Story

Greg Pichler of the Progressive Shamanists has released a new rendition of his original song, The Grasshopper Boogie, which he co-wrote with Rob Kowtko and Rob Prigge.

Background

Greg Pichler of the Progressive Shamanists composed a revised version of the song, The Grasshopper Boogie, on March 27, 2023.

Greg Pichler, Rob Kowtko and Rob Prigge originally composed the song, The Grasshopper Boogie, over the course of an improvisational jam session on Saturday, March 27, 1982 at the Tanglewood Studio in Greentown, Pennsylvania. Click here to listen to The Phoenix' rendition of the Song, The Grasshopper Boogie, recorded over the course of a rehearsal on Saturday, March 27, 1982.

Kowtko started the improvisational jam, playing the bass riff on a Gibson organ. The bass riff appears verbatim at bar 77 on the full score of the composition. The composition was subsequently built around Kowtko's bass riff. Pichler carried over Kowtko' bass riff verbatim just after the second chorus in honor of the improvisational session in 1982.

On Saturday, March 27, 1982, Rob Prigge, Rob Kowtko and Greg Pichler recorded what was to be the definitive version of the song, The Grasshopper Boogie, on a four track, reel-to-reel, tape deck. Click here to listen to The Phoenix' rendition of the Song, The Grasshopper Boogie, recorded over the course of a rehearsal on Saturday, March 27, 1983.

The bass line for the verse of this rendition is a slight modification of Keith Swanson's bass guitar contribution in June 1983.

What the song is about

Pichler, largely improvized the lyrics of the song, during the session jam on Saturday, March 27, 1982. However, the lyrics talk about a chance meeting between himself and a female hitch hicker; a university professor, who proselytizes his students, and the Tanglewood studio environs, itself.

Credits

The archive photos were taken over the course of the weekend in Greentown, Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 27, 1982.

Pichler drew the inspiration for the extra eighth note in the opening bars from the song, Mysti Mountain Hop, written by John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant [Atlantic Records]. Pichler drew the inspiration for the vocal over lead guitar part from the song, Crosstown Traffic, written by Jimi Hendrix [Reprise Records]. Pichler drew the inspiration for the ending bars in E Flat Major from the song, Owner of a Lonely Heart, written by Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Trevor Horn [Atco Records].

The Progressive Shamanists are currently working on the composition, adding instrument parts. What is currently available is otherwise a work in progress.

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