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Subject: JOhn Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: katlaughing Date: 13 Dec 08 - 01:01 AM Found this on Wiki - hope we all get a chance to see it: Starting work in 2007, Washington D.C. filmmaker Marc Minsker has completed a 30 minute documentary feature on the life of John Fahey entitled "John Fahey: The Legacy of Blind Joe Death." It chronicles his humble beginnings in Takoma Park, Maryland, through his success as a guitarist and record producer in California, and follows him through his dark days in Salem, Oregon. The film has been submitted to the Takoma Park Film Festival. A trailer for the film is currently posted on YouTube. It is due for release in February, 2009. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Marc Minsker Date: 14 Feb 09 - 09:14 PM The film will be debuting at the Takoma Park Film Festival on February 28, 2009, at Contradiction Studio, 7014 Westmoreland Avenue, Takoma Park, MD. |
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Subject: RE: JOhn Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: van lingle Date: 15 Feb 09 - 07:46 PM Can't wait. I grew up a couple of towns over from Fahey and he was the man for all us budding fingerstylists and is still a touchstone for me. Thanks for the heads up. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: NormanD Date: 16 Feb 09 - 06:10 AM Also worh checking out is his autobiography / memoir "How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life" Available on Amazon (but at a ridiculous price) |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: PoppaGator Date: 16 Feb 09 - 03:38 PM Searching YouTube yielded many videos of John Fahey playing, John Fahey teaching, and MANY videos of other people trying to play like John Fahey ~ but no trailer for any new documentary. (Not any that I could find, anyway.) If such a trailer does exist there on YT, now or in the near future, please post a link here... |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Daniel Date: 02 Mar 09 - 05:57 PM When will this be available for viewing in NYC? Film Forum, Anthology Film Archives, Sunshine Theater, IFC.? Please Also, there was a trailer on youtube for the film, which has now been "removed by the user". Any chance that'll be around again? Also, is there a site or link to follow where and when there will be screenings, so that we might inform others around the country who were fans and would want to see this film? thanks |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Deckman Date: 03 Mar 09 - 05:44 PM |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: katlaughing Date: 03 Mar 09 - 06:11 PM In light of the above, I wonder about this, which I just found at http://johnfahey.org/: John Fahey: The Legacy of Blind Joe Death (Documentary) * Youtube video preview/trailer: John Fahey: The Legacy of Blind Joe Death (Documentary) (Update: the trailer has been removed.. no news on release other that the February 2009 date mentioned in the trailer) * "This 30-minute documentary focuses on the life of John Fahey, beginning with his humble beginnings in Takoma Park, MD, through his success as a guitarist and record producer in California, and following him through his dark days in Salem, OR. Thanks to Stefan Grossman for Fahey footage and support!" * Coming February 2009 * Update 2009-02-17: The future might look bleak for this project after Adelphi Recordings president and CEO Gene Rosenthal commented on this blog entry: This video is, as far as I can ascertain, an unauthorized bootleg…………& further uses stolen (still) and 16mm film footage from this Company- Adelphi Records, Inc. DO NOT SUPPORT SUCH RIP-OFFS!!! <...> PS- These rip-off artists NEVER contacted us about using our copyrighted material! PPS- Please supply us an address so we can begin legal proceedings (against these pirates) in my friend John Fahey's name, thanks. Gene R. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Fortunato Date: 04 Mar 09 - 04:55 PM Katlaughing, Gene Rosenthal, of Adelphi records, is well know to many of us here in the DC area. He is champion for the blues, John Fahey and other artists from this area. Please see http://www.adelphirecords.com/ If Gene says it's a ripoff, I believe him, period. I didn't comment on this thread earlier, though I'm a fan of John's and Adelphi because I didn't see the point of public discussion, but since you've raised it, I thought this was the case. I stand with Gene. Chance |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: M.Ted Date: 04 Mar 09 - 07:39 PM I am not sure who the "rip-off" artists are--are they the people who are producing the documentary, or are they the people who are posting the stuff on YouTube? It isn't really clear what Gene Rosenthal has a problem with, and if you can clarify, Chance, wish you would. Was the film actually shown at the Takoma Park event? |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: katlaughing Date: 04 Mar 09 - 09:45 PM Chance, I don't have any sides in this issue. I am glad you have posted about Gene; what he posted seemed reasonable and true to me, anyway. All I know is I have *discovered* Fahey through listening to his tunes on pandora radio and LOVE his playing. Anything which tells me more about him is welcome, so I was naturally interested in a docu on him. If it's not legitimate, it will get no support from me. Thanks, kat |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: M.Ted Date: 05 Mar 09 - 01:28 AM Kat-note that Marc Minsker, who produced the film, is the second poster in this thread-- |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: The Sandman Date: 05 Mar 09 - 03:32 AM yes ,I like John Fahey as well, I loved that interview on you tube |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Fortunato Date: 05 Mar 09 - 06:06 AM M. Ted, I spoke in support of Gene. I recall a brief conversation about this with him, only. Sorry if I implied knowledge I don't have. I only meant to share that Gene is a good friend to the music and a protector of artist rights. regards, chance |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: katlaughing Date: 05 Mar 09 - 10:40 AM Thanks for pointing that out, M.Ted. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Severn Date: 07 Mar 09 - 07:23 PM I stand with my long-time friend Gene, as well. The illegal footage used was taken from a documentary on 78 record collector Joe Bussard that was used with Gene's permission. What was shown on the You Tube trailer was used without knowledge of neither the maker of the Bussard documentary or of Gene himself. Gene spoke with the filmmaker at length but things remained unresolved. The film was withdrawn from being shown at the festival after protests were made to the organizers and not publicly aired. That's as much as I know. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Marc Minsker Date: 04 May 09 - 08:42 PM Severn, Since you don't know the whole story, let me fill in the gaps. Certainly you can stand by your friend, Gene, but the truth of the matter is that YES, the clip on Youtube featured two seconds of footage from Joe Bussard's documentary, DESPERATE MAN BLUES. Joe is a friend of mine who mistakenly said that I could "use a clip" from the documentary when it wasn't really his to give. The Youtube trailer was online from November of 2008 through January of 2009. When the film was accepted into the film festival in mid January, I removed the trailer from Youtube because I didn't want it to preempt the screening. Gene, at this point, had still not contacted me. The film DID NOT feature the 2-second clip in question; it had only been in the Youtube trailer. On February 15th, 2009, I was contacted by Gene Rosenthal who threatened to sue me for everything I had, including taking my house, my car, etc. Although the film (to this day, 5/4) has never been screened anyway, I asked Gene if he'd seen a copy (such as the one I sent to the John Fahey Trust or the copy I'd given to local music producer David Eisner). He hadn't seen the film. What he was mad about was the 2-second clip taken from DESPERATE MAN BLUES which had been on Youtube but appeared no where else. When I explained that it was long gone from Youtube, he claimed he still planned to sue me and make me pay. He also threatened to show up with "marshalls and shut down the whole Takoma Park Film Festival." We agreed to withdraw the film from the festival because of his outrageous threats and aggresive tone. Again, the man has never seen the documentary but is basing his threats on something that once appeared on Youtube but was already removed before he even raised an objection. In regards to Gene and his record on artists' rights, I think there's enough substantial info out there on the internet to show us his true side. I draw your attention to: http://www.jajouka.com/documents.html There you'll find a letter addressed to one Mr. Gene Rosenthal. There are many more sites with telling stories about his dealings with Mississippi John Hurt and The Nighthawks (to name a few), but because his reputation certainly proceeds itself, I don't need to go into detail. Marc Minsker |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: M.Ted Date: 05 May 09 - 08:12 AM John Fahey was important and influential, and hasn't been very well documented. Gene Rosenthal's film clip seems to have been an insignificant part of Marc Minsker's film, whatever the permission issues were. It seems to me that it is neither necessary nor even productive for this issue to stand in the way of the presentation of this documentary. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Daniel Date: 18 Jul 09 - 03:22 PM Marc Minsker, please reply as to why this film (minus the contested 2 second clip) hasn't found another venue. I grew up in DC, and as a 14 year old worked as a waiter dishwasher at the Ontario Place where in addition to Fahey, I had the good fortune to hear Mississippi John Hurt, Son House, holy Modal Rounders and many others. I for one find it very disappointing that an aging adelphi records ceo chooses to stand in the way of this film being made available. Looking out for artists rights is one thing, but unless I'm missing something, the contested footage isn't even in the film. What's the holdup? Are there other ownership issues? Recut that trailer without the 2 seconds and put it back up or explain why this is not possible. WAITING FOR THE FILM |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Felix Date: 29 Nov 09 - 10:48 AM I agree with Daniel. I am french and John Fahey died when I was only 18 so I obviously hadn't had the chance to meet him or follow his life and records directly, so I know very little about his life. I've been listening to his records with love for 3 years now, probably 1/12 of the time must of you people have been loving his records. When I heard about this documentary, I was very excited to be able to finally learn more about John Fahey's life; then I came across that all business between mr Minsker and mr Rosenthal. Needless to say that mr Rosenthal's reaction seems more than agressive and selfish. I can understand that he lives that whole thing from a very personnal point of view, but he has to understand that this documentary is not only awaited by a few people in Takoma. There is an international audience, I'm a part of it, and it's sad that we still can't see this movie. anyway, i too : WAITING FOR THE FILM |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Mark Date: 29 Nov 09 - 09:27 PM Amen to that, brother! I want to see this fucking film! And I'm sure I'm not alone. The fact that its release is being held back by such a fickle load of bollocks just pisses me off. Surely the 2 seconds in question can be easily edited out if this Rosenthal chump is going to continue to have his knickers in a twist. Someone make sure to keep him off the guestlist when it does finally premiere. |
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Subject: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT #1 From: Gene-Adelphi Date: 05 Dec 09 - 04:59 AM Salude: It's with much pain and chagrin that my first (attempted) post on the mudcat site is in reply to "Guest Daniel's" post of July 18 as follows: Daniel, Daniel: Um, as a fourteen year old you MOST ASSUREDLY were NOT a dishwasher/waiter at the Ontario Place Coffee House in Washington, DC during any of the performances by the Artists that you claimed to be in attendance of... let's try just one for example: The Holy Modal Rounders Interestingly enough the Holy Modal Rounders performed only once at the Ontario Place Coffee House on December 12, 1964, synchronicity reigns supreme- on that very day, in addittion to other days (November 27,28, etc.), but most specifically on that day I was present at the coffee house as the live recording engineer hired by the then owner of Piedmont Records- Tom Hoskins to Record Mississippi John Hurt "Live" (THe Rounders opened for John that night)- suffice it to say- THERE WAS NOT A 14 YEAR OLD "MALE" WAITER PRESENT, um, that is, to the best of this (how did Daniel put it?)"aging CEOs" memory?! OK Daniel, it's the accusation that counts, right?! So just to make certain that my memory wasn't failing me, and without any "prompting" at all, I saught out the recollections of another, one Leland Talbot. In the interest of historical correctness as follows: Leland Talbot, was at that time, the Corporate Secretary of Piedmont Records, Inc.; further he was one of the three owners of the Ontario Place Coffee House, the other two owners being Bill Givens(RIP), the then owner of OJL Records (also the "In House" resident Blues Expert), Phil Lynch (RIP) Master of Ceremonies & General Manager.... Leland's job category was that of (Master) Chef in control of everything "IN THE BACK" including "dishwashing", Phil's wife Marriane was THE SINGULAR WAITRESS, PERIOD!!! (Cover charges were high against a minimun) and tips, such as they were, were highly coveted!- Marriane splitting tips with a 14 year old male waiter?- OVER HER DEAD BODY!)- Leland Talbot's confirming comments! Anyone who needs confirmation of Daniel's overt obfuscations, etc. can contact me by personal e-mail & I'll give them Lee Talbots phone number in nearby Delaware! By the way Daniel, Duh, there are VERY SERIOUS OWNERSHIP ISSUES here that go to "intellectual Property Rights", and the overt theft (conversion) thereof, all of which will be addressed in my next few posts addressed to and about Mr Minsker. We can only draw a few possible connclussions from the above: 1. Daniel is a Minsker Shill- note the dates of his earliest posts.! 2. Daniel's memories are actually those of his parents who would have been in their late thirties early forties (at the time) and thus able to afford the exhorbitant cover charges at the club, etc. (fill in the blanks by yourselves). If Daniel really feels the need to challenge this response won't he PLEASE "subscribe" in so we might know who he really is? We shall see...... :-) BTW- I've been advised by others to put an end to these slanders of Adelphi Records by confronting this crappola by online posted rebuttals....... it's NOT my style to do this, but it appears that I'm offered no alternative(s) With regret Sincerely Gene Rosenthal Adelphi Records, Inc. PS- More to come dear Mudcaters |
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Subject: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT #2 From: Gene-Adelphi Date: 07 Dec 09 - 03:16 AM 12/06/09 THE SAD SAGA OF MARC MINSKER IN THREE PARTS (The long & the short of it, unfortunately, MOSTLY the long :-): Part #1: In response to "Guest" Marc Minsker's post of May 04 2009 as follows point by point: THE SHORT OF IT Paragraph one- (Disregarding salutation to S.) a. i. Minsker admits to "unlawfully" stealing Adelphi Records/Film's copyrighted film footage of John Fahey by dubbing it from the lawful film release entitled "Desparate Man Blues" ii. Contrary to Minsker's assertion, Joe Bussard (now)claims to have been (at best) a "sometime acquantance" of Minsker's, decidedly NOT A FRIEND! b. Contrary to Minsker's assertion- The trailer WAS NOT terminated from the web in January of 2009 at Minsker's request; it was, in fact, terminated in February of 2009 by the 3rd party who had placed it there, but only after serious interface with Adelphi Records, Inc. claims as supported by Lance Ledbetter of "Dust to Digital Records" - more on this later! c. Contrary to Minsker's assertion- The film MOST CERTAINLY STILL CONTAINED the "more then" 2 seconds of "offending" Adelphi Films- John Fahey material- more on this later! d. For once Minsker is correct in his assertion that- "Gene had still not contacted him...(meaning Minsker)". Duh, Gene/Adelphi did NOT contact Minsker earlier then February, because Gene wasn't aware of it's (Minsker's Trailers') existence on the web until February--- Further, it wasn't encumbent upon Gene to somehow psychicly(sp?) know that Minsker had unlawfully misappropriated Fahey's & Adelphi's intellectual property rights...it was, instead, encumbent upon Minsker to advise the rightful owners of these rights of his (Minsker's) proposed useage &/or his needs/intentions regarding same and to seek LAWFUL permission for the use of said material(s)!- Such reqest was notably absent from inception through the month of February, although Minsker most assuredly knew who the rightful owners were and how to contact us from the outset. Before bginning my (the short of it) response to Minsker's paragraph #2 I have the need to post the following: - Until 3 days ago I had no knowlege whatsoever of this thread nor ANY of the posts or poster contributors thereto. I was advised (in a voicemail message) that it was in my & Adelphi's best interest to review this mess(thread) by my friend S. It's with tears in my eyes & heart that I read the posts of S & C defending my & Adelph's good name over these many months, without my knowlege and with no ulterior motives whatsoever on their parts, except for their personal understandings about me & adelphi and what we've done and why we did it over these many years. In my more then 40 years in this business of music I can only recall a mere handful of similar situations and a similarly small number of such persons who had the integrity, wilfulnes/strength of Character to stand up & speak out for the truth, in spite of the potential "downside" of the "...the slings & arrows..."; such persons are VERY rare indeed, and this site has hundreds of them. I am honored & humbled by their support & after this is over, hopefully they'll feel that their support was correct & not misplaced... & by the way it wasn't!! Paragrapgh two- a. Contrary to Minsker's assertions, there were three, not one, phone call from Gene-Adelphi, including a VERY long second phone call from Dan Doyle to Minsker (Dan representing Adelphi); Dan was assigned the task (by Gene) of dealing with the madman "Minsker" because he (Dan) had the necessary "diplomatic" approach/tools necessary for dealing with such insane tasks (Dan was the founder/Manager of the "Johnny Copeland Band", Producer for Rounder Records of several "Holy Modal Rounder Records", Manager of the French Group "The Moutin Bros."