Snakefinger
Encyclopedia
Philip Charles Lithman who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English
musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist
, he was best known for his guitar
and violin
work and his collaborations with The Residents
.
, South London
, and came from the British Blues
scene. He moved to San Francisco in 1971 and became associated with the avant-garde
group The Residents. It is said he was given the name 'Snakefinger' by The Residents themselves based on a photograph of Lithman performing, in which his finger looks like a snake about to attack his violin.
In 1972 Lithman returned to England and formed the pub rock band Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers
with Martin Stone
, ex-member of Mighty Baby
and a fellow ex-member of Junior's Blues Band. As a duo, they released the album Kings of Robot Rhythm. In 1974, as a full band and popular live act in Britain, they released Bongos Over Balham.
Chilli Willi lasted until 1975, their last record not selling well, and by 1976 Lithman was back in the United States, this time in Los Angeles
, California
, seeking a recording contract, shopping his rock-style demos.
After a few years, Lithman moved back to San Francisco, reconnected with The Residents, and performed and recorded with them. Lithman's solo records, recorded under the name Snakefinger, were released by their record label Ralph Records
.
His first album on Ralph was Chewing Hides the Sound
in 1979, featuring original material co-written with The Residents as well as esoteric covers like Kraftwerk
's "The Model
". The songs showcased Lithman's distinctive slide guitar
playing and often surreal
imagery. This album was followed by Greener Postures
in 1980, which included his first solo compositions as Snakefinger.
While on tour in Australia in 1980, Lithman had a heart attack
that left him hospitalized for six months.
In 1982 Lithman formed his backing band The Vestal Virgins with former Captain Beefheart
sideman Eric Drew Feldman
. Snakefinger and The Vestal Virgins released Manual of Errors
on Ralph in 1982. This was followed by the blues cover album Snakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in Europe
in 1984 and a new collection of largely original material in 1986 called Night of Desirable Objects
.
Lithman performed with The Residents on their 13th Anniversary Tour in 1986. On 1 July 1987, Snakefinger and his band, The Vestal Virgins, arrived in Linz
, Austria, on the European Night tour. On the next morning - before his scheduled performance in the Posthof Club, he was found dead in a guestroom of the Posthof: Lithman had suffered a fatal heart attack. On the day of his death, 1 July 1987, his single, "There's No Justice in Life", was released.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, he was best known for his guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
work and his collaborations with The Residents
The Residents
The Residents is an American art collective best known for avant-garde music and multimedia works. The first official release under the name of The Residents was in 1972, and the group has since released over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects and ten DVDs....
.
History
Lithman was born in TootingTooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, and came from the British Blues
British blues
British blues is a form of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s and which reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1960s, when it developed a distinctive and influential style dominated by electric guitar and made international stars of several proponents of...
scene. He moved to San Francisco in 1971 and became associated with the avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
group The Residents. It is said he was given the name 'Snakefinger' by The Residents themselves based on a photograph of Lithman performing, in which his finger looks like a snake about to attack his violin.
In 1972 Lithman returned to England and formed the pub rock band Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers
Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers
Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers were one of the main British pub rock groups of the early 1970s. Later managed by Jake Riviera, who first worked for the band as a roadie, they reached their peak as part of the "Naughty Rhythms Tour" of 1975, along with other stalwarts of the same scene, Dr...
with Martin Stone
Martin Stone (guitarist)
Martin Stone is an English guitarist and book antiquarian. A longtime resident of Fingest in Buckinghamshire, he currently lives in Paris.-Musical career:...
, ex-member of Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby were formed in 1968 from the ashes of The Action. They released two albums, Mighty Baby and A Jug Of Love . Their debut, a collection of psychedelic rock, appeared on the tiny Head record label in the UK, and on Chess in the United States...
and a fellow ex-member of Junior's Blues Band. As a duo, they released the album Kings of Robot Rhythm. In 1974, as a full band and popular live act in Britain, they released Bongos Over Balham.
Chilli Willi lasted until 1975, their last record not selling well, and by 1976 Lithman was back in the United States, this time in 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, seeking a recording contract, shopping his rock-style demos.
