The Credibility Gap
Encyclopedia
The Credibility Gap was a satirical comedy team comprising Harry Shearer
, Richard Beebe
, David L. Lander
and Michael McKean
. Lew Irwin
, John Gilliland
, Thom Beck
, and Len Chandler
also performed in their early days. They emerged in the late 1960s doing comedic commentary on the news for the Los Angeles AM rock radio station KRLA 1110, and proceeded to develop more elaborate and ambitious satirical routines on the "underground" station KPPC-FM, Pasadena, California.
formed The Credibility Gap in 1968 with his radio colleagues John Gilliland
, Thom Beck
, Richard Beebe
, and folk singer Len Chandler
. They took their name from the Vietnam-era term Credibility gap
, a euphemism
for political dishonesty, and broadcast their comedy along with the news on KRLA.
In 1968, they released An Album Of Political Pornography for Blue Thumb.
In 1969, they performed on KRLA's Pop Chronicles
music documentary, where their lineup included Bob Goodwin. As radio professionals left the group, the group came to be dominated by comedians. KRLA dropped the show in 1970. Mark Deming writes of this transition:
They were fired by KPPC-FM in 1971. Then they started performing in various clubs and concert venues. Harry Shearer writes of this time: "the radio years were followed by two records we'll still speak about--1974's 'A Great Gift Idea' (Reprise
), and 1975's 'The Bronze Age of Radio' (Waterhouse
)".
(recording an album in character as "Lenny and the Squigtones
") and Shearer and McKean as members of the mock-rock band Spinal Tap
. Three of the surviving members (Shearer, McKean, and Lander) held a reunion at the Museum of Television and Radio in 1999.
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
, Richard Beebe
Richard Beebe
Richard Beebe was on the air for five decades in Los Angeles and won two Golden Mic Awards. A founding member of The Credibility Gap, his experience and wit that moulded into its famous four man group. He was an original Beatnik still working and being creative in the late 1960s when he discovered...
, David L. Lander
David Lander
David L. Lander is an American actor, comedian, composer, musician, and baseball scout. David is also the Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.- Biography :...
and Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
. Lew Irwin
Lew Irwin
Lew Irwin has been a Los Angeles-based journalist for more than 50 years. He was the original anchor/reporter at KABC-TV from 1957–1962 and the news director of Los Angeles radio stations KPOL, KRLA, KDAY, and KNX-FM...
, John Gilliland
John Gilliland
John Sanford Gilliland, Jr. was an American radio broadcaster and documentarian best known for the Pop Chronicles music documentaries and as one of the original members of The Credibility Gap. He was born and died in his hometown of Quanah, Texas...
, Thom Beck
Thom Beck
Thom Beck was a founding member of The Credibility Gap while at KRLA 1110 radio, where he also narrated part of the Pop Chronicles. He is deceased.-Links:* * [ The Credibility Gap] from allmusic-References:...
, and Len Chandler
Len Chandler
Len Hunt Chandler, Jr. , better known as Len Chandler, is a folk musician from Akron, Ohio.-Biography:He showed an early interest in music and began playing piano at age 8. Studying classical music in his early teens, he learned to play the oboe so he could join the high school band, and during...
also performed in their early days. They emerged in the late 1960s doing comedic commentary on the news for the Los Angeles AM rock radio station KRLA 1110, and proceeded to develop more elaborate and ambitious satirical routines on the "underground" station KPPC-FM, Pasadena, California.
Lew Irwin and The Credibility Gap
KRLA 1110 news director Lew IrwinLew Irwin
Lew Irwin has been a Los Angeles-based journalist for more than 50 years. He was the original anchor/reporter at KABC-TV from 1957–1962 and the news director of Los Angeles radio stations KPOL, KRLA, KDAY, and KNX-FM...
formed The Credibility Gap in 1968 with his radio colleagues John Gilliland
John Gilliland
John Sanford Gilliland, Jr. was an American radio broadcaster and documentarian best known for the Pop Chronicles music documentaries and as one of the original members of The Credibility Gap. He was born and died in his hometown of Quanah, Texas...
, Thom Beck
Thom Beck
Thom Beck was a founding member of The Credibility Gap while at KRLA 1110 radio, where he also narrated part of the Pop Chronicles. He is deceased.-Links:* * [ The Credibility Gap] from allmusic-References:...
