Loudon Wainwright III FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)

Concerts

Q. Why hasn't Loudon played [my town]/[my state]/[my country] recently? When will he next be here?
A. Loudon's schedule is available via a link at the web site. I have nothing to do with bookings, but generally concerts are scheduled when a venue or promoter works out a deal with a performer's booking agent (and when it fits with the performer's touring plans). Your best bet is probably to talk with receptive venues in your area. If you are interested in booking a concert, you can contact Loudon's booking agency, The Rosebudy Agency (http://www.rosebudus.com).

Songs, Albums, and Lyrics

Q. How can I obtain Loudon's albums?
A. Many of Loudon's albums can be found at, or ordered through, record stores around the world. (He is sometimes in the "folk" sections, sometimes in "rock/pop.") There are also many record stores on the world wide web. (Check http://www.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/ for starters.)

Not Available on CD
These albums, to the best of my knowledge, are not currently available on CD: T Shirt and Final Exam.
In December 1999, Rhino Handmade announced a limited-edition CD, The Atlantic Recordings, containing the songs from both Loudon Wainwright III (first album) and Album II. It sold out a few years later and is evidently now available only through secondary sources (eBay, etc).
Demon-Edsel Records (Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9HF, UK) re-issued Album I and Album II on vinyl (only) in 1989; it is possible that some of these are still in record shops.

For out-of-print (as well as current) albums, a good locator source is www.gemm.com. Other possibilities include used record stores (a few in the U.S. still stock vinyl), rare record dealers, and Goldmine magazine (http://www.krause.com/records/gm/). You could also inquire on the "Loudon" discussion group.

For general information about locating hard-to-find albums, see Alan Rowoth's page on Finding Albums at http://alan.lpl.org/FindingAlbums.html.

One more suggestion, from a member of the Loudon discussion group:
Once again, for the benefit of those looking to fill in their Loudon collections: I obtained Album I, II, Attempted Mustache, T-Shirt and Final Exam within about 6 months, paying between $5 - $15 each, by scouring Deja News [now Google Groups] for folks selling records. (Search the entire archive on Loudon Wainwright.)

Recent CD Re-issues
Attempted Mustache and Unrequited were re-issued on CD by Sony/Columbia Legacy in September, 1998, and are currently available. If you cannot find them elsewhere, try some of the U.S. sites that sell recordings, such as: www.cdnow.com, www.cdconnection.com, www.cduniverse.com or www.amazon.com. Again, www.gemm.com is useful for locating sites that have an album for sale.

BBC Sessions
BBC Sessions was released in late 1998 in Great Britain. If you cannot find it elsewhere, try a U.K. record site, such as: iMVS or CDZone. It is also scheduled for U.S. release in April of 2000.

Please note: I do not have any other information about sources for Loudon's albums or plans for re-releases. Sorry! You may turn up a source for old or used albums by searching the Internet. Information on re-releases will be added to the web site when it becomes available.

 
Q. Where can I get lyrics for [one of Loudon's songs]?
A. There are lyrics for a few songs at the web site. Those are the only lyrics that I have available.

Lyrics are also available for the 20 songs in the Loudon Wainwright III Songbook.

Many (but not all) of Loudon's albums come with printed song lyrics. You may find lyrics elsewhere on the Internet by using one of the common search sites (www.altavista.com, www.google.com, www.hotbot.com, etc.).

Please note: I don't have lyrics or guitar tabs for any other Loudon Wainwright III songs.

 
Q. Is a Loudon Wainwright III songbook, or sheet music, available?
A. A songbook was published in late 1998. Please see the News page for additional information.

The song "Dead Skunk" was also in a compilation songbook published in the 1970s.

 
Q. What songs did Loudon perform on M*A*S*H? Are they available on an album?
A. During Loudon's appearances on three episodes of M*A*S*H, he performed the following songs:
  • Five Gold Stars
  • song about missing the nurses
  • Big Mac Is Coming (title?)
  • Unrequited to the Nth Degree
The songs are not on any albums, but a different recording of "Unrequited to the Nth Degree" is on the album Unrequited and it may be possible to buy videotapes of the episodes (check your local or online video store).

Writing to Loudon Wainwright III

Q. How can I write to Loudon?
A. In care of Rosebud Agency (P.O. Box 170429, San Francisco, California 94117, U.S.A.).

Web Site

Q. What is the URL for the web site?
A. http://lwiii.com

Internet Discussion Group (Loudon)

Please see The Loudon Discussion Group page.
 

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