-currently involved with NPR on special projects), and also because he's Adelphi's "co-producer" of the "in production" upcoming Adelphi Records/Films release-a 2DVD/4CD John Fahey "Memorial" box set production. (more on this later) b. Once again Minsker is right! Gene had not seen a copy; however Gene had talked (at great length) to Stefan Grossman (who HAD seen a copy) of Minsker's "Amateurish film"- Quote- Stefan Grossman*. * Stefan Grossman is a 40 plus year personal friend of Gene's as well as a long time business associate of Gene's who has over the years licensed from Gene-Adelphi on more then one occassion, specific Blues Film Footage from Adelphi's extensive Blues Film Vaults (examples- Vestapol DVDs- Legends of Country Blues Guitar Vol. 3; Legends of The Delta Blues, etc. to name but a few etc.--for more info on Adelphi's Film Vaults - www.adelphirecords.com (film section) Suffice it to say, Stefan was most forthcoming about his interactions with Minsker, and about the VERY serious problems that Minsker had with "PUBLISHING" (Sychro) rights/authorizations from the Fahey music publisher of record- Folklore Productions/Mitch Greenhill. (more on this later) David Eisner is also a long time friend/business associate of mine and rather then address any more of Minsker's ravings in this paragrapgh, at this time (to be addressed in the long version later)- I'll only add that I live and Adelphi Records is located no more then one mile from where this Festival was to take place, ---- can you say in MY NEIGHBORHOOD, MY BACKYARD, THE PLACE WHERE I GREW UP, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE JOHN FAHEY & I WENT TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER?!! (More on this later) Paragraph three- Contrary to Minsker's assertions- He most assuredly DID NOT WITHDRAW THE FILM FROM THE FESTIVAL!!! When the festival committee heard from several sources about the unauthorized footage contained in the film, and re-reviewed it themselves observing (in their copy) that the "un-authorized" footage was in fact present, they (The Festival Committee), singularly & unilaterraly, without a 'by-your-leave' unceremoniously deleted it from the program & schedule & refused to talk about it publicly or otherwise, thereby saving Minsker (a college proffessor) the ignominy of "Public" disgrace!!! (More on this later) Paragraph four- In this paragraph we finally see the REAL Marc Minsker for what he is-a small minded, venal, vengeful person whose only hope of escape from his life of "quiet desparation" hinged entirely upon one desparate attempt at fame..... he pulled out all the stops, and broke all the rules and in failing he has nothing left but to lash out at those whom he perceives to be his attackers/detracters, when in fact all he did was to "...find the enemy & he was us!"; again a very sad saga. In support of the above, it is with great regret that I must once again send you dear mudcaters to the VERY SAME SITE that Minsker sent you to lo those many months ago- www.jajouka.com/documents.html and read again the "damning letter" addressed to Gene Rosenthal... What's NOT posted on that site is the immediate "scathing" response that was elicited from Adelphi reminding Joel(from Adelphi's files) about the advances and the free records and the incredibly expensive production, etc.,etc., ad-nauseum- but DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, dear mudcater friends, go to the same site and NOW read Joel Rubiner's letter of 1996 IN IT'S ENTIRETY! Adelphi is mentioned 2 or 3 times in passing, so you must read the entire tome..... and weep & weep for the good guys! (By the way, I guess it wasn't in Minsker's assassination agenda to point out the 1996 letter- I wonder why? - NOT!) LET NO GOOD DEED GO UNPUNISHED! For those of you who actually read the 1996 letter in it's entirety, let there be no mistake about it.....I support Joel Rubiner & his claims 100%-- Further, Joel Rubiner made NOT ONE CENT for all of his efforts on the behalf of the Master Musicians, NOT ONE CENT! AND NEITHER DID ADELPHI RECORDS! That project was from the heart & soul of BOTH Joel & I.... As far as I know that was the one & only Music Production that Joel ever did; he was ALSO a photographer, which should explain the "Overall" context of Joel's letter of 1996 which tells Joel's whole sad and pathetic story about his involvement with the Master Musicians from beginning to end...........all he tried to do was to live up to his promise to the Musicians, to REALLY get them "some money", which he actually did...... what did it get him dear friends? Years & years of un-ending grief! As I said before I stand behind my friend Joel whom I spoke to about this yesterday evening & we cry! What does Minsker understand about ANY of this sort of thing? NOTHING AT ALL, only looking for self agrandizement. (More on this later) Paragraph five- Contrary to Minskers inuendo/allegations, in the same vengeful vein as in paragraph four above, I'll address (in the long version) Adelphi's involvement w/Hurt & the Nighthawks.......both stories, although interesting serve only to be supportive of Adelphi's long history of being an "Artist" oriented company, even to it's own detriment! In ending this section I have only a few more comments- Interestingly enough ALL THREE ARTISTS/GROUPS that Minsker would have you believe that I/Adelphi did something terrible to, ALL of their CDs- The Master Musicians, Mississippi John Hurt, and all five of the Nighthawks CDs are still in print on the Adelphi Label----Minsker's assassinations and others notwithstanding. Adelphi's books are open---we have nothing to hide, except that we never got rich at it--- My name's NOT Chess- Nor Cadillac Records- though I'd give anything to have Etta James on the Adelphi Label :-)! :-) This ends Part 1 of 3 "The Short of It" Quote- Hunter S. THompson: "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side Parts 2 & 3 "The long Of It" follows soon if anyone's interested. Best regards Gene Rosenthal Adelphi Records & Films |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Severn Date: 07 Dec 09 - 04:31 AM A 2 DVD/4CD box Memorial set full of unseen and unheard Fahey! It's not like Gene is hoarding his footage so that it never will be seen. Fahey fans, myself included, WILL get the sound and visual fix we crave eventually. |
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Subject: Update- RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Gene-Adelphi Date: 07 Dec 09 - 05:18 AM Dec seven o-nine Dear friends: In a blinding flash of the obvious- I just realized that unlike other sites (including 2 of my own) that "unbelievably" there's (apparently) no way to respond to a posted message by a direct e-mail to the poster! Good grief, can you say "cruel & unusual punishment? Primitive? Can you also say- NO SPELL CHECKER? Also cruel & unusual punishment! So, for those of you who would like to respond to my previous posts w/out going on record on site-- my personal e-mail address is: adelphirecords@erols.com I promise to do my best to seriously address serious inquerys about the Minsker affair.... further, if anyone has a VERY SERIOUS issue to address with me regarding same, please feel free to call me at 301 434 2237.... if you get voice mail, please, please identify yourself & subject matter & leave your return phone # twice.... & I promise to return your call...I'll also accept long distance collect on this issue. Best Gene Rosenthal Adelphi Records & Films, Inc. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Sandrolin Date: 07 Dec 09 - 09:18 AM Hello I can speak as an educator--One can only hope that the Professor teaching *Documentary production* (Mr. Minsker) in this case had enough of an experience in this case to do better for his students ---next time. Documentary Production is more than interview a few handy people, point and shoot the camera ... edit and then --poof!... I suggest an interesting college coarse would be to study a few documentaries that went very, wrong..and WHY...!!!! Take the time, no short cuts,,, spunk to do it right... BTW-- Gene says had the professor Mr. M. been cooperative there could have been productive results.. Yes Severn ...we all anticipate the adelphi Fahey CD and box set...and box set ... Sandrolin Hey Anybody in this thread familiar with the dreadful results of the Holy Modal Rounders doc. ..Bound to Lose...sad sad stuff...and as a result--threatended law suits, and two close singing partners never to speak again... |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Desert Dancer Date: 07 Dec 09 - 10:00 AM For personal responses: if you are a logged-in member, click the "PM" next to a poster's name to send a personal message to them. For spell-checking: enable that in your browser of choice. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: M.Ted Date: 07 Dec 09 - 09:47 PM Thanks for telling your side of the story, Gene. Too bad it's taken a year for your side to come out, but that's show biz--one of the great things about the internet is that people really do show up to respond to their detractors, in their own words--so we get your perspective, and some insight into your character, as well. