The rock songwriter who pranked record collectors with a fake oldies band
In short: In the 1970s, a rock star used touring roadies to plant fake vinyl in thrift stores. Michael John 'Cub' Koda wasn''t just a hitmaker; he was a musical trickster who mastered the art of the elaborate, decades-long musical prank.
Michael John Koda, known professionally as Cub Koda, achieved mainstream success in 1974 when his song 'Smokin' in the Boys Room' reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. As the frontman of Brownsville Station, Koda helped deliver a hit that sold over two million copies and later became a staple for Mötley Crüe.
However, Koda’s most ingenious feat was a masterclass in musical deception. During the mid-1970s, Koda and his roadies formed 'King Uszniewicz and His Uszniewicztones,' a band designed to sound intentionally inept. To ensure the prank took hold, the group pressed a 45rpm single, 'Surfin' School/Cry on My Shoulder,' and discreetly placed it in Midwest thrift stores while on tour. The goal was to trick record collectors into believing the group was a legitimate, forgotten relic of the past.
The deception was so effective that the illusion persisted long after the initial prank. Between 1989 and 2011, Norton Records released four LPs under this persona, all featuring a photograph of Koda's father, George, on the cover. This playful side of Koda existed alongside a prolific career as a blues critic, author of the All Music Guide to the Blues, and a member of Hound Dog Taylor's Houserockers, a group he performed with for 15 years.
Koda's life was a tapestry of rock, blues, and scholarly music criticism. From his early days playing drums at age five to his induction into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Serenity in 2016, he remained a central figure in the Michigan music scene until his death in 2000.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Cub Koda
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