INTERVIEW: Chuck Wagon and the Wheels
- Al Muzer
So amazingly stupid it borders on utter genius, Chuck Wagon and the Wheels' release, Off The Top Rope (Lyric Street), will own the country charts and have an illegal chokehold on the pop Top 20 by Labor Day if Carl "Cal" Pie, Sid Sequin and Chuck Wagon Himself have their way.
Combining the gaudy grandeur and colorful posturing of professional wrestlers at a Texas rodeo with clever, Tommy Collins - and Hank Jr.- inspired country songs as performed by living cartoon characters -- there's no way such Disney-backed winners as "Country 2010," "The Jerry Springer Show" or "Play That Country Music Cowboy" can be ignored. Let alone stopped.
Helped along, no doubt, by the fact that the CD's first single, "Beauty's In The Eye Of The Beerholder," had just debuted at No. 73 on Billboard's Country Charts, the group became instant semi-celebrities following a grin-inducing set during last month's weeklong Fan Fair celebration in Nashville.
"Our mission?!?" ponders band namesake Chuck Wagon Himself from beneath a giant red cowboy hat that adds at least two feet to his already imposing six-foot-something frame, "well, now actually - Carl? Carl?!? Carl!!! [Carl, who is busy signing autographs, striking poses and mugging for an assortment of cameras, glances over] Carl, tell 'em whut our 'mission' is!"
"Our mission," the less imposing, but identically "disguised" singer/athlete explains to the cute Japanese reporter that's been dogging the trio's footsteps all day, "is, uh, well [clears throat] to let everyone out there know [Carl's nasal, high-pitched voice rises in excitement] that Chuck Wagon and the Wheels are here and that things are gonna be a whole lot different from now on!" [all three strike fists-clenched, wrestler-poses and scowl menacingly from behind ever-present sunglasses and matching, color-coordinated Breathe Rite Strips(r)].
"From parts unknown," is the quick, deadpan, arms-folded, three-part response to another reporter's question about the origin of the always in character, shrouded in mystery group with the matching hats, shirts, shorts, scarves, wristbands, sneaker-boots and "World Entertainment Champion" belts."We all have families or loved ones," an apologetic Sid Sequin quietly half insinuates / explains to the unanswered reporter as a few verses of "That's Love" from the Off The Top Rope CD drift in through an open door.
"Truck, girl, beer, Merle - Girl in truck with beer. / That's Love. That's Love. / Train, truck, beer, crash - Jail, girl, bail. / That's Love. That's Love." ~ from "That's Love"
"I could only find, like, this itty bitty little scrap of paper when the inspiration [for the song] hit me," Sequin comments as a group of potential fans warily approaches the flexing, posturing, constantly-in-motion group in the borrowed Fan Fair booth, "so, I had to economize some on the lyrics."
In addition to eliciting more than a few out-loud laughs during their Fan Fair set, the songs on Off The Top Rope also serve as a great introduction to country for folks who claim to hate country music.
The goofy good humor of songs like "I Fell For You" ("like a turd from a tall horse"), "Play That Country Music Cowboy" (a redneck re-adaptation of Hot Chocolate's "Funky Music Whiteboy") or "Cupid" -- coupled with the fact that, behind all the G-rated guffaws are 10 well-written, well-rendered country tunes - should be more than enough reason to make Off The Top Rope and Chuck Wagon and the Wheels major contenders in any market they choose.
"It's the 'World Entertainment Champion' belt," Sid proudly explains to the Japanese reporter who has spotted the "Rising Sun" among "conquered" country flags on his belt and is jamming a television camera at his midsection. "That's W.O.R.L.D., World Entertainment Champion!"
For the complete scoop on Chuck Wagon Himself, Carl "Cal" Pyle and Sid Sequin go to: http://www.chuckwagonandthewheels.com or: http://www.lyricstreet.com.
