As it turns out, garlic songs – at least here in the States – are at least as old as the blues. Sylvester Weaver‘s “Garlic Blues” from 1927, it bears noting, will hit the century mark in the year 2027:
“Garlic Blues“
Helen Humes
with Sylvester Weaver & Walter Beasley
(1927)
Not much else would appear for a couple decades, it seems, until The Max Brüel Quartet from Denmark released their jazz instrumental composition in 1955, “Garlic Wafer” on a 3-song EP.
“Garlic Wafer“
The Max Brüel Quartet –
Side one, track 2
(1955)
Garry And Larry‘s entire musical output is a single 45 from 1963 whose flip side is a guitar-and-keyboard-driven instrumental entitled “Garlic Bread“:
Garry And Larry
(1963)
Willard Straight and David Eddy‘s Greek-themed musical comedy, The Athenian Touch, opens with an overture that quickly segues into “No Garlic Tonight“:
“No Garlic Tonight“
Marion Marlowe & Butterfly McQueen
(1964)
Two years later, Capitol subsidiary label, Tower, would release “(Get Off That) Booze & Garlic Bread” by garage rocker, Denny Rockwell.
“(Get Off That) Booze & Garlic Bread“
Denny Rockwell
(1966)
Little Miguel’s Golden Five‘s obscure Latin-flavored instrumental single “Garlic Breath” from 1967 is ripe for rediscovery:
Little Miguel’s Golden Five
(1967)
Vibraphonist Mike Mainieri and his Quartet would channel the spirits, and beat John Lennon to the punch in the process, with the wryly-titled “Instant Garlic” from the group’s 1968 album, Insight. Three garlic songs in successive years between 1966 and 1968 — a breakthrough moment in recorded music’s early era.
Gonna get you – knock you right on the head
(1968)
1972 saw the release of NRBQ‘s (Eddie Kramer-produced) Scraps, a wide-ranging album that included the whimsical and dadesque “Who Put the Garlic in the Glue.” 42 years later, Lin Brehmer from Chicago’s CBS affiliate XRT would single out NRBQ‘s “Who Put the Garlic in the Glue” for her October 22, 2014 ‘Hump Day Unusual Moment‘ segment.
“Who Put the Garlic in the Glue“
NRBQ (Back when the Q stood for Quintet)
(1972)
Sometime in 1977 — within the confines of Italy, appropriately enough — garlic would get the funky instrumental it so richly deserves in the form of “Garlic Salt” by The Joy Unlimited Group & the Continentals.
The Joy Unlimited Group & the Continentals –
(1977)
The following year, German progressive jazz-rock group, Missus Beastly, would release their final album – Spaceguerilla – with “King Garlic,” fittingly, sequenced as the closing track.
Missus Beastly
(1978)
Before decade’s end, Leo Kottke would do his part to advance the cause with the release of 1979’s Balance, an LP that would include “1/2 Acre of Garlic.”
Leo Kottke
Yugoslavian Pressing
(1979)
That same year, Folkways would release Suni Paz‘s collection of Folk Songs from Latin America that features the heartfelt paean “Al Ajo (To Garlic)” as the fourth track on side one:
Suni Paz
(1979)
With the release of the soundtrack to George A. Romero‘s vampire-themed film, Martin — an album that includes “Garlic Chase #6” — 1979 would prove to be a banner year: three garlic songs in a single year, the next breakthrough moment in recorded music’s early era.
George A. Romero
Side 1, track 7
(1979)
Chapel Hill foursome, Superchunk, who no doubt “sweated out” vast amounts of garlic recording their unabashed 1990 declaration of bulb love, “Garlic” — the B-side of a split single on noted indie label, Merge, along with Seaweed and Geek (“released to go with a US tour of the three bands”) — would help propel garlic songs into the modern era:
“Garlic“
Superchunk
(1990)
Songs about garlic — whose nicknames include “camphor of the poor” and “Russian penicillin” — were once a fairly rare occurrence until the late 1980s, at which point garlic songs finally entered the popular culture and became an annual tradition, though taking place largely under the radar. Garlic songs have been found in at least 31 of the world’s countries, though I suspect there are others almost certainly lurking elsewhere:
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Philippines
- Portugal
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- UK
- US
By the turn of the new century, the musical and lyrical terrain would be completely wide open for Garlic in Popular Song, and even Lee ‘Scratch‘ Perry and Guided By Voices would eventually get in on the game, as you will note on the list below — a public service from the tireless research staff at Zero to 180.
