Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet

Savvy Show Stoppers
Released in 1988
Glass Records GLALP 31 [LP, UK only]

Re-released in 1990
Cargo CAR09 [LP]
Cargo CARCD09 [CD]
Cargo CARMC09 [Cassette]

Re-re-released in 2012
Mammoth Cave MCC001 [LP]

Re-re-re-released in 2016
Yep Roc YEP 2463 [LP, CD, digital]

Produced by Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet and Coyote Shivers

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SIDE ONE:

"Good Cop Bad Cop" [2nd version]
"Musical Interlude"
"Theme From T.V."
"Zombie Compromise"
"Malfunction" (The Dundrells)
"Shake Some Evil"
"You Spin Me Round '86" [live]
"Run Chicken Run" (Wray/Cooper)

SIDE TWO:

"Bennett Cerf" [1st version]
"Egypt Texas"
"Customized" [2nd or 3rd version - see notes]
"Our Weapons Are Useless"
"Shadowy Countdown"
"Harlem By The Sea" (Hagen)
"Having An Average Weekend" [1st version]
"Boogie In G" (Diamond/Shavers)

Cassette bonus track:

"Big Baby" (Connelly/Diamond/Pyle/Burns)

CD bonus tracks:

"Misty" (Garner/Burke)
"Summer Wind" (Mayer/Mercer)
"Big Baby" (Connelly/Diamond/Pyle/Burns)

2012 Re-re-release bonus track:

"Vibroluxe Deluxe"
[sequenced between "You Spin Me 'Round '86" and "Run Chicken Run"]

2016 Re-re-re-release bonus tracks (CD and digital):
NOTE: Bonus tracks won't be on vinyl, but the vinyl release comes with a download code, so the bonus tracks will be included that way.

"Vibroluxe Deluxe"
[sequenced between "You Spin Me 'Round '86" and "Run Chicken Run"]
"Weird Beards"
[sequenced after "Run Chicken Run"]
"Big Saxophone Lie"
"Misty" (Garner/Burke)
"Summer Wind" (Mayer/Mercer)
"Big Baby" (Connelly/Diamond/Pyle/Burns)
"Customized" [1st version]
"Popcorn" (Kingsley)

NOTES:

"Malfunction" is the Shadowy Men version of a song by The Dundrells called "Melinda".
The recitation on "Big Baby" is by Charles Burns. The text is taken from a comic book he wrote, and this combination of his reading and the S Men playing was first done for Comic Book Confidential. It's a different (but similar) version in the film.
On the original album and CD, "Customized" is a rerecorded 3rd version. On the 2012 reissue, the original single version (what I've labeled the "2nd version") is used.
"Harlem By The Sea" is the Shadowy Men version of an older jazz standard called "Harlem Nocturne".
"Boogie In G" is not listed on the sleeve. It's technically not a Shadowy Men song either. It was recorded by Reid and his friend Bruce Shavers, and is Reid's earliest recording. "Boogie In G" is also not included on the download version of the 2012 reissue.
Down the spine of the vinyl sleeve are little cartoon bones with the legend "note the clever 'spine' gag!"
The vinyl and CD sleeves are definitely different. The lettering and the S Men on the vinyl sleeve are obviously a different color, but the words are bigger on the vinyl, the little stars are in slightly different places, and the S Men are subtly different. Scans are on the Savvy Show Stoppers variations page.
The tall building (with the curved towers) in the cover photograph is Toronto City Hall.
There are two slightly different versions of the CD cover art (as well as the disc label). One has the Cargo logo as on the back of the CD, the other has the Cargo label on top of a Canadian flag. The cover art on the first one says "Made In Canada", while the second doesn't. Yeah, it's a subtle difference, but we strive for completeness.
The first 500 copies of the UK release on Glass came with a free copy of Reid Does Neil.
The Mammoth Cave issue was limited to 1000 copies (on clear vinyl) and came in a new gatefold cover with new art by Don Pyle and witty liner notes from "Anne Rand", who's listed as a "part-time managerial assistant". And yes. I'd assume "Anne Rand" is a play on Ayn Rand, but based on Don's comments on meeting the Ramones, I really doubt the band are/were fans of her work.

