#trashmen

The TRASHMEN

"Surfin Bird / Henrietta // King of the Surf / The Sleeper"

(7". Columbia. 1964 / rec. 1963) [US]

THE DEATH OF A POT

I bought this pot at the first juried craft fair I attended in Massachusetts in the early 1980s. The potter was a handsome young man just starting out in his career and was thrilled that I loved his chunky, horseshoe laden handmade piece. It weighed about 50 pounds and was built around a central core that had movable rings inside and a handful of sand. The outside was torn strips of clay permeated with hundreds of horseshoe nails. It looked like an abstract pine cone. The top was rough cut and burly like the potter that created it.

I may have been mostly alone in my love for the piece.

After I lugged it from MA to NYC it was on display in my office, until my boss paid my cab fare so I could take it home and "better enjoy it there.” Over the years the men in my life sort of winced looking at it and then ignored it. It was eventually moved out into the yard. Recently, the gal working with me moved onto a stand at the top of the front staircase. Someone put a fancy garden stake and some dowling in the pot and I kind of liked that I could see it from where I work.

The other day I heard a loud thud and came out to see the peacocks (who had  knocked it over while sparring) now checking out the damage. At first I thought the piece was okay, but then realized that the part on the ground was thoroughly crushed.

The Trashmen - Surfin’ Bird (1963)

•••• musique jaune ••••

V/A

"Born bad vol.3"

(LP. Born Bad rcds. 1986 / rec. 1956-64) [US]

54. Surfin Bird by The Trashmen debuted Dec 63 and peaked at number four, scoring 956 points.