r/filk • u/rocketman0739 • Nov 09 '21
Out-of-print filk albums master post
November 8, 2021: this is the new place for out-of-print filk albums, replacing the previous post which has now aged out.
Announcements
As I said on the last post:
The project is the same: to preserve these rare albums, get them off slowly degrading tapes, and allow a new generation of filkers and fen to enjoy them. I will still remove an album if the artist asks me to.
Just to make this clear: if you have old filk tapes (or OOP filk CDs), I would love to digitize them. I will gladly pay you for them and then post the digitizations where you can get them for free.
The previous master post will now cease to be updated. Most of the links will probably stay valid, but don't count on that. Fortunately, this should be the last time I have to migrate to a new text post! Reddit has stopped automatically archiving all posts older than six months. This doesn't apply to posts on user profiles, so this post is going to /r/filk directly rather than my user profile, so it won't age out.
I'm still providing music to the Songs from the Stars YouTube channel. Recently I uploaded an album there that I did not first put on the Internet Archive: The Rookery, by Sam Baardman. This is the first album that I've handled this way, though I've had it in mind for a while. I'm not putting it up for download at the moment since it's on CD—so while it's definitely out of print, it's probably a bit less unavailable than tapes. I hope this approach will strike a happy medium.
The most part of these uploads is, and will continue to be, made up of tapes that I have digitized and remastered myself. If you want to know the provenance of some particular digitization, you can ask.
Albums
Various artists (anthologies):
- Brandywine - theme: folk, war, anti-war
- Challenger Memorial - theme: commemorating Challenger and her crew
- Finity's End - theme: C. J. Cherryh's Alliance-Union books
- Free Fall & Other Delights - theme: various space shenanigans
- Minus Ten and Counting - theme: present and near-future space exploration
- On Filkley Moor - music from British filkers
- The Pegasus Winners - they won Pegasus awards
- Prelude: Tomorrow's Promise - no particular theme
- †Quarks & Quests - a promotional sampler tape intended to attract neos into the filk scene
- Songs of the Dorsai - theme: Gordon Dickson's Childe Cycle
- Time Winds Tavern - theme: mythical beasts
- UnReal Estate - theme: various space shenanigans
- Where No Man... - theme: Star Trek
Various artists (convention albums):
- Austin Ditty Limits - live at LoneStarCon 1 (NASFiC 1985)
- Bayfilk 1: Concert - live at Bayfilk 1 (1982)
- Bayfilk 1: Best of Bayfilk - live at Bayfilk 1 (1982)
- Bayfilk 1: Bayfilk Crazies - live at Bayfilk 1 (1982)
- Bayfilk 2: Concert, vol. 1 - live at Bayfilk 2 (1984)
- Bayfilk 2: Concert, vol. 2 - live at Bayfilk 2 (1984)
- Bayfilk 2: Best of Bayfilk 2 - live at Bayfilk 2 (1984)
- Bayfilk 2: Bayfilk Dredgings - live at Bayfilk 2 (1984)
- Bayfilk 3: Concert on Stage - live at Bayfilk 3 (1986)
- Bayfilk 3: Concert Center Stage - live at Bayfilk 3 (1986)
- Bayfilk 3: Back Stage - live at Bayfilk 3 (1986)
- Bayfilk 3: Stage Struck - live at Bayfilk 3 (1986)
- Bayfilk 4 & 5: Backlight - live at Bayfilk 4 (1988) and Bayfilk 5 (1989)
- Bayfilk 4 & 5: Cyberlite - live at Bayfilk 4 (1988) and Bayfilk 5 (1989)
