This story comes from our "Kelley Family History," published privately. According to the publication, the grandmother of the Benton Kelleys gave birth to the child at sea. This family arrived in the state of Tennessee Benton-Carroll-Decatur counties very soon after the area was open for settlement around 1820 to 1830. The audio recording was made in August of 2023.

The Kelleys Arrive In America

I probably began these musical sketches sometime in late 1974 or early 1975 when I was around 17 years old. I continued recording these sketches through the rest of the 1970's.

You can hear further developments of this song here: https://on.soundcloud.com/Rwhju and here: https://on.soundcloud.com/oHtHR.

Musical Sketch 04: Lovin' Is All That I Do

When Michael Wayne Davis and I began hanging out together we started, among other things, improvising comedy. We took on different characters and voices and interacted spontaneously to create scenarios. Our characters Dr. Frankenfreak, played by Mike, and his hunchback assistant Egor, played by me, were inspired by the 1931 Universal film "Frankenstein." We didn't get around to recording the scenarios on audio together until after, if memory serves, I had recorded our characters myself playing all the roles.

Castle of Frankenfreak: Earliest Master and Egor Recording?

This musical sketch is a second iteration of an earlier one of mine: "Musical Sketch 14: This Feeling Is So Beautiful That I Can Hardly Take It In." This sketch was probably recorded sometime during 1978 or thereafter. I continued recording these sketches through the rest of the 1970's.

Musical Sketch 42: This Feeling Is So Beautiful That I Can Hardly Take It In

This musical sketch was probably recorded sometime during 1978 or thereafter. It was a second iteration of an earlier one of mine: "Musical Sketch 26: Don't Go Away From Me" available here: https://on.soundcloud.com/rQYU6. I continued recording these sketches through the rest of the 1970's.

Musical Sketch 43: Don't Go Away From Me

"Float away where your mind can go into disguises,
No one realizes. No one realizes.
Flying by all across the sky into disguises,
No one realizes. No one realizes.

Float away, etc... into disguises float away, etc...

Sailing now to a port down south to the North Pole
We're takin' the long route.

Freda's coming in a boat behind the stats followed by
A flying saucer from the planet Krel with a million little green men
With heads as big as watermelons.
Heads as big as watermelons!"

"No One Realizes" was inspired by the feeling of ineffability one can get from a mystical experience. With this tune that I wrote, my very talented friend Ralph Patrick Warchol and I began a wonderful recording partnership. If memory serves, we were rehearsing with Mike Willett in Ralph's comfortably furnished basement. I left my electric bass guitar with Ralph at his request and he multitracked all the instruments by dubbing back and forth with a two channel reel-to-reel tape recorder and a cassette deck. Ralph got the drum track from an LP. When I returned I was pleased to hear what he had made and I sang the lead. Ralph and I also sang backing vocals. We recorded this sometime in 1979, if Ralph's memory serves.

Here's where you can hear another version: on.soundcloud.com/xSG6S.

Gene Poole and the Chromosomes

No One Realizes

I wrote the song, sang lead vocal, played piano and other instruments. Ralph Warchol got the drum track from an LP. We altered the speed to create the chipmunk voice effect. That also helped with our perceived instrument playing agility. Ralph played the electric bass and perhaps other instruments, if I remember correctly. I believe this was recorded at Faith Chapel Radio Recording Studio in Berwyn (yes, Svengoolie's Berwyn). This dates this recording because I had access to that studio after I began working there in January of 1981. I originally released this song on Jango Radio in 2009.

A version of this tune eventually ended up in my CD "Mostly Acoustic" available here: https://on.soundcloud.com/UssrPNYRW7yURbou5.

Rachel (Rodent Version)

I wrote the song. I sang lead vocal with Ralph Warchol as backing vocal. Sounds like Ralph played all the instruments except the electric bass, which was me if memory serves. The song was recorded in Ralph's luxurious basement outfitted with his quarter inch reel-to-reel 8 channel recorder probably in very late 1982 or 1983. This recording eventually ended up in my video "Now Then, Therefore." available here: youtu.be/py5pwznq-94?si=mfoKgUcz57Ytl-m0.

Now Then, Therefore.

