Comic 205
Back-Up Vocal~ Whilst crafting this latest thread in the Mannyacs tapestry, I’ve been reading “The Oral History of King’s X” by Greg Prato. What a fantastic book. I’ve only ever been peripherally familiar with the band. I know a few of their songs and I’ve read of the monumental amounts of respect, love and high regard heaped on them by a vast array of their peers in the music world. It’s safe to say that more than likely, your favorite band loves King’s X. I’ve always been especially fascinated by the legends surrounding the gear and tone of guitarist, Ty Tabor. Much ink has been spilled over the decades in the pursuit of unraveling the mystery behind his particular sound. The book offered a chance to finally learn the secrets of it in an official capacity. Along the way, what really struck me was all the discussion of the band’s experiments with alternate tuning, especially in the Drop A, C and D realms. That approach would later become a foundation for more than a few bands who defined 90’s music. Thus, it was only fitting that at least one of my boys to try it, too.
Several years back, I had the idea for my first Osmond family joke in these pages. Since I knew nothing at all about the family, it was important to deploy some research as I could. Turning to the Internet, I watched every interview I could find, along with viewing no less than 40 seperate episodes of the old “Donny and Marie Show”. While it was torture at the time, it did provide me with much more knowledge of the family, their real-life history and their body of work. Thus, I determined where I would and would not go with my humor directed towards them. In all my exploration, I learned that regular show guests included Ruth Buzzi and Paul Lynde. They were both extremely accomplished performers and comedy giants of their day. No reference to any kind of Osmond Family Tribute would be complete without a tip of the hat to them. Ice skating was always a staple of the program, so I opted to incorporate that, too.
I must admit that to a degree, my heart goes out to our Yoga Boy. He truly has made sacrifices for the greater good of Manny and the band. His collection of 70s’ Pop Culture memorabilia has been plundered on a consistent basis, with treasured keepsakes tossed to the wolves of the digital auction kingdoms. To be fair, any monies accrued always served to maintain financial stability for the future of The DBS 3©. Yet, we may indeed have reached a new low, as he has now parted ways with treasured tickets to a favorite event in the name of getting the job done. I take some comfort in the knowledge that Soxx has no interest in cash, seeking instead for a state of blissful transcendence in the world of artistic expression. If marveling over an ice skating Merrill Osmond impersonator, flipping over a giant shark tank full of boiling lava will inspire Soxx to play the right drum beat on a scones jingle, so be it.