After a few years, Lithman moved back to San Francisco, reconnected with The Residents, and performed and recorded with them. Lithman's solo records, recorded under the name Snakefinger, were released by their record label Ralph Records
Ralph Records
Ralph Records was The Residents' original record label, the name coming from the somewhat colorful phrase "calling Ralph on the porcelain telephone."...
.
His first album on Ralph was Chewing Hides the Sound
Chewing Hides the Sound
Chewing Hides The Sound was Snakefinger's first full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1979. The record is co-produced with The Residents, who also co-wrote many of the songs...
in 1979, featuring original material co-written with The Residents as well as esoteric covers like Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
's "The Model
Das Model
"Das Model" is a song recorded by the electro-pop group Kraftwerk in 1978; written by musicians Ralf Hütter and Karl Bartos, with artist Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It is featured on the album, Die Mensch-Maschine; English version title: The Man-Machine...
". The songs showcased Lithman's distinctive slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
playing and often surreal
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
imagery. This album was followed by Greener Postures
Greener Postures
Greener Postures was Snakefinger's second full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1980. The record is co-produced with The Residents, who also co-wrote many of the songs.-Track listing:# Golden Goat# Don't Lie# The Man in the Dark Sedan...
in 1980, which included his first solo compositions as Snakefinger.
While on tour in Australia in 1980, Lithman had a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
that left him hospitalized for six months.
In 1982 Lithman formed his backing band The Vestal Virgins with former Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
sideman Eric Drew Feldman
Eric Drew Feldman
Eric Drew Feldman is an American keyboard and bass guitar player. Feldman has worked with Captain Beefheart, Fear, Snakefinger, The Residents, Pere Ubu, Pixies, dEUS, Katell Keineg, Frank Black, The Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy, Reid Paley, Charlotte Hatherley, Custard, and PJ Harvey.He was...
. Snakefinger and The Vestal Virgins released Manual of Errors
Manual of Errors
Manual of Errors was Snakefinger's third full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1982. The record is the first to feature his back-up band The Vestal Virgins, and it is co-produced with Eric Drew Feldman...
on Ralph in 1982. This was followed by the blues cover album Snakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in Europe
Snakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in Europe
Snakefinger's History Of The Blues: Live In Europe is a blues cover album released in 1984 by Snakefinger. The album includes an expanded version of his backing band, Vestal Virgins, performing a wide range of blues songs spanning from its humble beginnings to its modern incarnations...
in 1984 and a new collection of largely original material in 1986 called Night of Desirable Objects
Night of Desirable Objects
Night of Desirable Objects was Snakefinger's fourth and final studio album, recorded with the Vestal Virgins and released by Ralph Records in 1987. It featured a variety of styles including jazz, folk, rock, gospel and polka, and displayed a compositional maturity...
.
Lithman performed with The Residents on their 13th Anniversary Tour in 1986. On 1 July 1987, Snakefinger and his band, The Vestal Virgins, arrived in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, Austria, on the European Night tour. On the next morning - before his scheduled performance in the Posthof Club, he was found dead in a guestroom of the Posthof: Lithman had suffered a fatal heart attack. On the day of his death, 1 July 1987, his single, "There's No Justice in Life", was released.
Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers
- Kings of the Robot Rhythm (Revelation LP, 1972)
- Bongos over Balham (Mooncrest LP, 1974)
- I'll Be Home (rarities compilation) (Proper Records CD, 1996)
Snakefinger
- The SpotThe Spot / Smelly Tongues"The Spot" was the debut release of Snakefinger on Ralph Records in 1978. Snakefinger, a long-time friend and collaborator of The Residents, was encouraged by the group to record his own material for their label...
(Ralph 7", 1978) - Chewing Hides the SoundChewing Hides the SoundChewing Hides The Sound was Snakefinger's first full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1979. The record is co-produced with The Residents, who also co-wrote many of the songs...
(Ralph LP, 1979) - Greener PosturesGreener PosturesGreener Postures was Snakefinger's second full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1980. The record is co-produced with The Residents, who also co-wrote many of the songs.-Track listing:# Golden Goat# Don't Lie# The Man in the Dark Sedan...
(Ralph LP, 1980) - Manual of ErrorsManual of ErrorsManual of Errors was Snakefinger's third full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1982. The record is the first to feature his back-up band The Vestal Virgins, and it is co-produced with Eric Drew Feldman...