"Planets, comets are not my friends now.
Personalities crowd their crowns.
Leave it all to the ancient ChiTao.
Universe has got the downs.

And the piper plays the pipie
And the worker digs the way
And I am an illusion like my hippie father say
'Cause the glue stuck in my head
Like that good ol' Yesterday.
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba

Like a child from the mother emerging
We are rising from the sphere.
Intelligent and outward surging
Pleased to go bring far out here"

I wrote the song and sang lead vocal. Ralph Warchol and Linda Robin Hornberg sang backing vocals. I cannot recall who played which instruments but I think I played acoustic guitar and electric bass with Ralph on all the rest except the drums, which were provided by an LP. This was recorded in Ralph's luxurious basement outfitted with his quarter inch reel-to-reel 8 channel recorder in very late 1982 or 1983.

A version of this tune eventually ended up in my CD "Mostly Acoustic" available here: https://on.soundcloud.com/UssrPNYRW7yURbou5.

I Am An Illusion (Like My Hippie Father Say)

This song was selected for inclusion in the 2024 Psychedelic Film and Music Festival.

"Flow of energy
Here it is.
Speed of time
Float beyond desire.
Static pool
Shimmering
Ancestor of all things
Galactic play
Jewelled indifference
Where am I?
Jewelled indifference
Is it all a dream?
Open eye
Fusion glide
Pulsate in harmony
Flow of energy
Jewelled indifference
Gravity
Jewelled indifference
Feeling free!
Ralph, Ralph,
You are the Buddha.
Is it all a dream?
You're two billion years old.
Jewelled indifference
God! It's cold out here!
WARNING!
SOLAR SHUTTERS OPENING CLOSING
LETHAL LOVE RADIATION BEWARE
FATAL UNITY WARNING BLISS FUSION
All right now. Who's next?
Slide into fusion
Good.....Bye"

Ralph Warchol wrote and recorded this beautiful musical adaption of "Jewelled Indifference" from Dr. Timothy Leary's book "Psychedelic Prayers." This was originally recorded in Ralph's luxurious basement outfitted with his quarter inch reel-to-reel 8 channel recorder probably in very late 1982 or 1983. I helped finish the song much later when Dr. Leary paid the song a visit! I originally released this on Jango Radio in 2010.

Jewelled Indifference

A version of this song won Best Psychedelic Song in The (2024) Psychedelic Film and Music Festival.

"The time is 12:23, last place I wanna be.
When will it come?
I've been waiting for an hour
And my stomach's feeling sour.
How late's the train run?

He doesn't know we're up here.
He'll never guess.
We're gonna soak him in light.
Set the coordinates.

When will the train come? When will the train come?
She thinks she's got me on her pinky.
She hits me hot 'cause she's so slinky.
When is it going to come?

The antigrav is on. Engage the brain caress.
When he starts floating up record the grok he gets.

Good evening Clyde.
We represent an advanced race of beings
From a space colony orbiting the Dog Star Sirius.
You may interpret this as a religious experience
But we want you to know that we are merely
Manipulating your brain patterns via quantum waves
To measure for the possibility of intelligent life
Arising on your planet.

And I wake up on the train. I can't remember my own name.
When did the train come?"

I wrote the song, sang lead vocal, played electric rhythm guitar. Ralph Warchol played a synthesizer of his for the drum track and low end. Perhaps it was Mike Davis's drum track, not sure. This was recorded in Ralph's luxurious basement outfitted with his quarter inch reel-to-reel 8 channel recorder probably in very late 1982 or 1983.

Here's where you can hear different versions of this song:
https://on.soundcloud.com/H2Q9G
https://on.soundcloud.com/eBUEA
https://on.soundcloud.com/TVcL7xxs6RiVZDay6.

Clyde Meets the Aliens

My very talented friend Ralph Warchol outfitted his luxurious basement with a quarter inch reel-to-reel 8 channel recorder. Ralph wrote this and played all of the instruments except for the drum track which he got from an LP called "Drum Drops." He also recorded broadcasts from his shortwave radio. This was probably recorded in very late 1982 or 1983.

