The Ballad of Buckskin Bob

In 1986 ex-Dudes guitarist Ian Morris decided to use a stage name — his birth name "wasn't poppy enough", so Tex Pistol was born. It was a perfect fit for his single 'The Ballad of Buckskin Bob', a "loving parody of cowboy pop culture" written by Morris's former bandmate Lez White. Morris used his sound engineering skills and a computer sampler to transform White's version into a hook-filled, whip crackin' pop gem. The video indulges in childhood fantasy: two boys play shootout in the mall while Mum does the shopping. Tex, clad in his fringed jacket and stetson, rides a coin operated pony all the way to glory.

This pioneering, monophonic 8-bit floppy disc sampler enabled Morris to record almost every instrument in an epic arrangement of ‘Buckskin Bob’ and another Dickheads’ song, ‘Winter’. The sonic effects were panoramic, dramatic and humorous, with many musical references; think Sergio Leone meets Lee Hazlewood. Morris was reluctant to release the recordings, but was persuaded to put them out using a pseudonym. “Ian Morris just didn’t sound poppy enough,” he said, and an alias suited his take-it-or-leave-it approach to fame. “Tex Pistol” was appropriate to the songs, and the tongue-in-cheek spirit with which they were recorded.

– Excerpt from Chris Bourke's profile of Ian Morris, AudioCulture website, 11 February 2014

Key Cast & Crew

Ian Morris

Performer