SHAM! Volume 1

S.H.A.M.! Volume 1
1992 Sonic Hope Records
Riverside, California, USA

The People and Places Side:

1. Mandy Horak – “#3 (Dysfunctional Love Song)”
2. Robert Deeble – “Old Man”
3. Chad Bryant Edmundson – “Speechless”
4. Jason Underground – “Hard Times in San Luis Town”
5. John R. Williamson – “Speechless”
6. Eric Paulsen – “May”
7. Michael Knepher – “I Don’t Care (but it sure would be nice)”
8. Mandy Horak – “The Wren Song”

The Things Side:

1. David Finley – “Hello Kimberly” (labeled as “Holdover from “People & Places” side)
2. Bob – “Snowdogs”
3. John R. Williamson – “Staying in the Realm”
4. David Finley – “Hesitancy (Make That Move)”
5. Chad Bryant Edmundson – “Underhanded”
6. Eric Paulsen – “Someday Soon”
7. Jason Underground – “Copseatflowers (The Ballad of Rodney King)”
8. Robert Deeble – “Shantytown”

As you can see by the picture, S.H.A.M. stands for Sonic Hope Audio Magazine. Its a compilation of various artists that were recording for Sonic Hope Records. I haven’t heard all of the releases on this label, so I don’t know if this is a compilation of songs from those releases, songs that weren’t released, or both. I don’t know if there are albums by Mandy Horak or Michael Knephler – but I assume there are. Both Eric Paulsen songs are listed on this 1993 demo A Backyard Auction, but I haven’t  heard that one yet to know if they are the same versions or not. The Jason Undergound songs are different versions that the ones on Songs of Praise and Protest from 1994 (earlier versions maybe?). The BOB song is from their 1992 demo Logride. The Chad Bryant Edmundson “Underhanded” also appears on his 1993 demo Wonder and Strangeness (but the other track here doesn’t). The Robert Deeble song “Shanytown” is a different version from the one released on The Big Yellow in 1992. Most of the songs here are singer/songwriter songs with just vocals and acoustic guitar. A few tracks add some other instruments, while BOB is a full band doing indie rock. I ran into two copies of this tape with different color covers (orange and blue) dubbed to different blank tapes. The cover is a full page foldout, and the orange one had a contest on the side called the “SHAM I AM Contest for All Ages.” Basically, you would answer trivia questions about the bands and the most creative ones would win all of the Sonic Hope releases and a few other things.

Lefty and the Loopy Dwadlers – Motion Picture Poetry

Lefty and the Loopy Dwadlers
Motion Picture Poetry
1991 Sonic Hope Recordings
Claremont, California, USA

John R. Williamson
Chad Bryant Edmundson
David Finley

Side 1:

1. Glanced and Babbled; Watched and Hushed
2. Swinging on a Star
3. Oh the Hour of Wonder
4. Long Time
5. Passing Property
6. Won’t You Try
7. Coming

Side 2:

1. Missionaries in America
2. Reverberations of…
3. Splash
4. Morning
5. Together for Two

So this is obviously a joke recording of some kind, but the music is not all silliness. Its more satire than goofball comedy. I’m not sure who the Loopy Dwadlers are, but it appears that Lefty is John R. Williamson (since he wrote most of the songs). Chad Bryant Edmundson and David Finley are pictured on the front cover, so they would be a good guess as to the identities of the Loopy Dwadlers. The sound here is the acoustic folk style that you find on many other Sonic Hope Recordings. They bring in some random sounds here and there, from drum machines to a cappella numbers.

Bob – Logride

Bob
Logride
1992 Sonic Hope Records
Glendora, California, USA

Chad B. Edmundson – Vocals, rhythm guitar
J.D. Carnes – Lead guitar, vocals
John R. Williamson – Bass guitar, vocals
Eric C. Paulsen – Drums, vocal

Side 1:

1. Aspect
2. Short of a Revolution
3. Snowdogs
4. Eric’s Song
5. Logride

Side 2:

1. Underbelly
2. Thank God
3. Lackluster
4. Saving Grace / And for a Reason
5. Bob

So this is not the Bob that was on Fingerprint Records that released Tales From the House of the Wholly Bobble as far as I can tell. This seems to be a super-group made up of various solo folk artists from the Sonic Hope Records label. Except they are not doing folk rock – it is more like alternative/indie rock that seems to share many influences with Joe Christmas. Which makes me wonder if this is a later version of Household Morgan? Chad Bryant Edmundson and John R. Williamson both have solo tapes, and maybe the other two do as well that I just haven’t heard (Paulsen has played on tapes by Edmundson and Williamson). “Lackluster” is a cover of a David Finley song, but they start off with the chords from the 77s “I Can’t Get Over It” before transitioning into the song. The song that I have labeled as “Bob” is not listed – it’s basically people singing “Bob” in a bunch of funny ways.

Chad Bryant Edmundson – Promise

Chad Bryant Edmundson
Promise
1991 Sonic Hope Records
San Juan Cap, California, USA

Chad Bryant Edmundson – Lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, keyboards, percussion

David Finley – Vocals on “Sorry Mr. Beckett”
Robert Deeble – Lead guitar on “Sorry Mr. Beckett”
John R. Williamson – Guitar on “Justice at the Crossroads,” bass on “Aspect”
Eric Paulsen – Drums on “Aspect”
J.D. – Lead guitar on “Aspect”

Side 1:

1. Sorry Mr. Beckett
2. And for Reason
3. Janie
4. Aspect
5. Justice at the Crossroads

Side 2:

1. Love and Tombstones
2. Hope
3. On This Day
4. Shared Laughter
5. [bonus live]

This is an earlier demo from Edmunson – two years before his Wonder and Strangeness demo. It’s still on Sonic Hope Records, so many of the usually Sonic Hope people guest on here as well. The sound this time is mostly acoustic folk, but there some other sounds as well. There is a live recording of “Aspect,” which is an instrumental full band rock song. There are also places where electric guitars and keyboards are used to add some texture to the acoustic folk songs. The last track is part of a live track, but I can’t make out the vocals to say what the title could possibly be.

Chad Bryant Edmundson – Wonder and Strangeness

Chad Bryant Edmundson
Wonder and Strangeness
1993 Sonic Hope Records
San Juan Cap, California, USA

Chad Bryant Edmundson – Vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboard, harmonica, hand drums on “Alcatraz”
John R. Williamson – Bass, second vocals on “Saving Grace,” lead electric on “Colombo’s Wife”
David Finley – Piano and electric guitar on “Underhanded”

Side 1:

1. Driven
2. Saving Grace
3. Walking on Water
4. Alcatraz was Winking
5. Felicity

Side 2:

1. Underhanded
2. Morning
3. Story of Ruth
4. Scooby
5. Colombo’s Wife
6. [phone message]

Sonic Hope Records certainly was very prolific – but I have never seen an actual vinyl records by them. Still, it seems that John R. Williamson plays on almost all of their recordings in some way. This demo is like other releases by the label – acoustic folk music with a few different instruments and styles thrown in to keep it interesting. It seems there is bass guitar on many songs, but not all of them have drums or percussion. Well, it actually seems like there are always two instruments on most songs: bass and acoustic, or electric and acoustic, or even percussion and acoustic.