The Swamp Dogg documentary, Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, is now streaming (Amazon Prime and other platforms) following its theatrical run, and it rates a major thumb’s up. I recommend it for those looking for a great holiday weekend movie.
Swamp Dogg, of course, is Jerry Williams, Jr., a Portsmouth, Va. native who made a name as a recording artist, A&R man (for Musicor and Atlantic Records) and songwriter — his best-known composition (a co-write with Gary “U.S.” Bonds) being “(Don’t Take Her) She’s All I Got,” both a country and R&B hit for Johnny Paycheck (#2 country) and Freddie North (#10 R&B), not to speak of Tracy Byrd. But it’s his own series of eccentric soul/blues albums (‘Total Destruction to Your Mind,’ ‘Rat On!,’ ‘Gag a Maggott,’ I’m Not Selling Out – I’m Buying In!,’ ‘Love, Lord and Auto-Tune’) that ultimately put him on the map.
There was also a duet with John Prine (Prine’s “Sam Stone”). And a 2023 bluegrass album (Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St.) which won accolades in the Americana realm. And that’s not to scratch the surface of a deep discography.
The documentary, directed by Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson and David McMurry, filmed largely at Swamp’s house in the far northwest San Fernando Valley, provides the viewer a glimpse of Swamp at home – a domicile he shared with the late Texas bluesman Guitar Shorty, and with Moogy MoogStar, a young multi-instrumentalist, and Swamp’s musical director for several albums. The Odd Couple comes to mind, except this is the Odd Trio.
We learn about all of them – their talents, families and former spouses, and how they became unlikely housemates. We watch them interact in creative moments as well as the most mundane everyday banter. As the Hollywood Reporter noted: “Swamp Dogg’s house is cluttered and his life has been cluttered and [directors] Gale and Olson let clutter stand as a guiding principle for the documentary.”
Punctuating the film is the ongoing paint-job of Swamp’s pool. He commissioned a painter to paint a design, which we ultimately learn is the cover graphic from Rat On. In the interim, we learn of his past – from Virginia R&B artist to songwriter to developing his Swamp Dogg persona.
There are many familiar faces along the way, some speaking, others shown as they attended camp’s 80th birthday party in 2022: Tom “SpongeBob” Kenny; Johnny Knoxville; the late, great Art Fein (including many scenes from his Lil Art’s Poker Party show); Bob Merlis; Ira and Georgia from Yo La Tengo; Allen Charmin’ Larman; and Swamp’s daughter/manager Dr. Jeri Williams.
So hey, settle in for 97 minutes and let this altogether delightful total destruction of your mind take hold.