Shortwave

"Heh! Oh Lord! I feel so faint.
Those fingers get a lot of exercise you know.
Believe me they would.
Do you have the itches in your ear?
I'm not too healthy though.
Quit banging on those keys, keys, keys.
I love you. Oh, oh, oh! Cody! Oh Ralph! Hud! Oh...

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X and Y and Z
I am a baby I am so big and tall.
I am a baby I am so small.
I run and jump and play with my dolly
And Ralph comes and plays with me.
He loves to run around in the field
Then he climb up in the tree.
Ow! Don't push me. I don't want to fall.
Just Help me up and get me on that branch.
Don't! Dont'! Don't! I don't want to go down.
I just want to stay up here all day
And be up near the sky.
I want to fly like a bird and be real high.
The feeling gets me happy and makes me feel so free
That when we're together we feel like a tree.
Do you remember that tree, North Riverside,
Down at that park?
We sat there for almost three hours
And oh, what a sight!
Such things you can see in a tree.
They tell stories, stories, stories, stores.
What I saw, oh what I saw!
Ooh what I saw!
Oh, my eyes can't believe what I saw!
The sky turned black
And the earth was shaking.
My feet couldn't stand
And my eyes were quaking.
What? Help me! Help me I cried! What?
Don't! No! It hurts so bad! Don't let me fall!
Look out! Hey! Help! Catch me!
We're almost there! No! Dont' shoot, no!
Don't shoot! It only hurts for a while
Then the pain all goes away.
Left, left, left, right, left. Left, left, left, right, left.
Right, left, up, down, oh, in, out, no! High! Low!
One, we are one!"

Ralph Warchol, his girlfriend at the time Jacqueline Kulawiak, and myself having fun in the recording studio. The acid started kicking in right at the start of this song. Jacqui shines with her improvised lyrics and melody. Ralph played piano and sang while I scratched in audio from a sound effects record. As recording engineer, I also applied tricks with the echo while Ralph played and we all sang. In this way we improvised with each other live. This was recorded at Faith Chapel Radio Recording Studio in Berwyn (yes, Svengoolie's Berwyn). I had access to that studio after I began working there in January of 1981.

Tripping at Faith Chapel

Trees Tell Stories

I wrote this tune and played acoustic guitar. Ralph Warchol scratched in audio from a sound effects record as I played. As recording engineer, Ralph also applied tricks with the echo while I played. In this way we improvised with each other live. This was recorded at Faith Chapel Radio Recording Studio in Berwyn (yes, Svengoolie's Berwyn). I had access to that studio after I began working there in January of 1981.

Here's where you can hear a version of the song with Mike Davis singing: on.soundcloud.com/Rhbdi.

Here's where you can hear another version of the song with Ralph Warchol singing: on.soundcloud.com/Ggfs8.

Mike's version of this tune was made for my School of the Art Institute of Chicago student video "Trans-Mission." You can see it here: youtu.be/8WyVV_OXcxU.

I sang a version on my album "Mostly Acoustic" available here: https://on.soundcloud.com/UssrPNYRW7yURbou5.

3D Warped Out Tuned In Video Fan (Acoustic Guitar Instrumental Freakout)

My very talented friend Ralph Warchol outfitted his luxurious basement with a quarter inch reel-to-reel 8 channel recorder. Ralph wrote this, sang lead and backing vocal and played all of the instruments. HIs girlfriend at the time, Mia DiSantis, also sang. He got the drums from an LP. This was probably recorded in very late 1982 or 1983.

WAAAA.....

Myself having fun in the recording studio. I scratched in audio from a sound effects record while I played with the echo. This was recorded at Faith Chapel Radio Recording Studio in Berwyn (yes, Svengoolie's Berwyn). I had access to that studio after I began working there in January of 1981.

Shimmering Siren

If memory serves, this was the first song I ever wrote. I was around 9 or 10 years old. My brother Monte and I liked to sing it with our niece and nephew Donna and Jimmy, celebrating their pets Rusty and Tiki. Finley the fish was my pet. I didn't get around to recording this until 2024.

Rusty, My Favorite Dog

This song was selected for inclusion in the 2024 Psychedelic Film and Music Festival.

