Poi Dog Pondering

[emory!colm@gatech.edu (Colm Mulcahy)]

POI DOG PONDERING is very much the product of the vision of one person,
Frank "Gumby" Orrall, who writes almost all of their material, recorded
a lot of their early stuff alone, brought the band from Honolulu to the
mainland two years ago, and despite the hardships of life on the road
and losing most of the original band members, continues to front a unit
of anywhere from five to nine musicians, now featuring one Hawaiian
(Ted Cho, mandolin) apart from himself.

Frank's first released work was a single or two with the Squids, quite a way
back.


While he now plays a variety of stringed and percussion instruments, as well as
singing, he was the drummer (and singer) for the Honolulu band


HAT MAKES THE MAN 

( Peter Bond, Marti Kerton, Byron Lai, Matthew Miller, Frank Orrall)

who seem to have coexisted with PDP and put out one fine album:



Seaching For The Fertile Fields LP (summer 1985)

Searching For The Fertile Field
Say You Will
Bak To Tomorrow
Shake Of Big Hands
Winds Of Time
Shout It Out
Fact Of Life
Teach Me To Tumble
The Main Thing
Impatient Man
The Masseuse Of Hours

(on the "label" The Hat Recording Company, no number, insert makes reference to 
earlier release (tape ?), most songs written by frank) 

band split up as record released (sound familiar ?!)


86/87 saw Peter and Marti working regularly in Jellies book and record store
(the place for imports and used gems in Hawaii), Peter still active musically
i think. maybe they're still there (i left HI in 87).   ]


meanwhile 

POI DOG PONDERING

were turning out some great tapes (for copies of these, and the HMTM album,
try writing to PDP, 73 Makaweli St, Honolulu, HI 96825, tell 'em Colm sent ya):


PDPX1 (recorded spring & summer 1984, a one sided tape, apparantly ALL frank !))

The Fact Of Life (a happy song)
Searching For The Fertile Field
The Shake Of Big Hands
Say You Will
Bed Of Lights



PDPX2 (recorded winter 1985, with help from HMTM members and others)


(Editor: winter 1985 ?  in Hawaii ?? there WAS no winter 1985 in Hawaii .....)

Soliloqui
Praise The Lord
1000 Tears
Fall Upon Me
The Gold In My Teeth
Amazing Grace (yes, that one ...)
Knuckles
Empty Mind


PDPX3 (8 Songs by PDP) (Recorded spring 1986, solo, with assistance as before)

Living With The Dreaming Body
Barefeet On Wet Earth
And I Went Off
Everybodys Tryin'
Wood Guitar
The Strength That I Need
You Think Too Much
The Big Walk


Band leaves Hawaii, criss-crosses mainland, playing wherever anyone will listen,
gaining followers, losing members.  Sort of settles in Austin for a while: