Editing Moondog

{{Short description|American composer (1916–1999)}}
{{About|the American-born composer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Moondog
| image             = Moondog 1948.jpg
| background        = composer
| caption           = Moondog in 1948
| birth_name        = Louis Thomas Hardin
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1916|05|26}}
| birth_place       = [[Marysville, Kansas|Marysville]], [[Kansas]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{death date and age|1999|9|8|1916|5|26}}
| death_place       = [[Münster]], Germany
| genre             = {{hlist|[[20th-century classical music|Classical]]|[[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]]|[[jazz]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|[[Composer]]|musician|instrument maker}}
| instrument        = {{hlist|Percussion|vocals|keyboards}}
| years_active      = 1932–1999
| label             = {{hlist|SMC|[[Epic Records|Epic]]|Moondog|[[Prestige Records|Prestige]]|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|Kopf}}
| associated_acts   = 
}}

'''Louis Thomas Hardin''' (May 26, 1916&nbsp;– September 8, 1999), known professionally as '''Moondog''', was an American composer, musician, performer, [[Music theory|music theoretician]], poet and inventor of musical instruments. Largely self-taught as a composer, his prolific work widely drew inspiration from [[jazz]], [[20th-century classical music|classical]], [[Native American music]] which he had become familiar with as a child,<ref name="Scotto, R. M. 2007 p. 45">Scotto, R. M., Hardin, L., Reich, S., Glass, P., Gibson, J., Jordan, P., & Lakatos, S. (2007). ''Moondog, the Viking of 6th Avenue: The authorized biography''. Los Angeles, Calif: Process. p. 45. {{ISBN|9780976082286}}.</ref> and [[Latin American music in the United States|Latin American music]].<ref name="dixon">{{cite news |title=That Mahatma-Like Figure You Saw in Dixon Monday, Was Our Old Pal Moon-Dog |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/dixon-evening-telegraph-aug-23-1949-p-6/ |access-date=November 8, 2021 |work=Dixon Evening Telegraph |date=August 23, 1949 |quote=Actually, [Moondog] confesses, Snake Time is a bit of warmed-up South American rumba, whence is derived some of the Indian melodies.}}</ref> His strongly rhythmic, [[counterpoint|contrapuntal]] pieces and arrangements later influenced composers of [[minimal music]], in particular American composers [[Steve Reich]] and [[Philip Glass]].

Due to an accident, Moondog was blind from the age of 16. He lived in New York City from the late 1940s until 1972, during which time he was often found on [[Sixth Avenue]], between 52nd and 55th Streets, selling records, composing, and performing poetry. He briefly appeared in a cloak and [[horned helmet]] during the 1960s and was hence recognized as "the Viking of Sixth Avenue" by passersby and residents who were not aware of his musical career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/arts/music/28stra.html|title=''Sidewalk Hero, on the Horns of a Revival''| author=John Strausbaugh| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| date=October 28, 2007| access-date=2013-08-09}}</ref>

==Biography and career==
===Early life===
Hardin was born in [[Marysville, Kansas]], to Louis Thomas Hardin, an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]] minister, and Norma Alves.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book |title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |date=1997 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |isbn=1-85227-745-9 |editor=Colin Larkin |editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |edition=Concise |pages=869–870}}</ref><ref name="moondogscorner.de">{{Cite web |title=Outline of Robert Scotto´s Biography |url=https://www.moondogscorner.de/biography/scotto.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=www.moondogscorner.de}}</ref> Hardin started playing a set of drums that he made from a cardboard box at the age of five. His family relocated to [[Wyoming]], where his father opened a [[trading post]] at [[Fort Bridger]]. At one point, his father took him to an [[Arapaho]] [[Sun Dance]] where he sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a [[Tom-tom drum|tom-tom]] made from [[Bison hunting|buffalo skin]]. He also played drums for the high school band in [[Hurley, Missouri]].

