Stranger Than Fiction (Rock Bottom Remainders album)
Encyclopedia
Stranger Than Fiction is an album by various performers, most of whom are professional writers and amateur singers, released in 1998 on Kathi Kamen Goldmark
's "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Records. This album is an offshoot of the Rock Bottom Remainders
, aka the Wrockers ("writer" + "rocker").
The artists on Stranger Than Fiction include not only many of the Remainders, such as bestselling authors Stephen King
, Amy Tan
and Dave Barry
, but also rock critics Dave Marsh
, Ben Fong-Torres
and Greil Marcus
, film critic Leonard Maltin
and such literary heavyweights as Norman Mailer
and Maya Angelou
. Warren Zevon
contributed liner notes and a variety of famous musicians played on the tracks, including Zevon, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers
, and Jerry Jeff Walker
.
Proceeds from this project were contributed to a variety of charities promoting literature and literacy.
Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Kathi Kamen Goldmark is an American author, columnist, publishing consultant, radio and music producer, songwriter, and musician...
's "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Records. This album is an offshoot of the Rock Bottom Remainders
Rock Bottom Remainders
The Rock Bottom Remainders is a rock and roll band consisting of published writers, most of them both amateur musicians and popular English-language book, magazine, and newspaper authors. The band took its self-mocking name from the publishing term remaindered book, a work of which the unsold...
, aka the Wrockers ("writer" + "rocker").
The artists on Stranger Than Fiction include not only many of the Remainders, such as bestselling authors Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, Amy Tan
Amy Tan
Amy Tan is an American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships. Her most well-known work is The Joy Luck Club, which has been translated into 35 languages...
and Dave Barry
Dave Barry
David "Dave" Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author and columnist, who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comedic novels.-Biography:Barry was born in Armonk, New York,...
, but also rock critics Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
, Ben Fong-Torres
Ben Fong-Torres
Benjamin Fong-Torres is an American rock journalist, author, and broadcaster best known for his association with Rolling Stone magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle .-Biography:Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, Fong-Torres' father, Ricardo Fong-Torres Benjamin Fong-Torres (方振豪; Cantonese:...
and Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism.-Life and career:Marcus was born in San Francisco...
, film critic Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
and such literary heavyweights as Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer
Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
and Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
. Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
contributed liner notes and a variety of famous musicians played on the tracks, including Zevon, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
, and Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
.
Proceeds from this project were contributed to a variety of charities promoting literature and literacy.
Disc 1
- Stephen King, with Jeff "Skunk" Baxter: Bo DiddleyBo Diddley (song)"Bo Diddley" is a rhythm and blues song first recorded and sung by Bo Diddley at the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago and released on the Chess Records subsidiary, Checker Records in 1955. It became an immediate hit single that stayed on the R&B charts for a total of 18 weeks, 2 of those weeks...
- Amy Tan and Kathi Kamen Goldmark, with Wonderbuns Murphy, James W. Hall and Tony Goldmark: Jungle Hop
- Norman Mailer: Alimony Blues
- Dave Barry: Proofreading Woman
- Maya Angelou and Jessica MitfordJessica MitfordJessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford was an English author, journalist and political campaigner, who was one of the Mitford sisters...
: Right, Said Fred - Roy Blount, Jr.Roy Blount, Jr.Roy Alton Blount, Jr. is an American writer. Best known as a humorist, Blount is also a reporter, actor, and musician with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock band composed entirely of writers. He is also a former president of the Authors Guild....
, with Jim CampilongoJim CampilongoJim Campilongo is a U.S. guitarist/composer from San Francisco, currently residing in New York City. Most of his original music is instrumental, although he has featured the singers Norah Jones and Martha Wainwright on his last two releases, and he is a member of The Little Willies, which also...
and the Ten-Gallon Cats: Roly Poly - Oscar HijuelosOscar HijuelosOscar Jerome Hijuelos is an American novelist. He is the first Hispanic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.- Early life and career :...
: I Want To Eat - Cynthia Robins and Billy Philadelphia: Baby, It's Cold OutsideBaby, It's Cold OutsideBaby, It's Cold Outside may refer to:*"Baby, It's Cold Outside", a 1948 song by Frank Loesser*"Cold Outside", a song by country music band Big House from their self-titled debut album*"Baby, It's Cold Outside", a 1991 short story by Isaac Asimov...
