in for warehouse space in East Los Angeles for a surfeit of Queen Anne armchairs. People mocked me at the time, but Queen Anne arm chairs are a far more stable and comfortable currency than the American dollar, the British pound, the Euro, the Yen, or even rare test-pressings of Misfits 7Ós.

ItÕs Coast to Coast with
the Kung Fu Monkeys

Recorded and mixed on 16 tracks at Water Music by Chris Mazer, except ÒFrom Eagle Rock,Ó which was recorded by Matt Vertaray.

Released by Swimmingly Records in 2005. Cover art by Marc Crisafulli.

James Cahill: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and vocals.
Chris ÒPontiacÓ Mazer: bass guitar and blue jeans.
Mike Junior: drum kit and percussion.
Liz Pierson: violin.

Mike Jr: Mostly recorded in those very first sessions I did with the band. I always loved these songs and was glad when our buddy Patrick decided to start a record label and release them. Kung Fu Monkeys: Still America's (and my) Favorite band!

James: Patrick also noted the thematic through-line of the songs and came up with the title! On this record we tip our hats to the great Chuck Berry, which gave me a chance to attempt to prove that on rare occasion I could actually play the guitar (I felt I needed to defend the bandÕs honor after a friend from another band enthusiastically complimented one of our shows by saying: you guys stayed in tune tonight!). I remember for some reason I was really insistent that everybody involved with this record wear turtle sweaters. We even requested the pizza delivery boy don one before bringing our dinner into the studio.

Like ÒHatÕs Off To Hawaii,Ó ÒChapel Hill, SurfÕs CityÓ was conceived as a kind of musical postcard. I tried to get a meeting with the mayor of Chapel Hill so that I could convince him to declare the song the national anthem of Chapel Hill (which also meant declaring The Peoples Republic of Chapel Hill a sovereign state), but nobody returned my calls. ÒCandy Shoppe (Twice)Ó is kind of a sequel to the KFM theme song from ÒHi-Fi at Low Tide.Ó We used to intersperse this song several times throughout our live sets. The ÒtwiceÓ is another joking nod to perennial KFM favorites The Modern Lovers.

ÒHeloiseÕs EpiphanyÓ is one of a handful of tracks secretly recorded by members of the Kung Fu Monkeys under the name The Peppermint Engine, during the dark period when the group was enmeshed in heated legal battles with their management and record labels, who were suing to prevent them from producing music or making public appearances under the name Kung Fu Monkeys, except under the strictest of parameters (the powers that be feared that their growing success and influence with the young generation were politically dangerous).

Feeling constrained by their once beloved sweater vests, the band donned colorful dashikis and reportedly took their hot air balloon to a remote castle in the south of France, where between extravagant meals and wild lollipop parties (also attended by members of the punk rock groups The Ergs and Egghead., as well as Duke Felix Plaid St. Paisley, who looks a lot like Kevin), they laid down a handful of tracks that further suggest their psych-pop influences.

Perhaps one day the rest of these songs will see the light of day.

Except where noted, all songs c. and p. 1996-2008 by James Leo Cahill, Utmost Music, ASCAP.
ÒRave OnÓ- West/Tilghman/Petty, Mpl Music Publishing, Inc. Obo Wren Music Co ÒHoliday In WaikikiÓ- Ray Davies, Noma Music, Abkco Music Inc ÒMerry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight)Ó- J. Ramone, WB Music Corp ÒSandyÓ- L. St. Louis/Scott Simon, Unichappell Music, Inc. Obo Stigwood Music, Inc ÒI'm Into Something GoodÓ- Goffin/King, Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc

These songs were mastered from vinyl to CD by Kevin Feely, Jonnie Whoa Oh, and Chris Pontiac Mazer.

Special Thanks to all the fans, friends, and families of the band.

Very Special Thanks to Dyna Moe, Suzy Wong Presents, Timbo and Mutant Pop, Rami and Killer Records, Mike and Dizzy Records, Dummy Up Records, Recess Records, Pat Dull and Breakup! Records, Please Stop Stealing My Bike, Mark Enoch and Knock Knock Records, Jessa and Chad and SheÕs Gone Records, Patrick and Swimmingly Records, and Jonnie Whoa Oh of Whoa Oh Records.