Leslie Fish

[Star Ranger4]

Fortunatly, near as I can tell Leslie is still Alive and Kicking.... and after a bit of surfing, have found that she still has cd's distributed by Both Prometheus Music  and (at least in california) Random Factors.

Those of you who know who she is, well, I'm providing those links so that maybe you can replace lost music.  THose of you who dont...  well, I wont be that boggled but instead point you at http://lesliefish.com/noname3.htm

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, for a moment there I thought I was going to see a "we've lost someone" thread. I've known about Leslie Fish since my first SF convention (Philcon) in 1980 -- that was back when "Banned From Argo" still hadn't outstayed its welcome. Peg and I actually heard her play in person at a campfire sing at a Pennsic War back in the late 1990s, and we picked up a lot of her music in one form or another as a side effect of our Valdemar fandom back in the day. (And we keep picking up her music; I've even got a couple of her songs cued up for Steps in the Walk.)

I had no doubts she was still around, but it's nice to have it confirmed. <grin>

[ECSNorway]

Yeah, I have a bunch of old filk music on tape that I'd love to get updated to CDs, including some of Leslie's stuff.

A bunch of Duane Elms, too. And others.

And the one Mercedes Lackey Live from some con or other... I wish I could even FIND that one.

[DHBirr]

And the one Mercedes Lackey Live from some con or other... I wish I could even FIND that one.

The one that includes "The Oklahoma Weed Whacker Massacre" with commentary, and her interpolations to "Rat's Falkener Slobber Song"?  Oh, yeah, to get that digital ... my tape of it is wearing out, and I can't play it in the car's sound system anyway!

[ECSNorway]

And the one Mercedes Lackey Live from some con or other... I wish I could even FIND that one.

The one that includes "The Oklahoma Weed Whacker Massacre" with commentary, and her interpolations to "Rat's Falkener Slobber Song"?  Oh, yeah, to get that digital ... my tape of it is wearing out, and I can't play it in the car's sound system anyway!

That, and her rendition of "Mazianni" is IMO the only proper way to sing it, she does it properly angry, unlike the one that's on youtube.

We'll contest each star Union wants
This is war, and not some bureaucrats game
So we hear you're calling us pirates now -
Well screw you all!
We'll earn the motherless name!

[DHBirr]

We'll contest each star Union wants
This is war, and not some bureaucrats game
So we hear you're calling us pirates now -
Well screw you all!
We'll earn the motherless name!

I didn't even know 'til you mentioned it that there is a rendering of "Mazianni" on YouTube ... but I agree with you, if it isn't angry, it isn't right for that song.

[Rajvik]

I have digital copies of a lot of both of their work including the angry version of Mazianni, it is some of my fav stuff to listen to at times

[Star Ranger4]

Oh, for a moment there I thought I was going to see a "we've lost someone" thread.

To be blunt, when I started searching last night I was afraid of that as well! Yes, my nephew swore she was still alive and producing, but I didn't' BELIEVE him.
(don't ask why, just accept there were grounds other than coffee grounds)

And the one Mercedes Lackey Live from some con or other... I wish I could even FIND that one.

Mercedes herself did some of her songs?  The ones I've heard were Leslie singing what she wrote.  Though I will admit that I didn't really get interested in Ms Lackey and Valdemar until around CoH Sunset when I found out she had been such a supporter;  at that point between her Hidden World Stories, etc, I figured she was worth reading further

and OI did I read.

[DHBirr]

Mercedes herself did some of her songs?  The ones I've heard were Leslie singing what she wrote.  Though I will admit that I didn't really get interested in Ms Lackey and Valdemar until around CoH Sunset when I found out she had been such a supporter;  at that point between her Hidden World Stories, etc, I figured she was worth reading further

and OI did I read.

Yeah; she wasn't quite as trained at the playing and singing as Fish or, say, Heather Alexander, so there're a few false notes, but I found the remarks, mostly quips, she tossed into and around several of the songs more than make up for it.  The prologues that explain what was going through her head when she wrote "Mazianni" — she had a really awful boss "whose name shall be changed to protect the guilty" — and "Massacre" — the Oklahoma cult of "Lawn Worship."  And some background as to why the performer of "Rat's Falkener Slobber Song" wants to find a blond boyfriend — or anyway, teases tall, blond Thomas Mondragon by publicly singing that she does.

[ECSNorway]

"... and over the store, he put his name. In Hebrew. And a very ambitious British policeman came along, took one look at the Hebrew, assumed it was Gaelic, and dragged the Jew into court."

No particular reason for quoting this other than memories of Misty's commentary giving me flashbacks to old Clancy Brothers albums.

[ECSNorway]

Hey, Rajvik, where did you get digital copies of all that?

[Rajvik]

buddy of mine had it when we traded song caches. Album titles for Lackey
Harolds, Harpers and Havok
Lovers, Lore, and Loss
Magic, Moondust, and Meloncholy
Oathbreakers
Live
Phoenyx
and one unnamed one that is only "King of Elfland's daughter. the leslie fish list is insane

[DHBirr]

Phoenyx
and one unnamed one that is only "King of Elfland's daughter. the leslie fish list is insane

Hmmm?  Phoenyx — yes, that spelling — was Heather Alexander's group.  And "The King of Elfland's Daughter," music and lyrics by Mark Ungar, was the first track on their tape "Keepers of the Flame."  According to the "Keepers" credits, none of it was by Lackey.
Other titles on that tape:  Cat and the Fiddle
Marley O'Reilly
Voices of the Sea
Creature of the Wood
Stormbringer [about Odin, not Elric]
Black Unicorn
March of Cambreadth
Up in the Loft
Concentration 
Yo-Ho!

Any of this sound like the Phoenyx album you've got?

[ECSNorway]

Of those I have HH&H, LL&L, MM&M, and Oathbreakers, but am missing Live...

[Bob Schroeck]

We've had most of them, all on cassette, since the 90s. We're missing Live, though, as well.

[ECSNorway]

Most of those (and many more) are on youtube (with permission), look for a channel called "weyrdmusician". Live... is not, as far as I can tell.

[Rajvik]

only Black Unicorn is under that name in my files, however i have most of the others in other files. the ones i have from him are so mixed up it isn't funny. i have some Heather Alexander and Leslie Fish as well and those songs along with the Mercedes Lackey are all mixed up

[ECSNorway]

Let me toss in a rec for another excellent album, even if Ms Fish and Ms Lackey were only peripherally involved:

http://www.prometheus-music.com/thestars.html

"To Touch The Stars", a compilation of space-program-related filk. Some of the performers will be quite recognizeable -- Julia Ecklar and Kris Klover provide most of the work - and there are some really nice ones. Five of the tracks are free mp3 downloads on the site, as well.

Long ago, man looked up into the sky,
Wondering what, and questioning why.
In that distant past, a journey was born
That’s taking us far, far from home.

We looked and we thought and we planned out our trip,
But fearing our reach exceeded our grip.
To the Moon and beyond went our starry-eyed gaze,
To places we never had known.

Now’s the time for us to touch a star.
If we want to learn, we must travel far.
There is much to see, so we must still explore.
To find out just what there are heavens for

.

[Star Ranger4]

Interesting. I thought Lesie was the primary artist on Hope Eyrie.

*does some research*

Okay, Lesie is the primary vocal on the Album 'Folk Songs for Solar Sailors', but clearly Julie is the lead vocal on other versions. Also, I have never made a successful purchase from Prometheus or Firebird, just Random Factors

[ECSNorway]

I can't get Random Factors' page to load, myself. I just get a blank screen.