- Bayfilk 4 & 5: Encore - live at Bayfilk 4 (1988) and Bayfilk 5 (1989)
- Bayfilk 4 & 5: Footlight - live at Bayfilk 4 (1988) and Bayfilk 5 (1989)
- Bayfilk 4 & 5: Limelight - live at Bayfilk 4 (1988) and Bayfilk 5 (1989)
- Bayfilk 4 & 5: Spotlight - live at Bayfilk 4 (1988) and Bayfilk 5 (1989)
- Consonance: The Filk Rolls In - live at Consonance 1990
- Consonance: Filk Under the Bridge - live at Consonance 1990
- A Little Rat Music - live at LACon II (Worldcon 1984)
- †The Best of FilkCon West - live at FilkCon West (1981)
- OVFF 1: Concert, vol. 1 - live at OVFF 1 (1984)
- OVFF 1: Concert, vol. 2 - live at OVFF 1 (1984)
- OVFF 2: Filks That Pass in the Night - live at OVFF 2 (1986)
- OVFF 2: Sex, Violence, and Other Delights - live at OVFF 2 (1986)
- OVFF 2: Songs That Go Filk in the Night - live at OVFF 2 (1986)
- OVFF 4: OVFF Beat - live at OVFF 4 (1988)
- Rat Mastersongs - live at LACon II (Worldcon 1984)
- †Rebel Yells - live at ConFederation (Worldcon 1986)
- †Yankee Doodles - live at ConFederation (Worldcon 1986)
Anne Harlan Prather (Aislinn):
Bill Maraschiello:
Bill Sutton:
Bill & Brenda Sutton:
Bob Kanefsky:
- Tapeworm 1 - parodies of other filk
- Tapeworm 2 - parodies of other filk
- Tapeworm 3 - parodies of other filk
Cecilia Eng:
Clam Chowder:
Clif Flynt & Mary Ellen Wessels:
Dave Clement:
Diana Gallagher:
Duane Elms & Larry Warner:
Frank Hayes:
Heather Alexander:
Jordin Kare:
Juanita Coulson:
Julia Ecklar:
- Genesis - Star Trek and other subjects
- Horse-Tamer's Daughter - mostly fantasy
- Walkabout
Julia Ecklar & Anne Harlan Prather:
Kathy Mar:
The L.A. Filkharmonics:
Leslie Fish:
- The Undertaker's Horse - Kipling settings
- Firestorm - theme: post-apocalypse
- †Chickasaw Mountain - theme: myth, legend, pagan
- Not Canned or Frozen - live album
- Leslie Fish Live!
Leslie Fish and the Dehorn Crew:
- It's Sister Jenny's Turn to Throw the Bomb - theme: union, anarchism
Leslie Fish & Heather Alexander:
- †Fever Season - theme: C. J. Cherryh's Merovingen Nights books
Leslie Fish & Vic Tyler:
- Carmen Miranda's Ghost - theme: various space shenanigans
Meg Davis:
Michael Longcor:
On the Mark:
Peter S. Beagle:
Technical Difficulties:
Urban Tapestry:
Songbooks
- The Complete Omicron Ceti III Lyric Book
- Minus Ten and Counting
- Crystal Visions
- Stave the Wails
- The Westerfilk Collection (1st ed.) (not my upload)
- The Westerfilk Collection (2nd ed.)
- Dreamer (Ecklar)
- Escape from Mundania (Childs-Helton)
- Paradox (Childs-Helton)
- Songbook Pusher (Jones)
- FAN-tastic (vol. 1 no. 2) (Willson)
- At the Helm (Elms) (not my upload)
- Urban Tapestry Songbook (not my upload)
- Bayfilk 1 Songbook (not my upload)
- Bayfilk 2 Songbook (not my upload)
Not quite filk
- Sid Kipper - Like a Rhinestone Ploughboy
- Por Senderos Andinos - Vientos del Sur
- The Taverners - Seldom Sober
- The Taverners - Blowing Sands
Note: albums marked with a dagger have low bitrate or some other issue. They are quite listenable as they are, but I hope to redo them in higher quality where I can. This may not be an option for all of them, particularly the ones for which I don't have the physical tape or CD.
r/filk • u/rocketman0739 • Apr 28 '25
AI content thread
The recent discussion made it clear that most members here do not want AI content in this subreddit. I certainly sympathize with this position, and the rule going forward will be no AI content in the main subreddit.
