Plan 9: Sea Hunt 1987 + Ham And Sam Jammin' 1989 + Pleasure Farm 1998

 

It all started when record collectors, Eric Stumpo and Deb DeMarco decided to form a band that would

play their favorite music: ’60s garage/punk and psychedelia. Eric was teaching guitar at the time and recruited several students to form the band. By the time the lineup gelled, there were four guitarists, bass, Farfisa organ and drums!
                 

The repertoire at first consisted solely of covers of the ’60s garage punk 45s that Eric and Deb

collected. In spite of the fact that this was the heyday of new wave and post-punk, Plan 9 was not alone with this concept. Around the same time, all across the United States and in Europe, many collectors of garage/psych records had begun to form bands based on their collecting habits. This was the dawn of the ’80s garage/psych scene.
                     

In retrospect, a large variety of the bands that sprang up did little more than ape their favorite music

note for note. There were a few, however, utilized ’60s garage/psych as a basis for a more original or new sound. Plan 9 who resided in the relative isolation of southern Rhode Island, took this path.
                 

PLAN 9 - SEA HUNT 1987

              

1987’s Sea Hunt represented a transition album of sorts. To start with, it was recorded in Texas in the middle of a tour rather than at Trod Nossel, where all previous recording had been done. This album replaced nearly all of the lysergic trappings of their earlier work with a touch of jazz; noticeable mostly in Eric’s guitar playing. The songwriting on this album is again quite strong, especially the lyrics. A

new drummer, Frank Villani, added a solid, more straight ahead feel to the band. A large part of the B-Side is taken up by the nearly 14 minute long “Sea Hunt.” All instrumental, this suite has several interconnected ideas of differing moods held together by a recurring theme. The addition of Betsy Sturdivant on saxophone added a new sound that was especially effective on the track “Sea Hunt.” The overall feeling of this suite is very relaxing. Almost as if you were on a diving expedition. The closing number, “My Secret Life,” has a very laid back feel with some nice jazzy guitar playing from Eric. It’s very difficult to describe this song, but it sums up the album very well and leaves you wanting more.
              

Plan 9 - Sea Hunt
Label: Enigma – cde-73248, Enigma – 3248-2
Format: CD, Album
Country: USA, Canada & Europe
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock

TRACKS

                    

01. Hat Comes First
02. The Figures
03. Man Bites Dog
04. Slice
05. Girl Talk
06. The Facts
07. Beyond Mombasa  (Written-By – Evan Williams)
08. Sea Hunt
09. Human Mertzes
10. My Secret Life

LINE - UP

Bass – John Florence
Drums, Percussion – Frank Villani
Guitar – Evan Williams
Guitar - Tommy Champlin
Guitar, Vocals, Written-By – Eric Stumpo
Saxophone – Becky Sturdivant

Flac Size: 252 MB

PLAN 9 - HAM AND SAM JAMMIN' 1989

                  

The next album, Ham And Sam Jammin’, was released in 1989, and brought another change in styles

for Plan 9. This brought to the fore a problem facing them and many other indie bands who were simultaneously trying to appeal to a wider audience yet keep thier musical independence. Their style, combined with more complicated songs and cleaner production, made them appear to sound more commercial than most underground music fans were willing to listen to. Yet, at the same time, they were still way too far out in left field for the majority of music fans in the “mainstream” world. Thus Plan 9 was becoming confined to the status of a cult band; playing to a small group of extremely devoted fans. This album featured a new (albeit short lived) vocalist named Pip taking over much of the

duties as well as a few special guests helping out. (Who exactly is Masharam Heller?) While this album is a far cry from their psychedelic work, it succeeds on its own terms largely because of the songwriting which is varied and interesting. Again the lyrics are well worth listening to. This was their last album for Restless, and the last recordings from the band until 1993’s “Around the USA” 45. After Ham and Sam Jammin’, the band dissolved for the most part. While they played some shows, they were far more sporadic and with different lineups.
                

