Contents Under Pressure

Send us Fan MailDuring my first week at college, I met Paul Dunlap when he wandered into my dorm room while I was playing guitar. We quickly discovered that our voices blended well. A few nights later, Filmore Strunk heard us singing, added a perfect third harmony, and just like that, the three of us had something special.The next day, a freshman coordinator asked if my new band would perform in the freshman talent show. When she asked our name, I happened to read the warning on a can of shaving cream I was holding: "Contents Under Pressure." She loved it, and the name stuck.The band soon became known for its harmonies and eclectic repertoire. After Dan Schlafer joined us, we expanded to four-part harmony, and I began writing original story songs for the group. This episode of “Noted Stories” includes three of the songs I wrote for Contents Under Pressure.The first song, "In About 50 Years," was a cautionary tale I wrote in 1971. More than fifty years later, I'm still amazed by how relevant it feels. The second, "One Sunday Morning," imagined soldiers arresting a pastor, “Brother Jim,” during a church service. After one performance, a man insisted Russian soldiers would never be able to invade American churches. I replied, "That's why they're not Russian soldiers—they're American." Recently, I shared the song with the real Brother Jim Henry, who laughed and said, "That was kind of prophetic, wasn't it?"Unfortunately, the band dissolved before we could perform another new song I'd written, "Uncle Anthony," about an aging rock guitarist still playing more than fifty years in the future. Back then it was science fiction. Today, it feels surprisingly close to home.© 2026 David Ray Skinner/Electric Quilt Music, BMI