Ogden Edsl
Encyclopedia
Ogden Edsl was an American
band, formed in 1970 in Omaha
, Nebraska
, by Bill Frenzer, Bill Carey and Otis XII. Their music was often darkly comedic and satirical, and was frequently featured on the weekly Dr. Demento
radio program, alongside the likes of other counterstream musicians, including perhaps most notably "Weird Al" Yankovic
.
Popular songs from Ogden Edsl included "Dead Puppies," "Kinko the Clown" and "Daddy's Money." Over the years, the band has achieved a cult following
in American sub-culture
. The band name is a reference to poet Ogden Nash
; Nash Motors
and Edsel
are both brands of automobile.
circuits for about four years. The shows featured not only satirical music and parodies, but also comedy sketches. During this time, they also recorded a 65-episode radio serial.
In 1974, the members of Ogden Edsl expanded their territory by playing gigs throughout the Midwest with a ten-piece band. They also added TV monitors to their act, which displayed video effects synchronized to their music. Between 1974 and 1976, the band recorded an LP, Stuffed, released on the Sunburn record label.
In the late 1970s, the band moved to Los Angeles
to work on some TV shows and produce a local radio series.
For a long period of time, Ogden Edsl's "Dead Puppies" was the most requested song on the Dr. Demento radio show, and remains the only song to ever hit number one on the annual "Funny 25" countdown two years in a row (1982 and 1983).
Ogden Edsl formally disbanded in 1983. An anthology of their hits featuring Bill Frenzer was released in 1995 by Oglio Records
, entitled Mower of the Ogden Edsl. Clips of Ogden Edsl songs, namely "Dead Puppies", frequently circulated amongst AOL users as chatroom-playable .wav
files in the mid and late 1990s.
Ogden Edsl was inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame on 27 October 2001 at the Ranch Bowl in Omaha, and performed one last time before a hometown crowd.
The song "Kinko the Clown," about a pedophile who poses as a clown to lure children, appears on The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band, formed in 1970 in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, by Bill Frenzer, Bill Carey and Otis XII. Their music was often darkly comedic and satirical, and was frequently featured on the weekly Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
radio program, alongside the likes of other counterstream musicians, including perhaps most notably "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
.
Popular songs from Ogden Edsl included "Dead Puppies," "Kinko the Clown" and "Daddy's Money." Over the years, the band has achieved a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
in American sub-culture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
. The band name is a reference to poet Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
; Nash Motors
Nash Motors
Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
and Edsel
Edsel
The Edsel was an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company during the 1958, 1959, and 1960 model years. The Edsel never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. Consequently, the Ford Motor Company lost millions of dollars on the Edsel's development,...
are both brands of automobile.
History
Ogden Edsl's career began by playing the Omaha and LincolnLincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
circuits for about four years. The shows featured not only satirical music and parodies, but also comedy sketches. During this time, they also recorded a 65-episode radio serial.
In 1974, the members of Ogden Edsl expanded their territory by playing gigs throughout the Midwest with a ten-piece band. They also added TV monitors to their act, which displayed video effects synchronized to their music. Between 1974 and 1976, the band recorded an LP, Stuffed, released on the Sunburn record label.
In the late 1970s, the band moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to work on some TV shows and produce a local radio series.
For a long period of time, Ogden Edsl's "Dead Puppies" was the most requested song on the Dr. Demento radio show, and remains the only song to ever hit number one on the annual "Funny 25" countdown two years in a row (1982 and 1983).
Ogden Edsl formally disbanded in 1983. An anthology of their hits featuring Bill Frenzer was released in 1995 by Oglio Records
Oglio Records
Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
, entitled Mower of the Ogden Edsl. Clips of Ogden Edsl songs, namely "Dead Puppies", frequently circulated amongst AOL users as chatroom-playable .wav
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
files in the mid and late 1990s.
Ogden Edsl was inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame on 27 October 2001 at the Ranch Bowl in Omaha, and performed one last time before a hometown crowd.
The song "Kinko the Clown," about a pedophile who poses as a clown to lure children, appears on The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records
The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records
The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records is a compilation album released by Rhino Records in 1983. It features mostly novelty songs, parodies and cover versions of popular songs, performed very poorly...
.