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,one who knows Date: 27 Jan 10 - 08:58 PM Hi gene I have an interesting contract signed by Joel Rubiner that I am sure Joel failed to append to your files in 1973 as he seems to have completely ignored it then and now. I will buzz you about this. Though I appreciate his talent as a photographer his twisted tale regarding the Master Musicians contains so many untruths as to make it comedic save for the amount of trouble he has caused for over 40 years. Still you did a lovely job on that LP might be time to reexamine where the reissue royalties went though as Joel had a binding contract which he broke and has spent 40 years trying to blow a smokescreen about what really went on...all very passionately and long windily delivered.yet also inaccurate self serving and unethical IMO |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Gene-Adelphi Date: 03 Feb 10 - 06:47 PM Thanks for the information... Gene says he is most interested in seeing THE document --- Please forward it to him directly at adelphirecords@erols.com Yours- Adelphi Office Manager |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Spleen Cringe Date: 03 Feb 10 - 07:19 PM So... when are you lot all going to sit down together and settle your differences? A decent documentary about John F is long overdue. I'm sure between you you could sort something out... |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Marc Minsker Date: 11 May 10 - 09:01 PM To Spleen Cringe and other interested Fahey fans: A full-length, comprehensive documentary of John Fahey is currently in production by Tamarack Productions and promises to give the "full story" of John's life and works. More information can be found here: http://www.tamarackproductions.com/BJD.php As for my "amateurish film" (which I have said from the beginning is NOT comprehensive nor is it polished), I have zero plans to release, duplicate or produce it in any format. It did, however, premiere at this year's Takoma Park Film Festival (2010) and we were lucky enough to have Fahey friend and guitarist Peter Lang on hand to talk about Fahey, his works, and his contribution to American music. Thanks to the 175+ people who turned out for this free, community event! It was a great success and helped celebrate Fahey in his hometown. Marc Minsker |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Mark C Date: 20 May 10 - 06:10 PM Marc, Does this mean we might never get to see your film? That would be kind of sad - however 'amateurish' it may or may not have been. There's just not enough documentation of Fahey out there... Anything is better than nothing. Although, I am glad to hear about the Tamarack production, and thanks for the heads up. I hope someday your own doc sees the light of day. Could you tell us the gist of what Peter Lang had to say? Man I wish I could have been there. Oh well... Mark |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Bobert Date: 20 May 10 - 07:46 PM Hope they interview the people who really knew him... The man was a jerk... He was rude... He was undependable... And towards the end he was so beligerant that no one wanted any part of him... I'll leave it at that... b~ |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Marc Minsker Date: 20 May 10 - 08:55 PM Peter Lang told many stories about John, even if they were a little repetitive (as my friend who saw and heard his four DC appearances told me). Peter is a gifted storyteller, with a real sense of timing and musical interludes on his guitar as he reminisces. He speaks with fondness for those early days at Takoma...and also about John later in his life. His appearance and performance made the event much more memorable. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,David E. Date: 20 May 10 - 09:24 PM "The man was a jerk... He was rude... He was undependable... And towards the end he was so beligerant that no one wanted any part of him..." Poor John... he shoulda been a Mudcatter... David E. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Bobert Date: 20 May 10 - 10:05 PM John Fahey would have been another Martin Gibson of Mudcat... No... Worse... And as for his music??? Hey, sometimes he got it right but other times he went too far out to pull it back in... I mean, it's great to take chances thinking that you are invincable and can solve any problem you have created but he did cause himself alot of unnecessary problems, painted himself into hopeless corners and then changed the subject in the middle of pieces that never resolved the problems he created... I think it was because he was so drunk and spaced out that he really couldn't concentrate enough to make anything work without pullin' out his standard solutions... hey, don't get me wrong... Some of John's stuff was good... Real good... But alot of it was junk... BTW, I'm from the DC area and I heard him several times... BTW, Part B... I also play alot of intricate figerpick, open tuning stuff so I do have a basic understanding of structure and lack there of... b~ |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,John Fahey films Date: 07 Jun 10 - 08:07 PM This is the Tamarack Productions film that I mentioned in a previous email: www.johnfaheyfilm.com |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Bobert Date: 07 Jun 10 - 09:44 PM Well, GUEST, gotta respect what you are tryin' to do... Yer making a whole lot more effort than John ever would have done... B~ |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Marc Minsker Date: 14 Nov 10 - 09:30 PM It is with great joy that I announce that Tamarack Productions visited DC this past weekend (Nov 11-14) to interview Fahey friends and to indulge in Sligo Serenity, with lots of film shot in and around Takoma Park. All the relevant locations and highlights in the Fahey mythology were hit. Director James Cullingham promises to deliver an epic film about our favorite guitar outlaw. Marc |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: gene-peace Date: 20 Nov 10 - 09:43 AM Dear Friends & Fellow Travelers: Good grief, I thought I put all of this to rest last February, but alas, like a bad penny it keeps re-appearing! :-) So once more into the breech/breach? Interestingly enough, finally there are posts asking and stating even demanding the truth, sad as it might be..... and it is a great, sad and even epic story, although it's the story of the story that's the most interesting! I think it was Bobert who posted sometime in May something to the effect of "...when are we going to hear from or interview people who really knew Fahey? And another saying something to the effect that John was a really "rude", un-dependable, jerk, etc. and another to the effect that he was a drunk, etc. Well folks that barely touches the tip of the Fahey Iceberg.....but it gets even better, or worse, depending upon whether you want to hear and know the truth, or whether you just want more self agrandizing, history changing, easy to swallow pap. If you want the truth, start out by printing out EVERY article that you can find on the web about John......then circle ONLY the things that Most of those articles agree on, and DISREGARD everthing else. It's pretty skinny!!! :-) (Particularly with regard to the early/mid years 1958-1978!) Let me start out by busting some urban myths, um no let me lay some groundwork first: John was born in Washington, DC (Not Takoma Park, Maryland) Oops, did you know that there's also a Takoma Park, DC? Hmmm! (There's only an imaginary border seperating them, Blair mill road for one) Did you know that John's parents were seperated? Has anyone told you where his Mom might have lived? (remember, born in DC) Would it surprise you to know that there are/were distinct advantages to claiming to be a DC resident, and similarly claiming to be a Maryland resident? Well for example, if you were a Maryland resident, your tuition at MD Univ. right down the road, was just about nothing, for a "po' Boy)! Oops, I don't want to give it ALL away yet! :-) (except to add that I grew up about 8 blocks away from where John grew up and know those neighborhoods like the back of my hand) So, Myth number One- "All of John Fahey's Liner Notes, are total fabrications, or at best crazed allegories having little or no relationship to reality, etc. Ad_nauseum..." - Well good folks nothing could be farther from the truth, seriously! John's Takoma liner notes, at least through 1977/8 or so, are actually a "coded" almost poetic biography of his life...I'm wanting to note Nostradamus, but not exactly a perfect fit! Again some background- Any one of you Fahey addicts will certainly recognizes the name Pat Sullivan (note- she was neat, good looking and played a MUCH BETTER guitar then did John, but I digress)- In various articles you'll find John speaking well of her, someone he could "play" with, etc. a soul buddy sorta, now it gets wierd, what you won't find is the fact that Pat Sullivan became the "love object" in a menage'...a battle to the death for her affections between Fahey & Denson, a battle that Denson won, and drove off with her, in her Audi into the sunset heading to California. How do I know? I was there and said goodbye to both of them- noting with some consternation that Audi Hubcaps that year were held on by one bolt through the middle, or was the whole wheel? Anyway, Urban legend would have you believe that John set off for California with an agenda other then the real one... which was to chase after his "love object" and try to win her back, unfortunately when he finally arrived she was already Pat Denson!!! Which brings me to Liner notes, before Pat ran off with ED, Fahey refers to her as Pat, then she suddenly becomes "Evil Devil Woman"!! The only way that the notes are decipherable, is IF YOU WERE PHYSICALLY IN THE VICINITY OF JOHN DURING THE EPISODES THAT IMPACTED HIS LIFE AT THE TIME!