WILD HYACINTH

Title: WILD HYACINTH – A History of Hamson Sanmyer & The Mad Morticians

Artist: THE MAD MORTICIANS

Recording Dates: 1984-1994

Originally released: 1994 (Totem Records cassette #10 / Appollo Music Group #150)

Issued on CD: 2000 (Totem CD #13 / AMG #169) • revised 2003 (Totem CD #17 / AMG #205)

Produced by: Robb Perrone (with Chris Matthews, Danny Hesse and/or John Wilson)

Personnel: Robb Perrone (all tracks) • Brian James (tracks 2/3/8/13/16/24) • Chris Matthews (tracks 2/11/12/13/15/16/17/18/22) • Scott Rudner (tracks 3/8/16/24) • Tom D. Bomb (tracks 3/8/24) • John Wilson (tracks 5/9/12/14/15/17/19/22/23) • Danny Hesse (tracks 6/9/11/15/17/19/22) • Steve Wirth (tracks 5/10/15/17/21) • Christof W. Certik I (track 4) • Ken Garkow (tracks 10/19) • Paul Sidore (track 18) • Tina Rainwater (tracks 12/15) • Stephen Burpo (tracks 10/15) • Mike Edwards, Benny Daniels & Aprille Curtis (track 15)

CD Liner Notes:

THE MAD MORTICIANS is the brainiac-child of Robb Perrone also known once upon a time as Rob Perrone, who began using this “band” name in 1985 after leaving several other bands including SHEEP and HORRIBLE & LARDY (some tracks from those earlier projects are here in this compilization as well)…

With longtime partner Brian James, Mr. Perrone founded a spiffy “live” actual band version of THE MAD MORTICIANS in 1992, recruiting Scott Rudner on drums and a mysterious good-lookin’ singer who chose to be known only as “Tom D. Bomb” and therefore gets absolutely NO royalty checks from the sale of this or any other MM album…

And then they broke up (but a few swell tracks from their one aborted vinyl release show up here)…

For this website posting, I have restored the WILD HYACINTH tracklist to the original length and running order of the 1994 cassette release (some songs had to be cut to fit on the 2000 CD version). Many of these tracks are co-produced and/or re-mixed by me, Chris Matthews. Some songs are co-produced by John Wilson, and one is produced by Danny Hesse. Detailed below is every single detail for every single track:

Part I

1. COOKING WITH SUSIE (Perrone) 3:47

~ from "The Continuing Adventures of Mortuary Man"

Vocals: Rob Perrone / Piano: Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 7 record

Produced & Engineered by Rob Perrone 1986 / Mixed by Chris Matthews & Rob Perrone 1986

2. WHAT FOR YOU (62523 middle) (Perrone-James) 5:31

~ from "Die You Yuppie Pig (For No Apparent Reason)"

Vocals: Rob Perrone & Brian James / Bass, Keyboard & Lead Guitar at end: Rob Perrone / Drums & Tambourine: Chris Matthews / Rhythm Guitars & Leads 1 & 2: Brian James

Produced by Chris Matthews & Rob Perrone 1988 / Engineered by Chris Matthews

Remixed by Chris Matthews 1994

3. ALL THINGS ASIDE (James-Rudner-Bomb-Perrone) 3:03

~ from "For Better or Hearse"

Vocal: Tom D. Bomb / Bass: Rob Perrone / Drums: Scott Rudner / Guitar: Brian James

Produced by Rob Perrone, Scott Rudner, Chris Matthews & Bill Thompson

Engineered by Bill Thompson live to DAT at Bay Recorders March 10, 1992

4. THE PUNK SONG (Perrone) 1:12

~ from "Raphus Cuculatus"

Vocal: Rob Perrone / Guitar, Bass & Vocal: Christof W. Certik I

Produced, Engineered & Mixed by Rob Perrone 1985

5. SONG X (Perrone-Wilson) 5:40

~ from "The Goat & the Panda Whip Up Some Ditties" by Dr. Horrible & Mr. Lardy

Vocal, Acoustic Guitar, Tambourine, Crashes: John Wilson / Electric Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocal: Rob / Lead Guitar: Steve

