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Robert Deeble – The Big Yellow

Robert Deeble
The Big Yellow
1992 Liberation Music / Sonic Hope Records
Long Beach, California, USA

Robert Deeble – Vocals, acoustic guitars, drums
J.R.W – Bass on 1, 2, and 7
Kirby Paulsen – Guitars on 2 and 8
Steve Light – Bass on 6
Billy B – Drums on 9
Steve M – Bass on 9
Trevor – Guitar on 9

Side 1:

  1. The Queen of England
  2. Pop Song
  3. Penpal
  4. Greyhound
  5. Interlude

Side 2:

  1. Dondee
  2. All My Friends Kim
  3. Answering Machine Song
  4. Shantytown
  5. The Queen (reprise)

Robert Deeble is fairly known in the Christian music underground. This tape is a some-what eclectic collection of acoustic folk songs, random recordings / samples, and even a guitar alternative rock track or two. I have heard this tape before, but I was surprised to find out that “Pop Song” was recorded for a Mark Krischak compilation that never happened. Deeble was later signed to Brainstorm Artists International to release an album as Days Like These, but he also had a few other recordings reach national attention as well.

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Robert Deeble – Songs from the Sabbatical

Robert Deeble
Songs from the Sabbatical
1989 Liberation Music
Long Beach, California, USA

Robert Deeble – Vocals, guitar, drums, 12 string
Russ Blake – Guitar, slide
Landan Donsbach – Bass, upright bass
Oginr Rats – Drums
Dave Finley – Backing vocals
Hillette Brooks – Backing vocals
Kim Schnuttenhaus – Backing vocals
Mark Romans – Tambourine
Steve Light – Bass
John Williamson – Bass

First Versions

Side 1:

  1. Girlfriend in Egypt
  2. What Would U Say?
  3. Unplastered

Side 2:

  1. Teach Us to Love
  2. Halftime Show
  3. Paperbag Blues

Second Version

Side 1:

  1. Girlfriend in Egypt
  2. What Would U Say?
  3. Unplastered
  4. Paperbag Blues

Side 2:

  1. Teach Us to Love
  2. Halftime Show
  3. Ode to Blake
  4. Etc….

So there ended up being two different versions of this in the collection I was sent. The first one has six songs, but a full four panel j-card with lyrics and pics. The j-card is obviously DIY printed and cut out, but there is a lot there. However, the tape does not have lettering printed on it – just printed labels stuck on. The second version has 8 songs – the last song of side 2 was moved to the end of side 1, and two new songs were added at the end of side 2. The tape itself also has information professional printed on it. But the j-card only has two panels, some slight changes to the layout, and a blank inside with the credits printed up on a label and stuck in there. Not sure what happened – the songs also sound brighter on the second version – probably a better quality tape. But why not print up the nice four panel j-card as well? “Teach Us to Love” and “Halftime Show” are also slightly different on each version. The sound here is the same mellow acoustic/folk sound he has on his later label releases.

Second version of the cover:

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Days Like These – Demo

Days Like These
Demo
1993 Liberation Music
Long Beach, California, USA

Robert Deeble – Vocals, guitar, percussion
Lorien Brightbill – String bass & bgvs
Mike Slack – Drums, percussion
Amy Erikson – Cello

  1. Shee
  2. The Existential Lovesick Blues of the All-American Boy
  3. The Kiss

This is apparently a more band-oriented approach to music by Robert Deeble, who has put out several solo demos and CDs through the years. It is still a more mellow acoustic alternative rock/folk format. The first track has sitar in it – or at least, some guitars ran through a sitar effect as there is no sitar listed  in the credits. The other two songs are acoustic format in the “coffee house” style that was popular at the time. There are other scans of the front cover art that have some more color in them than the one I have, so it seems there might be a few variants on the front cover.