Joshua Raoul Brody

Joshua with The Residents in God in 3 Persons - Live, 2019

**Joshua Raoul Brody** (also credited as **J. Raoul Brody** and **Raoul N. Di Seimbote**) is an American composer who has been a recurring collaborator of The Residents since the filming of their unfinished musical film *Vileness Fats* in the mid 1970s.

Brody would go on to arrange backing vocals for The Residents on a number of releases, including their 1976 single "Satisfaction" and 1982 EP *Intermission*. He appeared live with the group in October 1983 at their "Uncle Sam Mole Show" performance in Washington, D.C., and has since performed with them on their Cube-E, Bunny Boy and God in 3 Persons live tours.

## History

Joshua Raoul Brody met The Residents around 1974, when he was invited to the set of their musical feature film production *Vileness Fats* by a co-worker, who promised a chance to meet San Francisco artist Irene Dogmatic (a friend of The Residents who appeared in the film in a small role).

Brody joined the production, acting as a midget waiter in the film's Banquet Hall scene. Brody met Dogmatic as he had wished, but ultimately it was The Residents who he would strike up a friendship with. In 1976, Brody arranged The Pointless Sisters' backing vocals for The Residents' cover of "Satisfaction" (which did not appear on the final version of the single, but for which he was eventually acknowledged in the credits of the 1986 compilation *Hell!*).

Around this time, Brody joined musical comedy trio Rick & Ruby as their pianist. He likely introduced The Residents to Monica Ganas ("Ruby"), who performed lead vocals on their 1978 track "The Electrocutioner".

In 1982, Brody arranged backing vocals for The Residents' EP *Intermission*; this was the first time he was credited on a Residents release, albeit under a pseudonym, "Raoul N. Di Seimbote". Brody would continue to use this pseudonym for several Residents projects throughout the 1980s.

He appeared live with The Residents at the final show of their Mole Show tour, the Washington, D.C. "Uncle Sam Mole Show" in October 1983, where (dressed as Uncle Sam) he replaced regular vocalist Nessie Lessons (who couldn't perform due to laryngitis) for the songs "Voices of the Air" and "Happy Home".

His first studio work with The Residents as a vocalist came in 1984 when he performed backing vocals for the "James" side of their album *George & James*, and again the following year for *The Big Bubble*, before returning to arrangement, conducting the backing vocals on "Hit The Road Jack" in 1987.

From 1988 to 1990, Brody toured with The Residents as part of their Cube-E line-up; originally anonymous in this role, he has since been credited on the compilation *Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses* and the 2006 *Cube-E* box set.

In 2008 Brody appeared on The Bunny Boy album and subsequent tour. From 2011 to 2012, he accompanied Residents singer Randy Rose on piano in his live show Sam's Enchanted Evening, also appearing in the Internet video series RandyLand, where he performed a song from the show with Rose.

Most recently Brody appeared with The Residents as conductor and pianist for their theatrical multimedia adaptation of the album *God In Three Persons* from 2019 to 2021.

## Credits on Residents releases

* Intermission (1982, Guest Vocals Arranged By)
* George & James (1984, The Famous Flames portrayed by)
* The Big Bubble (1985, Backing Vocals)
* Heaven? (1986, Backing Vocals on '*Kula Bocca Says So*', Backing Vocals Arrangement on '*The Moles Are Coming*', '*Kula Bocca Says So*' & '*The New Hymn*')
* Hell! (1986, '*Satisfaction*' & '*Shorty's Lament*' Backing Vocals Arrangement.)
* Hit The Road Jack (1987, Backing Singers All Under The Worthy Baton Of)
* Commercial Album + (1988, *Hit The Road Jack* Vocals Arranged By)
* Mark of the Mole / Intermission (1988, Intermission Vocal Arrangements)
* Liver Music (1990, Santa Dog recorded by)
* Uncle Willie's Highly Opinionated Guide To The Residents (1993)
* Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses (1997, Musician on *Cube-E Concentrate)*
* Intermission (1998, Vocal arrangements)
* Cube-E (2006)
* The Bunny Boy (2008)
* Ten Little Piggies (2009, Guest on '*Blood On The Bunny*')
* My Window (2013)
* Dot.Com (2017, *My Window* performed with)
* Mole Box (2019, Guest on *Intermission,* backing vocals on *'The Big Bubble')*
* God In 3 Persons (2020, Performance & Music Direction By)

## See also

* The Pointless Sisters
* Rick & Ruby
* Uncle Sam Mole Show
* God In 3 Persons Live

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ian Shirley, *Never Known Questions: Five Decades of The Residents*, 2015
2. ↑ *dot.com* Klanggalerie reissue liner notes, 2017