Search - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke :: Rise And Shine

Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke began writing and performing together in 1990.

Together Key Wilde and Mr Clarke are now committed to combining outstanding visuals with funny upbeat original songs that will appeal to people of all ages. Songs and pictures - with an emphasis on HUMOR and memorable characters - that parents and children can enjoy together.

They are excited about their debut on Little Monster Records. The songs were recorded at Wormhole Studios (actually a tiny room in Mr Clarke's Brooklyn apartment) with the enlisted help of Alan Byers on bass and Mike Stevens on drums and percussion.

Mr Clarke also traveled to Brazil to engage the services of the infamous Celso Saculejo, an eccentric Cabo Frio percussionist, and returned with the foundations for "Big Pet Pig" and "Going to the Moon". The former is an original song based on a traditional Irish folk tune and the latter is a song Wilde made up with his daughter when she was four years old. "She should really get a writing credit on that one", Wilde admits, "we worked it up sitting around singing about places we'd like to go together".

"Favorite Names" celebrates Wilde and Clarke's shared enthusiasm for the great early punk bands of their formative years. The song has long been a smash favorite on the radio program "Greasy Kids Stuff" and will be included on the compilation "Greasy Kid Stuff - Songs From Inside The Radio VOL III." on Confidential Recordings. Destined to become a kids classic.

Wilde reverts to his "traditional country" roots on "I Had a Little Dog", a song that champions individuality ("You can't be what you're not / so be proud of what you got") and Clarke came up with "18 Wheeler" in response to his nephew's obsession for big rigs. (And he wanted to show off his extraordinary guitar playing.) "One Fat Frog" is a counting song and despite its length (nearly five minutes!) kid audiences have on many occasions aggressively demanded that the song be performed again in its entirety. The record also includes a rollicking version of "The Rattling Can" (the song that incited the near riot and the first KWMC kids gig) and closes with a lovely lullaby "Pekepoo" - another song that emerged spontaneously while singing to the kids at home.

In addition to their follow up LP for Little Monster (12 songs already in the can) Key Wilde and Mr Clarke are currently working on a series of animated videos and are developing a kids TV show.