A Halo Called Fred
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A Halo Called Fred is an independent band that played on the college circuit, mostly in New Jersey and at Rutgers University. Their original songs can be loosely classified as comedy rock, citing influences such as The Beatles and The Muppets.
Halo achieved minor fame and national press in 1994 by making their song (Hat) available as one of the first MP3 files for download through the IUMA web service.
Their first full album, Chester's Dozen, was released in 1994. It was recorded on primitive 4-track equipment in 1993 and 1994. Highlights include the songs "Butt", "Mr. Hooper", and "Hugs are Better Than Drugs". This was followed in 1995 by the EP Body Parts and Flying Things, including the songs "Brain" and "Aliens". Their songs were also played on local radio stations, such as Rutgers University radio station WRSU-FM.
The credits for Chester's Dozen and Body Parts and Flying Things list the members' stage names as:
- Geverend Dee - acoustic guitar, cantos
- Brushwood Thicket Farmer - found percussion, card table, cantos
- Jim Bob Rubbernecker - bass on the go
- I.F. Chester - cosmic vibes
In 1996, joined by a new guitarist, the band switched to 8-track recording in the studio, and released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, a parody of the Beatles album title. The album was popular with the band's fan base. "Please Stop Kicking My Head", "Mexican Love Song or Love Song for (insert your name here)", and "Blymy the Pyrate" became mainstays of their live show.
The credits for Sgt. Pepper's are listed as:
- Geverend Fredrick Dee - acoustic guitars, mandolin, piano, ARP synth, cheesy Casio
- Brushwood Thicket Freedrick Farmer - plastic buckets, fondue pot, plates, Fisher Price toys, card table, random percussion.
- Jim Bob Freddy Rubbernecker -- bass, Moog synthesizer, maybe piano
- Gerrymiah T. Froadrick Bullfrog -- acoustic guitars, pedals, BALLS!
- I.F.F. Chester - cosmic vibes
Later, the band switched to digital recording and production, releasing Necessity is the Motherfucker of Invention (or NITMFOI) in 1999. "Dig", "Minuet in F", "Hypothetical Twist", and "Zoom Zebbatab" are highlights of the album. Also of note are the "radio edits" included on the CD; a reviewer called them more bizarre than the original songs.
The lineup for this album:
- Geverend Dee - guitar, lead singing, noise
- Brushwood Thicket Farmer - percussion, lead singing, more noise
- Jim Bob Rubbernecker - bass, singing, alternate noise
- Gerrymiah T. Bullfrog - lead guitar, more singing, noisy-noise yo
- I.F. Chester - cosmic vibes, negative noise
Although this was the last major album release, they continued to play live shows with Tiny replacing Jim Bob Rubbernecker on Bass.
All of Halo's early albums were remastered for CD in 2000. In 2002, Sgt. Pepper's was briefly made available by the band as a free download. Notably, the band has stated that their music can be freely shared, even though they retain copyright. They continue to make their music available through their website and services such as iTunes and Napster.
Since breaking up, the band has played reunion shows from time to time, including a Demarest reunion and the Wicked Winter Renaissance Faire. They have also released the singles "I Found Me A Rubber Pussy In A Truck Stop In Vegas" (2000, on the compilation "Kitra Volume 3"), "Tuna is an Ugly Fish" (2000), and "Stomping on your Christmas Cheer" (2004).
