Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Herschell Goes to Heaven (New Harley Poe Song)


I had written and illustrated this story years ago and have been trying to get it published in the form of a baby book ever since, but I guess it just isn't meant to be.  Rue Morgue magazine published a piece on me back in issue #54 and featured a few of its pages alongside the article, and I self published and pressed 200 black and white versions about two years ago. Still, I don't feel many people have seen it, and at the time I finished it I was very proud, so it's a bit disappointing.  I guess it's okay that it never got picked up by a publishing company.  It's my first attempt at an illustrated story in the form of a children's book.  I'll do a better job and write a longer story next time.  I've put music to the poem and recorded it in the studio of my buddy and band mate Gregg Manfredi.  So here you go.  Please enjoy.

8 comments:

  1. It would be great if both the story and this song got published together. I think it could make a nice accompanying piece. Such as if a 7" single record with a copy of the story.

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  2. What song would be on the other side? Any suggestions? A different version of an old one? An old cover? I would love to do this.

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  3. Honestly, I think it would be great if you were able to do "It's Christmas Time Again" to go with the whole winter snowman things. Also, one of the things I had always thought would be great if you did would be a cover of the title song "The South Will Rise Again" from the Herschell Gordon Lewis movie Two Thousand Maniacs. That would be a great cover. Other great songs I'd love to see on vinyl would be "Corpse Grindin' Man" and "Gordon" (the acoustic solo version on the Whiteford Project page)

    I know of a small vinyl pressing plant in Ohio that does small runs of vinyl relatively cheap. They even do colored ones, like as if a white with red splatters, which would kinda go with the blood on snow.

    This is all suggestion though, because I really enjoy your music, I wanted to get a copy of this story when you first talked about it, and I'd loved to see more of your music come out on vinyl. It would be amazing if this came out and I'm glad you're interested too.

    Here is a link to that pressing plant,

    http://gottagrooverecords.com/tag/vinyl-pressing/

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  4. Oh dear, we just did a new fast acoustic version of "Corpse Grindin' Man" but left it off the new vinyl. That one and "Olivia" were recorded, but we cut them so there wouldn't be too many old songs. Regretting that now. Would love to do a cover of "The South Will Rise Again." Love that movie.

    Thanks for the info. I'll check it out. I'm really into collecting old Halloween and horror LPs. I love the art. After this new Harley Poe album, I'd like to do a collections of 7 inches with old horror rock 'n' roll songs like "Monster Mash" except more obscure ones. I'd like to illustrate a creepy cover for each one.

    In the future, since CDs are becoming obsolete, if I release anymore songs, they will be on vinyl. So glad someone else is interested.

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  5. That 7 inch collection is a great idea, and I hope to see that happen. I'd definitely pick those up if they did.

    One of my favorite horror themed albums from the past was this record by The Ghouls called Dracula's Deuce. Its got some great surf rock tunes and some fantastically cheesy parodies of some popular songs. It's great.

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  6. I have some of their songs on Halloween compilations. I went searching for the record last night and found a copy for sale. Still debating whether or not I want to lay down the money. Thanks a lot.

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  7. I ordered the record from Japan and it came in today. Absolutely love it!

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  8. Joe, I drew Herschell on the front of my friends my friends oven with dry erase marker. She loved it.

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