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========================================================================
BOC FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about BLUE OYSTER CULT
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Version: 3.3 Date of Latest Revision: December 10, 2001
========================================================================
Preliminary Notes: The text version of this FAQ was created on a
Macintosh computer using a font of 10-point Monaco -- if the BOC symbol
above does not look right on your screen, setting your font to a fixed
width font (such as either "Monaco" or "Courier") should fix the
problem. Also, the width of this document is set to 72 characters.
The most current version of this FAQ can always be found at the editor's
website: http://members.aol.com/bocfaqman
DEDICATION
The BOC FAQ is dedicated first and foremost to the current and former
members of Blue Oyster Cult, for creating music that has given so many
of us years of pleasure - from our stereos, to the concert halls, to our
computers, and all points in-between. These experiences have shaped our
lives in many ways. For that we thank you, we salute you, and we are
"Burnin' For You".
This FAQ is also dedicated to all BOC fans across the world. Without
you, BOC would only be about music - with you, BOC is a way of life.
Many of us have met in-person or on-line and shared our thoughts, our
feelings, and our experiences. While as individuals we are diverse, and
we might disagree on many things, our common love is the music of BOC.
This FAQ has been put together because we continue to seek knowledge on
all things pertaining to BOC - "May God help us in our search".
John Swartz, BOC FAQ Editor
========================================================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================
1. The Nexus Of The Crisis, And The Origin Of Storms -- FAQ Information
a. Why a BOC FAQ?
b. The *real* people that made this FAQ possible
c. Version history
d. Archive location of this FAQ
e. Commonly used abbreviations
2. The Oyster Boys Are Swimming Now -- Who Are Blue Oyster Cult?
a. Who are BOC?
b. No really, who are BOC?
c. History of the Band
d. Pre-history of the Band
3. My Ears Will Melt, And Then My Eyes -- Blue Oyster Cult Discography
a. Domestic (U.S.) Album Releases
b. Solo Albums, Live Imports, Movie Soundtracks, and Special
Compilations
c. Compilation Albums (domestic)
d. Compilation Albums (foreign)
e. Bootleg Recordings
f. Other Releases (Singles, Promos, Etc.)
g. The Buck Dharma Archive Series
h. The Brain Surgeons Discography
i. Joe Bouchard Post-BOC Releases
4. R. U. Ready 2 Rock? -- Frequently Asked Questions
a. What are BOC up to these days?
b. When is the new (*not* a "Greatest Hits") album coming out?
c. Where can I find (Flat Out, Imaginos, Bad Channels, other rare
items)?
d. What is the "best" BOC album?
e. What is the story behind the recording of the album, *Imaginos*?
f. What is the story told by the album, *Imaginos*?
g. Is there a BOC/H.P. Lovecraft connection?
h. Where is the BOC symbol on the _____ album?
i. Where can I get a complete set of BOC lyrics?
j. What is a (Diz-Buster, ME-262, Stun Guitar, . . .)?
k. Who is (Suzy, Celine, Debbie Denise, Sir Rastus Bear, . . .)?
l. Where can I get BOC live recordings?
m. Where can I find Rossignol's book, 'The Origins of a World War'?
n. What do the Japanese words in "Godzilla" mean?
o. Are there other BOC recordings, and how can I hear them?
(1) Unique Singles
(2) "Guitar's Practicing Musicians"
(3) BOC on Other Recordings
(4) Soft White Underbelly, Oaxaca, and Stalk-Forrest Group
(5) "Wings Of Mercury"
(6) The Red And The Black, and The Buck Dharma Band
(7) Live Radio Broadcasts
(8) Demos
(9) "No Zilla"
p. Where can I find BOC MP3s?
q. Are BOC Nazis?
r. When did Buck Dharma shave off his moustache?
s. Will the original line-up ever get back together again?
t. How tall was the original line-up?
5. A Harvest of Life, A Harvest of Death -- Other Items of Interest
a. Use of Umlauts, and the Origin of the Name, "Blue Oyster Cult"
b. BOC in Concert
c. BOC on the Charts
d. The Movie "Heavy Metal"
e. The Buck Dharma Band Ricky Browning Benefit
f. Song References
g. References to BOC
(1) Movies
(2) Television
(3) Books
(4) Comics
(5) Music
(6) Other
h. Bands Covering BOC
i. The BOC/Michael Moorcock Connection
j. Hidden Messages
k. BOC on Video
l. BOC Collectibles
6. Three Men in Black Said, "Don't Report This" -- More Sources Of Info
a. Bolle Gregmar -- BOC/Brain Surgeons Fan Clubs
b. Church Of The Cult -- BOC Fan Club For French Fans
c. Buck Dharma Mailing List
d. Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost -- The Brain Surgeons
e. BOC Newswire - Latest BOC News And Tour Dates
f. BOC-L -- The BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail List
g. BOC on AOL
h. BOC on the Web
(1) Official BOC Sites
(2) Fan and Reference Sites
(3) Artwork and Photography Sites
(4) BOC-Related Sites
(5) Other Related Commercial Sites
i. Other Online Sources
7. Think I'll Write "Good Health To You" -- Copyright and Disclaimer
========================================================================
1. The Nexus Of The Crisis, And The Origin Of Storms -- FAQ Information
Why a BOC FAQ?
==============
Short Answer: Why not?
Slightly-Longer Answer: *Everybody* needs a FAQ, don't they?
Long Answer: Blue Oyster Cult has, these days, a fairly small, but
loyal, and somewhat rabid following. The band has a history of over 20
years, and many people who were not fans back then want to know about
the band's origins. In addition, the various themes of BOC's music are
interesting to discuss. Finally, BOC fans on the internet seem to ask
the same questions over and over again - of course, part of this is
because we *like* to re-hash the topics, and usually come up with
something new when we do.
Editor's Smart-Mouthed Answer: After you've read through this FAQ,
which will probably printout to over 100 pages, the answer will become
obvious ("We Understand...We Understand").
Note: This FAQ was originally created for, and circulated on, "BOC-L",
a group of individuals who regularly communicate using electronic mail
(E-Mail) to discuss, among other things, BOC. Information on how people
with internet access can subscribe to this group (also referred to as
the BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail list) appears elsewhere in this FAQ.
The *real* people that made this FAQ possible
=============================================
This FAQ has finally come into being for two reasons, (1) because
someone volunteered to finally take on the project, and (2) because lots
of knowledgeable BOC fans contributed. While I am somewhat proud to say
that I took on the project of generating the BOC FAQ, it is only by the
many submissions of input from BOC fans that made this FAQ possible.
While I am a fan, I don't claim to be the most knowledgeable on all
things related to BOC. My job as editor was mostly to layout the format
of the FAQ, and enter in the data. I am in debt to the following
individuals, who are listed in no particular order:
Jean Lansford Bryan Irby Steve Swann
Ben Cohen Bryce Baker Dave Hardman
Andy Gilham David Kuznick Warrick Bell
David Dean Terry Poot Tim Fulcher
Alun Hughes Carl Anderson Ken Alexander
John McIntyre Craig Shipley Eric Falk
Dan Weissman Jason Gool Ed Tidwell
Mark Mitchum Ken Harward Jason Scruton
Tom Gannon Jonathan Padgett James DeWitt
Keith Frazier Gary Wingert Craig Matsumoto
Chuck Rosenberg Scott Heller Rob Maerz
Todd Ellenberg Ken Drew Ken VanTassell
Robert Reich Miles-Kevin Baron Alan Siebert
Robert Sedler Joseph Brooks Craig Marciniak
Steven Hulvey Andrew Lloyd Skip Galvin
Andrew Apold Alexandre Garcia Wallace McBride
Jack Taylor Jean-Luc Carrier Rich Kulawiec
Jack Heffling Dan Clore Shawn Quinn
Douglas Pearson Alexis Gavras Chuck Saden
Ted Alger Steven Tice Teri Cruzan
Chris Jackson Thorsten Thielen Todd Seely
William Pickett Goran Janicijevic Phill Ash
Rob Gorman Chris Baker John Riviello
Manuel Delacour Bill Futreal Christian Mumford
Tony DeStefano Michael Sharpe John Trimble
Todd Yam Rus Hall Mark DeLugt
Wesley Elsberry Laj Waldner Adrian Brevard
Rick DesLauriers Chris Wilson Nathaniel Webb
Greg Rozeboom Dave Dalrymple Erik Kjelland
Chris Martin Richard Averdahl Charlie Gow
Gord Ludolph Mike Phelps Darrell Maul
Steve Rivet Paul Mather Mike Tanigawa
David Puckett Charlie Grant Russell Emberson
Giancarlo Bolther James Causey Michael Heath
Michael Looney Brian Bearden Alesandro De Mitri
Mark Bowman Bob Milot Daniel Lyons
Jim Snideman Jason Rubin Peter Fraize
Ian Hammond Jean-Luc Kerdelhue Chris Canter
Ivan Firic Mark Brown Jared St. Germain
Grego Joigny Michael Pilotti
John Roeser (related to a famous guitarist)
John Shirley (BOC lyricist)
Les Braunstein (of "Soft White Underbelly" and "Les Vegas")
Andrew Winters (of "Soft White Underbelly" and "Stalk-Forrest Group")
Tommy Zvoncheck (of "Blue Oyster Cult")
Deborah Frost (of "The Brain Surgeons")
Albert Bouchard (of "The Brain Surgeons" and "Blue Oyster Cult")
Joe Bouchard (of "Blue Oyster Cult" and "The Cult Brothers")
Eric Bloom (of "Blue Oyster Cult")
Donald Roeser (a.k.a. "Buck Dharma" of "Blue Oyster Cult")
Melne Murphy (of the BOC Fan Club)
Finally, and most importantly, special thanks go out to Bolle Gregmar,
head of the BOC Fan Club. First and foremost, he (along with Melne
Murphy) has done all of us BOC fans a great service by providing the fan
club, and keeping it going even after BOC was something less than a
household name. Beyond that, he has spent several hours on the phone
with me going over this FAQ, providing me lots of interesting
information, correcting various inaccuracies, and helping me with some
legal issues. You will see his name sprinkled throughout the FAQ -- he
is probably the singularly most knowledgeable individual on Blue Oyster
Cult, other than members of the band themselves (and in some cases,
because of all the things he's collected on the band, he may still know
about things that members of the band may have forgotten) -- one of the
band members once said, "Bolle is the Blue Oyster Cult - we're just the
band".
Version history
===============
This version of this FAQ, identified as version "3.3", supersedes
all previous versions. Several sections of the FAQ have been
reorganized, and many additional random bits of information (and even a
few corrections) have once again been sprinkled throughout the FAQ.
Information about all the following new releases have been added to the
FAQ:
Rhino Handmade's release of the Stalk-Forrest Group recordings - *Stalk-
Forrest Group - St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings*
BOC's newest studio album - *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*
Cellsum Records tribute CD to former BOC lyricist Helen Wheels - *To
Helen With Love*
Sony/Legacy re-mastered versions of *Blue Oyster Cult*, *Tyranny And
Mutation*, *Secret Treaties*, and *Agents Of Fortune*, along with a
promotional CD for these releases entitled *God Save Blue Oyster Cult
From Themselves*
The new CD featuring Joe Bouchard, *Bouchard Dunaway & Smith: Back From
Hell*, as well as information about the 1989 Deadringer album,
*Electrocution Of The Heart*
The completion of the "Buck Dharma Limited Edition Archive Series" and
"The Red And The Black: The R&B; Demos"
A few bootleg CD-R's
Also, a "Dedication" has been added to the beginning of the FAQ.
Version 3.2 contains the following changes over version 3.1: Many
additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the
FAQ. Sony released a BOC compilation, *Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best
of Blue Oyster Cult*, containing re-mastered tracks. Finally, with the
release of Buck Dharma's new website (buckdharma.com), fans can order,
among other things, the "Buck Dharma Limited Edition Archive Series" CDs
containing rare tracks from Buck's private tape vault.
Version 3.1 contains the following changes over version 3.0: Many
additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the
FAQ. New sections were added on live radio broadcasts, demo material by
the band, and the heights of the original line-up. A new question
(Where can I find BOC MP3s?) has also been added. The discography
section has been updated to include new BOC compilations and bootlegs
that have been released, as well as the new release *Piece Of Work* by
the Brain Surgeons. In addition, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released a
re-mastered "gold" CD of *Blue Oyster Cult* and *Tyranny And Mutation*
on a single CD (complete with restored album sleeve artwork and new
liner notes penned by Eric Bloom), and a "BOC Tribute Album" (*Don't
Fear The Remake* by Too Hip For The Room) now exists. Finally, with all
the concern in the world this year about the "Y2K" issue with computers,
the FAQ has been modified to be "Y2K-compliant": All date references
using 2 digits (e.g. "the 70's") have been replaced by 4 digits (e.g.
"the 1970's). Is this necessary? Hardly, but, at least you can't blame
me when your computer crashes on January 1st, 2000.
Version 3.0 contains the following changes over version 2.3: Most
significantly, one of the most frequently asked questions, "Will BOC
ever release a new album, and when?" has been at long last answered.
BOC's first full studio album of new material in 10 years, *Heaven
Forbid*, was released in March of 1998 on CMC International Records. In
addition, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released a re-mastered "gold" CD of
*Agents Of Fortune* (complete with restored album sleeve artwork and new
liner notes penned by Buck Dharma). Some additional random bits of
information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ. In particular, some
new information has been added/updated based on issues 4-10 of "Morning
Final", the former newsletter for the BOC fanclub. New BOC websites
come and go, or change addresses.
Version 2.3 contains the following changes over version 2.2: Some
additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the
FAQ. In particular, some new information has been added/updated based
on issues 1-3 of "Morning Final", the former newsletter for the BOC
fanclub (note: the next revision of the FAQ will include updated
information based on issues 4-10). Numerous new BOC and related
websites have been added to website listing. A section about a very
special benefit performance by Buck Dharma has been added. Information
about BOC's planned upcoming album is updated, including information on
the *Summerdaze* album, which contains one of the songs scheduled to be
on the new BOC album. Finally, Sony Music has released 2 new BOC
compilation albums (*On Flame With Rock And Roll* and *Don't Fear The
Reaper* - not to be confused with earlier Columbia BOC compilations of
the same names), Joe Bouchard has released a CD of songs he wrote and
performed with the "Cult Brothers" (*Joe Bouchard Presents the X
Brothers: Solid Citizens*), and the Brain Surgeons have released a
promotional cassette (*Pull The Plug*) and new CD (*Malpractise*), which
have been added to the discography.
Version 2.2 contains the following changes over version 2.1: Some
additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the
FAQ. Minor errors continue to be found and corrected. Some of the
information has been expanded upon or corrected, based on an article on
BOC by Steve Roeser and Bolle Gregmar that appeared in the June 7, 1996
issue of *Goldmine* magazine. Editor's comment: This article may be
the most comprehensive work ever written about BOC to date -- it
contains an extensive history and lots of trivia, not to mention many
photographs of the band. The authors have also acknowledged the BOC FAQ
and its editor in the article. The article is based on the two author's
extensive knowledge of the band, as well as recent interviews with Sandy
Pearlman, Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Albert Bouchard and Joe
Bouchard. The list of BOC-related web sites has been expanded. Two new
sub-sections (Bands Covering BOC, and BOC Collectibles) have been added,
as well as answers to two more questions (Are BOC Nazis? and When did
Buck Dharma shave off his moustache?). Information about BOC's planned
upcoming album is also included. Finally, Sony Music has released
another BOC compilation album (*Revisited*), and the Brain Surgeons have
released a new album (*Box Of Hammers*), which have been added to the
discography.
Version 2.1 contains the following changes over version 2.0: Minor
corrections that various individuals have spotted have been made. Some
additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the
FAQ, and some of the information is now better organized. The
information pertaining to Michael Moorcock has been split into a
separate sub-section. Finally, since the last release of the FAQ,
Sony/Columbia has released the BOC compilation double CD, *Workshop Of
The Telescopes*, and this information has been added to the discography.
Version 2.0 contains the following changes over version 1.0:
Information in sections 4 and 5 has been modified and expanded, based on
conversations with Bolle Gregmar, head of the BOC Fan Club. Minor
corrections that various individuals have spotted have been made. Some
additional bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ,
and sections 3, 4, and 5 have been re-organized in several areas. Eric
Bloom provided me with information on some of his various musical
projects, and Buck Dharma has provided information on the song,
"Harvester Of Eyes". I received e-mail from Soft White Underbelly
vocalist Les Braunstein, and he gave me some insight into the band's
early history. A new section on miscellaneous releases (singles,
promos, etc.) has been added, as well as a portion of Bryce Baker's
interpretation of the *Imaginos* saga. More neat BOC stuff can now be
found on the Internet and the World Wide Web. The Brain Surgeons have
released a new album (*Trepanation*), which has been added to the
discography. Finally, since the last release of the FAQ, *Flat Out* has
become available on CD as an import.
The generation of this version of the BOC FAQ began on August 4th,
1994, when, after seeing the words "we need a FAQ" in them for about the
10th time on a BOC discussion group (BOC-L), the editor decided to take
a stab a writing a FAQ -- not particularly for BOC-L members, but for
BOC fans in general. "Draft" versions of the FAQ were circulated on
BOC-L, with lots of comments by it's members. Draft versions of the FAQ
were also sent to former band members Albert Bouchard (who is a member
of BOC-L) and Joe Bouchard (who has internet access), as well as to the
head of the BOC Fan Club. The first "official" version of the FAQ,
version 1.0, was released to BOC-L on 15 February, 1995. It was
subsequently sent to the internet newsgroups, "alt.rock-n-roll" and
"alt.rock-n-roll.classic". It later appeared on several links on the
World Wide Web (WWW).
Archive location of this FAQ
============================
For the most up-to-date information regarding the FAQ, including
links to text and HTML versions of the FAQ, the editor has a BOC website
at the following URL:
http://members.aol.com/bocfaqman/
The latest version of this FAQ can also be found in the BOC-L
archives. The archives are located via anonymous FTP from
in the [.boc-l] directory. In other words, use whatever FTP program you
have to access the following address:
ftp.spc.edu
and use the following username:
anonymous
Use your E-Mail address as a password. Once in, set the directory to
[.boc-l], and use the "get" command to transfer the FAQ to your system.
The filename is:
BOC_FAQ-version#.txt
(e.g., This version is: BOC_FAQ-3_3.txt)
Along with the FAQ, a few other items of interest may be found.
The FAQ, along with other BOC-L archives, can also be accessed by
the World Wide Web. Using your web browser, open the following URL:
ftp://ftp.spc.edu/boc-l
There are now several WWW links with BOC-related information,
including links to the BOC-L archives, including the FAQ (where the most
up-to-date version will always be kept). See the listing located near
the end of the FAQ for a listing of these links.
Commonly used abbreviations
===========================
AOF, AoF, AF Agents Of Fortune (album title)
BB Buck's Boogie (song title)
BDB Buck Dharma Band
BFY, B4Y Burnin' For You (song title)
BOC Blue Oyster Cult (band name, album title, song title)
BOC-L BOC Listserver (BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail discussion group)
CC Cult Classic (compilation album title)
CE Cultosaurus Erectus (album title)
CGLOD Cold Gray Light Of Dawn (song title)
CN Club Ninja (album title)
COE Career Of Evil (song title, compilation album title)
COF[WRAR] Cities On Flame [With Rock And Roll] (song title)
COTHM Curse Of The Hidden Mirror(s) (album title, song title)
DFTR (Don't Fear) The Reaper (song title)
D&S;, DAS, DS Dominance And Submission (song title, way of life)
ETI Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (song title)
ETL Extraterrestrial Live (album title)
FO Flat Out (Buck Dharma solo album title)
FOUO Fire Of Unknown Origin (album title, song title)
FT Flaming Telepaths (song title)
GAOL Golden Age Of Leather (song title)
HF Heaven Forbid (album title)
HM Harvest Moon (song title)
HOE Harvester Of Eyes (song title)
KOTJ Kick Out The Jams (song title)
LFM Live For Me (song title)
MC Motorcycle Club (as in the song, "Transmaniacon MC")
ME 262 Messerschmitt 262 (song title, WWII German warplane)
MF Morning Final (song title, BOC fanclub newsletter)
OFWRAR, OFWR&R; On Flame With Rock And Roll (compilation album title)
OYFOOYK On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (album title)
PUD Power Underneath Despair (song title)
TRATB, TR&TB; The Red And The Black (song title)
SABAAF She's As Beautiful As A Foot (song title)
SB Still Burnin' (song title)
SEE Some Enchanted Evening (album title)
SFG Stalk-Forrest Group (former band name)
SOBAK Society Of Buck Ass-Kissers *
ST Secret Treaties (album title)
STTS Stairway To The Stars (song title)
SWU Soft White Underbelly (former band name)
SYIB, CUIB See You In Black (song title)
tBS The Brain Surgeons
THFTR Too Hip For The Room (see section on bands covering BOC)
[T]RBN [The] Revolution By Night (album title)
T&M;, TAM, TM Tyranny And Mutation (album title)
WGGOOTP We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (song title)
WOTT, WOT Workshop Of The Telescopes (song, compilation album
title)
* This reference is an inside joke on the America On-Line bulletin
boards for BOC. It refers to a fan that unashamedly praises Buck Dharma
as an individual on the BOC message board.
And, here's a few commonly used abbreviations by folks on the internet:
AFAIK As Far As I Know
BTW By The Way
FWIW For What It's Worth
HTML HyperText Markup Language
IMHO In My Humble (or Honest) Opinion
LOL Laughing Out Loud
Ob Obligatory
ROTFL(MAO) Rolling On The Floor Laughing (My Ass Off)
WWW World Wide Web
Editor's Note: To avoid people having to keep coming back to this
section while reading the FAQ, I have avoided using the abbreviations in
the FAQ (other than "FAQ" of course; but if you've gotten this far and
don't know what "FAQ" stands for, I suggest you start over right now).
2. The Oyster Boys Are Swimming Now -- Who Are Blue Oyster Cult?
Who are BOC?
============
A group of aliens who serve "Les Invisibles" (see discussion on the
story told by the album, *Imaginos*).
No really, who are BOC?
=======================
A 5-man rock band from New York (see below).
History of the Band
===================
Note: The following is taken mostly from liner notes written by Arthur
Levy in the "Career of Evil" album, portions of which also appeared in
BOC tour programs and press kits. Additional information appears in
[brackets]. Some of the history, and pre-history (which appears in the
next section) information was taken from the liner notes to a German
import compilation CD (Editor's note: Thanks to Andy Gilham for
translating the German to English for me.).
In the early 1970's, in the utter chaos of an embattled America
cast adrift by the fires that plagued it for a decade, there arose a
rock band whose destiny was no less than to bring ultimate meaning to
the concept of heavy metal. When Blue Oyster Cult played, it was the
sound of monsters in the hills. The wind carried the band's unknown
tongues across continents until it felt as if earth's very crust could
tear away.
The agents of fortune responsible for this rage of heavy-metal
thunder were a shadowy quintet, indeed. Their primal rumblings were
first heard in the late 1960's, in the band known as Soft White
Underbelly, which evolved into the Stalk-Forrest Group as an antidote to
that era's "success-rock" syndrome. The dusty nightmare of Altamont
settled into rock's fabric, and a thoroughly professional band emerged
from the SWU/SFG heiarchy.
As Blue Oyster Cult then, a familiar lineup would remain unchanged
for a dozen years: leather-clad Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar) leering at
audiences behind silver-mirrored shades; white-suited Donald "Buck
Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) attaining pyrotechnic levels that
earned him Top-10 honors in rock-guitar polls; menacingly frail, pale
Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar, vocals), longtime companion to poetess
Patti Smith, lurking near the fringes of BOC's pulse; and Long Island
brothers Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals) and Joe Bouchard (bass,
vocals), drifting effortlessly from pile-driving, bottom-end work to
more exotic rhythms with enviable finesse. High above them all hung the
ominous BOC banner, ancient symbol of Kronos (Saturn) in white on a
field of black. [An interesting note is that Eric Bloom, according to
the liner notes written by Volker Koerdt on the German import BOC CD,
*The Reaper - Best*, stated that it was difficult to find his leather
gear in those days -- "You couldn't get that stuff in those days, I had
to buy it in gay stores or sex shops."]
The indispensable sixth member of this American rock 'n' roll cabal
was Sandy Pearlman. As producer, songwriter, and manager of BOC,
Pearlman's knowledge of history and philosophy have enjoyed free reign
for nearly 20 years. His production credits grew to include The Clash,
Dream Syndicate, and Dictators. As one of the acknowledged founders of
modern rock criticism (with Richard Meltzer, Paul Williams, and Jon
Landau), he was the first to apply the term "heavy metal" to the music
at hand. And as eternal student and teacher, his quest for true cosmic
enlightenment is forever.
BOC drew upon its collective talent as composers and musicians for
the aptly titled debut album on Columbia, *Blue Oyster Cult* (released
January, 1972), produced by Pearlman and Murray Krugman, a Columbia A&R;
executive. This team (with engineer David Lucas) would stay together
through BOC's first seven years and as many LPs. The songwriting
pattern was also set, a fusion of terror and madness, wit and irony, pop
culture, social psychology, science, mythology, intellectual
calisthenics, gutter outrage -- tactical directions that remained
constant.
A discernible popular following took hold as American rockers
accepted BOC at a level previously reserved for U.K. bands only. In
order to whet the appetites of these enlightened ones, a limited edition
"Live Bootleg" 12-inch EP was circulated by the label. Since its
release in October, 1972, this cherished item has become the Maltese
Falcon of heavy metal collectibles. [Note: This recording is known
under several names (see discography), and, while not widely circulated,
is available as an import.]
Over the next three years, BOC steadily ascended to headlining
status, notwithstanding the absence of a Top-40 single or million-
selling gold LP sales, just "Cult Power" (bolstered by rock critic
establishment endorsements in the press and on the FM airwaves) and
sheer musical depth. The LPs reflected this: *Tyranny And Mutation*
(February, 1973) and *Secret Treaties* (April, 1974) both reinforced and
exaggerated BOC's many obsessions, just as the band's public image
threatened to overtake its existential reality. They bought some
breathing space with the release of their first live album, the double
LP, *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* (February, 1975). The album
contained live performances of songs off the first three albums, plus
"Buck's Boogie", "Maserati GT" (Pearlman's dream car, or a re-working of
the Yardbirds' "I Ain't Got You") and Steppenwolf's elegy to the summer
of love, "Born To Be Wild" -- in which Eric and Donald's Texas chainsaw
guitar duel attains brain-shattering modulation.
The inevitable commercial breakthrough took place with the next two
LPs, which presented more individual contributions by the members of the
band: the RIAA platinum *Agents Of Fortune* (May, 1976), with the Top-
10 [editor's note: it reached #12 actually] hit "(Don't Fear) The
Reaper" (later quoted by Stephen King in *The Stand*); and *Spectres*
(November, 1977), whose "Godzilla" set off another explosion, especially
in Japan, where BOC was greeted as a messenger of the gods, not unlike
"Godjira" itself. This phase of BOC's career culminated in a second
live album: *Some Enchanted Evening* (September, 1978) "made up for"
the various sins of omission/commission on *On Your Feet Or On Your
Knees*, while it also capitalized on having played more than 250 shows
before a half-million people since *Spectres* was issued.
In 1976, on the *Agents Of Fortune* tour, BOC also unleashed a new
dimension in staging as they joined forces with one of the country's
most advanced optical physics laboratories and developed the
sophisticated and powerful (hence, controversial) laser light shows in
rock, at a cost of $200,000. Upon the release of *Spectres*, an even
more advanced laser presentation was unveiled at twice the cost, with
twice the power. [Due to the controversy surrounding BOC laser shows
(there were rumors that the lasers caused some people to go blind, and
certain groups claimed that BOC must be evil to do such dangerous things
at their shows), some venues would not allow their use. BOC later
abandoned the use of lasers at their shows, citing cost and a desire to
get "back to basics".]
BOC's excursion out of the 1970's and into the 1980's unfolded over
the course of its next three studio LPs. On *Mirrors* (June, 1979),
BOC's first California recording, Pearlman and Krugman relinquished
production to Tom Werman, a CBS staff producer (Cheap Trick and Ted
Nugent, later Motley Crue). *Cultosaurus Erectus* (June, 1980),
produced by Martin Birch (of Black Sabbath/DeepPurple/Whitesnake renown)
included "Black Blade", a collaboration with British fiction/fantasy
novelist Michael Moorcock. But it took *Fire Of Unknown Origin* (June,
1981), again produced by Birch, to bring BOC into the new video/Top-40
generation, with "Burnin' For You" and the controversial "Joan
Crawford".
BOC's third (and most likely final) live LP [like *On Your Feet Or
On Your Knees*, a double LP] was the result of four months of recording
and painstaking track selection. *Extraterrestrial Live* (April, 1982)
became the standard by which BOC would be measured on stage.
[It was also during this timeframe (August of 1981, to be more
precise) that the first change of personnel in the band occurred.
Albert Bouchard, the band's original drummer, apparently failed to show
up on time for a show in Norfolk, England. Rick Downey, one of the
members of BOC's road crew, happened to be a capable drummer himself,
and was asked to play in Albert's absence. Albert arrived after the
band had played five songs, and finished the show. Two days later, a
very similar situation occurred, with Albert arriving late to the show,
and Rick playing the first five songs in his absence. After this,
Albert left the band, which was presumably only a "leave of absence"
resolve some personal issues. Rick Downey continued to fill in as BOC's
drummer, and was made the permanent drummer about a year after Albert
left. Most of the songs on *Extraterrestrial Live* feature Rick
Downey's drumming. However, two songs on the album feature Albert
Bouchard on the drums -- Albert is credited as playing on "Dominance and
Submission", and "Black Blade" (the recordings used of those two songs
were made prior to Albert's leaving BOC). In addition, Albert
Bouchard's likeness (along with Rick Downey and the rest of BOC) is
pictured on the back of the album.]
A year of minimum performances, maximum rehearsals and recording,
and some unexpected personnel changes [i.e. Albert Bouchard] resulted in
the release of *The Revolution By Night* (October, 1983). The LP was
produced by Bruce Fairbairn (who worked with Loverboy since its
inception, and went on to produce Bon Jovi). [In January of 1985, Rick
Downey (upset that BOC wanted to use a different drummer in the studio
for their next album) quit the band (After leaving BOC, he became the
lighting designer for Utopia and Motley Crue, then tour manager for The
Outfield and Anthrax, before returning in 1994 to be lighting designer
and tour manager for BOC). As BOC had a 2 week tour of California in
February, and no drummer, the band asked Albert Bouchard to fill in.
However, Albert was only hired as a temporary replacement, much to the
dismay of those who thought that the original line-up would be restored.
Also, half-way through this 2 week tour in California, Allen Lanier also
quit the band, presumably due to artistic differences with the band (he
reportedly did not like the new BOC sound, or the use of so many writers
outside the band). For the final week of the tour, BOC manager Steve
Schenck filled in on keyboards. On recommendation from Rick Derringer,
Jimmy Wilcox became BOC's new drummer (although Billy Idol drummer
Thommy Price was to provide some drum work in the studio for the next
album). In addition, Tommy Zvoncheck was brought in to handle the
keyboards. With 3 of the original 5 band members remaining when the
band resumed touring in April of 1985, band insiders often referred to
them as "3OC".]
[These] further personnel changes [i.e. Rick Downey and Allen
Lanier] were evident on *Club Ninja* (January 1986), BOC's first new
album in 27 months, as Pearlman returned to produce his first LP with
the band in nine years. Its title is derived from the song "Shadow
Warrior" (literal translation of the Japanese ninja), which contained a
lyric by best-selling novelist Eric Van Lustbader, author of *The
Ninja*. [After a returning to the U.S. in February of 1986 from the
European leg of the *Club Ninja* tour (where nearly everyone on the tour
got sick), bassist Joe Bouchard left the band for personal reasons. On
recommendation from Tommy Zvoncheck, Jon Rogers became the new bassist
(having only a week to learn the songs). With only Eric and Buck
remaining of the original lineup, band insiders often referred to them
as "Two Oyster Cult".]
[In September of 1986, after the *Club Ninja* tour was over, the
band, according to singer Eric Bloom, "semi-officially broke up".
However, the break was short-lived, as Allen Lanier rejoined Eric and
Buck (returning the band to "3OC"). According to Buck, "We re-formed
because we had an offer to go to Greece. Then we ended up playing some
shows in Germany and just sort of fell back into it to make a living.
"On Buck's recommendation, Ron Riddle became BOC's drummer when they
resumed touring in July of 1987 (beginning in Greece). During this
timeframe, the *Imaginos* (July 1988) album was finished and released,
but more details of that album appear in another part of this FAQ.]
[In May of 1991, drummer Ron Riddle left the band (and joined the
Stuart Hamm Band), and was replaced by Chuck Burgi (who had played as a
session drummer for Meatloaf, Rainbow, and other bands; and had played
in the Eric Bloom band with Eric, Dennis Feldman of Heaven, and Bob
Kulick of Meatloaf -- this band played a few shows in the New York area
in 1987, and became known as Skull after Eric left the band). In 1992,
Chuck Burgi took some "time off" to record a Japan-only release CD with
ex-Rainbow keyboardist David Rosenthal -- John Miceli, drummer for
Meatloaf, filled in for him (he had only one day to rehearse with the
band).
