''Songs in the Key of Z'' is a book and two compilation albums written and compiled by

Irwin Chusid Irwin Chusid (born April 22, 1951 in Newark, New Jersey) is a journalist, music historian, radio personality, record producer, and self-described "landmark preservationist". His stated mission has been to "find things on the scrapheap of history th ...

. The book and albums explore the field of what Chusid coined as "

outsider music Outsider music (from "outsider art") is music created by self-taught or naïve musicians. The term is usually applied to musicians who have little or no traditional musical experience, who exhibit childlike qualities in their music, or who have ...

". Chusid defines outsider music as; "crackpot and visionary music, where all trails lead essentially one place: over the edge." Chusid's work has brought the music of several leading performers in the outsider genre to wider attention. These include

Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in Outsider music, outsider, Lo-fi music, lo-fi, and alternative rock, alternative music scenes. Most ...

Joe Meek Robert George "Joe" Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer and songwriter considered one of the most influential sound engineers of all time, being one of the first to develop ideas such as the recording studio a ...

Jandek Jandek is the musical project of Sterling Smith (born October 26, 1945), a Houston, Texas-based American Lo-fi music, lo-fi Folk music, folk singer. Since 1978, Jandek has independently released over 120 albums while granting an interview extreme ...

and

Wesley Willis Wesley Lawrence Willis (May 31, 1963 – August 21, 2003) was an American musician and visual artist. Diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1989, Willis began a career as an underground singer-songwriter in the outsider music tradition. Will ...

. In addition, his CDs feature some recordings by artists who produced very little work but placed their recordings firmly in the outsider area. Notable amongst these are nursing home resident Jack Mudurian who sings snatches of several dozen songs in a garbled collection known as ''Downloading the Repertoire'' and the obscure and extreme

scat Scat or SCAT may refer to: Education * School and College Ability Test also known as SCAT * Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology was previously referred to as SCAT * Somerset College of Arts and Technology is referred to as SCAT Games * Skat ...

singer

Shooby Taylor William "Shooby" Taylor (September 19, 1929 – June 4, 2003) was an American jazz vocalist famous for scat singing over various records, including those of the Ink Spots, the Harmonicats, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Mozart, and Cristy Lane, i ...

AKA 'The Human Horn.'

The compilation albums

''Songs in the Key of Z – The Curious Universe of Outsider Music'', the companion compilation albums to Chusid's book were released on Which? Records, the first volume originally in 2000, with the two volumes later combined and released by Cherry Red. The collections, compiled by Irwin Chusid, include performances by

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

singer

Peter Grudzien Peter Grudzien (19412013) was an American country/psychedelic singer-songwriter, photographer, commercial artist, musician and recording engineer. Grudzien's music has been well known in the outsider music community since its inclusion in Irwin C ...

, music schoolteacher B. J. Snowden, and Swedish

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's sexuall ...

-impersonator

Eilert Pilarm Eilert Dahlberg (born 2 April 1953 in Anundsjö, Sweden), who uses the stage name Eilert Pilarm, is a Swedish former Elvis impersonator. He gained fame when he performed on ''Morgonpasset'' on Sveriges Radio in 1992, but retired from music in 20 ...

, along with better-known artists such as

the Shaggs The Shaggs were an American rock band formed in Fremont, New Hampshire, in 1965. They comprised the sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin (vocals and lead guitar), Betty Wiggin (vocals and rhythm guitar), Helen Wiggin (drums) and, later, Rachel Wiggin ...

, and

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born 'Don Glen Vliet'; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the M ...

.Hagan, Joe (2001)
MUSIC; Untamed Sounds From Well Beyond the Margins
, ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 10 June 2001 The collections have drawn criticism from some quarters, with Alvin Dahn's wife unhappy with his inclusion in an 'outsider music' compilation, and B. J. Snowden also unhappy with the categorization.Burr, Ty (2003)
The worst of Irwin Chusid: Intriguing or just awful? A champion of 'outsider music' lets it speak for itself
, ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'', 17 November 2003

Track listing

Vol. 1

1. "Philosophy of the World" –

The Shaggs The Shaggs were an American rock band formed in Fremont, New Hampshire, in 1965. They comprised the sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin (vocals and lead guitar), Betty Wiggin (vocals and rhythm guitar), Helen Wiggin (drums) and, later, Rachel Wiggin ...

2. " Walking the Cow" –

3. "Walking On The Moon" – Lucia Pamela
4. " Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" –

5. " Downloading the Repertoire" (Excerpt) – Jack Mudurian
6. " Stout-hearted Men" –

, The Human Horn
7. "In Canada" – B. J. Snowden
8. " Jailhouse Rock" –

9. "Virgin Child of the Universe" –

Song poem Song poems are songs with lyrics by usually non-professional writers that have been set to music by commercial companies for a fee. This practice, which has long been disparaged in the established music industry, was also known as ''song sharking' ...

, Unknown
10. "Rock N' Roll McDonald's" –

11. "

Telstar Telstar refers to a series of communications satellites. The first two, Telstar 1 and Telstar 2, were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 launched atop of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962, successfully relayed the first televisi ...

" (Demo) –

12. "At the Grass Roots" – Sri Darwin Gross
13. "Cousin Mosquito #1" – Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker
14. "El Touchy" – Luie Luie
15. "Standing in a Trash Can (Thinking About You)" –

Legendary Stardust Cowboy Norman Carl Odam (born September 5, 1947, in Lubbock, Texas), known professionally as the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, is an outsider performer who is considered one of the pioneers of the genre that came to be known as psychobilly in the 1960s. ...

