Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Doo Rag - Gone but Not Forgotten


A little while back I won a Doo Rag 7" on ebay that I had never seen before "Trudge / Breakin' Straw", immediately after Sam emailed me, a huge Doo Rag fan, asking if I'd be willing to sell it to him, he had been trying to track down every Doo Rag track and one of these wasn't available anywhere else. I felt bad...I didn't want to part with this amazing single I've never seen listed before, let alone heard. I said I'd make MP3's out of them and post them so he'd be one step closer on his quest...and I promised if I ever came across this 7" anywhere I'd have to pick it up for him.
We exchanged a bunch of emails back and forth, how I had seen them at CBGB's, probably around 1995 or so with Thermos on drums/boxes, and how I was so amazed at their unique sound. Sam was kind enough to break down their entire discography and share his experience hanging out with Bob himself a few months ago:

First, here's Trudge and Breakin' Straw

From Sam:
This in a nutshell is the history of Doo Rag and best I can tell of order in which the Doo Rag discography shakes down (the history and some information was handed down to me from Bob Log III himself in OKC, OK 2007, and through my own research)...
1990 Bob Log is playing a house party in Tucson,Az covering Fred McDowell songs Bob @ this time plays guitar w/snare drum bolted on to it, a friend jumps in, Thermos Malling(Brad Denboer) and starts to bang on a cheese grater w/a spoon, Doo Rag is born...
1993: 7" hussy bowler/grease & all
1994: barber shop (cassette only,almost impossible to find,2 years later 5 of 6 total trax all of would later make their way onto the lp & cd "what we do":1996, except for 1 trax "barn porn star")
1994: 7" trudge/breakin' straw
1995: Chucked & Muddled(cassette, lp available only on tour,later a cd issued containing 4 extra trax, not available on cassette:these 4 trax where taken from the wmfu radio sessions and john peel bbc radio sessions,doo rag did two of these for peel,1 of which was done over the telephone)
1995: 7" swapwater mop down/engine bread
1996: What we do lp & cd
1996: Thermos plays on 2 trax for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion lp "Now I Got Worry"
1996: While on tour,in support of Ween, Thermos quits,after 6 years of playing together Doo Rag Dies, a few remaining trax are later released there are:
1997: 7" Two tones to tune
1998: 7" x2 split ep Doo Rag/20 miles Sinful Tunes & Spirituals
2000: Thermos Malling along w/(girlfriend, wife, sweetheart ,whatever known) only as
"Walter" release an lp under the name "Coin Architects of Character", it is very, very difficult to find...
2006: Doo Rag reunites in Tucson,Az for the 21st Birthday of the Congress Hotel (Club Congress as it was known, one of the earliest venus in which they played)...
I met bob log recently in oklahoma city (Oct.2007), we drank beer together, smoked grass and then I asked him to explain to me what happened w/Thermos and why he quit, a gentlemen to the end, Bob would not bad mouth his x-band mate, he told me simply too much time on the
road and 1 nite of too much tequila is to blame for the death of Doo Rag...

Bob Log III is really Robert Reynolds III,the III is symbolic, 3rd times a charm. Robert adopted the name Bob Log w/1st band Mondo Guano, 2nd Doo Rag. 3rd, I guess I don't have to explain any further...

Interesting side note, there are 3 trax that Doo Rag performed: Barely Bi-Pedal, Head Cheese & Skolliwoll they came along as an extra cd w/purchase of various artist "yeah but it's a dry heat...(a tucson music comp.) However I have never actually seen this or found anyone who has it, so I can't say one way or the other if it really exists... if it does, rest assured, SAM WILL FIND IT...
God, I wish I could have seen them myself...Consider yourself a "Lucky Bastard" Jason Dean...
I wish you all the best in the future...
---------- sam

Thanks Sam.

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:41 AM

    hi there, I'm a big doo rag fan and remember seeing them support The Blues Explosion in London.(98 or 99) A friend invested in some Doo Rag nipple clamps from the merchandise table which if i remember correctly were a couple of clothes pegs with 'doo rag' written on in felt pen.
    Happy days

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  2. I have the Architects of Character LP from COiN on my computer. The quality isn't the greatest (clicking noises on several songs), but I've got it! I had to rip it from a friend's CD-r, and I haven't seen him in years. For years. I've been looking for better quality versions, but have had absolutely no luck so far.

    If you want, I'd be willing to share what I have.

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  3. Mason,
    That would be amazing....please contact me at jdean99 at gmail, I'd love to have sam hear it as well...thanks!

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  4. Anonymous1:25 PM

    Just listening to 'What we Do' and I thought, What ever happened to Doo rag.
    I saw Bog Log a couple of time... but Doo rag that was in deed back in 1995, Vera - Groningen, The Netherlands.
    Eversince big fan - but not so big I see, not knowing all this.

    Thanx for putting up Bob Logs whole story.

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  5. I'm a big Coin fan and I have a CD of architects of character and an 12" attract mode that plays at 45 rpm.Sorry neither are for sale. I saw them (him) play at the Club congress and his pregnant wife wore a Nintendo power glove, bounced around on stage, and sang as a stand in for the computer voice and Thermos kicked ass on the drums and Commedor 64. One of the most musically powerful performances I've witnessed. I wish Thermos and his endeavors were easier to find but I guess it's good as a kind of a folklore.

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  6. Anonymous11:26 PM

    @all
    hope this helps

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/braddenboer/collections/72157623863085787/

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  7. Wow man that is an amazing completist collection, blew my mind....the best stuff I have ever seen. You win.

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  8. Anonymous11:27 PM

    Still looking for a good quality copy of Architects of Character Jason? gmail at devbeep

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  9. Devbeep,
    Hey thanks, I got one from Mason...you should contact Darren from Velocity of Sound if you want to see an amazing video of Bob Log III on his last tour...he's amazing.

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  10. Anonymous10:11 PM

    I have good quality versions of both Architects & Attract Mode, both at 160kbps with no noticeable skips, pops, or what-have-you:

    http://www.mediafire.com/?9yi3rjsec9vmzne

    Hope you find some use for it, I know I've been enjoying these for the past ten years.

    Z.

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  11. Z,
    Wow, can't wait to check these out, thanks for posting.
    J

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  12. Anonymous4:53 PM

    No prob. I think they're both brilliant albums. Attract Mode has a better overall flow, but Architects of Character has great songs, and the best-ever cover of "Loving, Touching, Squeezing".

    Z.

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  13. Anonymous6:20 AM

    Hey, just bought Thermos Mallings Volvo, how much is THAT worth??

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  14. 2 billion dollars. Let me know if you post that somewhere, love to hear it.

    ReplyDelete