Since 1988, Blue Oyster Cult has toured off and on (mostly on),
usually in smaller concert venues than they had been accustomed to
during the peak years of their popularity (roughly 1975 - 1983). In
1990, CBS released two compilation albums, *Career of Evil - The Metal
Years*, and *On Flame With Rock And Roll*. Also, BOC appeared on the
soundtrack to the 1992 science fiction movie, *Bad Channels* -- the
album includes two new BOC tunes ("Demon's Kiss" and "When Horsemen
Arrive"), along with a myriad of instrumental pieces (created by Buck
Dharma using his guitars and Macintosh computer) that were used for the
score of the movie.
In 1994, the band released *Cult Classic* on Herald records. This
album came about due to interest in the band by horror writer Stephen
King, who wanted to use "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" as part of the
soundtrack in the TV Mini-Series adaptation of his novel, *The Stand*.
Due to contractual issues between CBS and the band (CBS owned the
footage rights to BOC's music), BOC got a "one-off" deal from Herald
records to re-do the songs (Herald had a similar arrangement with Rick
Wakeman, formerly of Yes).
In May of 1995, bassist Jon Rogers left the band to pursue a career
with a new band. He was temporarily replaced by Greg Smith, who has
previously worked with Alice Cooper, Ritchie Blackmore, Vinnie Moore,
and the Plasmatics. Greg came on recommendation from Chuck Burgi, who
had worked with Greg on David Rosenthal's album. In August of 1995,
Greg left the band to support tours with Alice Cooper and Ritchie
Blackmore. Based on recommendations from Greg Smith and John Miceli,
Danny Miranda (b. 21 March, 1964), from Long Island, New York, became
the new bassist for BOC.
In September of 1995, drummer Chuck Burgi left the band to work
with Greg Smith in Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Chuck was replaced by
former Rainbow drummer John O'Reilly, but returned in October of 1996.
During John O'Reilly's tenure with BOC, both John Miceli and Rainbow
drummer Bobby Rondinelli (who has also played with Black Sabbath) filled
in for John O'Reilly on a few occasions. John Miceli also filled in for
Chuck Burgi for a few dates in late 1996 and early 1997, and was
replaced by BOC's current drummer, Bobby Rondinelli (b. 27 July, 1955),
in February of 1997. Chuck Burgi would go on to become the drummer for
Enrique Iglesias, although he also filled in for Bobby Rondinelli for a
few shows in 1999 (so that Bobby could be part of a Cozy Powell
tribute).
Also in September of 1995, CBS-Sony released a double CD titled,
*Workshop Of The Telescopes*, a compilation of BOC's greatest hits with
some previously unreleased versions of BOC tracks. CMC International
Records released the *Summerdaze* album in conjunction with 1997 summer
tour BOC did with Foghat, Pat Travers, and Steppenwolf. This album
featured 2 live BOC tracks plus a new studio track ("Power Underneath
Despair").
In March of 1998, CMC International Records released the long-
awaited new BOC album, *Heaven Forbid*. This album had been delayed for
a number of years due to difficulties in securing a proper business deal
between the band and a recording label. In December of 1998, Allen
Lanier took some "time off" from the band, returning in March of 1999.
In his absence, keyboards and additional guitar was handled for a few
shows by Kasim Sulton, former bassist for Utopia, and keyboardist for
Meatloaf. This only lasted for a few shows, however, as Kasim had a
prior commitment with Meatloaf (Note: Kasim was being considered in
1995 when BOC needed a bassist as well). From late January until early
March of 1999, Allen's parts were handled by Al Pitrelli, guitarist for
Savatage. Allen returned to the band in March of 1999. Also in May of
1999, former drummer Chuck Burgi returned to play a few shows with the
band, although Bobby Rondinelli continues to be BOC's current drummer.
Based mostly on the strength of sales of *Heaven Forbid*, CMC
International agreed to release an additional BOC album, in the year
2001. This album, *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*, was released in June of
2001. 2001 also saw the release of *St. Cecilia: The Elektra
Recordings* by Rhino Handmade. This release contains 18 recordings made
by the band in 1969 and 1970 when it was known as the "Stalk-Forrest
Group". Also in 2001, Sony Legacy reissued BOC's first four studio
albums (*Blue Oyster Cult*, *Tyranny And Mutation*, *Secret Treaties*,
and *Agents Of Fortune*) on CD with bonus tracks (demos, outtakes, and
live cuts). The rest of BOC's catalog on Sony is expected to be
reissued in a similar fashion in the future.
And what of the Bouchard Brothers - the original drummer (Albert)
and bassist (Joe) for BOC? After his departure from BOC, Albert spent a
lot of time working on a solo album (to be titled, *Imaginos*), along
with Sandy Pearlman (also a driving conceptual force behind BOC), who
was still managing BOC. Eventually, *Imaginos* was released in 1988.
However, due to problems with CBS records, the album was released as a
BOC album, with many of the tracks re-worked, against Albert's wishes.
More on the recording of *Imaginos* appears in another part of this FAQ.
In addition, Albert had hoped that he would be able re-join the band's
original line-up. This however, was not to be. As previously
mentioned, Albert was asked to fill in for a two-week tour of California
in early 1985 when BOC was in-between drummers (Rick Downey and Jimmy
Wilcox). He agreed, hoping to patch things up with the band. However,
they made it clear to him that he was merely a temporary hired hand, and
his "final" performance with BOC was in February 1985.
After Joe Bouchard left BOC, he and Albert both played with the
Spencer Davis Group (Joe on keyboards, Albert on drums). After that,
they formed "The Bouchard Brothers", but due to artistic differences,
Albert left that band before their first show - Joe continued with the
band under the name, "The Cult Brothers". For this band, Joe played
mostly keyboards and guitar, and singing lead. Also in this band was
Billy Hilfiger on guitar, Andy Hilfiger on bass, and Jimmy Cacala on
drums. They played a number of BOC covers, plus some original songs.
Also, the Cult Brothers played as a Doors tribute band, Crystal Ship,
with a different lead vocalist (Joe Tag) on several occasions. The
original material created by the Cult Brothers was released on CD in
1997 (*Joe Bouchard Presents the X Brothers: Solid Citizens*) on the
"Cellsum" record label (see next paragraph).
Albert in his post-BOC days also played with Helen Wheels (who
dated Albert in the 1960's, and provided lyrics for several BOC songs),
David Roter, Richie Stotts (former guitarist for The Plasmatics) and a
band called "Imaginary Playmates" that he formed with his wife, Deborah
Frost. This project would later become their current band, "The Brain
Surgeons". A drummer herself, formerly of the 1970's all-girl band
"Flaming Youth" (which inspired the KISS song of the same name), Deborah
was better known as a rock journalist, writing for such publications as
The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, The New York
Times, Creem, Spin, and Musician, to name a few. Also in The Brain
Surgeons is guitarist Billy Hilfiger (who played in King's Flux, as well
as with Albert for Helen Wheels, and then The Cult Brothers), guitarist
Peter Bohovesky (who's old band, Kablamachunk, had an album produced by
Albert before breaking up), and bassist David Hirschberg. The Brain
Surgeons released their first album, *Eponymous*, in early 1994 on their
own independent label (Cellsum). The album was later released in
October 1994 on the "Ripe and Ready" record label. They released their
second album, *Trepanation*, in 1995 on the Cellsum label, and in 1996
by "Ripe and Ready". Their third album (*Box Of Hammers*) was released
in 1996, their fourth album (*Malpractise*) was released in 1997, both
on the Cellsum label - both of these albums were released by "Ripe and
Ready" in 1998. Their fifth album (the double CD, *Piece Of Work*) was
released on Cellsum/Ripe and Ready in 1999. In 2000, the band toured as
a three piece - Albert, Deborah and David.
The year 2000 also saw a brief musical reunion of BOC's Buck Dharma
and the Bouchard brothers. After BOC lyricist Helen Wheels passed away
in 2000, Albert organized a tribute CD to her, with many of Helen's past
musical friends recording renditions of some of her existing and
unreleased songs. Among the musical guests included Buck Dharma (and
his wife Sandy Roeser), Albert Bouchard (and his wife Deborah Frost),
and Joe Bouchard. The album, *To Helen With Love*, was released in June
of 2001. Also, in September of 2001, Brain Surgeons and X Brothers
guitarist Billy Hilfiger passed away. A tribute concert was held in New
York on 10/08/01, which included musical participation from Buck Dharma
and the Bouchard brothers, playing together onstage for the first time
since 1985. Buck and the Bouchards would appear together again on stage
on 12/04/01 in New York for a tribute concert to Helen Wheels.]
Blue Oyster Cult made choices many years before, and their decision
stands: to face the real politics of rock survival in a nightly stand
of metallic force. In a world where science and nature are at war, and
survival depends on the delicate balance of the natural and
supernatural, BOC are more than just informed observers. They are
served by forces that many cannot understand. Now the voices call in
hunger: That is why we need them. It is why they are here.
Pre-history of the Band
=======================
Not surprisingly, the first two members of Blue Oyster Cult to play
together were brothers Albert Bouchard (b. 24 May 1947) and Joe Bouchard
(b. 9 November 1948). Both originally learned to play guitar and
keyboards (Albert even played organ for his church for a few years). In
their teens, Albert played drums, and Joe played guitar in a band known
as "The Regal Tones" (with their cousins). They covered numerous U.S.
and Canadian radio hits. While starting out playing mostly surf music,
they later copied British bands such as the Rolling Stones and the
Beatles (complete with Beatle wigs).
Donald Roeser (b. 12 November 1947), while he did take both
accordion and drum lessons in his early years, was basically self-taught
on guitar. He first took up the instrument after breaking his wrist
playing basketball as a teenager. Soon after the cast came off, Donald
started playing lead guitar in a band known as "The Montereys".
While the rest of the band that would become Blue Oyster Cult grew
up in New York, Allen Lanier (b. 25 June 1946) was raised mostly in the
south (although he attended high school in Connecticut). He played in a
few forgettable bands in high school, and immersed himself in the blues
during his two years at the University of North Carolina. his primary
instrument was guitar, but would often get "stuck" playing keyboards due
to his ability to handle that instrument -- so too would it later be
with BOC.
Eric Bloom (b. 1 December 1944) attended Hobart College in upstate
New York in the early 1960's. He gained some notoriety at the small
school for having a PA system (and convincing the school to buy a decent
PA). He was also the singer for "The Lost and Found", which also had
Pete Haviland on guitar and John Trivers on bass. The band broke up in
1968 and Eric moved to Long Island, getting a sales job at a Sam Ash
music store.
Albert and Donald met as freshmen at Clarkson College of Technology
in 1965. The two had met once or twice there, but were formally
introduced to each other by mutual friend Bruce Abbott (co-author of the
songs, "Golden Age Of Leather" and "Mirrors"). Donald and Bruce had
played together in a band called "Eve of Instruction", alluding to their
planned college studies in engineering. Albert (drums), Donald
(guitar), Bruce (bass), Jeff Latham (guitar, who also later played in
Soft White Underbelly when Allen Lanier spent about six months in the
army in 1968), and Skip O'Donnell (vocals, mostly because he could sing
at practices with no mike and be heard over the amplifiers), formed "The
Disciples". The band played a mix of Beach Boys, Coasters, Rolling
Stones, Beatles, Lee Dorsey, Lou Christie, Temptations, Impressions,
Smokey Robinson, etc. The band was fairly short-lived, but reformed
during Albert and Donald's sophomore year as "The Travesty", a copy band
of "The Blues Project". During the summer either before or after the
Travesty was formed, both Albert and Joe Bouchard played in a band
called "The Clansmen", which coincidentally included Pete Haviland
(guitarist in Eric Bloom's band, "The Lost and Found").
Donald and Albert both dropped out of college after two years, and
tried to get jobs and find musicians in New York City and Albany with no
success. Albert moved to Chicago to briefly play with his old bandmate
Jeff Latham. Donald, still in Long Island, met Samuel (Sandy) Pearlman
(writer for the rock magazine *Crawdaddy*, who at some point also had
the knickname, "Memphis Sam") and Richard Meltzer (who were both
attending Stony Brook college on Long Island). Donald had begun jamming
with high school friend Andrew Winters (bass, who also worked in
Pearlman's father's drug store), Meltzer's buddy John Wiesenthal
(keyboards), and Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards - he was introduced to
the band by Wiesenthal). Donald called Albert to join them (Wiesenthal
dropped out around that time), and a psychedelic band by the name of
"Soft White Underbelly" (a named dubbed by Sandy Pearlman), was born in
1967 (note: Richard Meltzer reportedly wanted to call the band, "Cow").
Prior to finding a lead singer, lead vocals were shared by Albert and
Donald.
When Soft White Underbelly formed, the band concentrated not on
cover tunes, but on free-form improvisations and extended musical jams.
They got some fairly immediate exposure by opening for bands like Muddy
Waters, the Grateful Dead, the Band, and Jefferson Airplane. Richard
Meltzer, and possibly Sandy Pearlman, tried to front the band briefly as
the lead singer, but both proved to be more effective as lyricists for
the band. Also briefly fronting the band was a saxophone player named
Jeff Richards. The man who became the band's lead singer would be
Hobart College (the same school Eric Bloom attended) graduate Les
Braunstein. Les had gained some fame and fortune for having written a
song titled, "The Blue Frog Song", which was recorded as "I'm In Love
With A Big Blue Frog" by Peter, Paul, and Mary. He met the Soft White
Underbelly back in 1967, and began hanging out with them regularly. One
day at one of the rehearsals, Les plugged a microphone into one of the
amplifiers and started singing while the band jammed. Soon after, Les
was officially asked to join the band. Richard Meltzer apparently
didn't think too highly of Les Braunstein. According to Buck Dharma,
Meltzer wrote the lyrics to "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" (originally
titled "He's As Beautiful As A Foot" - the "he" referring to Les) in
order to make Les look stupid while singing them. However, according to
Les, Meltzer hadn't written those lyrics until after Braunstein had left
the band. Nevertheless, Braunstein's charisma (he had a style and look
similar to Jim Morrison of the Doors) was no doubt part of the reason
that Elektra records offered the Soft White Underbelly a record deal.
Elektra's president and founder, Jac Holzman, who has been credited for
"discovering" the Doors, was impressed with the band. It is also
interesting to note that New York comedian David Roter, a friend of
Sandy Pearlman's, sat in a few times with Soft White Underbelly as the
lead singer. However, his outrageous material concerned the band
(although he would later contribute to a few BOC songs).
Around the time that the Soft White Underbelly was securing a
record deal, Joe Bouchard was playing guitar in various fraternity party
bands in college at Ithaca, New York. During his junior year, while he
was "between bands", he saw a latin/jazz band called "Que Pasa", whose
leader happened to be his classical guitar teacher. He happened to have
a class with the bass player, who told him he was leaving the band. Joe
went to his teacher and asked for the job, and became the official bass
player for "Que Pasa" for the next two years. Coincidentally, the band
was seen in Aruba in 1968 by the sister of Bruce Abbott - the one who
formally introduced Donald Roeser to Albert Bouchard back in 1965.
During this time, Eric Bloom had been working as a salesman at a
music store. Members of the Soft White Underbelly happened to be in the
store one day (to buy new equipment with money advanced to them by
Elektra), and Eric recognized them. He later asked the band if he could
be their road manager. With access to a van or truck and PA equipment,
he was a good candidate for the job, but it would be his voice that
ultimately proved to be a more important asset.
In late 1968 and early 1969, Soft White Underbelly recorded
material for an album for Elektra that was never released. Due to
differences with the rest of the band, Les Braunstein left the band
before the recording was completed, which was a factor in Elektra's
decision not to release the recordings. Albert Bouchard, Sandy
Pearlman, and Richard Meltzer all tried to sing. According to Albert
Bouchard, he and Pearlman wanted Patti Smith (who had met the band
around that time, and later formed a personal relationship with Allen
Lanier) to sing, but the rest of the band out-voted them. As it turned
out, the best sounding was Eric Bloom.
After leaving Soft White Underbelly, Les Braunstein had various
musical projects. In 1973, he recorded three songs with Albert
Bouchard, Buck Dharma, and John Trivers. Since about 1975, he has
performed as "Les Vegas", which he still performs as to this day (with,
among others, Peter Haviland). He released *Fool's Gold*, a CD
containing songs he wrote over the years, in 2000.
After Braunstein's departure, and an embarrassing performance at
New York's Fillmore East on 7/3/1969 (opening for Jethro Tull and Jeff
Beck with Rod Stewart -- this performance was notable for the fact that
Buck wore a pair of pants with pennies glued all over them), it was
decided that the band needed a name change. Meanwhile, Pearlman spent
several months trying to convince Elektra to take another chance with
the band (with Eric Bloom now the lead vocalist). A demo for Columbia
was made in the summer of 1969, but nothing became of it at the time.
Elektra finally agreed to have the band make some new recordings, and in
early 1970, the band traveled to Los Angeles to record another album.
This album, known as the band's "California Album", was recorded under
the band name "Stalk-Forrest Group". However, Elektra decided not to
release that album either. While the details are sketchy, and there may
be varying reasons for not releasing the album, but one factor may have
been Sandy Pearlman's desire to delay the release of the album until
fall (under the assumption that record sales were lower in the summer).
During the delay, Sandy submitted the master tapes to Elektra on two
different reels, each with it's own mixes and track listing (one reel
was labelled "Oaxaca", and the other labelled "Stalk-Forrest Group").
The contents of these two reels would later be obtained by Rhino Records
and released in 2001 under Rhino's "Rhino Handmade" label in a limited
distribution of 5000 CDs.
Soon after recording the second unreleased Elektra album, Andrew
Winters left the band. Albert called up his brother Joe, and by the
summer of 1970, the line-up that would soon call themselves "Blue Oyster
Cult" (but not before briefly going by the names of "Oaxaca", "Room",
and "Santos Sisters") was complete. Although he presumably never played
with the band again, Andrew Winters did play with BOC lyricist David
Roter, and he provided an uncredited bass part for the 1979 Roter single
release, "I Think I Slept With Jackie Kennedy Last Night"/"He's A
Rabbi").
The band continued to perform in the New York area club scene,
slipping in future BOC tunes in between Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks,
and Grand Funk Railroad covers. During one of the band's performances
(at a swingers/nudist party at an off-season summer camp in the
Catskills), David Lucas, a TV/radio commercial jingle producer, saw the
band perform. He liked them so much he let them use his studio to cut a
demo. This four-song demo included "Then Came The Last Days Of May",
the actual track that was re-mixed and put on BOC's first album. Sandy
Pearlman convinced Columbia marketing man (and future co-producer)
Murray Krugman (who believed that Columbia was looking for a heavy metal
group in the same vein as Black Sabbath) to get the band another demo
and audition with Columbia. The rest, as they say, is history.
3. My Ears Will Melt, And Then My Eyes -- Blue Oyster Cult Discography
Note: Songwriting credits, as they are listed on the album, follow the
title of each song. Additional notes (including who is listed as
having played on the album) follow the song listing.
Domestic (U.S.) Album Releases
==============================
*Blue Oyster Cult*
(Tracks 11-14 only available on Columbia/Legacy Re-Master)
1. Transmaniacon MC -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser, E. Bloom)
2. I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep --
(S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, E. Bloom)
3. Then Came The Last Days Of May -- (D. Roeser)
4. Stairway To The Stars -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser)
5. Before The Kiss, A Redcap --
(S. Pearlman, M. Krugman, A. Lanier, D. Roeser)
6. Screams -- (J. Bouchard)
7. She's As Beautiful As A Foot -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard, A. Lanier)
8. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll --
(S. Pearlman, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard)
9. Workshop Of The Telescopes -- (S. Pearlman, BOC)
10. Redeemed -- (S. Pearlman, H. Farcas, A. Bouchard, A. Lanier)
11. Donovan's Monkey (Demo) -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
12. What Is Quicksand (Demo) -- (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier)
13. A Fact About Sneakers (Demo) -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
14. Betty Lou's Got A New Pair Of Shoes (Demo) -- (B. Freeman)
Release Notes: Released January 1972 by Columbia. Re-mastered on
"gold" CD together with *Tyranny And Mutation* and released May 1999 by
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, with restored and expanded liner notes. Re-
mastered by Columbia/Legacy (with bonus tracks, lyrics, and expanded
liner notes) and released June 2001. Produced by Murray Krugman and
Sandy Pearlman. Instruments: Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar,
vocals), Eric Bloom (lead vocal, stun guitar, keyboards), Albert
Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Allen Lanier
(rhythm guitar, keyboards).
Additional Notes: The song "Redeemed" is alternately known as "Sir
Rastus Bear". The song, "Before The Kiss, A Redcap", was originally
titled "Conry's Bar". The remaining information was provided by Albert
Bouchard: "Cities on Flame With Rock And Roll", originally titled
"Siren Singalong", was inspired by Black Sabbath's "The Wizard" (note
the similarities to the start of the main riff), MC5's "Motor City is
Burning" (Sandy Pearlman got the idea for some of the lyrics from this
song), and King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man". The main riff to
"I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" was inspired by a Jimi Hendrix
lick during his song, "Hey Joe". "Donovan's Monkey", "What Is
Quicksand", "A Fact About Sneakers", and "Betty Lou's Got A New Pair Of
Shoes" were all demoed to Columbia (and rejected) in 1969. The liner
notes to the re-mastered version incorrectly credit "Before The Kiss, A
Redcap" to (S. Pearlman, D. Roeser), when it should in fact be (S.
Pearlman, M. Krugman, A. Lanier, D. Roeser). The liner notes to the re-
mastered version also incorrectly credit "Citis On Flame With Rock And
Roll" to (D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) when it should in fact be (S.
Pearlman, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard).
*Tyranny And Mutation*
(Tracks 9-12 only available on Columbia/Legacy Re-Master)
1. The Red & The Black -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman)
2. O.D.'d On Life Itself --
(E. Bloom, A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, S. Pearlman)
3. Hot Rails To Hell -- (J. Bouchard)
4. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters --
(A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, D. Roeser, S. Pearlman)
5. Baby Ice Dog -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, P. Smith)
6. Wings Wetted Down -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard)
7. Teen Archer -- (D. Roeser, E. Bloom, R. Meltzer)
8. Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl) --
(A. Bouchard, S. Pearlman)
9. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll (Live)
10. Buck's Boogie (Studio Version)
11. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters (Live)
12. O.D.'d On Life Itself (Live)
Release Notes: Released February 1973 by Columbia. A quadraphonic
pressing of this album was also made. Re-mastered on "gold" CD together
with *Blue Oyster Cult* and released May 1999 by Mobile Fidelity Sound
Lab, with restored and expanded liner notes. Also re-mastered with
bonus track "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" (from *Blue Oyster
Cult*) together with *Secret Treaties* (which bonus track "Stairway To
The Stars" from *Blue Oyster Cult*) and released in 2000 by the French
label Axe Killer - with expanded liner notes (taken from the BOC Fanclub
website, without credit). Re-mastered by Columbia/Legacy (with bonus
tracks, lyrics, and expanded liner notes) and released June 2001.
Produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. Instruments: Donald
"Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (vocal, stun guitar,
all synthesizers), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass,
vocals, keyboard), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar).
Additional Notes: The album is the only one in the band's discography
where the band is listed as *THE* Blue Oyster Cult. The album was
originally planned to be titled, "The Red And The Black", and the sides
of the final product were dubbed (tracks 1-4) "The Black" (physical,
sensual, aural activation) and (tracks 5-8) "The Red" (phantasmagorical
id-teasers and supernatural beings). The following was printed in the
liner notes: "Seepage from deep, black, brittle experiments which
failed and transformations too hard to find. 'I was overcome and turned
to red.' Duster's dust became the sale. Lucifer the light. A restless
motion came to move and then subside. In endless knocking at the door -
it's time. Tyranny & Mutation. Tyranny & Mutation." According to
Bolle Gregmar, the riff in "The Red & The Black" (a reworked version of
"I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" from *Blue Oyster Cult*) was
inspired by the Captain Beefheart song, "Out Of The Frying Pan And Into
The Fire". According to Joe Bouchard, most of the lyrics for "Wings
Wetted Down" came from a book of poems by Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet
(referred to as one of the 3 or 4 greatest Spanish-language poets of
this century, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971).
According to Albert Bouchard, the music to "Baby Ice Dog" was inspired
by the Blues Project song, "I Can't Keep From Crying." The live version
of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" was recorded live in 1972, and
previously not commercially issued, but released on 12-inch vinyl (on
*The BOC Bootleg EP*) to radio stations. The studio version of "Buck's
Boogie" is an outtake from this album's recording sessions - the re-
master liner notes incorrectly credit the song to (S. Pearlman, E.
Bloom, A. Bouchard), when it should in fact be (A. Bouchard, D. Roeser).
The live versions of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" and "O.D.'d On Life
Itself" were recorded in July of 1975 (incorrectly listed in the liner
notes as July of 1974) and previously only available on the *Live In The
West* "bootleg" tape that was created by the band and circulated among
friends and family. The liner notes to the re-mastered version
incorrectly credit "O.D.'d On Life Itself" to (S. Pearlman, A. Boucahrd,
D. Roeser, E. Bloom) when it should in fact be (E. Bloom, A. Bouchard,
J. Bouchard, S. Pearlman). The liner notes to the re-mastered version
also incorrectly credit "Teen Archer" to (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, R.
Meltzer) when it should in fact be (D. Roeser, E. Bloom, R. Meltzer).
*Secret Treaties*
(Tracks 9-13 only available on Columbia/Legacy Re-Master)
1. Career Of Evil -- (A. Bouchard, P. Smith)
2. Subhuman -- (E. Bloom, S. Pearlman)
3. Dominance And Submission -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman)
4. ME 262 -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, S. Pearlman)
5. Cagey Cretins -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer)
6. Harvester Of Eyes -- (D. Roeser, E. Bloom, R. Meltzer)
7. Flaming Telepaths -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman, D. Roeser)
8. Astronomy -- (J. Bouchard, A. Bouchard, S. Pearlman)
9. Boorman The Chauffer (Outtake) -- (J. Bouchard, M. Krugman)
10. Mommy (Outtake) -- (E. Bloom, R. Meltzer)
11. Mes Dames Sarat (Outtake) -- (A. Lanier)
12. Born To Be Wild (Studio Version, Non-LP Single) -- (M. Bonfire)
13. Career Of Evil (Single Version) -- (A. Bouchard, P. Smith)
Release Notes: Released April 1974 by Columbia. A quadraphonic
pressing of this album was also made. Re-mastered with bonus track
"Stairway To The Stars" (from *Blue Oyster Cult*) together with *Tyranny
And Mutation* (which bonus track "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"
from *Blue Oyster Cult*) and released in 2000 by the French label Axe
Killer - with expanded liner notes (taken from the BOC Fanclub website,
without credit). Re-mastered by Columbia/Legacy (with bonus tracks,
lyrics, and expanded liner notes) and released June 2001. Produced by
Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. Instruments: Donald "Buck Dharma"
Roeser (lead guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (lead vocal, keyboards, stun
guitar), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals),
Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar, all synthesizers).
Additional Notes: The album, originally planned to be titled, "Power In
The Hands Of Fools", went gold in 1992. The printing on the CD
incorrectly lists D. Roeser's name as "E." Roeser on the credits for "ME
262". In addition, there is a slight glitch on the CD version of "Cagey
Cretins" - during the guitar solo, there is a brief sway of key and
tone, as if the tape was bumped during the creation of the CD (the
Columbia/Legacy and Axe Killer re-masters do not have this flaw). The
following was printed in the liner notes: "Rossignol's curious, albeit
simply titled book, 'The Origins of a World War', spoke in terms of
'secret treaties', drawn up between the Ambassadors from Plutonia and
Desdinova the foreign minister. These treaties founded a secret science
from the stars. Astronomy. The career of evil." (note: "stars" was
mis-printed as "start" in the liner notes to the re-master). The book
mentioned does not exist. According to Albert Bouchard, the riffs from
"Cagey Cretins" are based on the Soft White Underbelly songs, "Bark In
The Sun" and "Mystic Stump". The song "Career Of Evil" was based on
Patti Smith's poem titled "Poem Of Isadore Ducasse" (Isadore Ducasse was
the real name of a 19th century author who used the pseudonym Comte de
Lautreamont, who's book *Les Chantes de Maldoror* includes the phrase
"career of evil"). According to an issue of Morning Final, a riff from
"Astronomy" was inspired by David Bowie's "Panic In Detroit". In a 1975
critics poll in the U.K. music magazine *Melody Maker*, this album was
voted "Top Rock Album of All Time". The songs "Boorman The Chauffer",
"Mommy", and "Mes Dames Sarat" are outtakes from this album's recording
sessions. The version of "Born To Be Wild" is a studio version which
was previously only available either on the b-side of the single release
of "Born To Be Wild" from *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, on the
*(Don't Fear) The Reaper* compilation tape, or the *Workshop Of The
Telescopes* compilation CD. The band used to refer to this track as
their "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" version, as the rhythm part of
the track sounds very similar to the song. The single version of
"Career Of Evil" was created to provide a more radio-friendly version
(Apparently the line, "Do it to your daughter on a dirt road" was
considered too controversial -- the vocals were either re-recorded or
re-mixed so the line says "Do it like ya oughtta on a dirt road").
Also, this version omits the second verse of the song.
*On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* (live)
1. The Subhuman
2. Harvester Of Eyes
3. Hot Rails To Hell
4. Red & The Black
5. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters
6. Buck's Boogie -- (Buck Dharma)
7. Last Days Of May
8. Cities On Flame
9. ME 262
10. Before The Kiss (A Redcap)
11. Maserati GT (I Ain't Got You) -- (C. Carter)
12. Born To Be Wild -- (M. Bonfire)
Notes: Released February 1975 by Columbia. Produced by Murray Krugman
and Sandy Pearlman. The album went gold. Instruments: Donald "Buck
Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocal on "Before The Kiss" and "Last Days
Of May"), Eric Bloom (vocals, stun guitar, synthesizer), Albert Bouchard
(drums, vocal on "Cities On Flame"), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocal on "Hot
Rails To Hell"), Allen Lanier (rhythm guitar, all keyboards). The CD
liner mis-spells Buck's last name as "Rooser". On the CD version, there
is a strange EQ shift during Eric's on-stage talking prior to the start
of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters". "Maserati GT" is a re-working of "I Ain't
Got You", originally by the Yardbirds. "Born To Be Wild" was originally
done by Steppenwolf. "Buck's Boogie" is dedicated to Ron McCoy, who was
a DJ in Los Angeles in the 1970's, and let Buck sit in one night as a
guest DJ on his show. According to Bolle Gregmar, Albert Bouchard
should also receive a writing credit for "Buck's Boogie" (a credit which
eventually appeared on the compilation CD set, *Workshop Of The
Telescopes*) -- Albert derived the song from the Stalk-Forrest Group
song, "Arthur Comics", and then gave it to Buck to add his personal
touch. According to Buck Dharma, the riff in "Buck's Boogie" was
inspired by the Beatles song, "You Can't Do That". The songs were
recorded at the following locations: Academy of Music, New York;
Paramount Theatre, Portland & Seattle; Show Palace, Phoenix; Long Beach
Arena, California; P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver; and Capitol Theatre, New
Jersey. The "introduction" of the band that appears before the final
song was done by BOC lighting director Carol Dodds, who usually did the
nightly introduction of the band.
*Agents Of Fortune*
(Tracks 11-14 only available on Columbia/Legacy Re-Master)
1. This Ain't The Summer Of Love --
(M. Krugman, A. Bouchard, D. Waller)
2. True Confessions -- (A. Lanier)
3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper -- (D. Roeser)
4. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) -- (D. Roeser, S. Pearlman)
5. The Revenge Of Vera Gemini -- (A. Bouchard, P. Smith)
6. Sinful Love -- (A. Bouchard, H. Robbins)
7. Tattoo Vampire -- (A. Bouchard, H. Robbins)
8. Morning Final -- (J. Bouchard)
9. Tenderloin -- (A. Lanier)
10. Debbie Denise -- (P. Smith, A. Bouchard)
11. Fire Of Unknown Origin (Original Version) --
(A. Bouchard, P. Smith, D. Roeser, J. Bouchard, E. Bloom)
12. Sally (Demo) -- (A. Bouchard, P. Smith)
13. (Don't Fear The Reaper (Deom) -- (D. Roeser)
14. Dance The Night Away (Demo) - (A. Lanier, J. Carroll)
Release Notes: Released May 1976 by Columbia. Re-mastered on "gold" CD
and released January 1998 by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, with restored
and expanded liner notes. Re-mastered by Columbia/Legacy (with bonus
tracks, lyrics, and expanded liner notes) and released June 2001.
Produced by Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, and David Lucas.
Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion), Donald
"Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals, synthesizer, percussion), Joe
Bouchard (bass, vocals, piano), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, acoustic
guitar, percussion, harmonica), Allen Lanier (keyboards, vocals, guitar,
bass), Patti Smith (vocal on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini").
Additional Notes: The album went platinum. In addition, "(Don't Fear)
The Reaper was listed in the August 1997 issue of *MOJO* magazine as #80
on the magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time". Helen
Robbins also goes by (and has been credited on BOC albums) as "Helen
Wheels". The lead vocal on "True Confessions" is Allen Lanier -- his
only "official" lead vocal on all of BOC's albums (Allen does provide
lead vocals on four other demos, including "Dance The Night Away" which
appeared on the remastered version of this album). Also, according to
Albert Bouchard, Allen plays the bass part to "Morning Final" on the
album. The songs "Tattoo Vampire" and "Debbie Denise" were originally
titled "Tattooed Vampire" and "To Remember Debbie Denise" respectively.
