NEWS!!!!

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  ANIMAL WORLD RECORDINGS ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE FOR SHAGGS TRIBUTE

  DENVER, COLORADO - Indie label Animal World Recordings has announced
  that it will release the CD "Better than the Beatles: a Tribute to
  the Shaggs" on October 30, 2001.
  
  . . .
  
  The line-up for this Shaggs tribute includes Ida, Optiganally Yours,
  Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Danielson Famile, Deerhoof, The
  Double U, Joost Visser, Furtips, Bauer, R. Stevie Moore and the
  Olsiewicz-Chusid Ensemble, Slot Racer and The Plastic Mastery. The
  liner notes were written by Irwin Chusid, who recently immortalized
  the Shaggs in his book Songs in the Key of Z, and R. Stevie Moore
  who was one of the first Shaggs fans. Surprisingly, since the Shaggs
  first appeared in 1968, this is the first time they have been
  properly paid tribute. In otherwords, this tribute album is long overdue.

  Press copies of the CD along with background information will be
  serviced soon. Anyone interested in writing about this tribute,
  please get in touch with Animal World Recordings by writing
  animalworld@hotmail.com or calling 303-860-7559. Most of the bands
  who appear on the tribute will be available for interviews regarding
  their involvement with this project.
for more info and the full press release, please check out:
*Animal World Recordings* at http://www.animalworldrecordings.com/
Wednesday, August 9th, 2000
guess who is making a movie in the next year about the shaggs??...

..thats right: the shaggs...while it was rumored that tom cruise was going to be involved, that never panned out..the real info (as much as i have in writing) is as follows:

Here's the essence of an article in Daily Variety, July 24 2000. 
  "A bizarre chapter in the history of rock 'n' roll has spawned the latest
   studio turf war. Artisan has just landed the life rights to the history of
   the Shaggs... Last October, Susan Orleans' New Yorker article... was
   optioned by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner. Artisan veep Rachel Cohen...told
   Daily Variety the family was won over by the studio's plans to move quickly
   on the project... Artisan has tapped Katherine Dieckmann, a widely published
   journalist who helmed the indie feature "A Good Baby," to write and direct
   the project."
submitted by the kind soul, Glenn Morgan....i also got the following from an unnamed fan: 
   The warning sent by Sir Noel Coward to prospective stage parents -- "Don't
   put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington" -- was utterly ignored by
   the ambitious father of three girls who, in the mid-60s, emerged as The Shaggs,
   a shockingly bad (but now critically acclaimed, at least by some critics) 
   rock band. Though they quickly faded from the scene, The Shaggs may get a 
   revival tour as Artisan Entertainment has acquired the band members' life 
   rights as a basis for a feature film. Director Katherine Dieckmann will 
   write and direct the curiously "of-the-moment" musical birth and fall 
   of Dot, Betty and Helen Wiggin, who -- bereft of ambition or talent -- are 
   herded into musical boot camp, and embark on writing and performing songs 
   so clunky an Artisan press release charitably describes their status as 
   "cult." The girls, since married and working in what an Artisan 
   spokeswoman describes as "blue-collar jobs ... one of them is a cleaning 
   lady," have already  been the subject of an article by Susan Orlean in 
   the New Yorker. Dieckmann, a former reporter who directed R.E.M.'s 
   'Stand' video, just completed her first feature film, A Good Baby,
   starring Henry Thomas. The Shaggs is looking to shoot in early 2001.

Sunday, June 18th, 2000
There is a new book out titled SONGS IN THE KEY OF Z: THE CURIOUS UNIVERSE OF OUTSIDER MUSIC by Irwin Chusid

Irwin Chusid, who co-produced the CD release of PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD (see the "Meet the Shaggs" essay on the main page), has published a book about outsider musicians and the strange music they create. The first chapter is about our beloved Shaggs and contains information not found elsewhere. If you are curious about this genre of music, and about the history of the Shaggs in particular, get a copy of this fascinating book. There is also a companion CD (both available from amazon.com) of the same title, and the Shaggs' "Philosophy of the World" is the opening track.

For more information, check out the site that the title above is linked to.


Wednesday, December 1st, 1999
...the Shaggs did indeed play on the 20th and 21st of november and some fans who were there sent me information on the permformances...an anonymous fan wrote:

  they were untouched by time at the NYC shows.  Set list for both nights:
  Philosophy of the World
  Painful Memories
  Mu Cutie
  My Pal Foot Foot
...pat fear sent in the following info and picture:

      
  The above photo is of Betty, Pat Fear of the band White Flag, and Dorothy, NYC 
  11/20/99, moments before their soundcheck, their first public performance 
  ever outside of Fremont.

  The shows were of course fantastic, aside from no Helen.  Tommy from NRBQ 
  duplicated her drumming fairly well, but that is a tall order for even the 
  most skilled musician.

  The band was received warmly by the sold out NRBQ fan crowd on Saturday, as 
  only a handful of Shagg a fans had purchased tickets for that first gig.  The 
  reason for this is the show was sold out by NRBQ fans before the Shaggs were 
  announced.

  Sunday was not sold out, and Shag fans dominated, with people flying form 
  California, Tokyo, London and Amsterdam.  The applause and demand for encores 
  was incredible, and the band signed autographs afterwards and even drew some 
  "foot foot" designs, one on a fan who had it partially tattooed on his foot, 
  with Dot finishing it with a black marker.  The fan said he planned to have 
  Dot's art permanently tattooed the next day.

  Annie Wiggin, the mother of the girls, and Dorothy's husband and two sons, 
  and Helen's son were also in attendance. Annie was introduced and received a 
  round of applause on Sunday.
Tuesday, November 9th, 1999
guess who is making a special live appearance at a NRBQ show in new york??...

..well, if it wasnt the shaggs then i wouldnt care enough to list it here...so yes, its the shaggs alright...please check out the link below for more info...you can get tickets online for $30...there is a link on that page as well as a phone# to call...

http://www.nrbq.com/randbnews.htm

The shows are November 20th and 21st so be sure to stop by for one of the shows.
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