TONY RIDGWAY & THE UNGRATEFUL DEADBEAT HILLBILLY ZOMBIES WERE RECORDED IN A SMALL SWEATY ROOM THE PRODUCER CALLS ART.OF.POP AND CAME UP ROSES WITH ALSSORTS OF STRINGED INSTRUMENTS, PLAYING TOO MUCH AND ENJOYING THEIR CELLS. TOE KNEE SANG HIS POE, A TREE OVER DEADBEATEN RHYTHMS PLAYED ON PIECES OF WOOD MORPHED INTO FIDDLES, RESONATING ALLIGATORS, PEDAL-STEELED POTATO PEELS AND GIBSON GUITARS. THEY PUT BLUES AND BLACKS HARPS IN THEIR MOUTHS, ONE EVEN TRIED TO PLAY TRUMPET LIKE MILES AND TOW NEE RED HIS PO’ ATRY INTO A CHEAP SILENT RHODE MICROPHONE. THEN WE PUSHED THE RECORD BUTTON AND HE SANG THOSE WORDS. WE PUT IT ALL OVER BEATS PLAYED BY A CRIPPLED DRUM KIT FROM 1950 SERIOUSLY NEEDING REPAIR. BUT IT SOUNDED LIKEITCRAWLEDOUTTATHESOUTH. Tony Ridgway played ACOUSTIC GUITARS, HARMONICA, A BIT OF BASS AND LEAD GUITAR, DRUMS, PERCUSSION & LOOPS, COFFEE MUGS AND TEA CUPS. OH YES, AND HE SANG ALL THE LEAD VOCALS Cheree Strydom sang BACKING VOCALS AFTER TALKING TOO MUCH ON ‘DEVOTION & DESIRE’. SHE’S SO BUSY TOURING IT’S HARD TO GET HER TO THE STUDIO FOR A LITTLE FUN OR WORK, WHATEVER COMES FIRST. Sam Spade led THE ‘DEADBEATS WITH HIS FIDDLE ARRANGEMENTS AND ABSURD FLANNERY NON-WIT. Vlad Emphaler STRUCK THE RIGHT RESONATING CHORD (AND/OR NOTE) WITH HIS HAND-MADE EAST-EUROPEAN BODRO EVERY TIME, AND WE KISS HIM FOR THAT. Helmut Smal DIE BOERTJIE THAT MADE US A CONVERT TO VRYSTAAT ACCORDION SOUNDING PRETTY CLOSE TO FLACO AND BALDEMAR; MI AMIGOS… GRACIAS, BOET. ‘Irish’ Dan ‘Spud’ Dylan Tom ‘Audie’ Murphy FOR HIS POLITICALLY CORRECT PEDAL STEEL GUITAR PLAYING. Dan Straw FOR ATTEMPTING TO PLAY BASS. Walter Ego FOR THE ABSURD LEAD GUITAR PLAYING Martin Luther Queen III FOR THE SURREAL BACKING VOCALS ON ‘SAN ANTONE’ Steven Brewery FOR UNREAL ACOUSTIC GUITARS 4, 5, 6, 8 AND 12 STRINGS Homo Xavier FOR PLAYIN’ THE MANDOLIN AND SHUTTING THE HELL UP Jewel FOR BEING SEXY AND A GREAT SONGWRITER & POET Amraan Izarelazadien FOR YOUR OTHERWORLDLY BANJO PICKEN. Dirk Diggler YOUR ORGAN WORKS… GREAT. Karen Zoid FOR NOT RECORDING ‘RAZOR’ Dan Patlansky FOR NOT RECORDING ‘HEART TATTOO’ Robin Rendell FOR ENTRUSTING US WITH HIS NARRATIVE ‘THE RECKONING ’ HOPE WE DID IT JUSTICE. © TONY RIDGWAY