The Progressive Shamanists, including Rob Prigge, Rob Kowtko and Greg Pichler, met at the studio in Tanglewood, Pennsylvania on the weekend, starting Friday, April 22, 1983. Bassist, Keith Swanson, who the group invited to join, also attended. During that weekend the group recorded eleven songs on the Tascam 22-4, 4-track, reel-to-reel, tape recorder.
With the addition of Swanson, the sound of the group took on a more convention feel. Not only was Swanson a seasoned bassist, who played with Pichler in the house fraternity group, The Shrooms, but also Keith contributed original material as well as vocals on the songs he contributed.
Guitarist, Tom Rocco, also attended the session at the Tanglewood studio. Rocco sang backing vocal on Swanson's song, Progress.
Over the course of the weekend session Pichler introduced the group to one song, entitled Mortal Eyes, that he wrote in the period between the weekend session, starting Friday, March 25, 1983 and the weekend session, starting Friday, April 22, 1983. Kowtko also introduced one original song, entitled Deception, to the group that the group had never rehearshed prior. Swanson also introduced one original song, entitled Progress, to the group. Other than these three songs, the group recorded renditions of songs the group had previously recorded.
The group focused entirely on original music over the course of the weekend session and refrained from performing any cover songs by other artists. The group's more respectable renditions recorded over the session include Cobra Eyes (Kowtko), The Grasshopper Boogie (R Prigge, R Kowtko, Greg Pichler), Fire In The Night (Kowtko) and Celestial Wanderer(Kowtko), Charleen (Pichler) and Mortal Eyes (Pichler).
The group elected to cede much of the lead vocal to Pichler, given Pichler owned the recording equipment and could work on the material after the fact freeing up the group to focus on the instrumental parts over the course of the weekend.
The video includes still photo images of all the members of the group.

Trivia Quiz
Between the weekend session, starting Friday, March 25, 1983 and the weekend session, starting Friday, April 22, 1983, Pichler authored a trivia quiz about the music produced over the course of the weekend session, starting Friday, March 25, 1983. Click here to access the hand written answers by Rob Kowtko to the first, official Progressive Shamanists Trivia Quiz, dated April 23, 1983.
Music Contributions
The following contributions were applied to the music video:
- Rob Prigge: percussion
- Keith Swanson: bass guitar
- Rob Kowtko: keyboards
- Tom Rocco: guitar, vocals
- Greg Pichler: guitar, vocals
The list of tracks from the albumthat resulted from the work over the weekend includes:
- 00:08:56 (Track 1) Twenty-One Years (Pichler)
- 00:03:43 (Track 2) The Grasshopper Boogie (R Kowtko, Greg Pichler, R Prigge)
- 00:16:22 (Track 3) Celestial Wanderer (Kowtko)
- 00:31:47 (Track 4) Charleen (Pichler)
- 00:41:34 (Track 5) Deception (Kowtko)
- 00:24:50 (Track 6) Those Words (Pichler)
- 00:44:54 (Track 7) Fire In The Night (Kowtko)
- 00:50:50 (Track 8) Mortal Eyes (Pichler)
- 00:12:25 (Track 9) Afghanistan (Pichler)
- 00:36:49 (Track 10) Progress (K Swanson)
- 00:00:02 (Track 11) Cobra Eyes (Kowtko)
more information
the progressive shamanists, handwritten answers to the trivia quiz, kowtko, dated 19830423
Hand written song list, April 23, 1983
The progressive shamanists hand-written song list, Friday March 25, 1983
Hand written song list (2), April 23, 1983
Hand written lyrics to the song, Fire In The Night, April 23, 1983
Hand written lyrics to the song, Deception, April 23, 1983
Hand written answers by Kowtko to the first, official Progressive Shamanists Trivia Quiz, dated April 23, 1983
The Official Progressive Shamanists Trivia Quiz Scoring Sheet, dated April 23, 1983