, Richard Beebe
Richard Beebe
Richard Beebe was on the air for five decades in Los Angeles and won two Golden Mic Awards. A founding member of The Credibility Gap, his experience and wit that moulded into its famous four man group. He was an original Beatnik still working and being creative in the late 1960s when he discovered...
, and folk singer Len Chandler
Len Chandler
Len Hunt Chandler, Jr. , better known as Len Chandler, is a folk musician from Akron, Ohio.-Biography:He showed an early interest in music and began playing piano at age 8. Studying classical music in his early teens, he learned to play the oboe so he could join the high school band, and during...
. They took their name from the Vietnam-era term Credibility gap
Credibility gap
Credibility gap is a political term that came into wide use during the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, it was most frequently used to describe public skepticism about the Lyndon B. Johnson administration's statements and policies on the Vietnam War...
, a euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
for political dishonesty, and broadcast their comedy along with the news on KRLA.
In 1968, they released An Album Of Political Pornography for Blue Thumb.
The Credibility Gap
Pop Chronicles
The Pop Chronicles are two radio documentary series which together "may constitute the most complete audio history of 1940s-60s popular music." Both were produced by John Gilliland.-The Pop Chronicles of the 50s and 60s:...
music documentary, where their lineup included Bob Goodwin. As radio professionals left the group, the group came to be dominated by comedians. KRLA dropped the show in 1970. Mark Deming writes of this transition:
[I]n late 1968, Thom Beck left the group, and Lew Irwin followed in early 1969 ... . Joining the Credibility Gap in their absence were Harry Shearer ... and David L. Lander... . By 1970, Len Chandler and John Gilliland had drifted away from the Credibility Gap, and ... Michael McKean, had joined the team, though the troupe's relationship with KRLA had soured and their show had been shrunk from 15 minutes to a mere 180 seconds. However, after Shearer landed a side gig as a disc jockey on an FM "free form" outlet, KPPC, the Credibility Gap found a new home on the station, and the group's satire gained both sharpness and depth.
They were fired by KPPC-FM in 1971. Then they started performing in various clubs and concert venues. Harry Shearer writes of this time: "the radio years were followed by two records we'll still speak about--1974's 'A Great Gift Idea' (Reprise
Reprise
Reprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
), and 1975's 'The Bronze Age of Radio' (Waterhouse
Waterhouse
-A:* Agnes Waterhouse , the first woman executed for witchcraft in England* Alfred Waterhouse , an English architect* Andrew Waterhouse , a British poet and musician-B:* Benjamin Waterhouse , an American physician...
)".
After The Credibility Gap
The group disbanded in 1976, but the members have had occasion to work together since—notably the pairings of McKean and Lander as Lenny and Squiggy on the situation comedy Laverne & ShirleyLaverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
(recording an album in character as "Lenny and the Squigtones
Lenny and the Squigtones
Lenny and the Squigtones is a fictional musical group headed by Michael McKean and David Lander, the two actors who played the characters Lenny and Squiggy on the television series Laverne & Shirley. Recorded live at the Roxy in Hollywood, they perform parodies of 50's rock ballads...
") and Shearer and McKean as members of the mock-rock band Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap (band)
Spinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
. Three of the surviving members (Shearer, McKean, and Lander) held a reunion at the Museum of Television and Radio in 1999.
Lew Irwin and The Credibility Gap
- An Album of Political Pornography (Blue Thumb, 1968)
The Credibility Gap
- Woodshtick and More (1971)
- A Great Gift Idea (RepriseRepriseReprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
, 1974) - The Bronze Age of Radio (WaterhouseWaterhouse-A:* Agnes Waterhouse , the first woman executed for witchcraft in England* Alfred Waterhouse , an English architect* Andrew Waterhouse , a British poet and musician-B:* Benjamin Waterhouse , an American physician...
, 1977) - Floats & A Great Gift Idea (Double LP) (Sierra, 1979)
External links
- Credibility Gap History and Audio from the official Harry Shearer Website.
- Sketch Artists: The Credibility Gap's one-night stand By Robert Lloyd, Wednesday, November 10, 1999, L.A. Weekly
- IGN interview with Harry Shearer
- Biography and Discography
- Len Chandler Discography
- The Credibility Gap performs (audio) on the Pop ChroniclesPop ChroniclesThe Pop Chronicles are two radio documentary series which together "may constitute the most complete audio history of 1940s-60s popular music." Both were produced by John Gilliland.-The Pop Chronicles of the 50s and 60s:...
(1969).