I will not play Chipmunk Punk. I will not play Chipmunk Punk. I will not play Chimpmunk Punk.
That is the lesson I took from my most recent DJ gig.You would be amazed at the number of disapproving glances that hard-to-find-but-harder-to-take LP can elicit.
Or, as one reluctant listener said: “You disappoint me, Wig.”
Do I? Or are the chimpmunks just too punk for you, punk?
Oh, fair enough. And, now that I think about it, I recall a similar reaction to my attempt(s?) to foist upon an unsuspecting public the theme from Fraggle Rock.
(Incidentally, if you love the above ditty I recommend checking out Happy Flowers’ equally strong Stop Touching My Food. Since the band’s demise, there has been a definite gap in the market when it comes to music for petulant pre-schoolers.)
I would say there is no accounting for taste, but I am aware of the fact that I am on the wrong side of history here.
On the other hand, patrons at the same local record store gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the “Shotgun Mix” of Mitsou’s Bye Bye Mon Cowboy. And, more than once, I have received praise (of a sort) for my bold stance on the music of the one and only Mrs. Miller.
Seriously.
It goes to show you never can tell.
Except, that is, with Chipmunk Punk. Even if you play the strongest song on the album: a cover of Refugee.
If you’re not familiar with the album, you could be forgiven for thinking the idea of chipmunks singing Tom Petty, Blondie and The Cars utterly adorable — if not exactly punk.
And possibly more grating than great.
So fair enough. I still have my Hanson remixes and a clutch of Montenegro albums to draw from if I feel the crowd is in need of a challenge. Or needs to be thinned-out a little… or a lot.
But worry not, music lovers: Never again will you have to endure the sound of chipmunks gone punk. Unless, of course, someone requests it. (Note to self: Always bring Chipmunk Punk LP, just in case.)
Or perhaps we can come to some sort of compromise that will be easier on the ear.
There. That’s better. ‘Munk rock menace averted.
Provided, of course, those Technics turntables have a ’16’ speed setting.
Wig Bubbles 