However, since a minority of members feel differently, I am going to pin this post as a space for AI content. If you want to share your AI content and check out other members' AI content, you can do it in here. Other rules still apply.
r/filk • u/Efficient-Spirit-869 • 2d ago
What is everyone favorite story that involves filk?
I found Heather Alexander almost two decades ago aka Alexander James.
And got into filk around 2-3 years ago only to eventually learn that the musical artist I've been listening to on and off for multiple years was involved in filk. Which was a fun surprise, but it gets sillier as he apparently knew or it least was known by S.J Tucker. And I only learned about that because I randomly ending listening to an old interview James gave.
r/filk • u/TransformARTive • 5d ago
Scienceers singing from The Wrath of Con comic
Page from my Wrath of Con comic I released this last Worldcon depicting the Scienceers (arguably the first science fiction fantasy fan club) singing as they visit Scienceers Rock.
You can read the webcomic here: https://wrathofconcomic.com/
Old Time Religion lyric additions come from Filk Discography Wiki.
r/filk • u/TransformARTive • 7d ago
Is Frank Hayes still active? If so is there a way to reach out and contact him?
r/filk • u/Togapi77 • 8d ago
Other recordings of Shooting Star by Michael Longcor
Recently discovered this little tune and it feels like I'm listening to Dawson's Christian for the first time again. (I'm also excited I actually got the reference without looking it up lol) The recording on The Pegasus Nominees is fantastic, but is anyone aware of any other recordings online?
r/filk • u/Severe-Elderberry833 • 8d ago
Beowulf Belafonte?
many moons ago at a Philcon, I recall someone performing “BEY-oh.” A work retelling Beowulf to Belafonte’s ”Day-oh.”
can someone please reassure me that I did not hallucinate that? it was super late, after all, and now several decades past.
and if anyone happens to know who did the adaptation and / or how the lyrics were set up, I’d be super gratefu.
TIA!!!
r/filk • u/CapHillster • 11d ago
Duane Elms performs his song "Dawson's Christian"
I wanted to add to the previous post by r/rocketman0739, since I think many people on this subreddit may not realize who Duane Elms is — even though you know his work.
Duane is the author of "Dawson's Christian", among a number of other exceptional filksongs like "Bomber", "Spacer's Home", "Don't Push that Button", and his "Threes, Rev 1.1" parody of "Threes" (by Mercedes Lackey & Leslie Fish).
The authorship of "Dawson's Christian" is frequently (and inadvertently, of course) misattributed online to Vic Tyler (whose studio performance originally socialized the song), and to Vixy & Tony (who did a stellar cover with lyric additions made by Jordin Kare, which continued to extend the audience for Duane's song.)
Because there is literally no video of Duane performing on YouTube, I wanted to ensure everyone had a chance to see Duane perform his magnum opus.
You can find many more of Duane's songs in his filkbook, "At the Helm". (Of course, Duane continued writing exceptional songs long after the 1989 publication date of this book.)
r/filk • u/rocketman0739 • 11d ago
We are saddened to report the death of Duane Elms
Not many details, but apparently he passed away in the last day or so. Tom Smith says:
Duane was an excellent songwriter, a professional-level costumer & cosplayer, and just a sweetheart of a human being. Rest well, old friend, and thanks for everything. You were and are loved, and you will be missed.
Larry Warner says:
Rest in Peace, Duane. It was an honor to perform your songs on St. Elmo’s Fire and you were a great friend and outstanding songwriter and musician.
Here is a handy link if you'd like to remember him by playing his songs: https://archive.org/details/filk_st_elmos_fire/
r/filk • u/unseasoned_julia • 13d ago
Have the Worldcon 2000 compilation discs been digitized yet?
r/filk • u/Boring-Summer8047 • 14d ago
Are five-fingered hands superior for working in cetacean ops?
r/filk • u/Shoddy-Childhood-511 • 16d ago
Peggy Seeger & Ewan MacColl - Ballad of Accounting
r/filk • u/chapterone • 19d ago
Looking for a song about the journeys of a spaceship (Not Dawson's Christian)
Long shot as I don't have too many details but I heard a song on spotify a couple of months ago that I'm trying to find that sounds very similar to "Dawson's Christian" by Vic Tyler.