On July 4, 1932, the 16-year-old Hardin found an object in a field which he did not realise was a [[detonator|dynamite cap]]. While he was handling it, the explosive detonated in his face and permanently blinded him.<ref>{{cite web |author=Thomas Heinrich |url=http://moondogscorner.de/biography/scotto.html |title=Moondog (Louis Hardin) Biography |website=Moondogscorner.de |date=1916-05-26 |access-date=2017-12-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Zachary Crockett |title=The Genius of Moondog, New York's Homeless Composer|url=https://priceonomics.com/the-legend-of-moondog-new-yorks-homeless-composer/ |website=priceonomics.com |date=22 January 2015|access-date=2 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202122143/https://priceonomics.com/the-legend-of-moondog-new-yorks-homeless-composer/|archive-date=2 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="The marvellous life of Moondog">{{cite web |title=The marvellous life of Moondog |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/nov/17/classicalmusicandopera.usa |website=The Guardian|date=17 November 2003 }}</ref> His older sister, Ruth, would read to him daily after the accident for many years. Here he had his first encounters with philosophy, science and myth that formed his character. One book in particular, ''The First Violin'' by [[Jessie Fothergill]], inspired him to pursue music. Up to that point he had been interested mainly in [[Percussion instrument|percussion]] instruments, but from then on, he became obsessed with the desire to become a [[composer]].<ref name="moondogscorner.de"/>

After learning the principles of music in several schools for blind young men across middle America, he taught himself the skills of [[ear training]] and composition. He studied with [[Burnet Tuthill]] at the [[Iowa School for the Blind]].<ref name="Larkin" />

He then moved to [[Batesville, Arkansas]], where he lived until 1942, when he obtained a scholarship to study in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. Although he was largely self-taught in music, learning predominantly by ear, he learned some music theory from books in [[braille]] during his time in Memphis.

In 1943, Hardin moved to New York, where he met [[classical music]]ians including [[Leonard Bernstein]] and [[Arturo Toscanini]], as well as jazz performers such as [[Charlie Parker]] and [[Benny Goodman]], whose upbeat tempos and often humorous compositions would influence Hardin's later work. One of his early street posts was near the [[52nd Street (Manhattan)|52nd Street]] nightclub strip, and he was known to jazz musicians. By 1947, Hardin had adopted the name "Moondog" in honor of a dog "who used to howl at the moon more than any dog I knew of."<ref name="Larkin"/>

===New York City===
From the late 1940s until 1972, Moondog lived as a composer and poet in New York City, occasionally playing in midtown Manhattan, eventually settling on the corner of 53rd or 54th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.<ref name="Larkin"/> He was rarely if ever homeless, and maintained an apartment in upper Manhattan and had a country retreat in [[Candor, New York]], to which he moved full-time in 1972.<ref name="Scotto, Robert 2007">Scotto, Robert. ''Moondog, The Viking of 6th Avenue: The Authorized Biography''. Process Music edition (22 November 2007) {{ISBN|978-0-9760822-8-6}}</ref> He partially supported himself by selling copies of his poetry, sheet music, records, and his musical philosophy. In addition to his music and poetry, he was also known for a distinctive "[[Viking]]" garb that he briefly wore during the 1960s. Already bearded and long-haired, he added a Viking-style horned helmet to avoid the occasional comparisons of his appearance with that of Christ or a monk,<ref name="furious.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.furious.com/perfect/moondog.html|title=Moondog interview- Perfect Sound Forever|website=Furious.com}}</ref> as he had rejected Christianity in his late teens. He developed a lifelong interest in [[Norse mythology|Nordic mythology]], and maintained an altar to [[Thor]] in his country home in Candor.<ref name="Scotto, Robert 2007"/>

In 1949, he traveled to a [[Blackfoot]] Sun Dance in Idaho<ref name="Scotto, R. M. 2007 p. 45"/> where he performed on percussion and flute, returning to the Native American music he had first come in contact with as a child. It was this Native music, along with contemporary jazz and classical, mixed with the [[Ambient noise level|ambient]] sounds from his environment (city [[traffic]], [[Wind wave|ocean waves]], babies crying, etc.) that created the foundation of Moondog's music.

