Don't Worry Kyoko (lost They Might Be Giants pre-band cover of Yoko Ono song; 1970s)

John Linnell and John Flansburgh in high school.

Status: Lost

They Might Be Giants is an alternative rock band which was formed by John Linnell and John Flansburgh in 1982. The two officially met in high school prior to the official formation of the band while working on the school paper. Over the years, the band gained a cult following and worldwide recognition. The band is still active as of 2021.

Recording "Don't Worry Kyoko"

Around the mid-late 1970s, during the time John Linnell and John Flansburgh were in high school, they had recorded themselves singing a cover of Yoko Ono's "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)" on Flansburgh's reel-to-reel. It is unknown which year they recorded the cover, but the ages of the two ranged from 15 to 17. On TMBG.com's FAQ page, it states:

"What was the name of the first song you ever recorded?"

"We're not sure, but it might be a version of Yoko Ono's song "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)" that we recorded on Flansburgh's reel-to-reel when we were around 15. We sang with faux Rod Serling voices."

The two sung while trying to sound similar to Rod Serling, the narrator of the famous 1950s Twilight Zone TV series. The tape is regarded as one of the first recordings done by the duo before They Might Be Giants had been formed as a band.

Last Known Location

In 1996, John Flansburgh was interviewed by ICE Newsletter;

"I found a tape of John and I performing a Yoko Ono song when we were 17 years old. It's pretty amazing in a weird way... but I don't think we're ready to go public with that."

As of this current year, it's unknown whether or not he still has the tape in question.

In 2020, on Tumblr, John Flansburgh said

"It is hard to say if the tape has even made it through the years. It has not been stored in a completely temperature controlled environment. And although reel to reel tape is often remarkably resilient, surviving 40, 50, 60 years essentially at 100%, some “media” is not as well made as other, and when I was I kid I only could afford the cheap stuff."

See Also

• Rabid Child (partially found They Might Be Giants music video; 1985)
• They Might Be Giants: Installing & Servicing Melody (found promotional compilation DVD; 2009)
• They Might Be Giants on The Joe Franklin Show (partially found episode of televised talk-show; 1985)

External Link

• "Don't Worry Kyoko" article on They Might Be a Wiki. Retrieved 04 Nov '18