The song "E.T.I.", originally an instrumental track titled "No Traffic",
was tried with different lyrics by Sandy Pearlman (titled "Punishment
Park", it may have even had a vocal track by Sandy) and Joe Bouchard
(titled "Des Pot Soup") before using the current lyrics. Also according
to Albert Bouchard, Michael Brecker plays saxophone on "True
Confessions". His brother Randy Brecker also played a fluglehorn part
for "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", but it was edited out of the final mix.
The riff to "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" was inspired by the song,
"Ascension Day" by Third World War. Don Waller, who came up with the
title for "This Ain't The Summer Of Love", also used the title for a
song by the Imperial Dogs - the only similarities to BOC's song, other
than the title, is the lines "This ain't the Garden of Eden. This ain't
the Summer of Love." The album cover depicts someone holding 4 Tarot
cards: Death, The Queen, The King, The Sun. Stories say that these
cards were part of an actual Tarot card reading done for the band. The
song "Fire Of Unknown Origin" is an outtake from this album's recording
sessions. The songs "Sally", and "Dance The Night Away" were demoed for
this album but not used - versions of these songs were later recorded
and released by The Brain Surgeons and Jim Carroll respectively. The
liner notes to the re-master incorrectly credit "Sally" to (A. Bouchard)
when they should in fact be (P. Smith, A. Bouchard).
*Spectres*
1. Godzilla -- (D. Roeser)
2. Golden Age Of Leather -- (B. Abbott, D. Roeser)
3. Death Valley Nights -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
4. Searchin' For Celine -- (A. Lanier)
5. Fireworks -- (A. Bouchard)
6. R. U. Ready 2 Rock -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard)
7. Celestial The Queen -- (H. Wheels, J. Bouchard)
8. Goin' Through The Motions -- (E. Bloom, I. Hunter)
9. I Love The Night -- (D. Roeser)
10. Nosferatu -- (H. Wheels, J. Bouchard)
Notes: Released November 1977 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy Pearlman,
Murray Krugman, David Lucas, and Blue Oyster Cult. The album,
originally planned to be titled, "The Big Hurt", went gold.
Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser
(lead and rhythm guitar, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, guitar),
Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, harmonica), Allen Lanier (keyboards,
guitar). According to Allen Lanier, the photograph on the album's cover
was inspired by turn of the century photographer Jacob Rees, whose "How
The Other Lives" album depicted the classier gang members of the period
in their true colors." According to Albert Bouchard, parts of
"Godzilla" were inspired by a song titled, "Go Go Gorilla". According
to Joe Bouchard, the bass break on "Godzilla" is a direct tribute to
Stanley Clarke. According to "Morning Final #11", "I Love The Night"
had a 3rd verse on the original demo, which has been included on
occasion when the band performed the song live. The song "Fireworks"
was originally titled, "Blazing Red". A version of the song "Searchin'
For Celine" was demoed by Allen Lanier for the *Agents Of Fortune*
album, with Allen on lead vocals.
*Some Enchanted Evening* (live)
1. R. U. Ready 2 Rock
2. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
3. Astronomy
4. Kick Out The Jams -- (MC5)
5. Godzilla
6. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
7. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place -- (B. Mann, C. Weil)
Notes: Released September 1978 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy
Pearlman, Murray Krugman, and Blue Oyster Cult. The album went
platinum. Extra percussion was provided by Tony Cedrone and Rickey
Reyer. "Kick Out The Jams" was originally done by MC5 - BOC's version
also included a riff from the MC5 song, "Ramblin' Rose" during the
guitar solo. "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" was originally done by
The Animals. The songs were recorded at the following locations: Fox
Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia - 4/13/1978 (R. U. Ready To Rock, Kick Out The
Jams); Municipal Auditorium, Columbus, Georgia - 4/11/1978 (E.T.I.,
Astronomy); Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, Arkansas - 4/9/1978 (The
Reaper); Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, England - 6/1/1978 (Godzilla,
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place). The version of "We Gotta Get Out Of
This Place" that's on the CD version of this album is from a different
show than the original LP/cassette version. The version on the CD is
from a show in either Edinburgh or London, not Newcastle. According to
Bolle Gregmar, somehow, the boxes containing the shows in question got
switched, and this error (sometimes called "Murray's Choice", in
reference to Murray Krugman) resulted in the CD being made with the song
from the other site, and not Newcastle (which is also erroneously
spelled "New Castle" on the album). The live ending of "(Don't Fear)
The Reaper" was based on the ending of the Stalk-Forrest Group song,
"Gil Blanco County".
*Mirrors*
1. Dr. Music -- (R. Meltzer, J. Bouchard, D. Roeser)
2. The Great Sun Jester -- (M. Moorcock, J. Trivers, E. Bloom)
3. In Thee -- (A. Lanier)
4. Mirrors -- (D. Roeser, B. Abbott)
5. Moon Crazy -- (J. Bouchard)
6. The Vigil -- (D. Roeser, S. Roeser)
7. I Am The Storm -- (J. Bouchard, R. Binder)
8. You're Not The One (I Was Looking For) -- (A. Bouchard, C. Bouchard)
9. Lonely Teardrops -- (A. Lanier)
Notes: Released in June 1979 by Columbia. Produced by Tom Werman.
Additional instruments: Genya Ravan, Ellen Foley (backing vocals on
"Dr. Music" and "Mirrors"), Wendy Webb (backing vocals on "Lonely
Teardrops"), Mickey Raphael (harmonica on "Dr. Music"), Jai Winding
(strings on "In Thee"). The printing on the CD incorrectly lists B.
Abbott as "B. Abbot". The cover of the album is not a photo of a
rearview mirror, but a painting by Loren Salazar (according to Eric
Bloom, "quite famous in the Seattle area"). If you look closely on the
left side of the album cover (you probably need a magnifying glass for
the CD or cassette), two sperm cells can be seen painted in the clouds
and sky. The song "The Vigil" originally had different lyrics by Patti
Smith, and was titled, "Devil's Hangnail" or "The Devil's Nail". The
song "Lonely Teardrops" was originally titled, "Wind In My Veins", with
a vocal by Allen Lanier. According to Morning Final #8, the song
"You're Not The One (I Was Looking For) was inspired by the Cars' song,
"My Best Friend's Girl". According to Joe Bouchard, the "Dr. Music" was
inspired by the Larry Williams' "Bony Moronie" and Roy Orbison's "Pretty
Woman".
*Cultosaurus Erectus*
1. Black Blade -- (E. Bloom, M. Moorcock, J. Trivers)
2. Monsters -- (A. Bouchard, C. Bouchard)
3. Divine Wind -- (D. Roeser)
4. Deadline -- (D. Roeser)
5. The Marshall Plan -- (Blue Oyster Cult)
6. Hungry Boys -- (A. Bouchard, C. Bouchard)
7. Fallen Angel -- (J. Bouchard, H. Robbins)
8. Lips In The Hills -- (D. Roeser, E. Bloom, R. Meltzer)
9. Unknown Tongue -- (A. Bouchard, D. Roter)
Notes: Released in June 1980 by Columbia. Re-mastered and re-released
in 1999 in England by Sony's "Rewind" label, with restored liner notes.
Produced by Martin Birch. Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, keyboards,
vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals),
Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitars,
bass, keyboards, vocals), Mark Rivera (saxophone on "Monsters"). Helen
Robbins also goes by (and has been credited on BOC albums) as "Helen
Wheels". On the CD version of "Deadline", the downbeat of the first
note of the song is missing. The U.K. "Rewind" release of 1999 does not
contain this flaw. The song "Divine Wind" was originally titled
"Ayatollah". The songs "Fallen Angel" and "Hungry Boys" were originally
titled, "Falling Angel" and "Hungry Boys In Brooklyn" respectively. The
song "Lips In The Hills" originally had different lyrics by Buck Dharma,
and was titled, "Hold Me Tight". When released as a single, the song
"The Marshall Plan" was titled "Here's Johnny". The printing on the CD
incorrectly lists C. Bouchard as "K. Bouchard".
*Fire Of Unknown Origin*
1. Fire Of Unknown Origin --
(J. Bouchard, P. Smith, E. Bloom, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser)
2. Burnin' For You -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer)
3. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars -- (E. Bloom, M. Moorcock)
4. Sole Survivor -- (E. Bloom, J. Trivers, L. Myers)
5. Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver --
(A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman)
6. Vengeance (The Pact) -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard)
7. After Dark -- (E. Bloom, J. Trivers, L. Myers)
8. Joan Crawford -- (A. Bouchard, D. Roter, J. Rigg)
9. Don't Turn Your Back -- (A. Lanier, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard)
Notes: Released in June 1981 by Columbia. Produced by Martin Birch.
The album went gold. Instruments: Eric Bloom (lead vocals, bass on
"Heavy Metal"), Albert Bouchard (drums, synthesizer, vocals), Joe
Bouchard (bass, vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma"
Roeser (lead guitar, vocals, bass and sound effects on "Joan Crawford"),
Karla DeVito (background vocal on "Sole Survivor"), Sandy Jean
(background vocal on "Don't Turn Your Back"), Bill Civitella, Tony
Cedrone, Buck Dharma (additional percussion on "Veteran Of The Psychic
Wars"), Jess Levy (string arrangements on "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars"
and "Joan Crawford"). The song "Veteran Of the Psychic Wars" appears in
the movie "Heavy Metal". A version of the song "Fire Of Unknown Origin"
(with Albert Bouchard on lead vocals) was originally worked-up during
the sessions for the *Agents Of Fortune* album. The song "Burnin' For
You", based on Richard Meltzer's poem, "Burn Out The Day" (which both
Albert and Joe attempted to put to music before Buck's music was used)
may have been originally intended for Buck's *Flat Out* album. The song
"Vengeance (The Pact)" began as a song called "Dakota Silo Sitter" with
different lyrics by Joe, before Albert supplied lyrics based on the
movie "Heavy Metal", and titled it "Taarna's Theme". The song "Heavy
Metal: The Black And Silver" was originally titled "Ear Damage". The
piano intro for "Joan Crawford", one of Allen Lanier's spotlights in
many live BOC shows, was actually written by Joe Bouchard. According to
a fan, the object shown on the back cover of the album is an ancient
astronomical instrument known as an "astrolabe", a sort of astronomical
computer for solving problems relating to time and the position of the
Sun and stars in the sky. They could be used to determine time,
terrestrial location, or identify the stars at night.
*Extraterrestrial Live* (live)
1. Dominance And Submission
2. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
3. Dr. Music
4. The Red And The Black
5. Joan Crawford
6. Burnin' For You
7. Roadhouse Blues -- (The Doors)
8. Black Blade
9. Hot Rails To Hell
10. Godzilla
11. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars
12. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
13. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Notes: Released in April 1982 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy Pearlman
and George Geranios. The album was originally planned to be titled,
"Cult in the Act". Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, keyboards,
vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Rick Downey (drums), Allen Lanier
(keyboards, guitar), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals),
Albert Bouchard (drums on "Black Blade" and "Dominance And Submission"),
Special Guest: Robbie Krieger (guitar on "Roadhouse Blues") -- note:
The CD liner incorrectly lists his name as "Bobbie" Krieger. "Roadhouse
Blues" was originally done by The Doors. The songs were recorded at the
following locations: Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida -
10/9/1981 (Burnin' For You, E.T.I., The Red And The Black, Joan
Crawford, Godzilla, Veteran Of The Psychic Wars, The Reaper); Nassau
Coliseum, Long Island, New York - 12/30/1981 (Dr. Music, Hot Rails To
Hell) and 10/17/1980 (Black Blade); Tower Theatre, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania - 12/31/1981 (Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll); The
Country Club, Reseda, California - 12/15/1981 (Roadhouse Blues); Mid-
Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, New York - 2/11/1980 (Dominance And
Submission - originally recorded for the "King Biscuit Flower Hour").
The drum fills before the final verse of "Cities On Flame With Rock And
Roll" are not as they were played live - some of the beats were removed
in the mixing. This is believed to be the last BOC album that was
available on 8-track tape.
*The Revolution By Night*
1. Take Me Away -- (E. Bloom, A. Nova)
2. Eyes On Fire -- (G. Winter)
3. Shooting Shark -- (D. Roeser, P. Smith)
4. Veins -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer)
5. Shadow Of California -- (J. Bouchard, N. Smith, S. Pearlman)
6. Feel The Thunder -- (E. Bloom)
7. Let Go -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, I. Hunter)
8. Dragon Lady -- (D. Roeser, B. Blotto)
9. Light Years Of Love -- (J. Bouchard, H. Wheels)
Notes: Released in October 1983 by Columbia. Produced by Bruce
Fairbairn. The album was originally planned to be titled, "Night Makes
Right". As a single, "Shooting Shark" spent 3 weeks on the U.S. charts,
reaching as high as #83. Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, vocals), Joe
Bouchard (bass, electric and Spanish guitar, vocoder, vocals), Rick
Downey (drums), Allen Lanier (piano, synthesizers), Donald "Buck Dharma"
Roeser (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Larry Fast/Synergy (additional
synthesizer programming), Randy Jackson (bass on "Shooting Shark"), Marc
Baum (saxophone on "Shooting Shark"), Greg Winter (background vocals on
"Eyes On Fire"), Aldo Nova (guitar and synthesizer on "Take Me Away").
*Club Ninja*
1. White Flags -- (Leggatt Bros.)
2. Dancin' In The Ruins -- (L. Gottlieb, J. Scanlon)
3. Make Rock Not War -- (B. Halligan Jr.)
4. Perfect Water -- (D. Roeser, J. Carroll)
5. Spy In The House Of The Night -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer)
6. Beat 'Em Up -- (B. Halligan Jr.)
7. When The War Comes -- (J. Bouchard, S. Pearlman)
8. Shadow Warrior -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, Eric Van Lustbader)
9. Madness To The Method -- (D. Roeser, D. Trismen)
Notes: There were three different releases by Columbia of this album,
each with a slightly different mix. A somewhat rushed mix was released
in England in November of 1985 (this release is believed to be available
only on LP and cassette, but not on CD). Another mix was released in
Holland in December of 1995. The third mix (released in the U.S. and
elsewhere), was released in January 1986. EPIC records released this
album as a "Collector's Choice" edition in 1992 using the Holland mix.
Produced by Sandy Pearlman. Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar),
Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, guitar), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser
(vocals, guitars, keyboards), Jimmy Wilcox (background vocals,
percussion), Tommy Zvoncheck (synthesizers, piano, organ), Thommy Price
(drums), Phil Grande (additional guitars), Kenny Aaronson (additional
bass). This is the first CD recorded by BOC (as opposed to previous
releases, where the CD was later cut from the LP masters). The spoken
words at the start of "When the War Comes" ("When the bones of our
oppressors... All hail the revolution") are done by New York DJ Howard
Stern (who's mother is presumably related to Eric Bloom's wife's
mother). The European releases of this album do not contain these
spoken words. In addition, on the first (England) mix, "White Flags"
does not end via fade-out. This version is available on some single
versions of this song. There are other various discrepancies between
the album and single releases due to the various mixes (there are
noticeable variations in "White Flags", "Make Rock Not War", "Spy In The
House Of The Night", "When The War Comes", "The Shadow Warrior", and
"Madness To The Method"). The song "White Flags" was originally
recorded on Hugh and Gordon Leggatt's 1982 album, *Illuminations*.
According to "Morning Final #2", the song "Shadow Warrior" was
originally a song called "I'm A Rebel" (with different lyrics), and
written (but not used) for the 1984 film, *Teachers*. This album was
discontinued in the U.S., although it was re-released in March of 1997
on Koch records, with new liner notes.
*Imaginos*
1. I Am The One You Warned Me Of --
(S. Pearlman, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard)
2. Les Invisibles -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard)
3. In The Presence Of Another World -- (S. Pearlman, J. Bouchard)
4. Del Rio's Song -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard)
5. The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At
Weisseria -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard)
6. Astronomy -- (S. Pearlman, J. Bouchard, A. Bouchard)
7. Magna Of Illusion -- (S. Pearlman, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard)
8. Blue Oyster Cult -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom)
9. Imaginos -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard)
Notes: Released in July 1988 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy Pearlman -
associate producer: Albert Bouchard. Instruments: Eric Bloom
(vocals), Albert Bouchard (guitar, percussion, vocals), Joe Bouchard
(keyboards, vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma"
Roeser (guitars, vocals), Kenny Aaronson (bass), Thommy Price (drums),
Jack Secret (additional vocals), Tommy Moringiello (guitars), Jack Rigg
(guitars), Tommy Zvoncheck (keyboards), Shocking U (background vocals on
"In The Presence Of Another World"), Joey Cerisano (additional lead
vocal on "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle
At Weisseria"), Jon Rogers (additional lead vocal on "Imaginos"), The
Guitar Orchestra of the State of Imaginos (Marc Biedermann, Kevin
Carlson, Robbie Krieger, Tommy Moringiello, Aldo Nova, Jack Rigg, Joe
Satriani). According to Bolle Gregmar, Joe Satriani played the lead on
"The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At
Weisseria", and Robbie Krieger played the lead on "Blue Oyster Cult".
According to Albert Bouchard, Robbie Krieger also played the lead on
"Magna Of Illusion". In addition, Albert Bouchard says that several
musicians were either improperly credited, or not credited at all. See
the specific FAQ question on the recording of *Imaginos* for more on
this topic. The house on the album's cover is a photo from the early
1900's of the famous Cliff House Hotel in San Francisco. The original
Cliff House was destroyed by fire in 1894, and a second hotel (pictured
on the album cover) was built in 1896. It was also destroyed by fire in
1907. A third hotel was built in 1909 and is still standing, but pales
in comparison to the one on the album cover. This album is no longer in
print in the U.S.
*Heaven Forbid*
1. See You In Black -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
2. Harvest Moon -- (D. Roeser)
3. Power Underneath Despair -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
4. X-Ray Eyes -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
5. Hammer Back -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
6. Damaged -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
7. Cold Gray Light Of Dawn -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
8. Real World -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
9. Live For Me -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
10. Still Burnin' -- (J. Rogers, D. Roeser)
11. In Thee -- (A. Lanier)
Note: Released in March 1998 by CMC International. Produced by Buck
Dharma - additional production by Steve Schenck and Eric Bloom. The
album was originally planned to be titled, "Ezekiel's Wheel".
Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Buck Dharma
(guitar, keyboards, vocals), Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Danny
Miranda (bass, vocals), Chuck Burgi (drums, vocals), Bobby Rondinelli
(drums on "Live For Me"), Jon Rogers (bass, vocals on "Harvest Moon",
"Power Underneath Despair", and "Still Burnin'"), Tony Perrino
(additional keyboards), George Cintron (additional vocals). "In Thee"
was recorded "live at Millbrook". The song, "Power Underneath Despair"
had been released by CMC on the *Summerdaze* album in 1997. The back of
the CD mispells the word "despair" (for the song, "Power Underneath
Despair") as "dispair". The distribution for European copies of this
album was handled by SPV records. The European release is sold with an
insert of the CD tray liner artwork (a blond woman, holding a scepter
with the BOC symbol) displayed on the front of the CD.
*Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*
1. Dance On Stilts -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
2. Showtime -- (E. Bloom, J. Trivers)
3. The Old Gods Return -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
4. Pocket -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
5. One Step Ahead Of The Devil --
(J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser, D. Miranda, B. Rondinelli)
6. I Just Like To Be Bad -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, B. Neumeister)
7. Here Comes That Feeling -- (D. Trismen, D. Roeser)
8. Out Of The Darkness -- (J. Shirley, D. Miranda, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
9. Stone Of Love -- (R. Meltzer, D. Roeser)
10. Eye Of The Hurricane --
(J. Shirley, E. Bloom, B. Neumeister, D. Roeser, B. Rondinelli)
11. Good To Feel Hungry -- (J. Shirley, D. Miranda, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
Note: Released in June 2001 by CMC International. Produced by Buck
Dharma. Associate producer Eric Bloom. Instruments: Eric Bloom
(vocals, guitar, keyboards), Buck Dharma (vocals, guitar, keyboards),
Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Danny Miranda (bass, vocals,
keyboards), Bobby Rondinelli (drums), Norman DelTufo (percussion),
George Cintron (backing vocals). A version of the song "Showtime" was
originally demoed by Eric for the album *Cultosaurus Erectues*. A
version of the song "Here Comes That Feeling" was originally planned to
be on a second Buck Dharma solo album, and a version of the song "Stone
Of Love" was originally demoed by Buck for the album, *Revolution By
Night*. The lyrics to the song, "Out Of The Darkness" were initially
tried to the song which became "The Horsemen Arrive" on the *Bad
Channels* Soundtrack CD.
Solo Albums, Live Imports, Movie Soundtracks, and Special Compilations
======================================================================
*Flat Out* (Buck Dharma solo album)
1. Born To Rock -- (N. Smith, D. Roeser)
2. That Summer Night -- (D. Roeser)
3. Cold Wind -- (D. Roeser)
4. Your Loving Heart -- (D. Roeser, S. Roeser)
5. Five Thirty-Five -- (D. Roeser)
6. Wind Weather And Storm -- (R. Meltzer, D. Roeser)
7. All Tied Up -- (D. Roeser)
8. Anwar's Theme -- (D. Roeser)
9. Come Softly To Me -- (G. Christopher, B. Ellis, G. Troxel)
Notes: Released in 1982 by Portrait Records. Produced by Donald
Roeser. Instruments: Buck Dharma (all vocals, instruments, effects and
noises, except those that follow), Sandy Roeser (vocal on "Come Softly
To Me", backing vocals on "That Summer Night"), R. Downey (drums on
"Your Loving Heart", "Five Thirty-Five", "Anwar's Theme"), Neil Smith
(drums on "Born To Rock", "That Summer Night"), Dennis Dunaway (bass on
"Born To Rock"), Giis de Lang (additional rhythm guitar on "Born To
Rock"), Richard Crooks (drums on "Cold Wind"), Will Lee (bass on "Cold
Wind", "All Tied Up"), Billy Alessi (synthesizer on "Cold Wind" and "All
Tied Up"), Craig MacGregor (bass on "Your Loving Heart", "Five Thirty-
Five", "Anwar's Theme"), Spyke Grubb (backing vocal on "Five Thirty-
Five"), Teruo Nakamura (bass on "Wind Weather And Storm"), Richie
Cannata (sax, clarinet, and horn arrangement on "Wind Weather And
Storm"), Steve Jordan (drums on "All Tied Up"), Sue Evans (percussion on
"Anwar's Theme", "Come Softly To Me"), D. Roeser (a.k.a. Buck Dharma,
drums on "Wind Weather And Storm", synthesizer on "All Tied Up"), Jan
Allen, Terry Bretone, Sandy Roeser, Richard Bifulco (hospital staff on
"Your Loving Heart"), (2K) Kessie (PA voice on "Your Loving Heart"). A
special thanks is listed to Chris Cassone "for Gnop Gnip" (see "hidden
messages" section of FAQ). The song "Wind Weather And Storm" was demoed
by Buck for BOC's *Agents Of Fortune* album. This album is currently no
longer in print in the U.S., however Sony/Portrait in France released
the album on CD in 1995 (see elsewhere in the FAQ for more information).
*Live 1976* (U.K. Import)
1. Stairway To The Stars
2. Harvester Of Eyes
3. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
4. ME-262
5. Dominance And Submission
6. Astronomy
7. Buck's Boogie
8. This Ain't The Summer Of Love
9. Born To Be Wild
10. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Notes: Recorded in Largo, Maryland (12/27/1976). Released in 1991 by
the Castle Communications label. Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals,
guitar, keyboards), Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar), Joe Bouchard
(bass, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, guitar, vocals), Donald "Buck
Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals). The sound quality on the CD is
rather poor. A video by of this performance is also available (also
titled *Live 1976*), which includes all of the above songs, plus
"E.T.I.". See later in the FAQ for a description of this video.
*Bad Channels* (movie soundtrack, available only on CD)
Demon's Kiss -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, J. Shirley)
The Horsemen Arrive -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, J. Shirley)
[the following 9 tunes are by bands other than BOC]
Joker - That's How It Is, Jane Jane (The Hurricane)
Fair Game - Somewhere In The Night, Blind Faith
Sykotik Sinfoney - Manic Depresso, Mr. Cool
DMT - Myth Of Freedom, Touching Myself Again
The Ukelalliens - Little Old Lady Polka
Bad Channels Movie Soundtrack (instrumental pieces written and
performed by Buck Dharma of BOC):
Bad Channels Overture
Power Station
Power Station II
Shadow
V.U.
Cosmo Rules, But Lump Controls
Battering Ram
This Dude Is F****d
Pick Up Her Feed
Spray That Scumbag
Out Of Station
Tree Full Of Owls
Cookie In Bottle
Corky Gets It
Eulogy For Corky
Spore Bomb
Remodeling
Ginger Snaps
Moon Gets It
Notes: Released in 1992 by Moonstone Records. Instruments: Eric Bloom
(lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Buck Dharma (lead guitar, vocals,
keyboards), Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Jon Rogers (bass,
background vocals), Chuck Burgi (drums, background vocals). The CD
liner notes incorrectly list the names of Jon Rogers and Chuck Burgi as
"John Rogers" and "Chuck Burgie" respectively. "The Horsemen Arrive",
should actually be titled, "When Horsemen Arrive" - this song was tried
with different lyrics, and titled "Out Of The Darkness". The film
credits incorrectly list the song by this alternate title. The "Out Of
The Darkness" lyrics were later released with different music on the
album, *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*.
*Summerdaze* (compilation of the 4 acts from the 1997 Summerdaze tour)
John Kay and Steppenwolf:
Bad Attitude
Rocket Ship
Make The Best Of What You Got
Blue Oyster Cult:
Power Underneath Despair -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, J. Shirley)
(Don't Fear) The Reaper -- (D. Roeser)
Godzilla -- (D. Roeser)
Foghat:
Honey Hush
Nothing But Trouble
You'll Be Mine
Pat Travers:
Ice Queen
Just Enough Money
Lookin' Up
Notes: Released in 1997 by CMC International Records. Instruments (for
BOC): Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Allen Lanier (guitar,
keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals), Danny Miranda
(bass, vocals), Bobby Rondinelli (drums). The instrument credits on the
album refer to the BOC line-up appearing on the tour, however, the
credits for the actual recordings are somewhat different. "Power
Underneath Despair", a studio track recorded in 1995, was produced by
Steve Schenck, Buck Dharma, and Eric Bloom; and featured Danny Miranda
on bass and Chuck Burgi on drums. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (Moscow,
Idaho), and "Godzilla" (Kalispell, Montana), both recorded live in 1992,
feature Jon Rogers on bass and John Miceli on drums. The band
photograph in the liner notes is circa 1993 showing Chuck Burgi, Eric
Bloom, Allen Lanier, Buck Dharma, and Jon Rogers.
*Stalk-Forrest Group - St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings*
(limited edition CD -- 5000 copies made)
1. What Is Quicksand? -- (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier)
2. I'm On The Lamb -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, A. Bouchard)
3. Gil Blanco County -- (S. Pearlman, A. Lanier)
4. Donovan's Monkey -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
5. Ragamuffin Dumplin' -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
6. Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
7. Arthur Comics -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
8. A Fact About Sneakers -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
9. St. Cecilia -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, A. Winters)
10. Ragamuffin Dumplin' [Original Version]
11. I'm On The Lamb [Original Version]
12. Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors [Original Version]
13. Bonomo's Turkish Taffy -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
14. Gil Blanco County [Original Version]
15. St. Cecilia [Original Version]
16. A Fact About Sneakers [Original Version]
17. What Is Quicksand? [MONO Single Version]
18. Arthur Comics [MONO Single Version]
Notes: Recorded in 1970 for Elektra Records, and released in 2001 by
Rhino Records. Original production by Dennis Murphy and Peter Siegel,
with additional production by Jay Lee and Sandy Pearlman. Rhino
production by Roland Worthington Hand. Instruments: Eric Bloom aka
"Jesse Python" (lead vocals, guitars), Donald Roeser aka "Buck Dharma"
(lead guitar, vocals), Andy Winters aka "Andy Panda" (bass), Allen
Lanier aka "La Verne" (keyboards, guitar), Albert Bouchard aka "Prince
Omega" (drums). Tracks 1 to 9 taken from the assembled, but never
released untitled Elektra album EKS-74046. Tracks 10 to 16 taken from
2-track mixed down masters of recordings for an earlier version of the
album on a reel labelled "Oaxaca". Tracks 17 and 18 taken from Elektra
single EKM-45693 released 20 July 1970 - though scheduled for commercial
release, it appears the only copies of this single which were pressed
and circulated were promotional copies. The tracks are believed to have
been recorded in two series of recording sessions, with the "Oaxaca"
tracks having been recorded first. Three tracks from this series ("What
Is Quicksand?, "Donovan's Monkey", and "Arthur Comics") were included
without change to the second reel labelled "Stalk-Forrest Group".
Donald Roeser sings lead vocals on "Arthur Comics" and "Bonomo's Turkish
Taffy", with Eric Bloom singing lead on all other tracks. According to
Albert Bouchard and Andrew Winters, Allen Lanier played bass on the
track, "St. Cecilia", and Andrew Winters played acoustic guitar on the
track. Also according to Andrew Winters, the original lyrics to "St.
Cecilia" were written by John Wiesenthal's sister Tina, in a poem
entitled "Blue" (according to Albert Bouchard and Bolle Gregmar, the
title was "Green"). Andrew's music was used, but lyrics by Sandy
Pearlman were used instead of Wiesenthal's. The original version of
"I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" (track 11) sounds quite
different than the version released on the first BOC album, including a
piano part, and a riff which would later be used in the *Imaginos* song,
"I Am The One You Warned Me Of". "Arthur Comics" would later be used as
an influence for the BOC song, "Buck's Boogie". The ending of "Gil
Blanco County" would later be used live by BOC as the ending of "(Don't
Fear) The Reaper". The song "A Fact About Sneakers" was a re-working of
a Soft White Underbelly song called "All Night Gas Station". More
information about this CD, including availability, can be found on the
World Wide Web at http://www.rhinohandmade.com
*The Brain Surgeons & Friends: To Helen With Love*
(A Tribute to The Life and Music of Helen Wheels)
1. Helen Wheels -- (HD Manitoba) [Handsome Dick Manitoba]
2. Lover's Loan -- (Wheels, A. Bouchard) [Felice Rosser, Crispin Cioe]
3. Sinful Love -- (Wheels, A. Bouchard)
[The Brain Surgeons, Tish and Snooky]
4. Elle Sol -- (Wheels, J. Bouchard)
[Buck Dharma, Tommy Mandel, Bouchard Brothers]
5. Niagara Falls -- (Wheels, Morrongiello) [The Brain Surgeons]
6. Will To Survive -- (Wheels, J. Bouchard)
[Jack Secret, Bouchard Brothers]
7. Fallen Angel -- (Wheels, J. Bouchard)
[Joe Bouchard, Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway]
8. Room To Rage -- (Wheels, R. Aaronson)
[Jack Secret, Ross the Boss, Adny Shernoff]
9. Hero -- (Wheels, A. Bouchard, M. Barkan)
[Sandy Roeser, Buck Dharma]
10. St. Vitus -- (Wheels, A. Bouchard, D. Frost) [The Brain Surgeons]
11. Goodbye Joe -- (Wheels, J. Bouchard)
[Jack Rigg, Tommy Mandel, Bouchard Brothers]
12. As I Bleed -- (Wheels, Draheim, Shayler) [Static Cling]
13. Chimes Of Freedom -- (Bob Dylan) [Scott Kempner]
Notes: Released in 2001 by Cellsum Records. Produced by Albert
Bouchard. Instruments: Albert Bouchard (drums, guitar, vocals,
harmonica, tambourine, mandocaster), Deborah Frost (vocals, guitar,
bass), David Hirschberg (bass, guitar, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass,
guitar, vocals), Buck Dharma (guitar, vocals), Sandy Roeser (vocals),
Tommy Mandel (piano, organ), Crispin Cioe (saxes), Jack Secret (vocals),
Adny Shernoff (vocals), Handsome Dick Manitoba (vocal), Felice Rosser
(vocal), Scott Kempner (guitar), Tish and Snooky (vocals), Dennis
Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums), Matt Smith (guitar), Ross the Boss
(guitar), Jack Rigg (vocal, guitar), Cathi Lee Otis (vocals), Kim
Draheim (guitar), Ron Shayler (bass), Bob Birmingham (drums), Scott
Kempner (guitar, vocal). Earlier versions of the songs "Lover's Loan",
"Elle Sol", and "Will To Survive" were demoed for the BOC albums
*Cultosaurus Erectus*, *Mirrors*, and *Spectres* respectively. Earlier
versions of the songs "Sinful Love" and "Fallen Angel" appeared on the
BOC albums *Agents Of Fortune* and *Cultosaurus Erectus* respectively.
