Pearls Before Swine (band)

Pearls Before Swine

Company type	Music group
Industry	Music
Founded	1965 in Eau Gallie, Florida, United States
Founder	Tom Rapp
Defunct	1974
Headquarters	Eau Gallie (now part of Melbourne), Florida , United States
Products	Music albums, singles, live recordings

Pearls Before Swine was a folk rock group from the United States, established by Tom Rapp in 1965 in Eau Gallie, Florida, which is now incorporated into Melbourne, Florida. Between 1967 and 1971, they issued six albums before Rapp embarked on a solo path.

Early years, 1965–68

Rapp, along with his high school companions Wayne Harley (banjo, mandolin), Lane Lederer (bass, guitar), and Roger Crissinger (piano, organ), composed music influenced by the Fugs and sent their work to the avant-garde label ESP-Disk based in New York. The band's name originates from a biblical verse: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine..." (Mat. 7:6, KJV), symbolizing the concept of protecting valuable things from those who would not value them. They quickly secured a deal and recorded One Nation Underground (1967), an album characterized by themes of mysticism, protest, and controversy—such as the Morse code profanity embedded in "Miss Morse." Although the album sold approximately 200,000 copies, contractual and management complications resulted in minimal financial benefit for the band.

Rapp recalled, "We never received any money from ESP. Never, not even like a hundred dollars."

Following this was their distinctly anti-war album Balaklava (1968), inspired by the Charge of the Light Brigade. Despite its psychedelic label, Rapp stated he had not engaged in drug use at that time. The album incorporated artwork by Bosch and Brueghel, alongside musical adaptations of texts by Tolkien and Herodotus, combined with archival recordings from the 1890s and inventive instrumentation.

Reprise period, 1969–72

In 1969, the band signed with Reprise Records; by then original members had departed, and the name represented Rapp with his supporting musicians, including Jim Fairs formerly of The Cryan' Shames. The five albums released under Reprise showcased a more traditional sound infused with distinctive humanistic and mystical themes. These recordings were made in New York and Nashville—particularly on The Use of Ashes and City of Gold—featuring prominent session artists such as Charlie McCoy, Kenny Buttrey, and members of Area Code 615. Several albums also included vocals from Rapp's then-wife Elisabeth. The lively song "The Man" from City of Gold was performed by David Noyes and recorded in New York in 1970; Jon Tooker took over Noyes' role for their European tour that autumn.

Rapp’s childhood proximity to Cape Canaveral inspired "Rocket Man" on The Use of Ashes, written on the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. Bernie Taupin acknowledged that this track influenced his collaboration with Elton John on their hit bearing the same title: "We didn't take that one from Bowie; we borrowed it from another guy named Tom Rapp..." Numerous songs from this period reflected Rapp’s fascination with mysticism, his complex relationship with his alcoholic father, and experiences living in the Netherlands. The song "Rocket Man" drew inspiration from a Ray Bradbury story.

In 1971, Pearls Before Swine embarked on their first tour featuring Rapp alongside Mike Krawitz (piano), Gordon Hayes (bass), and Jon Tooker (guitar). During performances, Rapp jokingly referred to the ensemble as "the house band for the SDS." A live recording from this era, Live Pearls, captured at Yale University, was eventually released as a digital download in 2008. Their last Reprise release, Familiar Songs, consisted of freshly arranged versions of earlier material plus new compositions performed by Rapp’s then-current lineup: Morrie Brown (bass, guitar, mandolin, vocals), Robby Merkin (piano, organ, synthesizer, bass, vocals), David Wolfert (guitars, Dobro, vocals), and drummer Billy Mundi (formerly of The Mothers Of Invention). Reprise issued this album under Rapp’s name alone without his approval instead of as a Pearls Before Swine release.

Later years

Following his initial work, Rapp released two albums on Blue Thumb Records under his own name: Stardancer, recorded in Nashville, and Sunforest. During this period, the lineup—featuring Rapp, Art Ellis on flute, Bill Rollins handling bass and cello, and Harry Orlove on guitar and banjo—continued touring until 1974. Rapp then performed solo until his final concert in 1976, where he opened for Patti Smith.

After stepping away from the music scene and earning a degree from Brandeis University, Rapp pursued a career as a civil rights attorney. He resurfaced musically in 1997 at Terrastock, performing alongside his son's group Shy Camp, and resumed recording with the 1999 release A Journal of the Plague Year. Additionally, he contributed a cover of "After the Gold Rush" to the Neil Young tribute album This Note's For You Too issued by Inbetweens Records.

Original member Roger Crissinger departed in 1968 to join the San Francisco band One (1). Meanwhile, Lane Lederer currently performs with the Florida Orchestra.