Garlic Songs:
The Modern Era
A Detailed Discography
Click on song title for streaming audio
(where available)
Garlic Boys
[Japan]
1985
Great Garlic Girls
1985
[Norway]
Mario Gregorie
1986
[Australia]
“Hornplayers Can’t Eat Garlic“
Ingo Luis & Ludwig Nuss, The Two-Bone-Big-Band
1988
[Germany]
Deja Voodoo
1988
[Canada]
“Garlic“
Zooming on the Zoo
1989
[Italy]
Lyrics
Why don’t you buy a string of garlic
Fresh as the morning sun – some garlic
Banish the evil eyes with strings of garlic
Why don’t you buy a string of garlic
“Garlic“
Superchunk
1990
[US]
“Garlic“
Perverted by Desire
1990
[Netherlands]
“Garlic“
Tea for Two
1990
[Sweden]
Luciano Berio
1990
[UK]
“Garlic“
Black Happy
1991
[US]
Raymond Scott Woolson
1991
[US]
Pullermann
1991
[Germany]
“The Original Wild Garlic Memory“
Coil
1992
[UK]
Ronaldo Folegatti
1992
[US]
Stars on Mars
1993
[Sweden]
Pothead
1993
[US/Germany]
Blairmailer
1993
[Australia]
Tony MacAlpine
1993
[US?]
The Exceptions
1994
[US]
“Garlic“
Nelories
1994
[Japan]
Taylor’s Universe
1994
[Denmark]
Chunky Cheese
1995
[UK]
“Garlic Trembles From My Tongue“
Hive
1995
[US]
Sonetic Vet
1995
[Netherlands]
Insatiable
1996
[US]
The Sort of Quartet
1996
[US]
Psychograss
1996
[US]
“Getting the Garlic & Vexing the Vampire“
Michael Perilstein
1996
[US]
“You Must Like Garlic For This One“
Torque
1996
[Canada]
54 Nude Honeys
1996
[Japan]
“Garlic“
Bubble B. & the Coconuts
1996
[Germany]
“Garlic“
Cessna
1997
[US]
“Garlic“
Gypsy Grind
1997
[Philippines]
Robert Johnson & Punchdrunks
1997
[Sweden]
Submission Hold
1997
[Canada]
“I’ve Got Garlic Hanging on My Front Door“
Marasma
1998
[UK]
Birdflesh
1998
[Sweden]
The Living Daylights
1998
[US]
Crazy Candydates
1999
[Germany]
Geert Waegeman
2000
[Belgium]
Sun City Girls
2000
[US]
Nevada Bachelors
2000
[US]
“Chase Dem Down with the Garlic“
Lee ‘Scratch‘ Perry & Niney
2001
[Jamaica]
Eight Frozen Modules
2001
[US]
Mauracher
2002
[Australia]
Unsolicited Music Ensemble
2002
[UK]
Wolfcow
2002
[Canada]
“Garlic“
Be/Non
2002
[US]
Hdj Tom
2003
[US]
“Still Life with Onions & Garlic“
The Rollstons
2003
[Finland]
Midas
2003
[France]
The Pandas
2004
[US]
The Sunken
2005
[US]
Social System
2005
[US]
Stereo Tony
2005
[Slovakia]
“Organic Lentil Soup & Home Made Garlic Breadfan“
The Bandoliers
2005
[UK]
Lifting Gear Engineer
2005
[UK]
Flameproof
2005
[Taiwan]
“Garlic“
Tupolev
2005
[Germany]
“Garlic“
Other Voices
2005
[Italy]
“Garlic“
Silver Sun
2005
[US]
Jay Sullivan
2005
[US]
Trap Them
2006
[US]
Beautumn
2006
[US]
Mike Shiflet & Jessica Rylan
2006
[US]
The Lettuce Vultures
2006
[US]
Audio Damage
2006
[Italy]
Imperfectus Bultus
2006
[Spain]
Cowtown
2007
[UK]
Wrest & One Wobbly Egg
2007
[UK]
Wog
2007
[Australia]
“Crisp Salad with Beans & Garlic“
Neurobash
2007
[Sweden]
Likely Rads
2007
[Canada]
8–Bit Haiku
2008
[UK]
“Garlic“
Little Moroccos
2008
[Spain]
“Garlic“
Skewer
2009
[UK]
Cheer
2009
[UK]
Baronic Wall
2009
[US]
Nose Bleed Island
2009
[Russia]
Samuel Katarro
2009
[Italy]
Mister Modo
2009
[France]
Goldie Looking Chain
2009
[UK]
Multo Francel & Evelyn Huber
2010
[Germany]
Valeron & the Coconuts