(Ralph LP, 1982) - Against the GrainAgainst the Grain (Snakefinger album)Against The Grain was a Snakefinger compilation album issued by Ralph Records in 1983. Many of the tracks are co-written with The Residents...
(Ralph LP, 1983) - Snakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in EuropeSnakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in EuropeSnakefinger's History Of The Blues: Live In Europe is a blues cover album released in 1984 by Snakefinger. The album includes an expanded version of his backing band, Vestal Virgins, performing a wide range of blues songs spanning from its humble beginnings to its modern incarnations...
(Rough Trade LP, 1984) - Snakefinger's Vestal Virgins: Live in ChicagoSnakefinger's Vestal Virgins: Live in ChicagoSnakefinger's Vestal Virgins: Live In Chicago is a Snakefinger album recorded June 20, 1986 at The Vic in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was released on cassette by Ralph Records in 1986 and subsequently reissued on CD by T.E.C. Tones in 1996....
(Ralph cassette, 1986; Tec Tones CD, 1996) - Night of Desirable ObjectsNight of Desirable ObjectsNight of Desirable Objects was Snakefinger's fourth and final studio album, recorded with the Vestal Virgins and released by Ralph Records in 1987. It featured a variety of styles including jazz, folk, rock, gospel and polka, and displayed a compositional maturity...
(Ralph LP, 1987, Tec Tones CD, 1993) - Snakefinger: A CollectionSnakefinger: A CollectionSnakefinger: A Collection of Songs Written and Produced with The Residents 1978–1980 was a posthumous CD compilation issued by East Side Digital in 1988...
(East Side Digital CD, 1988) - Philip Charles Lithman aka SnakefingerPhilip Charles Lithman aka SnakefingerPhilip Charles Lithman AKA Snakefinger was a posthumous collection released by The Residents' fan club organization, Uncle Willie's Eyeball Buddies, or UWEB. It features unreleased tracks spanning Snakefinger's career from 1971 to 1987...
(UWEB CD, 1993)
Appearances on Residents albums
- "Baby Sex" (Unreleased; recorded 1971)
- "Satisfaction(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
" (Ralph 7", 1976) - FingerprinceFingerprinceFingerprince is an album by The Residents. The album was recorded between 1974–76 and released in 1977. It was intended to be a three-sided record named Tourniquet Of Roses. Due to expense, the project was abandoned and cut down to a regular two-sided album. The third side was originally released...
(Ralph LP, 1977) - Duck Stab/Buster & GlenDuck Stab/Buster & GlenDuck Stab redirects here. For the 1978 EP, see Duck Stab!Duck Stab/Buster & Glen is an album released in 1978 by The Residents. It is often called Duck Stab, after Duck Stab!, a seven-song EP released earlier in 1978 featuring shorter songs similar to the first side of Fingerprince...
(Ralph LP, 1978) - EskimoEskimo (album)Eskimo is an album by The Residents that was originally supposed to follow 1977's Fingerprince. However, due to many delays and arguments with management, it was not released until 1979...
(Ralph LP, 1979) - DiskomoDiskomo"Diskomo" was a 12-inch single of elements from the 1979 album Eskimo by the Residents put to a disco beat, released on March 26, 1980. The b-side was a special suite of nursery rhymes put together as "Goosebump"....
(Ralph EP, 1980) - The Commercial AlbumThe Commercial AlbumCommercial Album is an album released by The Residents in 1980. It is commonly considered a follow-up of Duck Stab/Buster & Glen. The album pares down the concept and structure of the average commercial pop song and reduces it to a one-minute redux. It contains a compilation of 40 such sixty-second...
(Ralph LP, 1980) - The Tunes of Two CitiesThe Tunes of Two CitiesThe Tunes of Two Cities is an album by The Residents, released in 1982. It is part two of the Mole Trilogy. Rather than forwarding the story of the battle between the Mole People and the Chubs, the record's concept is to display the differences between the two cultures through their music...
(Ralph LP, 1982) - Residue of the ResidentsResidue of the ResidentsResidue of the Residents is a compilation of The Residents' outtakes, ranging from about 1971-1983. The compilation was released in 1984. "Walter Westinghouse" is an edited version of the song from the Babyfingers E.P. while another early song, "Whoopy Snorp", was from a hard-to-find benefit album...
