Tom "T-Bone" Stankus sings Existential Blues

[@bigbadbillb]

Oh, yes! A classic from the Dr. Demento show....Sunday nights on KMET 94.7 FM.

[@ahvavee]

94.7 KMET tweedle dee

[@robadams5799]

WLUP, Chicago's Loop.

[@ifor20got]

I told my wife I wanted her to listen to one of my Favorite songs. She listened to the entire song... Gave me a good long look... and said "Never Play That Again". Lmao....

[@zeppyfish]

I played this song for a talent show my senior year of high school (1983). Funnily enough, I now teach Philosophy.

[@gmjones7537]

Lol!

[@brendalg4]

​@@gmjones7537video?

[@Wheelmom1]

God bless the internet.......this was my all time favorite dr demento song on the radio......sang it for my mentor at work at a recording studio back in the 80s one day....he questioned why he was my mentor lol

[@patriottex4813]

It was great to be a kid on Sunday nights listening yo Dr. D. I lived this song, Rock and Roll Doctor, Wet Dream. They're Comjng to Tzkd Me Away etc. My childhood was awesome!

[@ratmach]

No way! I've loved this song from the first time I heard it decades ago (on Dr. D of course). And in all that time I thought it was one of the most amazing displays of talent by a single musical artist I'd ever heard.... but I also assumed it had been worked and reworked in the studio. That's the only way, I thought, it could be THAT good. Well, I was obviously wrong! This dude does it LIVE, and almost as good as the original... even better if you take the many "extras" he throws in there. Just... wow.

[@jenniferosores8538]

Agreed amazing

[@derekvosten7713]

Nice... Truly the best song ever.

[@Brewnoe]

off my duck = nuttin at all

[@Brewnoe]

oh wow man

[@rottncf]

I remember this song on Dr Demento...I laughed until I cried....then laughed some more....Poppies Poppies Poppies....

[@SeanKStephens]

This voice has echoed in my head since my childhood. It is likely he has been more influential to me than any other single individual because of this song.

[@TechGorilla1987]

You and me both. Fever since listening to this on a transistor radio in Hawaii, I have used "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" It's so ingrained in my head that I am here conversing with you fine people. Stay well!

[@fantomasnomore]

I encourage everyone watching this to look up Mr Bungle's version of this. It is existential.

[@daveuhlmeyer8050]

1979; Mullet. Nods to Tiny Tim, Saturday night Live, Star Trek, etc. I used to listen to this and other greats on the Dr. Demento show on AM radio. Back when Weird Al Yankovic sent a cassette recording to Dr. D. and the rest is history.8-)

[@stebaer]

Yes I met Tom T-Bone Stankus on September 1,1986 at Framingham State and 19 years later when I consulted him online of this he then said that it's all a blur.I then told him how I was also impressed with how he did another version of this song while there at the cookout including how he called Dwight Hall The Big Green Glow in The Dark House up on the hill and even though it's a Red Brick Building and was up on the hill. I also mentioned to him how Dr.Demento had switched stations and I found out not until 2 years later that it switched to another one and he said "Well that's because of syndication."

[@bunnimarie100]

Stephen! I have met this guy many years ago! Like around 1977. Tom and I have a mutual friend, Drew Thomas.

[@stebaer]

Good for you!

[@jonmac007]

T-Bone lived about 4 town away from me, I used to see him at bar and clubs all the time in the 80's. Loved his song "Betty's home cooking ", the B-side of his single.

[@ellebhee5045]

Most people wouldn't get this. Absolutely awesome!!!

[@dittoheadAZ]

One of the all-time greats - and this "live" version is even better!

[@TucsonScenedotcom]

I had this as a cassette taped on dr demento. I played it to all my friends but we couldn't figure it out but knew it must be funny. 4th grade.

[@nextplanet6275]

I've always wanted to hear more of his material!

[@jeffrobodine239]

This is not a diss , that is an impressive mullet done right !

[@sherimcgee1587]

This is the kind of stuff my family used to talk about when I was very little. Explains why I'm so odd.

[@coma13794]

I'd heard Mike Patton's version with Mr Bungle many times, but I had no idea it was a cover. This is awesome.

[@starrquirt6922]

LSD 25 or 624 - a # on a pill. Love this song.

[@jaclark67]

25 or 26 minutes before 4 AM.

[@mzmadmike]

@@jaclark67 Yeah, that was their story, but listen to the lyrics, it's about drugs.

