The Masked Marauders

Enquiries began pouring into ''Rolling Stone'' regarding the album’s availability, not only from fans and retailers, but reportedly from the artists' managers, [[Allen Klein]] ([[Beatles]] and [[Rolling Stones]]) and [[Albert Grossman]] (Dylan).<ref name = "Gleason">{{cite news | last = Gleason | first = Ralph J. | author-link = Ralph J. Gleason | title = On the Town | newspaper = San Francisco Chronicle | date = October 18, 1969 | url = http://www.stones.at/stones/vinyl/lpdiv/masked.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-15}}.</ref> The response sparked part two of the put-on: the album itself. Marcus and ''Rolling Stone'' editor [[Langdon Winner]] recruited the [[Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band]], a [[Berkeley, California]], group which had an album the previous year on [[Vanguard Records]] and played frequently at [[San Francisco]]’s [[The Fillmore|Fillmore]] and [[Avalon Ballroom|Avalon]] ballrooms.<ref>{{cite web | last = Dodsworth | first = Fred | title = At 35, the Freight Finds Its Future in Tradition | work = The Berkeley Daily Planet | date = 2003-06-06 | url = http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2003-06-06/article/16764 | accessdate = 2008-04-15}}</ref> The group initially recorded three of the songs cited in the review: the ''[[Nashville Skyline]]''-inspired [[instrumental]] "Cow Pie", Jagger doing "I Can’t Get No Nookie" (deemed "an instant classic"), and Dylan’s "Duke of Earl".<ref name = "Rhino">{{citation | title = The Masked Marauders - The Complete Deity Recordings | publisher = Rhino Records }}</ref>

Enquiries began pouring into ''Rolling Stone'' regarding the album’s availability, not only from fans and retailers, but reportedly from the artists' managers, [[Allen Klein]] ([[Beatles]] and [[Rolling Stones]]) and [[Albert Grossman]] (Dylan).<ref name = "Gleason">{{cite news | last = Gleason | first = Ralph J. | author-link = Ralph J. Gleason | title = On the Town | newspaper = San Francisco Chronicle | date = October 18, 1969 | url = http://www.stones.at/stones/vinyl/lpdiv/masked.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-15}}.</ref> The response sparked part two of the put-on: the album itself. Marcus and ''Rolling Stone'' editor [[Langdon Winner]] recruited the [[Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band]], a [[Berkeley, California]], group which had an album the previous year on [[Vanguard Records]] and played frequently at [[San Francisco]]’s [[The Fillmore|Fillmore]] and [[Avalon Ballroom|Avalon]] ballrooms.<ref>{{cite web | last = Dodsworth | first = Fred | title = At 35, the Freight Finds Its Future in Tradition | work = The Berkeley Daily Planet | date = 2003-06-06 | url = http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2003-06-06/article/16764 | accessdate = 2008-04-15}}</ref> The group initially recorded three of the songs cited in the review: the ''[[Nashville Skyline]]''-inspired [[instrumental]] "Cow Pie", Jagger doing "I Can’t Get No Nookie" (deemed "an instant classic"), and Dylan’s "Duke of Earl".<ref name = "Rhino">{{citation | title = The Masked Marauders - The Complete Deity Recordings | publisher = Rhino Records }}</ref>

After the [[songs]] aired on San Francisco and [[Los Angeles]] [[radio stations]] – from tapes Marcus supplied – the pranksters began looking for a [[major label]] to produce an album. Several recording companies expressed an interest, but Warner Bros. won the production rights, offering a $15,000 advance plus its considerable promotional power.<ref name = "Rhino"/> In November 1969, Warner released ''The Masked Marauders'' as a single LP on its newly created Deity label, distributed by Reprise. The album, which sold more than 100,000 copies, spent 12 weeks on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' album chart, peaking at No. 114. The single "Cow Pie" appeared on the [[Bubbling Under the Hot 100]] chart at No. 123 for one week on November 29, 1969.

After the songs aired on San Francisco and [[Los Angeles]] [[radio stations]] – from tapes Marcus supplied – the pranksters began looking for a [[major label]] to produce an album. Several recording companies expressed an interest, but Warner Bros. won the production rights, offering a $15,000 advance plus its considerable promotional power.<ref name = "Rhino"/> In November 1969, Warner released ''The Masked Marauders'' as a single LP on its newly created Deity label, distributed by Reprise. The album, which sold more than 100,000 copies, spent 12 weeks on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' album chart, peaking at No. 114. The single "Cow Pie" appeared on the [[Bubbling Under the Hot 100]] chart at No. 123 for one week on November 29, 1969.

==Original and follow-up releases==

==Original and follow-up releases==