In 1954, he won a case in the [[New York State Supreme Court]] against disc jockey [[Alan Freed]], who had branded his radio show, "The Moondog [[Rock and Roll]] Matinee", around the name "Moondog", using "Moondog's Symphony" (the first record that Moondog ever cut) as his "calling card".<ref name="Larkin"/> Moondog believed he would not have won the case had it not been for the help of musicians such as [[Benny Goodman]] and [[Arturo Toscanini]], who testified that he was a serious composer. Freed had to apologize and stop using the nickname "Moondog" on air, on the basis that Hardin was known by the name long before Freed began using it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=3442 |title=This Day in History |website=History.com |access-date=2013-08-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211010728/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=3442 |archive-date=2010-02-11}}</ref><ref name="ttbook"/>

===Germany===
[[File:Moondog kopf.jpg|thumb|Moondog tomb at the Central Cemetery in Münster, designed by Ernst Fuchs after the death mask]]
Along with his passion for [[Germanic peoples|Nordic culture]], Moondog had an idealised view of Germany ("The Holy Land with the Holy River" — the [[Rhine]]), where he settled in 1974.<ref name="Larkin"/>

Moondog revisited the United States briefly in 1989, for a tribute at the [[New Music America Festival]] in Brooklyn, in which festival director [[Yale Evelev]] asked him to conduct the [[Brooklyn Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra]], stimulating a renewed interest in his music.

Eventually, a young German student<ref>{{cite web|last=Webb |first=Corey |url=http://webbspunideas.blogspot.com/2007/11/moondog-in-new-york.html |title=Webbspun Ideas: Moondog in New York |website=Webbspunideas.blogspot.com |date=2007-11-10 |access-date=2013-08-09}}</ref> named Ilona Goebel (later known as Ilona Sommer) helped Moondog set up the primary holding company for his artistic endeavors<ref>{{cite web|last=Dalachinsky |first=Steve |url=http://www.brooklynrail.org/2008/02/music/outtakes |title=Outtakes |publisher=[[The Brooklyn Rail]] |date=2008-02-06 |access-date=2013-08-09}}</ref> and hosted him, first in [[Oer-Erkenschwick]], and later on in [[Münster]] in [[Westphalia]]. Moondog lived with Sommer's family and they spent time together in Münster. During that period, Moondog created hundreds of compositions which were transferred from Braille to sheet music by Sommer. Moondog spent the remainder of his life in Germany.

On 8 September 1999, he died in Münster from [[heart failure]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Collins|first=Glenn|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/12/nyregion/louis-moondog-hardin-83-musician-dies.html|title=Louis (Moondog) Hardin, 83, Musician, Dies|newspaper=New York Times|date=September 12, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Thurber|first=Jon|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/09/20/composer-louis-moondog-hardin-dies/df43df44-ef25-42ca-a306-126eaf332a0f/|title=Composer Louis 'Moondog' Hardin Dies|newspaper=Washington Post|date=September 19, 1999}}</ref> He is buried at the Central Cemetery Münster. His tomb was designed by the artist [[Ernst Fuchs (artist)|Ernst Fuchs]] after the [[death mask]].

He recorded many albums and toured both in the U.S. and in Europe—France, Germany and Sweden.

==Music==
In the process of establishing himself as a composer, Moondog drew inspiration from a wide variety of styles of music. His first works were immediately inspired by the music of [[pow wow]] gatherings that he had attended as a child; as his career progressed, his music encompassed influences from [[bebop]], [[Swing music|swing]], [[Cuban rumba|rumba]], [[Modernism (music)|modernism]] and [[Renaissance music]]. It was characterized by what he called "snaketime" and described as "a slithery rhythm, in times that are not ordinary [...] I'm not gonna die in 4/4 time".<ref name="ttbook">{{cite web|title=Interview with Robert Scotto at To the Best of Our Knowledge : The interview begins at 38:15, the Freed case is discussed from 49:00|url=http://broadcast.uwex.edu:8080/ramgen/wpr/bok/bok080127b.rm|publisher=Broadcast.uwex.edu|access-date=2013-08-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220000826/http://broadcast.uwex.edu:8080/ramgen/wpr/bok/bok080127b.rm|archive-date=2012-02-20}}</ref> During the 1950s, he began to incorporate city sounds such as cars, subway trains, human speech, and [[foghorn]]s into his work.