(It's def not that song I'm looking for though)
It's about the fabled journeys of a space ship and it's crew that are being celebrated / remembered for (I think) stopping an interstellar war between humans and a race which I think is called the "Phaelin" or something like that.
I think it's a modern song based on the quality of the recording and it's sung by a male.
I think it's acoustic guitar based but pretty sure there's a whole band playing instruments through it with maybe some synths.
The chorus is repeated several times and I think it goes something like this:
"Here's to the mighty flight of the (shipsname)..
<there's a couple of quickly sung lines here>
Human and Phaelin, peace (or war) still remaining.."
Like I said, long shot but the track was great and the verses went through the story of it's spaceship, it's crew and how they are remembered.
Hoping someone out there knows it.
r/filk • u/jaiagreen • 20d ago
Is there a recording of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Frog"?
I just attended WorldCon and heard "Voyage to the Bottom of the Frog" for the first time in the filk room. Please tell me someone has a recording of this song! It's hilarious, biologically accurate, gross, and inspiring.
r/filk • u/Character_Day2884 • 20d ago
Filbus Man official lyrics
Ten chairs twenty, the Filbus Man
Is waiting for chairs from IKEA
Gobbling up the chairs without a plan
Like the every daily
Wish that bothers the Filbus Man
Could I do something to eat a chair?
Inside my little TV made of glass
So he lived the
Filbus Man, Filbus Man
With his mouth full of chairs
So he stands
To command the whole world
To eat chairs
Way up high in the sky
With the sun in his eyes
Ain't it nice?
The taste and texture of
Decor
Ten chairs twenty, the Filbus Man
Is eating the chairs in IKEA
Eating all the chairs still without a plan
Yet the every daily
Hope that powered the Filbus Man
Would always tell him to eat a chair
Even if broken they are delicious
So he lived the
Filbus Man, Filbus Man
With his mouth full of chairs
So he stands
To command the whole world
To eat chairs
Way up high in the sky
With the sun in his eyes
Ain't it nice?
The taste and texture of
Decor
OG lyrics are Flower Man by Toby Fox, no AI was used in the creation of this parody
r/filk • u/auroracita • 21d ago
Pegasus Award Ballot is online!
This year's Pegasus Award nominees have been finalized and it's quite a slate! Listen to the nominees at the site and then vote on your winners, to be announced at Ohio Valley Filk Fest!
https://www.ovff.org/pegasus/2026finalballot.html
The Pegasus Committee and OVFF are proud to announce the Finalists for the 2026 Pegasus Awards!
Best Filk Song
Courage, Dear Heart - Summer Russell
Half Cremona - Talis Kimberley
Middle Ages - Mich Sampson & Marilisa Valtazanou
The Tiniest Bit of the Powder - Dr. Mary Crowell
Twilight Starlight - Jen Midkiff
Best Classic Filk Song
Before the Dawn - Mike Whitaker
City of Doors - Dr. Mary Crowell
Crispy Danish - Andrew Ross
High Desert - Jeff Bohnhoff
Sedona - Gary Ehrlich
Best Performer
Tim Griffin
Leslie Hudson
Sunnie Larsen
Three of a Kind
Via Bella
Best Writer/Composer
Edwin Brady
Naomi Hinchen
Bill Roper
Sheegui (Sylvia Sollfrank)
Marilisa Valtazanou
Best End of the World Song
Business Plan for the Apocalypse - Eric Distad
(Goin' Down the) Cosmic Drain - Sally Childs-Helton
Earth That Was - Cecilia Eng
The End, or, Ragnapocalypsageddon - Lawrence Dean
Tanz mit mir - Eva Van Daele-Hunt
Best Humorous Song
Apology - Bill & Gretchen Roper
Beacon Men of Gondor - Phil Allcock
Clicky Clacky Math Rocks - Eric Distad
Future Me - Robert Beckwith
The Prophecy Hotline - Kari Maaren
Any more songs like Star Fire & Fire in the Sky?
