Imagine a time capsule, sealed in 1974, full of exciting STORIES IN SONG and STORIES IN RHYME composed at the height of the American social and musical revolution of that time – not recordings, but music, lyrics and rhymes never before recorded and released. Then, imagine the “time capsule” is aging, with most of its treasures still inside, and unless these works are retrieved and recorded quickly, they may soon be lost forever.
Travis Edward Pike’s Odd Tales and Wonders is equal parts memoir of the turbulent decade from 1964-1974, and a collection of some of his most memorable original rhymes and songs from that period. Arriving in Los Angeles in 1968, this multi-talented Bostonian, singer-songwriter and storyteller, became a true Hollywood multi-hyphenate, adding screenwriter, producer, director and editor to his credentials. If his career was a screenplay, this book would be about its First Act and its publication would signal the beginning of its Third Act, when all the obstacles introduced in this First Act are overcome and the saga’s many subplots are resolved. But perhaps the oddest and most wonderful tale of all is the story, foreshadowed in the blurry front cover photograph from 1968. |
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Travis and Adam Pike in 1968
"The little fellow on my knee is my then 2-year-old brother, Adam, visiting from Newton, Massachusetts, a sweet little boy, but not much help in my career. In the more than 45 years since, Adam became an excellent sound engineer, a fine singer-songwriter in his own right, and a huge help to me in bringing my material into the 21st century. I lived the life and wrote the book, but as far as my Third Act is concerned, I shall be forever grateful to Adam, whose musical skills, infinite patience and engineering expertise made the realization of the accompanying recordings not only possible, but a delightful experience I shall treasure all my days.
"We have done all my Stories in Rhyme (including Grumpuss which has its own website), but as we continue to record songs from my back catalog, audio samples of those songs from the period covered in Odd Tales and Wonders, like Travis Edward Pike's the Tea Party Snack Platter and Reconstructed Coffeehouse Blues, will have their sample pages featured on this website, so be sure to check back regularly. The Tea Party Snack Platter is available now and the Reconstructed Coffeehouse Blues album is due to be released in July, 2014."
Travis Edward Pike, May 2014 |