Collective Memories of the Cassette Underground

11/13/2018

My hope for this post on EC is to start a collective memory (oral/aural history)
— one that can involve as many folks giving their memories as possible. I realize my memories are fading or failing or are just different of same events as others. And so that maybe if we all chip in our brains we can have a true(r) story of the various cassette networks that have happened and the events surrounding them?
So as I kind of cleanup/organize my archives — in other words getting crap out of boxes and more visible — I am hoping to post on occasion flyers, concert stuff whatever — and maybe those involved or who saw or remember things can add in their thoughts and memories. So that in the future as maybe more folks write about those/these times - it's not reliant on more prominent people alone - making this one hopes the people's history of the cassette network/underground.

So here are a few first flyers from my archives....

possibly 1988

February/March 1988

late Summer/Fall 1986

1987

29 Comments

Hal McGee

11/13/2018 01:23:27

We need years for the events documented in the first and fourth flyers. The first one is probably 1988, because that's when AIR BUTTER by The Dave was released (mentioned in the flyer).

al margolis

11/13/2018 07:59:33

and long after dark was 1987
now everyone in the pool - also we have to get dan and detta andreana involved in this - they were co-producers of the bar none series and tapers themselves as dada frolic

Hal

11/13/2018 08:02:47

Thanks, Al. I added a year caption to Long After Dark. Also, I have informed Carl about this post, so hopefully he will chime in soon.

Frank

11/13/2018 02:08:05

Welcome to EC(I was waiting for you to show up) and I am looking forward to reading those flyers and hearing people's memories.

{@Hal: 2 more(actually more) people I am waiting for to show up on EC}

Curious in Gainesville

11/13/2018 02:11:30

Who?

11/13/2018 04:28:48

Debbie Jaffe and Zan Hoffman...

11/13/2018 04:59:55

Frank, I have invited Debbie to participate, and she knows that she has an open invitation to contribute. Please invite Zan to visit EC.

Rafael González

11/13/2018 08:03:43

Great post. Thank you very much and welcome to EC!

Adam J Naworal

11/13/2018 08:24:34

Dammmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnn, Al is on here! Long time fan of your work, sir! Thanks for the great article!

Hal McGee, EC Editor

11/13/2018 08:30:43

If anyone else has scans or photos of relevant or related materials from that same era, I can add them to this same post and we can just keep on expanding it. Is that what you want, Al? If so, people who have stuff to contribute can contact me at haltapes@gmail.com

Chris Phinney

11/13/2018 11:09:54

Hey Al,
Not heard from you since our last phone chat.
Great to see you here my friend!
Very cool to see the old flyers! Nice article!

11/13/2018 11:16:03

I really love the space station studio flyer, having recorded at that location with you, boone etc.

11/13/2018 11:22:22

Merci pour cette publication Al.

Leslie Singer

11/13/2018 11:49:52

Al, Really great to see you here. Thank you for your contributions to the GOF project and your article with all the great flyers. Welcome aboard!

11/14/2018 11:05:56

happy to have helped out with the GOF project Leslie - still among my faves...

C. Goff III link

11/13/2018 12:03:02

Is that the sound of pig I hear? Snort Snort, Mr. Bwana! Nice of you to share your lovely literature with us, thanks.

I still possess many flyers from long-ago performances too -- but most of these I acquired via mailed correspondence. As a result, I myself was unable to attend the performances, due to the events being so far away from me, or because the events occurred before I actually got the flyers. They look neat-o though.

And while I did not attend any of the shows that appear on these flyers above, I have had some interesting encounters with several of the performers listed, and I still have some hand-written letters from many of them too (including you, Al).

Glad to see you in the E. Cottage, Mr. Margolis. Take your coat off and hang out.

Jerry Kranitz

11/13/2018 16:48:27

LOVE seeing those flyers Al! I’d give anything to have been at Carl Howard’s Birthday Bash. Did he play his synth with a lamp shade on his head?

Neal Retke

11/13/2018 18:00:43

Nice to have you aboard ! Looking forward to interesting archival materials from you

Penny

11/13/2018 21:29:54

Welcome to EC!!

Mike Krause

11/14/2018 00:30:11

windy city invasion ! Algebra Suicide/ Illusion of safety /RDS . nice. I fondly remember all those guys . I never knew about them going to Pittsburg and playing on a show together. I must ask Bill Meehan( from RDS/BOF and now back with his original group from the late 70's- Silver Abuse ) next time I see him about this here in Chicago.

Skott Rusch

11/14/2018 09:44:00

Fairly accurate review of 8 Ball (minus the obvious component - drugs)

11/14/2018 11:04:52

thanks everyone for the warm welcome - and i will continue to post flyers, catalogs etc from my archives - i know Hal would like hi res scans - i have just been taking shots with my phone (and lazy guy that i am will probably continue that way - sorry Hal) - and if others have stuff they would like to post, please do - i see that this could all take a really long time - how does one even start to talk about this stuff - and please forgive me if i reference people with the addition of their project's names - so as again to try to make this all a bit more informational (while memory still serves) - Through Doug Walker (Alien Planetscapes)'s Space Station salon series - which i was invited to by Carl Howard (Nomuzic, Audiofile tapes, etc) i got to meet or further continue to hang out with Doug, and Cheryl Sobas (Alas Dies Laughing), who performed there with Paul Richards and Larry Olsen - and then i played with Paul and Larry as a rock band and Paul and Cheryl in Thick Slimy Whisper, which then after Cheryl left became XTSW....and Louis Boone and Arnold Mathes and Pat Gillis (Northern Machine)....which begets other things and it all spins out - and through Doug i met Dave Prescott - on a road trip we (Doug, Dave, Carl and i) took down to Maryland where we played with Cool and the Clones big band - Eric Ziarko and his wife among others - where i met Barney Jones....and see this is just from part on one flyer post....maybe too much info? More to come ....

11/14/2018 11:20:00

Whatever happened to Manny SSS in Pittsburgh? I have invited Bryan Baker & Mike Jackson to join us. Alas not yet. Never enough info Al!

11/14/2018 18:32:48

manny is still in Pittsburgh - and still being Manny - running some shows etc - i have seen him the last couple of times i was out there...still a hustling away...

11/14/2018 18:53:19

Thats very good to know. I assume his tape label is gone by the wayside like so many.

William Davison link

11/14/2018 23:58:47

Great stuff, Al! Would love to see more sharing of stories and archival materials here! EC has a lot of potential for piecing together our collective history...along with other sites like Campau's Living Archive, Frank Maier's tape-mag, etc.

Evan Cantor

11/15/2018 00:10:36

ha! Sound o'Pig! Right on, Al, you did a lot of good work for Walls Of Genius back in the day, we appreciated it. Welcome to the cottage!

11/21/2018 08:18:00

Here's a very recent memory, for those who missed it! It involves... If, Bwana & Crank Sturgeon!

https://youtu.be/E7r3gecJpcU

Don Campau link

11/21/2018 19:51:07

Any artifact from Al's archives is historically valuable. He was there the the start and has consistently challenged himself with his long time If Bwana project. The fact is this: at the time Al was probably the most important person in the home taper/experimental/ tape scene. And when he started his Pogus label he evolved into something different yet again. Al is a treasure and I am glad and honored to be his friend.

Collective Memories of the Cassette Underground

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