Tonio K Rodent Weekend '76 - '96 CD

Twenty years, 19 tracks, a hamster named John Paul III. Gadfly Records is proud to announce the release of "Rodent Weekend '76-'96 (Approximately)," a 72-minute journey through some of the odder twists and turns in the career of cult rocker Tonio K. This 19-track collection includes rarities, oddities and spare tracks from Tonio K., one of the country's most unique and biting singer/songwriters. Packaged with extensive liner notes and song histories from TK, this "retrospective" includes several alternate takes from the long-lost EP "La Bomba," Mr. K.'s biggest radio hit, "I'm Supposed To Have Sex With You," and the much-sought-after track "Hey John" from TK's self-released vinyl EP. Other highlights are "Funky Western Civilization, Phase II," "Harness The Hamster/Rodent Weekend '76" and "Everything, Including You, Disgusts Me." Despite receiving massive critical praise for "Life in the Foodchain" (1978) and "Amerika" (1980), Tonio K. bounced around from CBS Records, to Arista, to Capitol-EMI (which resulted in the 1983 EP "La Bomba"), before settling into What?/A&M; for his third and fourth albums: "Romeo Unchained" (1986) and "Notes from the lost civilization" (1988). Since being "dropped" from A&M;, he has been one of the music industry's most successful songwriters, penning the most played song of 1993 ("Love Is," recorded by Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight), and placing songs with Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, Al Green (from the "Michael" soundtrack), and many others. A fifth album recorded with an all-star cast (Paul Westerberg, David Hidalgo, Peter Case, Bruce Thomas, and others) was canned by A&M; and released by Gadfly Records ("Olé") in 1997. All four of Tonio K.'s earlier full-length albums are available on CD from Gadfly Records.

Personnel includes: Tonio K. (vocals); Billy Steel, Earl Slick, George "Geo" Conner, Tim Pierce, Nick van Maarth (guitar); Rob Watson (keyboards); Eric Gotthelf, Peter Freiberger, Tim Chandler (bass); Freddy Alwag, David Raven, Claude Pepper, Craig Kramph (drums).
Contains 19 tracks.
This is an uneven rarities/retrospective package from one of pop music's most underrated writers and misunderstood characters -- uneven because that's the reality of Tonio K's professional career. Beginning as a member of the posthumous Buddy Holly backing band the Crickets in the early to mid-'70s under his given name Steve Krikorian, Tonio K made a real name for himself in the late '70s as America's outrageous answer to the British "angry young man" phenomenon carved out by Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, among others. Needless to say he never achieved the notoriety of those two but as these songs will attest Tonio K could be every bit as clever and biting as his famous counterparts. The majority of selections here are previously unreleased tracks from K's Life in the Foodchain and Amerika period as well as demos for the La Bomba EP. A small sampling of his immediate pre-Romeo Unchained songwriting is unveiled as well. Concluding this album is the sarcastic, semi-hit "I'm Supposed to have Sex With You" from the film Summer School followed by two minutes of sophomoric foolishness involving a hamster. ~ Dave Sleger
BMG's Rodent Weekend is an uneven rarities/retrospective package from one of pop music's most underrated writers and misunderstood characters -- uneven because that's the reality of Tonio K.'s professional career. Beginning as a member of the posthumous Buddy Holly backing band the Crickets in the early to mid-'70s under his given name Steve Krikorian, Tonio K made a real name for himself in the late '70s as America's outrageous answer to the British "angry young man" phenomenon carved out by Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, among others. Needless to say he never achieved the notoriety of those two but as these songs will attest Tonio K could be every bit as clever and biting as his famous counterparts. The majority of selections here are previously unreleased tracks from K's Life in th