Mouth Congress

Waiting For Henry

Image of Mouth Congress - Waiting For Henry

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Mouth Congress – friends Paul Bellini and Scott Thompson of Kids In The Hall fame - wrote and recorded hundreds of songs in the ‘80s with - out ever putting out a proper release. Alongside various cohorts and conspirators, the band drew on their experiences as gay men to craft hilariously crude punk songs that run the gamut of strange characters and taboo subject matter. Their rag tag approach to songwriting blended various styles from noisy punk to lo-fi new wave and DIY disco, all with a very gay bent. Without trying, they were surprisingly cutting edge. Mouth Congress did dozens of live shows through the mid-80s that gained a reputation for being theatrical, combining props, sets, multiple costume changes, unusual song choices, guest stars, and Scott’s stand-up comedy.

In 1988, they recorded a 7-song demo tape. The tracks were recorded quickly, as the Kids in the Hall were about to go to New York City to develop their material. Then, caught up in the excitement of the Kids in the Hall being signed to television, Mouth Congress activities slowed to a crawl. In 2011, Paul dug out an old VHS tape of one of the live shows. The sight of one of the Kids in the Hall covered in sweat, writhing on stage like Iggy Pop, was something he felt comedy fans might enjoy seeing. Naturally, Scott agreed and they uploaded everything - over 600 recordings - onto Bandcamp.

One day in 2019, Mike Sniper of Captured Tracks stumbled upon the Bandcamp page, got in touch, and suggested assembling a compilation of the best recordings to be officially released for the very first time. Waiting for Henry is a collection of 29 tracks over 2 LPs with a booklet of interviews and ephemera from one of the ‘80s last queercore bands. Who is Henry? We don’t really know, but we certainly hope he shows up soon.

TRACK LISTING

1. Sex And Love
2. Be My Hole
3. Heavy Breather
4. Guess I’ll Just Jerk Off Again
5. Wind In My Belly
6. Guilt
7. Band From France
8. Tom
9. Womyn
10. What Is This Thing Called Love?
11. Fascist Love Song
12. Lullaby On Blow
13. Why?
14. We Back Together
15. Young And Alive In 1975
16. Thanks For The Disco
17. A Wig
18. Pepper Pot
19. Lorenzo The Chef
20. Give In
21. The People Have Spoken
22. What Do I Wear On A Trip To The Moon?
23. Christopher
24. Testicle Delight
25. Water Nymph
26. A Queen’s Lament
27. Julie Newmar
28. Madamifesto
29. Let’s Hear It For Show Business

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