(In our release you'll get from me and others an actual biographical translation of various of the more poignant notes!) So, has anyone recently, or at any time after 1965 interviewed Ms Sullivan/Denson? What about Flea, John's long time friend and organist? Here in MD What about Jan Fahey, John's First wife? (Takoma Records) What about Kerry Fahey? (Takoma Records) What About Fat Carol? (Takoma Records) What about Grubby? Rob Garder- Baltimore (Duets w/John Dance of Death) The above are examples of people that REALLY knew John and will and have told the not so pretty side of John's life. Nope, guys & gals, most of the time, when John performed, it was a bottle of Bourban in his hand- the bottle of coke was as a chaser! (great anecdotes later) Another Urban legend- In some stories you're lead to believe that John hung out in the "pool hall" and drank beer with his buds! LOL Um, well for the record, Takoma Park, MD, at that time, had no pool hall, nor even a bar....ya see Takoma Park, MD was entirely controlled by the seventh day adventist population, Duh, NO ALCOHOL AT ALL ANYWHERE IN TKP, MD! Also, drinking age 18....very strictly enforced..... are you getting it yet? Another history changing urban legend- John Fahey's music is or should be known as "Primitive Guitar", term coined by Fahey! WRONG! The term coined by Fahey to describe his Takoma releases beginning with Dance of Death was "Contemporary Guitar" as you've surely noted on the Takoma LP releases.... Then Ackerman began calling it "New Age Music" and noted John as the "founding father". The term primitive guitar came from Fahey years later (1990s) when he was describing the garbage that he recorded for Bussard's Fonotone label....quote "...I just played anything for him so that he'd let me listen to his 78's, it was pretty primitive.." you bet it was!!! LOL OK, one more, or maybe two before posting this opener-- John has been called the great innovater, the coneptualist of this "new" artform expressionism- OK, let's examine the reality, in the beginning John was a pretty bad guitarist (Fonotone), he quickly figured out a way to do better, play primarily in "open" tunings.....and then he actually came up with "Genius" (unsung as it were)... As John's first REAL recording engineer John had to teach me a couple of VERY necessary idea/lessons, first he told me/ demanded of me that I can and will learn how to edit in and out "single notes" with a razor blade!! You gotta be kidding John, I said---he wasn't, and I learned how to do it transparently....the reason why? Oh dear, well because john's genius was in understanding that if you make a mistake in studio performance, and then repeat the mistake, it's NO LONGER A MISTAKE!! Sometimes he would repeat the mistake two or three times (thereby the need for editing)continously before moving on to the next verse!! NOW THAT IS GENIUS! (Dance of Death) As a final anecdote in this part one- In those early halcyon years 1964/5 through 1977 or so, I got hornswagled by Denson into being Takoma's "Official" DC area Distributor (After he let for Calif.), so follows my over-hearing the following in the Montgomery College Student Union Crash Area-"...Betty, you won't believe this, my Dad went nuts last night, I was Playing Fahey's Death Chants, Breakdowns & Military Waltzes...and my Dad came crashing into my room and said when is that guy going to stop practising? And then pulled the plug out of the wall...!" Outta the mouths of Babe's! Vol. 2 to follow Respectfully submitted Gene-Peace |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: gene-peace Date: 20 Nov 10 - 03:39 PM Part two (continued) Dear Friends, Et Al Where was I?.... so much, so little time: Note- per part one, I use the terms "American Primitive" and "Primitive Guitar" as loosely interchangeable insofar as neither term has anything whatsoever to do with John's understanding or description of his own music. The only term that John used, and actually coined to describe his music at the time he was actually performing it was "Contemporary Guitar" as noted on ALL of the original Takoma releases beginning with Dance of Death. BTW you'll note that one of John's epic works was "A Raga Called Pat", not "A Raga called Devil Woman"! :-) LOL A perhaps better example of John's "coded" liner note biography is a very long section of notes devoted to describing the very bitter internal power struggle over control of the briefly merged Labels: Takoma & Piedmont. Those notes are absolutely non-decipherable, except as jibberish, unless you were one of the individuals who were living through that horrific conflagration, either directly or indirectly. (Worse than any Divorce that you could possibly imagine!)- This too will be translated and explained soon. A few more before tying it all together...... John Fahey was the founder of a (very) loose fraternity(for want of a better term), known as "The Order of The Thong" (TOOTH). The shibilith was a leather thong wrapped twice around your right wrist and tied with a square knot. You didn't pledge this fraternity, you were lassoed(sp?) into it, usually when under the influence... only a member could "thong" you, and thereafter only a member or yourself could replace the thong. (To do it yourself requires strong teeth, patience and a flexible jaw, and a taste for cowhide). Only very close friends (being crazy helped) were inducted into this anarchical association; there was also a greeting dance which I won't describe right now, perhaps later.... :-) At one time, in the mid-sixties there were as many as 16 members of TOOTH, as best I can recall; now only three, that I know of, are still alive (none of whom are on the previous list, and none of whom have as yet been interviewed. (well not exactly) It will all become crystal clear shortly, I promise! Now I guess I'm a traditionalist(no play on words to my FSGW friends intended)in my own way when it comes to Film Documentaries. My approach, when planning a documentary film project is/was to always begin at the beginning (for many reasons)and fare forward following a "rough" set of story boards and allowing for the serendipitous vagaries of the universe to help define the path, knowing that the "END STUFF", meaning the most recent "stuff" was generally the easiest "stuff" to achieve/obtain. In my field documentaries, the Occam's Razor theory & the heisenberg uncertainty principal always showed me the correct or best or most truthful path to follow.(Those terms being NOT mutually exclusive!) So to the point now (yep there is one): Once again we find Maestro Minsker beating the drum, on this site, for the upcoming, soon to be released, "Penultimate" John Fahey Film Documentary (from the beginning to the end) being produced by Tamarack Films (yep, the same film that was supposed to be released over a year ago, well admittedly shit sometimes does happen, right?) Well, as I said, perhaps my documentary style is a might old fashioned, I'll let you be the judge- Let's begin by examining James', the Tamarack producer's approach(w/the help and advice of Maestro Minsker, of course). The very first thing that James does (well truthfully not the Very first thing, but close) is to fly to England (this is well documented on the Tamarack site) in the hopes of hiring the services of Pete Townshend to be involved in their production. Meaning that Pete will be interviewed and wax eloquently about John Fahey, and John's incredible influence on Guitar Music, and the world in general, etc. Of course the fact that Townsend NEVER, EVER in his life met John or heard him perform live, quite naturally, being of no consequence! Anyway, James was apparently successful, flew back across the great ocean, assembled his crew, and flew back, this time to France to get the interview. We can only surmise that shrewd Townshend suggested meeting the Tamarack crew on the French Riviera (Antibes), we know this because of all of the "production stills" posted on the Tamarack Films website showing each and every member of the Tamarack crew w/Townshend "in the studio" as well as the great stills of the sun setting over the Riviera! :-) Think about it folks- Airline ticket costs back and forth to France, hotel costs on the French Riviera, food costs on the French Riviera, Bar tabs on the French Riviera, studio time on the French Riviera, all monetary expenditures in order to get ONE interview! Well OK, it was after all Pete Townshend, right? Right? In addition to Tamarack's recent interview with Townshend, there are, admittedly, lots of other interviews, mostly with West Coast wannabe Stars, who either never met John, or perhaps befriended and jammed with John in what I call the "Later Years", beginning in the Portland Motel, and extending through the Revenate Records years and until his death in 2001 in Oregon; Tamarack most assuredly has lots of that stuff (it's already listed on their site), but as I said earlier, that's the "EASY STUFF", meaning the most recent stuff. Jeez, I just can't but help thinking that this is a VERY BACK ASSWARDS PRODUCTION! (One man's opinion of course, and as we all know, "...opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one!" Well, apparently, and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here, someone at Tamarack noticed that something was missing from their Film production, yep, in a blinding flash of the obvious they realized that they had NOTHING, repeat NOTHING from John's very most important beginnings, and Takoma Record's as well, Duh! Seriously, nothing from Takoma Park, MD or DC for that matter! Well I suppose anyone might overlook such a minor chapter in John's life right? Planning, continuity, establishing/intro storyboards, no sweat right? Right? WRONG! So in a crash priority mode, they do the impossible (blaring of trumpets!), they actually send a tiny crew to the DC area Last Week (um remember, Tamarack Film release date Feb. 2009) under the expert direction of their Maryland Ambassador and resident expert, Maestro Marc Minsker, to do a wrap and put it to bed in three days, or was it four? :-) Suffice it to say, they achieved the impossible, they actually got an interview with