[@jaclark67]

@@mzmadmike I never said it wasn't about drugs.

[@LilCyco223]

The "Sailing, sailing" part reminds me of "Tiptoe through the tulips"

[@mzmadmike]

Yup, Tiny Tim did Tiptoe.

[@paulnbassett2437]

It's a sample of this opening- Sailing, sailing, over the bounding Main for many a stormy wind shall blow till Jack sails home again...

[@hknapp-hj2sn]

My high school nerd friends and I always love this gem.

[@andrewvarsey]

heard this on a lunch break in Germany, on Dr D, decades ago, and will always remember it, Tom-T-Bone , :)

[@hansummm]

Dude thanks for sharing. I used to love this song as a kid!!!

[@thunderossaInternational]

Thanks for sharing this! I had it memorized from Dr Demento! lol

[@gmjones7537]

Lol me too! Back when you had to record it on to a cassette from your boombox and keep rewinding till you were all the lyrics out....those were the days!

[@lisagulick4144]

Fun fact: Later plays of this song on Dr. D. edited out the "To dream the impossible dream" part because Man of La Mancha was still under copyright. Somebody must have filed a "cease and desist."

[@sandyblue4235]

hes awesome

[@russellcrawford6662]

Such a talented man! I love it!

[@CreamCheesePepperJelly]

Saw him back up to Weird al in 82 or 83, he was awesome!

[@ncf1]

The Collective American Consciousness collected and reproduced in in one 9-minute song.

[@Agrimorfee]

I often have compared this to James Joyce"s Ulysses. (But hey what is up with that fuzzed up phasing audio?...)

[@debbiestankus4564]

He likes your comment.

[@gmoney2103]

I barely heard this for the first time in Sept. Labor Day 2018 In the Kern River, CA.

[@wabbitt86]

Love this !!!

[@Oldman_Taylor]

Great version of this old classic

[@MattLeger]

Thank you SO much for posting this! I've been wanting a recording of Tom singing the song as it was originally recorded and first played on Dr. Demento's show. In recent years the version heard on the air cut out the parts where he sings "To dream the impossible dream..." for some reason. (I figure either Tom or Dr. D. must have gotten a C&D from lawyers for the owners of the copyright to "Man of La Mancha.")

[@patriottex4813]

Dr. D had go cut it back in the 80s because of copyright.

[@terryfretz-dd5gi]

This made me think about the possibility of everything.

[@jmcmob608]

Thank you very much...

[@Becklenay]

:listening to the lyrics - this guy was way ahead of the times.

[@goaheat]

Brilliant, thanks for sharing this

[@poox8362]

Can anyone advise Tom's facebook page. I would like to contact him. We used to know each other back in the 80's. Promise I'm not a stalker. Just wanted to say Hi, really!

[@elanjackson447]

Heard on dr.d originally in Chicago in the 90's

[@chemicalmike646]

KMET in California for me. Dr. D was a essential part of life on weekends. I know I was a kid (my excuse back then), but I threw tantrums if I got denied my Dr Demento sessions. I acted out a lot back then. :D

[@kelli217]

The phase-shift effect drove me nuts.

[@amyjoedwards6711]

Great freaking song 🎶 heard it on Dr.Demento

[@jerryheun8158]

Good back in the 80s black beauties John has too many of them

[@hyperflexharrington5]

I want to see Jim Carry karaoke this one.

[@mzmadmike]

Please don't.

[@KlassikRkr]

The dude is brilliant! I wonder how long it took him to master this ONE song? Did he write it all by himself? I used to hear this song on Dr Demento. I've just got to share it with some old friends...Thanks for uploading!

[@jimstanton89]

As far as I know T-Bone wrote the song, keeping in mind he lifted bits and pieces from other songs, movies, etc. I have posted several of his original songs along with some covers.

[@kenlamothe7929]

AutumnReign Tom definitely wrote this by himself. He now does a kids' show, but used to sing for adults and was a hoot! Very nice guy.

[@ralphdesmond]

this sounds EXACTLY as I remember from hearing it on Dr Demento pretty much every single week. Was it a recorded-live performance we were hearing the whole time ?? That makes it even more impressive. Or maybe this was lip-synced for a performance? Just curious, he's awesome either way. This song and Dr D in general helped shape me in my late childhood into early teenagerness.

[@mzmadmike]

@@ralphdesmond No, the studio version is also on youtube.