Morrie Brown, who played bass guitar, shifted into R&B production and played a key role in developing songwriters and producers such as Paul Laurence and Kashif. Brown was involved in producing hits for B.T. Express and Evelyn "Champagne" King, including King's notable singles "I'm in Love", "Love Come Down", and "Betcha She Don't Love You", as well as Howard Johnson's 1982 track "So Fine". Since 1992, Brown has operated PrintPoint, a company specializing in printing software.

Guitarist David Wolfert transitioned into record production and session work, collaborating with prominent artists like Barbra Streisand, Don Covay, and the Four Tops. He produced their track "I Believe in You and Me", which was later famously covered by Whitney Houston, and also produced Kiss drummer Peter Criss's solo album Out of Control. More recently, Wolfert composed music for the English adaptation of the anime series Pokémon.

Jon Tooker tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2008; Art Ellis died on November 2, 2017. Tom Rapp succumbed to pelvic cancer on February 11, 2018.

Pearls Before Swine have left their mark on musicians including The Dream Academy, Edgar Broughton, Damon and Naomi, the Bevis Frond, This Mortal Coil, and Japanese group Ghost. Secret Eye Records has released three tribute albums honoring their influence.

Membership

• Tom Rapp (1965–74)
• Wayne Harley (1965–69)
• Lane Lederer (1965–68)
• Roger Crissinger (1965–67)
• Jim Bohannon (1968)
• Jim Fairs (1969)
• Elisabeth Joosten Rapp (1969–72)
• Mike Krawitz (1971)
• Gordon Hayes (1971)
• Jon Tooker (1971)
• Morrie Brown (1971)
• Robby Merkin (1971)
• David Wolfert (1971)
• Art Ellis (1971–74)
• Bill Rollins (1971–74)
• Harry Orlove (1971–74)

Studio albums

• One Nation Underground (1967, ESP-Disk); reissued for its 50th anniversary in 2017 by Drag City
• Balaklava (1968, ESP-Disk); reissued for its 50th anniversary in 2018 by Drag City
• These Things Too (1969, Reprise)
• The Use of Ashes (1970, Reprise)
• City of Gold (1971, Reprise) credited to Thos. Rapp / Pearls Before Swine
• Beautiful Lies You Could Live In (1971, Reprise) credited to Tom Rapp / Pearls Before Swine
• Familiar Songs (1972, Reprise) credited to Tom Rapp
• Stardancer (1972, Blue Thumb) credited to Tom Rapp
• Sunforest (1973, Blue Thumb) credited to Tom Rapp / Pearls Before Swine
• A Journal of the Plague Year (1999, Woronzow) credited to Tom Rapp

Live recordings

• Radio Pearls (captured in 1971, issued in 2006, ESP-Disk)
• Live Pearls (recorded in 1971, released in 2008, WildCat Recording digital download)
• Tom Rapp Live @ Yale U (2CD set recorded in 1973, issued in 2013, WildCat Recording digital download)
• PBS> Anderson Theater NYC '71 (recorded in 1971, released in 2016, Rox Vox)
• PBS & Tom Rapp Vinyl 7" 33⅓rpm 5-track EP> Discontinuity--Live Recordings 1972-3 & 1999 (issued in 2017, Sordide Sentimental)

Compilation albums

• Pimps Toe Accelerator EP (1993, Ptolemaic Terrascope Magazine POT 15) – a three-artist vinyl 7" flexi-disc featuring five tracks
  • "Translucent Carriages" (alternative version)
  • "Macbeth"/"The Cowboy Who Ate Vietnam" (previously unreleased)
  • "Ring Thing" (alternative version)
• Constructive Melancholy (1999, Birdman) – CD compilation covering Reprise recordings from 1969 to 1972
• Jewels Were The Stars (2003, Water) – four-CD box set encompassing the initial four Reprise albums
• The Wizard of Is (2004, Water) – two-CD collection of live performances and outtakes
• The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings (2005, ESP-Disk and WildCat) – two ESP albums combined on a single CD
• Hi-Five (2006, Rhino) – five-track EP featuring selections from Reprise sessions
• The Exaltation of Tom Rapp (2022, Fire) – vinyl LP predominantly composed of previously unreleased demos

Singles

• "Morning Song" / "Drop Out!" (1967, ESP-Disk)
• "I Saw The World" / "Images Of April" (1968, ESP-Disk)
• "These Things Too" / "If You Don't Want To" (1969, Reprise)
• "Suzanne" / "There Was a Man" (1969, Reprise)
• "The Jeweller" / "Rocket Man" (1970, Reprise)
• "Marshall" / "Why Should I Care?" (1972, Blue Thumb)

External links

• Tribute site dedicated to Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine
• Interview with Tom Rapp from 1994
• Article authored by Mark Brend
• Feature article from The Washington Post
• Biography of Lane Lederer