Nancy McLean, the flute player on one of John's more "primitive" earlier works, and a nice person, but decidedly NOT a close friend or associate of John's, and then, will miracles never cease, an interview with Joe Bussard, again NOT a close friend or associate of John's (as was previously noted). Good grief, if Spottswood was still living in Maryland they probably would have interviewed him too, one of John's sworn enemies over the Piedmont/Takoma conflagration! :-) But I digress. In order to make the best of their "Mission Impossible", Ambassador Minsker lead them 'round Robin Hood's barn(s) in TK Park, I won't tell ya till later about their overlooking and not filming the TK Park DC home, well again, shit happens. However, I will/must give you this...according to an eyewitness, the team was observed scampering over large boulders in the Sligo Creek stream bed, and, I guess filming it too! Unfortunately, this Sligo Creek bears no relationship at all to the original Sligo Creek. Let me explain- by the mid/late fifties over development in the Takoma Park area had long since dried up the springs that fed Sligo Creek...in actuality it had become a storm drain sewer run-off, almost totally dry most of the time, and a raging muddy cesspool run-off after a storm. Hanging out at/in Sligo Creek in the fifties gave you an incredible education about condoms, sanitary napkins and broken branches to say nothing of cans and bottles and old tires. Can you say SATIRE!? The creek was totally reconstructed (in the early 1980's) with retaining walls, brand new imported large boulders, and many years of volunteer "green workers" to bring it to it's current state, but you still wouldn't consider fishing in it because of the very high lead levels. Satire guys!!! (By the way, John Lived a good mile or more from the creek, and the lazy slug that he was wouldn't bring him there very often under any circumstances! Oh, did I also mention that it smelled godawful?! :-) Maestro Minsker, then lead them in a final Dash to where he was certain that they would find and film the world renown Ledo Pizza Parlor, an Adelphi Maryland (Near MD Univ.) landmark of over 50 years.(although exactly why he thought it was so important I fail to grasp), nevertheless, they arrived only to discover, according to Maryland expert/Ambassador Minsker, that it was OUT OF BUSINESS! Oh, dear! Well they filmed it anyway. However, dear friends, truth must come out, Ledo Pizza WAS NOT OUT OF BUSINESS, it had moved almost a year earlier to a new location closer to the MD Univ.Campus where it still makes it's world renown pizza! The sad part is that if Minsker had done the very tiniest modicum of research, he and the crew could at least have enjoyed what many call the absolute best Pizza in the DC area! :-) To the best of my knowlege that's the complete and up-to-date Tamarack story....by the way, I ommited references to Musicians like Peter Lang, and some other Annapolis area Musicians, whose selective and overly expansive (delusional) memories would have them jamming with John almost every day as well as being a gret buddy! Get a grip guys! Oh, and as a wrap up for this segment, Adelphi Records & Films Archival Vaults of Tape and Film are and always have been available for use by bonifide documentarians, academicians & scholars of all sorts, including our more then five hours of sound sync color Fahey circa 1969/70...including available to Tamarack and even Minsker should they have even bothered to ask or inquire! Further, and serendipity reigns supreme, on the week-end of the "Mission Impossible" Tamarack trek to the Takoma Park desert land, the Adelphi Family was in Millheim, PA. attending the Third Annual "Harry Smith" Festival/revival at the beautiful and large venue known as the Elk Creek Cafe & Aleworks. If anyone from Tamarack had bothered to contact me, I would have re-directed them to the site, they would have received a royal welcome, and I'd have set up an interview for them with Peter Stampfel (Fugs, Holy Modal Rounders, etc.) who was performing at the site, and who actually knew Fahey in the early days a now irreplaceably lost interview that would have added serious credibility to Tamaracks efforts.... well I guess big boulders might actually have some charm, eh? I final note- If you choose to go to the Tamarack Film website, in addition to the great production stills of Pete Townshend, you will also discover a PLEA FOR CASH DONATIONS TO SUPPORT THEIR FAHEY PROJECT!! Do I need to repeat that? I didn't think so. I hope they had a really great vacation in France, I wonder whose money they were spending!? :-) Best for now, my final post will explain all the whys and wherefores of the upcoming Adelphi DVD package of Fahey covering ONLY the "Middle Years", yes with Fahey on Film showing his true colrs, oh and also some incredible Fahey performances on the accompanying CDs. Gene -Peace |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: gene-peace Date: 23 Nov 10 - 07:40 AM Dear Friends: As promised, part three of this saga- But first, a couple more Fahey "Myth/Urban Legend" bustings, and the underlying truths thereof, if any: Let's begin from the absolute beginnings (no, not John's boyhood photos), John's first record and the incredible mythology surrounding it. I find it absolutely beyond belief, that to this very day, there are both fans and reviewers alike that REALLY believe that there was an old "blind" Negro guitar player that shuffled around Takoma Park, and who was John's mentor....the image of John sitting at the feet of his mentor(who sat in a rocking chair on a Takoma Park Porch) learning Mr. Death's blues playing secrets, is `a beautiful image but is, of course, a total flight of fancy! THERE WAS NO (singular) BLIND JOE DEATH! Get it?! Again, there was NO old "blind" shuffling Negro guitar player mentor of John's in Takoma Park!!! Now it is true that John did, in fact, have many, many Negro guitar playing mentors (both blind & sightful) in the Maryland/DC area, but they all resided on the record shelves of 78 collectors such as Spottswood & Bussard, etc. :-) Oh, befor I forget, let me shove this in here because it should have been included in my earlier interviewee lists: R. Crumb! Crumb's personal involvement with Fahey covers "both" coasts and a time frame that overlaps both the mid & later years! Hopefully the Tamarack crew caught & interviewed him during one of his (oft extended) stateside visits, if not, then they really blew an opportunity of interviewing him in FRANCE, where he officially lives or lived! He's a shy guy, but if approached with the proper decorum, he could shed/share some very intimate insights & anecdotes about John, hopefully he was interviewed! John's first lp: the 100 copy John Fahey/Blind Joe Death "vanity" pressing (circa 58/59/60, the date depending on who you want to believe, I'm a 59'r myself)- John was (and has been called) many things: egotistical, egocentric, Schizoid, rude, abusive, etc. but "Stupid" he was never called! The reality, and another (unsung) area of his genius was his basic understanding of the idea of "self promotion" as well as an understanding of the darker side of the human spirit. (Note his obsession with the works of HP Lovecraft for example). Contrary (again) to what the "history changers" and myth inventors would have you believe, John Fahey was NOT the first musician to form an INDY label; he was amongst tens of thousands of other musicians & poets and comedians, etc. (in the late 50s) to produce, at there own expense "vanity recordings" which is exactly what John's first LP was, A VANITY RECORDING that took him over 4 years to sell off(last original copy sold in late 62/early 63). Please to remember, of course, that John had very few friends, and no fans at all since he didn't publicly perform in those early days- but again to his genius, John DID produce the FIRST double sided LP, meaning that BOTH sides of the LP JACKET were the front cover; One side entitled "John Fahey" & the other side entitled "Blind Joe Death"!(Both genius & pragmatic) The cost of such a venture was relatively inexpensive for the actual pressing & parts, including a one-color label as long as you supplied an edited, leadered tape for both sides, without any Heavy bass (note) sections, and preferably 20 minutes or less per side. A rough guestimate, including the shipping might be as much/little as $250 delivered but without any Jackets. (That amounts to $2.50 apiece, based upon roughly .50 per pressing, $30 for one time label setup and printing, $100 for studio mastering & lacquer costs, $50 for a one-time strike-off "Metal" Father stamper. (plus shipping). Then comes/came the (to this day) expensive part, the packaging! (I wish I could make this shorter but there just isn't any help for it..hopefully this will put much of it to rest once and for all.... sure you're right Gene!) Anyway, John knew that putting together camera ready Artwork, to then send to printers for web/offset/duplicater plate burning, and then printing 250 or so fronts & backs, and then have then sent to a fabricator, etc, etc. would cost him, after all was said & done, almost as much as the entire production, meaning another $2.50 per LP! Well, as I said, John was anything but stupid....he chose instead to purchase "stock" prefabricated blank white jackets for about .10 apiece, and then had them over or "sur" printed IN TAKOMA PARK on an old fashioned "Letter Press", not "hot type", but actually hand set type with wood block and lead spacers, etc. Sounds simple, but given the irregular and non-dependable nature of prefabricated jackets, there was much jamming and potential damage to the type on BOTH the first and second passes. But, it was nonetheless, the least expensive way to go. So including the Jackets, shipping and printing, John's 100 vanity LPs probably cost him over $3.50 apiece. We learn several things from the above: First, John understood all of the above from the git, so to maximize his potential sales he put out two LPs for the price of one, meaning that should he ever actually get the LP into a store (which he did on consignment), the LP could/would be placed in TWO DIFFERENT BINS, one under "Fahey", and the other side under either "Blind", or "Death"!! (Pure Genius)! It took more then 6 years for the "Big Industry Boys" to use to great effect, John's merchandising idea (with the advent of gatefolds, etc, think Hendrix). Second, John used the word "Death" on this first LP, because he knew (again) that if his LP ever got into a record store bin, The word "DEATH" in bold letters would give even the most casual browser "PAUSE" and probably cause them to actually pull the record and examine it! (ANY RETAILER WILL TELL YOU THAT PUTTING HANDS ON IS 90% OF GETTING A SALE!)