When we made Roundworm in the late 1990s, there were several songs that got left off the album for various reasons.
Nearly 30 years later, here's Kanef's parody of "Lammas Night", as sung by then-Heather Alexander.
While it'll likely be impossible for any one person to put all of Art Warneke's incredible filk video archive online, here's Leslie Fish singing "The Horse-Tamer's Daughter" 15 years ago.
Imagine a world in which the rights issues to reprint the 1980s/1990s filk albums that so many people here enjoyed, but which have been legally out of print for decades, were finally resolved.
In this world, a publisher would logistically be ability to do professional reprints of “Carmen Miranda’s Ghost”, “Minus Ten and Counting”, “Finity’s End”, and so forth.
These versions would sound somewhat better than the existing fan digitizations, as they'd be coming from the original master reels, not cassette tapes. A handful might contain additional bonus material that was left off the originals.
Imagine also that it would cost a publisher at least $10K per album to make these happen. That would likely include substantial upfront legal work, media transfer for the original reels, potential remixing, potential re-recording of a small number of backing musicians from whom permission would be impossible to obtain, remastering for digital distribution, packaging design & CD printing [unless one abandoned CD’s ‘cause almost nobody’s buying them, which would significantly cut costs] etc.
These are dozens of albums. So such an effort would require a publisher to spend a lot of money, taking a real risk.
At the same time, it’s hard not to notice as a music publisher that sales of filk and filk-adjacent projects seem to have dropped dramatically over the past 5-10 years. For example, a friend who is a Celtic musician well-known in filk has sold maybe 30 copies of their new CD, and maybe another 30 downloads — after a full year. Historically, they'd have sold that in one or two gigs.
And as I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve had to even shut down planned & in-progress restoration of Leslie Fish’s lost works, because we’re selling so few copies of Elfland that it almost could have been a 1980s Wail Songs tape [and streaming has maybe brought $50 max]. And this is a musician with 50,000+ monthly monetized streaming listeners, representing a best-case filk scenario. And before one blames Leslie's final years of internet trolling, the Pegasus album didn't do THAT much better.
At the same time, the opportunities to bring in money to cover the cost of such an effort seem limited:
It seems like there are at least hundreds of people who’d be interested in having “professional” or “legit” versions of some of these albums exist in the world.
I’m curious: if you are one of them — in this thought-experiment world — what would *you* be willing to pay for (or even interested in paying for) to make that happen?
Am I missing something that people are doing in other genres to make these work? e.g. what would be the "Kickstarter tiers" when there's really nothing to offer?
(I'm just curious if there are things that several hundred people would be willing to pay for — or something more expensive that several dozen people would be willing to pay for — in the absence of broad willingness to pay for a CD or digital download.)
I wanted to add to the previous post by r/rocketman0739, since I think many people on this subreddit may not realize who Duane Elms is — even though you know his work.
Duane is the author of "Dawson's Christian", among a number of other exceptional filksongs like "Bomber", "Spacer's Home", "Don't Push that Button", and his "Threes, Rev 1.1" parody of "Threes" (by Mercedes Lackey & Leslie Fish).
This song's authorship is frequently (and inadvertently, of course) misattributed online to Vic Tyler (whose studio performance originally socialized the song), and to Vixy & Tony (who did a stellar cover with lyric additions made by Jordin Kare, which continued to extend the audience for Duane's song.)
Because there is literally no video of Duane performing on YouTube, I wanted to ensure everyone had a chance to see Duane perform his magnum opus.
You can find many more of Duane's songs in his filkbook, "At the Helm". (Of course, Duane continued writing exceptional songs long after the 1989 publication date of this book.)
Leslie Fish was a regular filk guest of honor at Dragon Con many years ago. At the request of the convention, she wrote this tribute filksong to it, over 25 years ago -- and before she had ever attended.
Next week will be the first Dragon Con since her death.
LYRICS:
Twenty thousand visitors took Atlanta on.
It was no invading army, no: it’s only Dragon Con.
And it’s true, ye fans. It’s true, ye fans.
I never was known to lie.
And if you go on to Dragon Con you’ll see the same as I.
It started out a local con, and then began to grow.
Just how big it’s going to get, nobody can know.
They started out with gamers, then added media-fen.
They say the numbers have to peak, but nobody knows when.
The fans that came to Dragon Con filled up six hotels.
They filled the civic center too, and traffic went to hell.
The biggest hotel in the town has barely room to spare,
For the worldwide gaming tournaments are in the basement there.
The huckster room at Dragon Con filled the hotel’s bay.
I couldn’t get from end to end in less than half a day.
There’s gamers, Trekkers, Star Wars fans, book and artwork fen.
If you dropped the WorldCon in here, it’d never be seen again.
The only gathering bigger, just might be the Pennsic War.
They camp on ninety acres, so they have room for a little more.