"I was born with a TV remote in my head
Because I could remember crawling over to the TV set and
Like wow man it was really something
'Cause I could tune in all kinds of things from everywhere and
I really liked the stuff that like put me on other planets
'Cause that kind of stuff was awesome and
I began to get so into that I took it as another plane of reality
Just as real no even more real than school and church and school and church said there were mysteries to dig out of the good book and
I started to see TV like that and pick up little clues to the universe that others couldn't quite see.

'Cause I've been imprinted by the TV programs like a piece of software ready to take what it can get.
'Cause the ETs have been contacting me for years now and I can tell you this
That there exists in the center of the universe a tetrahedron made of solid diamond I refer to as the Mystic Bone.
He's told me that the quasars are on the edges of the cosmos
Pouring out the flesh of the Gods in the form of a lava light like material that
Quite by accident seeds life on various worlds which someday will crawl to where the Krel stood up to see the MB in all its glory and I can see it all now."

I wrote and sang this song. I played multitracked instruments: my Ensoniq Mirage sampler-synth keyboard and my Yamaha RX5 Digital Rhythm Programmer. I mastered the recording with my Commodore Amiga computer with MIDI sometime in 1987 or '88.

TV Madness

I recorded this Johann Sebastian Bach piece in real time playing my Yamaha DX7 synthesizer keyboard set to pipe organ, if memory serves. I used to be able to play a good portion of the fugue segment but not complete enough for a recording.

Toccata in D minor

"Found her in the halls of the Art Institute.
I asked her out to lunch. I think she thought I was cute.
She had a look that almost knocked me down.
Next I find out she's involved with her boss at work.
He keeps getting older. I feel like a jerk
But I was determined to keep her around.
I bought her a ring to show I care.
I was so happy when she said she would wear it. Oh!
I call her my Bambino, Bambino.
If you're going to school feed Anthony.

Now she's bubbling over all of the time.
I tell her I love her. She tells me she's mine.
I even went out and bought her a little bird.
She wakes me up in the morning with a karate chop.
She's hopping into the car because she's going to shop.
She says to clean up the house if I could.
Any day we're gonna be man and wife.
Think I could spend the rest of my life with her. Oh!
I call her my Bambino, Bambino.
If you're going to school feed Anthony."

I wrote, sang and played all the instruments on this tune. The recording was made sometime around the mid-1980s. "Bambino" eventually ended up in my CD "Mostly Acoustic" available here: https://on.soundcloud.com/UssrPNYRW7yURbou5. Here's a link to the musical sketch that "Bambino" came from: https://on.soundcloud.com/D6mpALVnWBrgKV9aA.

Bambino

"She's a pushy little bitch that always gets her way
A nasty little number that will cauterize your brain.

She's a guttersnipe immune to all their hype.
She's a guttersnipe. She'a sees all through their tripe.
She's a guttersnipe.

With her ice cold act and her passions of fire
She will freeze you with a glance and burn you with desire.

She's a modern girl for a modern world.
She'll prove to you that you're really there.

She's so eternally cool, so terminally hip
In her bucket of love I'm just another drip."

We seem to have recorded this song more than any other. This is its fourth iteration, if I counted correctly. Michael Wayne Davis wrote the lyrics and I wrote the music to his words. He remarked that the music was a departure from what he wanted but he didn't come up with anything to replace it. I sang lead vocal. Mike sang backing vocal. This was probably recorded around 1986 or '87 if memory serves. The image is a still from the 1922 film "The Guttersnipe."

Here's where you can hear different versions of this song:
on.soundcloud.com/D9HYo
on.soundcloud.com/3ruvn.
on.soundcloud.com/JQVEydD63oNaGBoB7.

A version of this tune eventually ended up in my CD "Mostly Acoustic" available here: https://on.soundcloud.com/UssrPNYRW7yURbou5.

Guttersnipe

Guttersnipe 4

I wrote and sang this song. I played multitracked instruments: my Yamaha DX7 synthesizer keyboard and my Yamaha RX5 Digital Rhythm Programmer. I mastered the recording with my Commodore Amiga computer with MIDI sometime in 1987 or '88.

Here's where you can hear different versions of this song:
on.soundcloud.com/BfGqn
on.soundcloud.com/3wLUK
https://on.soundcloud.com/iQz9ySGsZ7sNpLQY8.