An earlier version of "Elle Sol" appeared on the Joe Bouchard album *Joe
Bouchard Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens*. Earlier versions of
the songs "Niagara Falls" (performed by the Brain Surgeons) and "Room To
Rage" (performed by Helen Wheels) appeared on the Helen Wheels album
*Archetype*. An earlier version of the song "St. Vitus" appeared as
"St. Vitus Dance" on the Brain Surgeons album *Box Of Hammers*. All
profits from this album will go to animal charities. More information
about this CD, including lyrics and availability, can be found on the
World Wide Web at http://www.cellsum.com
*God Save Blue Oyster Cult From Themselves*
(Columbia/Legacy promotional CD)
1. Transmaniacon MC [from Blue Oyster Cult]
2. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune]
3. O.D.'d On Life Itself [from Tyranny And Mutation]
4. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters (live) [from Live In The West]
5. Donovan's Monkey (demo) [from Soft White Underbelly demo sessions]
6. Mes Dames Sarat (outtake) [from Secret Treaties sessions]
7. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
8. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Agents Of Fortune]
9. Dominance And Submission [from Secret Treaties]
10. Hot Rails To Hell (live) [from Live In The West]
11. John L. Sullivan (demo) [from Soft White Underbelly demo sessions]
Notes: Released in 2001 as a promotional CD for the Columbia/Legacy CD
re-masters of *Blue Oyster Cult*, *Tyranny And Mutation*, *Secret
Treaties*, and *Agents Of Fortune*. This promotional release is
significant in that it contains 2 tracks (Hot Rails To Hell, John L.
Sullivan), which can not be obtained on any other official BOC release.
The tracks "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" and "Hot Rails To Hell" were
recorded in July of 1975 and previously only available on the *Live In
The West* "bootleg" tape that was created by the band and circulated
among friends and family. The songs "Donovan's Monkey", and "John L.
Sullivan" were all demoed to Columbia (and rejected) in 1969. The song
"Mes Dames Sarat" is an outtake from the *Secret Treaties* album's
recording sessions.
Compilation Albums (domestic)
=============================
*(Don't Fear) The Reaper* (compilation) (available only on tape)
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. You're Not The One (I Was Looking For) [from Mirrors]
3. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation]
4. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties]
5. Born To Be Wild
6. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult]
7. Buck's Boogie [from promo release]
8. Redeemed [from Blue Oyster Cult]
Notes: Released in 1989 by Columbia, and should not be confused with
the 1997 Sony release of the same name, or with the 2000 Sony release
*Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best Of Blue Oyster Cult*. Some of the
versions used on this recording were the single, not the album versions.
The most notable differences include the edited version of "(Don't Fear)
The Reaper" (the guitar solo section was cut), and "Career Of Evil"
(Apparently the line, "Do it to your daughter on a dirt road" was
considered too controversial -- the vocals were either re-recorded or
re-mixed so the line says "Do it like ya oughtta on a dirt road").
Also, this version omits the second verse of the song. "Born To Be
Wild" is a studio version of the song (the riff is different) which
appeared as the b-side to a single release of the live version (from *On
Your Feet Or On Your Knees*). The version of "Buck's Boogie" is a live
version from a 1972 show in New York that appeared on Columbia's promo
issue "Bootleg EP" (see section on bootleg recordings).
*Career Of Evil - The Metal Years* (compilation)
1. Cities On Flame [from Extraterrestrial Live]
2. The Red And The Black [from Extraterrestrial Live]
3. Hot Rails To Hell [from Extraterrestrial Live]
4. Dominance And Submission [from Extraterrestrial Live]
5. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from On your Feet Or On Your Knees]
6. ME 262 [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees]
7. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Agents Of Fortune]
8. Beat 'Em Up [from Club Ninja]
9. Black Blade [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
10. Harvester Of Eyes [from Secret Treaties]
11. Flaming Telepaths [from Secret Treaties]
12. Godzilla [from Extraterrestrial Live]
13. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Some Enchanted Evening]
Note: Released in 1990 by Columbia. On the cassette version of this
album, the jam at the end of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" was
removed - the song ends with Buck's trill way up the neck. The CD
version of the album does not have this edit. According "Morning Final
#2", this CD was originally issued in place of a CD release of
*Extraterrestrial Live* (although that album was later released on CD).
*On Flame With Rock And Roll* (compilation)
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. Transmaniacon MC [from Blue Oyster Cult]
3. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult]
4. Kick Out The Jams [from Some Enchanted Evening]
5. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Spectres]
6. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties]
7. Godzilla [from Spectres]
8. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
9. Dominance And Submission [from Secret Treaties]
10. Death Valley Nights [from Spectres]
Notes: Released in 1990 by CBS Special Products, and should not be
confused with the 1997 KRB Music Companies release of the same name. In
1999, Platinum Disc Corporation produced a 2 CD set (Made in Canada)
which contained this CD and the 1997 *Don't Fear The Reaper* compilation
CD. The version of "Career Of Evil" used on this recording was the
single, not the album version (Apparently the line, "Do it to your
daughter on a dirt road" was considered too controversial -- the vocals
were either re-recorded or re-mixed so the line says "Do it like ya
oughtta on a dirt road"). Also, this version omits the second verse of
the song. Two of the tracks ("Dominance And Submission", "Death Valley
Nights") do not appear on the cassette version of this album.
*Cult Classic* (re-recording of old BOC songs)
1. Don't Fear The Reaper -- (D. Roeser)
2. E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence) -- (S. Pearlman, D. Roeser)
3. M.E. 262 -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
4. This Ain't The Summer Of Love -- (D. Roeser, D. Waller, M. Krugman)
5. Burning For You -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer)
6. O.D.'d On Life Itself --
(S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard)
7. Flaming Telepaths -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard)
8. Godzilla -- (D. Roeser)
9. Astronomy -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard)
10. Cities on Flame With Rock 'N' Roll --
(S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser)
11. Harvester Of Eyes -- (R. Meltzer, E. Bloom, D. Roeser)
12. Buck's Boogie -- (D. Roeser)
13. Don't Fear The Reaper (TV Mix) -- (D. Roeser)
14. Godzilla (TV Mix) -- (D. Roeser)
Notes: Released in 1994, by Herald/Fragile/Caroline Records. Produced
by Donald Roeser and Eric Bloom. Executive producer: Steve Schenck.
Associate producer: Jeff Kawalek. Instruments: Eric Bloom (lead
vocals, guitar, keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar,
lead vocals, keyboards), Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitars), Jon Rogers
(bass, background vocals), Chuck Burgi (drums, percussion, background
vocals). The CD was released in 1996 in Europe under the title,
"Champions Of Rock".
*Workshop Of The Telescopes* (double CD compilation)
Disc 1
1. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult]
2. Transmaniacon MC [from Blue Oyster Cult]
3. Before The Kiss, A Redcap [from Blue Oyster Cult]
4. Stairway To The Stars [from Blue Oyster Cult]
5. Buck's Boogie [from "Guitars That Destroyed The World"]
6. Workshop Of The Telescopes [from promo release]
7. The Red And The Black [from promo release]
8. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation]
9. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties]
10. Flaming Telepaths [from Secret Treaties]
11. Astronomy [from Secret Treaties]
12. Subhuman [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees]
13. Harvester Of Eyes [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees]
14. M.E. 262 [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees]
15. Born To Be Wild [from b-side of Born To Be Wild single]
Disc 2
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune]
3. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Agents Of Fortune]
4. Godzilla [from Spectres]
5. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres]
6. Golden Age Of Leather [from Spectres]
7. Kick Out The Jams [from Some Enchanted Evening]
8. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place [from Some Enchanted Evening]
9. In Thee [from Mirrors]
10. The Marshall Plan [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
11. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
12. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
13. Dominance And Submission [from Extraterrestrial Live]
14. Take Me Away [from The Revolution By Night]
15. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night]
16. Dancin' In The Ruins [from Club Ninja]
17. Perfect Water [from Club Ninja]
Notes: Released in 1995 by Sony/Columbia's Legacy label. The versions
of "Workshop Of The Telescopes" and "The Red And The Black" were
recorded live in 1972, and previously not commercially issued, but
released on 12-inch vinyl to radio stations. The version of "Buck's
Boogie" used on this recording was also from that release (as well as
the Columbia compilation, "Guitars That Destroyed The World"). The
release, which also included a live version of "Cities On Flame With
Rock And Roll", was titled *The BOC Bootleg EP*. The version of "Born
To Be Wild" is a studio version which was previously only available
either on the b-side of the single release of "Born To Be Wild" from *On
Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, or on the *(Don't Fear) The Reaper*
compilation tape. The band used to refer to this track as their "I
Heard It Through The Grapevine" version, as the rhythm part of the track
sounds very similar to the song. This CD set correctly credits A.
Bouchard and B. Dharma for the writing of "Buck's Boogie", but
incorrectly credits D. Roeser, A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, and S. Pearlman
for the writing of "The Red And The Black" (when it should be "A.
Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman"). The version of "We Gotta Get Out Of
This Place" is from the LP version of *Some Enchanted Evening*, not the
CD version (see notes for *Some Enchanted Evening*).
*Revisited* (compilation)
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. Godzilla [from Spectres]
3. Transmaniacon MC [from Blue Oyster Cult]
4. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres]
5. Hot Rails To Hell [from Tyranny And Mutation]
6. The Red And The Black [from Blue Oyster Cult]
7. In Thee [from Mirrors]
8. Before The Kiss, A Redcap [from Blue Oyster Cult]
9. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation]
Notes: Released in 1996 by Sony Music Special Products. M. Krugman and
A. Lanier were left off the credits for "Before The Kiss, A Redcap".
The cover photo used shows the original BOC line-up in concert
performing the "5 Guitars".
*On Flame With Rock And Roll* (compilation)
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult]
3. Kick Out The Jams [from Some Enchanted Evening]
4. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Spectres]
5. Godzilla [from Spectres]
6. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
Notes: Released in 1997 by KRB Music Companies/Sony Music Special
Products, and should not be confused with the 1990 CBS Special Products
release of the same name. This release is part of the "Six Pack"
series, containing six hits by a particular artist. The cover photo is
the same as the photo on the *Revisited* compilation, with the flaming
logo from the first *On Flame With Rock And Roll* compilation above the
photo.
*Don't Fear The Reaper* (compilation)
1. The Red And The Black [from Tyranny And Mutation]
2. In Thee [from Mirrors]
3. Nosferatu [from Spectres]
4. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night]
5. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Extraterrestrial Live]
6. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres]
7. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation]
8. Before The Kiss, A Redcap [from Blue Oyster Cult]
9. Hot Rails To Hell [from Tyranny And Mutation]
10. Buck's Boogie [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees]
Notes: Released in 1997 by Sony Music Special Products, and should not
be confused with the 1989 Columbia release of the same name, or with the
2000 Sony release *Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best Of Blue Oyster
Cult*. In 1999, Platinum Disc Corporation produced a 2 CD set (Made in
Canada) which contained this CD and the 1990 *On Flame With Rock And
Roll* compilation CD - however the back cover of this 2 CD set fails to
list "Buck's Boogie" as the final track. This CD credits A. Bouchard
and D. Roeser for the writing of "Buck's Boogie", and M. Krugman and A.
Lanier were left off the credits for "Before The Kiss, A Redcap". The
cover photo is the same as the photo on the *Revisited* compilation.
*Super Hits* (compilation)
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune]
3. Godzilla [from Spectres]
4. The Red And The Black [from promo release]
5. O.D.'d On Life Itself [from Tyranny And Mutation]
6. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres]
7. Black Blade [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
8. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation]
9. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
10. Flaming Telepaths [from Secret Treaties]
Notes: Released in 1998 by Sony. The song "The Red And The Black"
originally appeared on the *Tyranny And Mutation* album. However, the
version on this compilation was recorded live in 1972, and originally
only released on 12-inch vinyl to radio stations. It was later released
by Sony on the *Workshop Of The Telescopes* compilation. The song is
incorrectly listed in the liner notes to this compilation as being from
*Tyranny And Mutation*. Also, the liner notes incorrectly credit "The
Red And The Black" to "E. Bloom, S. Pearlman, D. Roeser", when it should
be "A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman".
*Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best Of Blue Oyster Cult* (compilation)
1. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult]
2. The Red And The Black [from Tyranny And Mutation]
3. Flaming Telepaths [from Secret Treaties]
4. Astronomy [from Secret Treaties]
5. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune]
6. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
7. I Love The Night [from Spectres]
8. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres]
9. Godzilla [from Spectres]
10. In Thee [from Mirrors]
11. The Marshall Plan [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
12. Black Blade [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
13. Joan Crawford [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
14. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
15. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night]
16. Take Me Away [from The Revolution By Night]
Notes: Released in 2000 by Sony, and should not be confused with the
1989 Columbia release, or the 1997 Sony Music Special Products release -
both are titled *Don't Fear The Reaper*. The tracks on this CD have
been re-mastered, and the liner notes contain information on the band's
early history, and a number of old band photos. The liner notes
incorrectly credit "The Red And The Black" to "D. Roeser, E. Bloom, S.
Pearlman", when it should be "A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman". The
liner notes show the album covers of all the songs represented on the
compilation - at the end, under the title "Also Look For:", the album
covers for *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, *Some Enchanted Evening*,
*Extraterrestrial Live*, *Career Of Evil*, and *Workshop Of The
Telescopes* are shown - covers for *Club Ninja* and *Imaginos* are not
shown, presumably because they are no longer available as Sony releases.
Compilation Albums (foreign)
============================
*Rock Storia E Musica - Blue Oyster Cult - Gruppo Editoriale Fabri*
(Italian import compilation) (available only on tape)
1. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Extraterrestrial Live]
2. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Extraterrestrial Live]
3. Hot Rails To Hell [from Extraterrestrial Live]
4. Godzilla [from Extraterrestrial Live]
5. Dominance And Submission [from Extraterrestrial Live]
6. Monsters [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
7. The Great Sun Jester [from Mirrors]
8. Black Blade [from Extraterrestrial Live]
Notes: Released in 1983 by Columbia.
*Rock Shots - Hins Collection - "Club Ninja" Track Sequence*
(Indonesian import compilation) (available only on tape)
1. Beat 'Em Up
2. Make Rock, Not War
3. Spy In The House Of The Night
4. Dancin' In The Ruins
5. The Shadow Warrior
6. Perfect Water
7. White Flags
8. When The War Comes
9. Madness To The Method
10. Light Years Of Love
11. Eyes On Fire
12. Shadow Of California
13. Take Me Away
Notes: Released in 1986. The versions on this tape are presumably the
same versions as appeared on *The Revolution By Night* and *Club Ninja*.
*Il Grande Rock De Agostini* (Italian import compilation)
1. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. The Red And The Black [from Tyranny And Mutation]
3. Godzilla [from Spectres]
4. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
5. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Agents Of Fortune]
6. Joan Crawford [from Extraterrestrial Live]
7. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Spectres]
8. Astronomy [from Secret Treaties]
9. The Subhuman [from Secret Treaties]
10. Blue Oyster Cult [from Imaginos]
Notes: Released in 1991, by Columbia/Sony (Italy). Part of a "magazine
set" - a large series of around 100 or so CDs/pamphlets on various rock
bands. A subscriber would receive a new CD/pamphlet on a periodic basis
until they had the whole set. Only one CD had BOC songs - #25 in the
series. The songs were recorded straight off BOC LPs. The disc
incorrectly credits 5 of the tracks as being from *Some Enchanted
Evening*.
*The Reaper - Best* (German/Holland import compilation)
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune]
2. Godzilla [from Spectres]
3. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Some Enchanted Evening]
4. Then Came The Last Days Of May [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees]
5. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult]
6. The Marshall Plan [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
7. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
8. Joan Crawford [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
9. Dr. Music [from Mirrors]
10. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place [from Some Enchanted Evening]
11. White Flags [from Club Ninja]
12. The Vigil [from Mirrors]
13. Take Me Away [from The Revolution By Night]
14. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night]
15. I Am The One You Warned Me Of [from Imaginos]
16. In The Presence Of Another World (Excerpts From) [from Imaginos]
Notes: Released in 1993. Distributed by Sony Music Entertainment
(Germany), made in Austria, printed in Holland. Most of the writing on
the CD liner, including about 10 pages of history on the band, is
printed in German. Several of the songs ("(Don't Fear) The Reaper",
"Godzilla", "Then Came The Last Days Of May", "Cities On Flame With Rock
And Roll", "Joan Crawford", "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place") have been
enhanced over the original album versions to improve the sound quality.
The version of "In The Presence Of Another World" is an abbreviated
version of the song appearing on *Imaginos* - the song ends after the
line "In the fullness of another world, there is no emptiness..." just
prior to the "Your master" coda section. The version of "We Gotta Get
Out Of This Place" is from the LP version of *Some Enchanted Evening*,
not the CD version (see notes for *Some Enchanted Evening*).
*Champions Of Rock* (European release of *Cult Classic*)
See listing for *Cult Classic*
Notes: This CD was released in 1996 in Europe as part of a series of
artists including April Wine, J. Geils Band, Gentle Giant, Nazareth,
Saxon, Robin Trower, and UFO. It is released by the "Disky" label in
Holland with "all tracks licensed from EMI International Records". The
cover photo is a group shot of the 5 original members of BOC, probably
taken in the mid to late 1970's.
*Tattoo Vampire* (German import compilation)
1. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult]
2. Stairway To The Stars [from Blue Oyster Cult]
3. Then Came The Last Days Of May [from Blue Oyster Cult]
4. Workshop Of The Telescopes [from promo release]
5. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties]
6. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune]
7. Tattoo Vampire [from Agents Of Fortune]
8. The Red And The Black [from Extraterrestrial Live]
9. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin]
10. Born To Be Wild (Studio) [from b-side of Born To Be Wild single]
11. Black Blade [from Cultosaurus Erectus]
12. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night]
13. Dr. Music (Live) [from Extraterrestrial Live]
14. Godzilla [from Spectres]
Notes: Released in 1998 by Sony Music Entertainment (Germany). The
song "Workshop Of The Telescopes" was recorded live in 1972, and
originally only released on 12-inch vinyl to radio stations. It was
later released by Sony on the *Workshop Of The Telescopes* compilation.
The version of "Born To Be Wild" is a studio version which was
previously only available either on the b-side of the single release of
"Born To Be Wild" from *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, or on the
*(Don't Fear) The Reaper* compilation tape. It was later released by
Sony on the *Workshop Of The Telescopes* compilation. While the track
listings indicate that "Dr. Music" is a live recording, they do not also
indicate that both "Workshop Of The Telescopes" and "The Red And The
Black" are also live recordings.
Bootleg Recordings
==================
Notes: Most of the following won't be found in your local (U.S.) record
store. How to obtain these recordings is discussed elsewhere in this
FAQ. With the advent of more powerful computer desktop publishing
capabilities and the ability to record CDs (known as CD-Rs), more
"bootleg" CDs may actually be CD-Rs produced on desktop computers.
However, because BOC has a relatively few number of bootleg CDs, those
BOC CD-R's that been advertised and sold by legitimate CD import dealers
(either though their own ignorance, or profit motivation) have been
listed in this FAQ. Where such a recording is known or suspected to be
a CD-R, it is indicated.
*Blue Oyster Cult - Live NY '72* (Columbia promo/various imports)
Title (label, release year)
The Blue Oyster Cult Bootleg EP (Columbia, 1972) - LP promo
In My Mouth Or On The Ground (Idle Mind, 1976) - 10" blue or black
Blue Oyster Cult (Maserati, 1976) - LP only
Fantasy Distillation Of Reality (TKRWM, 1977) - LP only
Blue Oyster Cult (Sky Dog International) - vinyl (1989), CD (1990)
For The Heavy Metal Kids And The Yardbirds (Munster, 1999) - CD/10"
1. The Red And The Black
2. Buck's Boogie
3. Workshop Of The Telescopes
4. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
Notes: The above 4 songs were recorded on 4/3/1972 at Nugget's Pizza
Parlor in Rochester, NY. "The Red And The Black", "Workshop Of The
Telescopes", and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" were part of a
radio broadcast a week later. "Buck's Boogie" lacked publishing
copyrights security at that time, and was not broadcast, but did appear
on a compilation album of various artists, titled, *The Guitars That
Destroyed The World* in the early 1970's. Columbia released *The Blue
Oyster Cult Bootleg EP* as a promotional EP to radio stations as a pre-
release to *Tyranny And Mutation*. On that EP, the credits for "Buck's
Boogie" (D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) and "The Red And The Black" (S.
Pearlman, E. Bloom, A. Bouchard) were swapped. This error has been
propagated through the years on various releases (most notably, the
credits for "Buck's Boogie" were never fully rectified until the 1995
Sony release, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*). In 1976, Idle Mind
released this recording on 10" (both black and blue) vinyl with the
title *In My Mouth Or On The Ground*. Also in 1976, Maserati released
this recording (with lyrics to some of BOC's albums, as well as
promotional photos) with the title *Blue Oyster Cult*, but created
confusion with a label on the record reading "Soft White Underbelly"
(there are no Soft White Underbelly recordings on this album). This
recording also goes by the album number of "ME262". In 1977, TKRWM
released this recording, along with the two tracks from the Stalk-
Forrest Group single ("What Is Quicksand?" and "Arthur Comics" - see the
section about other BOC recordings for more information on them) with
the title "Fantasy Distillation Of Reality" (and also erroneously
stamped "Live in Montreal" - creating additional confusion). Sky Dog
released this recording under the title *Blue Oyster Cult* or *Live In
NY '72*. Finally, Munster Records released (under license from Sky Dog
Records) the CD (as well as 10" vinyl) under the title *For The Heavy
Metal Kids And The Yardbirds*. It is believed that at least one of
these releases has the tracks in the wrong order, putting the "side one"
tracks (The Red And The Black, Buck's Boogie) after the "side two"
tracks (Workshop Of The Telescopes, Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll).
Also, some of these releases contain the following line from the BOC
song "Transmaniacon MC" in the liner notes: "We're pain, we're steel, a
plot of knives, we're Transmaniacon MC".
*Live In The West* (Also known as *BOC In The West* - Soundboard
Recording, Tape Only)
1. Stairway To The Stars
2. O.D.'d On Life Itself
3. Harvester Of Eyes
4. Flaming Telepaths
5. Dominance And Submission
6. The Subhuman
7. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters
8. Astronomy
9. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
10. Buck's Boogie
11. Hot Rails To Hell
12. Maserati GT
Notes: Strictly speaking, this is not a "bootleg", but a live tape.
What distinguishes it from other BOC live tapes is that this recording
was produced by the band (actually by soundman George Geranios) and
circulated among family and friends. It was created from shows done
during a week in July of 1975, in Washington, Oregon and California, and
has been traded extensively by fans since that time. It is perhaps most
noted for it's version of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" which features an
extended "rap" by Eric telling the story of selling his soul to the
Devil to become a rock star, and forseeing his future in a nursing home
for old rock stars when the Devil comes calling for his soul. This
track, along with "O.D.'d On Life Itself" were released by
Columbia/Legacy on the *Tyranny And Mutation* re-master as bonus tracks.
In addition, "7 Screaming Dis-Busters" and "Hot Rails To Hell" were
released on the Columbia/Legacy promotional CD, *God Save Blue Oyster
Cult From Themselves*
*Still Kicking*
(often mislabeled "Still Ticking"; possible alternative title is "Still
Fighting", often mislabeled "Still Fiction") (available only on LP)
Intro
Dr. Music
Heavy Metal (The Black and Silver)
Joan Crawford
M.E. 262
Flaming Telepaths
Veteran Of The Psychic Wars
Roadhouse Blues
Notes: Released in 1982 by the "Good Shape" label. The songs were
recorded in London at The Venue (8/19/1981) and Castle Donnington
(8/22/1981). This recording may only be available on LP. The Castle
Donnington show was Rick Downey's first full performance with BOC. The
mislabeling of the titles stems from a very bizarre font which was used
on the cover, that was difficult to read. The sound quality is poor.
"Heavy Metal" included an up-tempo riff at the end of the song that was
only done by the band on the European leg of this tour.
*Violences 3*
(Italy import) (available only on LP)
Born To Be Wild
Arthur Comics
Roadhouse Blues
Notes: Released in 1982 by the "Blam" label, as part of a boxed set of
3 artists (Motorhead, Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Oyster Cult) each doing 3
songs each. The three songs are from the 9/8/1980 show at the Old
Waldorf, San Francisco, CA.
*The Thing!* (Italy import)
(also released as a German import as two individual CDs -- "Blue Oyster
Cult Live And Alive - Vol. 1" and "Blue Oyster Cult Live And Alive -
Vol. 2"; also, the tracks indicated with a + were released as single CD
imports under the titles "Godzilla", and "Burnin' For You"; some version
of this recording was also released, presumably on CD-R, under the
titles "City's In Flame" and "5 Wolves In The City")
Disc 1
1. Dr. Music +
2. E.T.I.
3. Burnin' For You +
4. Fire Of Unknown Origin +
5. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
6. Joan Crawford +
7. Flaming Telepaths
8. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars +
9. Hot Rails To Hell +
Disc 2
1. ME-262 +
2. Heavy Metal
3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper +
4. Godzilla +
5. Born To Be Wild +
6. 5 Guitars +
7. Roadhouse Blues +
Notes: Released in 1991 by the "Beech Marten" label (The "Live And
Alive Vol. 1/2" import was released by the "PR-Records" label, the
"Godzilla" import was released in 1993 in both vinyl and CD formats by
the "Metal Mess" label, and the "Burnin' For You" import was released in
1994 by the "Live Line" label; the "City's In Flame" CD was released in
2000 or 2001 on an unknown label, and is presumed to be a CD-R).
Recorded at Bonds International Casinos, New York City (6/16/1981).
Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitars, vocals), Donald Roeser (guitars,
vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards, backing vocals), Albert Bouchard
(drums), Joe Bouchard (bass, backing vocals). The "Live And Alive Vol.
1/2" recording has the two discs reversed (i.e. "Vol. 1" is Disc 2 of
"The Thing!", and "Vol. 2" is Disc 1 of "The Thing!"). "The Thing!" has
the correct concert order. The CD has three major typos: The recording
was at "Bonds International", not "Bands International". Also, the
recording date was "6/16/1981", not "6/18/1981". Finally, "Flaming
Telepaths" is mis-spelled as "Flaming Telephats". This recording was
broadcast on ABC Radio's "A Night on the Road" on 8/8/1981. According
to Bolle Gregmar, some of the songs at the end of the show (The Reaper,
Godzilla, Born To Be Wild, 5 Guitars) were actually recorded the
previous year (9/8/1980 show at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA).
These were spliced in by Steve Schenck and George Geranios when the
mixing budget ran out. Steve Schenck had to overdub the keyboards on
"Flaming Telepaths". The version of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" sounds as
if Buck mistakenly sings the second verse twice, while the band recovers
without missing a beat. Actually, the splicing of the two shows was
done in the middle of the song, but was done in error. The version of
"5 Guitars" is the "Mark III" (Golden Age of Leather) version. Also,
for some unknown reason, "5 Guitars" was mixed after "Born To Be Wild",
when in actuality the band played them in the opposite order ("5
Guitars" segues into "Born To Be Wild"), and "Heavy Metal" was actually
played as an encore to the Bonds show. The photo on the front of *The
Thing!* CD appears to have been taken in the early 1970's (every-one's
hair is quite long).
*Nail You Down* (Luxembourg or Italy import)
(also released as an import with the title, "Rock and Roll Reapers")
1. Stairway To the Stars
2. Harvester Of Eyes
3. Workshop Of Telescopes
4. Before The Kiss (A Redcap)
5. Born To Rock
6. Hot Rails To Hell
7. Seven Screaming Dizbusters
8. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
9. Burnin' For You
10. Joan Crawford
11. Born To Be Wild
12. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
13. Roadhouse Blues
Notes: Released in 1992 by the "Oh Boy" label (The "Rock and Roll
Reapers" import was released by the "Metal Mania" label). From the ABC
recording, "Captured Live", recorded on 7/23/1983 at Perkins Palace,
Pasadena, CA, and broadcast on 8/29/1983. The show also contained some
songs from *Revolution By Night* (Take Me Away, Feel The Thunder,
Veins), but they were not broadcast as the album had not yet been
released. The photo on the back of the CD contains Albert Bouchard. He
was not in the band at the time of this performance. This version of
"Roadhouse Blues" contains, in the middle of the song, a few bars of the
Doors' song, "Love Me Two Times" (which is incorrectly listed on the
"Rock and Roll Reapers" release as a separate track).
*Into The Crypts Of Rays* (Italy import)
1. R. U. Ready 2 Rock
2. White Flags
3. Take Me Away
4. Dancin' In The Ruins
5. The Shadow Warrior
6. Burnin' For You
7. Godzilla
8. Wings Of Mercury
9. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
10. Born To Be Wild
11. Let Go
12. Shooting Shark
Notes: Released in 1993 by the "International Broadcast Recordings"
label. Recorded at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA on
3/27/1986. However, the last 3 songs on the CD are actually from a
2/14/1984 show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The California
portion of this recording (often incorrectly referred as being from Los
Angeles) was broadcast on "The King Biscuit Flower Hour" on 7/13/1986.
This show was rebroadcast by King Biscuit on 8/31/1998, and sent to
radio stations on CD (the last 3 songs were not part of the King Biscuit
broadcast, and therefore not on this radio-only CD). "Wings Of Mercury"
is credited as written by Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom, and Albert
Bouchard. However, according to Bolle Gregmar, the song was actually
written by Dream Syndicate (Karl Precoda), and given to BOC to use (both
Dream Syndicate and BOC were managed by Sandy Pearlman, and Tommy
Zvoncheck plays keyboards on at least one Dream Syndicate album). It
was planned to be played by BOC on the Hear 'n Aid project (a heavy-
metal album project organized by Ronnie James Dio to raise money for the
hungry -- the album featured a group of stars singing one song, plus a
number of tracks by some of the artists), but was not used. "Wings Of
Mercury" was actually played as the first encore of the Santa Monica
show, but was inserted in-between "Godzilla" and "(Don't Fear) The
Reaper" for the radio broadcast. The recording of "Born To Be Wild"
appears to have been edited to remove the "Texas Chainsaw guitar duel".
The second verse of "Shooting Shark" is not on the recording -- either
the band did not perform the second verse, or it was edited out of the
mix. The name of this release no doubt comes from the Celtic Frost song
of the same name.
Stalk-Forrest Group -- *St. Cecilila - The California Album*
(European import) (available only on LP)
1. Gil Blanco County
2. Ragamuffin' Dumplin
3. Bonomo's Turkish Taffy
4. Arthur Comics
5. Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors
6. What Is Quicksand
7. St. Cecilia
8. Donovan's Monkey
9. I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep
10. A Fact About Sneakers
Notes: Released in 1998 by the "Acetato" label. It is believed that
about 500 copies of this recording were pressed in Europe, with the
source being tapes traded by fans. The quality is presumably good, but
not excellent. The songs are taken from the Stalk-Forrest Group
recording that Elektra never released (although they were released in
2001 by Rhino). The line-up for these songs was Jesse Python (Eric
Bloom), Buck Dharma (Donald Roeser), Prince Omega (Albert Bouchard), La
Vern (Allen Lanier), and Andy Winters (Andrew Winters). The final three
songs may be incorrectly identified as having been recorded as a demo in
1971 by Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Albert Bouchard, Allen Lanier and Joe
Bouchard. The version of "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" sounds
quite different than the version released on the first BOC album,
including a piano part, and a riff which would later be used in the
*Imaginos* song, "I Am The One You Warned Me Of".
Dharma For Buck (source of distribution unknown)
1. Kilburn County (Gil Blanco County)
2. Magic Man (Ragamuffin' Dumplin)
3. Nope Is What I Hope (Bonomo's Turkish Taffy)
4. Arthur Comics
5. Behind My Back (Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors)
6. Right Back In Tokyo (What Is Quicksand)
7. St. Cecelia (St. Cecilia)
8. Stairway To The Stars
9. Dominence & Submission (Dominance And Submission)
10. Astronomy
11. ME-262
12. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
13. Morning Final
14. This Ain't The Summer Of Love
15. Don't Fear The Reaper
Notes: Released in 1999 on Tendolar. This release is, by bootleg
standards, fairly poorly done, and may even have been done as a CD-R
(recordable CD) as opposed to being mass-produced at a CD processing
plant. However, it is included here because it has been advertised by
legitimate CD import dealers. The first 7 tracks are in fact from the
Stalk-Forrest Group demo (mislabeled on the CD as being from the "Stalk-
Forrest band"), made in 1970 for Elektra (unreleased until the 2001
release by Rhino). The remaining tracks are taken from two separate
concerts which were broadcast as part of the King Biscuit Flower Hour.
The first 5 of these tracks were taken from a 6/8/1975 show on Long
Island, New York, and the remaining 3 were taken from a 10/24/1976 show
in Albany, New York. The cover artwork is the artwork to BOC's
*Spectres* release, with the changed title (suggesting possible computer
reproduction). The track list is riddled with errors (the list above
shows the tracks as listed on the CD, followed by the correct track
title in parenthesis), suggesting that the producer created this
recording from cassette tapes without a proper track list. It is
suspected that the live BOC tracks which follow are also taken from
cassette tape copies (despite the CD's claim of being a "stereo
soundboard recording") of the King Biscuit Flower Hour broadcasts. The
sound quality is uneven, no better than many fan-traded tapes of the
same material, and there are a few cuts in some of the live tracks (most
notably the end of "Don't Fear The Reaper", presumably due to no more
time available on the CD). Further, the printing on the CD itself
entitles it as "Pharma For Back".
