Do the Wild Man

The recent posting about Roy Harper attracted a comment from my brother, Iain, in relation to Larry Fischer (aka Wild Man Fischer).

This has prompted me to post something about Larry, the second most famous person called Fischer.

First, by way of background, I’ll just repeat the biographical snippet that I posted in response to Iain’s comment -

Larry “Wild Man” Fischer (born Lawrence Wayne Fischer, 6 November 1945 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.) has the claim to fame of being responsible for Rhino Records’ first release — Go To Rhino Records (1975). Fischer has been variously described as a jobless, homeless, paranoid, certified-psychotic street singer, and as the missing link between Syd Barrett and Homer Simpson.

Larry “Wild Man” Fischer was institutionalized at age 16 for attacking his mother with a knife. Following his release, Fischer wandered L.A. singing his unique brand of songs for 10¢ to passers-by. Discovered by Frank Zappa, with whom he recorded his first album, Fischer became an underground concert favorite, earning him the title “godfather of outsider music.” Zappa was responsible for Fischer’s initial foray into the business of music, an album called An Evening with Wild Man Fischer, contains 36 tracks of “something not exactly musical.” Frank and the Wild Man remained close–until Fischer threw a beer bottle at Baby Moon Unit.

Larry’s ‘music’ was eh, um, basic. As you will hear from the selection here, which is a track from Larry’s 1968 Zappa-produced album ‘An Evening With Wild Man Fischer’ (the sleeve is above and it features Larry with his aforementioned old mother).

This album was a great favourite of John Peel’s and he played it extensively on his radio show circa 68/69. I was 13/14 years old then and I simply hated it. In fact, I hated it so much that I actually wrote to John Peel at the BBC along the lines of “please stop playing this fucking rubbish and play more Jefferson Airplane and Creedence“.

Imagine what a dickhead I felt in later years about that episode, when I actually began to like listening to the odd Wild Man ditty.

OK, the fact is that Larry was not ‘the full shilling’, and of course much of his fleeting celebrity came from that simple fact. I don’t know what he does now - his records are very hard to come by - I have never seen ‘An Evening With…’ on the CD racks.

But for a brief period he was a cult-hero. I know for a fact that a very senior figure in the Scottish Legal establishment (a person who would be referred to in the tabloids as ‘one of Scotland’s top law-men’) is not only a big fan, but actually has an original copy of ‘An Evening With…….’ (if you’ve never heard Larry before, then listen to the track below, and then re-read this paragraph. Then be afraid. Be very afraid).

Amongst the photographs scattered about this posting are a couple of Larry in concert in 1979 - I took these pics from this site, which is worth visiting for an entertaining explanation of how Fischer came to be playing in a ballroom in Pontiac, Michigan in January 1979.

This is Larry Fischer with his ever-popular knockout hit, ‘Monkeys Versus Donkeys‘

I know you’re gonna love it.

Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba bow
Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba baaa
Ba BAW ba-ba-ba ba-ba ba-ba-ba!
Er eh-eh er eh-eh er er!

I’ll take my monkeys, you’ll take your donkeys
We’ll have a race right now
I’ll bet my monkeys, I getcher donkeys
The better will win right now! Ow!

Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba bow
Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba baaa
Ba BAW ba-ba-ba ba-ba ba-ba-ba!
Er eh-eh er eh-eh er er!

Monkeys versus donkeys, monkeys versus donkeys
Monkeys versus donkeys now
Can’t you see that my monkeys are beatin’ yer donkeys
It’s-a quite a race right now! Ow!

Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba bow
Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba baaa
Doont doont doo-doo doon-doont doont! Boop boop!
Doont doont doo-doo doon-doont doont! Boo boo!
Can’tcha see they’re going around the turn now?
Doont doont doo-doo doon-doont doont! Doont doont!
Doont doont doo-doo doon-doont doont! Doont doont!

Oh, monkeys versus donkeys, monkeys versus donkeys
Monkeys versus donkeys now
Can’t you see that my monkeys have beaten yer donkeys
The race is over now! Ow!

Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba baaa
Ba ba-ba ba ba, ba ba-ba ba ba
Ba ba-ba ba ba baaa
Monkeys versus donkeys, monkeys versus donkeys
Monkeys versus donkeys - brrrrrrrrrroooo!
Monkeys versus donkeys, monkeys versus donkeys
Monkeys versus donkeys - brrrrrrrrrroooo!
Monkeys versus donkeys, monkeys versus donkeys
Monkeys versus donkeys - brrrrrrrrrroooo!
Monkeys versus donkeys . . .

And here’s a more recent picture of the Wild Man, who now of course is in his 60’s, and wears a t-shirt to remind himself who he is.