Podcasting “StranieroVision “ & “Radio Guaglione!‪”‬ The Straniero

In November of 2006 I went to the Daidogei Buskers World Cup in Shizuoka, Japan. I really enjoyed getting to play on the other side of the world. Just for the festival, I learned to sing a song in Japanese. It turned out to be quite a hit. I asked a one-man band friend of mine in Japan named Funny Tombow for an easy song for me to learn in Japanese. He suggested Sukiyaki Song, (which supposedly was a big hit in the U.S. by A Taste of Honey). It went over quite well! Here it is on the Japanese TV...
Special Guest: Takapartch on trumpet

I made this TV spot for a Japanese chain of Pachinko parlors called Meiho group. They were filmed in Milan inside of the Teatro Litta. It was a really fun experience!
The song I wrote myself for the occasion.
The instrument is the Bordellofono.
At the end I say... “We’ll have a fun time!” (In Italian)

I made this TV spot for a Japanese chain of Pachinko parlors called Meiho group. They were filmed in Milan inside of the Teatro Litta. It was a really fun experience!
The instrument is the Stranierofono.
At the end I say... “We’ll have a fun time!” (In Italian)

This video was recorded on the side of the famous Galleria Umberto in Naples, Italy as a trial for the Mehio Group Japanese TV ads. This instrument is Radio Guaglione, and is all acoustic except for the vocals.

This video was recorded on the side of the famous Galleria Umberto in Naples, Italy as a trial for the Mehio Group Japanese TV ads. This instrument is Radio Guaglione, and is all acoustic except for the vocals.

Goldfishbowl Eyes is a Greasy Pigs song written in 1991 by Tam & me. It’s one of my favorites. This version I recorded for the Pennabilli Artisti in Piazza CD from 2004.
The first line of the song, “I’ve got Jesus in my guitar case”, came from when I was busking in Prague in 1989 and when I looked in the case at the money there was a huge marble head of Jesus that somebody must’ve stolen from a church. I’ve even got a photo of the moment. I left the head where I found it though. Bad karma. It was a banjo case, not a guitar case. Artistic license.
The song is in three parts. I play all the instruments with no electronic sounds. It starts with a trumpet slowed down 2 octaves so that it sounds like a trombone. Then a three part harmony of horns comes in for the bluesy intro part. The middle part has me playing guitar, banjo, trumpet, upright bass, drums, one normal vocal track and one with a megaphone. For the ska bit at the end piece I get out the ukulele and electric guitar and bring in the horn section and three back up vocals.