*Music Hall* (CD-R)
1. Stairway To The Stars
2. Harvester Of Eyes
3. Cities On Flame
4. Agents Of Fortune (E.T.I.)
5. Morning Final
6. Flaming Telepaths
7. Last Days Of May
8. Buck's Boogie
9. This Ain't The Summer Of Love
10. Inst. (Bass Solo, 5 Guitars - Mark II)
11. Born To Be Wild
12. The Reaper
Notes: Released in 2000 or 2001 by the "Pontiac" label. All tracks
taken from a live recording on 10/16/1976 at the Boston Music Hall,
Boston, MA. The track list contains a few errors (the list above shows
the tracks as listed on the CD, followed by the correct track title in
parenthesis), and 2 of the photographs shown in the liner notes were
actually taken around 1980, and not in 1976.
The Stalk-Forrest Group With Buck Dharma -- *Curse Of The Hidden
Mirrors* (CD-R, source of distribution unknown)
1. St. Cecilia
2. Donovan's Monkey
3. I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep
4. A Fact About Sneakers
5. Gil Blanco County
6. Ragamuffin' Dumplin
7. Bonomo's Turkish Taffy
8. Arthur Comics
9. Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors)
10. What Is Quicksand?
Notes: Released in 2000 or 2001 on Young Buck Recordings. It appears
that this CD-R may have been created either from the Stalk-Forrest Group
LP bootleg, *St. Cecilila - The California Album*, or from the original
fan-traded tapes that were its source. If so, due to the track
ordering, it appears that either the LP or tape sides were recorded in
reverse order. The songs are taken from the Stalk-Forrest Group
recording that Elektra never released (although they were released in
2001 by Rhino). The line-up for these songs was Buck Dharma (Donald
Roeser - lead guitar, vocals), Jesse Python (Eric Bloom - guitar,
vocals), La Vern (Allen Lanier - guitar, keyboards), Prince Omega
(Albert Bouchard - drums), and Andy Winters (Andrew Winters - bass).
Tracks 2 to 4 may be incorrectly identified as having been recorded as a
demo in 1971 by Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Albert Bouchard, Allen Lanier
and Joe Bouchard. The version of "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No
Sheep" sounds quite different than the version released on the first BOC
album, including a piano part, and a riff which would later be used in
the *Imaginos* song, "I Am The One You Warned Me Of".
*Detroit City Rocks: 1977* (Canadian Import)
1. R. U. Ready 2 Rock
2. E.T.I.
3. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
4. Hot Rails To Hell
5. Godzilla
6. This Ain't The Summer Of Love
7. Bass Solo
8. 5 Guitars
9. Born To Be Wild
Notes: Released in 2001 on White Spyder Records. All tracks taken from
a live recording on 12/30/1977 at Cobo Arena, Detriot, MI.
Other Releases (Singles, Promos, Etc.)
======================================
NOTE: This list is not meant to identify every case of which singles
were released in which country. Where a non-U.S. release is unique from
other releases (in terms of tracks on the release, not necessarily other
factors such as artwork), it is indicated here. If another country is
not identified with the release, then it was released in the U.S. (but
may have also been released in other countries as well).
7" vinyl
1972 -- Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll - mono/stereo (promo)
1972 -- Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll/Before The Kiss, A Redcap
1973 -- Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll - mono/stereo (promo reissue)
1973 -- The Red And The Black/Baby Ice Dog - Japanese single
1974 -- Hot Rails To Hell/7 Screaming Diz-Busters
1974 -- Career Of Evil/Dominance And Submission
1974 -- Flaming Telepaths/Career Of Evil - Japanese single
1975 -- Born To Be Wild - promo
1975 -- Born To Be Wild - live/studio
1975 -- Born To Be Wild/Cities On Flame - Japanese single
1975 -- Last Days Of May/Cities On Flame - Japanese single
1976 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper - mono/stereo (edited promo)
1976 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Tattoo Vampire
1976 -- This Ain't The Summer of Love - mono/stereo (promo)
1976 -- This Ain't The Summer of Love/Debbie Denise
1976 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Dominance And Submission - Columbia
"Hall of Fame" reissue
1976 -- Sinful Love/(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Japanese single
1977 -- Goin' Through The Motions - mono/stereo (promo)
1977 -- Goin' Through The Motions/Searchin' For Celine
1977 -- Godzilla - mono/stereo (promo)
1977 -- Godzilla/Nosferatu
1978 -- I Love The Night/Nosferatu - U.K. single
1978 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/R. U. Ready 2 Rock - U.K. single)
1978 -- Godzilla - live/studio (promo)
1978 -- Godzilla - live/studio (special radio station copy promo)
1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - mono/stereo (promo)
1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/E.T.I.
1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Stairway To The Stars (live) -
U.K. single
1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Kick Out The Jams - Dutch single
1978 -- Godzilla/Born To Be Wild - Japanese single
1979 -- In Thee - promo
1979 -- In Thee/The Vigil - U.K., Australian single
1979 -- In Thee/Lonely Teardrops
1979 -- Your Not The One (I Was Looking For) - promo
1979 -- Your Not The One (I Was Looking For)/Moon Crazy
1979 -- Mirrors/Lonely Teardrops - U.K. single
1979 -- Mirrors/Lonely Teardrops - U.K. single (on clear vinyl)
1979 -- Moon Crazy/I Am The Storm - Japanese single
1980 -- Here's Johnny (The Marshall Plan)/Divine Wind - promo
1980 -- Here's Johnny (The Marshall Plan)/Divine Wind - with special
guest star Don Kirschner
1980 -- Fallen Angel/Lips In The Hills - U.K., Australian,
Spanish single
1980 -- Deadline/Monsters - U.K. single
1981 -- Burnin' For You - LP version/short version (promo)
1981 -- Burnin' For You/Vengeance (The Pact)
1981 -- Burnin' For You/Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver - U.K. single
1981 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You - Columbia
"Hall of Fame" reissue
1983 -- Shooting Shark - LP version/short version (promo)
1983 -- Shooting Shark/Dragon Lady
1983 -- Shooting Shark/Feel The Thunder - Dutch, Spanish single
1983 -- Take Me Away/Feel The Thunder - U.K. single
1983 -- Take Me Away - LP version/short version (promo)
1983 -- Take Me Away/Let Go
1984 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/R U Ready 2 Rock - U.K. "Old Gold"
1980's reissue
1985 -- White Flags/Rock Not War - U.K. single
1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins - promo
1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins/Shadow Warrior
1986 -- Perfect Water - promo
1986 -- Perfect Water/Spy In The House Of The Night
1988 -- Astronomy(edit)/Magna Of Illusion - U.K., Dutch single
1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You (from *Cult Classic*) -
U.K. single on Fragile label
12" Vinyl
1972 -- *The Blue Oyster Cult Bootleg EP* - The Red And The Black/Buck's
Boogie/Workshop Of The Telescopes/Cities On Flame With Rock And
Roll - promo
1978 -- Godzilla/Godzilla (live) - promo)
1978 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/R. U. Ready 2 Rock - U.K. single (1978
tour edition)
1981 -- Burnin' For You/Joan Crawford/Sole Survivor/Veteran Of The
Psychic Wars - *Fire Of Unknown Origin* 4 song promo
1981 -- Burnin' For You/Dr. Music (live)/Flaming Telepaths (live) -
U.K. single
1982 -- Roadhouse Blues (LP/edit) - promo
1982 -- Roadhouse Blues (LP/edit)/Veteran Of The Psychic Wars (all from
*Extraterrestrial Live*) - promo
1983 -- Shooting Shark (LP/edit)/Take Me Away/Eyes on Fire - *Revolution
By Night* 4 song promo
1983 -- Take Me Away (from *Revolution By Night)/Burnin' For You (from
*Fire Of Unknown Origin*)/(Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents
Of Fortune)/Dr. Music (live) - U.K. release
1983 -- Shooting Shark/Dragon Lady - U.K. single
1985 -- White Flags/Shooting Shark/Rock Not War - U.K. single
1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins
1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins/Shadow Warrior - Holland single
1986 -- Perfect Water - LP version/short version
1988 -- Astronomy/Magna Of Illusion (from *Imaginos*)/(Don't Fear) The
Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*) - U.K. Single
1988 -- Astronomy (Wild Mix) (with and without the Stephen King
intro)/Magna Of Illusion - U.K. single
CD
1988 -- Astronomy - *Imaginos* promo (2 LP versions - one with Stephen
King intro, 2 short versions - one with S. King intro)
1988 -- The Next Chapter (In The Presence of Another World) (LP/edit) -
*Imaginos* promo
1988 -- Astronomy/Magna of Illusion (from *Imaginos*)/(Don't Fear) The
Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*) - U.K. Single
1989 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*)/Burnin' For
You (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*) - 3 inch CD single
1992 -- Tyranny And Mutation/Secret Treaties - Double CD release by
Sony-France
1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Cult Classic*) - promo
1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You/Godzilla (from *Cult
Classic*) - promo
1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You (from *Cult Classic*) -
U.K. Single
1995 -- Blue Oyster Cult/Tyranny And Mutation/Secret Treaties - 3 Pack
release by Sony/Legacy of the first 3 BOC albums on CD
1998 -- See You In Black - *Heaven Forbid* promo
1998 -- Harvest Moon - *Heaven Forbid* promo
1998 -- Live For Me (album version/radio edit) - *Heaven Forbid* promo
1998 -- Agents Of Fortune - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Re-mastered
"gold" CD
1999 -- Blue Oyster Cult/Tyranny And Mutation - Mobile Fidelity Sound
Lab Re-mastered "gold" CD
1999 -- *On Flame With Rock And Roll* (1990 release by CBS Special
Products) combined with *Don't Fear The Reaper* (1997 release by
Sony Music Special Products) - 2 CD set with the title *Blue
Oyster Cult* from Platinum Disc Corporation (Canada)
2001 -- Pocket - *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror* promo
2001 -- *God Save Blue Oyster Cult From Themselves* - 11 track promo by
Columbia/Legacy with tracks from the CD re-masters to *Blue
Oyster Cult*, *Tyranny And Mutation*, *Secret Treaties*, *Agents
Of Fortune*, plus 2 unreleased tracks ("John L. Sullivan" demo,
live version of "Hot Rails To Hell")
Other
Agents Of Fortune/Spectres - release as a single cassette
Agents Of Fortune/Spectres - Australian double vinyl release
Agents Of Fortune/Spectres - European double CD release
Silver Condor/Fire Of Unknown Origin - Saudi Arabian single cassette
(Imaginos vocalist Joey Cerisano
is Silver Condor's lead singer)
Career Of Evil: The Metal Years - on vinyl - U.K. import
1998 -- Imaginos - on blue vinyl - U.K. import
1989 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*)/Burnin' For
You (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*) - cassette single
1994 -- Tyranny And Mutation/Secret Treaties - European double CD
1994 -- Cult Classic - Vinyl with picture sleeve
1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You (from *Cult Classic*) -
U.K. Cassette Single
1994 -- Blue Oyster Cult/Cultosaurus Erectus/Club Ninja -
European CD 3 Pack
Quadraphonic vinyl -- Tyranny And Mutation, Secret Treaties
"White Label Promo" LPs -- Promo versions of all BOC's albums were made
"White Label Promo" Cassettes -- Club Ninja (4 song sampler, with
Fastway on the b-side), Imaginos (4
song sampler), Imaginos (full), (Don't
Fear) The Reaper, (Don't Fear) The
Reaper/Burnin' For You
Columbia "Playback Series" (4 track, 7-inch promotional EPs):
1971 -- Blue Oyster Cult (Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll)
Messina and Loggins (Listen To A Country Song)
Jack Holmes (Trust Me)
R.E.O. Speedwagon (157 Riverside Drive)
1974 -- Rupert Holmes (Letters That Cross In The Mail)
Blue Oyster Cult (ME-262)
Tanya Tucker (The Man Who Turned My Mamma On)
Colin Blunstone (Smooth Operation)
1975 -- New York's Heavy Metal Sound - Japanese LP - BOC/Aerosmith
Side 1 (BOC)
The Red And The Black (from *Tyranny And Mutation*)
Flaming Telepaths, ME 262 (both from *Secret Treaties*)
Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll, Hot Rails To Hell
(both from *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*)
Side 2 (Aerosmith)
Same Old Song And Dance
Lord Of The Thighs
S.O.S. (Too Bad)
Train Kept A Rollin'
The Buck Dharma Archive Series
==============================
Note: This limited edition series of CDs were produced in 2000 from
Buck Dharma's private tapes, and feature his original demo recordings of
BOC songs, studio oddities never previously released, all newly mastered
by Buck with state of the art digital gear. These recordings are
currently only available via Buck's website (www.buckdharma.com) as part
of a limited edition fan package which includes a t-shirt, access to
special areas of Buck's website, and more. As of this writing, the
first 2 CDs are completed, with the final 2 to be completed soon.
Further information of some of these tracks can be found in the "demos"
section of the FAQ. Unless otherwise indicated, tracks with BOC song
title names are Buck's original demos of the song.
*The Buck Dharma Archive - Volume I*
1. Hot Date -- (D. Roeser), 1982
2. Here Comes That Feeling -- (D. Trismen, D. Roeser), 1983
3. Burnin' For You -- (R. Meltzer, D. Roeser), 1980
4. Hold Me Tight -- (D. Roeser), 1980
5. 2120 Revisited -- (D. Roeser), 1977
6. ECPI -- (D. Roeser), 1979
7. Shooting Shark -- (P. Smith, D. Roeser), 1983
8. That Was Killer -- (D. Roeser), 1975
9. Pack Of Lies -- (D. Roeser), 1979
10. Cold Wind -- (D. Roeser), 1980
11. You People Had Enough? -- (D. Roeser), 1976
12. Don't Fear The Reaper -- (D. Roeser), 1975
13. Premier Of B.C. -- 1975
*The Buck Dharma Archive - Volume II*
1. Stone Of Love -- (R. Meltzer, D. Roeser)
2. Godzilla -- (D. Roeser)
3. Deadline -- (D. Roeser)
4. No Traffic -- (D. Roeser)
5. I Love The Night -- (D. Roeser)
6. Mirrors -- (B. Abbott, D. Roeser)
7. Wind, Weather And Storm -- (R. Meltzer, D. Roeser)
8. Spy In The House Of The Night -- (R. Meltzer, D. Roeser)
9. Devil's Nail -- (P. Smith, D. Roeser)
10. Ayatollah -- (D. Roeser)
11. Lost Lenore -- (B. Abbott, D. Roeser)
12. Come Softly -- (G. Christopher, B. Ellis, G. Troxel)
13. Boogie Woogie Bagel Bun -- (D. Roeser)
*The Buck Dharma Archive - Volume III*
1. Heavy Into Ross -- (D. Roeser)
2. Nightmare Epiphany -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
3. Blues For Sandra -- (D. Roeser)
4. Don't Fear The Reaper ["Acoustic" Version] -- (D. Roeser)
5. Gamera Is Missing -- (D. Roeser)
6. Fall At Your Feet -- (N. Finn)
7. Secret Road -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser)
8. Loofah -- (S. Vega; parody lyric S. Roeser, D. Roeser, J. Rogers)
9. Real Estate Attorney -- (D. Tiomkin, P. Washington;
parody lyric S. Roeser, D. Roeser)
10. I'm Alive -- (D. Trismen)
11. She Do To Me -- (D. Trismen)
12. Rudy -- (J. Leiber, M. Stoller)
13. Track II 1980 -- (D. Roeser)
*The Red And The Black*
1. Andrea -- (D. Roeser)
2. Dawn Of The Living Dead -- (B. Abbott, D. Roeser, R. Riddle)
3. Savage Garden -- (J. Rogers, D. Roeser)
4. Maiden Name -- (J. Rogers, D. Roeser, R. Riddle)
5. Expressway To Your Heart -- (K. Gamble, L. Huff)
6. Crime Of Passion -- (J. Rogers, R. Riddle)
7. Perfect Water -- (J. Carroll, D. Roeser)
8. What About Love -- (J. Rogers, D. Roeser, R. Riddle)
9. Harvest Moon -- (D. Roeser)
10. Gravity Hill -- (J. Rogers)
11. River Of Dreams -- (J. Rogers)
12. Speed Of Light -- (R. Riddle, J. Rogers)
13. Skin Tight -- (J. Rogers, D. Roeser)
14. Caroline -- (D. Roeser, J. Rogers)
15. People In Love -- (J. Rogers)
16. Redline -- (R. Riddle)
Notes: The song "Expressway To Your Heart" was originally released by
the Sole Survivors. The song "I Can't Get Next To You" was originally
released by the Temptations.
The Brain Surgeons Discography
==============================
*Eponymous*
1. Language Of Love -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
2. Most Romantic Place In The World -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
3. I Play The Drums -- (S. Kempner)
4. Soul Jive -- (P. Smith, D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
5. Brain From Terra Incognita -- (R. Meltzer, D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
6. Love Potion #9 -- (Lieber, Stoller)
7. Mad Dude -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
8. Big Bang Theory -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
9. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
10. (666) Devil Got Your Mother -- (D. Roter, A. Bouchard)
11. Name Your Monster -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
12. Time Will Take Care Of You -- (D. Frost, M. Barkan, A. Bouchard)
Notes: Released in 1994 by Cellsum Records, and later by Ripe and
Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments:
Deborah Frost (vocals, drums, percussion, guitar), Albert Bouchard
(vocals, drums, guitars, The Legendary Albertron, keyboards, piano,
percussion, sax, synth, slide, jaminator), Mike Leslie (bass, bass
violin, synth), Jacob Bouchard (guitar samples), Ace Bouchard (vocals,
toy drums), Flip Barnes (trumpet), David Hirschberg (alto sax), Steve
Levy (comet). The "Legendary Albertron", according to Al Bouchard, is
"an idea that I borrowed from Glen Branca. A couple 2x4s, old strings,
pieces of pipe, tuning pegs and humbucking pickups. It's played by
striking with chopsticks and has sixteen strings (8 pairs) tuned to the
A Dorian scale. It's sort of like an electric hammer dulcimer. I made
it for the Imaginos Overture back in '83." A version of "(666) Devil
Got Your Mother" appears on David Roter's 1989 release, *Beauty Of The
Island*. A version of the song, "Soul Jive" was originally demoed by
Albert for the sessions for BOC's *Agents Of Fortune* album - different
versions were also demoed again under the names "Jungle Fever" (with
lyrics by Albert) and "White Hot Star" (for the *Cultosaurus Erectus*
album, with lyrics by Helen Wheels).
*Trepanation*
1. Gimme Nothin' -- (R. Meltzer, D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
2. Stones In My Passway (R. Johnson)
3. Medusa -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
4. A Kiss Is A Promise -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
5. Sally -- (P. Smith, A. Bouchard)
6. My Civilization -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
7. Happy New Year -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
8. Sisters Of The Precious Blood -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
9. Ramblin' Rose -- (Wilkin, Birch)
10. Hansel & Gretel -- (R. Meltzer, D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
11. Everything Is Blue -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
12. If U Come Close -- (H. Wheels, D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
13. Bad Habit -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
14. Night Of The 1,000 Guitars -- (The Brain Surgeons)
Notes: Released in 1995 by Cellsum Records, and in 1996 by Ripe and
Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments:
Albert Bouchard (vocals, drums, percussion, guitars, Albertron, sax,
EBow, keyboards), Deborah Frost (vocals, guitars, percussion, clarinet),
Peter Bohovesky (vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, trumpet),
Billy Hilfiger (lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, vocals), David
Hirschberg (bass guitar, saxophone, percussion), Joe Bouchard (mandolin
on "A Kiss Is A Promise", vocals on "Sally", "Ramblin' Rose"), Ace
Bouchard (percussion on "Happy New Year", "Sisters Of The Precious
Blood", guitar on "Night Of The 1,000 Guitars"). A re-worked version of
the lyrics to "Hansel & Gretel" can be found in Richard Meltzer's 1995
book, "The Night (Alone)". Versions of the songs, "Sally" and "Hansel &
Gretel" were originally demoed by Albert for the sessions for BOC's
*Agents Of Fortune* album.
*Career Of Christmas* (fanclub release, available only on cassette)
1. Career Of Evil -- (Bouchard, Smith)
2. Ciudades Y Navidades --
(Bouchard, Bouchard, Frost, Placio-Linden, Pearlman)
3. Baby Ice Dog -- (Bouchard, Smith)
Notes: Released in 1995 by Cellsum Records. Produced by Albert
Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments: Deborah Frost (vocals),
Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Peter Bohovesky (guitar, vocals), Billy
Hilfiger (guitar), David Hirschberg (bass), Tommy Mandel (organ), Ace
Bouchard (vocals). Not available commercially, but only as a limited
release to Brain Surgeons' fans. Contact Cellsum Records (see address
listed for Albert Bouchard/Deborah Frost elsewhere in this FAQ) for
availability. These songs were later released in 1997 on the Brain
Surgeons album, *Malpractise*. The cover artwork (a hand-drawing of a
dog that looks like the Peanuts character "Snoopy" sitting on a box)
appears to be a parody of the Sony 2-CD BOC release, *Workshop Of The
Telescopes*.
*Box Of Hammers*
1. Saint Vitus Dance -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, H. Wheels)
2. Locked Up -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
3. Gun -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, D. Frost, H. Wheels)
4. I'm On Fire -- (Dwight Twilley)
5. 'Lil Egypt -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
6. Earthquake Boogie -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, R. Meltzer)
7. Donkey Show -- (Peter Bohovesky)
8. Date With A Guitar -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
9. End In Tears -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
10. Tender Was The Night -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer)
11. Operation Luv -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard)
12. Laura's Plastic Swords -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer)
13. Casa Del Sol -- (Deborah Frost)
14. Overture -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard)
Notes: Released in 1996 by Cellsum Records, and in 1998 by Ripe and
Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Additional
production and mix by Paul Special. Instruments: Peter Bohovesky
(lead, rhythm guitars, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, banjo,
etc.), Deborah Frost (vocals, clarinet), Billy Hilfiger (lead, rhythm
guitars), David Hirschberg (bass), Joe Bouchard (keyboards on "Saint
Vitus Dance", "Gun", "Tender Was The Night", "Overture"), Jacob Bouchard
(vocals on "Overture"), Louis "Flip" Barnes (trumpet on "Donkey Show",
"Overture"), Crispin Cioe (sax on "Donkey Show", "End In Tears",
"Laura's Plastic Swords"), Dave Dunton (keyboards on "Date With A
Guitar", "End In Tears", "Laura's Plastic Swords"), Don Fleming (guitar
on "Gun", "Overture", theremin on "Gun", "'Lil Egypt"), John Fried
(vocals on "Donkey Show"), Tara Key (guitar on "Saint Vitus Dance), Jack
Rigg (guitar on "Overture"), Felice Rosser (vocals on "End In Tears"),
Jack Secret (vocals on "Earthquake Boogie"), Deena Shoshkes (vocals on
"Donkey Show"). The lyrics for "Operation Luv" were originally part of
another Bouchard/Frost song called, "When You're In, You're In", which
was recorded by Deadringer on their *Electrocution Of The Heart* album.
A different version of "Donkey Show" appears on Peter Bohovesky's 1997
CD, *Peter Bohovesky*. Different versions of the song "Gun" were demoed
by Joe Bouchard for the sessions for BOC's *Mirrors*, *Cultosaurus
Erectus*, and *Fire Of Unknown Origin* albums, and played live by BOC a
few times in 1979.
*Pull The Plug* (fanclub release, available only on cassette)
1. Frenchette -- (Johansen, Sylvain)
2. Language Of Love -- (Frost, Bouchard)
3. Death Valley Nights -- (Meltzer, Bouchard)
4. Lady Of The Harbor -- (Frost, Bouchard)
5. I Am The One You Warned Me Of -- (Pearlman, Bouchard)
6. Astronomy -- (Pearlman, Bouchard, Bouchard)
7. Name Your Monster -- (Frost, Bouchard)
Notes: Released in 1997 by Cellsum Records, and in 1998 by Ripe and
Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments:
Pete Bohovesky, Albert Bouchard, Deborah Frost, Billy Hilfiger, David
Hirschberg; with Joe Bouchard. The songs on this cassette are done in
an acoustic style, similar to the "Unplugged" format popularized in the
1990's by MTV. Not available commercially, but only as a limited
promotional release to Brain Surgeons' fans. Contact Cellsum Records
(see address listed for Albert Bouchard/Deborah Frost elsewhere in this
FAQ) for availability. These songs (with the exception of "Frenchette"
and "Lady Of The Harbor") were later released in 1997 on the Brain
Surgeons album, *Malpractise*. A different version of "Lady Of The
Harbor" was later released in 1999 on the Brain Surgeons album, *Piece
Of Work*.
*Malpractise*
1. Needle Gun -- (Brock)
2. Ciudades Y Navidades --
(Bouchard, Bouchard, Frost, Placio-Linden, Pearlman)
3. Hassan I Sahba -- (Calvert, Rudolf)
4. Career Of Evil -- (Bouchard, Smith)
5. Language Of Love -- (Bouchard, Frost)
6. The Girl That Love Made Blind -- (Bouchard, Pearlman)
7. Death Valley Nights -- (Bouchard, Meltzer)
8. Name Your Monster -- (Bouchard, Frost)
9. Baby Ice Dog -- (Bouchard, Smith)
10. Tour Spiel -- (Watt)
11. I Am The One You Warned Me Of -- (Bouchard, Pearlman)
12. Astronomy -- (Bouchard, Bouchard, Pearlman)
Notes: Released in 1997 by Cellsum Records, and in 1998 by Ripe and
Ready. Produced by Snowy. Instruments: Peter Bohovesky (lead, rhythm
guitars, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, organ, slide, guitar,
harmonica, Albertron), Deborah Frost (vocals, drums), Billy Hilfiger
(lead, rhythm guitars, wit), David Hirschberg (bass), with Ace Bouchard
(vocals, sound design), Joe Bouchard (mandolin, keyboards, bass,
vocals), Tommy Mandel (organ). The recordings of "Ciudades Y
Navidades", "Career Of Evil", and "Baby Ice Dog" originally appeared on
the fanclub-only release, *Career Of Christmas*. The recordings of
"Language Of Love", "Death Valley Nights", "Name Your Monster", "I Am
The One You Warned Me Of", and "Astronomy" originally appeared on the
fanclub-only release, *Pull The Plug*. A version of the song "The Girl
That Love Made Blind" was originally recorded for the album, *Imaginos*,
but not used. The song, "Tour Spiel" (done by Albert Bouchard, Deborah
Frost, and Joe Bouchard) is a re-mix of the version that appears on the
Minutemen tribute album, *Our Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute To D.
Boon And The Minutemen*.
*Piece Of Work* (double CD)
Disc 1
1. Biloxi -- (J. Winchester)
2. Rain, Rain -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
3. On The Road (Again) -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer)
4. Practice Makes Perfect -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
5. Swamp Thing -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, B. Hilfiger)
6. Alpha And Omega -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, R. Binder)
7. More Than Truth -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
8. Hog Dog Man -- (P. Bohovesky, A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
9. Bad Hair Day -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, R. Meltzer)
10. Last Angry Woman -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, B. Hilfiger)
11. Way Of The World -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
12. Pink Roses -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
Disc 2
1. Rock And Roll Is Dead --
(Bouchard, Frost, Dr. Donna Gaines, Hilfiger)
2. Confession #9 -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
3. Billy's Song -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, B. Hilfiger)
4. Simple Man -- (G. Rossington, R. Van Zant)
5. Victory Boulevard -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
6. Madame X Factor -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
7. Lost -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
8. Competition -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, H. Wheels, M. Barkan)
9. Prince Albert In The Cans -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
10. Lady Of The Harbor -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
Notes: Released in 1999 by Cellsum Records and Ripe and Ready.
Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Additional production
and mix by Paul Special. Instruments: Peter Bohovesky (lead, rhythm
guitars, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, guitars, harmonica),
Deborah Frost (vocals, slide, rhythm guitars), Billy Hilfiger (lead,
rhythm guitars, vocals), David Hirschberg (bass, drums), with Crispin
Cioe (saxes), Merrill Clark (keys), Soozie Tyrell (fiddle), Ace Bouchard
(vocals). The song listing on the back of the CD incorrectly lists "Bad
Hair Day" as being between "Swamp Thing" and "Alpha And Omega".
Versions of the songs, "Alpha And Omega" and "Bad Hair Day" (originally
titled "I Need A Flat Top") were originally demoed by Albert for the
sessions for BOC's *Cultosaurus Erectus* album. An acoustic version of
"Lady Of The Harbor" originally appeared on the fanclub-only release,
*Pull The Plug*. The track "Prince Albert In The Cans" is an
instrumental track (a drum solo) which climaxes with Albert's use of a
Syndrum, which he manipulates the same way he did during his live drum
solos with BOC (during "Godzilla"). The track "Lady Of The Harbor" ends
with a reprise of "Biloxi", modified to sound as if it is being played
on an old phonograph.
Joe Bouchard Post-BOC Releases
==============================
*Deadringer: Electrocution Of The Heart*
1. Everybody Rock -- (N. Smith, J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway)
2. When You're In You're In -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost)
3. Love's A Killer -- (N. Smith, J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway)
4. Secret Eyes -- (N. Smith, J. Bouchard)
5. Balls Out -- (J. Johnson)
6. Summa Cum Loud -- (Buck Dharma)
7. Double Talk -- (N. Smith, J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, J. Johnson)
8. Dangerous Love -- (C. Huhn)
9. Bring On The Night -- (J. Johnson)
10. Unsung Heroes -- (J. Johnson)
Notes: Released in 1989 by Grudge Reocrds. Instruments: Jay "Jesse"
Johnson (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Neal Smith
(drums, percussion, backing vocals), Dennis Dunaway (bass guitar,
backing vocals), Joe Bouchard (keyboards, backing vocals), Charlie Huhn
(lead and backing vocals), with Jeff Batter (keyboards), Summa Cum
Singers (backing vocals). The song "Secret Eyes" was also released as a
promo only CD single. The song "When You're In, You're In" which later
appeared with different music as "Operation Luv" on the Brain Surgeons
album, *Box Of Hammers*. The song "Love's A Killer" was re-recorded for
the *Joe Bouchard Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens* CD. The
song written by Buck Dharma titled "Summa Cum Loud", originally titled
"Summa Cum Laude", was written for the 1984 film, *Teachers*, but not
used. The track "Double Talk" was originally written for the 1984 film,
*Teachers*, but never used.
*Joe Bouchard Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens*
1. Pray -- (J. Bouchard)
2. Hot Time In Hell -- (J. Gray)
3. On Fire With Love --
(J. Bouchard, A. Hilfiger, B. Hilfiger, N. Smith)
4. Love's A Killer -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
5. Pearls -- (J. Bouchard)
6. Inner Bit -- (J. Bouchard)
7. Wild Ones -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
8. Dreamland -- (J. Bouchard)
9. The Van Song -- (J. Bouchard, A. Hilfiger, J. Cacala)
10. Dream Machine -- (J. Bouchard)
11. End Post -- (J. Bouchard)
12. All Things Paramount -- (J. Bouchard)
13. Run For The Sun -- (J. Bouchard, R. Meltzer)
Notes: Released in 1997 by Cellsum Records (see address listed for
Albert Bouchard/Deborah Frost elsewhere in this FAQ for ordering
information). Produced by Joe Bouchard. Instruments: Joe Bouchard
(vocals, guitar, piano, organ, bass, mandolin), Andy Hilfiger (bass,
vocals), Billy Hilfiger (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Cacala (drums, vocals).
A version of the song "Love's A Killer" originally appeared on the
Deadringer album, *Electrocution Of The Heart* -- Joe Bouchard also
played keyboards on that album. A version of the song "Wild Ones" was
originally submitted and demoed to Alice Cooper for his album, *Raise
Your Fist And Yell*, but was not used. The lyrics for "Run For The Sun"
were originally used for a song called, "Hot Desert Sand", which was
demoed for BOC's *Fire Of Unknown Origin* album, but not used. More
information about this CD, including lyrics, can be found on the World
Wide Web at http://w3.nai.net/~xbros/
*Bouchard Dunaway & Smith: Back From Hell*
1. I Want Two -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
2. Having The Time Of My Life --
(J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith, I. Hunter)
3. Vampire Night -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
4. The Joke's On You -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
5. Diner Girl -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
6. Love You Too Much -- (I. Hunter, J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
7. Snake Pit Boogie -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
8. She Was A Bad Girl -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith)
9. Carnival Toy -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith, L. Abbott)
10. There Was A Girl -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith, I. Hunter)
11. The Real Thing -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith, I. Hunter)
12. Fallen Angel -- (J. Bouchard, H. Wheels)
Notes: Released in 2001 by Kachina Records. Produced by Joe Bouchard.
Co-produced by Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith. Instruments: Joe
Bouchard (vocals, guitars, keyboards, baritone guitar, mandolin), Dennis
Dunaway (bass guitar, vocal on "The Real Thing"), Neal Smith (drums,
percussion, vocals), with Matt Smith (slide guitar, lap steel, slide
mandolin, ukelele), Patty Gesmondi and Erin Kennedy (background vocals).
The song "Fallen Angel" originally appeared on BOC's *Cultosaurus
Erectus* album - the track on this album is a new recording. More
information about this CD, including ordering information, can be found
at Neal Smith's website - http://www.nealsmith.com
4. R. U. Ready 2 Rock? -- Frequently Asked Questions
What are BOC up to these days?