REVIEWS:

Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham
Released in 1991
Cargo CAR14 [LP]
Cargo CARCD14 [CD]
Cargo CARMC14 [Cassette]

Re-released in 2016
Yep Roc YEP 2464 [LP, CD, digital]

Produced by Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet and Coyote Shivers

BUY IT:

SIDE ONE:

"Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham"
"Reid's Situation"
"I Know A Guy Named Larry" (Prima/Connelly/Diamond/Pyle)
"Exit From Vince Lombardi High School" [2nd version]
"Aunt's Invasion" [2nd version]
"Running Meredith"
"Bang Bang" [live] (Bono)
"Hot Box Car"
"In My Room" (Wilson)
"Dewy Drops Of Spring"
"5 American 6 Canadian"
"Who Painted Whistler's Mother"
"Case Of The Missing Lady Fingers"
"Jackpot"

SIDE TWO:

"D. Tour"
"Hunter S. Thompson's Younger Brother"
"Misogomy & The Object"
"Ben Hur Picked Off In A Gazebo"
"Who's Afraid Of Alyson Hymer / Wow Flutter Hiss"
"You Spin Me Round '86"
"Babakganoosh"
"Siesta Cinema"
"Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham (Reprise)"

Vinyl bonus tracks:

"Vinyl"
"Shakin' All Over" (Kidd) [1st version]

Cassette bonus tracks:

"Tape, Tape, You Bought Our Tape"
"Shakin' All Over" (Kidd) [1st version]

CD bonus tracks:

"Thanks For Buying The CD"
"Shakin' All Over" (Kidd) [1st version]

2016 Re-release bonus tracks (CD and digital):
NOTE: Bonus tracks won't be on vinyl, but the vinyl release comes with a download code, so the bonus tracks will be included that way.

"The Alouette, She Was Canada's First Satellite, Way Before The Americans Even"
"Tired Of Waking Up Tired" (Catto)
"Rover & Rusty"
"Foreign/Aft"
"Santa's Compromise"
"Winterfresh"
"Deck The Halls" (traditional)
"Having An Average Weekend '78"

NOTES:

"Vinyl", "Tape, Tape, You Bought Our Tape", "Thanks For Buying The CD" and "Shakin' All Over" are not listed on the sleeve. Also, "Vinyl" isn't the "official" title. According to Don Pyle, they never really thought of them as "songs". But in an interview, Reid referred to "Tape, Tape, You Bought Our Tape" and "Thanks For Buying The CD", so I'm considering those the official titles.
The album was available on black vinyl and pink vinyl.
There are two different CD faces (with the same lettering), one's plain white and one's sorta yellow.
The vinyl sleeve looks just like the CD cover, but the cassette cover is a bit different. Scans are on the Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham variations page.
On the spine of the vinyl sleeve is the legend "100% bonleless spine gag #2"
"Bang Bang" was written by SONNY Bono (and not the U2 singer). It was written for Cher's first solo album in 1966.

REVIEWS:

Sport Fishin' - The Lure Of The Bait, The Luck Of The Hook
Released in May, 1993
Cargo CAR017 [LP/CD/Cassette]

Re-released in 2016
Yep Roc YEP 2465 [LP, CD, digital]

Recorded by Steve Albini and Ormond John

BUY IT:

SIDE ONE:

"Unwatchable*"
"Spend A Night, Not A Fortune"
"Three Piece Suit"
"Fortune Tellin' Chicken"
"(Relax) You Will Think You're A Chicken"
"Plastics For 500, Bob"
"That Wuz Ear Me Callin' A Horse" [2nd version]
"The Singing Cowboy"
"Farbs"
"Spy School Graduation Theme"
"Cheese In The Fridge"
"Autumn Leaves" (Mercer/Kozma/Prevert)

