GAG
Title: GAG
Artist: ghetto girl
Originally Recorded & Released: 1989-90 (g.i.g. cassette no. 111)
Reissued on CD: 2000 (g.i.g. no. 174)
Produced by: Jeff Mitchell with Chris Matthews
SHEEP appearing on this project: Jeff Mitchell (all tracks) • Chris Matthews (all tracks except 2/3/8/16/17/20-25) • with John Gluck (tracks 1/2/3/5/7/25) • Tracy Rhoades (tracks 11/22/24) • Greg Ohanian (a.k.a. Mairi Gl’amour) (tracks 11/22) • Jane Bryan (track 2)
CD Liner Notes:
This was Jeff’s very first actual "album" of polished songs, made with a lot of help from me during our very first tumultuous year together (1989-90). There are many great bits here that were not selected for the ghetto girl "hits" compilation ALL ALONE IN HER WORLD (found elsewhere on this website), such as Jeff’s beautiful smooth harmonies on the traditional tune "Fair And Tender Ladies" with his old pal John Gluck (of "Punk Rock Orchestra") on guitar. Jeff’s vocal on Gluck’s "Take Me From This Land" is totally great, and don’t miss the ridiculous "marching band" sound Jeff put together on "Mr. DeLao" (which was the name of his high school band director).
Jeff had recorded several dozen electro-psychedelic improv-heavy songs in prior years under the "ghetto girl" moniker (some of which featured his main cohorts Tracy and Greg, who make great cameo appearances here on "Mr. DeLao"), but very little of it was ever "published" or widely released (though he did provide the soundtrack to the rare underground London film "Black Nights As Brittle As Glass" by Malcolm Morris, part of which is excerpted here).
The CD reissue of GAG contains lots and lots of wonderful previously-unreleased demos, song fragments, and isolated vocal tracks in addition to the remastered analog mix of the classic Lp. Jeff’s original liner notes, credits and comments appear below.
- Chris Matthews, June 2009
SIDE A
1. FAIR AND TENDER LADIES (Olde English Traditional) (3:21)
John Gluck: acoustic guitars
Chris Matthews: bass drum
Jeff Mitchell: vocals, bass guitar, clarinet, Pilipino twanger, tambourine
This is a song that M.L.B.F. John turned me on to in the summer of ‘89. He discovered it in an old guitar songbook and did a rough cover of it himself. I heard it, liked it, and stole it from him. We did a quick cover of it then, with him on vocal harmonies, but the version on GAG was re-recorded in December of ’89 with me doing all the vocals.
The opening song on the album... words of advice from someone who knows the business... and the first in a five-song cycle that chronicles the woes of love.
2. FULL O’ SHIT (3:24)
Jane Bryan: harmony vocals
John Gluck: acoustic guitars
Jeff Mitchell: lead and harmony vocals, drum programming, keyboard bass, Pilipino twanger
Also written in the summer of ‘89, this was my first attempt at using the "Matthews Method" - - writing a real song, with verses, a chorus, a melody... it’s kinda simple, but heartfelt and sincere, the way a good country song should be. Structure as well as content inspired by my pal Chris.
3. CRAZY (by Willie Nelson) (1:37)
John Gluck: electric guitars
Jeff Mitchell: vocals, drum programming, keyboard bass
My "punk" song - - you gotta love those vocals. I’m sure Patsi’s rolling over in her grave. Mood only also inspired by my pal Chris.
4. OUR LOVE GOES DOWN * (music by Jeff & Chris) (4:23)
Chris Matthews: drums, electric guitars, backing vocals, kitchen pot
Jeff Mitchell: lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, Trilogy keyboard, finger cymbals
My "anti-love" song... Chris thought the only person who could possibly relate to it would be an angst-filled teen dressed in black with big hair. I admit I’m wearing my Joy Division influence on my sleeve in this one, which is probably why I like it so much. Definitely written from an assumed perspective, this one’s not inspired by my pal Chris.
5. AGAIN * (2:52)
John Gluck: acoustic guitars
Chris Matthews: bass drum
Jeff Mitchell: vocals, tambourine
One of the oldest songs on GAG, written during a period when I was listening to a lot of Lefty Frizzell, this is another song M.L.B.F. John and I made a rough demo of during the summer of ‘89, and re-recorded in December of that year. The rather timid vocals are a first take, something Chris hardly ever lets me keep, but hell, I’d already been singing this song for seven months by the time we recorded it.