==============================
BOC (the current line-up consists of Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen
Lanier, Danny Miranda, and Bobby Rondinelli) are currently managed by
Steve Schenck, the executive producer of *Cult Classic*. BOC is, as one
of their t-shirts sold at a concert from a few years ago says, "On Tour
Forever" (mostly touring large clubs). TicketMaster is handling the
tickets for most of their concerts, which are not highly promoted. Many
of us find out where they are playing after the show is over. Keep your
eyes open! Eric Bloom also posts upcoming show dates on America On-
Line, and these dates have been posted on some pages on the World Wide
Web (see another part of this FAQ for more information). The most up-
to-date listing of upcoming BOC shows is now the BOC website
(http://www.blueoystercult.com).
Buck Dharma, with the opening of his website, is now releasing some
independent music, and may release more in the future. The 4/11/1997
Rick Browning Benefit performance of the Buck Dharma Band (Buck Dharma,
Danny Miranda, John Miceli, Sandy Roeser) in Atlanta was professionally
recorded and videotaped. The video is available now (see the section of
the FAQ on the Ricky Browning Benefit for more information), and a CD
(with tracks not available on the video) should be available some time
in the near future, with some of the proceeds going to charities. The
band may perform in other locations in the future. Information on these
activities can be found at Buck's website (http://www.buckdharma.com).
Danny Miranda and Bobby Rondinelli also play in the New York area
in a band called "Pyramid" with George Cintron on guitar and vocals.
They play a variety of cover tunes, as well as George's original music.
Albert Bouchard is currently playing occasional shows (mostly clubs
in the New York area) with The Brain Surgeons (Albert on drums, vocals
and occasional guitar or mandolin, with Deborah Frost and David
Hirschberg sharing guitar and bass duties, and Deborah also handling
much of the lead vocals). Billy Hilfiger (guitar), and Peter Bohovesky
(guitar) are currently not touring with the band. They play mostly
Brain Surgeons' tunes along with a few BOC tunes -- Baby Ice Dog, The
Red And The Black, Career Of Evil, This Ain't The Summer of Love, Cities
On Flame With Rock And Roll (in English and Spanish), Death Valley
Nights, Dominance And Submission, Astronomy, and I Am The One You Warned
Me Of have been played on different occasions. Joe Bouchard
occasionally sits in with the band. Information on Albert's latest
activities can be found on his website (http://www.cellsum.com).
Joe Bouchard, according to Bolle Gregmar, is now really "Dr.
Music", having received his Master's Degree in Music (at the University
of Hartford). His thesis/grad test was a four movement dance work for
orchestra, computers and a rock band, which he composed and scored.
Aside from his previous involvement in "Deadringer" and the "Cult
Brothers", Joe has produced at least one album (*Burn To My Touch* by
"Liege Lord" in 1987). One of his non-music hobbies is brewing beer.
He also teaches at the National Guitar Workshop, and has a guitar
instruction book/CD titled "Rock Guitar (for beginners)" published, as
well as a video on beginning bass guitar. Joe has also played
occasional shows with "The Cult Brothers", and provided support to
albums by The Brain Surgeons. He has released a CD with original music
written and performed by the "Cult Brothers", titled *Joe Bouchard
Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens* in 1997 on Cellsum Records.
Both Joe and Albert have also played in the New York area with the David
Roter band. In 2001, Joe Bouchard teamed up with old friends Dennis
Dunaway and Neal Smith to release *Bouchard Dunaway & Smith: Back From
Hell* on Kachina Records.
Sandy Pearlman, according to Bolle Gregmar, is running his studio
Alpha & Omega in San Rafael, California. He had previously hoped to
turn *Imaginos* into a multi-media project, however the status of this
project is unknown at this time. He currently is not involved with BOC.
He is also the vice president of media and artist development at the
internet music company, GoodNoise.
When is the new (*not* a "Greatest Hits") album coming out?
===========================================================
Short Answer: If you think BOC's last album was released in the 1980's,
you need to get out more!
Long Answer: This had probably been one of the biggest questions
surrounding BOC in the 1990's. There had been several "false starts"
after the 1998 release of *Imaginos*, with deals falling through, or
compilation albums being released instead. However, on March 24th,
1998, the band released their first complete studio album in 10 years,
*Heaven Forbid*, on CMC International Records. Based on strong album
sales of *Heaven Forbid*, CMC agreed to release another BOC album, and
BOC's latest release, *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*, was released on June
5th, 2001.
Also, prior to the release of *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, Sony
had indicated that there was additional BOC material that might be
released in the future, depending on the what arrangements can be made
with the band. Possible material might include other single b-sides,
re-mixes, live cuts, and demos. As of this writing, Sony is planning on
re-releasing all of their BOC releases on the Sony/Legacy label, remixed
and containing bonus tracks. Currently BOC's first 4 studio albums
(*Blue Oyster Cult*, *Tyranny And Mutation*, *Secret Treaties*, and
*Agents Of Fortune*) are scheduled for release in July 2001.
In addition, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs released a "gold" CD of
BOC's *Agents Of Fortune* album in 1998, and a "gold" CD containing
BOC's first two albums (*Blue Oyster Cult* and *Tyranny And Mutation*)
on a single CD in 1999. These re-mastered CDs have superior sonic
quality to the original CD releases, and includes the original album
liner notes and artwork. In addition, these releases contain some new
liner notes penned by Buck Dharma (for the *Agents Of Fortune* release)
and Eric Bloom (for the *Blue Oyster Cult*/*Tyranny And Mutation*
release). The track listings are identical to the original releases of
these albums. Unfortunately, Mobile Fidelity has since gone out of
business, and therefore it is unlikely that they will produce future BOC
re-mastered CDs. In addition, the two Mobile Fidelity releases are now
out of print, and will become increasingly difficult to obtain.
It was believed that King Biscuit Flower Hour Records would release
a live BOC album in the near future. This album, would contain songs
from the 6 times that King Biscuit broadcast live BOC shows over the
radio (spanning the years 1975 to 1986). However, it is now believed
that this project is on hold indefinitely.
In early 2000, BOC collaborator Helen Robbins, aka Helen Wheels,
passed away. Albert Bouchard is currently producing a tribute album to
her. Albert, Joe Bouchard, and Buck Dharma have gotten together and
recorded a number of previously-unreleased Helen Wheels songs for this
project. Buck's wife Sandy, as well as members of the Brain Surgeons,
X-Brothers, and Helen Wheels' band are expected to contribute as well.
The CD is expected to be released by early 2001 - the latest news on
this project can be found at the Cellsum website:
http://cellsum.com
Where can I find (Flat Out, Imaginos, Bad Channels, other rare items)?
======================================================================
*Flat Out* was never released in the U. S. on CD. However, it is
available as an import. According to Bolle Gregmar, it's a French
release on SONY/PORTRAIT (14-477942-10) -- part of their "Mr. Collector"
series. At one time, Bolle Gregmar had been discussing with Buck Dharma
the possibility of letting Rhino Records release *Flat Out* on CD,
possibly with an additional track. The status of this project is not
currently known. However, Buck did release a number of limited editions
of Flat Out (creating the copies in his own studio) which included the
song "Gamera Is Missing" as an added track. It is not known if he will
do another production run of these CDs, however Buck has recently
released a number of previously unreleased recordings via his website.
*Imaginos* has been out of print in the U.S. for a few years.
However, it may still be available in Europe, and can be obtained as an
import.
*Bad Channels* may still be in print, although several import
releases of it (all with the same tracks) exist.. However, since the
movie was a relatively small production (and not a box office hit), it
may be hard to find in music stores. If it is available, it is usually
found in the "Movie Soundtracks" section, and not under "Blue Oyster
Cult".
There are a number of avenues for fans to obtain these, and other
rare BOC items. The magazines *Goldmine* or *Discoveries* may list some
dealers which sell European imports (see the section "Where can I get
BOC live recordings?" for more information on these items). Many of
these dealers now also are accessible on the Internet - using an
Internet search engine might help locate some of them. Also, Internet
auction sites (most notably Ebay -- http://www.ebay.com) often have
individuals auctioning off BOC items. Editor's note: I personally have
bought and sold numerous items on Ebay and have found it a very positive
experience. I have seen many BOC and related items, including *Flat
Out*, *Imaginos*, and *Bad Channels* being auctioned on a regular basis.
What is the "best" BOC album?
=============================
Perhaps this question should be: "What BOC album should I buy?",
which gets asked every now and then, usually by people who have only
heard BOC on the radio (i.e., "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Godzilla", and
"Burnin' For You", sometimes collectively referred to as "The Big
Three"), and are looking to buy one BOC album. Or it gets answered when
someone voices their dislike for a particular album. Editor's note:
*Club Ninja*, and sometimes *Mirrors* (which is sometimes referred to as
"Errors"; and in a magazine interview, Albert Bouchard claimed that his
song, "You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)" is in reference to using
Tom Werman to produce the album) or *The Revolution By Night*, most
often get this abuse, and then several individuals will rush to the
albums' defense. There is no definitive answer - it's obviously a
matter of personal choice, but the following (in no particular order)
might provide some guidance:
1. Some say an artist is only as good as their latest album. Certainly
how an band sounds "today" can usually be best determined by their
latest release, and BOC's *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror* is an excellent
example. It is, in fact, the only complete studio BOC album released by
the current BOC line-up. For any new fan wishing to discover what BOC
sounds like today, this album would perhaps be the best place to start.
2. Compilation albums might be recommended for those who don't plan on
purchasing more than a few albums. BOC, like other bands that have been
around for years, have several to choose from. The compilation released
by Sony, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, stands head and shoulders above
all the others as the definitive "greatest hits" package. Not only are
most of the hits included, but also some previously hard-to-get material
(the studio version of "Born To Be Wild", and three of the four songs on
the *BOC Bootleg EP* release). As for other compilation albums to
choose from, *Cult Classic* is the most representative of what songs the
band is playing live these days, and how they are playing them (the
songs have been re-recorded). For audiophiles, the Sony compilation
*Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best Of Blue Oyster Cult* contains re-
mastered tracks and an excellent selection of BOC's "hits". Other
compilations contain only previously-released material, and are usually
only sought out by collectors. On the other hand, they sometimes can be
obtained at bargain prices.
3. Some people recommend live albums, and BOC has 3 to choose from.
*Extraterrestrial Live* is the most recent, and captures "The Big
Three". *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* is the earliest, capturing much
of the older material, with a somewhat "raw" sound by modern standards
(although it sounds very much like a live recording, as opposed to some
"live" albums which are overdubbed later in the studio). *Some
Enchanted Evening*, although only a single album (the other 2 are double
albums), is considered by many to have the best sound and song
selection.
4. While the band no longer performs songs from this album (see next
question for more information), many of BOC's current fans cite the
album, *Imaginos* as the best work the band every put out (both from a
musical and conceptual standpoint). Others, however, point out that BOC
as a group are not completely responsible for this album (again, see
next question for more information). Some of the concepts alluded to in
*Imaginos* (as well as versions of two of the songs) are present on the
*Secret Treaties* album, and many fans cite this album as their favorite
(the band still regularly plays 2 or 3 of the songs off that album).
5. Due mostly to the benefit of a hit single on them, *Agents Of
Fortune* (containing "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"), *Spectres* (containing
"Godzilla"), and *Fire Of Unknown Origin* (containing "Burnin' For You")
are probably BOC's most successful albums commercially, and some fans
would cite one of them as their favorites.
6. Since he is the head of the BOC fan club, it is appropriate to
consider Bolle Gregmar's favorite album, *Cultosaurus Erectus*. This
album, released after *Mirrors*, marked a return to the "heavier" BOC
sound, due in part to the production talents of Martin Birch (who had
produced albums for Black Sabbath and Deep Purple). According to Bolle,
the album is very energetic, and contains some of the band's best song-
writing.
7. The one that started it all, *Blue Oyster Cult*, is cited by many as
their favorite. The band's roots can be most clearly seen on this
album, and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To The
Stars" are still regularly performed by the band. For those that like
the songs on the first album, *Tyranny And Mutation* and *Secret
Treaties* also get high marks.
Editor's Notes: For those albums which have been re-mastered by
Columbia/Sony, it is recommended that you get the re-mastered version,
which has optimum sound quality, as well as lyrics, expanded liner
notes, and bonus tracks). And, of course, the only "real" way to enjoy
BOC is to get *all* of their albums.
What is the story behind the recording of the album, *Imaginos*?
================================================================
The Imaginos story actually pre-dates BOC, and started within the
mind of Sandy Pearlman, who, back in about 1967, wrote a collection of
poems called "The Soft Doctrines of Immaginos" (note the original
spelling of Immaginos). It was Pearlman's desire that BOC be the
embodiment of the Imaginos concept. Around that time, two songs were
written around this concept -- "Gil Blanco County" (which would appear
on the Stalk-Forrest Group demo for Elektra), and a Buck Dharma tune
called "Port Jefferson" (interestingly enough, this is the town where
current BOC drummer Bobby Rondinelli was born). Radio promotion copies
of the first BOC album included an insert which indicated that the song
"Redeemed" was "a short version of the tune that will appear on their
fourth album, an opera, titled, 'The Soft Doctrines of the Imaginos'".
While the band decided against doing the concept, Albert Bouchard began
working on music for it.
By 1974, the songs "Imaginos", "Astronomy" (which appeared on
*Secret Treaties*), and "The Subhuman" (which also appeared on *Secret
Treaties*, and would later be changed to "Blue Oyster Cult" on the
*Imaginos* album) were written. At the *Agents Of Fortune* sessions,
Albert demoed "Imaginos". At the *Spectres* sessions, Joe Bouchard
demoed "In The Presence Of Another World" (which was also worked up by
the band as a candidate for the *Mirrors* album), while Albert Bouchard
demoed "Del Rio's Song", "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", "The Siege And
Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria", and a song
titled, "The Girl That Love Made Blind" -- however, the band was still
not interested in doing the whole project. Albert continued to write
and demo songs for the project, and by *Cultosaurus Erectus*, really
wanted to see the band do the concept. After Albert left BOC in 1981,
he began working with Sandy Pearlman on the project, recording all the
basic tracks in 1982. Albert brought Joe Bouchard, Allen Lanier, and
Buck Dharma to play certain portions of some of the tracks. By 1984,
the Imaginos work was essentially completed.
Sandy Pearlman first approached CBS about putting the album
together around 1981, and CBS was initially interested in the project.
According to Eric Bloom, CBS was not happy with the final result (in
which Albert sang much of the lead vocals), and was not interested in
releasing the album unless it was released as a "BOC" album with Eric
Bloom and Buck Dharma singing lead vocals. In response to concerns over
his own vocals, Albert obtained the services of Joey Cerisano, a veteran
of the New Jersey music scene (who at the time had been in a band known
as Silver Condor) to sing on the tracks. Joey Cerisano's rendition of
"The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At
Weisseria" was used on the final release of *Imaginos*, while Cerisano
went on himself to become one of the most successful jingle singers in
the United States (he's done jingles for Budweiser, Kentucky Fried
Chicken, and numerous car companies, to name a few of his credits).
After BOC had broken up in 1986, the idea of the band getting
together to release *Imaginos* was discussed. Albert, hoping to get the
original line-up back together for the recording (and a subsequent
tour), spent time getting in contact with all the original members of
the band. Apparently Albert had a difficult time convincing Joe
Bouchard, who was the last of the original 5 members to quit the band,
to do the project. However, the rest of the band (Eric Bloom, Buck
Dharma, Allen Lanier, Jon Rogers, joined by Ron Riddle on drums) had
reformed as Blue Oyster Cult by the time Joe Bouchard had agreed to do
the project. In addition, the financial obligations had to be worked
out as Albert wanted to be co-producer of the album, having played such
a large role in the project.
With the band re-forming in mid-1987 without Albert and Joe
Bouchard, Albert abandoned the *Imaginos* project. However, Sandy
Pearlman and the band did go forward with the project, re-doing some of
the tracks by early 1988, and releasing *Imaginos* as a BOC album later
that year. The original 5 members of the band are credited as
performing on the album, along with several other musicians (see album
credits in Discography section). However, it is not clear how much of a
"BOC" album this is, beyond Eric/Buck's lead vocals, and their hand in
the writing of some of the songs. According to Albert Bouchard, the
bulk of the instrumentation credits should go to former Ian Hunter
guitarist Tommy Moringiello (guitars), former David Johansen guitarist
Jack Rigg (guitars), and Tommy Mandel (keyboards - uncredited on the
album). Tommy Zvoncheck later indicated that most of Tommy Mandel's
keyboard parts were replaced by his own on the released version of
*Imaginos*. In addition, Albert says the following were not credited on
the album: Jon Rogers (additional lead vocal on "I Am The One You
Warned Me Of"), Phil Grandee (guitar), and a number of individuals
contributing background vocals (Jeff Kawalik, Corky Stasiak, Helen
Wheels, Glen Bell, Peggy Atkins, Casper McCloud - although iis not clear
if these contributions appeared on the released version of *Imaginos*).
Between the reworking of the songs on *Imaginos*, the improper credits,
and the fact that the band apparently did not want Albert back as their
drummer after the release of *Imaginos*, there were considerable hard
feelings between Albert and BOC/Sandy Pearlman.
The original *Imaginos* project contained over 90 minutes of music,
and budgets wouldn't allow for the complete package. The "complete"
Imaginos story spans 200 years from the beginning of the 19 Century to
the end of the 20th. At the time the album was recorded, two other
parts were anticipated, titled (according to Sandy Pearlman) "Germany
Minus Zero And Counting" and "The Mutant Reformation". Albert Bouchard
has indicated that possible titles for "Germany Minus Zero And Counting"
were "Half-Life Time", and "Bombs Over Germany". According to Albert
Bouchard, the following songs were left off of *Imaginos*: "Gil Blanco
County", "The Girl That Love Made Blind", "Blue Oyster Cult Reprise",
"Imaginos Overture", and an a capella reprise of the first verse of
"Magna Of Illusion". Also, the song "Shadow Of California" (from the
album, *The Revolution By Night*) was originally intended, in one form
or another, to be on the second "Imaginos" album. It is possible that
"Shadow Of California" was partially re-worked from an Albert Bouchard
song, "Half-Life Time", which contains the lyrics that later appeared as
the spoken intro to the *Club Ninja* song, "When The War Comes". With
the past problems and current tensions between the various parties
associated the recording of *Imaginos*, it is probably unlikely that the
full Imaginos saga will ever be completed, at least not by BOC. Albert
Bouchard has released some *Imaginos* material ("Overture" on *Box Of
Hammers*, "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", "Astronomy", and "The Girl
That Love Made Blind" on *Malpractise*), and has expressed interest in
doing more, as his other activities allow. Sandy Pearlman has been
reportedly working over the past few years on an Imaginos comic book and
multi-media (video game) project, but it is unknown if this project will
ever be finished.
Bolle Gregmar provided a list of songs which Albert mixed in 1985
in the planned order of the tracks:
1. I Am The One You Warned Me Of
2. Imaginos
3. Gil Blanco County
4. Del Rio's Song
5. Blue Oyster Cult
6. Blue Oyster Cult Reprise
7. Half-Life Time
8. Les Invisibles
9. The Girl That Love Made Blind
10. The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At
Weisseria
11. In The Presence Of Another World
12. Imaginos Overture
13. Astronomy
14. Magna Of Illusion
15. Magna Of Illusion Chorale (a capella reprise of the first verse)
Albert Bouchard provided a list of songs which might be applicable
to the rest of the Imaginos trilogy. They appear, with his comments, as
follows:
Act One: The Imaginos album we're familiar with.
Act Two: Bombs over Germany
Workshop Of The Telescopes
The Girl That Love Made Blind *
ME 262
The Red And The Black
Cities On Flame **
Shadow Of California
Half-Life Time +
Veteran Of The Psychic Wars ++
Career Of Evil ++
Act Three: The Mutant Reformation
Take Me Away ++
The Vigil ++
ETI
R. U. Ready 2 Rock
Heavy Metal
Flaming Telepaths
Gil Blanco County *
Redeemed
* Left off the original Imaginos album
** "Motor City is Burning" version -- based somewhat on the MC5 song
+ Very few have heard this one
++ Non-Pearlman songs because I never plan to write another with him and
these tunes kind of fit into the story
What is the story told by the album, *Imaginos*?
================================================
Sandy Pearlman, in an interview with *Kerrang* magazine (September
1988) says, "Basically, it's an interpretation of history - an
explanation for the onset of World War I, or a revelation of the occult
origins of it. Imaginos is the main character, and is what I call 'an
actor in history'. He plays different roles in history and was born as
a modified child, modified by an alien influence, and his mission is to
present the human race with the challenge of evil. The aliens are
playing with our history as if it's a game, and he motivates the game
and presents the choices to the human race. They react as they will."
Sandy Pearlman also says that the story explains what the "Blue Oyster
Cult" is. "They are aliens. When Imaginos is dying on a beach (in the
song 'Blue Oyster Cult'), they announce their presence to him and give
him a choice - side with them or die as a human. He chooses the former
and realizes he was one of them after all. In 'Astronomy' he realizes
he is descended from the stars."
Of course, the above statements leave much left untold, and subject
to interpretation. Such discussion went on between various individuals
on BOC-L, and this discussion was captured, distilled, and condensed
into a sort of mini-thesis by BOC-L member Bryce "The Subhuman" Baker.
His complete work may be available (either now or soon) in the BOC-L
archives. An edited version of his work is presented here (note:
quotes that go unreferenced are either from the liner notes or song
lyrics):
The Saga of Imaginos begins with the discovery of the New World by the
Spanish. "Out beyond the Europe's rim the Spaniards met the Indians."
The Indians: the natives of the New World, the Aztecs, Haitians, and
others. "To the Spanish, agents of a Catholic Sovereign, the New World
was no place of grace ... anti-genesis, anti-Eden, seat of evil, pit of
darkness ... the priests in the expeditions could imagine no place worse
than this place ... visibly in the thrall of invisible spirits." These
spirits: Les Invisibles - The Invisible Ones.
It is assumed that the Indians of the New World (in particular, the
Aztecs and the Haitians) worshipped Les Invisibles (which we also assume
to number seven). Les Invisibles' seat of power is Haiti, "... still a
dream world, seat of Les Invisibles ...", suggesting a connection
between their world and our world. This is not taken to be a physical
connection (as a portal, for example), but a religious connection, as
The Vatican is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church.
Haitian Voodoo references are indeed present in Imaginos, Baron Samedi
(see the lyrics to 'Les Invisibles') is reportedly the Voodoo lord of
graveyards, and Les Mesteres (also in "Les Invisibles") is reportedly
another name for the Loa, the seven African spirits worshipped in
Voodoo. Regarding the dance of Don Pedro, ghost-dancing (a group dance
for communication with the dead) plays a large part in Haitian religious
beliefs, and apparently played a similarly large role in Aztec religious
customs; drums seem to have been the instrument of choice (see lyrics in
'Les Invisibles' and 'Del Rio's Song'). As to the identity of Don
Pedro, the emperor Montezuma supposedly had a Spanish-sympathizing son
named Don Pedro who helped rebuild the Mexican capital after its
destruction by the Spanish. How this could tie in is unclear, and may
simply be a coincidence.
If rich in its evil, the New World was also rich in its gold. At first,
to the Spaniards, the gold was "no luminous mirror of delight, but
rather, a mirror of blackness." But as fear turned to greed, in this
gold, this mirror of blackness, "the Spaniards discovered for themselves
an image of self without limit ... the invention of all new things, the
invention of genocide." Greed overcame fear. Civilizations were wiped
out (under the guise of religious purification), and Spanish power in
Europe rose, fueled by the gold from the New World. "For hundreds of
years, all the gold ... came from the New World ... the seduction of the
Old World by the New World - innocence corrupts experience."
Ultimately, the Spain/Portugal monopoly on the New World was broken by
England, under the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). "Her occult
advisor was a Dr. John Dee. He spoke, he said, with invisible spirits
and in his possession was a magic mirror of black volcanic glass ... it
was fashioned in Mexico." Dee's associate, Edward Kelly, looked into
the stone, and Dee recorded his visions (this mirror and some of Dee's
other paraphernalia are on display in London in the British Museum).
The interpretation relative to the Imaginos story is that Les Invisibles
somehow made this mirror available to Dee, and information gained from
using it was used in the destruction of Spanish power. It has been
suggested that this was a form of 'retaliatory strike' at Spain by Les
Invisibles for invading Mexico and eradicating much of the religion
devoted to them. However, it is seems more likely that this wasn't a
'retaliatory strike' at all, but part of a larger, centuries-spanning
scheme by Les Invisibles to cause strife and bloodshed in Europe,
continuing all the way to World War I, and perhaps beyond. It should be
noted that in contrast to the relative black mirror of New World gold
mentioned in the first paragraph, here we have the first appearance of
an actual, physical black mirror.
In the early 1800's, (perhaps in the month of August) Les Invisibles
cause the birth of a 'modified' child - Imaginos - in New Hampshire.
His powers include the ability to see the future to some degree
("singing songs nobody knew and stories left undone") and to change his
shape ("actually this Buzzardo was Imaginos in disguise"). Ignorant of
his future role and billing himself as somewhat of an adventurer, he
travels North America (at least Vermont and Texas) before winding up in
New Orleans in 1829. Still acting as an "adventurer", he heads up an
"expedition", sailing the Mississippi south towards Mexico. Realizing
that there may be more of a reason behind his powers than he previously
believed, and perhaps having visions or some other drive, he has goals
for the expedition he isn't telling his crew. He is heading south to
the Yucatan, to a place "just between the verse and me" where he will
find something "lost, last and luminous, scored to sky yet never found".
Somewhere along the trip, the boat is shipwrecked near land. As
Imaginos lies on the shore, seriously injured and dying, his friends,
the survivors of the shipwreck, leave him alone to die "on a shore where
oyster beds seem plush as down". The morning tide washes in and he
drowns. As can be seen here, Imaginos' ability to see into the future
is limited to some degree, or he would have been able to foretell of his
upcoming shipwreck.
This shipwreck, however, was no accident. As he drowns, Les Invisibles
come to Imaginos and show him everything: "the Invisible [Ones] visible
at last and manifest; no mere hints or traces". Knowing who and what he
is and the role carved for him in future events, he agrees to become the
Invisible Ones' agent on earth; he becomes one of the "Blue Oyster
Cult", the servants of Les Invisibles. Les Invisibles, acting through
the "oyster boys" (some kind of fish-like creature) resurrect Imaginos
from the dead. He is now their agent, "unleashed to forge a new
destiny; he is Imaginos called Desdinova."
After the shipwreck, it is clearly stated in the liner notes that
Imaginos dies. The song "Blue Oyster Cult" contains a bit about "The
Dream of Luxor", which is an Egyptian reference to rebirth: "Luxor,
site of the southern Temple of Amun, built essentially by Amenophis III
and Ramesses II. The image of Amun from the temple at Karnak spent the
flood season here ... at Luxor, Amun took the form of Min, a mummiform,
ithyphallic fertility god ... fertility gods in Egyptian religion were
associated with rebirth and immortality." (Jean Lansford)
"We understand, and so do I" and "One deal is what we made" from "Blue
Oyster Cult", taken along with the liner notes for "Astronomy" point to
the "all is made clear" inference (and also to the 'I didn't know what
the hell's going on with me' inference mentioned above). It isn't
really very clear just who or what the Oyster Boys are, just that they
somehow are connected with The Invisible Ones.
The next songs in the cycle are mainly descriptive, rather than playing
out the story. "I Am the One You Warned Me Of" - Imaginos, reborn,
fully aware of who and what he is. "Fresh from zones of moisture": on
that "shore where oyster beds seemed plush as down" to a drowning young
Imaginos. We almost get a sense of 'excitement' from this song. Albert
Bouchard had an interesting comment on the song and the lyric "and
afterwards the meat": "This song was influenced by "Memo from Turner"
and was supposed to be about Imaginos getting down and lascivious."
"In the Presence of Another World" - Imaginos, the earthly agent of Les
Invisibles, still aware of his former self, but now so much more, and
forebodings of the evil to come. "The Siege and Investiture of Baron
Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" - the continuation of Les
Invisibles' influence on earth - earlier, through corruption by gold,
now through corruption by technology.
The liner notes have a lot to say on the reborn Imaginos:
"This then is Imaginos of whom it will be said, between what he can
realize and what he can imagine, there is to be nothing and no distance.
His will be the perfect sight. 'Behind closed eyes realize your sight.'
Through the powers of perfect vision and Imaginos, vested in him by Les
Invisibles, he will bring the world to a rendezvous with its own
destiny, to change the world's course, to -write- history, to tilt the
axis of destiny - Imaginos becomes the world's greatest actor, a
transcendent role player, an actor in history."
It can only be assumed that between his rebirth (~1829) and the next
song in the story (Magna of Illusion, ~1892), Imaginos is somehow living
up to this role, involving himself in key events that will lead up to
the grand conclusion.
1892, Imaginos, now in the role of an old sea captain:
"Out beyond the Europe's rim and further by far, beyond the sphere
of light, into a place where darkness is omnipotent and never from
hungry. In Mayaland in the Yucatan he will discover an unheard-of
temple or pyramid. At the core of the pyramid, with only one way in and
no way out, is a chamber of jade, curiously sculpted with impossible
angles, itself surrounding something hardly there, a new germ, made from
'pieces of the perfect black.'
[jumping down a paragraph in the notes...]
"In the chamber of jade is a mirror carved of blackest obsidian,
black volcanic glass, tempered with blood: 'the sugar of sacrifice.'
Obviously a magic mirror, it is nothing less than the Magna of Illusion:
the last song in the cycle. In it Imaginos, now playing the of an old
English sea captain in the 1890's, takes the mirror from Mexico (which
is nowhere) to Europe. He takes it by crime and blood from the jungle
to give to his granddaughter on her birthday. It sits in her family's
attic in misty Cornwall for ten years or more. Poisoning Europe ..."
[moving back up a paragraph in the notes...]
"When thrust in vivo into Europe's all too fertile soil, this new
germ will - having grown ever more powerful and mature, having in fact
become an organism - beam ridding voices direct to the brains of the
(European) multitudes. The voices call in hunger for absolute darkness
and absolute light. They are ready. We are ready. It is ready"
[moving back down...]
"And then World War I breaks out. A disease with a long
incubation."
Some random general reflections:
1. If you follow the story, it is obvious that the songs on the album
are in the wrong order. There is, however, this 'random access history'
disclaimer. It has been speculated that the record company screwed up
the order of the songs and the random access bit was added afterwards.
That is completely unsubstantiated, and probably not true, but who
knows? In the liner notes, an order is listed, but my interpretation of
the real order (substantiated by Albert Bouchard) is:
Les Invisibles
Imaginos
Del Rio's Song
Blue Oyster Cult
Astronomy
I Am The One You Warned Me Of } these two could flip flop
In The Presence Of Another World }
The Siege And Investiture . . .
Magna Of Illusion
2. An issue that has not been explored is the origin or the location of
Les Invisibles. From the liner notes and overall feel of the album, you
get the impression of another, mystical world, beyond our time and
space, and that is how the story has been interpreted above. But to
throw in a wrench, I quote Albert Bouchard in Morning Final #10:
"Basically, what it is that this guy comes down from a spaceship,
and he lands in New Hampshire. I don't know if he has a son or not, but
there's a young Immaginos (note: "Immaginos" was Albert's intended
spelling) that is hatched from the spaceship in New Hampshire. He
drifts down towards Texas. When he's in Texas he discovers that he has
all sorts of powers that regular people don't have. I guess that he's
probably not completely aware that he's an extra-terrestrial."
Note that his interview was in 1982 (and done for some metal magazine,
it was never published), a lot could have changed in the time between
the interview and when the final version(s?) of the story was settled
on. But if you look at some of the lyrics out of context, we have:
"the rhyme of the star clock" [Les Invisibles]
"this starry wisdom" [I Am The One ...]
"how even space can modulate" [In The Presence ...]
"the milky way abyss inclines"
"the buried city in the stars"
"from the glare of stars, the starry wisdom" [The Siege And ...]
Again, the above quotes are -completely- out of context and are meant
just to provide a (weak) counterview to the mystical, almost religious
viewpoint. Also, a mystical location and an outerspace location are by
no means mutually exclusive. But, to tighten that wrench:
"and don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent" [Astronomy]
"Astronomy...a star!" [Astronomy]
"approached the sun, in August" [Imaginos]
Sirius: The Dog Star, a star of the constellation Canis Major, the
brightest star in the heavens. Used for navigational purposes because
it usually remains fixed in the sky. The Dog Days ... the period of in
late summer (between early July and late August) when Sirius rises and
sets with the sun.
And according to Dr. Paul Mather:
"Okay, here's another Sirius connection. I remember R.A. Wilson
making much about the connection between the "Dog Days" and Sirius.
There is a "primitive" African tribe - the Dogon tribe - who, it seems,
accurately detected the companion to Sirius and mapped its relationship
to Sirius. This companion is invisible to the naked eye, and can only
be detected by x-rays (I seem to recall). The tribe detected its
presence long before modern radio astronomy."
The plot thickens ...
"The Dogon tribe worship a half-man, half-fish god, who is said to
come from the companion star, and who is said to have come down to
Earth."
This account was later shown to the bogus result of the tribe mixing
modern astronomy with their mythology, or something like that [from
FoFP]. But it was still widespread and certainly available to influence
a young Sandy Pearlman ...
In any event, as mentioned above, "outer space" and "beyond time and
space" are certainly not mutually exclusive.