Plan 9 – Ham And Sam Jammin'
Label: Restless Records – 7 72328-2
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Rock
Style: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

          

01. Weapon    0:47
02. What - Said    1:59
03. 36-24-36   3:21
Violin – Kevin Fallon
04. The Mambo Night   3:52
Guitar – Julius Borges
Violin – Kevin Fallon
05. Wishful Thinking    1:50
06. A Visit From Sal   3:50
Lead Guitar – Masharam Heller
07. Shecky's Monologue   3:05
Violin – Kevin Fallon
08. Find Some Truth    4:12
09. Blue   2:25
Backing Vocals – Carey Monserrate
Guitar – Julius Borges
10. Shecky's Dream   2:55
Violin – Kevin Fallon
11. Power Of Love   4:15
Guitar – Aram
Violin – Kevin Fallon
12. Immaculate Consumption   1:31
Flute – Hugh Everett
Guitar – Julius Borges
Mandolin – Kevin Fallon
13. Top Of The World  3:55
Flute – Hugh Everett
Violin – Kevin Fallon
14. I'm Really Mad   2:47

LINE - UP

Bass – John Florence
Drums – Frank Villani
Guitar, Vocals – Eric Stumpo
Keyboards, Organ – Deborah DeMarco
Vocals – Pip

Flac Size: 284 MB

PLAN 9 - PLEASURE FARM 1998

                

The 9th Album by this prototypical Psych-Band does nothing but further their reputation as one of the

most original and important artists operating in the genre. A must! The group was named for the 1950s science fiction film Plan 9 from Outer Space. The Calgary Herald wrote, in 1989, "Its music has that spirited, no-holds-barred feel of rock from the '60s while managing to not sound dated." The band was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2017, alongside Throwing Muses and several other acts.
              

Plan 9 – Pleasure Farm
Label: J-Bird Records – JBD 80085-2
Format:    CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative

TRACKS

                    

  
01. Blip / Open Wound    3:15
02. Animals Doing Things To Each Other    3:49
03. Pleasure Farm   3:09
04. The Abduction Of Baby Bleam    5:07
05. Panic In The Streets   2:57
06. Infamous    5:57
07. Relief Map    4:20
08. Hardware Store   2:54
09. -30-   2:41

LINE - UP

Bass – Roger Vaughan, Tom Caulfield
Drums – Steven Anderson
Drums, Percussion – Evan Laboissonniere
Guitar, Vocals – Eric Stumpo
Keyboards, Vocals, Producer – Deb Demarco
Violin, Lap Steel Guitar – Kevin Fallon

Flac Size: 239 MB

  Plan 9: Frustration EP 1981 + Dealing With The Dead 1984  HERE

Plan 9: Keep Your Cools  And Read The Rules 1985  HERE

Plan 9: Frustration EP 1981 + Dealing With The Dead 1984

Plan 9 is an American neo-psychedelic band from Rhode Island formed in 1979.
The group was named for the 1950s science fiction film Plan 9 from Outer Space.
                                                     

                                                                                                                               
Featuring four guitars and a sound straight from those psychedelic '60s, Rhode Island's Plan 9 dealt with little except period covers on their first album, 1981's "Frustration". The group added a batch of originals on "Dealing With the Dead", and spent the next two albums compiling early singles (Plan 9) and documenting their live show (I've Just Killed a Man, I Don't Want to See Any Meat). Plan 9 began to add remnants of hard rock with 1985's "Keep Your Cool & Read the Rules", but after switching to Enigma, the group stripped its '60s influences and began sounding like a plain old rock band.
                                                          

                                                                                    
Enter, John DeVault asleep on the couch, Holly Scanlon if we ever needed a singa, Mike Meehan learning to play guitar but could actually play the drum kit, John Florence with a Tele bass as long as he

was tall, Deborah DeMarco shy but willing and Eric Stumpo who could sing like Morrison and Arthur Lee and other snotty vocalists of garage psych, while ripping out the meanest guitar solos. Since Tori was still in Junior High and liked to hang around, we were hired for her graduation dance. We punked it out to the max, in pink fur pants, hi heels and back-up 8mm films. We played everything we knew, for 4 hours, rousting covers of every cool record from our ever expanding collection of 45's, the grittiest and grungiest garage tunes that were 3 chord wonders and easy to jam on. That was 1979, just prior to beginning an association with BOMP's Greg Shaw, that would eventually lead to the TRANCE-E-DELLIC improv's of Plan 9 2003!
                                                             

                                                                               
Deborah DeMarco found a VOX Super Continental organ at a yard sale. Evan Williams, currently Medicine Ball co-creator and guitar generator, needed a place to live, had a car and a Gibson SG, left handed that he covered with illustrations that were really good, came in one night. We jammed on Dirty

