PROFESSOR BIZARRES FUNKNOLOGY

Dr. John: Professor Bizarre’s Funknology 2LP was the 8th fan voted title and 9th ROG release pressed on vinyl. Limited to 1,691 LPs worldwide and delivered to stores in February 2018. Includes a 2-sided insert with biography about Dr. John that was supplied by OffBeat Magazine in New Orleans. If you missed out on the pre-order check our store locator to find an authorized Run Out Groove dealer near you.

Vinyl info:
Sourced from the original analog masters, the 2LP was mastered for vinyl by Pete Weiss at Verdant Studios with lacquers cut by Jeff Powell at Sam Phillips Recording Studio. 180g black vinyl was pressed at Record Industry in the Netherlands. Gatefold tip-on jackets with (2) 11x11 inserts were manufactured at Stoughton Printing Company.

Details about the record:
A brand new collection includes 1 LP of the best Atco Records tracks and an additional LP of unreleased demos, recorded by Dr. John between the years 1968-1974. The bonus material has never been issued before on any format.

Info about the band:
Born in New Orleans in 1940 as Malcom John Rebennack, he eventually took the stage name of Dr. John and went on to become a legendary songwriter, pianist and guitarist whose iconic music combines blues, jazz, boogie woogie, Cajun and rock n’ roll influences. At an early age he was exposed to burgeoning rock artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, James Booker, Earl King and Professor Longhair, all who played a big influence on Dr. John’s developing style. In the late 1950s, Rebennack concentrated on playing guitar as a session musician but his career as a guitarist was cut short in 1960 when his left ring finger was injured by a gunshot defending keyboardist Ronnie Barron in a Mississippi bar fight. He then focused on bass, eventually making piano his main instrument with Professor Longhair being an important influence on his style of playing. In 1965 he moved to Los Angeles where he became a “first call” session musician in the LA studio scene in the 1960s and 70s and was part of the “Wrecking Crew” stable of studio musicians. He backed up Sonny & Cher, Canned Heat, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and many others. By the mid-1960s, Rebennack’s fascination and preoccupation with New Orleans voodoo culture helped to influence and develop the idea for what would become the Dr. John persona which would define him for the rest of his career. By 1968 Rebennack started to gain fame as a solo -artist using the persona of Dr. John the Night Tripper and featuring elaborate costumes and stage shows influenced by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins act. “Gris-Gris” was Dr. John’s debut album for Atco Records and is ranked #143rd on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. He recorded three more albums for Atco: Babylon (1969), Remedies (1970) and The Sun, Moon and Herbs (1971) that all followed suit with voodoo influences and New Orleans traditional music. By 1971, Dr. John had gained a notable cult following that included artists such as Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger, both of whom took part in the Sun, Moon and Herbs sessions. The album also served as a bridge from voodoo psychedelic Night Tripper to a persona more closely associated with traditional New Orleans R&B and funk music. He is best known for his recordings done between the years 1972-1974 and “Dr. John’s Gumbo” cut in 1972 is considered a cornerstone of New Orleans music. Dr. John was quoted in his 1994 autobiography as saying “I tried to keep a lot of little changed that were characteristic of New Orleans, while working my own funknology on piano and guitar.” The single from the album, “Iko, Iko” broke into the Billboard Hot 100 chart reaching #71. The album was ranked 404 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time List. In 1973, produced by Allen Toussaint and backed by the Meters, Dr. John released the seminal New Orleans funk album, “In The Right Place.” Rooted in solid R&B it reached #24 on the Billboard album chart anchored by the hit single, “Right Place Wrong Time” that peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart and has gone on to become a heavily played staple on classic rock radio to this day. “Everybody Wanna Get Rich Rite Away” was the last Dr. John song to reach the Hot 100. It peaked at #92 and was featured on the 1974 album, “Desitively Bonaroo.”Rebennack has recorded more than 20 albums and is the winner of six Grammy Awards. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 and continues to tour and record to this day. If voted in, this brand new collection will feature an LP of Dr. John’s best Atco singles and a second LP of completely unreleased demos from the 1968-1974 recording era. 

Quotes, links to reviews

http://www.offbeat.com/news/dr-john-vinyl-2/

http://www.offbeat.com/news/dr-john-vinyl/

http://www.getitonvinyl.com/hands-on-dr-john-professor-bizzares-funkology/

Track listing:
Side A
1 Mama Roux 3:00
2 Jump Sturdy 2:21
3 Loop Garoo 4:42
4 Wash Mama Wash 3:35
5 Wang Dang Doodle 2:42
Side B
1 Iko Iko 4:08
2 Such a Night 2:55
3 Quitters Never Win (previously unreleased demo) 8:10
Side C
1 Tipitina (previously unreleased demo) 6:00
2 Yip Aye (previously unreleased demo) 4:00
3 Craney Crow (previously unreleased demo) 4:30
4 Dr. John Take 1 (previously unreleased demo) 4:00
Side D
1 Go Ahead On (previously unreleased demo) 7:40
2 Wash Mama Wash (previously unreleased demo) 4:40
3 Look What You’ve Done (previously unreleased demo) 4:00