Produced & Mixed by Rob Perrone 1986 / Engineered by John Wilson

6. RENT TO OWN (Perrone-Hesse) 3:35

~ from "Ummm...Cookies" (or "Uno + Dose = Trace")

Vocal, Zither, Harmonica, Chimes: Rob Perrone / Guitars, Harmony: Danny Hesse

Produced by Danny Hesse & Rob Perrone 1986 / Engineered by Danny Hesse

Mixed by Rob Perrone 1986

7. RAPHUS CUCULATUS (Perrone) 3:13

~ from "Raphus Cuculatus"

Vocals, Guitars: Rob Perrone

Produced, Engineered & Mixed by Rob Perrone 1985

Part II

8. TIRED, BORED & GRUMPY (Bomb-Rudner-Perrone) 2:58

~ from "For Better or Hearse"

Vocal: Tom D. Bomb / Bass: Rob Perrone / Drums: Scott Rudner / Guitar: Brian James

Produced by Rob Perrone, Scott Rudner, Chris Matthews & Bill Thompson

Engineered by Bill Thompson live to DAT at Bay Recorders March 10, 1992

9. REPTILE OVERTHROW I (Perrone) 3:05

~ from "It's a Pun" by Horrible & Lardy

Piano: Rob Perrone / Caveman Drums: John Wilson / Bass, Guitar: Danny Hesse

Produced & Engineered by John Wilson & Rob Perrone / Mixed by John Wilson 1984

10. REPTILE OVERTHROW II (Perrone) 3:26

~ from "The Continuing Adventures of Mortuary Man"

Lead Vocal: Ken Garkow / Backing Vocals: Rob Perrone, Steve Wirth & Stephen Burpo / Piano, Bass: Rob Perrone

Produced & Engineered by Rob Perrone 1986 / Remixed by Chris Matthews 1994

11. OUT OF GAS BLUES (In F#) (Perrone) 4:23

~ from "Technicolor Dalmatian"

Vocals, Keyboards, Bass, Car: Rob Perrone / Lead Guitar: Danny Hesse / Maraccas: Chris Matthews

Produced by Chris Matthews & Rob Perrone 1989

Engineered & Mixed by Chris Matthews 1991

12. LOVE YOU (Syd Barrett) 2:29

~ from "Sheep Covers" by Sheep

Vocal, Tom-Toms, Keyboard: Rob Perrone / Bass, Junkband: John Wilson / Percussion, Junkband: Tina Rainwater / Guitar, Cymbal, Junkband: Chris Matthews

Produced by Chris Matthews, Rob Perrone & John Wilson 1985

Engineered by Chris Matthews / Remixed by Chris Matthews 1990

13. CHEESE AND PHYSICS (Perrone-James) 3:12

~ from "Die You Yuppie Pig (For No Apparent Reason)"

Vocals: Rob Perrone, Brian James & Chris Matthews / Drum & Keyboard programming: Rob Perrone / Live electronic Cymbal crashes & Drum rolls: Rob Perrone & Chris Matthews

Produced & Mixed by Chris Matthews & Rob Perrone / Engineered by Chris Matthews 1988

14. 80'S KIND OF VILLAIN (Perrone-Wilson) 2:25

~ from "The Goat & the Panda Whip Up Some Ditties" by Dr. Horrible & Mr. Lardy

Keyboard programming, Mr. Ontario & Announcer: Rob Perrone / Miss Nell Curly Q: John Wilson

Produced & Mixed by Rob Perrone 1986 / Engineered by John Wilson & Rob Perrone

Part III

15. MORTUARY MAN (Perrone) 18:24

~ from "The Continuing Adventures of Mortuary Man"

Lead Vocal, Bass, Guitar, Handclaps, Clarinet, Recorder, Organ, Chimes, Turntable: Rob Perrone / Lead Guitar, Vocal: Danny Hesse / Announcer: Mike Edwards / Lead Guitar, Vocal: Steve Wirth / Drum Pad, Guitar, Vocal, Handclaps, Popcorn: Chris Matthews / Vocal, Guitar: John Wilson / Vocal, Kazoo: Stephen Burpo / Vocals: Ben Daniels, Tina Rainwater & Aprille Curtis