16. "Vampire Suite" –

& His Magic Band
17. "Butterfly Mind" – Arcesia
18. "They Told Me I Was a Fool" –

19. "Baby, Your Love's in Town" – "Dusty Roads" Rowe
20. " True Love" – Tiny Tim With Miss Sue

Vol. 2

1. "

Lift Every Voice and Sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is a hymn with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954). Written from the context of African Americans in the late 19th century, the hymn is a pr ...

" –

2. "You're Out of the Computer" –

Bingo Gazingo Murray Wachs (June 2, 1924 – January 1, 2010), better known as Bingo Gazingo, was a poet from New York City, who was a postal worker for most of his career. Two versions, each also titled ''Bingo Gazingo'', were released of the only single-artist ...

& My Robot Friend
3. "Mr. Snuggles" - Dr. Love
4. "America" – B.J. Snowden
5. "You're Driving Me Mad" – Alvin Dahn
6. "Cousin Mosquito # 2" – Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker
7. " I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" –

The Space Lady Susan Dietrich, known as The Space Lady (TSL) (formerly Suzy Soundz), born 1948 in Pueblo, Colorado and raised in Las Animas, Colorado, US, is a singer and musician in the genres of space music, synth pop, and psychedelic pop. She is also a parag ...

8. "Touch of Light" – Luie Luie
9. "Curly Toes" –

Unknown Unknown or The Unknown may refer to: Film and television Film * The Unknown (1915 comedy film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 comedy film), Australian silent film * The Unknown (1915 drama film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 drama film), American silent drama ...

10. "Stepping High Dance" – Eddie Murray
11. "5 Ft. 9 1/12 Inches Tall" – Dick Kent
12. "Recitation About

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...

" – Gary Mullis
13. "Deep Bosom Woman" – Wayne
14. "High Speed" – Bob Vido
15. "Herma, Scene 5; Recitation/An" –

Thoth Thoth (from , borrowed from , , the reflex of " eis like the ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an African sacred ibis, ibis or a baboon, animals sacred to him. His feminine count ...

16. " Jet Lady" – Tangela Tricoli
17. "Birthmark Story" – Buddy Max
18. "Heart of the Heartland" – Mark Kennis

Vol. 3

1. "Hap-Hap-Happy Heart" - Lucia Pamela
2. "Rock and Roll Baby" - Eddie Murray
3. "The Future is Now" - Neil Dick
4. "Indiana" - Shooby Taylor, The Human Horn
5. "Lonesome, Lonesome George Jones" - Queenie Montgomery
6. "Hitting the Bottom" - Tony Mason-Cox
7. "First Time" - Kitty
8. "Rock & Rolling Dance" - Gordon Thomas
9. "The Cook Who Couldn't Cook" - Bingo Gazingo & Leo Abraham
10. "Boo-Bah-Bah" - Bob Vido
11. "Because We Care" - Beulah
12. "Vote for Buddy Max" - Buddy Max
13. "Settle Down" - Polly Feazel
14. "Die With Your Boots On" - Anton Maiden
15. "They Are There! (Third Take)" - Charles Ives
16. "Adele's Laughing Song" -

Florence Foster Jenkins Florence Foster Jenkins (born Narcissa Florence Foster; July 19, 1868 – November 26, 1944) was an American socialite and amateur coloratura soprano who became known, and mocked, for her flamboyant performance costumes and notably poor sing ...

17. "Rainy Weekend" - San D'jinn Din
18. "Wake Up America" - Sylvia Boshers
19. "The President's Prayer" - Freddie Martell
20. "I Want To Marry An Egghead" - Leona Bass
21. "Hi, Dear Mister Master Keith Richards (Intro)" - Paul "Super Apple"
22. "Apple Love" - Paul "Super Apple"
23. "Love Lives On" - Paul "Super Apple"
24. "The Chance" - Paul "Super Apple"
25. "Please Call, Keith (Outro)" - Paul "Super Apple"

Vol. 4

1. "It Gets Better All the Time" - Shooby Taylor
2. "Star's Ghost" - Frances Cannon, The Singing Psychic
3. "I Wanna Job" - Abner Jay
4. "In the Ghetto" - Eilert Pilarm
5. "Moon Pilot" - Unknown
6. "Dock of the Bay" - Mexia State School Sunshine Singers
7. "Delightful Company" - Dana Drake
8. "Something" - Gary Strivant
9. "Michael Ferrucci" - Unknown
10. "Why Do People Try & Hurt Little Birdie" - Little Birdie
11. "Worship Me" - Amanda
12. "It Just Is" - Sri Darwin Gross
13. "I Really Don't Want to Know" - Ali Mapo & His Girls
14. "Cruise Around the Planets" - David Dynamo
15. "Hey Fireman, Put out the Fire" - Omo the Hobo
16. "Our Flag" - Tom Merlo
17. "Letter to a Christian" - Hallmark Song-Poems & Alice J. Jackson
18. "The Nightclub" - Michael O. Sullivan, The Singing Irishman
19. "Stella by Starlight" - Ivo Araujo
20. "The Garbage Can" - Bingo Gazingo
21. "Make Our Love Positive" - Martin Mechanic
22. "Genevieve, Oh My Genevieve" - "Dusty Roads" Rowe
23. "I Want a Nurse" - Jack Barrett
24. "Message to the Label Industry" - J&H Productions
25. "New York, New York" - Ken DeFeudis

References

External links

''Songs in the Key of Z'' – outsider music project
{{Authority control 2000 non-fiction books Music books 2000 compilation albums Cherry Red Records compilation albums Outsider music albums