1970s Omaha group featuring local musicians and comedians The Ogden Edsl Wahalia Blues Ensemble Mondo Bizzario Band have long been missing their original release tapes, but are delighted that the tapes have now been found. Working alongside Oglio Entertainment president Carl Caprioglio, the band began sorting through the recordings and selecting the strongest performances for release.

The result is The Lost Ogden Edsl Tapes, an ongoing archival series that captures the group’s blend of music, comedy, storytelling, and delightful weirdness. The project launched in May and will continue with a new release every Friday through the end of 2026.

Over the years, the band wrote odd songs, performed comedy sketches, improvised their way through countless live shows, and wandered from the Midwest to California, playing just about anywhere that would have them. This included clubs, concert halls, radio stations, television appearances, Air Force bases, Rock shows, kids’ birthday parties, and even the occasional abandoned drive-in theater all became part of the Ogden Edsl story.

Lineups expanded into twenty-piece big bands and contracted into trios and duos. Through it all, the band kept recording.

Along the way, Ogden Edsl developed a cult following thanks to its offbeat blend of music, satire, and absurdist humor. Their darkly comedic songs became staples of the Dr. Demento radio show, helping introduce the band to audiences across the country. Tracks such as “Dead Puppies,” “Kinko the Clown,” and “Daddy’s Money” became underground favorites/

Like many working bands, recordings ended up misplaced. For decades, portions of the band’s sprawling archive remained unheard and presumed gone.

A few years ago, the band’s original mentor and financial backer, Wade Wright, a former pinball arcade owner and longtime record store legend in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, was cleaning out the basement of his record store when he discovered a box of recordings from a two-week Ogden Edsl engagement in Omaha.

Inside was a snapshot of one of the band’s most celebrated lineups: Bill Carey on guitar and vocals, Richie Thieman on bass, Bill Frenzer on vocals and harmonica, Bob Ganey on drums, and special guest pianist Steven Stucker, best known for his role in the comedy film Airplane!.

Released so far:

• “Fish People” (May 15)
• “Dead Willie” (May 22)
• “Caveman” (May 29)
• “Regular Guy” (June 5)
• “Cornhusker Highway” (June 12)

Upcoming releases:

• “Young and Moist” (June 19)
• Metal Detector” (June 26)
• “Common Law Wife (July 3)
• “Heart Attack Rock” (July 10)
• “Ballad of Kenny and Marsha” (July 17)