Tiny Tim With The New Duncan Imperials Live In Chicago

Tracklisting:

1 Are You Lonesome Tonight

2 When I Grow Old

3 Mother

4 Tennessee Waltz / Back In The Saddle

5 Your Cheating Heart

6 Tip Toe Through The Tulips / Lollipop

7 Rock Around The Clock

8 Tip Toe (reprise)

9 Highway To Hell

10 Great Balls Of Fire

11 I Believe

12 When The Saints Go Marching In

Tiny Tim(wiki) with The New Duncan Imperials

From the liner notes:

"It wasn't hard to miss Tiny Tim at O'Hare International when I went to pick him up.

He was standing there with his ukulele in a shopping bag, looking confused, and wearing a bright polyester suit. His long gree-streaked hair was matted down from the 18-hour flight from Australia, where he had just finished a month-long engagement. He hadn't slept inthree days, but he was ready for two nights of live music in Chicago with my band, The New Duncan Imperials.

We jumped into my Honda and Tiny immediately pulled out his uke. Strumming it lovingly, he began to tell me about all the songs he would be playing with us. "These are the great songs, the wonderful songs from the teens, twenties, and thirties. Beautiful songs!" "Okay," I said, "sounds good."

We headed straight to the studios of WGN Radio, and while walking down Michigan Avenue, no less than two cabbies screeched to a halt to get his autograph. Tiny was polite and professional. When the television crew from Fox showed up he was natural and comfortable. Obviously TV is old hat for a star of his stature.

Everyone in town was geared up for Tiny's performance. A legend since 1969, Tiny pops up everywhere: old Laugh-In reruns, Conan, Howard Stern, Leno, etcetera. His fans have certainly not forgotten him. After two nights on stage with him i know why: Tiny Tim still rocks! By the end of the second night, during a demented encore of Tip Toe through The Tulips, Tiny was rolling around on the small stage, arms and legs in the air, eyes shut tight in ecstasy. Show business! I hope you enjoy listening to this fine document as much as we enjoyed making it. As Tiny would say, "Maestro, the key of A..." " - Skipper, March 1995

"Recorded Thursday night, December 9, 1993, at Quicksilver in Chicago. No Overdubs necessary or possible."

From Pravda Music / Bughouse Records: (and apparently still available there. Check It!)

"Tiny Tim! International recording star, television personality, master ukulele player, and film star has finally taken the plunge and consented to recording a live record - with a band! And not just any band, but the only band brave enough to share the stage with a living legend who uses no set list and calls out songs after he's started them - The New Duncan Imperials!
Back in 1993 - soon after meeting The New Duncan Imperials at a truck stop outside of Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Tiny Tim came to Chicago to entertain his loyal fans and friends and put it all on tape for release on Bughouse. The hectic schedule of an entertainer with too many engagements and too little time limited his Chicago appearance to only two nights, and the best of those performances are compiled right here on Tiny Tim with The New Duncan Imperials - Live in Chicago. This is the second release on the Pravda subsidary Bughouse Records, a label devoted to rightcheous rock mayhem of the highest caliber. Where else can you hear "Tip Toe Through the Tulips", followed by "Great Balls of Fire" followed by AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", all played on ukulele?"

An artifact, for sure, but a rip-roaring one. Definitely not from the soundboard, so all ambience is preserved. If you like Tiny. a good piece to have. If you are new to Tiny, check out my other entries first. If you don't like Tiny Tim, why the hell are you still reading:)

May God bless the aeternal troubadour!