==Inventions==
[[Image:Trimba1.jpg|thumb|right|240px|The trimba, Moondog percussion instrument]]
Moondog invented several musical instruments, some of which were played on studio albums or in live performances by him and his subsequent ensembles. They include the "oo", a small triangular-shaped harp, a larger harp which he named the "ooo-ya-tsu", a triangular stringed instrument played with a bow that he called the "hüs" (after the Norwegian {{lang|no|hus}}, meaning {{gloss|house}}), the "dragon's teeth", the "tuji, the "uni", the "utsu", the "hexagonal drums", and the "troubador harp". His best known instrument is the trimba, a triangular percussion instrument that the composer invented in the late 1940s. The original trimba was played by Moondog's friend and only student Stefan Lakatos, a Swedish percussionist, to whom Moondog also explained the methods for building such an instrument.<ref name="Larkin"/> Prior to Stefan's passing on February 10 of 2023<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gnida |first1=Wolfgang |title=In Memoriam: Stefan Lakatos 21.12.1955 - 10.2.2023 |url=http://moondogscorner.de/frame.html |website=moondogscorner.de |access-date=25 July 2023}}</ref> he shared his teachings from Moondog with American composer Julian Calv.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farnsworth |first1=Chris |title=The Viking of Church Street |url=https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/the-viking-of-church-street-julian-calv-keeps-the-music-of-fabled-american-composer-moondog-alive/Content?oid=38592794 |website=sevendaysvt.com |access-date=25 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=James |first1=William |title=Multi Instrumentalist Julian Calv |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/multi-instrumentalist-julian-calv-releases-limited-edition-7-vinyl-single-through-deko-entertainment-carrying-on-the-legacy-of-moondog-aka-the-viking-of-sixth-avenue/ |website=allaboutjazz.com |date=27 May 2023 |publisher=Glass Onyon PR |access-date=25 July 2023}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Moondog's music from the 1940s and '50s has been cited by American composers [[Philip Glass]] and [[Steve Reich]] as a major influence on their styles, saying they took Moondog's work "very seriously and understood and appreciated it much more than what we were exposed to at [[Juilliard School|Juilliard]]".<ref>Glass, P. (2008) Preface. In: Scotto, R. (2008). ''Moondog: The Viking of 6th Avenue''. New York: Process.</ref> Moondog was also admired by [[Charlie Parker]] (whom he mutually admired and paid tribute to with the piece "Bird's Lament"), [[Frank Zappa]] and [[Igor Stravinsky]], and met on several occasions with [[Lenny Bruce]], [[William S. Burroughs]] and [[Allen Ginsberg]].<ref name="The marvellous life of Moondog"/>

Moondog inspired other musicians with several songs dedicated to him. These include "Moondog" on [[Pentangle (band)|Pentangle]]'s 1968 album ''[[Sweet Child]]'' and "Spear for Moondog" (parts I and II) by jazz organist [[Jimmy McGriff]] on his 1968 ''Electric Funk'' album. Glam rock musician [[Marc Bolan]] and [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]] referenced him in the song "Rabbit Fighter" with the line "Moondog's just a prophet to the end...". The English pop group [[Prefab Sprout]] included the song "Moondog" on their album ''[[Jordan: The Comeback]]'' released in 1990. [[Big Brother and the Holding Company]] featuring [[Janis Joplin]] covered his song "All Is Loneliness" on their 1967 [[Big Brother & the Holding Company (album)|self-titled album]]. The song was also covered by [[Antony and the Johnsons]] during their 2005 tour. [[Mr. Scruff]]'s single "Get a Move On" from his album ''[[Keep It Unreal]]'' is structured around samples from "Bird's Lament". New York band [[The Insect Trust]] played a cover of Moondog's song "Be a Hobo" on their album ''Hoboken Saturday Night''. The track "Stamping Ground", with its preamble of Moondog reciting one of his [[epigram]]s,<ref>Moondog is heard saying, "Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time.  But now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time."</ref> was featured on the sampler double album ''Fill Your Head with Rock'' (CBS, 1970). Canadian composer and producer [[Daniel Lanois]] included a track called "Moondog" on his album/video-documentary ''Here Is What Is''.