Water by the Standells for an hour. He realized the common denominator in our demos, silly love songs as they were, Gotta Move, Frustration, I Can Only Give You Everything, cool music so... we became the "4 guitar 9 member psychedelic experience" started to practice more... oh and I almost forgot about Mikey RIPAMAN who got a Burns guitar for the occasion, had played with us in Newport early on and looked like Eddie of Flo &, and was simply a funny funny man. The idea became apparent to us that we should be Plan 9, to honor the absurdity of the then little known sci-fi debacle, to which we felt akin, P-9 from Outer Space, the one they will certainly remember Ed Wood for.
                                                          

                                                                                 
Plan 9 was bolstered by their eight members, half of which played guitar, but if they were unafraid to show their influences, the devotion to old achievements presented a band who lacked either raw power or resourceful interpretation. Plan 9's tight, scuzzy reworking of Them's "I Can Only Give You Everything," known to later generations as the principal hook to Beck's "Devil's Haircut," barely kept the effort afloat.

FRUSTRATION 1981

 

Plan 9 ‎– Frustration
Label: Voxx Records ‎– VXS 200.007
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock.

TRAXS

01. Can't Stand This Love, Goodbye     2:17
02. How Many Times     3:40
03. I Can Only Give You Everything     4:15
04. I'm Not There     1:50
05. Move     3:39
06. Flashback     2:50
10. Frustration     11:50

MEMBERS

Bass – John Florence
Drums – Michael Meehan
Engineer – Richard P. Robinson
Guitar – Evan Williams , John DeVault, Tom Champlin
Lead Vocals, Guitar – Eric Stumpo
Photography, Organ – Deborah DeMarco
Producer, Arranged By – Plan 9
Vocals, Tambourine – Michael Ripa

Notes
Recorded & mixed at Trod Nossel Studios, Wallingford, CT June-July 1981

DEALING WITH THE DEAD 1984

                                                       

                                                                            
Vocalist/guitarist Eric Stumpo founded Plan 9 in 1979 while teaching at the String Instrument Workshop in Wakefield. Students and friends who hung around the store including his life-partner, organist/vocalist Deborah DeMarco, rehearsed ‘60s Garage Rock and Psychedelic covers there. The band’s long touring and recording career began soon after rehearsal tapes were sent to Greg Shaw of

Bomp Records resulting in their first single, “Can’t Stand This Love, Goodbye” in 1981 followed by the Frustration EP on Bomp subsidiary Voxx.
Shaw sponsored tours which led to their Manhattan debut at The Peppermint Lounge. Three indie albums followed establishing them as pioneers of Neo-Psychedelia and forerunners of the Paisley Underground. In 1985, they signed with Enigma/Pink Dust Records whose distribution deal with Capitol/EMI propelled them into the international market for a three-album run beginning with the landmark LP Keep your Cool and Read the Rules. In a 2010 online article, “Artist of the Week: Plan 9,” Reverend Matt commented that “…the layering of anywhere between three and five guitars and the interweaving of Deborah DeMarco’s swirling organ lines” demonstrates that “…the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts,” bringing “the listener’s mind to the outer limits of psychedelia.”
                                                                             

Taking their name from the now infamous Edward D. Wood, Jr's film "Plan 9 From Outer Space", the fledgling band of John DeVault, Holly Scanlon, Mike Meehan, John Florence, Debora DeMarco, Eric Stumpo, Tom Champlin, Eric Vandelin, Evan Williams and Mike Ripa helped create the wall of guitar

sound which became indicative of Plan 9. 1981 saw the release of the first single ("Can't Stand This Love, Goodbye") ...quickly followed by the "Frustration" EP on Greg Shaw's Voxx label. Then a full length album, "Dealing with the Dead" was released in 1983 on Midnight Records, sporting full color fluorescent artwork and cool comic insert by artist RK Sloane. The band was nominated in 1983 for the CMJ Future Artists Music Award."Five Years Ahead Of My Time" was released as a double A-sided 45, followed by aself-titled album of rarities and additional tracks from the Dealing with the Deadsessions on European label New Rose. "Midnight's Christmas Mass" LP included Eric'swonderful "Merry Christmas" track. Then "I've Just Killed A Man, I Don't Want To See Any Meat" LP was recorded live for Midnight, after which the band signed with Enigma Records andits new creation Pink Dust.
                                                                                 

Eric, Debora, Brent Hosier, Evan Williams, Brian Thomas, Tom, Evan Laboissonniere, JohnF, Don Fogarty, Mike Jacobs & the late great Cub Coda then settled in for "Keep Your CoolAnd Read The Rules" LP. The title track became a film featuring Al-x Nagle, whichrecently received its final edit by John DeVault...

"Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" saw the band rework a 1956 recording originally put out there by Uncle Bobby Carl & The Blendaires, and featured the gnarly vocals of Reid Paley and sweet backup from Tanya Donnelly. Then came a jazz-psych piece ("Sea Hunt" LP), theimaginary soundtrack, which featured sister Becky (Sturdivant), Eric, Debora, John F, Evan W, Tom, and Frank Villani, recorded in Texas.
"Ham & Sam Jammin'" featured Mr Paul Everett on vocals, Eric, Debora, John F, Frank V, Kevin Fallon, Julius Borges, Marsharam Heller, Carey Monserrate, Hugh Everett and the spirit of Ben McLelland, engineered by Paul Kolderie. A video for the track Mambo Night, by indie film guru Jon Moritsugu, briefly flirted with the MTV audience...
The early 1990's brought "Around The USA" 45 and "Stock Footage" CD, the latter being a compilation of music from films by Roger Corman. A late 1990's release on J-Bird records ("Pleasure Farm") featured Eric, Debora, Evan L, Tom, Roger Vaughan, Steven Anderson and Kevin Fallon.
"Nine Mens Misery" was an improvisational score for a documentary film by Victor Franko about the Narragansett Indians winning a battle at a big rock in Cumberland RI. More improv followed with "The Gathering" CD and then Trance-e-dellic met Country in the shape of the "Cow Town" CD featuring Eric, Debora, Frank, Ben, Tom Carmody and Dana Maguire, engineered by Frank Villani.
Plan 9 provided a musical backdrop to Melissa Emma's spoken word which brought forth theCD "Sour Tongue Readings - No Spitting" in 2002. The band then recorded an infomercial for Bob Fagan (Bright Pictures NYC) for Mage Knight.

Plan 9 ‎– Dealing With The Dead
Label: Midnight Records ‎– MIR LP 103, Midnight Records ‎– MIRLP 103
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Rock
Style: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock

TRAXS

01. I Like Girls (Written-By – Stumpo, DeVault)  4:04
02. B-3-11 (Written-By – Stumpo)  3:55
03. White Women (Written-By – Stumpo) 2:59
04. Dealing With The Dead (Written-By – Stumpo) 5:29
05. Step Out Of Time (Written-By – Williams) 3:33
06. Gone (Written-By – Stumpo) 2:56
07. Beg For Love (Written-By – DeMarco) 3:34
08. Can't Have You (Written-By – DeMarco) 3:09
09. Keep On Pushin' (Written-By – DeAzevedo, Youshock) 3:03

MEMBERS

Bass, Percussion – John Florence
Drums – Steven Andersen
Engineer – Richard P. Robinson
Guitar – Evan Williams , John DeVault, Tom Champlin
Guitar, Vocals – Eric Stumpo
Guitar, Vocals, Percussion – Michael Ripa
Keyboards – Deborah DeMarco
Narrator – John DeVault (tracks: A4)
Photography By – Deborah DeMarco
Producer, Arranged By – Plan 9

Notes
Recorded and mixed in 1983 at Trad Nossel Studios, Wollingford, Ct - US.

ALBUMS

01."Frustration EP": 1981 Voxx
02. "Dealing With The Dead": 1984 Midnight
03. "Plan 9": 1984 New Rose
04. "It's A Live / I Just Killed A Man And I Don't Want To See Any Meat...": 1985 Midnight
05."Keep Your Cool and Read The Rules": 1985 Pink Dust/Enigma
06."Anytime Anyplace Anywhere EP": 1986 Restless/Enigma
07."Sea Hunt": 1987 Enigma
08."Ham & Sam Jammin'": 1989 Restless
09."Stock Footage": 1994 WorryBird
10."Pleasure Farm"¨1998 J-Bird
11."Cow Town"¨2001 Criswell Predicts
12."The Gathering": 2001 Criswell Predicts
13."9 Men's Misery": 2001 Criswell Predicts
14."Sour Tongue Readings": 2002 Criswell Predicts
15."Things I Do": 2008 Criswell Predicts

Frustration: MP3 @320 Size: 75.1  MB

Flac  Size: 204 MB

Dealing With The Dead: MP3 @ 320 Size: 75.1 MB

Flac  Size: 193 MB

Plan 9 : Keep Yoyr Cools And Read The Rules 1985

Plan 9 is an American neo-psychedelic band from Rhode Island formed in 1979.
The group was named for the 1950s science fiction film Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Featuring four guitars and a sound straight from those psychedelic '60s, Rhode Island's Plan 9 dealt with little except period covers on their first album, 1982's Frustration. The group added a batch of originals on

Plan 9 started big playing their first show at a Sire Records showcase in New York City and never really

As the ‘90s approached, like their lineup Plan 9’s sound expanded to include elements of free jazz, further tripping things out.
Whether it was a concession to adulthood, or just that it was financially impossible to break even with a band that could at a given time have up to seven or eight members, Plan 9 became prone to hibernating for prolonged stretches since the end of the century.