! This genius idea Fahey & Denson used two more times to GREAT effect in Takoma/Fahey Vols. 2 and three! So, in setting the record straight and myth busting, Fahey's comments of over 30 years later notwithstanding, (i.e.- where John casually alleges that he "sowed" copies of this expensive vanity LP in Goodwill and Salvation Army Stores) is, of course, totally false/machismo/bravado BS. Anyone who really knew John, knows that he would NEVER give or throw away an LP that he was selling for $5 apiece until the VERY LAST ONE was sold IN 1963, let alone that he'd "sow" them anywhere! LOL Second, that John himself DID NOT FOUND TAKOMA RECORDS, it wasn't until the re-discovery of Bukka White, that Takoma was officially founded by ED Denson and John Fahey as partners. So much for the Fahey starting Indy Labels myth. Further, the real explanation of the "Blind Joe Death" opposite side packaging, was (again) for "saleability"... anyone with even half a brain should be able to hear NO particular stylistic differences from one side of the LP to the other on the ORIGINAL vanity pressing! (Note, I said ORIGINAL vanity pressing). So to summarize, John's genius in the early years was NOT his "brilliant" (tongue in cheek) guitar improvisations, but his egocentric oriented packaging and self promotion. To address another related point, the "letterpress" printing company/building that John used in Takoma Park, to sur-print his first LP, still exists, although no longer actively in the printing business, the family still owns the building, and to the best of my knowlege the original (I believe Heidelberg press) is still there. Course I might be wrong, but I suspect that most Fahey fans would have much preferred photos/film of the printing press that began John's career, in the dusty ink spattered building, with voice over comments from the Master printer's son, much more then photos/film of boulders in the "new" Sligo Creek, but I guess I could be mistaken. In any event I think it's moot now...shame, as all it would have taken would have been a phone call or e-mail to me from Tamarack, and I'd have directed them there. There is one last Urban legend/myth (at least it might be)that I give you here, that I really personally like, and that swung through the gossip ranks of the then (East Coast) Thong Members in 66 or so, Denson being on the West Coast at the time, "...that ED financed the founding of Takoma Records by collecting returnable coca cola bottles (3 cents apiece) from DC's Griffith Stadium, the then home of the Washington Senators, or maybe it was Uline aArena!? :-) LOL I've never had the nerve in these recent years to ask Attorney Denson about this Legend/ but I think I'll hit him with it, out of the blue, next time I speak with him. :-) For the record, and in my humble opinion/observations, the ONLY musicians that Fahey really liked to play with, when it didn't matter, were Bill Barth, Pat Sullivan and Mike Stewart. Most others he played with were for particular "studio" sessions, or for specific "agenda" reasons, primarily money, food, lodging and drugs. I calls it like I sees it, and that's the way I saw it in the "middle years", can't speak to the later years--- I wasn't there! :-) I often feel like Thucydidese Chronicling the Peloponesion Wars when it falls upon me to keep the record straight about John from 1962/3 through 1976/7/8 the Fonotone/Takoma Years. Or perhaps more accurately and to the point, I feel like, and AM the "Last Man Standing", actually worse then that, "The Only Man Standing" who knows and experienced first hand the entire Fahey story/saga/myth. I didn't choose to be any part of it whatsoever, but it serendipitously chose to involve me for more then 15 years of my life, and now I'm once again sucked in to keep the record straight because I goddamn hate, with all my heart those that choose/need to bend or change history for/to there own personal gain or self agrandizement! I'd planned to sorta wrap it up here, but a little while ago I received a notice about Tamarack's allegedly having changed the nature of there production, which I need to check out & verify.... So I guess there's gonna have to be a part four to end this tome. Best for now Gene |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Marc Minsker Date: 22 Feb 11 - 11:40 AM It's great to hear Gene's side of the story, but as we all know, it's not the only side. To clarify two points that he brings up in his three-part message, John Fahey absolutely, without a doubt, enjoyed spending time under the Carroll Street bridge where, according to his then-girlfriend and confirmed by another childhood friend, John "loved the acoustics." And as Gene clarified, yes, Sligo is full of run-off water and natural sewage....still is today! Doesn't detract from its other-worldly persona at 2am in the morning. Second, the reason the Tamarack filmmakers and I were going to have lunch at the original Ledo's is because John frequented that restaurant after it opened in 1955. There was no interest in filming it for the documentary, as far as I know, other than enjoying a square slice at the original location. Obviously we could have gone to any of the dozens of branches of Ledo's around DC. cheers, Marc |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Guest Guest Date: 29 Apr 11 - 09:08 AM interesting thread cant believe that original guy got tore up over a few seconds of footage though next he'll be suing all of youtube all art should be free |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST,Marc Minsker Date: 31 Oct 11 - 09:55 PM Glenn Jones, picking up the John Fahey legacy WASHINGTON POST By Marc Masters, Published: October 26 In 1958, at age 19, legendary guitarist John Fahey recorded for the first time. The session for Frederick label Fonotone included a variation on "Blind" Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night — Cold Was the Ground", which he felt "may be the greatest song ever recorded." Yet Fahey, who was born in Washington and grew up in Takoma Park, decided to give his version a new name: "Takoma Park Pool Hall Blues." "John always obsessed over the events of his childhood and the places of his childhood," explains Glenn Jones, co-producer of a new box set of Fahey's Fonotone recordings called "Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You." "He eventually ventured out into the world, but he never really left those early obsessions." Indeed, Fahey, who died in 2001, changed the world of instrumental guitar, melding blues, country, classical and world music into an influential finger-picking style he dubbed "American Primitivism." The many guitarists who have since followed Fahey's path are sometimes called "the Takoma School." The name is a homage to Fahey's label, Takoma Records, which released some of his most famous albums. But according to Jones, "the seeds of all of that are in those seven years that he recorded for Fonotone. Even the earliest tracks — there is still something characteristically Fahey about them. He found his own voice at a very young age." Jones, 58, isn't just a Fahey scholar — he's a card-carrying, finger-picking member of the Takoma School. (On Friday, Jones will be in Takoma Park to discuss the Fonotone box at the House of Musical Traditions at 5 p.m., then play a show at the Potts-Dupre Schoolhouse at 8.) He's promoting a new solo set, "The Wanting," his fourth album of musical stories told in the language Fahey invented. "When I was growing up listening to different people — Jimi Hendrix, Stockhausen, Sun Ra — it was all group music," Jones said in a recent telephone interview. "It was when I heard Fahey that I realized one person alone could create something that was deep and moving and meaningful." But it took many years of listening to Fahey before Jones ventured into solo guitar himself. He credits that decision in part to advice from a college art teacher, who posited two ways to become an artist: "Either paint and paint and paint and eventually you'll be a painter, or look at paintings forever, and when you're ready to paint, you'll be a painter." Jones chose the latter route, but even before he took up solo guitar seriously, he became friends with Fahey in the late 1970s. The two eventually collaborated with Jones's band, Cul de Sac, on a 1997 album Fahey wryly dubbed "The Epiphany of Glenn Jones." "I sort of swum in John's backwater, if you will, for many decades," Jones chuckles. "It took me a long time to find my own voice." That voice is quite clear on "The Wanting," carrying him through lonely blues, looping melodies and sharp statements. Jones