There’s room for every fandom there that ever did appear,
Plus two huge rooms for filkers, which is why I’m singing here.
Lyrics © 2000 Leslie Fish
Music: “The Darby Ram”
After 4 years of production, Leslie Fish's "Elfland" is now available on all major streaming services!
This project captures many of Leslie's most beloved space songs, alongside other never-before-heard live performances from 2000-2001.
Quick links:
Elfland CDs are still in manufacturing, and expected in early September.
As a reminder, we can only produce these posthumous restoration projects to the extent that people are actually buying them. With pre-orders not even covering 8% of Elfland's production costs, Leslie's music projects are now roughly $12K in the red.
Consequently, we have made the difficult choice to suspend production on Leslie's subsequent restoration projects until her music is back in the black. At the present rate of sales, this will likely require a 12-16 month production pause.
You can purchase Elfland here: https://www.prometheus-music.com/product/elfland/
"Inspired by a convention-party discussion about the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise, which I still think was undeservedly under-rated. The fans complained that the theme song was too narrow in scope for the stories, so I came up with something we thought more fitting." — Leslie
"First Enterprise" song from Leslie Fish's "Angel with a Sword" album: https://www.prometheus-music.com/product/angel-with-a-sword/
A friend is making a fan video for the late filksinger (and early Trek fanfic author) Leslie Fish's song, "First Enterprise".
The song is, of course, about Enterprise season 1. My friend making the video is a bona fide Trekkie, but has only seen parts of Enterprise.
I've posted her first pass at a video. If anyone might care to share any critical feedback, and/or specific ideas for memorable scenes she missed that you think belong in the video, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
(If you just hate filksongs and/or hate this one, sorry, I can't really help!)
Lyrics below.
--
"Inspired by a convention-party discussion about the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise, which I still think was undeservedly under-rated. The fans complained that the theme song was too narrow in scope for the stories, so I came up with something we thought more fitting." — Leslie
First ride out, Enterprise.
First voyage into the star-studded skies.
An end to the waiting, the guesses and the lies,
First ride out, Enterprise.
Much older people are watching us now,
Taking our measure — but they don’t know how.
Watching to see if we falter or flee.
They don’t know, they don’t know,
And neither do we.
Wandering blindly, if that’s what it takes.
Taking the chances to make new mistakes.
Vulcans would never leave so much to chance.
They don’t know, they don’t know,
That’s how we advance.
We know full well that we don’t know it all.
We search through the darkness expecting to fall.
We hold to each other and share what we earn.
They don’t know, they don’t know.
How fast we can learn.
With each new encounter we learn or we die.
To keep safe from failure means you never try.
You hold to the patterns that served you so long.
You don’t know, you don’t know.
You could have gone wrong.
We won’t be led by the hand like a child.
We might be trained, but we’ll always be wild.
Is that the reason you fear or despise?
Do you know, do you know.
How far we can rise?
© Leslie Fish, 8/2/2003
Song by Andy Eigel
Performed by Twotonic:
Steve Macdonald: Lead vocals & guitar
Katy Dröge-Macdonald: Backing vocals
LYRICS:
Our people ruled an empire that stretched across the stars
Our proud and noble warrior race had won a thousand wars
But the clouds of ships that we once had which would swarm and block the sun
Are now a faded memory- past conquests overrun
And this is what it means to be Centauri
I think back to my homeworld now, a shining gem in space
The birthplace of my family noble bloodlines are yet traced
But such decadence has now befallen poor Centauri Prime
That we've become a tourist trap- open nine to five Earth time
And this is what it means to be Centauri
We've gathered on this station now, our last, best, hope for peace
And I muse about my glory days, and drink to find release
Great Maker! What I wouldn't give to taste that time again
'Til a stranger from the Darkness says he wants to be my friend
And this is what it means to be Centauri
And the Darkness now is coming to enslave all in its path
All races in the galaxy will bear soon its full wrath
And I can only sit and wait and watch as Shadows come
To conquer and destroy... oh gods, what have I done?
And this is what it means to be Centauri
This is what it means to be Centauri
© Andrew Eigel
This is the second half of Joe Ficklin's interview with Leslie Fish (circa 1994-1995).
This is also the first upload using our new digitizing setup, which eliminates a lot of the VHS artifacts in our prior videos.
(Randomly, if anyone happens to have a Panasonic DMR ES-10 or ES-15 DVD player sitting around, and is open to selling it at a good price or donating it, please DM me. I am only interested in *those two specific models*, because they double well as a passthrough line-based TBC for VHS transfers, and can allegedly prevent the loss of sync that resulted in the Elgato Video Capture software abandoning this transfer midway.)
Concert recording from Leslie's new (2026) "Elfland" album: https://www.prometheus-music.com/product/elfland/
"This was inspired by one of my mother’s last desperate attempts to make a 'lady' of me and marry me off to some rich man. I never sang it for her." — Leslie Fish
Video footage from Forbidden Planet and Honey West, featuring the late Anne Francis. All video rights reserved by the copyright owners.