- Leonard Maltin, with Meg Mackay: Act NaturallyAct Naturally"Act Naturally" is a song written by Johnny Russell and Voni Morrison, originally recorded by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, whose version reached number 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart in 1963, his first chart-topper...
- Bob GreeneBob GreeneRobert Bernard Greene, Jr. is an American journalist. He worked for 24 years for the Chicago Tribune newspaper, where he was an award-winning columnist. Greene has written books on subjects varying from Michael Jordan, to small towns, to U.S. presidents. His Hang Time: Days and Dreams with Michael...
: Rave On - Susanne Pari: Steamroller BluesSteamroller Blues"Steamroller Blues", often labelled just "Steamroller", is a song written by James Taylor, that first appeared on his 1970 breakthrough album Sweet Baby James. The song title comes from the first line: "I'm a steamroller baby, I'm bound to roll all over you..."...
- Sandra Choron, Roger ClarkLittle Roger and the GoosebumpsLittle Roger and the Goosebumps is a pop/rock band from San Francisco active during the 1970s and early 1980s and resurrected in 2006. It has been led throughout its history by Roger Clark and Dick Bright, with various sidemen....
, KK Goldmark, Dian Langlois, Bud E. Luv, Greil Marcus, Susanne Pari, Gail Parenteau, Faith Sale, Joel SelvinJoel SelvinJoel Selvin is a San Francisco-based music critic and author known for his weekly column in the San Francisco Chronicle which ran from 1972 to 2009. Selvin has written books covering various aspects of pop music and has interviewed a large number of musical artists...
, and Amy Tan: Double Shot Of My Baby's LoveDouble Shot (Of My Baby's Love)Double Shot is a popular song written by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter and originally recorded by Dick Holler & the Holidays. It was later recorded by The Swingin' Medallions who released it as their second single in 1966. The song became a Top 20 hit for the group, peaking at #17 on the U.S.... - Molly IvinsMolly IvinsMary Tyler "Molly" Ivins was an American newspaper columnist, populist, political commentator, humorist and author.-Early life and education:Ivins was born in Monterey, California, and raised in Houston, Texas...
, with Jimmy LaFaveJimmy LaFaveJimmy LaFave is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician born in Wills Point, Texas, a small farming community located near Dallas. At a young age, LaFave's family moved to the Dallas suburb of Mesquite, Texas where he attended junior high and high school. By the early teens LaFave was...
, Jerry Jeff Walker and friends: It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk AngelsIt Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" is a 1952 country song written by J. D. "Jay" Miller, and originally recorded by Kitty Wells. It was an answer song to the Hank Thompson hit "The Wild Side of Life."... - Robert ReichRobert ReichRobert Bernard Reich is an American political economist, professor, author, and political commentator. He served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and was Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997....
: Chain GangChain Gang (song)"Chain Gang" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. When released as a single in 1960, the song performed very well, reaching #2 in the United States pop and R&B charts, and #9 in the United Kingdom.... - Tomie dePaolaTomie dePaolaThomas Anthony "Tomie A." dePaola , is an American author and illustrator of over 200 children's books, including Caldecott Honor book Strega Nona and Newbery Honor book 26 Fairmount Avenue. DePaola was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 2011.-Biography:DePaola was born in Meriden,...
, with Harry Choron and Adaire Elizabeth Kamen: On The Good Ship LollipopOn the Good Ship Lollipop"On the Good Ship Lollipop" was the trademark song of child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 movie Bright Eyes. The "ship" in the song is an aircraft; the scene in Bright Eyes where the song appears takes place on an American Airlines Douglas DC-2 which is taxiing. In the... - Stephen King, with Warren Zevon: Stand by MeStand by Me (song)"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...
Disc 2
- Ben Fong-Torres: Rainy Day Bookstores (a parody of Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35)
- Blanche McCrary BoydBlanche McCrary BoydBlanche McCrary Boyd is an American author whose novels are known for their eccentric characters. Her most recent novel is Terminal Velocity, written in 1997...
: Hot Rod LincolnHot Rod Lincoln"Hot Rod Lincoln" was recorded in 1955, as an answer song to "Hot Rod Race", a 1951 hit for Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys. Hot Rod Race tells the story of a late-model Ford and Mercury who end up racing along the highway, neither driver gaining an advantage, and staying "neck and neck"... - Dave Barry: TupperwareTupperwareTupperware is the name of a home products line that includes preparation, storage, containment, and serving products for the kitchen and home, which were first introduced to the public in 1946....
