Philip Charles Lithman AKA Snakefinger 1949 - 1987 is a compilation of rare material recorded by Snakefinger released on the fifth anniversary of his death. It was sold to members of The Residents' official fan club.
Background[]
Throughout Snakefinger's 16 year recording history, he released fourteen albums in total. Two albums as a Chilli, Willi, or a Red Hot Pepper, three solo albums, one album as a Vestal Virgin, and eight albums with (Or as part of) The Residents. This compilation collects pieces left behind during the recording of all of these albums.
The earliest material on this album dates back to Autumn of 1971, when a 22 year old Lithman found himself living with Residents, Uninc. in San Mateo. He and Uninc were recording a demo tape to send to Warner Brothers Records, and for it, he composed a 6 minute long piano piece titled 'Cantaten to der Dyin Prunen'. A 3 minute excerpt appears here.
One year later, Lithman would return to the U.K, with the nickname Snakefinger attached to him. He was less interested in the experimental form of music he'd trialed with Residents Uninc, and wanted to attempt Americana style music. He wrote and recorded a demo for the song 'Desert Island Woman' during this time, with the song later appearing on his second album with Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers in 1974. That second album, Bongos Over Balham, would be the last for The Red Hot Peppers, as Lithman would return to the US in the summer of 1976. It was there he recorded his second demo tape for Warner Brothers, a song titled 'Hollywood Blues'. It was tragically rejected. Throughout the rest of 1976, Snakefinger worked exclusively with The Residents, but wanted a solo career, and so recorded a demo for RCA in January of 1977, titled 'Wanderers Return'. This was once again rejected, and so the next year he tried for Ralph Records, owned by friends of his in The Cryptic Corporation. For them, he recorded the demo 'Mary Ann', and was accepted.
Snakefinger in concert, circa 1980 - 1981
Ralph's first two albums by Snakefinger were Chewing Hides The Sound, and Greener Postures and for Greener Postures, a lengthy world tour was booked to support it. He played the USA, France, Holland, England, Canada, and two shows in Australia. The track 'What Wilbur?' is a recording from his second Australian concert, and originally appeared on Chewing Hides The Sound.
Shortly after the conclusion of the tour, Snakefinger was introduced to Eric Drew Feldman, who would become his creative partner for the rest of his life. Together they recorded and wrote the album 'Manual of Errors'. Presented from that album's sessions is Hidden Treasure. Following the album's release and tour, Snakefinger felt once more pulled towards his easy listening roots, and wanted to tour covers of classic blues material. Presented here from that tour is It Hurts Me, Too.
Snakefinger & A Resident on stage, 1986
Although writing new material during this time, he once again found himself touring. This time he backing The Residents on a tour to celebrate their 13th Anniversary. The tour would sadly be his last collaboration with The Residents. Presented here is an excerpt from The 13th Anniversary Show Live In Holland. After releasing three solo studio albums, and one live, Snakefinger decided he preferred the atmosphere of a band, and formed The Vestal Virgins. Together they recorded one studio album, 'Night of Desirable Objects', of which 'This Is Not A Disco Song' is an outtake. The latest selections on this compilation are from the tour to support Night Of Desirable Objects. Sadly the tour would be his last work, as he died of a heart attack in Linz, Austria on the 1st of July, 1987.
The track 'Death Collage' is a suite of unreleased tracks from the sessions for his first two albums, compiled by The Residents specially for this compilation.
Release[]
The UWEB logo
The album was compiled for the fifth anniversary of Snakefinger's death in 1992, and was sold to members of The Residents' fan club, UWEB. It went out of print when the club became defunct in January of 1993, but in 1995 a limited re-press of 20 was sold through Ralph America.[1]
For nearly 20 years the material on this album was completely unavailable, but in 2014 'It Hurts Me, Too' was released as part of the digital only Combo EP, which collected outtakes from the second act of Snakefinger's History of the Blues album. This seemed to open the floodgates for this release, as in the years following all but two tracks from this compilation would be released. The following year the live version of What Wilbur? was re-released as part of the Live In Melbourne 1981 album, and was then again featured on the 2016 expanded version of Greener Postures.
