In case you missed them, here are several of our previous SotW selections...

July 30, 2010: "Graciously" -a preview from the forthcoming CD, "The Chandler Travis Philharmonic Blows", which we are now taking pre-orders for on the catalog page and expect have to have in stock in a week or two... this one's a Travis-Greenberger composition, and entirely typical of the party in store on said CD!


June 4, 2010: "Suddenly Everything Is Different" (recorded by The Valet at the Midway, May 16th, 2010) -a cover of a song by Stereo Total, originally called "Plotzlich Ist Alles Anders", translation from the original German courtesy of Bubbles in the Think Tank's Belinda Rawlins (thanks, B!) I had already loved the track, but really went nuts once I read the translation (though I did change a couple of lines just for fun.) This version was the first time the Philharmonic ever played it live, so there's a lot of screw-ups on the words (they're quite a mouthful), and hopefully we'll have a new, improved version to post soon; meanwhile, here's my version of the lyric:



May 20, 2010: "Alchemy Rules" -recorded at the Harvest Wine Gallery by the Valet, May 7, 2010. This is the debut of a new song, so still pretty germinal, but I like the song. I'm not usually a big guy for printing lyrics, but I kind of like these:

Alchemy Rules

There's no one in the world I'd rather lie around watching TV with than you
You seem to be the kind of girl who really knows how to sit still
There's too many dogs on the bed and that's a problem I'll never solve
More than happy to go on this way until

Even as we lie here motionless, half-drunk and out-of-breath
Can't even say the rest
Even though I know we won't ever win
Because you're gold and I am tin
But alchemy rules

There's no one in the world I'd rather sit doing nothing with than you
It's going so good I think I might take you out to lunch
And we seem to have the same sick awful sense of humor -it's true
And I'm glad I hit on you – I had a hunch

I don't think the world's been unkind to us
No need to make a fuss – this could all turn to dust
When I'm with you, something comes over me
Opens my eyes to see that here I am home

Alchemy rules / I am home / You smell good / Pheromones!

May 9, 2010: "Mother's Day" - To all my favorite mothers everywhere (written and recorded just now, Mother's Day, May 9, 2010.)


April 20, 2010: "Pajama Pants Baby" -the Catbirds, live at the Lizard Lounge, April 8, 2010, recorded by The Valet. Well, we certainly had a fine time at our Cambridge debut, and here's some evidence: Dinty Child singing lead on a song by one of our favorite songwriters, the legendary Pete Labonne (originally included on his Sonic Trout release, "Meditation Garden", available on the Trout merch page, seventh from the top)... well, you try to play this song and not have fun!




March 23, 2010: "History vs. Hope", recorded live at the Midway, March 17, 2010, by The Valet.

This is a wicked cool set of changes and horn lines that our fab trombonist, Mr. Bob Pilkington, had for some time before he finally decided to pawn 'em off on us last summer, at which point I added the tune and the lyric, which was a ton of fun -it's still pretty new, but we've been having a great time playing it lately. That's Bob on 'bone, Ken Field and Mike Moss on saxes, John Clark on bass, Phil Clements on keys, Rikki Bates on drums, Dinty, Fred, meee... I think that's it.

We actually sound kind of like a jazz band on this, which I think is way cool.


February 4, 2010: "Settling For Less" -Chandler, Dinty, John, Keiichi, and Fred rehearsing... An all-out attack on upward mobility. The song's ambitions are best summarized in the line, "When there's no chance in hell you'll ever get the best you better... settle for less." Dinty actually wrote one of the words in this song, the word "car", and I hope you'll search for it and treasure it even half as much as I do.



August 24, 2009:  "Brooklyn Bridge"- Chandler Travis Philharmonette -recorded at a WOMR benefit in March, '09, by Chris Blood -this is a reprise, due to popular request (if you can seriously believe such a thing) of a song about apologizing (remember, follow through! Don't lose your concentration!)


August 24, 2009: "Never Never Land" - now that Chandler's new CD "After She Left" has been released, we're taking down most of the outtakes we posted before it was released, but due to popular demand, we're keeping this one around - written by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne, from "Peter Pan" - recorded by Chris Blood at Trout Towers Casino.  Dedicated to Bud Dunsford with much love indeed from all of us at the ward, and a tip o' the hat to ol' Michael Jackson, too.



April 23, 2009: "Snakes of Money?" -Though it obviously just barely qualifies as a whole idea, I think this might make a good Philharmonic song someday... until then, here's one hell of a silly demo...


February 3, 2009: "Everything Can Go Wrong So Easily" by the Chandler Travis Philharmonic (rough mix by Ducky Carlisle) -an instrumental from our recent session at Milt Reder's Rear Window studio in Brookline, the first session with the entire Philharmonic present at one time since the first session for our debut album, "Let's Have a Pancake", about a decade ago, and boy, were we glad to be back! I've never inflicted a rough mix on the general public before, but this time had to make an exception due to high spirits and great music, especially from soloists (in order) Ken Field on alto sax, Jon Fraser on trumpet, John Clark on bass, and Phil Clements on piano.


December 8, 2008: "Goin' Steady So Long" -recorded by Chris Blood;  C.T. w. Rikki Bates on drums, natch -Yes, yes, my aged p's just had their 60th anniversary, and I wanted to write 'em something special, but the the devil in me made me  do my first attempt in an idiom they can't stand, namely, hillbilly music; so then I had to go back to the drawing board and do "Thank You Song". This happens to me a lot.
Anyway, hope you'll all drink to my parents -a lot!


November 30, 2008: "Thank You Song" (drum track recorded by Chris Blood at the Trout Towers Casino) - a new song from Chandler which was written in honor of his parents' 60th wedding anniversary.  We here at Song of the Weak HQ think it has a nice dual meaning for the rest of us in this holiday season, as well.


November 24, 2008: "Not In Service" -Chandler demo in progress, November, '08 -a song of eternal male hope, longing, and confusion, as our hero goes overboard fantasizing about a phone machine message... will probably either add stuff to this version (for instance, right now there's hole for a solo -knock yourself out!), and/or do it over with actual other musicians... meanwhile, knew you'd want to hear it right away...