Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers

Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers

From left to right, Wayne Chaulk, Kevin Blackmore, and Ray Johnson, performing in typically offbeat garb.
Background information
Origin Newfoundland, Canada
Genres Newfoundland, folk, comedy
Years active 1983 (1983)–present
Website www.buddywasisname.com
Members Kevin Blackmore
Wayne Chaulk
Ray Johnson

Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers is the name of a musical and comedy trio from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, which is composed of Kevin Blackmore ("Buddy Wasisname"), Wayne Chaulk, and Ray Johnson ("The Other Fellers"). Their recordings also feature Wayne Chaulk on bass or guitar, Ray Johnson on accordion or fiddle, and Kevin Blackmore on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and any number of improvised percussion instruments including Tupperware lids and garbage bags. All three sing and write songs; however, Johnson often arranges traditional accordion numbers for the band to perform.

History

Band name

The group's name, and in fact the names of many of their albums and songs, contain phonetic spellings of colloquial contractions and phrases native to Newfoundland. This nomenclature is a reflection on the group's focus on Newfoundland culture, since most Newfoundlanders immediately recognize the intended meanings despite the atypical spelling. Normally however, these would only be spoken aloud and in an informal setting. The band name in particular plays on the practice of Newfoundlanders rapidly slurring words together in day to day speech; thus the word "wasisname" for example is (perhaps predictably) a contraction of "what's his name?", however, in Newfoundland "Buddy Wasisname" is simply a version of "I can't remember his name". "Fellers" is simply a dialectal form of "fellas" or "fellows".

1980s

Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers were formed in Newfoundland, Canada in 1983. Two of the three group members (Johnson and Chaulk) were school teachers prior to forming their group. Their first album, "Makin' For the Harbour" was released in 1986. The album relied heavily on Newfoundland standards and Blackmore's comedy numbers; Chaulk made one significant contribution with "Yesterday's Fishermen". "Gotta Get Me Moose B'y" would become their early career signature tune, and remains one of their more popular songs today. Next on the roster was "Nods'N'Winks", a decidedly non-descript album mostly notable for Blackmore's "My Old Wooden Shack", which features Johnson on accordion and vocals. It is, however, at this point in the group's history that their popularity began to rise.

1990s

The group's third album, Flatout, was released in 1990, and marks the point when the group's popularity soared. The album contains two of their most popular songs. One, "Sarah", was an a cappella tune Johnson learned from his adoptive father Johnny. The other, "Saltwater Joys", is the pinnacle of Chaulk's writing, and remains one of their most requested concert songs to this day. Another song on the album, "Peein' in the Snow" also became a hit after being performed on several comedy programs. After Flatout came the smash success of The Miracle Cure, which is their biggest album to date. The album contains their most popular humorous song in "Chainsaw Earle"; two consistently popular Chaulk songs in "Goin' Up with Brudder" and "The Pits", the latter of which a music video was produced; and several popular Johnson traditionals including "Put A Bit of Powder On A Doo" and "Peggy Gordon".

After the success of The Miracle Cure, the group put out 100% Pure, another popular album (though not as hugely successful as their previous). Possibly the album's most popular song is "Song for Newfoundland", an a cappella Chaulk anthem that has been covered often by many Newfoundland vocal groups. Also, the album contains what is probably their most popular song not written by one of the three members of the group: "By The Glow Of The Kerosene Light", written by Wince Coles, which featured additional players in the form of cello, harp and piano, an arrangement not often seen in the group's catalogue. The album holds the first track from Blackmore's legendary "454" series, called "The Vette". The rest of the 454 four barrel series is (note the Newfoundland English): "Da' Yammie" (Salt Beef Junkie), "Da' Chopper" (D'Lard Liftin), and "Da' Mower" (The Big Tump). Succeeding 100% Pure was Salt Beef Junkie, the album which deviates from their original style most. The opening track features a full rock backing band in addition to Chaulk's guitar and Johnson's accordion; "He's A Part Of Me" features the same backing trio as "Kerosene Light"; and many of the tracks feature George Morgan's drum machines. The album's writing, however, does not sound drastically different from their original songs.

Musical style

All three musicians are Newfoundlanders, and their musical style strongly reflects this fact. The group specializes in Newfoundland and folk music, as well as performing comedic skits and standup routines. Their most popular recordings range from serious reflections on Newfoundland culture (such as "Sarah" and "Saltwater Joys" ), to light-hearted tales that can border on the ridiculous (such as "Is You 'Appy?" and "Chainsaw Earle" ). Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers have been a prolific group for over 30 years, producing a total of nineteen albums, and still maintain an active touring schedule throughout the Atlantic provinces, and other select Canadian cities.

Discography

Albums

*Denotes a compilation of previously released songs.

DVDs

External links


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