In 2017 Cry For The Fire, which was originally on The 13th Anniversary Show live in Holland, was re-released along with the rest of that album, and for the 2018 expanded re-issue of The Vestal Virgin's Night of Desirable Objects, 9 out of 15 of this compilation's tracks were included as special bonuses, then, in 2019 Live In Melbourne was re-released, along with Residents Uninc's B.S demo tape, which featured the full recording of Cantaten To Der Dying Prunen. This same year it appeared on the 1971 demo tape compilation A Nickle If Your Dick's This Big. Most recently, tracks 1, 2, 3 and 15 appeared on the 2021 compilation Who Do You Love?.
The only two tracks to still be unavailable are Death Collage and the live version of There's No Justice In Life.
Track Listing[]
All Songs Written By Snakefinger except where noted.
- Gasoline (2:38)
- Artists In Bed (3:50)
- This Is Not A Disco Song (3:47)
- Cry For The Fire (Excerpt) (Ft. The Residents) (Residents) (2:34)
- It Hurts Me, Too (James) (4:01)
- Hidden Treasure (Ft. Stephen Mackay) (Snakefinger/Feldman) (3:50)
- What Wilbur? (Ft. George B. George) (Snakefinger/Residents) (3:06)
- Death Collage (Snakefinger/Residents) (8:12)
- The Picture Makers
- Kill The Great Raven
- Magic & Ecstasy
- Who Is The Culprit & Who Is The Victim?
- Here Come The Bums
- The Man In The Dark Sedan
- Worm To Womb
- The Picture Makers
- Children Of The Sea
- MaryAnn (3:57)
- Wanderers Return (2:42)
- Hollywood Blues (3:19)
- Title Unknown (Desert Island Woman) (2:01)
- Cantaten To Der Dying Prunen (Excerpt) (Ft. The Residents) (2:30)
- There's No Justice In Life (4:34)
- Climbing The Ladder (6:02)
Credits[]
- Philip 'Snakefinger' Lithman:
- Vocals on all songs except 'Cry For The Fire',
- Guitar on all tracks except 'Cantaten To Der Dying Prunen'
- Piano & Violin on 'Cantaten To Der Dying Prunen'
- Jonny B. Ryan:
- Drums on 'Gasoline', 'Artists In Bed', 'This Is Not A Disco Song', 'It Hurts Me Too', 'What Wilbur?', 'There's No Justice In Life' & 'Climbing The Ladder'
- Eric Drew Feldman:
- Keyboards, Synthetics, Backing Vocals on 'Gasoline', 'Artists In Bed', 'This Is Not a Disco Song', 'There's No Justice In Life' & 'Climbing The Ladder',
- Bass on 'It Hurts Me, Too'
- Ben Guy:
- Bass & Backing Vocals on 'Gasoline', 'Artists In Bed', 'This Is Not A Disco Song', 'There's No Justice In Life' & 'Climbing The Ladder'
- The Residents:
- Performance on 'Cry For The Fire' & 'Cantaten To Der Dying Prunen'
- Miguel Bertel:
- Guitar on 'This Is Not A Disco Song' & 'It Hurts Me, Too',
- Backing Vocals On 'This Is Not A Disco Song'
- Stephen Mackay
- Tenor on 'It Hurts Me, Too'
- Sax on 'Hidden Treasure'
- Raoul N. Di Seimbote:
- Piano on 'It Hurts Me, Too'
- Richard Marriott:
- Trumpet, Trombone, Tenor on 'It Hurts Me, Too'
- Joshua Ende
- Baritone on 'It Hurts Me, Too'
- Martin Stone
- Guitar on 'Desert Island Woman'
- Nick Lowe
- Bass on 'Desert Island Woman'
- Bob Andrews
- Piano on 'Desert Island Woman'
- Billy Rankin
- Drums on 'Desert Island Woman'
- Carlos
- Guitar on 'What Wilbur?'
- Package Design by: Rex Ray