3. A few other BOC songs (not from *Imaginos*) have, either by title or
lyric, a similar sort of feel to them: Harvester of Eyes, Flaming
Telepaths, Stairway to the Stars, Workshop of the Telescopes ("by those
who see with their eyes closed, they'll know me by my black telescope",
"the power that was undine"), ME-262 ("watch me in mirrors", and
"Captain Von Ondine" - see discussion below on the term, "undine").
Another BOC fan has speculated that there may be a relationship
between the line "Dance the Don Pedro", and the hallucinogenic cactus
San Pedro. A definition of the cactus reads as follows:
San Pedro. A common ornamental cactus which is still widely available
for landscaping from local nurseries, particularly in desert states.
Known to the natives as the sacred cactus of the four winds. This plant
is native to the western slopes of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and
Ecuador where it can grow to over 5 meters. Used traditionally in
divination, diagnosis of disease, finding lost or stolen property, and
to possess another person's soul. A form of the original San Pedro
religion still survives to this day, around Huacanada, Peru.
Aside from the speculation that the cactus was perhaps part of the
Imaginos story, the definition of "sacred cactus of the four winds"
suggests a possible connection to the four winds bar in "Astronomy".
There are some speculations as to how the song, "Workshop Of The
Telescopes" fits into the Imaginos story. It is possible that the line
"Sees through the charms of Doctors and their wives" refers to Dr. John
Dee and his associate Ed Kelly mentioned previously. Dr. Dee believed
that Kelly was in touch with cosmic forces, and Kelly was presumably
using this belief to get Dr. Dee to allow him to sleep with his wife.
"Salamander Drake" may refer to a fire-breathing dragon: salamander - a
mythical animal having the power to endure fire without harm, an
elemental being in theory of Paracelsus inhabiting fire; drake - dragon.
Note: There may be more to this, as the BOC lyric book capitalizes the
words "Salamander" and "Drake", implying perhaps a proper name rather
than a thing. Perhaps "Drake" actually refers to Sir Francis Drake,
who, under approval of England's Elizabeth I, raided Spanish ships
bringing gold from Mexico (this ties in with some of the concepts of
*Imaginos* -- European conflict originating from the New World).
"Undine" (also mentioned in the song) is, according to the Swiss-born
alchemist and physician Paracelsus, a water-spirit that can obtain a
human soul by bearing a child to a human husband. This may also refer
to "Captain Von Ondine" in the song, "ME-262" (perhaps Captain Von
Ondine is the child born of a water spirit - this also appears to tie in
with some of the concepts of *Imaginos*).
A further note about the term "Ondine". There is a rare brain
disorder known as "Ondine's Curse" where the victim can not breathe
involuntarily. Ondine refers to a nymph of Greek mythology who offended
the gods. As punishment, she was sentenced to think about every breath.
She could never sleep, for sleep would mean not thinking about
breathing, and she would die.
Finally, the term "Ondine" may have simply come from a club in New
York called "Ondine's". A 1967 issue of *Crawdaddy* magazine mentioned
a concert by The Doors there.
From all of this discussion, it appears that the inspiration for
the story of *Imaginos* appears to come from various sources. Another
possible source may be Jean Ray's 1965 collection of short stories
entitled *Ghouls in my Grave*. One of the stories is entitled "The
Black Mirror", and contains the following 2 paragraphs which suggest
that perhaps Sandy Pearlman had read it:
"In 1842 the collection of curios formed at Strawberry Hill by Horace
Walpole was sold at auction. Among the singular objects contained in it
was the famous black mirror of Dr. John Dee, physician, surgeon, and
astrologer of Queen Elizabeth I. It was a piece of beautifully black
coal, perfectly polished and carved into an oval shape, with a handle of
brown ivory. It had formerly been in the collection of the Earls of
Peterborough, bearing this description: 'Black stone by means of which
Dr. Dee called forth spirits.'"
and
"Yes, but Edward Kelley, the sinister pirate who clung to poor Dee like
a shadow, used the mirror for discovering hidden treasures and for
committing his mysterious crimes."
Is there a BOC/H.P. Lovecraft connection?
=========================================
Not directly, however, some of the concepts in BOC's lyrics,
particularly *Imaginos* seem to be inspired by some of Lovecraft's work.
For those not familiar, Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an early 20th-
century writer of horror and science fiction stories. Although some of
Lovecraft's contemporaries often did not appreciate his work (labeling
it "bad taste" and "sick"), Stephen King has acknowledged Lovecraft as
the 20th-century's "greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale".
He is best known for several short stories often referred to
collectively as the "Cthulhu Mythos" -- these stories refer to "The
Great Old Ones", creatures from other worlds and dimensions which once
ruled the earth, and have since been defeated, expelled, or imprisoned
by various cosmic forces. These creatures may rise again ("when the
stars are right"), often aided by human cults performing ceremonies with
various blasphemous incantations.
Looking at the lyrics and liner notes of *Imaginos*, it's obvious
that there are many similarities. The story told by *Imaginos* explores
a lot of the same concepts as the "Cthulhu Mythos", close enough for
some to claim that the two are one and the same (For example, Desdinova
or Imaginos is "an actor playing roles in history, challenging man
against evil". He could be considered as an agent of evil --
Lovecraft's Nyarlathotep.). However, general is that *Imaginos*, while
no doubt inspired by some of Lovecraft's work (Al Bouchard also
indicates that Sandy Pearlman and he had read some of Lovecraft's work),
is not meant to be a re-telling of Lovecraft's "Cthulhu Mythos". Having
said that, the following are some literary references between *Imaginos*
and Lovecraft's work:
The song "Les Invisibles" contains the line "beneath the polar
mountain". Lovecraft's tale, "At the Mountains of Madness" discusses
Antarctica as being a location where some of the Great Old Ones either
arrived, ruled, or lay waiting.
The songs "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" and "The Siege And
Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" both
contain references to "Starry Wisdom". Lovecraft's story, "The Haunter
of the Dark" refers to "the Church of the Starry Wisdom", a cult
organization in which "the Shining Trapazohedron shows them heaven &
other worlds, & that the Haunter of the Dark tells them secrets in some
way." Also, the Shining Trapazohedron appears to be similar in function
to the Magna of Illusion of *Imaginos*.
The song, "Les Invisibles" talks about "the empress lay sleeping to
the rhyme of the star clock", which may refer to the Great Old One's
return "when the stars are right". The song "In The Presence Of Another
World" contains the spoken words, "when the stars are right". This same
line is used in Lovecraft's, "The Call of Cthulhu". In addition, the
"Oyster Boys", as water beings can be likened to agents of Cthulhu.
The song, "Harvest Moon" seems very Lovecraftian in nature as well.
An unknown evil is implied in the final verse, where the singer refuses
to go out at nights since the disappearance of someone's daughter, yet
with the understanding that she'll be found in the spring when the snow
melts. Lovecraft wrote a few stories about towns with such hidden
evils.
Where is the BOC symbol on the _____ album?
===========================================
The symbol of Kronos (Saturn) appears on every BOC album.
According to Albert Bouchard, the symbol was used by Bill Gawlik in his
"City of the Future" project (his Masters thesis in architecture at
Stony Brook University). Sandy Pearlman liked the symbol, and hired
Bill Gawlik to do the covers for BOC's first two albums. Sandy had Bill
put the symbol on the covers, and it became the band's logo. According
to Eric Bloom, Gawlik is also responsible for the name "Tyranny And
Mutation" for BOC's second album. While working on the artwork for
BOC's second album, Gawlik was listening to BOC's first album. After 24
straight hours of drawing and listening, he told Sandy Pearlman, "This
is tyranny and mutation!".
The symbol is also very similar to the ancient Greek symbol for
"chaos". While it is visible on most albums, it can be hard to spot on
a few (most notably "Spectres" and "Cultosaurus Erectus"). The
following lists the location of the BOC symbol on each album:
*Blue Oyster Cult* -- Album center, on the horizon.
*Tyranny And Mutation* -- Album center, over the tower.
*Secret Treaties* -- On the tailfin of the plane (which is an ME 262),
and also Eric's shirt.
*On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* -- On the flag on the limo.
*Agents Of Fortune* -- On one of the stones in the doorway.
*Spectres* -- In the crystal ball on the floor in the lower left corner.
Note: This is difficult to see on the cassette, and the CD cover is
cropped so that only part of the crystal ball can be seen.
*Some Enchanted Evening* -- On the horse's bridle.
*Mirrors* -- Bottom center of album.
*Cultosaurus Erectus* -- Slightly tilted, on the side of the spaceship.
Note: Unless you have the LP cover, you probably can't see this.
Perhaps it is visible with a magnifying glass on the CD, but on the
cassette, even the spaceship itself can barely be made out. The symbol
is easily visible on the LP, though. Also, the symbol was not included
on the spaceship on some European releases of this album, including the
1999 "Rewind" re-master.
*Fire Of Unknown Origin* -- On the robe of the cultist in front.
*Extraterrestrial Live* -- On the robe of the cultist, side of the
spaceship, and on the band's equipment cases.
*The Revolution By Night* -- Lower right-hand corner, on the side of
the highway.
*Club Ninja* -- The space station is in the shape of the symbol.
*Imaginos* -- Next to the word "cult", below the album title.
*Career of Evil: The Metal Years* -- Album center, in flames.
*On Flame With Rock And Roll* -- Album center, in flames.
*Cult Classic* -- Album center, outlined by the windows, the railings,
and the snake.
*Workshop Of The Telescopes* -- Album center, on the box.
*Revisited* (and other compilations with same cover) -- On Eric Bloom's
guitar.
*Heaven Forbid* -- In the eyes of man (Note: While the symbol can be
easily seen, on the CD cover anyway, in the "good" eye, it is also
present, in a sort of outline form, on the "bad" eye as well). On the
European release which used the CD tray liner artwork on the cover, the
symbol is the top of the woman's scepter.
*Curse Of The Hidden Mirror* -- On the object (presumably a mirror) held
by the man riding the rickshaw.
As an aside, the curved part of the symbol represents a sickle --
Greek mythology tells us that the god Kronos, was given the sickle by
his mother to kill his father, the god Ouranos. Kronos sliced off his
father's genitals, and threw them into the sea, which later formed the
goddess Aphrodite. Kronos later became the father of the Greek gods
Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. Also, Saturn and Lead
were congruent in alchemy, so the symbol for Saturn (the Roman name for
Kronos) is also the symbol for lead, which is a "heavy metal" (sometimes
incorrectly noted as the "heaviest" of metals - actually Mercury is,
while lead is one of the "most dense"). Just to throw a few other
pieces out on the table, from Chetwynd's Dictionary of Symbols:
Lead, personified as Saturn: depression or unconscious content,
which once raised into the light of the conscious, rational mind,
becomes gold
Saturn or Kronos
The lowest and darkest stage of any process of transformation. The
terrifying aspect of losing your youth. But at the same time this nadir
of life, this mood of darkest depression, liberates what is essential
from the dross and affords the chance of transformation.
[...]
Kronos castrates his father: He severs the point of contact
between male and female in his fierce struggle to be born, to achieve
individuality.
[...]
... Saturn becomes the focal point of opposites, each changing into
the other in the course of life....
Alchemy
(Summary of tables)
The Descent into the Black
Yellow, leaving the sun of ordinary consciousness behind
Blue, for the sky empty of sun or ego
Green, for dissolution in the sea. Sinking within.
The Fourfold Sequence of Alchemical Work
The Black: Lead, Earth, Death of the ordinary conscious outlook
The White: Quicksilver, Air, Disintegration of the corpse
The Red: Sulfur, Fire, Relating conscious with unconscious parts
The Gold: Gold, Water, Germinates the seed of the new Self
In addition, the following terms have been used when referring to
this symbol:
Cross and Claw - a review of *Imaginos* in *Rolling Stone* magazine
mentioned this term.
Cross of Confusion - There is a book titled, "Cults That Kill", which
discusses police investigations of satanic murders. In the book, the
symbol is mentioned as being used by the Romans to question the
existence of Christ.
Editor's Note: The above is not meant to imply that BOC intended
people to extract all (or any) of these meanings out of the fact that
they used the symbol of Kronos. However, some of the alchemical
implications do seem to fit nicely with many of their songs, and may
spawn endless hours of discussion among BOC fans. In addition, the
suggestion that the symbol implies that BOC is "satanic" will probably
also spawn much discussion, and probably a lot of ridicule as well.
Special thanks go out to Jean Lansford and Wallace McBride for providing
the symbol information.
Where can I get a complete set of BOC lyrics?
=============================================
Bolle Gregmar has worked with the band to compile a complete
"official" set of lyrics to all of the BOC songs. The lyric book is
available to BOC fan club members. Bolle's address is listed elsewhere
in this FAQ. Also, the lyrics have been posted to the band's official
website (http://blueoystercult.com).
Note: The band, their management, and/or their record labels hold the
legal rights to BOC's song lyrics. The BOC fan club had previously
received legal permission to re-produce a limited number of copies of
them in the lyric book, and now has done so for the website. All other
sources of lyrics, unless they come directly from the band, their
management, their record labels, or one of the officially produced BOC
songbooks (see BOC Collectibles section in the FAQ for information on
released BOC songbooks) should be considered "unofficial" (and likely to
be in violation of copyright laws).
You used to be able to send 50 cents to an address (believed to by
Sandy Pearlman's) printed on the back of BOC albums and get a complete
set of BOC lyrics. It was a bargain, despite several errors. However,
they are no longer available this way. So, if you just bought your
first copy of *Some Enchanted Evening*, and were hoping to get lyrics,
save your 50 cents.
The following CDs are known to have lyrics: The Columbia/Legacy
re-mastered CDs all contain lyrics. The lyrics for all of the songs on
*Extraterrestrial Live*, with the exception of "Roadhouse Blues", are
listed in the liner notes. These too, have several errors. Lyrics to
the songs on *Flat Out* are printed on the inner sleeve of the LP.
Lyrics to BOC's album *Heaven Forbid* (with a few misprints) can be find
in the album's liner notes. The Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs re-masters
(*Blue Oyster Cult*/*Tyranny And Mutation*, *Agents Of Fortune*) and the
Axe Killer re-masters (*Tyranny And Mutation*/*Secret Treaties*, plus
"Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To The Stars" from
*Blue Oyster Cult*) include lyrics. The lyrics for the songs on the
first two albums by the Brain Surgeons are listed in their CD liner
notes, or a more complete set of lyrics can be found on their website
(http://www.cellsum.com). Lyrics to the X Brothers album can be found
at the band's website (http://w3.nai.net/~xbros/).
What is a (Diz-Buster, ME-262, Stun Guitar, . . .)?
===================================================
Former BOC drummer Albert Bouchard has stated that the "diz" refers
to the cleft of the penis. In some Slavic languages, possibly Serbian
or Croatian, "dizna" means "nozzle, small outlet, etc.". Bolle Gregmar
further tells us that "duster's dust" (from the song, "Seven Screaming
Diz-Busters") refers to sperm. Therefore, a "Diz-Buster" refers to
someone (or something) which causes one to ejaculate. Well, you wanted
to know . . .
The ME-262 (referred to by the BOC song of the same name) was the
world's first operational turbojet-powered fighter plane (as the song
says, "ME-262 Prince of turbojets"), first entering operational service
for Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany on July 10th, 1944 (at Juvincourt,
France). "ME" is short for Messerschmitt, the German aircraft builder
Willy Messerschmitt (as the song says, "Willy's done quite a job").
Unfortunately for Nazi Germany, while the plane as a fighter proved to
be superior to any of the Allied planes of its day, the plane did not
end up to be a major factor in World War II. The main reasons for this
are that it entered too late into the war (only about 10 months before
the end of the hostilities in Europe), and there was not a good plan for
the deployment of the ME-262 (they were used mostly as bombers, where
their true tactical superiority were as fighters due to their speed
advantage). Technical Data (as reported in "Jane's History of
Aviation"): Engines - two 8.825 kN (1,984 lb st) Junkers Jumo 109-004B-
1 or 004-4 turbojets (as the song says, "Junkers Jumo 004"). Wing Span
- 12.5 m (41 ft). Length - 10.61 m (34 ft, 10 in). Max Take-Off weight
- 7,045 kg (15,531 lb). Take-Off run with two auxiliary rockets - 600 m
(1,969 ft). Max level speed - 868 km/h (539 mph) at 7,000 m (22,975
ft). Range - 1,050 km (652 miles).
Eric Bloom is listed on the first 4 BOC albums as playing "stun
guitar". There has been much discussion on BOC-L as to exactly what a
stun guitar is. Some have heard that it refers to a guitar that was
wired for a constant "fuzztone" sound. Other people have suggested that
it may be an inside joke with the band, referring to either Eric wanting
his guitar turned up loud (according to Albert Bouchard, there used to
be some arguments among the band members about how loud Eric's guitar
should be during BOC's concerts), or possibly that he did not play much
guitar on the albums (again, according to Albert Bouchard, Eric did play
some guitar on most of the albums, although Buck did most of the guitar
work). Others have jokingly said it refers to Eric's guitar-playing
skills (Editor's note: Eric may not be Buck Dharma when it comes to
playing guitar, but Eric can play. However, he was originally brought
into the band as a singer, not as a guitar player). According to Albert
Bouchard, the true meaning of "stun guitar" is as follows: "He played
fuzz parts on 'She's As Beautiful As A Foot' and other songs on the
first BOC album. They were all pretty easy so we decided to make it
more mysterious by calling it Stun instead of Fuzz." According to Bolle
Gregmar, however, a more accurate description of the parts that Eric
played would be that they were "muted" (i.e. placing one's hand over the
guitar strings to eliminate sustain of the played notes), and cites
underlying guitar parts on "Stairway To The Stars" and "O.D.'d On Life
Itself" as some of the better examples of Eric's stun guitar work. Of
course, it is only appropriate to hear Eric's logic in this matter. In
an interview in 1975 with *Circus Raves* magazine, Eric states
"Originally, I got 'stun guitar' from Star Trek, I was a very big
Treky...if you recall the line 'set your phasers on stun', that's where
I got 'stun guitar' from. I was really into the Star Trek technology."
According to Albert Bouchard, there is a somewhat interesting story
regarding Eric Bloom playing guitar with the band. After the band's
first performance with Bloom as lead vocalist (at the Fillmore East in
New York City), it was decided that he should have a guitar. For their
next performance (at The Electric Circus in New York City), Bloom had a
guitar, however it was not plugged in at the time. Elektra executives
were at the performance, and later remarked that they felt that Bloom's
rhythm guitar added greatly to the band's sound.
The insert enclosed with the radio promo copies of BOC's first LP
provides some insight into the term, "Bungo Pony": "I'm on the Lamb But
I Ain't No Sheep" is a colorful tale set in New York during the late
fifties. The location is Columbia University where the apathy setting
in on campus results in a dreadful scandal. The diseases picked up from
animals caught cruising the dormitories are still showing scars.
Conry's bar (mentioned in "Before The Kiss, A Redcap") is a real
place, and BOC has played there. According to Al Bouchard, there were
two, Conry's East and Conry's West, both on Hempstead Turnpike. BOC was
the house band at Conry's West for several months in 1969-1970. They
played Conry's East on New Year's Eve 1970/1971 (playing an Auld Lang
Syne / In A Gadda Davida medley at midnight). Alas, the two bars have
both been gone for over 20 years now.
"Redcap" (mentioned in "Before The Kiss, A Redcap") refers to a
barbiturate. According to Buck Dharma, Sandy Pearlman witnessed a woman
and a man exchange the pill through a kiss when the band was playing at
Conry's bar. The line "their tongues extend, and then retract" refers
to the act of exchanging the pill through their kiss. According to
Sandy Pearlman (from a 1974 interview in *Creem* magazine), the incident
in question occurred at Conry's bar, but that it was a man who
approached Sandy with the "red" on his tongue offering the "kiss". The
line "the gin glows in the dark" also came from an incident at Conry's
bar. According to Sandy, there was a fight, and a guy who was drinking
a gin and tonic threw his glass down on Sandy's table, and the gin was
glowing in the dark.
Who is (Suzy, Celine, Debbie Denise, Sir Rastus Bear, . . .)?
=============================================================
"Suzy" is referred to in at least 4 BOC songs ("Before The Kiss, A
Redcap", "Dominance and Submission", "Astronomy", and "The Marshall
Plan"). Suzy originally referred to one of Sandy Pearlman's many
girlfriends, but later just came to refer to "some mean bitch" (poor
Sandy). An interesting aside is that BOC's *Imaginos* was actually
released on SUZY Records in Yugoslavia (the only BOC album issued in
that country), as this was the record company that had exclusive rights
for CBS Records in Yugoslavia.
"Celine" (as referred to in the song, "Searchin' for Celine") is
Louis Ferdinand Celine, a French writer from around the turn of the
century. As such, "Searchin" was originally written as searching for a
"he" instead of a "she". Celine suffered from narcolepsy, which is an
affliction which causes one to fall asleep at any time without warning -
this may be why the song contains the line "I know why she's sleeping, I
know why she's tired." The following is from the America On-line
Encyclopedia on CIS:
Celine, Louis Ferdinand
{say-leen'}
Louis Celine, originally named Louis Ferdinand Destouches, b. May 27,
1894, d. July 1, 1961, was a French writer and doctor whose novels
Journey to the End of the Night (1932; Eng. trans., 1943) and Death on
the Installment Plan (1936; Eng. trans., 1938) are innovative, chaotic,
and antiheroic visions of human suffering. Pessimism pervades Celine's
fiction as his characters sense failure, anxiety, nihilism, and inertia.
Celine was unable to communicate with others, and during his life sank
more deeply into a hate-filled world of madness and rage. A progressive
disintegration of personality is visible in the stylistic incoherence of
Guignol's Band (1944; Eng. trans., 1954), Castle to Castle (1957; Eng.
trans., 1968), and North (1960; Eng. trans., 1972). His novels are
verbal frescoes peopled with horrendous giants, paraplegics, and gnomes,
and are filled with scenes of dismemberment and murder. Accused of
collaboration, Celine fled (1944) France to live in Germany at
Sigmaringen and then moved (1945) to Denmark. Condemned by default
(1950) in France to one year of imprisonment and declared a national
disgrace, Celine returned to France after his pardon in 1951.
"Debbie Denise" (referred to in the song of the same name) was
originally one of Patti Smith's poetic flirtations with lesbianism --
the words were about a woman as told by a woman (the line "I was out
rolling with my band" originally read "I was out rolling with my man").
Was there a Debbie Denise? It doesn't appear that there was. However,
somewhere in the mid to late 1970's, two young, blond, attractive twins
named "Debbie" and "Denise" turned up in L.A., and apparently became
well acquainted with members of the band's touring personnel.
According to Bolle Gregmar, "Sir Rastus Bear" (as referred to in
the song, "Redeemed") was the dog of Henry Farcas (who wrote the lyrics
to the song).
Where can I get BOC live recordings?
====================================
As far as "live recordings" go, one must distinguish between a
"live tape" and "bootleg" (often referred to as "Import", "Live
Recording" or "Euro-CD"). A "live tape" is a tape of a live performance
- perhaps obtained by taping a radio broadcast, or a live show.
Sometimes the tape may come from the soundboard of the band's sound
engineers. These live tapes are usually traded amongst fans, or kept as
personal copies, and are not distributed on a for-profit basis.
"Bootlegs", on the other hand, are mass-produced copies of a band's
material (usually a live concert, but sometimes studio outtakes) which
are sold for profit by individuals or organizations most likely not even
closely related or affiliated with the said artist. With the advent of
more powerful computer desktop publishing capabilities and the ability
to record CDs (known as CD-Rs), more "bootleg" CDs may actually be CD-Rs
produced on desktop computers. The *Dharma For Buck* release is a good
example.
Different people in the music world have different opinions of live
recordings. Some argue that they hurt album sales, and take money away
from the artist. Others argue that fans interested in live recordings
(which are usually of lower quality than official releases) most likely
already have bought most of the artist's official releases anyway, and
in fact these recordings may even help to promote the artist. The
prevailing attitude among most bands is that they have no problems with
fans trading live tapes, but are against bootlegs (which may be illegal,
depending on what country you live in).
There has been a fair number of BOC shows that have been taped over
the years, in one way or another. Many BOC fans have tapes of various
shows, and the best way to obtain them is by trading with other BOC
fans. To find other BOC fans to trade with, you could consult a BOC
discussion group or the BOC Fan Club (see elsewhere in this FAQ for
information) or appropriate internet newsgroups, check out the ads in
magazines such as *Goldmine* or *Discoveries* (see below for more
information), or meet some new friends at the next BOC concert.
There are some dealers which may carry "Imports", "Live
Recordings", and "Euro-CD's", although most of these are either small
record stores, or mail-order dealers. Sometimes dealers can be found at
flea-markets and record shows, and others can be found by searching the
Internet. Mail-order dealers can be tricky to deal with as some have
been known to be unscrupulous, fly-by-night operations that have
inconsistent records of service and have no qualms about lying to
customers or otherwise ripping them off. In addition, these recordings
can often take months to arrive, so you want to be careful about how you
are paying for your purchases. People who have dealt with mail-order
dealers recommend that you never make a large initial order from a
dealer that you have never dealt with before. People with internet
access might want to ask people on appropriate newsgroups for
information on the reliability of a particular dealer.
Another way to find people selling or trading live recordings,
videos, and other collectibles is to look in *Goldmine* or
*Discoveries*, two magazines for record and CD collectors. These
magazines run numerous ads from individuals and dealers looking to buy,
sell, or trade records, CDs, tapes, and other memorabilia. *Goldmine*,
which is published bi-weekly is the more extensive (and expensive) of
the two. *Discoveries* is published monthly. Some of the BOC items
that have been advertised recently include vinyl singles, *Flat Out* on
CD, and a Quadraphonic pressing of *Secret Treaties*. If you can't find
these magazines in your local bookstore or newsstand, here is some
subscription information (Editor's Note: I have no affiliation with
either *Goldmine* or *Discoveries*):
GOLDMINE
Special Services
Subscription Department
700 E. State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
U.S.A.
Master Card & Visa orders: (800) 258-0929
DISCOVERIES
Antique Trader Publications, Inc.
100 Bryant St.
Dubuque, Iowa 52003
Master Card & Visa orders: (800) 334-7165
Where can I find Rossignol's book, 'The Origins of a World War'?
================================================================
You can't. The book mentioned in the liner notes of the *Secret
Treaties* album does not exist.
As an interesting aside, however, the following listing appears in
the Library of Congress catalogue:
Hubert, Joseph, 1874-
Rossignol: le combat du 22 aout 1914.--Le martyre de habitants.--Les
annees d'occupation.--A la memoire des fusilles.
--Annexes ...
[translation by Andy Gilham and Alexandre Garcia: Rossignol - the
battle of the 22nd August, 1914 - the martyrdom of the people - the
years of occupation - to the memory of the executed -- appendices...]
Tamines, Imprimerie Duculot-roulin [1938] 212 p., 1 l. incl. front.,
illus. (incl. ports., plan) maps (1 fold.) 20 cm.
[pub.Tamines, Duculot-roulin Printers, etc, etc]
LC CALL NUMBER: D542.R6 H8 1938
SUBJECTS:
European war, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Belgium.
European war, 1914-1918--Atrocities.
Rossignol, Belgium.
ADDED ENTRIES:
Neujean, Joseph, 1880-1931, joint author.
Les drames de l'invasion allemande dans le Luxembourg belge.
[The tragedy of the German invasion of Belgian Luxembourg.]
GEOG. AREA CODE: e-be---
LCCN: 40-10573
Rossignol, as referred to by this entry, is actually the name of a
place - there does in fact exist a small town called Rossignol, in the
Belgian province of Luxembourg (not to be confused with the country of
the same name).
Another interesting aside: In 1901, a French weapons inspector
named Rossignol invented an automatic rifle mechanism which became the
basis of several self-loading weapon designs. This system is known as
"direct gas impingement" or "pistonless gas". It is used today in the
M16 series of rifles. It has only been recently that Rossignol was
recognized for his invention, presumably due to French obsession with
secrecy.
One more note: "Rossignol" (which means "nightingale" in French)
is the last name of some pre-revolutionary French member of a secret
police organization involved in cracking codes. The term was used as
slang by French criminals for a skeleton key used for burglary.
What do the Japanese words in "Godzilla" mean?
==============================================
The romanized Japanese is:
Rinji news o moshiagemasu! Rinji news o moshiagemasu! Gojira ga Ginza
hoomen e mukatte imasu! Daishikyu hinan shite kudasai! Daishikyu hinan
shite kudasai!
The translation is:
Attention, emergency news! Attention, emergency news! Godzilla is
going toward the Ginza area! Immediately escape/catch up/find shelter
please! Immediately escape/catch up/find shelter please!
Are there other BOC recordings, and how can I hear them?
========================================================
Unique Singles
--------------
There have been a number of BOC singles released. In addition, a
few BOC songs (most notably, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Godzilla", and
"Burnin' For You") have appeared on compilation albums of various
artists. Most of these songs, along with the "b-sides" of the singles,
are as they appeared on the BOC album on which they were released.
There are, however, some notable exceptions:
"Godzilla" (from *Spectres*) -- A 12" single (Columbia 3-10725, 1977
promo) of this song was produced with the studio version on one side,
and a live version (that is not the version found on either *Some
Enchanted Evening* or *Extraterrestrial Live*) on the other side - the
song is most easily identified by Eric's introduction - "It's not
Raymond Burr, it's Godzilla!"
"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" (from *Some Enchanted Evening*) -- A
"b-side" of this single contains a live version of "Stairway To The
Stars" that was recorded at Commack New York on 6/8/1975.
"Born To Be Wild" -- A compilation album of various artists titled,
*Guitar Wars*, released in 1982, contains a live version of this song
that was recorded at Poughkeepsie New York on 2/11/1980.
"Burnin' For You" (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*) -- The "b-side" of a
12" single (U.K. Release) of this song contains live versions of "Dr.
Music" (recorded at Nassau Coliseum, NY, 10/17/80) and "Flaming
Telepaths" (recorded at Bonds International Casino, NY, 6/16/1981) -
neither of these live versions are found on other domestic BOC albums.
However, this version of "Dr. Music" can be found on the *Black And
Blue* video, and this version of "Flaming Telepaths" can be found on the
*The Thing!* recording. This live version of "Dr. Music" also appears
on the 1983 U.K. 4-song release of "Take Me Away" with "Burnin' For You"
and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".
"White Flags", "Make Rock Not War" (from *Club Ninja*) -- The U.K.
single release with these two songs is presumably from the first (U.K.)
mix of *Club Ninja*, and has the non-fadeout version of "White Flags",
and also a longer version of "Make Rock Not War". These songs were
released on 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl (the 12" vinyl also includes
"Shooting Shark" from *The Revolution By Night*).
"Astronomy" (from *Imaginos*) -- There are 4 versions of this song on a
promo CD single, two long and two short versions of the song (the long
version appears on *Imaginos*). Two of the versions (one long, one
short) have a spoken intro by horror author Stephen King. The spoken
intro is from the Imaginos liner notes: "Imaginos (performed by Blue
Oyster Cult) - A bedtime story for the children of the damned. From a
dream world, paralleling our earth in time and space, the invisible ones
have sent an agent who will dream the dream of history. With limitless
power he becomes the greatest actor of the 19th century. Taking on many
ingenious disguises, he places himself at pivotal junctures in history,
continually altering its course and testing our ability to respond to
the challenge of evil. His name is 'Imaginos'". There's also a U.K.
12" single of "Astronomy" known as "Wild Mix", which is a re-mixed
dance-oriented version of "Astronomy" and also has more of Albert's
original vocal for the track. The single has 2 versions - with and
without the Stephen King introduction.
"In The Presence Of Another World" (from *Imaginos*) -- There are 2
versions of this song on a promo CD single. The first version is the
album version. The second version is an edited version which ends by
fading out during the "Your master" coda section, without the added
spoken vocals.
"Guitar's Practicing Musicians"
-------------------------------
*Guitar* magazine put out a series of compilation albums called
"Guitar's Practicing Musicians". These albums contain various jam
sessions, re-worked songs, or musical experiments by various guitarists.
Buck had two tracks released on these CDs, the instrumental "Gamera Is
Missing", and a mostly acoustic version of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".
These two tracks were later released by Buck on "The Buck Dharma Archive
Volume III" CD in 2001.
"Gamera Is Missing" -- This song appears on Volume I of the series
(released in 1989). The liner notes for the song are as follows:
GAMERA IS MISSING / Buck Dharma (3:21)
Buck Dharma : All instruments except drums
Ron Riddle : Drums
Equipment: Steinberger GM5, recorded direct through Chandler Tube Driver
and Groove Tubes Preamp. Composed by Buck Dharma (c) 1989 Triceratops
Music Inc. (ASCAP) Produced & recorded by Buck Dharma at his home
studio, on an Akai 1214. Mixed by Buck Dharma at Masterview
Soundcrafts, with Peter Kirk Hopper engineer. All computer editing and
post production by Buck Dharma.
Buck Dharma, a master of melodic rock phrasing, has been at the lead
guitar helm of Blue Oyster Cult throughout its whole 14 album career.
His "Gamera Is Missing" shows off all the fire and finesse that defined
the blues based players who grew up feeding on the influence of early
Clapton, Hendrix and Beck.