2010
[Germany]
“Garlic“
Gohai & Input C
2010
[UK]
Original Tongues
2010
[US]
Lee LeVanway
2011
[US]
California X
2011
[US]
Saving the Nine
2011
[UK]
Rotor
2011
[France]
Colour Sun
2011
[UK]
Spidergod
2011
[UK]
JMZM
2011
[Croatia]
Pavel Svimba
2011
[Russia]
Manni Dee
2011
[Germany]
Mr. Myoplast
2012
[US]
Pistol Pete
2012
[UK]
Dapunksportif
2012
[Portugal]
Samo Šalamon Trio
2012
[Slovenia]
Mad Hilda
2012
[Switzerland]
Guided By Voices
2013
[US]
Gobby
2013
[US]
Ras_G
2013
[US]
“Garlic“
Mr. Tommy
2013
[Spain]
The Hooten Hallers
2014
[US]
The Fat
2014
[France]
“Garlic“
Hyper Fro2en
2014
[Japan]
Katusi
2014
[Japan]
Kontext
2014
[Ireland]
Noël Akchoté
2014
[France]
Diego Fantini
2014
[Brazil]
Razor Edge
2015
[Netherlands]
16 Barre
2015
[Italy]
Steven Blair
2015
[Italy]
Dimitris Samolis
2015
[Greece]
“Garlic“
Black Strike
2015
[Belgium]
Meyhem Lauren
2016
[UK]
Impaler
2016
[Japan]
Gorevent
2016
[Japan]
The Coal Porters
2016
[UK]
pOxymoron
2016
[UK]
The Hooten Hallers
2017
[US]
Loose Tooth
2017
[US]
Nexus Groove
2017
[Switzerland]
Mentalic
2017
[Germany]
“Garlic“
T.C. Pfeiler
2017
[Austria]
Armand Hammer
2018
[US]
The Garlic Phantoms
2019
[Spain]
Mustasch
2019
[Sweden]
Dracula And His Band The Draculas
2019
[US]
“Garlic“
Densha Crisis & Tymon
2019
[France]
Geoffrey Burton
2020
[Belgium]
KTL
2020
[Austria]
Sandro Tavartkiladze
2020
[Georgia]
Timotainment
2020
Digital Industries
2021
[UK]
Facit
2021
[Sweden]
Pizza Death
2021
[Australia]
Bruce Ketta
2021
[Italy]
The Hamiltones
2021
[US]
Surfistas No Muertos
2021
[Germany]
“Experiments With Garlic And A Crucifix“
Eoin Mac Ionmhain
2021
[UK]
“Where Wild Garlic Flowers Grow“
Laura Cannell & Kate Ellis
2021
[UK]
Ape Rites
2021
[Switzerland]
The Paulboyz
2021
[US]
“I Wonder What Kind Of Garlic Bread They Eat At Mensa“
Stand Atlantic
2022
[US]
“Garlic“
Thales Constantini
2022
[UK]
Franz Nicolay
2022
[US]
The Neuras
2022
[Spain]
Brendan Lanighan Octet
2022
[US]
Decoded Flows
2022
[Japan]
Jan Schreiner Large Ensemble
2022
[Germany]
“Garlic?“
Aleksis Liukko Trio
2022
[Finland]
Zendroide
2022
[UK]
T.G. Olson
2022
[US]
The Playfords
2023
[Germany]
Bigtopo & Ivan Mateluna Featuring Syntonica
2023
[UK]
“Garlic“
Marcel Gidote’s Holy Crab
2023
[Czech Republic]
Don’t DJ
2023
[UK]
Prosthetic Bung
2023
[Canada]
Sgt. Splendor
2023
[US]
Realio Sparkwell x Tone Spliff
2023
[US]
Richard Scholtz
2024
[Ireland]
Janek Van Laak
2024
[Germany]
Special Prize for Word Play:
Gargoyle Garlic Oil
Garlic Cover Art –
Spain’s Garlic Phantoms
Czech Republic’s Česnekový Hlavy
Germany’s The Playfords
Italy’s Zooming On The Zoo
Vancouver’s Submission Hold
– Honorable Mention –
Vintage Vinyl
Bobby Gregory‘s Country Comedy LP includes a comic routine “We Always Feed Our Baby Garlic” that is also illustrated at the very bottom of the album cover — dead center at the bottom:
The “contents” of Side A from Monty Python‘s Previous Record from 1970 – written from the perspective of a ‘Harley St. dentist’ – is an amusing bit that includes a ‘Where’s Waldo’ game:
Can you find the phrase “stinking garlic“?
