deep freeze mice  /  alan jenkins & the thurston lava tube

The Mice biography from All Music:
Do-it-yourself post-punk band the Deep Freeze Mice released ten records in their decade-long existence. The original lineup -- guitarist/vocalist Alan Jenkins, bassist Mick Bunnage (of the Statics), keyboardist Sherree Lawrence, and drummer Graham Summers (also of the Statics) -- stayed intact until the release of the band's third record, The Gates of Lunch. After the departure of Summers and the acquisition of replacement Pete Gregory, the lineup remained until their breakup in 1989. Leader Jenkins (who was also involved with the Chrysanthemums and Ruth's Refrigerator during the existence of his primary band) continued afterwards in the Creams and the Thurston Lava Tube. All of Deep Freeze Mice's records were released in small quantities through the band's labels, Mole Embalming and Cordelia.

Alan Jenkins and his Thurston Lave Tube recorded a couple of Frank Zappa tunes. 'Lumpy Gravy' on "Free Surf Music no.1", and 'What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body" on "Me Ka Nahuku".

The Thurston Lava Tube also recorded Frank Zappa's 'Mr. Green Genes' for "Lemme Take You To The Beach", the Zappa Surf album on Cordelia records.

The Thurston Lava Tube are

 

In 2007, Alan Jenkins took part in an impressive project. Cordelia Records (UK record label & owned by Alan Jenkins) started working on "20 Extraordinary Renditions".
The project, initiated and co-ordinated by Andrew Greenaway's, collected 20 versions of Frank Zappa's 'The Idiot Bastard Son', each performed by a different artist or band.

November 2008, The Thurston Lava Tube took part in the "Concert For Jimmy". A concert / festival / project to raise money for Jimmy Carl Black's family.  For the occasion, they performed a number of Zappa compositions as well.

http://cordelia.stayfree.co.uk/

 

discography

  the deep freeze mice: my geraniums are bulletproof
    (1979, lp, uk, ??) - re-released on cd in 2011
 
  the deep freeze mice: teenage head in my refrigerator
    (1981, lp, uk, ??) - re-released on cd in 2013
 
  the deep freeze mice: the gates of lunch
    (1982, lp, uk, ??) - re-released on cd in 2013
 
  the deep freeze mice: saw a ranch house burning last night
    (1983, lp, uk, ??) - re-released on cd in 2015
 
  the deep freeze mice: i love little bo bo with your delicate golden lions
    (1984, 2lp, uk, ??) - re-released on cdr in 2010
 
  the deep freeze mice: hang on constance let me hear the news
    (1985, lp, uk, ??)
 
  the deep freeze mice: rain is when the earth is television
    (1986, lp, uk, ??)
 
  the chrysanthemums: is that a fish on your shoulder or are you just pleased to see me
    (1987, lp, uk, ??)
 
  the deep freeze mice: war, famine, death, pestilence and miss timberlake
    (1987, lp, uk, ??)
 
  the chrysanthemums: the xxxx sessions
    (1988, 12", uk, ??)
 
  the chrysanthemums: little flecks of foam around barking
     (1988, 2lp, uk, ??)
 
  the deep freeze mice: live in switzerland
    (1989, lp, uk, ??)
 
  the deep freeze mice: the tender yellow ponies of insomnia
    (1989, lp, uk, ??)
 
  the chrysanthemums: picasso's problem
    (1989, 12", uk, ??)
 
  the chrysanthemums: odessey and oracle
    (1990, cd, uk, ??)
 
  ruth's refrigerator: suddenly a disfigured head parachuted
    (1990, lp, uk, ??)
 
  ruth's refrigerator: a lizard is a submarine on grass
    (1991, cd, uk, ??)
 
  the chrysanthemums: porcupine quills
    (1991, cd, uk, ??)
 
