Philip Charles Lithman (17 June 1949 – 1 July 1987), who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collaborations with

The Residents The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, ''Meet the Residents'' (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music vi ...

History

Lithman was born in

Tooting Tooting is a district in South London, forming part of the London Borough of Wandsworth and partly in the London Borough of Merton. It is located south south-west of Charing Cross. History Tooting has been settled since pre- Saxon times ...

South London South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borou ...

, and came from the

British blues British blues is a form of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s, and reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1960s. In Britain, it developed a distinctive and influential style dominated by electric gui ...

scene. He moved to San Francisco in 1971 and became associated with the

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

group The Residents. It is said he was given the name 'Snakefinger' by The Residents themselves based on a photograph of Lithman performing, in which his finger looks like a snake about to attack his violin. In 1972 Lithman returned to England and formed the pub rock band

Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers were one of the main British pub rock groups of the early 1970s. Later managed by Jake Riviera, who first worked for the band as a roadie, they reached their peak as part of the "Naughty Rhythms Tour" of ...

with Martin Stone, ex-member of

Mighty Baby Mighty Baby were an English band formed in January 1969 from the ashes of The Action. They released two albums, ''Mighty Baby'' (which appeared in December 1969, but had been recorded almost a year earlier) and ''A Jug of Love'' (October 1971 ...

and a fellow ex-member of Junior's Blues Band. As a duo, they released the album ''Kings of Robot Rhythm''. In 1974, as a full band and popular live act in Britain, they released ''Bongos Over Balham''. Chilli Willi lasted until 1975, their last record not selling well, and by 1976 Lithman was back in the United States, this time in Los Angeles, California, seeking a recording contract, shopping his rock-style demos. After a few years, Lithman moved back to San Francisco, reconnected with The Residents, and performed and recorded with them. Lithman's solo records, recorded under the name Snakefinger, were released by their record label

Ralph Records Ralph Records was an independent record label active between 1972 and 1989, best known for being initially run by avant-garde art collective, ''The Residents''. The name coming from the slang phrase for vomiting, "calling Ralph on the porcelain tele ...

. His first album on Ralph was ''

Chewing Hides the Sound ''Chewing Hides The Sound'' was Snakefinger's first full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1979. The record is co-produced with The Residents, who also co-wrote many of the songs. The album has the distinction of featuring the first r ...

'' in 1979, featuring original material co-written with The Residents as well as esoteric covers like

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

's "

The Model "Das Model" ("The Model" in English) is a song recorded by the German group Kraftwerk in 1978, written by musicians Ralf Hütter and Karl Bartos, with artist Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It is featured on the album, ''Die Mensch-M ...

". The songs showcased Lithman's distinctive

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...

playing and often

surreal Surreal may refer to: *Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art * "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki * ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze *Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor ...

imagery. This album was followed by ''

Greener Postures ''Greener Postures'' was Snakefinger's second full-length album, released by Ralph Records in 1980. The record is co-produced with The Residents The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-gar ...

'' in 1980, which included his first solo compositions as Snakefinger. While on tour in Australia in 1980, Lithman had a heart attack that left him hospitalised for six months. In 1982, Lithman formed his backing band The Vestal Virgins with former

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...

sideman

Eric Drew Feldman Eric Drew Feldman (born April 16, 1955) is an American musician. Feldman has worked with Captain Beefheart, Fear, Snakefinger, The Residents, Pere Ubu, Pixies, dEUS, Katell Keineg, Frank Black, The Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy, Reid Paley ...

. Snakefinger and The Vestal Virgins released ''

Manual of Errors Philip Charles Lithman (17 June 1949 – 1 July 1987), who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collab ...

'' on Ralph in 1982. This was followed by the blues cover album '' Snakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in Europe'' in 1984. Lithman released his fourth and final album, ''Night of Desirable Objects'' in 1986, which consisted of largely original material. Lithman performed with The Residents on their 13th Anniversary Tour in 1986.

Death

On 1 July 1987, Snakefinger and his band, The Vestal Virgins, arrived in

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital of ...

, Austria, on the ''European Night'' tour. The next morning, he was found dead in a guestroom of the Posthof Club where the band had been due to perform. He had suffered a heart attack. His single "There's No Justice in Life" was released on the same day.

Discography

Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers

* ''Kings of the Robot Rhythm'' (Revelation LP, 1972) * ''Bongos over Balham'' (Mooncrest LP, 1974) * ''I'll Be Home'' (rarities compilation) (Proper Records CD, 1996)

Snakefinger

* ''

The Spot The Spot, or thespot.com, was the first episodic online story (1995–1997), and covered bandwidth and production costs by offering paid advertising banners on the web pages and product placement within the journal entries. The site earned one o ...

'' (Ralph 7", 1978) * ''

'' (Ralph LP, 1979) * ''The Man in the Dark Sedan / Womb to Worm'' (Ralph 7", 1980) * ''

'' (Ralph LP, 1980) * ''Manual of Errors'' (Ralph LP, 1982) * ''Against the Grain'' (Ralph LP, 1983) * ''Snakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in Europe'' (Rough Trade LP, 1984) * ''Snakefinger's Vestal Virgins: Live in Chicago'' (Ralph cassette, 1986; Tec Tones CD, 1996) * ''Night of Desirable Objects'' (Ralph LP, 1987, Tec Tones CD, 1993) * ''Snakefinger: A Collection'' (

East Side Digital East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

CD, 1988) * ''Philip Charles Lithman aka Snakefinger'' (UWEB CD, 1993) * '' Live at the Savoy 1981'' (CD Presents, 2010)

Appearances on Residents albums

* "Baby Sex" (Recorded 1971; New Ralph Too LP, 2019) * " Satisfaction" (Ralph 7", 1976) * ''

Fingerprince ''Fingerprince'' is the third studio album by American art rock group the Residents, released in 1977. It was allegedly intended to be a three-sided record titled ''Tourniquet of Roses,'' but due to financial difficulties in fulfilling such a pro ...