SIDE TWO:

"Unwatchable**"
"Mecca" (Nader/Gluck)
"Haig, Earl"
"Algoma Reflections"
"We're Not A Fucking Surf Band"
"Peas Porridge Rock"
"Honey, You're Wasting Ammo"
"They Don't Call Them Chihuahuas Anymore"
"Off Our Back Conrad Black"
"We'll Be Right Back!"
"What I Like About Grease"
"Memories Of Gay Paree"
"Babywetsitself ™"
"Shakin' All Over" (Kidd) [2nd version: live]
"Sport Fishin'"

2016 Re-release bonus tracks (CD and digital):
NOTE: Bonus tracks won't be on vinyl, but the vinyl release comes with a download code, so the bonus tracks will be included that way.

"Lick" (Schneider/Diamond/Pyle/Connelly) [with Fred Schneider]
"Sugar In My Hog" (Schneider/Diamond/Pyle/Connelly) [with Fred Schneider]
"The Last Of My Hiccups"
"The Jehrney"
"Song Of The Lobster"
"Underground Sounds"
"16 Encores" [medley]
"Tape, Tape, You Bought Our Tape"

NOTES:

"Autumn Leaves","Mecca", "Shakin' All Over", and "Sport Fishin'" are not listed on the sleeve. Also, "Sport Fishin'" is probably not the "official title" of the last, sub 10-second track. I wanted to note it though.
"Mecca" is referenced on a number of web sites as "13", presumably because of the voice at the beginning that says "13".
"Autumn Leaves" is the little 5-note piece after "Cheese In The Fridge". It's actually the finish from a cover the S Men used to do, but now it's been reduced to just those chords.
On the spine of the vinyl sleeve is the legend " … what … you were expecting a spine gag maybe?"
In the inner circle of the CD is the legend "PLEASE RELEASE ME. LET ME GO". Marc Matsumoto pointed out, "This is, of course, the lyric to the 1967 Engelbert Humperdinck hit "Release Me" (the song that famously kept The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane" from the Number One position on the British Singles Chart)." Of course, it also works as something the fish on the CD face might be saying. Look at the underside of the CD to see it clearly.
There are two different lettering colors on this CD. Scans are on the Sport Fishin' variations page.

REVIEWS:

Oh, I Guess We Were A Fucking Surf Band After All…
Released on Record Store Day 2016 (April 16, 2016)
Yep Roc LP YEP 2466 [LP]

Previously unreleased songs shown in bold

Cool box set teaser video.

DISC ONE (Savvy Show Stoppers):
SIDE ONE:

"Good Cop Bad Cop" [2nd version]
"Musical Interlude"
"Theme From T.V."
"Zombie Compromise"
"Malfunction" (The Dundrells)
"Shake Some Evil"
"You Spin Me Round '86" [live]
"Vibrolux Deluxe"
"Run Chicken Run" (Wray/Cooper)
"Weird Beards"
from the single Wow Flutter Hiss '86. It's backwards here, as on the single.

SIDE TWO:

"Bennett Cerf" [1st version]
"Egypt Texas"
"Customized" [2nd version]
"Our Weapons Are Useless"
"Shadowy Countdown"
"Harlem By The Sea" (Hagen)
"Having An Average Weekend" [1st version]
"Boogie In G" (Diamond/Shavers)

DISC TWO (Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham):
SIDE THREE:

"Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham"
"Reid's Situation"
"I Know A Guy Named Larry" (Prima/Connelly/Diamond/Pyle)
"Exit From Vince Lombardi High School" [2nd version]
"Aunt's Invasion" [2nd version]
"Running Meredith"
"Bang Bang" [live] (Bono)
"Hot Box Car"
"In My Room" (Wilson)
"Dewy Drops Of Spring"
"5 American 6 Canadian"
"Who Painted Whistler's Mother"
"Case Of The Missing Lady Fingers"
"Jackpot"

SIDE FOUR:

