Voices of the Air

"Voices of the Air" is the opening track of The Residents' concept album Mark of the Mole (Part One of The Mole Trilogy), released September 15th 1981 on Ralph Records. It features (originally uncredited) guest vocal appearances from Penn Jillette and Nessie Lessons. 
It was the opening song on The Residents' debut live tour The Mole Show from 1982 to 1983.
== History ==
"Voices of the Air" is a short prologue which introduces recurring melodies heard throughout The Mole Trilogy, and sets the scene for the events that follow on Mark of the Mole, with a "pseudo radio broadcast" delivered by Penn Jillette warning of a large, impending storm affecting the distant desert region colloquially known as "The Pit",Mark of the Mole + Intermission Mute CD reissue liner notes, 2005 home to the Mohelmot (or "Moles"), the central figures of the album and trilogy. 
The song features a lyric and melody later expanded into the song "Happy Home", heard on the second album of the trilogy, The Tunes of Two Cities, released the following year. In both "Voices of the Air" and "Happy Home", the lyric is performed by Nessie Lessons, then-wife of The Residents' producer Hardy Fox.
It was the opening song on The Residents' debut tour The Mole Show from 1982 to 1983 (following the pre-recorded introduction "Lights Out"). For most dates, the group were joined onstage by Lessons for the song, however Jillette's "radio broadcast" was instead performed by The Singing Resident.
==Synopsis ==
The radio burped its usual assortment of music, news, weather, sports. But who really listened, anyway? Only a couple of bars of music were memorable, "Happy Home", the tune from that new show based on the life of Innisfree, and that rock revival thing that's so hard to remember the title of. Radio just wasn't what it used to be. Even the weather report was more interesting, from the way the announcer spoke, it sounded like the pit was no place to be today.
==Lyrics==
 People must be left alone
 Unless they have a happy home
 "...to partly cloudy. The central part of the country,
 especially the pit area, currently has clear skies
 but that condition could soon change due to an
 unusual influx of unseasonably cool winds sweeping
 down into the infamous pit heat. Meanwhile
 here on the west coast, the weather has continued
 much as it has been for the last week."
 When it was back when
 We would not pretend
 We were only friends
 "We interrupt our regular program for this special
 announcement... Our telometer is reporting that
 a large storm has developed in the vicinity of
 The Pit area. Any travelers who might be headed
 toward that distant region are encouraged to
 delay further plans until this storm has passed."Ima Buddy, Ima Buddy's Totally Impartial Companion to Uncle Willie's Highly Opinionated BIG MAMAS, 1992
==List of releases== 
*Mark of the Mole (1981) Grove Street studio recording, October 1980 - July 1981 (2:55)
*Mole Show (1983) Mole Show live recording, The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, October 30th 1982 (3:07)
*Assorted Secrets (1984) Mole Show live recording, The House, San Francisco, California, April 10th 1982 (3:12) 
*Mole Show/Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? VHS (1984) Mole Show live recording, 1982 - 1983 (2:43)
*Mole Show: Live In Holland (1989) Mole Show live recording, Muziekcentrum, Utrecht, Holland, June 4th 1983 (3:05)
*In Memoriam Torso (1994) 
*Mole Show DVD (2009) Mole Show live recording, Kabuki Theater, San Francisco, California, October 1982 (4:27)
* Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed (2019) Grove Street live studio rehearsal, March - April 1982 (3:13) Uncle Sam Mole Show live recording, National Building Museum, Washington D.C., October 7th 1983 (4:26)
*Mole Dance 82 (2021) 
===List of versions===
==See also==
*Mark of the Mole
*Nessie Lessons
*Penn Jillette
*The Mole Show 
*The Mole Trilogy 
*"Happy Home"
*Mohelmot
*The Pit
==Buy Or Die!==
*Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed at MVDShop (US)
*Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed at Cherry Red Records (UK/EU)
===Listen online===
*"Voices of the Air" on Spotify 
* "Voices of the Air" on Apple Music 
* "Voices of the Air" (pREServed remaster) on Spotify 
*"Voices of the Air" live studio rehearsal on Spotify
* "Voices of the Air" live at the Roxy on Spotify
*"Voices of the Air" live at the Uncle Sam Mole Show on Spotify
==External links and references==
*Mark of the Mole at The Residents Historical
*Mark of the Mole at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
*Mark of the Mole at Discogs
Category:Songs
Category:Mark of the Mole
Category:The Mole Show
Category:The Mole Trilogy
Category:Nessie Lessons