Sharing a friend's fan video of the song "Ishmael's Oath" by the late folk/filksinger Leslie Fish.
In Leslie's words:
I caught a replay of the original “Moby Dick” movie on late-night TV, and realized just how many Pagan elements are embedded in it. And then I saw Mark Twain’s famous quote:
"Why is there so much misery in the world?"
"That, madame, is because the world is ruled by God, and God is a malign thug." – Mark Twain
The wreckage all has vanished. The waves cavort and roll.
I’m floating on a coffin and conversing with my soul.
I understand completely now what Ahab tried to do:
And if I live to get to land, I’ll try to do it too.
Our lives are full of sorrow, and all the preachers say
The Lord God doles our misery out to make us all obey.
Is this a loving father’s work, or just a tyrant’s game?
If all the world is ruled by God, then he’s the one to blame.
The vision stands before me, and I believe it still:
The Puritan God is a vicious thug — that Ahab meant to kill.
So Ahab brought his Pharisee, and those Shamans one and all,
To kill the Lord by voodoo — with the whale his voodoo doll!
And half New Bedford knew it! They helped us arm and pack.
They warned us of the danger, but they didn’t hold us back.
For all their pious mouthings of curses, death and sin,
They didn’t dare to say it, but they hoped that we would win.
But Moby Dick proved the stronger. The Pequod sprang a leak.
I sympathize with Ahab’s cause, but question his technique.
From all that I have studied, on air or sea or sod
Starvation is the surest way that man can kill a god.
No more I’ll give him worship — the faith on which he feeds,
No more the fear and ignorance from which the tyrant breeds.
With ridicule in my left hand and science in my right,
I’ll strip him of his power — or at least begin the fight.
I now resolve my mission unto the bitter end
While riding to my rescue on the coffin of my friend.
The tyrant still might kill me — of hunger, sharks or thirst –
But I’ll do my best to tear him down if he can’t kill me first!
Song © 2000 Leslie Fish.
First fan video for Leslie Fish's "Ishmael's Oath" (via Leslie's new Elfland CD)
>"I caught a replay of the original “Moby Dick” movie on late-night TV, and realized just how many Pagan elements are embedded in it. And then I saw Mark Twain’s famous quote." — Leslie Fish
I'm (of course) not the video creator, but have uploaded it to Leslie's channel with their permission.
After 3.5 years and $35,000 (ouch), the next massive project in our effort to preserve & restore Leslie's unreleased performances is now available — honoring Leslie's unambiguous wish to see her music carry on long beyond her lifetime.
Elfland is a huge collection of previously-unreleased Fish recordings:
Purchase link here: https://www.prometheus-music.com/product/elfland/
Beyond Hope Eyrie, remaining studio tracks were produced by Kristoph Klover. Backing musicians include Michelle "Vixy" Dockrey, Doug Olsen (who you may recall from Minus Ten and Counting) — and I'm sad to say — the final studio vocal recordings we made of Vic Tyler before his passing.
In transparency, this project (and the Pegasus album) were significantly overbudget; at present, my accounting shows Leslie's music category about $17,000 in the red. If you'd like to see more Fish restoration projects like these continue immediately — rather than in 2028 or so when sales/streams catch up — please consider voting with your wallet and buying a copy, rather than just streaming this project.
ALBUM TRACKS
Due to copyright reasons, two songs had to be left out of the full concert files.
If of interest, there are keyboard arrangements of a few classic filksongs at the above URL. (e.g. Some Kind of Hero, The Phoenix, etc.)
They also have some performances of them online here: https://www.youtube.com/@castiansmusic/videos
Carmen Miranda's Ghost shout-outs beginning here:
I recently inherited about shrinkwrapped 500 CrO2 tapes (42-ish min, can find out). The tapes are identical, and are all of one microgenre album by a friend who passed away.
Anyone in Seattle area home-duplicating indie cassette projects who might have a use for some of these as blank media or otherwise?
Looking to rehome at no-cost to actual music makers (not resellers). Otherwise, will just resell on eBay myself to free up closet space for my next CD run arriving next month.
Pointers welcome, too. Already pinged Vera Project and Drongo Tapes.
We're finishing up the Elfland album this month.
Sharing the first draft of the album booklet. I see two errors. If you spot any typos or errors, please do holler!
Reddit only allows 20 images per post, so you can find pages 21-24 in this post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/filkmarket/posts/3938932686241355
Or use this Dropbox transfer: https://www.dropbox.com/t/8yIPymYJnG76r6BO
I just received 700 copies of this 33 year old filk tape, and am looking to rehome as many of them as realistic.
These are intended as something you get for free when ordering other stuff from the Prometheus Music website — but realistically, I probably won't invalidate any US-based orders for just the free tape + $4.75 shipping.