Brit comic folkie covers
blues hit My Fat Ass Itches

Chris Wilkinson, primary purveyor of the “North of Watford” sound that originates from his hometown outside of London, England, has produced not one, but two covers of the comedy blues tune My Fat Ass Itches.

Chris Wilkinson (center) and bandmates

My Fat Ass Itches reached No. 3 on syndicated comedy radio host Dr. Demento’s “Funny Five” during April 2005 and appears as the lead track on my EP, Look What I Made! It became a staple of a weekly long-distance jam session between Chris and friend Lia De Reis after Lia caught the tune on the Web.

Lia lives in Hawaii, and the two connect each weekend via MSN Web Messenger to play music together. Chris’s live session recording yields a distant, plaintive sound, as if he’s accompanying a late-1920s Paramount blues record, and the record’s talking back to him. Listen to Chris and Lia perform My Fat Ass Itches in the player at right.

Next, Chris recorded My Fat Ass Itches in studio with bandmate Andrew King laying down an electric blues guitar lead. Listen at right.

As a songwriter and vocalist, Chris combines touches of Eric Idle and Peter Noone to produce clever comedy songs such as “I Just Can’t Leave Your Wife”, “Mail Order Bride” and “My Plastic Surgeon Was Pablo Picasso”. Listen to them on myspace.

You can also preview two of Chris’s recent singles in the player at right. “Drinking For England” (recorded as Athletico Volume Internazionale), timed for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, is a poignant view of life from the barroom floor, looking up.

Chris invited me to contribute harmonica to “The Homicidal Maniac’s Song”, and the result is available here. The song features Andrew King on acoustic lead and issues a plea for reason in a world gone mad. Or something like that.

Posted in: Profiles at 4:27 pm Wed, May 10, 2006.

5 comments

1. 

   Lee Mo san says:
   

   8:04 pm Fri, May 19, 2006

   Duuuuude most outragoose stuff. Like I was out to lunch in a good way. Totaly monsune and wet to.

   Great Production.

   Reply
2. 

   Hich Hi Ker says:
   

   8:07 pm Fri, May 19, 2006

   I almost lost it. Laughed til I peed.

   Yer shit don’t stink man.

   Reply
3. 

   Paul Simon says:
   

   8:10 pm Fri, May 19, 2006

   Not since I heard Art do “I Don’t Know Much”, Have I heard such funny stuff. Edie loves it.

   Reply
4. 

   George Bush says:
   

   8:15 pm Fri, May 19, 2006

   Commie!!!

   Reply
5. 

   Serenata says:
   

   11:30 am Fri, Nov 3, 2006

   Ken Turetzky is crazy!! The funny themes of his songs are what made him admirable and notorious.

   Keep it up ken!

   Reply