A version of this tune eventually ended up in my CD "Mostly Acoustic" available here: https://on.soundcloud.com/UssrPNYRW7yURbou5.

Black Whole of Love

"(Verse 1)
In the twilight of the silver screen,
A legend rose, unseen,
With a heart for tales untamed,
Roger Corman, they chanted your name.

(Chorus)
Roger Corman, King of the Bs,
You gave us tales wild and free,
From monsters deep to skies unknown,
In your world, we found a home.

(Verse 2)
Through "Little Shop of Horrors," fear and fun,
A blooming menace, second to none,
"The Pit and the Pendulum," a haunting sight,
You wove our dreams into the night.

(Verse 3)
With "The Raven" and its mystic lore,
And "House of Usher" by the shore,
Your films, a canvas of the strange,
In every frame, you made a change.

(Verse 4)
Through "Death Race 2000," a future bleak,
Your daring vision, unique,
From "X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes,"
You showed us life beyond disguise.

(Outro)
Now the curtain falls, the final scene,
Yet your legacy remains evergreen,
Roger Corman, forever be,
The King of the Bs, in our memory.
Roger Corman, forever be,
The King of the Bs, in our memory."

An homage to the late, great filmmaker Roger Corman. Trish Happel and I created the lyrics with ChatGPT and the music with Suno AI.

Roger Corman, King of the Bs

In the fall of 1991 Jon Navy electric guitarist and myself on electric bass got together in Jon's loft, if I remember correctly, to jam.

Guttersnipe (rehearsal)

This version of "Guttersnipe" has Jon Navy on lead electric guitar.

Guttersnipe 6

Mostly Acoustic

Rachel

Elmer 40

Artificial Heart

3D Warped Out Tuned In Video Fan

This new version has louder chipmunk voices. I wrote the song, sang lead vocal, played piano and other instruments. Ralph Warchol got the drum track from an LP. We altered the speed to create the chipmunk voice effect. That also helped with our perceived instrument playing agility. Ralph played the electric bass and perhaps other instruments, if I remember correctly. I believe this was originally recorded at Faith Chapel Radio Recording Studio in Berwyn (yes, Svengoolie's Berwyn). This dates the original recording because I had access to that studio after I began working there in January of 1981. I released the first version of this song on Jango Radio in 2009.

A version of this tune eventually ended up in my CD "Mostly Acoustic" available here: on.soundcloud.com/UssrPNYRW7yURbou5.

A version of this song won Best Psychedelic Song in The (2024) Psychedelic Film and Music Festival.

"The time is 12:23, last place I wanna be. 
When will it come?
 I've been waiting for an hour
 And my stomach's feeling sour. 
How late's the train run?

He doesn't know we're up here. 
He'll never guess. 
We're gonna soak him in light. 
Set the coordinates.

When will the train come? When will the train come?
 She thinks she's got me on her pinky. 
She hits me hot 'cause she's so slinky.
 When is it going to come?

The antigrav is on. Engage the brain caress. 
When he starts floating up record the grok he gets.

Good evening Clyde. 
We represent an advanced race of beings
 From a space colony orbiting the Dog Star Sirius.
 You may interpret this as a religious experience
But we want you to know that we are merely
 Manipulating your brain patterns via quantum waves
 To measure for the possibility of intelligent life 
Arising on your planet.

And I wake up on the train. I can't remember my own name.
 When did the train come?”

I wrote the song, sang lead vocal, played electric rhythm guitar. Ralph Warchol played a synthesizer of his for the drum track and low end. Perhaps it was Mike Davis's drum track, not sure. A friend of Ralph's, Dan the Man, played the electric guitar solo on this longer version of the song. This was recorded in Ralph's luxurious basement outfitted with his quarter inch reel-to-reel 8 channel recorder probably in very late 1982 or 1983.

Here's where you can hear different versions of this song:
on.soundcloud.com/H2Q9G
 on.soundcloud.com/eBUEA
https://on.soundcloud.com/FFknszkMBobWULbw8.

I consider myself a fringe transmedia conceptual artist and have experimented with all kinds of media like drawing, performance, writing, music, painting, moviemaking, game design since I was quite young. I'd love it if you would check out what I've got going here in the sound department.

Bohacz & Frenz

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