The Four Headlamps stumble on a fan in Wasilla

WASILLA, Alaska, USA - The Four Headlamps got a hit on the website this week from Wasilla, Alaska of all places.

Yes, that Wasilla.

Someone was searching for Chunder in the Old Pacific Sea and found the site.

Wasilla, readers might remember, is home to Gov. Sarah Palin (R) who at the moment, is barnstorming around the country trying to convince people that she would make a good president, er, I mean, vice-president.

The site meter that shows the Wasilla hit doesn't give enough information to pin down exactly who looked at the site, but perhaps it was someone at the public library, if it's still open. But it could be someone with a Palin connection - maybe even one of the Palin kids, if they have been let off the campaign tether.

In the meantime, it could be that the person who ran across this site is now a fan and we can look forward to more Alaska-Mexico connections, even though you can't see Mexico from Sarah Palin's house.

You betcha?


Wasilla logs on


New fans for The Four Headlamps?

Open mic night in November at Palapa Joe's - yikes!

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - Admiral Fox, lead violinist of The Four Headlamps just found out that while two members of the group will be vacationing in La Manzanilla at the end of Thanksgiving week (she and Michael), there will be an open mic night at The Four Headlamps favorite south-of-the-border saloon, Palapa Joe's.

And, apparently, The Four Headlamps (minus Sanders and Pat Lamont who will be home in the mountains) are expected to put on a reprise performance of Rodney Carrington's Dancin' With A Man.

There's even a reasonable chance that there will be a couple of other songs in the repertoire, including the Australian favorite, Chunder, and a couple of songs written by Brett Beardslee of Hector, New York that haven't made the pop charts yet, but certainly keep the people in upstate New York in stitches.

One is called, Rich Young Nymphomaniac, a song sure to please the rowdy crowd at Palapa Joe's.


Brett Beardslee


Admiral Fox and Brett practicing last summer in Hector, New York

Last spring, after The Four Headlamps performed Dancin' With A Man at open mic night, they received this comment from Rodney Carrington's publicist:

Thanks for your tribute to Rodney Carrington! However, if you are planning on this as a new occupation, you might want to consider "getting" day jobs! LOL!

Julie Goldstein, Rodney's Publicist

Hmmm... Maybe a little practice - and a lesson or two with violin and ukulele Maestro Bill Trainor in Sacramento, might be in order before November.

We don't want any chundering while we perform.

The ukulele in concert - playing theme from 'Shaft'

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - In a quest for more songs that could join the play list for The Four Headlamps, Michael ran across the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain playing the theme from 'Shaft.'

Can it be adapted for The Four Headlamps with a uke, a violin, guitar and a hammer dulcimer?

We'll see.

Whether it can be or not, it's pretty amazing to watch.

A playlist for The Four Headlamps reunion tour

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - The Four Headlamps are all back almost in the same zip code (well, separated by about 100 miles, more or less) and so the group is laying plans for a reunion tour in Mexico this winter.

And as a first step, Michael has started putting together some songs he would like to strum on the uke and is asking fellow band members, Adm. Fox (violin), Capt. Sanders Lamont (guitar and vocals) and Pat Lamont (percussion and hammer dulcimer) to come up with ideas, too.

The group's signature song - the only song the group has ever performed in public - Dancin' With A Man by Rodney Carrington tops the list, of course.

But there are many other possibilities.

One that has been suggested is called Chunder in the Old Pacific Sea, a song about, well, chundering, usually after drinking too much beer and also eating too much rich food, like shrimp.

It is an Australian drinking song after all.

Link to 'Chunder' clip

More on what that playlist will look like in a few weeks when the group gets back together for a jam session - and maybe an impromptu performance at the Lube Room in Camp Connell.

