Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?

Subject: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: Nikki Hershberger
Date: 11 Oct 99 - 09:12 PM

I once heard a song of his (I THINK it was his) about a marriage that reminded me of my parents...

Alice and Ralph, Ralph and Alice/ King and queen in their own little palace/ Ralph and Alice, Alice and Ralph/ You pick your partner and you suit yourself

was how the chorus went. It was sort of silly, but I liked it anyhow. Anybody know the rest?

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Oct 99 - 09:31 PM

Hi, Nikki, I am sure we've had a thread on him before, I just can't find it. If you set the "age" on the thread box back a few months and then hit refresh, all the threads posted in thattime will come up and you might find it there.

Anyway here is a link to his home page wiht email address, etc.

Someone on here is bound to know which one you're talking about, though.

kat

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Oct 99 - 09:33 PM

Here is a link to the most recent thread on him, besides this one.

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 11 Oct 99 - 09:48 PM

Nikki,

Have I heard of Joel Mabus!?! He is absolutely one of my favorite song writers and performers. I went to my first Joel Mabus concert because I was familiar with his song "The Duct Tape Blues" (certainly in the DT). It was one of the rare evenings when I liked every song performed and loved several of them. "Alice and Ralph" came later. Joel is also a fine fiddle, old-timey banjo, and guitar player. If you get a chance to see him, don't miss it. Joel has a web site where you can learn more about him and his music and listen to some Real Audio clips of his music. Click here. "Ralph and Alice" is on his "Rhyme Schemes" CD.

Alice and Ralph
by Joel Mabus
Alice is a woman, Ralph is a man
Alice tries to dialogue, Ralph never can
Alice wants them both to do aerobics every night
Ralph wants to go down to the bar and watch the fight
Alice wants to go to Paris and study art,
Ralph knows all the 3 stooges movies by heart.

Alice wants a kid, Ralph wants a dog.
Alice does ballet, Ralph likes to clog
Everybody knows that Alice and Ralph don't fit.
Everybody knows that Alice and Ralph are a split up waiting to split

CHO:
Alice and Ralph, Ralph and Alice
King and queen in their own little palace
Ralph and Alice, Alice and Ralph
You pick your partner and you suit yourself

Alice is a lady, Ralph is a guy.
Alice offers options, Ralph just tells you why.
Alice blows off steam by going shopping at the mall.
Ralph puts his fist through the wall.
Alice loves those old movies that make her cry.
Ralph likes the ones where all the Nazis die.

Alice likes to ski, Ralph likes to skate
Alice shows up early, Ralph gets there late
Everybody knows that Alice and Ralph won't work.
Everybody knows that she is fool and he is just a jerk CHO:

Alice needs her sleep, Ralph has to snore
Alice tries to fascinate, Ralph tends to bore
Alice defines her worth by accomplishing her goals,
Ralph likes to work the remote control.
Alice appreciates the finest of cuisine,
Ralph prefers his weenies cooked with beans.

Alice wants to talk, Ralph wants to read
Alice wants to stay, Ralph wants to leave.
Everybody knows these two should never pair,
Everybody knows except Alice and Ralph and Alice and Ralph don't care. CHO:

Enjoy the song!!

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 12:42 AM

Big RiB! I knew I'd seen him somewhere else in the threads! Thank you for reminding me of the Duct Tape Blues thread! Also, love the lyrics to Alice & Ralph!

kat

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: Susan A-R
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 09:37 PM

Just mentioned Hopelessly Midwestern on another thread. I'll have to mention him to our folk series planners. He is a lot of fun.

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: ddw
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 09:49 PM

I'd never heard of Joel Mabus until my new harmonica-playing partner put me onto an album of his a couple of months ago with an album called Short Stories. Aside from the fact that JM's one whale of a picker, he also writes some of the best-thought-out, witty lyrics I've come across in years. I definitely plan to keep an eye out for any more albums I can find by him and — at least based on the one I have — would recommend him to anyone. Great stuff!

ddw

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 10:13 PM

Check out his web site, ddw. I believe two of the albums are strictly instrumentals (old-timey flavored stuff), the rest are good, like Short Stories, and I would recommend them all.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: ddw
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 10:26 PM

Thanx, RiB...

I had already twigged on his website, but haven't been to a place where I wouldn't have to order the CDs and wait weeks for them. I'm probably heading over to Elderly in a couple of weeks and was hoping I'd find some there.

cheers,

ddw

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 12:12 AM

If you don't find them at Elderly, I'll be surprised. Joel worked for Side Street (Elderly's companion record distributing enterprise) for awhile.

I saw him do a showcase at the Chicago Folk Alliance shindig a few years back, and he was great! Most of the acts were pure omphaloscopy; Joel was for real. His guitar work is nothing short of astounding and his songs range from the heartbreaking story of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to the delightful "Hopelessly Midwestern." A super talent!

Sandy

Subject: RE: Help! Anybody heard of Joel Mabus?
From: northfolk/al cholger
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 09:09 PM

Every good thing anyone says about Joel is absolutely confirmed from this quarter. I've seen him perform all over Michigan for the last thousand years, or so, believe he was a national flat-picking champion or some such accomplishment, and as all the previous posts have said, his lyrics are wry, witty, ascerbic, poignant and heartwrending. If you haven't heard of him, go out of your way to. And if by some quirk of fate there is an old recording of Joel doing "The Jam at Cubbie's Van" I'm ready to go into expedited negotiations for it....