The Cat Heads

Sister Tabitha (1988)

When the Cat Heads got their first gig in 1985, three of the four members didn't even know they were in the band. According to guitarist/vocalist Mark Zanandrea, "A manager I knew was booking a show for his band, but he needed an opening act. He asked me if I had a band. I lied and said yes. He gave me the slot, which was in a couple of weeks. I called Sam [Babbitt], Mel[anie Clarin] and Alan [Korn] and told them we had a good show booked, let's learn some songs."

The Cat Heads mostly played covers for their first show, but the eclectic mix of songs in their set was a harbinger of the band's wide stylistic tastes: Prince, Donovan, Howling Wolf, the Monkees. The show went over well, and they decided to continue as a band, slowly building up a dedicated following that included scene luminaries like Camper Van Beethoven's David Lowery and the Rain Parade's Matt Piucci.

Piucci helped get the band signed to Restless Records, who released two albums from the group. Piucci also produced the band's debut album, Hubba, which showed off the band's talent. All members wrote and sang, and the band seemed capable of playing any genre well.

With David Lowery on board to produce the follow-up, the band was able to synthesize it's influences better on the lovable Submarine. The album isn't perfect, and it starts with arguably the album's weakest track, Zanadrea's grunge howler "Little Less of Me." After that however, it is one highlight after another. Chiming pop songs like "Apologize" and "Alice on the Radio" sit alongside the unhinged garage rave-up "Hallelujah Dance" and "Grass," a neat approximation of Tom Petty writing kids' music. However, the band saved the two show stoppers for side two, the moving and folky "Bisho" (co-written by the mysterious P. Stirling) and "Sister Tabitha," Zanandrea's attempt at baroque pop in the Left Banke mold.

According to Zanadrea, "Sister Tabitha Babbitt was a real Shaker woman. I took note of her because her last name was the same as Sam's, and they're both New Englander's, so possibly related. The Shakers didn't believe in having sex, so they died out. They got their ya-ya's out with woodcraft (Their furniture is still highly valued). Sister Tabitha actually invented the circular saw."

Since I couldn't find them anywhere online, here are the official lyrics, provided by Zanandrea himself:

Sister Tabitha (M. Zanandrea/M. Clarin)

For those who were not concerned it seemed another normal day

But for sister Tabitha Babbitt there was a bolt out of the gray

And the tintinnabulations of the bells up in the tower

Sang out in praise of carpentry's second finest hour

And then it came to her - the motion circular

All I need is a leap of faith and I could soon be there

Shaking with the sister out in New England fair

And we'd speak in tongues to everyone as they'd skirt out of our way

And it's sad to think of how they slowly died away

But through the circular saw Sister Tabitha still lives on

And the saw goes round and round and round...

Link: The Cat Heads website