Who Are THESE Clowns?

Clowntime ain't over yet, friends -- Stinky's back, this time with songs that mention clowns (either in the title or the lyrics. Clowns abound in these 26 tracks: circus clowns, rodeo clowns, and the clown who laughs on the outside and cries on the inside. That's the clown we know from all those broken hearted ballads.   

Stinky has assembled a cornucopia of clown songs: country songs, pop songs, Motown, jazz and punk songs.  It's a master class from the clown college of musical knowledge. 

Hey, you guys forgot "Get Out Of My Dreams, Get In My Clown Car"! And what about "Will I See You Tonight On A Clowntown Train"?  Lest you think your favorite clown song has been neglected, hold tight and remember that there's at least one more volume to come.  And if that's not enough, we'll open the request lines for the rest of you clowns.

Who ARE These Clowns?

Not for the coulrophobic!  Stinky and I have been trading pictures for awhile of some of the rock bands and singers who have painted their faces over the years.  Some are famous, others less so.  Some had a moment in the spotlight but may have been forgotten by all but their devoted fans.  Some constructed elaborate personas with costumes, stage names, and back stories.  Others just put on clown makeup for an album cover or music video.  We'd send each other an image of one of these strange (and sometimes creepy) album covers with the caption, "Who ARE these clowns?"

One idea for a mix (shared here today) was to feature some of these singers and groups, from far back (Leon Russell, Leo Sayer, Alex Harvey, and The Hello People), far afield (Secos & Molhados), far out (Fad Gadget, Klaus Nomi), and far-fetched (Clownvis Presley, Mac Sabbath, Yeastie Boys).

As mentioned, some of them only donned greasepaint or clown masks for an album cover (Gary Lewis, Frank Sinatra, The Armed), while others have made a career out of it (Puddles Pity Party, Slipknot, various juggalos).  Oh yeah, forgot to mention: there be juggalos.

Our other idea for a mix (coming up soon) is songs about clowns.  Like-minded music fans such as yourselves will have no trouble thinking of clown songs, but hopefully we've found a few surprises.  Stick around and see for yourselves!