1 alan jenkins and the creams: ie
    (1993, 2lp)  
 
2 the creams: the creams and nico
    (1994, lp+cd)  
 
3 jody and the creams: a big dog.n
    (1995, cd)  
 
  the chrysanthemums: two thirty-gallon drums of banana puree
    (1995, lp + 7", uk, ??)
 
  the chrysanthemums: insect insect
    (1995, cd, uk, ??)
 
4 the creams: pluto
    (1996, cd)  
 
5 the creams: malcolm
    (1997, 2cd)  
 
  the chrysanthemums: the baby's head
    (1997, cd, uk, ??)
 
6 the creams: are you real or just some sort of disgusting fridge magnet ?
    (1997, cd)  
 
7 jody and the creams: lords of the gromet canning factory
    (1998, cd)  
 
8 the creams: the all night bookman
   
(1999, 2cd)
 
9 alan jenkins and the thurston lava tube: free surf music no.1
    (2000, lp, uk, sorted records) – incl. ‘lumpy gravy’ (frank zappa)

jenkins_freesurfmusic01.jpg (27416 bytes)

10 the thurston lava tube: me ka nahuku
    (2002, cd, uk, cordelia records) - incl.'what's the ugliest part of your body' (frank zappa)
11 the thurston lava tube: move over rover, let clover take over
    (2003, cd, uk, cordelia records) - incl. 'lumpy gravy' (frank zappa)
  various artists: lemme take you to the beach
    (2004, cd, uk, cordelia records cd035) - all compositions by frank zappa

  various artists: the miraculous healing of the daughter of henry the glass cat
    (200?, cd, uk, cordelia records cd038)
 
  the deep freeze mice: live in switzerland
    (2008, cd, uk, cordelia records)
 
  various artists: 20 extraordinary renditions
    (2008, cd, uk, cordelia records) - all compositions by frank zappa

  various artists: 21 burnt weeny sandwiches
    (2010, cd, uk, cordelia records) - all compositions by frank zappa

  alan jenkins & the thurston lava tube: free surf music #1 and #2
    (2011, cd, uk, cordelia records) - incl. ‘lumpy gravy’ (frank zappa)

jenkins_fsmusic01.jpg (34989 bytes)

  various artists: on broadway - covers of invention
    (2013, cd, uk, cordelia records)

onbroadway.jpg (23124 bytes)

  the thurston lava tube: the poodle collector
    (2013, cd, uk, cordelia records) - incl. 'mr.green genes', 'the idiot bastard son' (f.zappa)

thurstonlavatube_poodlecollector.jpg (25639 bytes)

  deep freeze mice: the best of the deep freeze mice
    (2014, lp, usa, night people)

deepfreezemice_bestof.jpg (39025 bytes)

     

 

concerts

 

 

random notes

     From: Ryan Davenport (sleds@home.com)
"Frank Zappa's "Lumpy Gravy" develops into a jazzy horn driven guitar floored number with a funky dissonance, like a nightmare at the cove with glissandos."

        Alan is an English musician, and can be contacted at cordelia@stayfree.co.uk.  He is now a member of the band The Thurston Lava Tube.  A web page containing a very slow-loading MP3 excerpt of this song is available at http://homepages.stayfree.co.uk/cordelia/Pages.
I was unable to get the song to play - apparently the auto-play code doesn't agree with my browser.  A bit of source code sleuthing turned up the following link to the MP3 -
http://homepages.stayfree.co.uk/cordelia/Music/Lumpy-30.mp3.
        Alan was formerly a member of The Deep Freeze Mice.  Interestingly, I have an old vinyl compilation of independent groups, probably released around 1982 or so.  Not only does it contain a track by The Deep Freeze Mice, but it also contains a track by Zoogz Rift, making it my introduction at the time to Zoogz and his music (and also a track by John Trubee and The Ugly Janitors Of America, whom Zoogz will remember well, I'm sure).  

 

additional info
- Danny Mathys


the others of invention

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soundtracks various artists