Produced by Chris Matthews & Rob Perrone / Engineered by Chris Matthews 1986

Remixed by Chris Matthews 1994

Part IV

16. URINE TROUBLE NOW (NAZI RHUMBA MIX) (Perrone-Rudner) 4:12

~ from "Technicolor Dalmatian"

Vocals: Rob Perrone / Backing Vocals: Brian James, Eric White & Rob Perrone / Guitars: Scott Rudner / Drums: Rob Perrone & Chris Matthews

Produced & Engineered by Rob Perrone & Chris Matthews / Mixed by Chris Matthews 1991

17. DO YOU MEAN FISH? (Perrone) 2:51

~ original version from "Sheep For Sale" by Sheep

~ new-lyric-added version first appeared on "Sheep Collectibles" 1993

Vocals, Bass, Guitar: Rob Perrone / Backing Vocal, Drums, Guitar: Chris Matthews / Guitar: John Wilson / Lead Guitar: Steve Wirth / Backing Vocal: Danny Hesse

Produced by Chris Matthews, Rob Perrone & Danny Hesse 1986

Engineered by Chris Matthews / New Vocal Engineered by Chris Matthews 1990

Mixed by Chris Matthews 1994

18. S.A.S. (Perrone-Sidore-Matthews) 2:45

~ original version appears on "No Small Thing In Light of Your Wild Duck Hook" by Sheep

~ unoverdubbed version first appeared on "Sheep Collectibles" 1993

Bass: Rob Perrone / Guitar: Paul Sidore / Keyboard: Chris Matthews

Produced & Engineered by Chris Matthews 1984 / Remixed by Chris Matthews 1994

19. LO COMPRENDE (Excerpts) (Perrone) 4:37

~ from "Ummm...Cookies"

Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, Noises: Rob Perrone / Vocal: John Wilson / Backing Vocal, Lead Guitar: Danny Hesse / Rhythm Jazz Guitar: Ken Garkow

Produced, Engineered & Mixed by Rob Perrone 1986

20. KITTY SQUISH (Perrone) 2:00

~ from "Die You Yuppie Pig (For No Apparent Reason)"

Keyboard & Drum Programming, Amiga Synthetic Voice: Rob Perrone

Produced, Engineered & Mixed by Rob Perrone & Chris Matthews 1988

21. I DON'T CARE (AS LONG AS THEY FALL) (Perrone) 2:20

~ from "The Continuing Adventures of Mortuary Man"

Vocals, Guitar, Drum Pad: Rob Perrone / Talking: Steve Wirth

Produced & Engineered by Rob Perrone 1986 / Remixed by Chris Matthews1994

22. NEUROTIC HAMSTER (Perrone-Wilson-Matthews) 4:02

~ from "Ummm...Cookies"

Vocal, Bass: Rob Perrone / Guitars: John Wilson, Chris Matthews & Danny Hesse / Drums: Chris Matthews / "Flies" Spoken by: Danny Hesse / Squeezing Guenivere the Cat: Jeanne Whalen

Produced by Rob Perrone, Chris Matthews, John Wilson & Danny Hesse

Engineered by Chris Matthews 1986 / Remixed by Chris Matthews 1989

23. EFFERVESCING ELEPHANT (Syd Barrett) 1:10

~ from "It's a Pun" by Horrible & Lardy

Vocal, Bass: Rob Perrone / Guitar: John Wilson

Produced by Rob Perrone & John Wilson / Engineered & Mixed by John Wilson 1984

24. CRYPTOMBA (Perrone) 4:36

~ previously unreleased

Vocal: Tom D. Bomb / Bass, Keyboard: Rob Perrone / Drums: Scott Rudner / Guitar: Brian James

Produced by Rob Perrone, Chris Matthews, Scott Rudner & Bill Thompson

Basic tracks Engineered by Bill Thompson live to DAT at Bay Recorders 1992

Keyboards Overdubbed by Rob Perrone 1994 / Mixed by Chris Matthews 1994

This compilation put together by Chris Matthews with Rob Perrone, Summer 1994.

Digitally mastered from the analog source tapes.

Cover conceived by Rob Perrone, executed by John Wilson.

TOTEM RECORDS #10 / APPOLLO MUSIC GROUP #150