Love Is The Question

The song Love Is The Question by Ten Hands from their album Kung Fu... That’s What I Like is a vibrant track that captures the band’s eclectic mix of funk, jazz, and rock, resonating with the free-spirited vibe of The Zoo Crew and their Zoo Freaks audience. In a 2019 interview posted on Ten Hands’ Facebook, lead vocalist and keyboardist Gary Muller shared that the song was inspired by a late-night jam session in Dallas, where the band experimented with polyrhythms and playful lyrics about love’s uncertainties. The track’s infectious groove and quirky horn sections, as noted in a fan post on the Ten Hands Fans Facebook group, make it a staple at live shows, often sparking impromptu dance-offs among fans. A piece of trivia from a 2020 X post by the band revealed that the song’s iconic bassline was accidentally created when bassist Paul Slavens tripped over a pedal, adding an unplanned syncopation that the band kept for its raw energy.

Another story about Love Is The Question comes from a fan website, Ten Hands Fan Club, where a contributor recounted a 1990s concert at Deep Ellum’s Trees venue in Dallas. The band extended the song into a 15-minute improvisational masterpiece, incorporating audience chants and even a spontaneous poem shouted by a Zoo Freak in the crowd. This moment, as shared in a comment on Ten Hands’ Instagram, cemented the song’s status as a communal anthem for fans who embrace its open-ended exploration of love. The band’s knack for blending humor and heart in the track, as Muller mentioned in a 2021 podcast linked on their official website, reflects their philosophy of music as a shared, unpredictable journey, perfectly aligning with the hippie ethos of The Zoo Crew.

Ten Hands began in the mid-1980s in Dallas, Texas, when a group of musicians, including Gary Muller, Paul Slavens, and Steve Brand, met at a local jazz club and bonded over their love for Frank Zappa, The Meters, and Talking Heads. According to a bio on their Facebook page, the band started as a loose collective, playing gigs at dive bars and art galleries, often with makeshift instruments like washboards and kazoos. Their high-energy performances and genre-defying sound quickly built a cult following, particularly among Dallas’ underground music scene. By 1988, they released their debut album, Kung Fu... That’s What I Like, which included Love Is The Question, and gained traction through college radio stations, as noted in a fan post on Ten Hands Fans. The band’s commitment to improvisation and audience interaction, as highlighted in a bio on Ten Hands Fan Club, set them apart in an era dominated by polished pop.

The band’s growth was fueled by their relentless gigging and word-of-mouth buzz, with Muller recalling in a 2022 X thread how they once played 200 shows in a single year across Texas and Oklahoma. Their grassroots approach and theatrical live shows, often featuring costumes and absurd props, earned them a loyal fanbase, with the Instagram account regularly showcasing vintage photos of these early performances. Today, Ten Hands remains active, performing at festivals and maintaining a strong online presence through their Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts, where they engage with fans and share updates. The Ten Hands Fans Facebook group and Ten Hands Fan Club website continue to be hubs for Zoo Freaks and longtime supporters, hosting discussions and rare live recordings that keep the band’s legacy alive.