[@debbiestankus4564]

He's the sole writer.

[@dadadruma]

Epic!

[@robadams5799]

Anybody remember "Existential Blues Part 2"? Or do you remember when--probably due to some meddling lawyers--they edited out the "Impossible Dream" parts? Echo effects! "Was the Duchess really German?" I never under stood that line before!

[@mikehughes4969]

This is the anthem for weird people everywhere. I am absolutely one of those people.

[@i-a-g-r-e-e-----f-----jo--b]

That was something completely different. They played this on a new wave station, lol.

[@firemandkdkdk]

LMFAO.... still hilarious all these years later ........

[@kt9166]

When was this live version recorded? LOVE the mullet!

[@mzmadmike]

That's exactly what I thought he would look like.

[@JayRenn]

Oooo! The banned version with the Man of La Mancha reference!

[@gmjones7537]

Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I was in college he performed as by then he couldn't do that line. When I asked why, he did a freeze-face and said you know that? No one else I the room knew the reference.

[@lisagulick4144]

Something similar happened to the band The James Gang. They used a portion of Ravel's "Bolero" in the middle section of their song "Bomber." But the Ravel piece was still under copyright in France, and somebody threw a fit. So the record company recalled and destroyed every copy of the album, re-edited the track, and re-released the album. If you were lucky enough to buy "Rides Again" right when it came out, with the "Bolero" section, then you have a valuable piece of history. That said, Ravel eventually migrated into the public domain even in France, and recently the album was re-mastered, restored, and re-released on CD. I'm sure the same thing will eventually happen with "Existential Blues"...T-Bone's quest will once again be "to dream the impossible dream."

[@odditorium]

Poppies!

[@radiorob7543]

At least 2 Steve Martin references.

[@debbiestankus4564]

He acts like him too sometimes! He was inspired by many.

[@aldate7507]

Stankus is amazing! I need a rock band to lay down the background for a Yankovik-style parody, probably a one-shot deal. San Fran Bay area? Have some cash to fulfill my life long dream of being a Yankovic-wannabe.. Where is the parody factory that I can walk into with my lyrics and walk out with a CD or thumb drive? Weird Al wont even look at it, he says send it to Doctor D, just like he did when he was noob.

[@gardenia6]

I'm a big fan of Mike Patton's cover, but the original is always the best. :D

[@Robcockulous1]

This guy sounds like Heywood Banks!

[@justingries]

Just a bit of cocaine here...

[@EricNTammy304]

You can't perform this song on less than 4g.

[@chrisslooter2825]

This fella does a mean Mr. Bungle cover.

[@MikeTyson2]

Haha he is the original Dude you know

[@radiorob7543]

When was this recorded?

[@jimstanton89]

Sometime around 1984-1985

[@radiorob7543]

+James Stanton Thank You!

[@sfearll]

ahh... the 80s.... drugs were so much better then...

[@aramb]

Tour de force, I say!

[@janetrushkowski26]

Is that really you, Mr Stankus?

[@donbartenstein]

I think we can approximately date this by that mullet.....

[@armoredinf]

and the BIG glasses

[@beardsleycraig]

LMFAOO

[@glasswalkerny]

so probably a "duh" observation but dayum he must've been on some good drugs for that ;P

[@privateprivate1865]

Devil get yer soul

[@forgetaboutit192]

He looks like Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

Wait a minute...is T-Bone using an Ovation guitar before they were cool? Before they were even invented? Woah...This dude looks line the Miami City/GTA Vice City stereotypical base head/coke brain....is it just the glasses and shirt?

[@stevee.7419]

Me Bungles version is best, by far!

[@LaoZe]

If Lumbergh had a mullet...

[@daveidmarx8296]

Cocaine is a hell of a drug

[@netraorivod6069]

Ever watch a person talk while on acid

[@Charlie_Chicago]

Ne'tra Ori'Vod Yes, and hes not. He's just another unicorn californian who now serves me fast food.

[@ottoacid1800]

He's from Connecticut.

[@debbiestankus4564]

@@Charlie_Chicago Nope

[@VJFranzK]

Whoa, to see the actual person after all these years! Did not expect this... hair. In this performance, it's more obviously a parody of liberal intellectualism.

[@debbiestankus4564]

You got it!

[@ospididious]

Cocaine's a hell of a drug...

[@debbiestankus4564]

This is sheer adrenaline

[@Callmenobody174]

Cocaine is a hell of a drug