1980

1980 for The Residents was centered around the release of Commercial Album, their first studio album to be internationally distributed. One of the several promotional tactics made for the album was One Minute Movies, a collection of four one-minute long music videos for four tracks in the album.

These short films, along with the "Hello Skinny" music video released earlier that same year, would end up getting substantial air time during the first years of cable television.

Timeline

January

• The Residents record a small project entitled Goosebump using mostly toy instruments bought from their local Toys-R-Us.

February

• The Residents finish work on "Diskomo".

March

• Ralph Records releases Snakefinger's "The Model" single, with "Talkin' in the Town" as the B-side.

April

• 1st: The Residents 10th Anniversary Retrospective radio special is aired with Snakefinger and Jay Clem. It marks the radio debut of Diskomo / Goosebump.
• 9th: Ralph releases The Residents' Diskomo / Goosebump EP.
• Along with issue no.5 of the Buy or Die! mailing list catalog, Ralph Records offers Buy or Die 1980, a sampler EP featuring excerpts from the label's latest releases and costing one dollar. An excerpt of "The Festival of Death" from Eskimo is included.
• The "Hello Skinny" video is advertised.

July

• The Residents finish work on the Commercial Album.

August

• After three years of delays and problems, all orders of The Third Reich 'n Roll Collector's Box are finally completed and sent out to customers.

September

• Ralph Records releases Snakefinger's "The Man in the Dark Sedan" single from his upcoming LP Greener Postures.
• The Residents record a track titled "99 Space Music".

October

• 29th: The Residents' seventh studio album, Commercial Album, is finally released. It is The Residents' first studio album to be released worldwide.
• PRE Records in the UK releases the Commercial Single, comprising of six songs from the Commercial Album, and 2 outtakes from the album sessions.
• Ralph releases Snakefinger's Greener Postures, his second studio album, co-produced and co-written with The Residents.
• Buy or Die! mailing list catalog no.6 is issued, and Ralph offers another sampler EP, Buy or Die 1980½. Three tracks from the brand-new Commercial Album are included. One Minute Movies, a collection of four music videos promoting the Commercial Album, is slated to be available later in the year.
• In a controversial promotional tactic, The Cryptic Corporation purchases forty one-minute ad slots on one of the biggest radio stations in San Francisco, KFRC-AM, in order to "premiere" every track of the Commercial Album.
• Pipe Records releases Miniatures, an album comprising of 51 one-minute songs by several artists, compiled by Morgan Fisher (of Mott the Hoople). The Residents contribute "We're a Happy Family / Bali Ha'i" to the collection.
• The Residents record preliminary material that would later be shaped into The Tunes of Two Cities.

November

• Ralph announces their plans to import 800 copies of Eskimo to Czechoslovakia, which had several restrictions towards music from the West. While the album allegedly was given government approval, the project never comes to fruition.

Releases

• Commercial Album (LP, Ralph Records, RR8052, 53,000 copies pressed)
  • International copies released by PRE (UK), Charisma (Germany), Missing Link (Australia), RTC (New Zealand) and 7 Records & Tapes (Australian cassette)
• "Diskomo" / Goosebump (12" 45RPM, Ralph Records, RR8006-D, 15,000 copies pressed)
• Commercial Single (7'' single, PRE Records, PRE 009, 3,000-4,000 copies pressed)

Re-Releases

• The Third Reich 'n Roll Collector's Box (LP, Box Set, Ralph Records, 30 copies manufactured)
  • Includes the album in a hand-pressed, marbled red vinyl, two lithographs and a drawstraing bag made from an art work by Christo. All in a black wooden box.

Collaborations

• Greener Postures (LP, Ralph Records, SN8053-L, 20,000 copies)
  • Studio album by Snakefinger.
  • Co-written and co-produced with The Residents.
• "The Man In The Dark Sedan" (7'' single, 45RPM, Ralph Records, SN-8051-S, 10,000 copies)
  • Single by Snakefinger.
  • Co-written and co-produced with The Residents.
• "The Model" (7'' single, 45RPM, Ralph Records, SN-8005-S, 8,000 copies)
  • Single by Snakefinger.
  • Co-produced with The Residents.

Compilation appearances

• Buy or Die 1980 (EP, Sampler, Ralph Records, RR8007, 12,000-15,000 copies)
  • Includes an excerpt of "The Festival of Death".
• Buy or Die 1980½ (EP, Sampler, Ralph Records, RR8050-E, 12,000-15,000 copies)
  • Includes "Easter Woman", "End of Home" and "Amber"
• Miniatures (A Sequence of Fifty-One Tiny Masterpieces Edited by Morgan Fisher) (LP, Compilation, Pipe, PIPE 2, 5,000 copies pressed)
  • The Residents contributed the track "We're a Happy Family".

Filmography

• Hello Skinny (Dir. Graeme Whifler)
  • Written by and starring The Residents
• One Minute Movies (Dir. The Residents w/ Graeme Whifler)
  • Written by and starring The Residents
  • "Act of Being Polite" and "Perfect Love" directed by The Residents