Between 1970 and 1980, a blind bearded mystic called "Moondog" appeared as the title character in a four issue series of [[Underground comix]] written and illustrated by [[George Metzger (artist)|George Metzger]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comixjoint.com/moondog.html|title=Moondog |website=Comixjoint.com}}</ref>

Since the early 1970s, a number of [[professional wrestlers]] have been named [[The Moondogs (professional wrestling)|The Moondogs]], taking inspiration from the artist.

== Personal life ==
Moondog was married briefly to Virginia Sledge in 1943,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glenn Collins: Louis (Moondog) Hardin, 83, Musician, Dies, aus: New York Times, 12. September 1999 |url=https://www.moondogscorner.de/press/obi4.htm |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=www.moondogscorner.de}}</ref> but the marriage was dissolved in 1947.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Arkansas">{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/moondog-2774/ |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1952, he married Mary Suzuko Whiteing, a single mother of mixed American-Japanese heritage. She had grown up in Japan then came to New York with her mother that year. Suzuko and Hardin met on the streets of New York. According to his daughter, June, Mary was struck by his appearance and moved by his music; Moondog was stirred by the sound of her voice.<ref name="emptymirrorbooks.com">{{Cite web |title=Chapter 3 of Moondog: Viking of Sixth Avenue by Robert Scotto - The 3rd Page |url=https://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/moondogtest.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=emptymirrorbooks.com}}</ref>

The June 4, 1952 issue of the ''New York Journal-American'' features a photograph of Moondog playing a flute on a rooftop while Mary looks on endearingly: the caption indicates it is a "skyline serenade" to a "June bride".<ref name="emptymirrorbooks.com"/> The marriage lasted eight years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Scotto: Moondog Biography. Chapter Three: Snaketime (1943-1953) |url=https://www.moondogscorner.de/biography/chap3.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=moondogscorner.de}}</ref> They had one daughter, June Hardin, born June 1, 1953.<ref name="emptymirrorbooks.com"/> On the Prestige (1956) ''Moondog'' LP, Moondog's wife, Suzuko is credited in "Lullaby", singing to June, their six-week-old daughter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Moondog |url=https://www.moondogscorner.de/disco/rec8.htm |access-date=2022-06-07|website=moondogscorner.de}}</ref> Hardin later fathered another daughter, Lisa Colins, out of wedlock.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Arkansas"/>

==Discography==
===Singles===
*"Snaketime Rhythms (5 Beat) / Snaketime Rhythms (7 Beat)" (1949), SMC
*"Moondog's Symphony" (1949–1950), SMC
*"Organ Rounds" (1949–1950), SMC
*"Oboe Rounds" (1949–1950), SMC
*"Surf Session" ({{circa|1953}}), SMC
*"Caribea Sextet"/"Oo Debut" (1956), Moondog Records
*"Stamping Ground Theme" (from the [[Kralingen Music Festival]]) (1970), CBS

===EPs===
*1953 ''[[Improvisations at a Jazz Concert]]'', [[Brunswick Records|Brunswick]]
*1953 ''[[Moondog on the Streets of New York]]'', Decca/Mars
*1953 ''[[Pastoral Suite / Surf Session]]'', SMC
*1955 ''[[Moondog & His Honking Geese Playing Moondog's Music]]'', Moondog Records

