The Firesign Theatre

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Left to right: Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin, and David Ossman in 2001

The Firesign Theatre is a comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, and Philip Proctor. The troupe began as live radio performers in Los Angeles, California on radio stations KPPC and KPFK during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The group's name is an astrological reference: The members consist of an Aries (Austin), a Leo (Proctor), and two Sagittariuses (Bergman and Ossman). The name is derived from Fireside Theatre, an early television series that first ran on NBC from 1949 to 1955, followed by Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (1955-58). It also puns the "Fireside Chats" of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930s, and "firesign" was also the name for neon lights in the early 20th Century .

Called "The Beatles of Comedy" by their admirers (a title that is also and somewhat more frequently applied to the UK's Monty Python troupe), the Firesign Theatre specializes in audio recordings, having had comparatively little presence in stage performance, television or movies. Their first four albums in particular are considered classics of recorded comedy. Each of those four albums features a different one of the four members in a leading role.

Between September 9, 1970 and February 17, 1971, The Firesign Theatre performed a one-hour live show on radio station KPFK in Los Angeles titled Dear Friends. These live shows were recorded by the group and then edited into a slightly shorter shows which the group syndicated to radio stations across the country on 12-inch white label LPs. The group later collected what they thought were the best segments from the Dear Friends radio program for their fifth album, Dear Friends.

While their free-flowing, stream of consciousness style has the feel of improvisational comedy and may derive from improvisational processes, most of it actually is tightly scripted and memorized (a situation not unlike that of the Monty Python troupe, to whom Firesign are often compared). They have employed a writing method that demands the consent of all four members before a line can be included. Much of their work has been copyrighted under the name "4 or 5 Crazee Guys," reflecting their collective sentiment that there is a "fifth guy in the room" who actually is doing all the writing.

Because of their complexity, Firesign recordings tend to become funnier with repeated listenings as new jokes are revealed, and their high production values provide an additional layer of aesthetic interest that endears them to audiophiles. Similarly, Firesign Theatre productions take place in a satirical world with many subtle and oblique references to music, literature, politics and other aspects of pop culture which fans enjoy decoding. See A Firesign Theatre lexicon for the perplexed.

In 1972 and 1974, Straight Arrow Press, the Rolling Stone's book publishing arm, published two books authored by The Firesign Theatre. These books, The Firesign Theatre's Big Book Of Plays and The Firesign Theatre's Big Mystery Joke Book, contain scholarly information, satirical introductions, and parodic histories, as well as transcriptions of many of the performances from their first seven albums. A later work, also authored by the group and published by a small press, was titled The Apocalypse Papers and was limited to an edition of only 500 copies.

The group cowrote the screenplay to the offbeat comedy Western Zachariah, released in 1971. The film was loosely inspired on the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.

During the mid-1970s, the group more or less split in half: Firesign productions continued, but Proctor and Bergman also performed as a duo, and Austin and Ossman worked individually and together in a few stage shows and most notably in the writing and production of In the Next World, You're on Your Own. In the mid-1980s, Ossman temporarily left the group to produce shows for National Public Radio.

Their recordings through 1975 were originally released by Columbia Records.

1 Discography
2 Bibliography
3 Miscellaneous
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Discography

[edit] Firesign Theatre commercial releases

Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him
- (Columbia CS-9518 - January, 1968)
  - (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-762 - 1992)

How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All
- (Columbia CS-9884 - July, 1969)
  - (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-834 - 1988)

Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers
- (Columbia C 30102 - July, 1970)
  - (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-880 - 1987)

I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus
- (Columbia C-30737 - 1971)
  - (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-785 - 1989)

Dear Friends
- (Columbia KG-31099 - January, 1972)
  - (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-758 - 1992)

Not Insane or Anything You Want To
- (Columbia KC-31585 - October, 1972)

The Tale of the Giant Rat of Sumatra
- (Columbia KC-32730 - January, 1974)

Everything You Know Is Wrong
- (Columbia KC-33141 - October, 1974)

In the Next World, You're on Your Own
- (Columbia PC-33475 - October, 1975)
  - (Written by Austin and Ossman but performed by the entire group)

Forward Into The Past
- (Columbia PC-34391 - 1976)

Just Folks . . . A Firesign Chat
- (Butterfly FLY-001 - April, 1977)

Nick Danger: The Case of the Missing Shoe
- (Rhino RNEP-506 - 1979)

Fighting Clowns
- (Firesign/Rhino RNLP-018 - 1980)
  - (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-748 - 1993)

Lawyer's Hospital
- (Rhino RNLP-806 - 1982)

Shakespeare’s Lost Comedie
- (Firesign/Rhino RNLP-807 - 1982)
- (re-released in expanded edition as Anythynge You Want To Firesign Theatre Records MSUG090, 2001, 2005)

The Three Faces of Al
- (Rhino RNCD-5812 - 1984)
  - (An official Firesign Theatre release but without David Ossman)

Eat Or Be Eaten
- (Mercury 826 452-2 - 1985)
  - (An official Firesign Theatre release but without David Ossman)

Shoes for Industry: The Best of the Firesign Theatre
- (Sony/Legacy 52736 - August, 1993)

Anythynge You Want To
- (Whirlwind Media - 1993)

Back From The Shadows
- (Mobile Fidelity Mfcd-2-747 - 1994)

Pink Hotel Burns Down
- (LodeStone Media MSUG006 - December, 1996)

Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death
- (Rhino R2 75509 - September, 1998)

Boom Dot Bust
- (Rhino R2 75983- October, 1999)

Bride of Firesign
- (Rhino R2 75390 - September, 2001)

Radio Now Live!
- (Whirlwind Media - July, 2001)

Papoon For President
- (Laugh.Com - 2002)

All Things Firesign
- (Artemis Records - March, 2003)

[edit] Non-commercial releases (radio, promotional LPs)

Dear Friends - Syndicated Radio Program
- (1970-1971)

A Firesign Chat With Papoon
- (Columbia AS-41 - November, 1972)

Let’s Eat - Syndicated Radio Program
- (1974)

The Proctor-Bergman Report
- (1977-1978)

The Cassette Chronichles
- (Rhino RM-73 - 1980)
  - (A six cassette collection of The Firesign Theatre’s presidential and campaign commentaries which aired on NPR during the 1980 election season.)