6. SCATMAN * (music by Jeff & Chris) (2:10)
Chris Matthews: drums, acoustic guitar, bass, piano, backing vocals
Jeff Mitchell: lead and backing vocals, electric guitar, tambourine
We didn’t set out to write a song like this; we had finished the music and didn’t have any lyrics yet, and I was in a silly mood, so we just laid down this vocal track for fun. But we never got around to doing anything else with it, and I had grown rather fond of it as it was, so here it is... obviously these vocals are a first take too.
7. TAKE ME FROM THIS LAND * (by John Gluck) (3:31)
John Gluck: acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals
Chris Matthews: drums, backing vocals
Jeff Mitchell: lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
Another song I loved and stole from M.L.B.F. John’s rough demo... but we really gave this one an overhaul, turning it from a Dire Straits-ish song into an all-out rocker. John’s really happy with the way it turned out, and that pleases me. These are Chris’ favorite vocals on the album, but I was nervous as a pig in a bacon factory before recording them, fearing I would never be able to muster up the "butchness" they required.
8. MIND THE GAP (3:10)
From the soundtrack to the animated film "BLACK NIGHTS AS BRITTLE AS GLASS" by Malcolm Morris
Soundtrack composed, performed & produced by ghetto girl, London, Spring 1987; remixed in San Francisco, Spring 1990
The end credits music for Malcolm’s third film. "The achievement of the future is endlessly deferred."
A very sad footnote: Malcolm died from AIDS in February of 1990. Mind the gap, Malcolm...
Total Time Side A = 24:30
SIDE B
9. TWO STRONG MINDS * (music & lyrics by Jeff & Chris) (5:07)
Chris Matthews: lead and backing vocals, drums, acoustic flamenco guitar, Trilogy keyboard, additional percussion
Jeff Mitchell: lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, acoustic slide guitar, electric guitar, MicroMoog synthesizer, additional percussion
The bass and drum track is one of the first things Chris and I ever recorded together back in July of ‘89, yet this was the last song finished for GAG. It was a real struggle, I’ll tell you, and gave me a new understanding of the word colLABORation. (We finally wrote the lyrics together after a long night of heated recording intensity.) But it was well worth it, as this is surely one of my faves, due in part to the Annie Lennox back-up vocals and the "wall-o-sound" disco break at the end. (Special thanks to the flock of Sheep at the ‘89 KWWT Christmas Party.)
10. I’LL NEVER BE A FAG (6:42)
Chris Matthews: miscellaneous percussion and effects
Jeff Mitchell: drum machine and keyboard programming, tape manipulation, voices, assorted sounds, miscellaneous percussion
Alternative title: "Gaydisco 1990". Featuring various found sounds and voices, including Louise Hay and of course, Uncle Mike, who belts out the title mid-song. This song is definitely an exercise in tolerance, and if it doesn’t sound good to you, try poppers.
11. Mr. DeLaO (ghettorap #3) * (4:12)
Tracy Rhoades: composition and performance of second rap
Mairi Gl’amour (Greg Ohanian): composition and performance of third rap
Chris Matthews: the hard tom solos
Jeff Mitchell: composition and performance of first rap, lead and harmony vocals, the easy tom solos, all other percussion, clarinets, Kitty’s whistle
We began recording this solely because I wanted to play drums on a song, but all I could play were the rudimentary cadences I learned in my third grade drum lessons, so we ended up with a track that sounded like a marching band without a band! Lord only knew what I was gonna do with that, but when Mairi Gl’amour made a surprise visit from London, I knew I had to put her on my album, and this seemed like the perfect track for her ramblings. Together with Tracy and I, the original line-up of the Radical Faggot Terrorist Organization was reunited, and ghettorap #3 was birthed. Chris patiently produced the vocals of the three screaming queens while under extreme duress, at the height of his wisdom teeth agony. This song is named after my high school band director.
