BEHIND THE RELEASE: SQUARE DANCE MESSIAH

"Square Dance Messiah" is Hypnotic Clambake's first album (1990). Created through the vision of Maury Rosenberg and some of Boston, MA most creative and visionary musicians at the time. Glenn Dickson is one of the world's premier klezmer clarinetists and his performance on "Russian Ballerina" was superlative. Grant Smith (drums) prior to recording with Hypnotic Clambake, studied with legendary world renown drummer Alan Dawson. Grant was also a klezmer playing with the "Klezmer Conservatory Band." His drumming can be heard on the tune "Past Lives." Darrel Scott, who at the time was performing with country musician "John Lincoln Wright," brought his masterful multi-instrumental prowess into the Hypnotic Clambake fold by supplying amazing pedal steal, electric guitar on "Rasta Cyborg," banjo and backing vocals. Kathy Burkly from the band "Girls Night Out" can be heard on the tune "Fate." Her strong driving two and four style of drumming was a powerful addition on both "Fate" and several of the other tracks. Joe Kessler (fiddle) was found performing on the street in Harvard Square. Maury and Joe teamed up and found they both shared a love for world music. Joe introduced the band to "Bulgarian Boogie" which can be heard on the album. Mark Eaton had a wonderful fretless bass sound and his bass vocals can be heard in the beginning of the song "Chef Mobie's Gumbo Gator." Joe Tucker was a choir singer and he provided background singing in the studio on several tunes. Ralph Rosen was a multi-instrumentalist that played harmonica, doumbek and marimba. The marimba can be heard throughout the tune "Ozone." The doumbek starts the tune "Past Lives," and Ralph also composed the instrumental "Reverence" which had Ralph playing two harmonicas, one on top of the other. Finally and not to forget the infamous Richard Malcolm who single handedly played tambourine through out the tune "Russian Ballerina." Maury met Richard while playing for ballet and modern dance classes at the Boston Conservatory.

All these musicians crammed into New Alliance Studios which was owned by Andrew Murdock (engineer for the first three Hypnotic Clambake releases).

All the songs where recorded live on to half inch tape/16 track with an additional 8 track reel to reel synched in for good measure. Two days for basics/ two days for over dubs and four days to mix. By any recording standards, this project was a miracle to pull off. Everything had to happen just right....and it did.

We hope you agree.