"D. Tour"
"Hunter S. Thompson's Younger Brother"
"Misogomy & The Object"
"Ben Hur Picked Off In A Gazebo"
"Who's Afraid Of Alyson Hymer / Wow Flutter Hiss"
"You Spin Me Round '86"
"Babakganoosh"
"Siesta Cinema"
"Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham (Reprise)"
"Vinyl"
"Shakin' All Over" (Kidd) [1st version]

DISC THREE (Sport Fishin' - The Lure Of The Bait, The Luck Of The Hook):
SIDE FIVE:

"Unwatchable*"
"Spend A Night, Not A Fortune"
"Three Piece Suit"
"Fortune Tellin' Chicken"
"(Relax) You Will Think You're A Chicken"
"Plastics For 500, Bob"
"That Wuz Ear Me Callin' A Horse" [2nd version]
"The Singing Cowboy"
"Farbs"
"Spy School Graduation Theme"
"Cheese In The Fridge"
"Autumn Leaves" (Mercer/Kozma/Prevert)

SIDE SIX:

"Unwatchable**"
"Mecca" (Nader/Gluck)
"Haig, Earl"
"Algoma Reflections"
"We're Not A Fucking Surf Band"
"Peas Porridge Rock"
"Honey, You're Wasting Ammo"
"They Don't Call Them Chihuahuas Anymore"
"Off Our Back Conrad Black"
"We'll Be Right Back!"
"What I Like About Grease"
"Memories Of Gay Paree"
"Babywetsitself ™"
"Shakin' All Over" (Kidd) [2nd version: live]
"Sport Fishin'"

DISC FOUR (Soft Polished Separates):
SIDE SEVEN:

"Big Saxophone Lie"
"The Alouette, She Was Canada's First Satellite, Way Before The Americans Even"
from the split single Tired Of Waking Up Tired
"Summer Wind" (Mayer/Mercer)
from the CD version of Savvy Show Stoppers
"Tired Of Waking Up Tired" (Catto)
from the split single Tired Of Waking Up Tired
"Lick" (Schneider/Diamond/Pyle/Connelly) [with Fred Schneider]
from Fred Schneider's Just Fred album
"Winterfresh"
from the single It's A Wonderful Record!
"Rover & Rusty"
from the single Music For Pets
"Big Baby" (Connelly/Diamond/Pyle/Burns)
from the CD version of Savvy Show Stoppers
"Santa's Compromise"
from the promo compilation Brave New Waves
"Deck The Halls" (traditional)
from the single It's A Wonderful Record!
"Having An Average Weekend '78"
from the promo single Sport Fishin' Accessories

SIDE EIGHT:

"The Last Of My Hiccups"
"Sugar In My Hog" (Schneider/Diamond/Pyle/Connelly) [with Fred Schneider]
from Fred Schneider's Just Fred album
"Customized" [1st version]
from the band's self-distributed demo tape
"Popcorn" (Kingsley)
from the compilations Star Power! and Super Fantastic Mega Smash Hits!
"Misty" (Garner/Burke)
from the CD version of Savvy Show Stoppers
"The Jehrney"
from the single Take Outs
"Song Of The Lobster"
from the single Take Outs
"Foreign/Aft"
from the compilation single Bloodstains Across Ontario
"Underground Sounds"
"16 Encores" [medley]
"Tape, Tape, You Bought Our Tape"
from the cassette version of Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham

NOTES:

Limited to 750 copies.
Despite what the Record Store Day page says, Shadowy Men formed in Toronto, not Calgary.
The included version of Sport Fishin' - The Lure Of The Bait, The Luck Of The Hook has different cover art. That image, and the cover of the new Soft Polished Separates are on the Oh, I Guess We Used Some New Cover Art After All… page.
Down the spine of the vinyl sleeve of Soft Polished Separates is the note "please retain for your records".
The free download included with the box substitutes "Thanks For Buying The CD" for "Vinyl".

Albums & CDs

all songs written by Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet except where noted.