Bonus!
Garlic News & Media Bites
#1
In 1997, Spokane, Washington’s The Spokesmen Review published this arresting bit of trivia related to Popeye (who was celebrated by Zero to 180 in 2018):
“The original Popeye cartoon character ate garlic, not spinach. Many urged New York cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar to put his character on a different diet. Back then, garlic wasn’t all that popular, not even roasted.”
#2
Garlic ended up causing a stink during one of The Supremes’ 1960s European tours, as recounted later by Diana Ross‘s personal manager, Shelley Berger, for Billboard‘s March 20, 1976 issue:
Once, in Milan, the four of us — Diana, Mary, Cindy and I — discovered escargot. We must have eaten twenty apiece. It was our first time, and we loved it! We got into a cab (this was in February and it was a cold day) and the driver kept rolling the window down. We asked him, ‘Please, it’s cold – roll up the window’ but he kept it down. Finally we realized — it was the garlic! We didn’t notice – we were talking, laughing, and the garlic must have been overwhelming in the tiny taxicab. But every tour brings discoveries.
#3
Jay Bergen, the trail lawyer who successfully led John Lennon‘s defense against a pair of lawsuits from the notorious Morris Levy in 1975, reveals in his 2022 memoir, Lennon, The Mobster & The Lawyer: The Untold Story, that John and Yoko’s health regimen during this mid-70s period included the ingestion of the “camphor of the poor” – albeit in liquid form:
When we got into the limo on the first day of the trial, I said to John, “What do you want to eat?” He said, “We’re only eating fish.” I had a feeling that Yoko had a lot to do with that. I also told the story in the book about the time they showed up in my office with this quart jar. It turned out to have garlic juice in it.
I said, “What’s in the jar?” He said, “Garlic juice. Yoko has found out that it’s very healthy.” I asked him if I could smell it and luckily he didn’t ask me if I wanted a sip. In the courtroom, we were in a big courtroom for a few days when they had the garlic juice with them. They were drinking the garlic juice back in the room.
#4
Rolling Stone‘s September 20, 1979 issue includes this “Garlic Haiku” by Timothy Shay:
purple garlic bulb
edible pearl
harbour
#5
Garlic, despite its many health benefits, can be a pariah in many social situations, causing some places to pass legislation to keep garlic eaters removed from the civilized world. As reported in the July 20, 1990 issue of Radio & Records —
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, citizens are not allowed to attend a [musical] performance within four hours of consuming garlic.
#6
William Nack reported in Sports Illustrated‘s January 13, 1992 issue that Muhammad Ali (celebrated by Zero to 180 in 2016), as a high school student, was known to carry a bottle of water infused with fresh garlic as a nutritional measure aimed at keeping his blood pressure down.
Jan. 13. 1992
#7
Garlic fans might want to seek out Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers, documentary filmmaker Les Blank‘s “love letter to the stinking rose” from 1980 (now part of the Criterion Collection – link to the trailer).
“about the greatest (c)love of all“
Did You Know?
San Francisco is home to The Stinking Rose, a restaurant dedicated to celebrating the garlic bulb in all its glory, with garlic infused into the majority of the menu offerings.
We’re Just As Stunned As You Are!
Zero to 180 asks –
What’s the story behind Paul McCartney‘s “Garlic“?
Discogs says this unreleased recording was
“broadcast during the weekend of July 31, 1995“
