Fighting Clowns is a 1980 concept album by the Firesign Theatre, taking place at a fictional USO-type camp show. It is unique among Firesign Theatre albums because it is primarily made up of songs rather than the group's usual audio theater or sketch comedy pieces. Many of the songs on this album were recorded live in front of an audience while some of the songs and much of the linking material was recorded in the studio. Cover artwork was done by Phil Hartman.
Contents
Track listing
Side one
"The Bozos Song"
"The Four Gobs"
"The 8 Shoes"
"In The Hot Tub"
"Hey, Reagan"
Side two
"In The War Zone"
"Oh, Afghanistan"
"In The Alley"
"Violent Juvenile Freaks"
"In The Hot Tub Again"
"This Bus Won't Go To War"
Bonus tracks
"Jimmy Carter" [3]
Performers
Phil Austin — Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Peter Bergman — Vocals
David Ossman — Vocals
Philip Proctor — Vocals
Richard Parker — Keyboards
Jeff Baxter — Lead Guitar
Tim Emmons — Bass
Ed Roscetti — Drums
John Mitchell — Tenor & Baritone Sax
Dick Spencer — Alto Sax & Clarinet
Richard Cooper — Trumpet [3a]
Phil Hartman — Album Cover Illustration [4]
Release history
There have been numerous issues and re-issues of this album (and excerpts from this album) in a variety of formats including a one-sided picture disc.
LP - Rhino RNLP-018 - 1980
Cassette — Rhino RNC-018 - 1980
Picture Disc — Rhino RNPD-904 - 1980
CD Mobile Fidelity MFCD-748 - 1993
CD Firesign Theatre Records (distributed through Whirlwind Media) - 2001
CD Firesign Theatre Records / Lodestone Catalog 2006