===Albums===
*1953 ''[[Moondog and His Friends]]'', [[Epic Records|Epic]]
*1956 ''[[Moondog (1956 album)|Snaketime Series]]'' (not the same as the 1954 LP), Moondog Records
*1956 ''[[Moondog (1956 album)|Moondog]]'', [[Prestige Records|Prestige]]
*1956 ''[[More Moondog]]'', Prestige
*1957 ''[[The Story of Moondog]]'', Prestige
*1969 ''[[Moondog (1969 album)|Moondog]]'' (not the same as the 1956 LP), [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
*1971 ''[[Moondog 2]]'', Columbia (with insert: Round the World of Sound: Moondog Madrigals with scores)
*1977 ''Moondog in Europe'', Kopf
*1978 ''[[H'art Songs]]'', Kopf
*1978 ''Moondog: Instrumental Music by Louis Hardin'', Musical Heritage Society
*1979 ''[[A New Sound of an Old Instrument]]'', Kopf
*1981 ''Facets'', Managarm
*1986 ''[[Bracelli]]'', Kakaphone
*1992 ''[[Elpmas]]'', Kopf
*1994 ''[[Sax Pax for a Sax]]'' with the [[London Saxophonic]], Kopf/[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
*1995 ''Big Band'', Trimba
*2005 ''Bracelli und Moondog'', Laska Records

====With Julie Andrews and Martyn Green====
*1957 ''[[Songs of Sense & Nonsense – Tell It Again]]'', [[Angel Records|Angel]]/[[Capitol Records|Capitol]]

===Compilations===
*1991 ''More Moondog/The Story of Moondog'', Original Jazz Classics (reissue of Prestige albums listed above)
*2001 ''Moondog/Moondog 2'', Beat Goes On (reissue of the two Columbia albums issued above)
*2004 ''[[The Viking of Sixth Avenue]]'', Honest Jon's
*2005 ''The German Years 1977–1999'', ROOF Music
*2005 ''Un hommage à Moondog'' tribute album, trAce label
*2006 ''Rare Material'', ROOF Music
*2007 ''The Viking Of 6th Avenue''(disc inside biographical book), Process ({{ISBN|978-0-9760822-8-6}}). Reissue, Honest Jon, 2008
*2017 ''The Viking of Sixth Ave.'', Manimal

===Various artist compilations===
*1954 ''New York 19'' (recorded and edited by [[Tony Schwartz (American sound archivist)|Tony Schwartz]]), [[Folkways Records|Folkways]]
*1954 ''Music in the Streets'' (recorded and edited by [[Tony Schwartz (American sound archivist)|Tony Schwartz]]), Folkways
*1958 ''Rosey 4 Blocks'' (arrangement by [[Andy Forsythe]]), [[Rosey Records|Rosey]]
*1970 ''Fill Your Head With Rock'', CBS
*1998 ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'' motion picture soundtrack, [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
*2000 ''Miniatures 2'', Cherry Red
*2006 ''[[DJ-Kicks: Henrik Schwarz]]'', [[Studio !K7|K7 Records]]
*2006 ''The Trip: Curated By [[Jarvis Cocker]] and Steve Mackey'', Disc 1 Track 19: "Pastoral"
*2008 ''[[Pineapple Express (film)|Pineapple Express]]'' Motion Picture Sound Track, Track 9 "Birds Lament," Moondog & The London Saxophonic.

