The story of outsider rock’s ur-band The Shaggs has an astonishing and weird messianic angle. Lore holds that at a visit to a palm reader, the mother of Austin Wiggin was informed that her son would someday marry a woman with strawberry blonde hair, with whom he’d have daughters who would form a celebrated musical group. Once the marriage and daughters actually happened, Wiggin conscripted his teenaged girls Dot, Betty, and Helen into forming a rock band, though they’d shown zero aptitude on (or even interest in) musical instruments. After much expense and effort, The Shaggs, in 1969, released to no notice or acclaim their debut album, Philosophy Of The World, which would years later become not just noteworthy but legendary for being incredibly charming despite the band’s total incompetence. “My Pal Foot Foot,” the album’s single, is both classic and representative.
Thanks to the archaeological efforts of NRBQ and Dr. Demento, and high praise from Frank Zappa (“Better than the Beatles”) and Kurt Cobain (“So obviously the real thing”), Philosophy of the World has assumed an exalted and highly influential place in weirdo rock culture, and since 1980, it’s been reissued at least five times, by both the folk label Rounder Records (at the behest of NRBQ) and by RCA. Now, it’s getting a posh vinyl release by Light in the Attic—its first vinyl issue since 1996, and the first one ever that I kinda really want barring the unlikely possibility of a clean O.G. copy falling into my lap. Per Pitchfork’s Evan Minsker:
The deluxe LP comes on “Shag Carpet” swirl color vinyl and is packaged with a poster and enamel pin. There are liner notes by Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group, Nuggets curator) and a book featuring unreleased photos.
The reissue will be celebrated with two events. On September 9, a Shaggs tribute show will take place at Le Poisson Rouge in New York. Members of the B-52s, the Monks, Bush Tetras, Dresden Dolls, and more will perform. On September 17, Dot Wiggin will meet fans and sign CDs and albums at Newbury Comics’ Harvard Square location in Boston.
I’m pretty much just drooling a big puddle at the thought of that Poisson Rouge show.
Dot Wiggin has become active in music again, releasing, in 2013, an album of new music called Ready! Get! Go!, which harnesses much the same charm as she tapped into in The Shaggs, and it features new recordings of previously unreleased Shaggs material in addition to new Dot Wiggin songs.
Live footage of the band is exceedingly rare, and sync-sound footage may not actually exist (if I’m wrong on that I’m eager to be corrected, I’d love to see that), but here’s a 1972 concert in their hometown of Fremont, New Hampshire. The audio is obviously studio recordings dubbed over the footage.
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
The Shaggs’ Dot Wiggin returns after four decades with a new band and album