Here's the lyrics to Chunder:

I was down by Manleigh Pier, drinkin' tubes of ice cold beer
With a bucket full of prawns upon my knee
When I swallowed the last prawn,
I had a technicolor yawn
and I chundered in the old Pacific Sea

Drink it up, drink it up,
Crack another dozen tubes and prawns with me
If you want to throw your voice,
mate you won't have any choice
But to chunder in the old Pacific Sea

I was sittin in the surf, when a mate of mine called Murf
Asks if he can crack a tube or two with me
The bastard barely swallowed it
When he went for the big spit
and he chundered in the old Pacific Sea

Drink it up, drink it up
Crack another dozen tubes and prawns with me
If you want to throw your voice,
mate you won't have any choice
But to chunder in the old Pacific Sea

I've had liquid laughs in bars and I've hurled from moving cars
And I've chuckled when and where it suited me
But if I could choose the spot
To regurgitate me lot,
then I'd chunder in the old Pacific Sea

Drink it up, drink it up
Crack another dozen tubes and prawns with me
If you want to throw your voice,
mate you won't have any choice
But to chunder in the old Pacific Sea

International debut at Palapa Joe's in La Manzanilla

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - The Four Headlamps made its international debut March 1, playing at open microphone night at Palapa Joe's restaurant & bar in downtown La Manzanilla.

Because of some technical difficulties, only two actual headlamp accessories were available, so the group went without their signature lights but did give a credible performance of the Rodney Carrington country classic, "I Think I'm Dancin' With A Man."

That was the only song in the set - largely because it was the only song the group actually had time to practice.

And practice consisted of three quick run-throughs (a half-hour before the performance) with Michael on the ukulele and Sanders on the guitar. Sylvia played a fine violin backup and Pat provided the beat with a Modelo Espeical beer can filled with uncooked black beans.

Yes, uncooked black beans.

Jane Gorby - the famous Rentalor of Santana Real Estate - gave the band a great introduction while Michael and Sanders drank Cuba Libres to loose their vocal chords.

At last, at last - a reunion set for Tuesday in Mexico

MANZANILLO, Colima, Mexico - The Four Headlamps will be back together Tuesday when Pat & Sanders arrive on the 3:46 p.m. Alaska Airlines express to be picked up by Michael in the blue Troupey.

It's hoped that the Headlamps reunion will coincide with open mic night at Palapa Joe's. If not, the reunion (ok, first ever) performance of the group will have to wait until fall and Lube Room in the mountains.

For the past few days, Michael has been plinking on the ukulele - even cranking up his amplifier loud last night to try out the Jay & the Americans' hit, Cara Mia.

With enough volume on the amp, it's no so obvious that Michael does not have the range to carry that song off.

On the other hand, the Bryan Hyland hit from the 1960s - Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - most certainly is within vocal range. And given that it only has three chords (C, Bb & F) it's likely The Four Headlamps will be able to make it work.

But the big question is who will wear the bikini, so the audience has a visual?

Not Michael. He looks terrible in yellow.


Yellow polka-dot bikini

Practice, Practice, Practice

Camp Connell, CA-- Getting ready for the debut public appearance of the Four Headlamps requires endless practice.

No matter where you are at the time.

No matter how much the walkway needs shoveling.

Here's proof that Sanders was working hard on his little Hecho en Mexico guitar, a souvenir of Zihuatenejo, even though important work needed his attention.

Since we expect a grand reunion in La Manzanilla on the shore of Tenacatita Bay by the end of the month, we're working semi-hard to learn a tune or two. At this point I think our debut probably should be at midnight on the beachfront under a full moon.


One song I hope we can bring together is a great old California tune by Woody Guthrie called Do Re Mi. It goes something like this:

California's a garden of Eden,
It's a paradise to live in or see,
But believe it or not,
You won't think it's so hot,
If you aint got the Do Re Mi.

Four Headlamps reunion tour set for Feb-March 2008

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - The Four Headlamps reunion tour has been tentatively set for late February and early March.

The fact that The Four Head Lamps have never actually played together in public - or seen each other in a few months - makes this a true, reunion.

Songs they are likely to sing include:
• On the road again
• The Mermaid
• Itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka-dot bikini
• Good Night Irene

And, of course, many others...

The ukelele is all tuned, as is the violin by chief violinist Adm. Sylvia Fox (RET.).