===Performed by other musicians===
*1957 ''Moondog and Suncat Suite'' by British jazz musician [[Kenny Graham (musician)|Kenny Graham]] features one side of interpretations of the work of Moondog
*1967 "All Is Loneliness" by [[Big Brother and the Holding Company]], featuring [[Janis Joplin]], on their self-titled first album 
*1968 "Moon Dog" by [[Pentangle (band)|Pentangle]] on ''[[Sweet Child]]''
*1968 "Spear for Moondog (parts 1 and 2)" by jazz organist [[Jimmy McGriff]] on ''[[Electric Funk]]''
*1970 "Be a Hobo" by [[The Insect Trust]] on ''Hoboken Saturday Night'' 
*1978 ''Moondog : Instrumental music by Louis Hardin'' by Gavin Black, Guy Carmichael, Dave Kamien, Moondog, Pannonia Quartet, Fritz Storfinger, rereleased with additional tracks 2025
*1978 ''Canons on the Keys'' by Paul Jordan, unreleased
*1983 ''Here's to John Wesley Hardin'' by [[R. Stevie Moore]], unreleased
*1985 "Theme and Variations" performed by [[John Fahey (musician)|John Fahey]] on the album ''[[Rain Forests, Oceans and Other Themes]]''<ref>{{cite web | url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r96176|pure_url=yes}} | title = ''Rain Forests Oceans & Other Themes'' | publisher = [[AllMusic]] | access-date = 2008-06-10}}</ref>
*1990 ''[[Love Child (band)|Love Child]] Plays Moondog'', EP, ''[[Forced Exposure]]''
*1990 "Moondog" by [[Prefab Sprout]] on [[Jordan: The Comeback]] 
*1993 "All is Loneliness" by [[Motorpsycho (band)|Motorpsycho]] on ''[[Demon Box (album)]]'' and ''Roadwork Vol. 4: Intrepid Skronk''
*1995 ''Alphorn of Plenty'' by Hans Kennel, Hat Art
*1997 "Synchrony Nr. 2" by [[Kronos Quartet]]
*1998 ''Trees Against the Sky'' compilation album, SHI-RA-Nui 360°
*1998 "Paris" by [[NRBQ]], live, on ''You Gotta Be Loose'' and ''NRBQ: High Noon - A 50-Year Retrospective''
*1999 "Get a Move On" (structured around samples from "Bird's Lament (In Memory of Charlie Parker)") by [[Mr. Scruff]] on ''[[Keep It Unreal]]''
*2004 ''Bracelli und Moondog'' CD Ensemble Bracelli, Germany w Stefan Lakatos. LASKA records
*2005 "All Is Loneliness" by [[Antony and the Johnsons]], live 
*2005 ''Sidewalk Dances'' by [[Joanna MacGregor]] & [[Britten Sinfonia]], Sound Circus SC010
*2006 ''Moondog Sharp Harp'' by Xenia Narati, Ars Musici
*2007 "Paris" by [[Jens Lekman]], live
*2009 "Rabbit Hop" by [[Hypnotic Brass Ensemble]]
*2009 "New Amsterdam" by [[Pink Martini]] on ''[[Splendor in the Grass (album)|Splendor in the Grass]]''
*2010 ''The Orastorios - Moondog rounds'' by Stefan Lakatos/Andreas Heuser, Makro 
*2011 ''Making Moonshine - Moondog Songs by Moondog Fans'' by Various Artists, SL Records
*2011 ''Chaconne 1'' & ''Viking 1'' by R. Stevie Moore, unreleased
*2013 ''Seeds of Immortality'' Spirit of Moondog w Stefan Lakatos. Moondog music for saxophones.
*2013 ''tRío lucas - homage to Moondog in the introduction of the song ''desintegración de la antimateria'' by [[tRío lucas]]''
*2013 ''Moondog Mask'' by Hobocombo
*2014 ''Perpetual Motion (A Celebration of Moondog)'' by Sylvain Rifflet & [[Jon Irabagon]]
*2015 ''Beyond Horizons'' Moondog Piano/Percussion by Mariam Tonoyan and Stefan Lakatos and friends. CD Moondogscorner.de/Rockwerk records
*2015 ''Cabaret Contemporain Plays Moondog'' by Cabaret Contemporain
*2016 ''A Tribute To Moondog'' by Condor Gruppe (2016) on Condor Men Records – Format: Vinyl, LP, Mini-Album
*2017 ''New Sound'' by Ensemble Minisym (2017) on Association Bongo Joe Records (Genève) – Format : Vinyl, CD, LP
*2018 ''Moondog'' by Katia Labèque & Triple Sun
*2018 ''Erk-Moondog'' Ensemble Bracelli w Stefan Lakatos. CD Moondogscorner.de/Rockwerk records Germany