'' (Ralph LP, 1977) * ''

Duck Stab/Buster & Glen ''Duck Stab!/Buster & Glen'', later renamed as just ''Duck Stab'', is the fifth studio album by American art rock group The Residents, released in November 1978. It is named after the first side of the album, ''Duck Stab!'', a seven-song EP r ...

'' (Ralph LP, 1978) * ''

Eskimo Eskimo () is an exonym used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: the Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik peoples, Yupik (or Siberian Yupik, Yuit) of eastern Si ...

'' (Ralph LP, 1979) * ''

Diskomo ''Eskimo'' is an album by American art rock group the Residents. The album was originally supposed to follow 1977's ''Fingerprince''; however, due to many delays and arguments with management, it was not released until 1979. Upon release it was ...

'' (Ralph EP, 1980) * ''

The Commercial Album ''Commercial Album'' is an album released by art rock group the Residents in 1980. It is commonly considered a follow-up to ''Duck Stab/Buster & Glen'', in that it retains the former album's pop-oriented song structures. The album contains 40 s ...

'' (Ralph LP, 1980) * ''

The Tunes of Two Cities ''The Tunes of Two Cities'' is an album by American art rock group The Residents, released in 1982. It is part two of the ''Mole Trilogy''. Rather than forwarding the story of the battle between the Mole People and the Chubs, the record's concept ...

'' (Ralph LP, 1982) * ''

Residue of the Residents ''Residue of the Residents'' is an outtakes compilation released by American art rock group The Residents in 1983, collecting miscellaneous recordings from the band's career from 1971 to 1983. Track listing * Track 2 was originally released ...

'' (Ralph LP, 1983) * ''

Title in Limbo ''Title in Limbo'' is an album by The Residents in collaboration with Renaldo and the Loaf, released in 1983 on Ralph Records. Guest performers include Snakefinger (guitar and violin), and vocalist Nessie Lessons. The album was originally recor ...

'' (Ralph LP, 1983) * ''

The Thirteenth Anniversary Show The ''Thirteenth Anniversary'' tour was a triumph both financially and critically for the Residents. It was also the last time Snakefinger would work with them, as he died of a heart attack in 1987. The official album release of ''The Thirteent ...

'' (Multiple live recordings, 1985–1987) * '' Stars & Hank Forever: The American Composers Series'' (Ralph LP, 1986)

Appearances with The Club Foot Orchestra

* ''Wild Beasts'' (Ralph LP, 1986)

Compilation albums

* ''Savoy Sound – Wave Goodbye'' (

CD Presents David Ferguson was an American international outsider-culture impresario, activist, music producer and concert promoter. Over his career, most of which has been spent on the West Coast, he worked with musical acts such as the Avengers, John Ly ...

, 1981) * ''Potatoes: A Collection Of Folk Songs by Ralph Records'' (

, 1987) ** song: "The Ballad Of Sawney Beane/Sawney's Death Dance" by Snakefinger&His Midi-Evil Vestal Virgins * ''Beets'' (

Tec Tones TEC may refer to: Education *Technology, the subject itself of technology taught at schools * Tertiary Education Commission (disambiguation) *''The East Carolinian'', a campus newspaper of East Carolina University Governmental and public organiza ...

, 1990) ** song: "Reptology"

Collaborators

*Paul Bailey (guitar, banjo, and sax player) *Dave Barret *Michael "Miguel" Bertel (Rhythm Guitarist) * 6025 (former

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...

guitarist) *Beth Custer *Raoul N. Diseimbote (piano) *Dick 'Deluxe' Egner *Josh Ende (wind, brass) *

(worked with

Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their d ...

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...

P.J. Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

, and

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Fo ...

) *Opter Flame *George B. George (bass player) John H Seabury (bass player) Member of Berkeley's Psycotic Pineapple *Ben Guy (bass player) *Colin Hansford (guitar player) *Dave Kopplin *

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Paul Riley (bass player) *Steve Royal (drummer) *Jonny B. Ryan (Philip's drummer from 1980 onward) * N. Senada (

ethnomusicologist Ethnomusicology is the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. It encompasses distinct theoretical and methodical approaches that emphasize cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dim ...

) *

Michael Steele Michael Stephen Steele (born October 19, 1958) is an American political commentator, attorney, and Republican Party politician. Steele served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007; he was the first African-American ...

(worked with

The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including "Manic Monday" (1986), "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), " Hazy Shade ...

) * Martin Stone (guitarist, literary expert) * Pete Thomas (drummer) *David Whitten (bass player)

References

External links

Discogs Page

Allmusic Biography
{{Authority control 1949 births 1987 deaths People from Tooting English rock guitarists English blues guitarists English male guitarists British multi-instrumentalists British violinists British male violinists Musicians from London 20th-century English musicians The Residents 20th-century British guitarists 20th-century violinists Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers members 20th-century British male musicians