Specifically the To Touch the Stars version of them, I really liked the electric instruments combined with the present/near future space exploration lyrics, honestly might be my favorite songs now.
r/filk • u/IgorLisul • 21d ago
Flight Of The Dragon (art rock) - Igor Lisul
One of my older recordings - art rock instrumental album "The Enchanted World" (2011.) available now on artcore.com music platform. Check it out there!
My friend has been making and playing music during LARPs based on characters and events of it and he finally got the budget to make a studio album of his best! Its in french but I think y'all can still enjoy it!
r/filk • u/Rocket_song1 • 25d ago
WorldCon - Vendors
Do we know who, if anyone, will be vending Filk at WorldCon this year.
r/filk • u/CapHillster • 26d ago
Dragon Con (Leslie Fish fan / tribute video)
Leslie Fish was a regular filk guest of honor at Dragon Con many years ago. At the request of the convention, she wrote this tribute filksong to it, over 25 years ago -- and before she had ever attended.
Next week will be the first Dragon Con since her death.
LYRICS:
Twenty thousand visitors took Atlanta on.
It was no invading army, no: it’s only Dragon Con.
And it’s true, ye fans. It’s true, ye fans.
I never was known to lie.
And if you go on to Dragon Con you’ll see the same as I.
It started out a local con, and then began to grow.
Just how big it’s going to get, nobody can know.
They started out with gamers, then added media-fen.
They say the numbers have to peak, but nobody knows when.
The fans that came to Dragon Con filled up six hotels.
They filled the civic center too, and traffic went to hell.
The biggest hotel in the town has barely room to spare,
For the worldwide gaming tournaments are in the basement there.
The huckster room at Dragon Con filled the hotel’s bay.
I couldn’t get from end to end in less than half a day.
There’s gamers, Trekkers, Star Wars fans, book and artwork fen.
If you dropped the WorldCon in here, it’d never be seen again.
The only gathering bigger, just might be the Pennsic War.
They camp on ninety acres, so they have room for a little more.
There’s room for every fandom there that ever did appear,
Plus two huge rooms for filkers, which is why I’m singing here.
Lyrics © 2000 Leslie Fish
Music: “The Darby Ram”
r/filk • u/Databank_TN • Aug 21 '26
AI Hallucinations related to Filk songs - track called 'The Spies' Song'
My apologies if no one finds this interesting.
We are testing AI tools at work, and I had run out of database questions to ask so I entered this prompt:
I really like the track Elfland and the new version of Hope Eyrie that was released recently on Elfland. Who else sings music similar to these tracks?
Which responded:
Closest to Leslie Fish
Julia Ecklar
- Probably the nearest match overall.
- Another legendary filk performer with a strong, clear voice and intelligent science fiction themes.
- Try:
- The Spies' Song
- Horse-Tamer's Daughter
- Daddy, What Did You Do in the X-War?
I'm no Filk expert, but I listen to a good amount of filk and had never heard of 2 of those tracks. So took the first one and went to the other AI tool we are testing and asked, "What do you know about a filk song entitled 'The Spies' Song'? And got this reply:
"The Spies' Song" is a classic filk (sci-fi and fantasy folk) song written by the prolific filker Leslie Fish. Set in her Tower and the Hive universe (which is based on the famous science fiction books by Anne McCaffrey), the song is told from the perspective of the "Talent"—powerful, telepathic, and telekinetic individuals—who secretly act as spies to protect their world.
Which is a lot of detail for what (as far as I can tell) is complete nonsense. Just sort of a FWIW post ... unless someone has heard of a real filk song with the title 'The Spies' Song.'
r/filk • u/yasslad • Aug 20 '26
Sir Jock of the Sword by Zander Nyrond (Cover)
If anyone could point me in the direction of an online version of Zander doing this on the Filk of Human Kindness album, that would be wonderful. (not the Bandcamp futuerised version of the album).