(Ralph LP, 1983) - Title in LimboTitle in LimboTitle in Limbo is an album by The Residents in collaboration with Renaldo and the Loaf, released in 1983 on Ralph Records. Guest performers include Snakefinger , and vocalist Nessie Lessons....
(Ralph LP, 1983) - The Thirteenth Anniversary ShowThe Thirteenth Anniversary ShowThe Thirteenth Anniversary tour was a triumph both financially and critically for the Residents. It was also the last time Snakefinger would work with them, as he died of a heart attack in 1987. The official album release of The Thirteenth Anniversary Show in 1987 was a recording of the show in...
(Multiple live recordings, 1985–1987) - Stars & Hank Forever: The American Composers SeriesStars & Hank Forever: The American Composers SeriesStars and Hank Forever was the second release in the American Composers Series by the avant garde band The Residents. The album was released in 1986. This particular release featured a side of Hank Williams songs and a medley of John Philip Sousa marches...
(Ralph LP, 1986)
Compilation
- Savoy Sound — Wave Goodbye (CD Presents, 1981)
- "Potatoes: A Collection Of Folk Songs by Ralph Records" (Ralph RecordsRalph RecordsRalph Records was The Residents' original record label, the name coming from the somewhat colorful phrase "calling Ralph on the porcelain telephone."...
, 1987)- song: 'The Ballad Of Sawney Beane/Sawney's Death Dance' by Snakefinger&His Midi-Evil Vestal Virgins
Collaborators
- Paul BaileyPaul BaileyPaul Bailey is a British writer and critic, author of several novels as well as biographies of Cynthia Payne and Quentin Crisp.-Biography:...
(guitar, banjo, and sax player) - Dave Barret
- Miguel Bertel (guitar player)
- Carlos Cadona (guitar player who worked with the Dead KennedysDead KennedysDead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
) - Beth Custer
- Raoul N. Diseimbote (piano)
- Dick 'Deluxe' Egner
- Josh Ende (wind, brass)
- Eric Drew FeldmanEric Drew FeldmanEric Drew Feldman is an American keyboard and bass guitar player. Feldman has worked with Captain Beefheart, Fear, Snakefinger, The Residents, Pere Ubu, Pixies, dEUS, Katell Keineg, Frank Black, The Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy, Reid Paley, Charlotte Hatherley, Custard, and PJ Harvey.He was...
(worked with Captain BeefheartCaptain BeefheartDon Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, Pere UbuPere Ubu (band)Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...
, Pixies, P.J. Harvey, and Frank BlackFrank BlackBlack Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
) - Opter Flame
- George B. George (bass player)
- Ben Guy (bass player)
- Dave Kopplin
- Colin Hansford (guitar player)
- Stephen MacKay (Tenor)
- Richard Marriot (wind, brass)
- Paul RileyPaul RileyPaul Riley is a Scottish actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Winston Ingram in the Scottish sitcom, Still Game. He previously worked on the sketch show Chewin' the Fat, the show that Still Game was a spin-off from...
(bass player) - Steve Royal (drummer)
- Jonny B. Ryan (Philip's drummer from 1980 onward)
- N. SenadaN. SenadaN. Senada was a Bavarian composer and music theorist who formulated the "Theory of Obscurity" and the "Theory of Phonetic Organization"...
(ethnomusicologist) - Michael SteeleMichael Steele (musician)Michael Steele is an American bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and singer. She performed with The Bangles and numerous other bands.-Career:Steele began her professional career as Micki Steele in the teen-girl band The Runaways, among the first all-female rock groups.Steele's stay in the Runaways was...
(worked with The BanglesThe BanglesThe Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
) - Martin StoneMartin Stone (guitarist)Martin Stone is an English guitarist and book antiquarian. A longtime resident of Fingest in Buckinghamshire, he currently lives in Paris.-Musical career:...
(guitarist, literary expert) - Pete ThomasPete ThomasPete Thomas is best known as the longtime drummer for Elvis Costello. Tom Waits has referred to him as "one of the best rock drummers alive".-Career:...
(drummer) - David Whitten (bass player)