The Holy Modal Rounders were an American folk music duo from the Lower East Side started in the early 1960s, consisting of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber. Stampfel explained the origin of their name in the webzine Perfect Sound Forever: “We kept changing the name. First it was the Total Quintessence Stomach Pumpers. Then the Temporal Worth High Steppers. Then The Motherfucker Creek Babyrapers. That was just a joke name. He was Rinky-Dink Steve the Tin Horn and I was Fast Lightning Cumquat. He was Teddy Boy Forever and I was Wild Blue Yonder. It kept changing names. Then it was the Total Modal Rounders. Then when we were stoned on pot and someone else, Steve Close maybe, said Holy Modal Rounders by mistake. We kept putting out different names and wait until someone starts calling us that then. When we got to Holy Modal Rounders, everyone decided by accumulation that we were the Holy Modal Rounders. That’s the practical way to get named.”
They are famous for the use of their track “The Bird Song” from the album The Moray Eels Eat The Holy Modal Rounders, which was featured in the Dennis Hopper created classic film, Easy Rider. |