*2019 ''The Witch of Endor'' by Kreiz Breizh Akademi #7 "Hed" (Brittany, France)
*2019 ''Moondog Piano Trimba'' by Dominique Ponty and Stefan Lakatos, SHIIN Records CD (France)
*2019 ''Moondog - The Stockholm 1981 Recordings'' Moondog & Stefan Lakatos w friends. Vinyl LP brus&knaster KNASTER 048. Sweden
*2022 ''Seahorse'' by Moondog. Album: ''Lost & Found'' by Sean Shibe
*2022 ''Pastoral'' by Moondog. Album: ''Lost & Found'' by Sean Shibe
*2022 ''High on a Rocky Ledge (Second Movement)'' by Moondog. Album: ''Lost & Found'' by Sean Shibe
*2023 ''New Amsterdam'' by Moondog. Album: ''An American Rhapsody'' by [[Calefax]] Reed Quintet. Music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTt8QFvfYPY
* 2023 ''[[Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog]]'' by [[Kronos Quartet]] and [[Ghost Train Orchestra]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
===Articles===
*{{cite magazine |author=Anonymous |date=Mar 28, 1953 |title=Moondog May Be Next Hot Wax Artist |magazine=The Billboard |pages=20 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/z1c8nz2vs752dcu/.png }}
*{{cite news |author=Shelton, Robert |date=Aug 17, 1963 |title=Old Music Taking On New Color |work=The New York Times |pages=11 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/78ytrxvbrhv8ot2/.png }}
*{{cite news |author=Borders, William |date=May 15, 1965 |title=Moondog Changes His Costume, But Keeps His Iconoclastic Life: Blind Poet-Musician Retains Viking Helmet and Begs on His Favorite Corner |work=The New York Times |pages=33 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/88z49p9kf4kmx6m/Moondog_Changes_His_Costume%2C_B%20(1).jpg }}
*{{cite news |author=Tracy, Phil |date=Dec 10, 1969 |title=Moondog: A Happy Story |work=National Catholic Reporter |pages=4 |url=https://thecatholicnewsarchive.org/crra?a=d&d=ncr19691210-01.2.22 }}
*{{cite news |author=Riepe, Adele |date=Jan 3, 1979 |title=Moondog Refines Music in Germany |work=The New York Times |pages=C18 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/f6tgn6uwnnb0741/.png }}
*{{cite news |author=Kozinn, Allan |date=Nov 16, 1989 |title=Moondog Returns From the Hippie Years |work=The New York Times |pages=C24 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/uxnh9qf0a6h98sc/Moondog_Returns_From_the_Hippi.jpg }}
*{{cite news |author=Heckman, Don |date=Nov 28, 1997 |title=Moondog's Alive and Back on U.S. Scene |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-28-ca-58444-story.html }}
*{{cite journal |author=Brandt, Wilfred |date=Sep 2014 |title=Street art : at one time Moondog was a tourist attraction in Manhattan ... |journal=Smith Journal |volume=12 |pages=102–104 }}

===Books===
* Gagne, Cole. 1993. ''Soundpieces 2: Interviews with American Composers''. Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press. {{ISBN|0-8108-2710-7}}
*{{cite book |author=Scotto, Robert |others=Preface by [[Philip Glass]] |title=Moondog, the Viking of 6th Avenue : the authorized biography |location=New York |publisher=Process |year=2007}}
*{{cite book |author=Cornut, Amaury |title=Moondog |location=Marseille |publisher=Le Mot et le Reste |year=2014}}

==External links==
* [https://moondog-music.com/ Moondog – The Official Website]
* [http://moondogscorner.de/frame.html Moondog's Corner]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Moondog+(2) Moondog discography] at [[Discogs]]
* [http://ubu.com/sound/moondog.html Moondog: the Man on the Street], WBAI; ubu.com
* [https://open.spotify.com/artist/7HvQfRNJCvPXTVirKKB0Nn?si=kf_QjCypQz2qR6H4C4hjYA Moondog's Artist Page on Spotify]
{{Moondog}}
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