has shed Fahey's influence in part by owning up to it. On the new album, he continues Fahey's habit of naming songs after locations, which helps him remember the initial inspiration behind each. In fact, the title of the record's epic closer, "The Orca Grande Cement Factory at Victorville," is a direct homage to Fahey's "The Portland Cement Factory at Monolith, California." But Jones makes the song his own with circular, meditative playing, as well as with the textural accents of drummer Chris Corsano. "If people say there's still a lot of Fahey in there, well, yes, it's undeniable," he admits. "I'm proud to be an apple that's fallen off that tree. But I think that there's enough in what I do that's my own that I don't need to apologize for anything." That's certainly in keeping with the spirit of Fahey, a cantankerous soul who rarely said sorry with his music. "For John, there was no shying away from anything no matter how dark or negative it was," Jones recalls. "He'd say, 'People think blues is about sadness. It's not about sadness, it's about anger.' He expressed anger in his music, and dread and fear and bitterness, but also joy and exultation." Jones doesn't always detect that kind of honesty in new adherents to the Takoma School. "A lot of the players today have absorbed Fahey's style and inspiration, but I think some are missing an important element in what he does, and that's the emotional element," he says. "They've got the 'how' part of playing down, but I don't feel they're coming to grips with the 'why' of playing." Jones will explore some of those hows and whys during his Takoma Park appearances. The visit offers him a chance to spread the gospel of Fahey in a place where he wishes more people were believers. "I hope someday, in some minor way perhaps, he'll be celebrated [in Takoma Park] and seen as a cultural touchstone for the town," he says. "I'm not saying there has to be a big statue in the middle of the town square, but it would be nice if he'd be recognized." Even if Takoma Park doesn't often celebrate John Fahey, he often thought about Takoma Park — even decades after living there. Jones recalls a tape Fahey played for him in the '90s, in which a low drone that producer Jim O'Rourke added under Fahey's guitar playing got him extremely excited. When Jones asked why, he replied, "It sounds like the Takoma Park railroad plow in winter, clearing the snow off the tracks. I've been looking for that sound my whole life!" Masters is a freelance writer. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: GUEST Date: 27 May 12 - 09:12 PM glad to hear this won't be released. I saw the latest version of the doc a year ago. unless it is done by someone who was there at the beginnings and who still has no blinkers on about it - there's just no point. |
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Subject: Feature length Fahey Documentary From: GUEST Date: 11 Nov 12 - 05:34 PM James Cullingham's two-year film project , IN SEARCH OF BLIND JOE DEATH, has finally been completed and was recently released, premiering at several international film festivals, including the Vancouver Film Festival. This film will come to DC for its premiere sometime in January or February. Will post relevant info once the date is secured. http://www.musicfilmweb.com/2012/11/john-fahey-james-cullingham-music-documentary/ Marc Minsker |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Thomas Stern Date: 15 Nov 13 - 04:45 PM The DVD of IN SEARCH OF BLIND JOE DEATH is now available. IMO, a lot more research and documentation is needed (interviews, in-depth analysis of Fahey's music, the various periode in his musical development, biographical information other that what Fahey has written, etc.) This doucment is only 57minutes, and is a good outline for further study. It has no subtitles, which I believe would help. Soundtrack is in part not clear, and balance between questions and replies in the interviews is way off requiring one to continually adjust the volume. worth seeing, but there needs to be much more. at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Search-Blind-Joe-Death/dp/B00EOVF1EQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384551670&sr=8-1&keywords=in+search+of+blind+joe+death First run Features site: http://firstrunfeatures.com/johnfaheydvd.html Best wishes, Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docu due out in Feb 2009 From: Hagman Date: 15 Nov 13 - 06:35 PM This film due to be shown on BBC4 on Sunday Dec 8 as part of a mini blues festival. Check your local guide, those lucky enough to be in the UK. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: GUEST,mahatma57 Date: 17 Nov 13 - 08:22 PM The mere fact that this documentary was made is reason for celebration. If you allow the legacy of the musician to die due to petty squabbles, you confine them to the dustbin of history. If you want a better documentary, then make one. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: The Sandman Date: 18 Nov 13 - 04:33 AM Iwould like to see it , will it be shown in ireland? |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: Thomas Stern Date: 26 Nov 13 - 06:53 PM good article in The Guardian(UK) John Fahey: the guitarist who was too mysterious for the world http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/26/john-fahey-blues-folk-guitar-pioneer Best wishes, Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: G-Force Date: 07 Dec 13 - 02:24 PM BBC4 showed it last night. I thought it was great, although I'm not enough of a Fahey Freak to know how much better it could have been. It's amazing how much good stuff BBC4 are showing at the moment. Maybe the license fee is due. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: Will Fly Date: 07 Dec 13 - 07:48 PM It was a great documentary, very even in its assessment of Fahey - and great to see John Bussard! |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: Thomas Stern Date: 07 Dec 13 - 09:21 PM There is a DVD documentary about JOE Bussard: Desperate Man Blues: Discovering the Roots of American Music Joe Bussard (Actor), Edward Gillan (Director) This DVD documentary chronicles the amazing life in music of legendary record collector, Joe Bussard (founder of Fonotone Records). Blues. Gospel. Jazz. Hillbilly. The late 1920s was the big bang of the music industry. King of record collectors Joe Bussard tells the story of "America's real music" with passionate enthusiasm in his own inimitable style. The film has an outstanding soundtrack featuring artists Charley Patton, Son House, The Carter Family, Uncle Dave Macon, Blind Willie McTell and a roster of other roots musicians. Deluxe DVD with 51-minute documentary feature film and 30-minute featurette; clear amaray case; NTSC format, all region DVD. Bussard's collection is the source for many country and blues reissue rare tracks. An iteresting CD exploration of that collection is: Down In The Basement: Joe Bussard's Treasure Trove of Vintage 78s 1926-1937 (Jewel Case with 28-page booklet) by Uncle Dave Macon, Rev Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Stripling Brothers, Kokomo (2003) Audio CD OLD HAT Records. I believe it was originally issued with extensive documentation, now out of print, but a less elegant presentation is available. He also recorded and LP for PIEDMONT PLP 13160 "Jolly Joe (Bussard) and His Jug Band - First New Jug Band In The Traditional Style " Group includes Joe Bussard, Bob Coltman, Oscar Myers, Jerry Marcum. Best wishes, Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 08 Dec 13 - 04:48 PM Fahey's playing was boring, plodding, unimaginative and... well, I was going to add "uninspiring, but at least he did inspire a real guitar player in Leo Kottke. What is anmazing is the fact that BBC TV 4 can find space to screen a John Fahey documentary but aren't at all interested in showing the Vin Garbutt documentary. Now there is a real talent! |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: Thomas Stern Date: 15 Dec 13 - 08:16 PM further trivia RE Joe Bussard: TOMPKINS SQUARE records has released a 10" vinyl 78rpm of Joe Bussard - TSR 71136 GUITAR RAG SCREWDRIVER SLIDE Best wishes, Thos. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: Rain Dog Date: 16 Dec 13 - 10:17 AM Re: Joe Bussard I saw that documentary about him on BBC4 a few years back. He recorded Guitar Rag as part of The 78 Project. I assume it is the one that has been released. You can see him recording it here The 78 Project: Joe Bussard - "Guitar Rag" |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: voyager Date: 16 Dec 13 - 12:34 PM This Fahey thread is laden with BS (IMHO). I've listened to his music over 50 years and his innovative finger-style playing, 'deep river blues' and pulse of American roots music is unmatched (again IMHO) among modern day guitar stylists. Saw the ISOBJD film last week and enjoyed it immensely. 'Nuff said voyager |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: GUEST,pauperback Date: 29 Jul 16 - 03:47 PM Can't argue with success, voyager. |
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Subject: RE: John Fahey Docufilm: In Search of Blind Joe Death From: voyager Date: 03 Aug 22 - 01:36 PM cross post to the Mudcat today - As a disciple of the music of John Fahey ('American Primitive Guitar) I recorded Some Summer Day and and created a Fahey Tribute Page Blind Joe Death (Fahey album 1959,'64, '68). Blind Joe Death Tribute page Fast forward to 2022 and #2 son recorded a podcast (Our Tunes) segment on Pod Boy Longs Ways From Home (Fahey tribute) Enjoy the sounds of this master fingerstyle artist on some summer day. voyager |
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