Mr. Personality Himself- Alan Gillett!

From Peoria, Illinois...Here is artist #277, Mr. Personality himself- Alan Gillett!

Suburban cowboy, Alan Gillett, croons in the most peculiar Kermit the Frog warble. Alan trekked down to Nashville, Tennessee to compete in  Music City Television Network's talent competition- a sort of low budget American Idol for the country crowd.

Standing slightly slouched in his black denim, cowboy hat and mustache (and looking a bit like 80s era Beefheart)- Alan is swallowed up by the massive blue carpeted stage (I guess keying in a snazzy background for him was out of the budget). In this monotone sea, being framed dead center is enough to make anyone's effort at entertainment worthless- but Alan makes it work by being so deadpan and monotone himself.  Alan eventually loosens up throughout the course of his eleven songs- first by incessantly flapping his hand at his side to keep rhythm and then by dancing...an amazing dance...a stilted step worthy of a spastic with both feet encased in concrete.

All Shook Up ( .mov video | YouTube link ) | Mr. Personality ( .mov video | YouTube link )

The latter video is quite late in the competition and the audience lounging in the studio's plastic lawn chairs seem a bit bored, amused and a little confused. Or at least I am confused when a woman starts snapping her fingers and gets up to do an Alan Gillette dance. The blustery host even gets into it by barrelling back and forth in the studio. At this point Alan is a bit out of breath and his timing strays off of the karaoke track.

At the end of his eleven songs, Alan is interviewed by the host (.mov video). Mr. Gillett is shy and nervous and has to be reminded to speak into the microphone. His favorite artist is Lloyd Price and he will travel for national bookings.

But Alan's true philosophy is summed up on his 2000 appearance on Chicago's kiddie dance show Chic-A-GoGo where he states that music must be a balance of harmony and disharmony- just like life (mp3).

Here for your irritainment pleasure are five songs ripped from the video in addition to Alan's performance on Chic-A-Go-Go. Put them on your ipod and crank it up. Have a party with Alan blasting in your cranium as you're on your way to work this morning!

Silver Threads Among The Gold  | Fast As You | Personality | All Shook Up | Waltz Across Texas | Come On Home

Thanks to Decker from Resipiscent for sending this to me!

Comments

[Tom]

Wow. This is great stuff and is a close second to John Daker for all time greatest public access musical performances: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKPY258ibQE

[rocketboy]

Yeehaw!

[lee]

WOW. thanks fatty jubbo.
every one: if you haven't seen the film 'Husbands' by Cassavettes, this is the proper time and place to order you to do so.
''too cute!...too cute!...you're not speaking to us. where's the heart?'' go buy it. you will be grateful, especially for the singing.

[jeffersonic]

While looking for Alan Gillett on Chic-A-Go-Go's web page of performances, who's performance did I stumble across? None other than Skafish! Very Entertaining!

[spades]

Alan's warble-licious vocal technique is eerily reminiscent of a semi-regularly featured artist on The Professor's Audio Kitchen program.

[Miss MIa]

i gotta tell you, i was shocked at mr. gillett's interview answers. he had just finished bouncing all over the TV studio like a jumping bean with a lit match in his pants and was panting when he oh so eloquently talked about disharmony and the human condition in the universe. probably the best interview i've ever done on the show!

[wow. chic-a-go-go is addicting]

ngngngmgh

[Gavin]

I could help myself with this one. It just called out to be mixed up with some Subgenius vids and other random stuff I hand cluttering up my harddrive. Bob be praised!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8kCn_sJWz0