Even a Chicken Spreads it's Wings

[Rob Wheeler]

Hi guys,

I have decided to release my fabled record "Even a Chicken Spreads it's Wings". I saw the Daniel Johnston documentary the other week, and one of the things that got me about it was when he was on MTV holding up his tape saying "I was having a nervous breakdown when I recorded this record". We I recorded a couple of records like that a while ago, and my logic to justify that my material was strong was that there must be lots of peopl like me out there who write music but don't really have the will or aptitude to go out and become famous, and it was great finally see someone just like me was out there after all.

Actually, last year, I did become a little famous because of something else I did, and I got thrust into doing live interviews and appeared in a few magazines and papers and thigns, and I was pretty sure by the end of it that I would not really want to be famous.

Anyway, I had a record I had been working on for a while, but the fact is, I've not got more than rudimentary musicianship, and I never could quite get it to sound how I wanted it and I had put it to one side. But then I saw the Daniel Johnston documentary the other week and I thought, hey I wrote it while I was having/recovering from a nervous break down too, I should just put it out as it is know for what it is.

It would be great if you would give it a listen by going to www.RobertWheeler.co.uk and then clicking on the angel and then "click to play"... or you could just click www.RobertWheeler.co.uk/playchicken.htm

If you do listen, please let me know what you think.

Thank you,

Rob Wheeler

[Billy Castillo]

I love that title! Good job with that one!


Rob Wheeler...I know your name from somewhere. Do you ever post on any of the Beach Boys message boards?

[Rob Wheeler]

My reputation precedes me

Not only have I been known to hover on Brian Wilson's board, you can hear me go "yeaaaa...." over the fade right at the very very end of the Smile DVD bonus feature just as he is leaving the Royal Festival Hall.

Did you listen to my record? It would be great if you did/do

Cheers,

Rob Wheeler

[Henry Long]

Rob-

Great work, brother. Loved the website. Loved the Ebury Way Demos. I will be spending more time there, I assure you! Thanks for sharing, and I'm thrilled seeing the Daniel movie inspired you to take action and release "Even a Chicken..." Everybody's got their own story to tell, y'know?!

http://members.lycos.co.uk/wheelerrob/EburyWayDemos.html

Any info on how we here in the U.S. can buy this beautiful music?

[Rob Wheeler]

Hi Henry,

Thanks for your very kind words about my music. None of my music is available for sale at the present,  but I'd be happy to send you a copy if you drop me a line on gain@robertwheeler.co.uk . Maybe if folk such as yourself spread the word a bit, there might be a bit of a market for it

Thanks again,

Rob

[Billy Castillo]

Rob, I'm  interested in checking it out. My email is fear2stop@yahoo.com

I mainly lurk at the Brian board...I am a moderator at smileysmile.net...currently use the username "The What of Whom".

I really like what I'm hearing...sound like we have similar influences,although mine is more electronic. Also instrumental, although I do have a similar pitch voice, only raspier. Gpd, this song is cool.

[Disfranchise]

a BIG SMiLE fan I hear 

I love smile too.. great great

I guess you too have your "original" smile compilation..

i like the songs btw.. eventhough a bit too similar to bb/beatles at times to come off as something really original

but i can hear a great talent here on some of those tracks, I enjoyed listening..


yeaaah and you really should check this link out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5LAlh87wTs

[Rob Wheeler]

Thanks for the comments guys, although I don't ever see how anybody can equate my compositions with the Beatles or the Beach Boys, apart from "Billy and Sally" which I almost ditched because I thought it was a Beatles song when I wrote it. Can't see how the bulk of my material would fit anywhere near either band, unless I missed the record they wrote about stillborn babies and building Churches () It's one of the reasons why I probably should have ditched Billy and Sally. It's a spectacular song, but it stands out in it's accessabilty and is easily written off as a Beatles pastiche. It's weird, I get that "too much like the Beatles/Beach boys critique from people in the industry very often, but if the Beatles somehow reformed tomorrow they would be falling over themselves to get a slice. I always think, what era of the Beatles are they thinking of? Because I hate Sgt. Pepper, and I can't see it fitting in with the pre-Sgt. Pepper stuff,and not much afterward either. And to be honest it never coudl because The Beatles were four lads who never had a proper job in their life, and persued famev and fortune, and I'm just a guy who wrote music just for the sake of it. So its going to be fundementally different.