[edit] Firesign Related Albums

TV or not TV
- (Columbia Columbia KC-32199 - 1973)
  - (an album by the team of Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman)

How Time Flys
- (Columbia Columbia Kc-32411 - 1973)
  - (a “solo” album written and presented by Ossman, but with all members performing, among others)

Roller Maidens From Outer Space
- (Epic KE-32489 - March 1974)
  - (a "solo" album written and presented by Austin, with other members performing)

What This Country Needs
- (Columbia PC-33687 - September, 1975)
  - (an album by the team of Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman)

Give Us A Break
- (Mercury SRM-3719 - 1978)
  - (an album by the team of Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman)

Daily Feed 1988 Newsreel - The Daily Feed
- (DC Audio - 1988)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

The George Tirebiter Story Chapter1: Another Christmas Carol
- (Sparks Media - 1989)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

George Tirebiter's Radiodaze
- (Sparks Media - 1989)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

The George Tirebiter Story Pt.2 Mexican Overdrive / Radiodaze
- (Company One - 1989)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

A Capital Decade Daily Feed 1989 Newsreel - The Daily Feed
- (DC Audio - 1989)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

The George Tirebiter Story Pt.3 The Ronald Reagan Murder Case
- (Midwest Radio Theatre Workshop - 1990)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

Down Under Danger
- (Sparks Media - 1994)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

Tales Of The Old Detective And Other Big Fat Lies
- (Audio Partners - 1994)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

David Ossman's Time Capsules
- (Otherworld Media - Omw 1996/1 - 1996)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

George Tirebiter's Radio Follies
- (Twin Cities Radio Theatre Workshop - July, 1997)
  - (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

[edit] Bibliography

Firesign Theatre. The Firesign Theatre's Big Book Of Plays. San Francisco: Straight Arrow, 1972.

Firesign Theatre. The Firesign Theatre's Big Mystery Joke Book. San Francisco: Straight Arrow, 1974.

Firesign Theatre. The Apocalypse Papers, a Fiction by The Firesign Theatre. Topeka: Apocalypse Press, 1976.

Firesign Theatre. Backwards Into The Future: The Recorded History of the Firesign Theatre. Boalsburg: Bearmanor Media, 2006.

[edit] Miscellaneous

In September 1967 The Firesign Theatre performed an adaptation of Jorge Luis Borges's short story entitled "La Muerte y La Brujula" ("Death and the Compass") on Radio Free Oz.

[edit] References

Firesign Theatre. Firesign Theatre. 19 Jan. 2006 <http://www.firesigntheatre.com/>.
"FIREZINE: Linques!." Firesign Theatre FAQ. 23 Jan. 2006 <http://firezine.net/faq/>.
Marsh, Dave, and Greil Marcus. "The Firesign Theatre." The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Ed. Dave Marsh and John Swenson. New York: Random House, 1983. 175-176.
Smith, Ronald L. The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide. Iola: Krause, 1996.

[edit] External links

v • d • e The Firesign Theatre
Performers
Phil Austin • Peter Bergman • David Ossman • Philip Proctor
Albums
Commercial
Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him • How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All • Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers • I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus • Dear Friends • Not Insane or Anything You Want To • The Tale of the Giant Rat of Sumatra • Everything You Know Is Wrong • In the Next World, You're on Your Own • Forward into the Past • Just Folks . . . A Firesign Chat • Nick Danger: The Case of the Missing Shoe • Fighting Clowns • Lawyer's Hospital • Shakespeare's Lost Comedie • The Three Faces of Al • Eat or Be Eaten • Shoes for Industry: The Best of Firesign Theatre • Anythynge You Want To • Back from the Shadows • Pink Hotel Burns Down • Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death • Boom Dot Bust • Bride of Firesign • Radio Now Live! • Papoon For President • All Things Firesign
Non-commercial
Dear Friends - Syndicated Radio Program • A Firesign Chat with Papoon • Let’s Eat - Syndicated Radio Program • The Proctor-Bergman Report • The Cassette Chronichles
Related to Firesign Theatre
TV or not TV • How Time Flys • Roller Maidens From Outer Space • What This Country Needs • Give Us A Break • Daily Feed 1988 Newsreel - The Daily Feed • The George Tirebiter Story Chapter 1: Another Christmas Carol • George Tirebiter's Radiodaze • The George Tirebiter Story Pt.2 Mexican Overdrive / Radiodaze • A Capital Decade Daily Feed 1989 Newsreel - The Daily Feed • The George Tirebiter Story Pt.3 The Ronald Reagan Murder Case • Down Under Danger • Tales Of The Old Detective And Other Big Fat Lies • David Ossman's Time Capsules
Bibliography
The Firesign Theatre's Big Book Of Plays • The Firesign Theatre's Big Mystery Joke Book • The Apocalypse Papers, a Fiction by The Firesign Theatre • Backwards Into The Future: The Recorded History of the Firesign Theatre