IN 2013, WHEN HIS BROTHER ADAM AGREED TO CO-PRODUCE HIS SIXTIES SONG CATALOG, TRAVIS EDWARD PIKE IMMEDIATELY FOUNDED OTHERWORLD COTTAGE INDUSTRIES

BUT WHERE TO START?

Travis had worked behind the scenes so long, he decided to write a memoir to reintroduce himself to the world. Odd Tales and Wonders was equal parts his memoir of the turbulent decade from 1964-1974, and a collection of some of his most memorable original rhymes and songs from that period. Arriving in Los Angeles in 1968, this multi-talented Bostonian -- storyteller, singer and songwriter; became a true Hollywood multi-hyphenate, adding screenwriter and filmmakerto his credentials.     But perhaps the oddest and most wonderful tale of all is the true story foreshadowed in the blurry front cover photograph from 1968. The little fellow on Travis's knee is his then 3-year-old brother, Adam, who grew up, trained as a recording engineer, became a singer, songwriter and recording artist in his own right, and whose devotion, skills, and encouragement are helping make Travis's Third Act possible.

MEMOIR UPDATED! THIS BOOK NO LONGER IN PRINT
SEE CURRENT BOOK CATALOG REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS

Filmmaker James A Pike was Travis and Adam's father. His first theatrical film was Demo Derby, a 28-minute action featurette that opened in the summer of 1964 in the downtown Boston Paramount with Frank Sinatra in Robin and the Seven Hoods), three other New England theaters with Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas, and later booked as the second feature with the Beatles Hard Day,s Night on thousands of screens all across the country.     Travis wrote the Demo Derby title song, arranged and produced by Arthur Korb, and recorded by the Rondels. When Jim Pike died in January 2012. In September, 2013, Travis' stepsister, Kaththea, wrote to tell him the Demo Derby franchise was his to do with as he pleased.

CLICK THE DVD COVER ABOVE TO VIEW THE TRAILER

Travis had published a Demo Derby DVD for his father through Createspace, and now he's published it through Otherworld Cottage Industries. Travis had also written and performed most of his Odd Tales and Wonders: Stories in Song and Odd Tales and Wonders: Stories in Rhyme in the sixties, but this marks the first time these admittedly updated versions have been digitally recorded and commercially released to the public on CD.

THEN, THERE'S THE MATTER OF THE DRAGON . . .

The 2013 discovery of the Baryonyx inspired Travis to get back to work on his Long-Grin Saga. His understanding of the dinosaur lurking in Long-Grin's family tree had grown exponentially. The techniques and materials used to fabricate the dragon had also evolved significantly, so Travis turned again to Billy Bryan, fortuitously between gigs, and they put Long-Grin on the road to recovery, certain that he would come back better and wiser than ever before.     Billy Bryan's photo (left), celebrating Long-Grin's physical recovery, was taken at Otherworld Cottage's 2013 Winter Solstice Gathering.

CLICK ON BILLY'S PHOTO TO SEE LONG-GRIN'S RETURN

RECORDING AT ADAM PIKE'S SOUND STUDIO

In addition to recording and mastering all the Stories in Song and Stories in Rhyme, we sweetened, remastered and released a new 79-minute, dual CD Grumpuss 15th Anniversary Audio Theater Edition.
Travis sang leads, some backup vocals, and did all the guitar fingerpicking. Adam was hugely helpful with the arrangements, sang backup vocals, played piano, bass, lead and rhythm guitar parts, and created and played all the other parts you hear on his midi-keyboard, using samples from his extraordinary digital instrument library. And they managed to get by with a little help from their friends . . .

Karen Callahan,   Kris Snyder, Barbara Jordan, Adam Pike,   Lauren Doverspike

Alana & Bridget Shannon,    Adam Pike, Judy Pike, Terry Hagerty, Colleen Stratton

ODD TALES AND WONDERS STORIES IN SONG "End of Summer;" Karen Callahan "Till The End;" Colleen Straton (the vampire's victim) "Screamin' Caretaker Blues;" Judy Pike, Colleen Stratton, and Terry Hagerty "Loup Garou;" Kris Snyder, Barbara Jordan, Colleen Stratton, and Terry Hagerty "The Likes of You;" Karen Callahan (obligato). MORNINGSTONE MUSIC "Morningstone;" Karen Callahan "Witchy Stew;" Karen Callahan, Barbara Jordan, Lauran Doverspike, Alana Shannon, Bridget Shannon, Colleen Stratton (and not shown, Saba Mwine, Ariel Pisaturino, Elaine Alaoglu, and Phillis Elliott)

LINDA SNYDER ISN'T ONLY A GRAPHIC'S ARTIST . . . Linda making the Morningstone mosaic for the novel and CD covers.

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