Blues - Peggy OrensteinPeggy OrensteinPeggy Orenstein is the author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, An Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, A Romantic Night, and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother .Previous books include, Flux: Women on Sex, Work,...
: Man Smart, Woman Smarter - Leonard Maltin, with the Android Sisters: If I Had A Talking Picture Of You
- Walter M. Mayes: Johnny Get Angry
- Amy Tan: These Boots Are Made For Walking
- Molly Ivins, Bob LivingstonBob Livingston (musician)Bob Livingston is a musician from Texas. He is a singer-songwriter, bass player, and a founding member of The Lost Gonzo Band. Livingston was a key figure instigating the cosmic cowboy, progressive country and outlaw country music movements that distinguished the Austin, TX music scene in the 1970s...
and Jerry Jeff Walker, with Ron Erwin, KK Goldmark, Tony Goldmark, John Inmon, Jimmy LaFave, Wonderbuns Murphy, Glenn Schuetz, and the Tourettes: Happy Birthday, Mitzi GaynorMitzi Gaynor-Life and career:Gaynor was born as Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber in Chicago, Illinois to Pauline Fisher, a dancer, and Henry von Gerber, a violinist, cellist, and music director. The family first moved to Detroit and when she was eleven to Hollywood, California.She trained as a ballerina... - Louis B. JonesLouis B. JonesLouis B. Jones is an American author and screenwriter. He has written three novels, all of which have been named New York Times Notable Books of their respective years. His third novel, California's Over, was named the LA Times' Best Book of the Year in 1997. He is an NEA fellow and a fellow of the...
, with Kevin GriffinKevin GriffinKevin Griffin is an American guitarist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter.Griffin formed the alternative rock band Better Than Ezra in 1988. The band had great success in the 1990s with hits such as "Good", "In the Blood", and "Desperately Wanting", and has continued in the 2000s with hits such...
and Nion McEvoy: Wall Of Death - Norris Church MailerNorris Church MailerNorris Church Mailer was the widow of American novelist, Norman Mailer, and author of the memoir, A Ticket to the Circus, and of several novels.Before her relationship with Mailer, she married Larry Norris, gave birth to son Matthew in 1972, and was divorced in 1975...
: You'll Come Back, You Always Do - Critical Mess, featuring Roy Blount, Jr., and Dave Marsh, with Lou AronicaLou AronicaLou Aronica is an American editor and publisher, primarily of science fiction. He co-edited the Full Spectrum anthologies with Shawna McCarthy. As a publisher he began at Bantam Books and formed their Bantam Spectra science fiction and fantasy label...
, Marc Barasch, The Chorelles, Tom Dupree, Tony Goldmark, Matt GroeningMatt GroeningMatthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, and Peter SchneiderPeter SchneiderPeter Schneider may refer to:* Peter Schneider , German novelist* Peter Schneider , US movie executive, former president of the Walt Disney Studios...
: Wild ThingWild ThingWild Thing or Wild Things can refer to:In entertainment:* "Wild Thing" , a 1965 song that was a hit for The Troggs* "Wild Thing" , a 1989 song by rapper Tone Lōc... - Mary MackeyMary Mackey-Biography:Mackey was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her father was a physician. Her mother worked as a chemist in the Mead Johnson laboratories during World War II...
: Busted - Tananarive P. DueTananarive DueTananarive Due is an American author.-Biography:Tananarive Priscilla Due was born in Tallahassee, Florida, the oldest of three daughters of civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due and civil rights lawyer John D. Due Jr...
, with Warren Zevon and the Tananarettes: Proud Mary - Damn Right I Got the Blues, featuring Ken FollettKen FollettKen Follett is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold more than 100 million copies of his works. Four of his books have reached the number 1 ranking on the New York Times best-seller list: The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, and World Without End.-Early...
, with Graham Coster, Richard Gillinson, Anthony Harwood, Cefyn Jones, and Marie-Claire Follett: I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man - Digby Diehl and Kay Diehl: Hit The Road JackHit the Road Jack"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a capella demo sent to Art Rupe, available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2. It became famous after it was recorded by singer-pianist Ray Charles. It hit number...
- Stephen King and Kathi Kamen Goldmark: You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover