Fear of Pop
Encyclopedia
Fear of Pop is the name of an experimental recording project by Ben Folds
(of Ben Folds Five
) and Caleb Southern
(Ben Folds Five's long-time producer), along with John Mark Painter
(of Fleming and John
), William Shatner
and others. Their only album Volume 1
was released in 1998
.
as an outlet to make music away from Ben Folds Five. In an open letter to fans on Frank Maynard's quasi-official Ben Folds Five website, Folds said that Fear of Pop had "helped satisfy my need to express some things musically - textures, orchestration, rhythms - things that don't always naturally fall into the standard three minute singer/song format. I love to paint sounds in an abstract way, discovering their effect after it's all put together. Once you’ve sold a million records, you've earned the right to experiment self-indulgently at the expense of your record company."
In 1998, 550 Records (under Epic
/Sony) released Folds' Volume 1
. The cover of the album, an image entitled "Just Your Average Second On This Planet" by David Bethell, featured the silhouette of a running man (possibly naked, possibly Ben Folds) being pursued by cowboys on horseback with lassos. The back of the album case showed the silhouette of a boy in a cowboy outfit sitting on a park bench, apparently pleasuring himself. The inner cover showed a woman being stabbed by a man on a television set seen by an open city window. At some stores, a limited edition 12" vinyl single for "In Love" was bundled for free with Volume 1. It featured a remix of the song by Thievery Corporation
, as well as a couple of cuts off of the album.
Although considered a Ben Folds solo project (his first since forming Ben Folds Five) the band also included a large cast of other musicians, significantly Southern and Painter. Perhaps most notably, William Shatner
provided vocals on "In Love" (as well as the reprise, "Still in Love"). Painter's wife, Fleming McWilliams, also sang on several tracks. Frally Hynes, Folds' then-girlfriend (and now ex-wife), performed frantic lead vocals on "Root to This." Folds himself sang on a number of songs as well.
On January 22, 1999 Fear of Pop gave their first and only live performance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien
. They performed "In Love", with William Shatner on lead vocals, along with Folds and McWilliams quietly duetting underneath the actor's monologue. Eddie Walker, the drummer for Folds' first band, Majosha
, played drums during this appearance.
Folds has hinted that another "Fear of Pop" album will eventually be recorded, with Volume 3 being the rumored title.
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
(of Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
) and Caleb Southern
Caleb Southern
Caleb Southern is an American musician and record producer. He has worked with Ben Folds Five, Fear of Pop and Archers of Loaf. He currently lives in Downtown Durham, North Carolina, and is a member of Partners Against Crime, District 5.-References:...
(Ben Folds Five's long-time producer), along with John Mark Painter
John Mark Painter
John Mark Painter is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known for his role, with his wife, singer Fleming McWilliams, in the rock and roll duo, Fleming and John....
(of Fleming and John
Fleming and John
Fleming and John is a musical husband and wife team, Fleming McWilliams and John Mark Painter, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.The couple met while attending Belmont College in Nashville, and immediately began collaborating on songs...
), William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
and others. Their only album Volume 1
Fear of Pop: Volume 1
Volume 1 is the name of the first album by the experimental band Fear of Pop. The album was a project of Ben Folds, John Mark Painter, Fleming McWilliams, and others...
was released in 1998
1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
.
Biography
Folds and Southern began recording music for the "Fear of Pop" project during 1997 in various locations around the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as an outlet to make music away from Ben Folds Five. In an open letter to fans on Frank Maynard's quasi-official Ben Folds Five website, Folds said that Fear of Pop had "helped satisfy my need to express some things musically - textures, orchestration, rhythms - things that don't always naturally fall into the standard three minute singer/song format. I love to paint sounds in an abstract way, discovering their effect after it's all put together. Once you’ve sold a million records, you've earned the right to experiment self-indulgently at the expense of your record company."
In 1998, 550 Records (under Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
/Sony) released Folds' Volume 1
Fear of Pop: Volume 1
Volume 1 is the name of the first album by the experimental band Fear of Pop. The album was a project of Ben Folds, John Mark Painter, Fleming McWilliams, and others...
. The cover of the album, an image entitled "Just Your Average Second On This Planet" by David Bethell, featured the silhouette of a running man (possibly naked, possibly Ben Folds) being pursued by cowboys on horseback with lassos. The back of the album case showed the silhouette of a boy in a cowboy outfit sitting on a park bench, apparently pleasuring himself. The inner cover showed a woman being stabbed by a man on a television set seen by an open city window. At some stores, a limited edition 12" vinyl single for "In Love" was bundled for free with Volume 1. It featured a remix of the song by Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists, including current drummer Jeff Franca...
, as well as a couple of cuts off of the album.
Although considered a Ben Folds solo project (his first since forming Ben Folds Five) the band also included a large cast of other musicians, significantly Southern and Painter. Perhaps most notably, William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
provided vocals on "In Love" (as well as the reprise, "Still in Love"). Painter's wife, Fleming McWilliams, also sang on several tracks. Frally Hynes, Folds' then-girlfriend (and now ex-wife), performed frantic lead vocals on "Root to This." Folds himself sang on a number of songs as well.
On January 22, 1999 Fear of Pop gave their first and only live performance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. They performed "In Love", with William Shatner on lead vocals, along with Folds and McWilliams quietly duetting underneath the actor's monologue. Eddie Walker, the drummer for Folds' first band, Majosha
Majosha
Majosha was a band formed around early 1988 with Ben Folds on bass, Millard Powers on guitar, and Dave Rich on drums. They played their first show at Duke University's Battle of the Bands in 1988 and won. Majosha released an EP, Party Night: Five Songs About Jesus in 1988, which contained four...
, played drums during this appearance.
Folds has hinted that another "Fear of Pop" album will eventually be recorded, with Volume 3 being the rumored title.