R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders - Pedal Your Blues Away

Artist: R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders

Song: Pedal Your Blues Away

Album: R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders Number 3 (1978) – Singing in the Bathtub

 

R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders are a string band playing songs from, and in the style of, the 1920s. As a novelty, they issued a number of recordings on 78rpm discs in the 1970s, long after the format was obsolete. Their three albums (33rpm), all recorded in the 1970s on the Blue Goose label, were titled R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders, R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders No. 2 (1976), and R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders No. 3 (1978); the latter two have been reissued on the Shanachie label as Chasin' Rainbows (No. 2) and Singing In the Bathtub (No. 3). R. Crumb was the band's frontman and album cover artist though he is no longer much involved with the band. The band currently includes Bob Armstrong (vocals, saw, guitar), Bob Brozman (vocals, various steel instruments, guitar, ukulele), Al Dodge (vocals, mandolin), Terry Zwigoff (saw, cello, Stroh fiddle, and mandolin), and Tony Marcus

The group played old blues, white jazz and some original tunes, mostly with a 1920's pop / novelty sensibility. Most of the vocals for the band were sung by Crumb himself.

But who’s really R. Crumb? Robert Dennis Crumb is an American artist and illustrator recognized for the distinctive style of his drawings and his critical, satirical, subversive view of the American mainstream.

Crumb was a founder of the underground comix movement and is regarded as its most prominent figure. Though one of the most celebrated of comic book artists, Crumb's entire career has unfolded outside the mainstream comic book publishing industry. One of his most recognized works is the "Keep on Truckin'" comic, which became a widely distributed fixture of pop culture in the 1970s. Others are the characters Devil Girl, Fritz the Cat, and Mr. Natural. He also illustrated the album cover for Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company

 

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Pedal Your Blues Away, (Miller - Wells - Griffin)

Lundberg - V / Armstrong - STG / Dodge - MD / Marion - G / Brozman - U / Crumb - BJ / Zwigoff – VC

Pedal your blues away,
forget all your troubles for play.
Hop on your bike any time you like,
and pedal your blues away.
Pedal your blues away
and ride down the ol’ highway,
singing your songs as you roll along
pedaling your blues away.
CHORUS: You’ll fine lots of happiness as you spin along;
things are hunky-dory as you fly.
In the middle of your heart,
you’ll find a new song,
with your palsy-walsy riding by your side.
Pedal your blues away,
you’ll find love in every by-way.
Hold up your chin,
let them see you grin,
and pedal your blues away.
(REPEAT CHORUS)
Pedal your blues away,
you’ll find love in every by-way.
Hold up your chin,
let them see you grin,
and pedal your blues a-way!