Four Headlamps reunion this weekend in Camp Connell

CAMP CONNELL, Calif. USA - After much dithering about, The Four Headlamps musical entourage will have a reunion this weekend in the high mountain air (5,500 feet, mas o menos) with newcomers and itinerant sailors Dan and Lorraine Olsen as musical guests and potential members of the group.

Although the original Headlamps got together in Mexico last spring for a reunion, the musical aspects were mostly overshadowed by cerveza and a variety of other tropical diversions: surfing, motorcycle riding, Cuba Libres and just plain beach living.

This time (the allure of the nearby Lube Room bar and restaurant nonwithstanding) we are pledged to play a full set of songs, including Chunder, our old standard, Rodney Carrington's Dancin' With A Man, and perhaps two new songs, Billy Currington's People Are Crazy and Union Maid.


Dan and Lorraine Olsen

We may also press Brian and Ruth Gray of Murphys into service, as well as their children, Delany and Conner. Brian just took up the ukulele (and a fine instrument it is, by God...).

Move over Woodstock, The Four Headlamps are on the comeback trail.

Here are the lyrics to the new songs:

Union Maid

There once was a union maid, she never was afraid
Of goons and ginks and company finks and the deputy sheriffs who made the raid.
She went to the union hall when a meeting it was called,
And when the Legion boys come 'round
She always stood her ground.

Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union,
I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union.
Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union,
I'm sticking to the union 'til the day I die.

This union maid was wise to the tricks of company spies,
She couldn't be fooled by a company stool, she'd always organize the guys.
She always got her way when she struck for better pay.
She'd show her card to the National Guard
And this is what she'd say

You gals who want to be free, just take a tip from me;
Get you a man who's a union man and join the ladies' auxiliary.
Married life ain't hard when you got a union card,
A union man has a happy life when he's got a union wife.

People are Crazy

This old man and me
Were at the bar and we
Were havin’ us some beers and
Swappin’ I don’t cares
Talkin’ politics
Blonde and redhead chicks
Old dogs and new tricks and
Habits we ain’t kicked

We talked about Gods grace
And all the hell we raised
Then I heard the old man say,
“God is great, beer is good and People Are Crazy”

He said "I fought two wars,
Been married and divorced"
What brings you to Ohio?
He said "Damn if I know"
We talked an hour or two
About every girl we knew
What all we put ‘em through
Like two old boys will do

We pondered life and death
He light a cigarette
He said "These damn things will kill me yet,
But God is great, beer is good and people are crazy"

Last call its 2:00am
I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again

Then one sunny day
I saw the old man’s face
Front page Obituary
He was a millionaire he
He left his fortune to
Some guy he barely knew
His kids were mad as hell
Huh but me, I’m doing well
And I drop by today
To just say thanks and pray
And I left a six-pack right there on his grave
And I said God is great, beer is good and people are crazy

God is great, beer is good and people are crazy
God is great, beer is good and people are crazy

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.

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.