12. MARY-GOES-ROUND (5:04)
Chris Matthews: Casio CZ101 keyboard
Jeff Mitchell: vocals, Casio CZ101 keyboard, clarinet, finger cymbals
A re-working of some musical ideas I originally recorded in the fall of ‘88 that were inspired by a repetitive mantra my yoga instructor played in class (see Track 23). This song - along with "I’ll Never Be a Fag" - point back to the direction ghetto girl came from, before the Matthewsian influence firmly took root. I think these are my favorite lyrics on the album.
13. ALL ALONE IN HER WORLD * (3:32)
Chris Matthews: drums, piano, tambourine
Jeff Mitchell: lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, flute, melodica
The aforementioned Matthewsian influence blossoms in all its glory in this song: verses! a chorus! a bridge! background vocals! thoughful lyrics! All those songwriting tricks I never bothered with before. This is the song in which they all came together for me, and I’m real happy with the results. And this is my mom’s favorite, too
Total Time Side B = 24:39
ADDITIONAL TRACKS
14. I BURN * (1:22)
Jeff Mitchell: sequenced keyboard, vocal, drums
Chris Matthews: guitar
Complete song, finished but mysteriously unreleased; recorded 1989.
15. OUR LOVE GOES DOWN (version 1) * (1:59)
Jeff Mitchell: bass
Chris Matthews: drums, guitar
Unfinished abortion from one of the first Jeff & Chris sessions; recorded 1989.
16. FULL O’ SHIT (demo version "with Kitty Wells") (2:32)
Jeff Mitchell: guitar, vocals
17. ALL ALONE IN HER WORLD (demo version) (:59)
Jeff Mitchell: guitars, bass, flute, vocals
18. ALL ALONE IN HER WORLD (take 1 - plus vocal bridge) * (:44)
Jeff Mitchell: guitar, vocals
Chris Matthews: drums
19. WHO YOU TRYIN’ TO FOOL? (version 1) * (2:56)
Jeff Mitchell: bass
Chris Matthews: drums, guitar
Unfinished basic tracks from 1990, later re-recorded for the INCORRECT album.
20. STRANGERS (1:19)
Jeff Mitchell: guitars, keyboard, vocals
Song with minimal lyrics & music found on GAG era master tape, apparently never completed; recorded 1989.
21. GRATEFUL DISCO (1:06)
Jeff Mitchell: drum sequence, flown-in tape samples
Experimental piece immediately following "Strangers" on master tape.
22. Mr. DeLaO (The Greg & Tracy Sessions) * (2:19)
Jeff Mitchell, Tracy Rhoades & Greg Ohanian (as Mairi Gl’amour): vocal stylings
Isolated vocal tracks from the final song; recorded 1990.
23. MARY-GOES-ROUND (version 1) (4:00)
Jeff Mitchell: vocals, Casio CZ101 keyboard
Similar themes and some interesting abandoned ideas, recorded 1988-1989.
24. SHE’LL BE COMIN’ ROUND THE MOUNTAIN (American Classics #1) (Traditional) (1:36)
Jeff Mitchell with Tracy Rhoades: vocals
Another somewhat-finished track discovered on a GAG source master; recorded circa 1990, it was apparently the first installment of a planned series celebrating traditional Americana in ghetto girl’s inimitably perverted style.
Total CD Time = 70:51
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"G A G"
conceived and birthed by ghetto girl
in this incarnation, ghetto girl was:
Tracy Rhoades • Mairi Gl’amour (Greg Ohanian) • Jane Bryan
John Gluck • Chris Matthews • Jeff Mitchell
Music & lyrics, production & recording by Jeff Mitchell, except where noted
Tracks marked with * produced by Jeff Mitchell & Chris Matthews, recorded by Chris Matthews
All tracks mixed by Jeff Mitchell & Chris Matthews
For optimum sonic satisfaction, listen to this CD on headphones at a high volume
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I’d like to thank my parents, my teachers, my friends, my lovers,
and all the angels who sing in the background
Love and peace,
ghetto girl
© 1990 & 2000 g.i.g. / A.M.G. • published by ghetto girl music (ASCAP)
originally released in 1990 (as g.i.g. no. 111) • reissued on CD in the year 2000
g.i.g. records no. 174
a division of Appollo Music Group