Plan 9 may only do a show every few years, but their legend continues to grow. It just so happens that Plan 9 were at work concocting a new record when the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame induction came down the pipe.

Plan 9 interview with Deborah DeMarco
It's Psychedelic Baby

1. When was Plan 9 born and why the name Plan 9?

Plan 9 is actually a really bad movie, you may have seen.  it's called Plan 9 From outer Space, by Ed Wood.  It features an odd mix of characters...when we took the name, noone really knew about that movie, and we were an odd mix.

2. How do you remember some of the early sessions you had?

I recall some fearless shows...in New York, a battle of the garage bands with the Chesterfield Kings, Slickee Boys, Smithereens, Zantees, Unknowns, Fleshtones, Fuzztones and later the Mad Violets.

3. Frustration is your first LP from 1982. Would you like to share some memories about it?

the song was written by William Hay (go away, black bear, go away) and Greg Shaw thought it would make a good extended side.  He was right.  The maze, incidently, has no solution, hence  frustration.

4. Next year you released Dealing With the Dead. The album is really amazing! All the songs are original except great version of Human Beinz song.

Yah, Keep On Pushin'..Mike Ripa sang...he played a Burns Bison and kept a lit cigarette in the headstock, always.  That album was scary to produce, and we were at Trod Nossell for a while with it.  We kept recording songs we had been working n for about a year or maybe two. There were many tracks to mix and some of them ended up going to Europe for Patrick Mathe's New Rose label.  Then we combined everything and rereleased all of those tracks together. Rick Sloane did some new artwork for the Criswell Predicts reissue.

 

5. After Dealing With the Dead you released several albums like Keep Your Cool and Read the Rules, Live - I've Just Killed a Man I Don't Want to See Any Meat, Sea Hunt and Ham and Sam Jammin'. Would you like to tell me something about this releases?

The Live LP you mention was recorded at a number of East Coast venues, and then edited together.  We owed Midnight an LP, as a contractual obligation..so that allowed us to move along. We wanted to work with the Enigma people. We released 3 LPs and and an EP with them in 4 years.  We loved working in San Marcos Texas at The Fire Station, owned by Doug Sahm.  Those Sea Hunt sessions took about 3 weeks, and we had these caterpillars take up residency on our truck, sorta like Body Snatchers.  Keep Your Cool was recorded at Trod Nossell. We love the Street Of Painted Lips jam on that LP.

6. I always liked that dark zombie atmosphere you combinated with psychedelic sounds. How did you get this kind of sound out?

Layers and layers of guitars,  vox organ and reverb.

7. If we go back a bit. Since I'm a huge underground psych fan, I would like to ask what are some of the less known psych albums that you love?

The bands that influenced us early on are no longer considered lesser known...but the early Texas punk records are favorites still, and certain west coast bands Tripsichord, Mad River, Love, Spirit..and NW favorites the Sonics, hippie commune records...MC5, Litter of and of course The Painted Ship..

Members

    Eric Stumpo
    Debora D
    John DeVault
    Albertron
    Harry Keithline
    Mike Meehan (1979 -1984)
    Alex Nagle
    John Florence
    Brian Thomas (1985)
    Brent Hosier (1985-86)
    Evan Laboissionniere
    Steve Anderson

ΤRACKS

SIDE A

01. That's Life     5:44
02. Poor Boy     4:09
03. The Beast Was An Old Tale     3:33
04. For Hillary     3:03
05. Machines     3:17
06. Face In The Box     1:25

SIDE B 

07. 11th Hour     2:09
08. Street Of Painted Lips     6:54
09. King Nine Will Not Return     4:09
10. Keep Your Cool     3:36
11. Hot Day     4:53

Label : Enigma Records  VG 50169, Virgin  VG 50169
Format : Vinyl, LP
Country : U.S.A
Made in : Greece
Release : 1985
Genre : Rock
Style : Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock 

MP3 : Size : 105 MB

Flac : Size : 302 MB