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" -- This song appears on Volume III of the
series (released in 1994). The liner notes for the song are as follows:
Buck Dharma
DON'T FEAR THE REAPER (Donald Roeser) SONY Music Inc. / BMI
Buck Dharma: Guitars and Vocals
Chuck Burgi: Drums
Produced By Buck Dharma. Drums recorded by Bob Acquaviva at Acqrock
Studios. All guitars and vocals recorded by Will Russell at Electric
Wilburland. Mixed by Jeff Kawalek at Saul'Zattic.
EQUIPMENT: Steinberger GM-7 guitars with LaBella Strings, Musicman
Stingray Bass, Mesa Boogie Mark IV amp, Marshall 4X10 cab, Martin
acoustic.
"I played a similar version of the 'Reaper' live in a pop/rock trio
called The Red and The Black that existed in 1990. John Stix suggested
that I do that version for this disc, so I recorded Chuck Burgi's drums
against a scratch electric guitar. We played a tempo map in Vision
synched to a time code on tape. The last half of the tune was recorded
first. Then the Martin acoustic and 'unplugged' vocals of the first
half were recorded. The background vocals were sung to a rough mix on a
separate piece of tape, then mixed to stereo and sampled into my Ensoniq
ASR-10, which was then sequenced to the master 16trk tape." (quote by
Buck Dharma)
BOC on Other Recordings
-----------------------
Most of the following information was provided by Melne Murphy of
the BOC Fan Club, which appeared in an article in the fan club's
newsletter, "Morning Final". Additional information was provided by
Bolle Gregmar and Albert Bouchard.
Buck played lead guitar on three songs ("Evil", "Drivin' Me Mad",
and "Rock And Roll") on the Kasim Sulton (former bassist for Utopia, and
keyboardist for Meatloaf) album, *Kasim* in 1982. He played lead guitar
for the Blotto song (and video), "Metalhead" (released in 1982 on the
*Combo Akimbo* album). Buck can also be found on one of "The Source"
radio show albums jamming with the Pat Travers Band to Cream's "Sunshine
of Your Love" (in addition, Buck introduced Pat Travers at that show).
Buck may also have been credited as playing on a live album by Shakin'
Street, but according to Buck, he does not play on it. Buck contributed
vocals to an acoustic medley of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin'
For You", which appears on the album, *All-Time Greatest Hips* by the
band Too Hip For The Room; and Buck, Eric, and Danny Miranda contributed
to Too Hip For The Room's BOC tribute album, *Don't Fear The Remake*
(see elsewhere in the FAQ for more information on this release).
Finally, Buck plays a guitar lead on a song called "Thumb" by Christy
Jefferson.
Eric sang as a backing vocalist on 2 songs ("Just Another Night"
and "Ships") on Ian Hunter's 1979 album, *You're Never Alone With a
Schizophrenic*. Eric was also briefly involved in 1984 with Ritchie
Cannata in the B.C. project -- they recorded a few demos, including
"Eyes of Fire" with some of Cannata's musicians doing the session work.
In 1986, both Eric (vocal) and Buck (guitar) appeared on the song
"Stars" for the Hear 'n Aid project -- the project, organized by Ronnie
James Dio, was a heavy-metal version of previous projects (most notably,
the "We Are The World" and "Live Aid" projects) to raise money for world
famine relief projects.
Allen wrote several songs with Jim Carroll (who also co-wrote
"Perfect Water" on *Club Ninja*). One of them, "Day and Night", appears
on Carroll's first album, *Catholic Boy*. Allen plays keyboards on this
track, as well as on the song "I Want The Angel". Another
Lanier/Carroll collaboration, "Dance the Night Away" (originally
intended for *Agents Of Fortune*, but was rejected), appears on
Carroll's, *I Write Your Name*. Allen is also featured on keyboards
throughout on Carroll's *Dry Dreams* album. Allen's contributions on
guitar and/or keyboards can also be found on some of Patti Smith's
albums (including her *Easter* album on the track "Space Monkey"; and
her 1975 *Horses* album on the tracks "Kimberly" and "Elegie", which
Allen also co-wrote; Allen also co-wrote "Distant Fingers" which appears
on Patti Smith's *Radio Ethiopia* album), on John Cale's album, *Music
For a New Society*, and on Amy Kanter's 1982 release, *Other Girl*.
Allen was used often by Sandy Pearlman as a studio musician in the
1970's, playing on albums by the Dictators, Shakin' Street, Pavlov's
Dog, and The Clash -- not all of these appearances are credited, or are
credited to the name "Allen Glover". In addition, Jim Carroll has a
spoken-word performance ("Nightclubbing") on a Sony Compilation album
titled *Home Alive*, in which Allen provides guitar accompaniment.
After leaving BOC, Joe Bouchard joined ex-Alice Cooper members Neil
Smith (drums, who has a co-writing credit on BOC's "Shadow Of
California") and Dennis Dunaway (bass, who worked with Buck Dharma on
*Flat Out*), along with Jay Johnson (guitar) and Charlie Huhn (vocals)
in the band known as "Deadringer". Joe played keyboards, sang back-up,
and co-wrote four songs on the band's album, *Electrocution Of The
Heart*. Joe has also produced albums for Helen Wheels, Liege Lord, and
the Long Island band Empyre. In 1997, Joe released a CD with original
music written and performed by the "Cult Brothers", titled *Joe Bouchard
Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens* in 1997 on Cellsum Records.
In 2001, Joe Bouchard teamed up again with Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith
to release *Bouchard Dunaway & Smith: Back From Hell* on Kachina
Records.
Albert Bouchard performed on Tom Paxon's 1968 album, *The Things I
Notice Now* (he played on the track, "Bishop Cody's Last Request"), and
has produced (and in some cases performed on) albums, singles, or demos
for David Roter (*Bambo* and *Beauty Of The Island*, both on David's
label, Unknown Tongue - these two albums also have some keyboard parts
played by former BOC keyboardist Tommy Zvoncheck), Heads Up, Helen
Wheels, Maria Excommunikata, Kablamachunk, Women In Love, and Faith.
Albert's song "Adopt Me" (co-written with Roter and Richard Meltzer, and
demoed by Albert for *Cultosaurus Erectus*) appeared on David Roter's
1987 *Bambo* album (along with versions of "Joan Crawford" and "Unknown
Tongue" - also of note is that former BOC keyboardist Tommy Zvoncheck
played keyboards on Roter's version of "Joan Crawford"). Also on that
album is a David Roter/Jack Rigg song called "Il Duce", which was
recorded by BOC (for the *Cultosaurus Erectus* album, but it wasn't
used) with Buck singing the lead vocal. For Roter's *Bambo* album, this
recording was used, although Buck's lead vocal was replaced by Roter,
and a keyboard part was added. It is also interesting to note that on
this album, Albert is credited as "S.W. Underbelly". Roter's *Beauty Of
The Island* album features a Roter/Bouchard composition, "666 (The Devil
Got Your Mother)", which would later appear on The Brain Surgeons'
*Eponymous*. Joe also plays keyboards on a track called "I Shot Dr.
Krugman" (a possible reference to BOC record producer Murray Krugman).
Albert is featured on former Plasmatic Ritchie Stotts' single "Man With
The X-Ray Eyes" and "1944" (recorded in 1987, released in 1992).
Albert, along with Deborah Frost, produced The Brain Surgeons' albums.
In addition, Albert plays a guitar part, drums, and sings lead vocals,
and Joe Bouchard plays acoustic piano, on a cover of BOC's "Dominance
And Submission", for Mike Watt's (former bass player for punk bands The
Minutemen and fIREHOSE) first solo album -- note that although the song
did not make it onto Watt's *Ball-Hog or Tug Boat* CD, it was released
as an additional track by Sony on two Mike Watt CD singles from that
album (on the "E-Ticket Ride" single in the U.S., and on the "Piss
Bottle Man" single in Europe). Albert also sings background vocals on
Gumball's cover of BOC's "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" (which can be
found on Gumball's *Revolution On Ice* album), plays drums on some of
David Roter's album, *Find Something Beautiful* (which contains a song
Albert co-wrote with David Roter called "Run M.F. Run") and on Brain
Surgeons guitarist Peter Bohovesky's self-titled CD release. On David
Roter's *They Made Me*, Albert plays drums on all tracks (and wrote
music for the tracks "Sheniqua's Having A Baby", "My Man Won't Stand",
"My Sister's Gynecologist", and "Joan Crawford Revisited" - a slight re-
working of the BOC song, which Roter originally co-wrote), keyboards on
one track ("Joan Crawford Revisited") as well as provides some spoken
word parts. On this same album Joe plays keyboards on five tracks
("Legends Of New York", "My Man Won't Stand", "I Love My Mom", "Norma
Jean", and "My Sister's Gynecologist"), and bass on one track ("Joan
Crawford Revisited"), while Buck Dharma played guitar on two tracks ("My
Man Won't Stand", "My Sister's Gynecologist"). The Brain Surgeons
(Albert and Deborah, with Joe Bouchard as well) have a song on the
Minutemen tribute album, *Our Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute To D.
Boon And The Minutemen* -- the song, "Tour Spiel", is significant in
that it was originally written by the Minutemen to pay tribute to BOC
(see the section on references to BOC).
Helen Wheels debut CD, *Archetype* (released in 1998, it contains
both new and previously released tracks), was produced by Albert
Bouchard and Deborah Frost, and contains numerous contributions from the
Bouchards: both Albert and Joe Bouchard (plus additional members of the
Brain Surgeons and The X Brothers) play on Helen's rendition of "Tattoo
Vampire" (a song which she originally wrote the lyrics for). Albert
plays on some of the tracks ("Get Out Of Town", "Carry My Own Weight",
Self-Defense"), and also co-wrote some of them ("Get Out Of Town",
"Carry My Own Weight", "Self-Defense", "Helen Of Troy"). Joe Bouchard
produced the original recording of some of the tracks ("Break The
Chains", "Survival", "Tumblin Down", "Brotherhood Of Outlaws", "Loud
Crowd", "Double Toungue"), and Albert produced the original recording of
one of the tracks ("Carry My Own Weight"). Finally, the Brain Surgeons
as a band play on the track, "Niagra Falls").
A tribute CD to Helen Wheels, *To Helen With Love* (released in
2001, it countains new recordings of existing and unreleased songs by
Helen Wheels), was produced by Albert Bouchard, and contains numerous
contributions from Albert Bouchard (along with fellow Brain Surgeons
Deborah Frost and David Hirschberg), Joe Bouchard, and Buck Dharma
(along with his wife Sandy Roeser). Albert plays on several tracks
("Lover's Loan", "Sinful Love", "Elle Sol", "Niagara Falls", "Will To
Survive", "Room To Rage", "Hero", "St. Vitus", "Goodbye Joe", "Chimes Of
Freedom"), and also co-wrote some of them ("Lover's Loan", "Sinful
Love", "Hero", "St. Vitus"). Joe Bouchard places on several tracks
("Lover's Loan", "Elle Sol", "Will To Survive", "Rallen Angel", "Room To
Rage", "Hero", "Goodbye Joe"), and also co-wrote some of them (""Elle
Sol", "Will To Survive", "Fallen Angel", "Goodbye Joe"). Finally, Buck
Dharma plays on four tracks ("Lover's Loan", "Elle Sol", "Hero",
"Goodbye Joe").
Les Braunstein (original Soft White Underbelly vocalist) has an
appearance on vinyl, and now also on CD. Buck (guitar), Albert (drums)
and John Trivers (bass) helped him record three songs in 1973. Les
eventually unearthed the demo, added a violinist to the song, "Dead
House" (the other two were "Whippoorwill" and "Ticket To Negumbo"), re-
worked the vocals and changed the title to "Dark Angel", which was
released as a single in 1979 on the Mega Toons label. In 2000, Les
released a CD entitled *Fool's Gold*, on Albert Bouchard's Cellsum
Records label. It includes guest appearances by Buck Dharma (on
"Scratch Around", "Dark Angel", and "Departure Point") and Albert
Bouchard (on "Slow Time", "Dark Angel", and "Departure Point"). In
addition, Eric's former bandmates (from "The Lost And Found") Peter
Haviland and John Trivers also play on the album.
BOC's bassist Danny Miranda has appeared on several recordings. He
ghosted on "Realized Fantasies" by TNT, and is on several Japan-only
releases, including "Morning Wood", "The Mojo Brothers", and "A Place
Called Rage" (which also features Al Pitrelli, who filled in for Allen
Lanier for a few months in the late 1990's). He also appears on two
instrumental albums by Ralph Valducci. BOC's drummer Bobby Rondinelli
appears on a CD with his brother Teddy, in a band called Rondinelli. He
is also found playing on the Rainbow album, *Difficult to Cure*.
Soft White Underbelly, Oaxaca, and Stalk-Forrest Group
------------------------------------------------------
In January of 1969, the band that would become BOC, the Soft White
Underbelly, made a recording for Elektra Records. Les Braunstein was
the lead vocalist at that time, and Andrew Winters was the bass player.
The track list from the sessions is as follows (note: in addition to
the songs listed, the band recorded demos of "Queen's Boulevard",
"Bonomo's Turkish Taffy", and "Arthur Comics" in November of 1968):
Rationale Passionale (L. Braunstein)
Fantassy Morass* (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier)
Mothra (S. Pearlman, A. Lanier, A. Bouchard)
Jay Jay (L. Braunstein)
Queen's Boulevard** (S. Pearlman, A. Lanier, A. Bouchard)
Buddha's Knee (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser)
Bark In The Sun (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
* Note 1: The vocals for this track were not recorded.
** Note 2: The first appearance of "Suzy" and "Diz".
According to Bolle Gregmar, 10 tracks in total were recorded in
January of 1969, although only the above 7 songs were believed to be
planned for the album. According to Les Braunstein, on the track
"Rationale Passionale", Sandy Pearlman played harmonica and Eric Bloom
(then the band's equipment manager) played tambourine.
In the summer of 1969, the band (presumably still using the name
"Soft White Underbelly", but now with Eric Bloom as lead vocalist)
recorded the following tracks as demos for Columbia (which rejected
them) in the hope of securing a record contract:
Donovan's Monkey (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
What Is Quicksand? (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier)
A Fact About Sneakers (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
Betty Lou's Got A New Pair Of Shoes (Bobby Freeman cover song)
John L. Sullivan (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier)
I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep
(S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, A. Bouchard)
The versions of "Donovan's Monkey", "What Is Quicksand", and "I'm
On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" are slightly different from the ones
that would be recorded for Elektra in 1970. Columbia/Legacy released
"Donvan's Monkey", "What About Quicksand", "A Fact About Sneakers", and
"Betty Lou's Got A New Pair Of Shoes" as bonus tracks to the re-master
of the album, *Blue Oyster Cult*. Columbia/Legacy also released
"Donovan's Monkey" and "John L. Sullivan" as part of a promotional CD
(to promote the *Blue Oyster Cult*, *Tyranny And Mutation*, *Secret
Treaties*, and *Agents Of Fortune* re-masters) entitled *God Save Blue
Oyster Cult From Themselves*.
After "Soft White Underbelly", the band's name changed to "Stalk-
Forrest Group", and they made another set of recordings in early 1970
for Elektra Records. The line-up was Prince Omega (Albert Bouchard),
Buck Dharma (Donald Roeser), Jessie Python (Eric Bloom), La Vern (Allen
Lanier), and Andy Winters (Andrew Winters). Sandy Pearlman came up with
the nicknames for all the band members, however only Donald Roeser
continued later to use his nickname "Buck Dharma". Andrew Winters may
have on ocassion also been referred to as "Andy Panda", and Pearlman
also came up with the name "Roy Mucilage" for Eric. The following 10
songs were recorded as candidates for the album (Note: The first seven
of these tracks have been traded on tape amongst BOC fans for years):
Bonomo's Turkish Taffy (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
Arthur Comics (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
Gil Blanco County (S. Pearlman, A. Lanier)
What Is Quicksand? (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier)
Ragamuffin Dumplin' (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
St. Cecilia (S. Pearlman, A. Winters)
A Fact About Sneakers (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
Donovan's Monkey (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard)
I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep
(S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, A. Bouchard)
While the "Stalk-Forrest Group" album was never released (until
2001), about 200 copies of "What Is Quicksand?" and "Arthur Comics" were
pressed as a single on Elektra (EKM-45693), and later appeared on
Elektra's "Nuggets" compilation. "Arthur Comics" was included on
Elektra's 1986 vinyl boxed set *Elektrock*, and mentioned the band in
the set's liner notes. In addition, "Arthur Comics" was part of the set
played on 9/8/1980 at the Old Waldorf Theatre in San Francisco,
California as part of a radio broadcast.
Due to incomplete information about some of the aforementioned
tracks and demos, there has been much confusion about the recording
dates and personnel of some of them. Some may have been recorded as
part of different sessions, some were submitted to the record companies
at different times under different band names (Soft White Underbelly,
Oaxaca, Stalk-Forrest Group). Due to this, it was thought that versions
of "A Fact About Sneakers", "Donovan's Monkey", and "I'm On The Lamb,
But I Ain't No Sheep", which were recorded by Stalk-Forrest Group for
Elektra were actually recorded after Andrew Winters left the band (with
Joe Bouchard playing bass). It now appears that this is not the case.
However, this error has been reflected in 1998 on a European bootleg
vinyl pressing (believed to be about 500 copies) entitled *St. Cecilia*
by "Stalk-Forrest Group", and on a bootleg CD entitled *Curse Of The
Hidden Mirrors* (not to be confused with BOC's 2001 album, *Curse Of The
Hidden Mirror*).
"Wings Of Mercury"
------------------
BOC performed the song, "Wings of Mercury", live on occasion during
the 1985/1986 timeframe. The song appears on the *Into The Crypts Of
Rays* recording, as well as some live tapes from that time period. This
song, as previously mentioned, was actually written by Karl Precoda of
Dream Syndicate. While Dream Syndicate didn't want to use it, Sandy
Pearlman, who was producing one of their albums at the time, liked it,
so BOC performed the song live. However, the band decided it was not
right for the *Club Ninja* album.
The Red And The Black, and The Buck Dharma Band
-----------------------------------------------
Buck Dharma, Jon Rogers, and Ron Riddle briefly formed another
band, "The Red and The Black" (also known as RonDonJon, or Roeser,
Riddle, and Rogers), as a side-project to BOC. They played a number of
gigs around NY in 1990 and maybe a little into '91. The music has been
described as "heavy pop caught with one hand in the progressive cookie
jar", having more in common with the harder parts of *Flat Out* than
with BOC. The lead vocals were shared by the three of them, except that
Buck sang all of the BOC tunes (editor's note: it's interesting to hear
Buck sing "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"). A few demos were
recorded by the band, including a seven song demo that was reviewed in
"Morning Final" (BOC Fan Club Newsletter). The following songs were
among those performed by the band and may exist on a few live tapes:
What About Love? +
People In Love In America +
Speed Of Light +
Maiden Name +
Caroline * +
Skin Tight +
Harvest Moon * +
Expressway To Your Heart * +
Savage Garden +
I Can't Get Next To You
Andrea *
River Of Dreams *
Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll
Redline *
Perfect Water *
Dawn Of The Living Dead
Crime Of Passion
Gravity Hill
On A Nite Flight
Godzilla (featuring a "rap" section)
Buck's Boogie
The Red And The Black
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
* Recorded on a seven song demo by The Red And The Black
+ Recorded on a nine song demo by The Red And The Black
A CD of 16 songs (those identified above as being on demos, plus
"Dawn Of The Living Dead", "Crime Of Passion" and "Gravity Hill") has
been released as part of the "The Buck Dharma Archive Series" available
only at Buck's website. See the discography section for a track
listing.
As mentioned later in the FAQ, Buck Dharma, Danny Miranda, John
Miceli, and Sandy Roeser participated in "The Buck Dharma Band", and
played a benefit concert on 4/11/1997 in Atlanta GA. Some of this
material can be seen on a documentary video, and some will be available
on CD in the future (see the Ricky Browning Benefit Concert section of
the FAQ for more information). The entire setlist from this performance
is as follows:
Blackbird (Beatles cover, Buck solo and acoustic guitar)
In My Life (Beatles cover, Buck solo and acoustic guitar)
Astronomy (Secret Treaties version)
Live For Me
Deadline *
Burnin' For You *
Before the Kiss, A Redcap *
Shooting Shark *
Buck's Boogie *
Real World
Wind Weather And Storm *
In Thee *
Born To Rock *
Five Thirty-Five *
(Don't Fear) The Reaper *
Godzilla (featuring Ricky Browning's assistance on drums) *
I Fought The Law (Bobby Fuller Four cover)
Harvest Moon (candidate for next BOC album)
* Available on video -- see the Ricky Browning Benefit
Concert section of the FAQ for more information
Live Radio Broadcasts
---------------------
Many BOC shows (over 25) were broadcast on the radio. Many BOC
fans that trade live tapes have copies of these shows. At least 15 of
these shows were pressed to vinyl, CD, or reel-to-reel tape by
syndicated radio shows (such as the King Biscuit Flower Hour) for
distribution to radio stations. While they are fairly rare, copies of
these are occasionally sold by magazines such as *Goldmine*. Some of
these recordings were later pressed to CD by "import" CD manufacturers -
recordings such as *The Thing!*, *Nail You Down*, and *Into The Crypts
Of Rays* are examples. Below is a listing of known radio shows that
have been pressed to vinyl, CD, or reel-to-reel tape:
King Bisquit Flower Hour (D.I.R. Broadcasting)
1975 Show #06-08 BOC/Black Oak Arkansas - Commack L.I., NY
(Reel To Reel) [Used for *Dharma For Buck*]
1976 Show #10-24 BOC/Tommy Bolin - Albany, NY (Reel To Reel)
[Used for *Dharma For Buck*]
1978 Show #03-28 BOC (on The British Bisquit) - Detroit, MI
(Reel To Reel)
1980 Show # 233 BOC - Poughkeepsie, NY / The Babys - Cleveland, OH
(2-LP-Set)
1980 Show # 306 BOC/Black Sabbath - Hartford, CT (2-LP-Set)
1986 Show # 636 BOC - Santa Monica, CA (2-LP-Set)
[Used for *Into The Crypts Of Rays*]
Westwood One - In Concert
1981 Show #81-3 BOC - Long Island / Loverboy - Santa Monica (2-LP-Set)
1983 Show #83-7 BOC - Poughkeepsie / Vandenberg - Houston (2-LP-Set)
A Night On The Road (ABC Radio Networks)
1981 Show #ANOTR-681 BOC - New York (3-LP-Set)
[Used for *The Thing!* and related recordings]
1982 Show #ANOTR-282 BOC - Los Angeles (3-LP-Set)
Captured Live (RKO Radio Networks)
1983 Show # CL-1083 BOC - Pasadena (Hosted & Unhosted Sets) (3-LP-Set)
[Used for *Nail You Down* and *Rock And Roll Reapers*]
1984 Show # CL-1184 BOC - London (Hosted & Unhosted Sets) (2-LP-Set)
The Source (NBC Radio's Young Adult Network)
1982 Show #NBC-82-4 BOC - New Haven (2-LP-Set)
1983 Show #NBC-83-1 Pat Travers* - Baltimore (2-LP-Set)
*With Buck Dharma as announcer and guest guitarist on last song
BBC Rock Hour (London Wavelength)
1981 SHOW #237 BOC Live In The USA (1-LP-Set)
Demos
-----
In addition to the songs previously mentioned, there are a number
of BOC or BOC-related songs that have been written and recorded by the
members of the band, but, for one reason or another, did not make it
onto any of the BOC albums. Most of these songs were in demo format -
some were only pieces of songs, some were 4-track recordings (usually
bass, guitar, drums, and vocals), and others were nearly complete songs.
There are also a number of tracks that were completely worked up by the
band during the sessions, but eventually left off of the album. A few
of these rare songs may appear on a live tape as a few of the songs were
done by the band live a few times, but otherwise, the vast majority of
these songs and snippets will never be heard by most BOC fans. Unless
you personally know one of the members of the band, the only way one
might hear some of this material is by making a pilgrimage to "The
Museum of Cult". Bolle Gregmar, head of the BOC fan club, has copies of
most of BOC's unreleased material. He may play some of it for you if
you visit the museum (a.k.a. his apartment), but he is under agreement
with the band not to duplicate any of the demo material (Editor's Note:
He sticks to that agreement, so don't even bother asking for copies).
Small descriptions of many of these tracks and demos can be found in
issues of the BOC fan club's newsletter, "Morning Final".
As of late 2001, some of these, and other recordings have been made
available on the "The Buck Dharma Archive Series" CDs. In the list that
follows, tracks followed by a plus sign (+) are available on these CDs.
Below is an incomplete listing of known demo tracks of songs that
were not used, listed by album session where known:
*Blue Oyster Cult* Sessions:
BOC is believed to have made 3 demos for Columbia records in 1971. The
following tracks were part of the second demo. This is the demo that
the band made at David Lucas' studio in the summer of 1971 - this demo
led to a live audition for Columbia and the band's signing to that
label:
Then Came The Last Days Of May - This is the actual track that was
remixed and put on the first BOC album.
Siren Singalong - Precursor to "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll".
Sun Comes Up - Allen Lanier track.
You Make Me Feel - Believed to be an Allen Lanier track.
The following songs were believed to have been recorded on either the
first or third demos for Columbia:
Four Door Blues ('57 Chevy)
Highway Song
*Tyranny And Mutation* Sessions:
Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors - Meltzer/Bouchard composition that appeared
on the unreleased Stalk-Forrest Group EP. It is believed that BOC tried
to re-record this song for *Tyranny And Mutation*.
Buck's Boogie - BOC recorded a studio version for *Tyranny And
Mutation*. Released by Columbia/Legacy on the *Tyranny And Mutation*
re-master as a bonus track.
*Secret Treaties* Sessions:
Boorman the Chauffer - Joe Bouchard track, originally entitled "Gopher
Chauffer", with a "ME-262" feel to it. Released by Columbia/Legacy on
the *Secret Treaties* re-master as a bonus track.
Mes Dames Sarat - Allen Lanier track, also referred to as "CC Voodoo"
(Coca Cola Voodoo) - Sort of a backwards Red & Black. Released by
Columbia/Legacy on the *Secret Treaties* re-master as a bonus track.
Also released on the Columbia/Legacy promotional CD, *God Save Blue
Oyster Cult From Themselves*.
Mommy - Eric Bloom track with Richard Meltzer lyrics of angst.
Downright punky - ahead of its time. Released by Columbia/Legacy on the
*Secret Treaties* re-master as a bonus track.
*Agents Of Fortune* Sessions:
Dance The Night Away - Allen Lanier/Jim Carroll collaboration with Allen
singing. This demo was released by Columbia/Legacy on the *Agents Of
Fortune* re-master as a bonus track. Recorded and released on Carroll's
album, *I Write Your Name*.
Searchin' For Celine - Allen Lanier originally demoed this song for
*Agents Of Fortune*, but it was not released until *Spectres* (with a
slight re-write).
Danger Water - Allen Lanier track.
Lookin' For The Look - Allen Lanier track.
Paint The Sky Red - Joe Bouchard track.
Soul Jive - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by Patti Smith. This song
was eventually released on the Brain Surgeons' *Eponymous*.
Sally - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by Patti Smith. This demo was
released by Columbia/Legacy on the *Agents Of Fortune* re-master as a
bonus track. The song was eventually recorded and released on the Brain
Surgeons' album, *Trepanation*.
Hansel & Gretel - Albert Bouchard track, which was eventually released
on the Brain Surgeons' album, *Trepanation*.
Fire Of Unknown Origin - Original version, with lyrics by Patti Smith
and vocals by Albert Bouchard. This song was released by
Columbia/Legacy on the *Agents Of Fortune* re-master as a bonus track.
Imaginos - Albert's original attempt at this song.
Wind, Weather, And Storm (+) - Buck originally demoed this song for
*Agents Of Forune*, but it was not released until his solo album, *Flat
Out*.
*Spectres* Sessions:
Sky - Eric Bloom track with no vocal. Strong Stalk-Forrest Group feel
to it, but heavier.
Meet Me In Las Vegas - Eric Bloom track with some funny lyrics. The
track consisted of Eric playing bass, drums, and singing.
Seasons Of Isolation - Eric Bloom track with an eerie feel, reminiscent
of "The Subhuman". Strong Stalk-Forrest Group feel to it.
Please Hold - Allen Lanier track which seems to be sort of a sequel to
"Lonely Teardrops" (off the *Mirrors* album). Allen did the lead vocals
for this track.
In The Presence Of Another World - Joe Bouchard's original demo, which
was very different than the *Imaginos* version (with the exception of
the "Your Master" section). This version was much more up-tempo, with a
somewhat quirky or psychedelic sound.
Beyond The Barrier - Joe Bouchard pop song with a strong 60's feel,
about space travel.
Will To Survive - Joe Bouchard shuffle tune, with a Helen Wheels lyric,
about handling a break-up. The song was released on the Helen Wheels
tribute CD, *To Helen With Love*.
Heavy Music/M For Murder - "Heavy Music" lyrically sounds like a sort of
tribute to Deep Purple's "Highway Star". This song was re-written a few
times, and during the pre-production of became "M For Murder".
Night Flyer - This was originally a Joe Bouchard tune called first "Dope
Rider", and then "Night Rider", about drug smuggling and dealing. Buck
re-wrote the song, giving it a new lyric and a more suitable singing
line for the verses.
Make Me Your Man - Albert Bouchard track that was perhaps a little to
poppy to be a contender for the album.
Albert also demoed versions of the following songs for the *Imaginos*
album at this time: "Del Rio's Song", "The Girl That Love Made Blind",
"Frankenstein", and "I Am The One You Warned Me Of".
A few covers were also recorded during this time -- the Ronettes' "Be My
Baby", and Peter Tosh's "Steppin' Razor" (which the band refered to as
"Dangerous").
*Mirrors* Sessions:
TNT (Tough 'n' Tender), Prisoner Of Your Own Device - Albert Bouchard
tracks, co-written by his then-wife Caryn. These songs were written
around the time of *Spectres* sessions, but not tried out until the
*Mirrors* sessions. TNT was played live a few times in February of
1979.
Shot In The Dark - Albert Bouchard track. It was played live a few
times in February of 1979.
The Only Thing That Lasts Forever - Albert Bouchard track.
Jungle Fever - Albert Bouchard's re-working of "Soul Jive", from the
*Agents Of Fortune* sessions, with lyrics by Albert.
Gun - Joe Bouchard track which the band performed live a few times in
February of 1979, but was deemed not right for the album.
Elle Sol (She's the Sun) - Joe Bouchard track with Helen Wheels lyrics.
The song was released on the Helen Wheels tribute CD, *To Helen With
Love*.
In The Presence Of Another World - The band had tried this song out
during rehearsals for the *Some Enchanted Evening* tour, but also
considered including it on *Mirrors*.
Oh Cherry - Buck Dharma track.
Devil's Hangnail (+) - Buck Dharma's original submission for "The
Vigil", with lyrics by Patti Smith.
*Cultosaurus Erectus* Sessions:
White Hot Star - Albert Bouchard's re-working of "Soul Jive"/"Jungle
Fever", from the *Agents Of Fortune*/*Mirrors* sessions, with lyrics by
Helen Wheels.
Lover's Loan - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by Helen Wheels. This
song was composed during long-distance telephone calls between the two.
The song was released on the Helen Wheels tribute CD, *To Helen With
Love*.
Lucy (Love's Lost Legend) - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by his
then-wife Caryn, set to a shuffle beat.
Hell Bustin' Loose (She Fell In Love With Ritchie Blackmore's Dildo) - A
rather funny tune set to a guitar lick based on Ritchie Blackmore's "The
Man On The Silver Mountain".
Operation Stardust, Undying Flame, Alpha And Omega - Three Albert
Bouchard tracks with lyrics by Ronald Binder (who wrote the lyrics to "I
Am The Storm" on the *Mirrors* album). "Alpha And Omega" was reworked
by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost and released by the Brain Surgeons
on their *Piece Of Work* album.
I Need A Flat Top, Adopt Me - Two Albert Bouchard/Richard Meltzer
collaborations. "Adopt Me" later appeared on David Roter's 1986 album,
*Bambo*. "I Need A Flat Top" was reworked as "Bad Hair Day" by Albert
Bouchard and Deborah Frost and released on the Brain Surgeons on their
*Piece Of Work* album.
Albert not only demoed a whole album's worth of tunes (between the songs
listed above and those that were selected for the album), but also about
a dozen songs for the *Imaginos* album as well.
Falling Angel - Joe Bouchard's pre-cursor to "Fallen Angel", with
different lyrics.
Gun - Joe Bouchard re-worked this song from the *Mirrors* sessions, but
it still couldn't be made to fit with the rest of the album's material.
Hot Desert Sand - Joe Bouchard track which was later re-done in 1989 for
the Cult Brothers, where it was re-titled "Run To The Sun", and was
released on *Joe Bouchard Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens*.
Anyway You Want It - Joe Bouchard track which sounded similar to "Gun"
with a Rolling Stones feel to it.
Infinity Machine - Joe Bouchard techno sounding track with a Velvet
Underground feel to it.
Hold Me Tight (+) - A Buck Dharma tune with a great riff, but not a very
BOC-sounding lyric. The riff to this track (often referred to as "Track
X" during the sessions) was tried with different lyrics, finally
becoming "Lips In The Hills" (with Richard Meltzer's lyrics).
Showtime - Eric Bloom semi-reggae/ska tune. An updated version of this
song was released on the album, *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*.
*Fire Of Unknown Origin* Sessions:
Burnin' For You (acoustic version) - Buck Dharma and Albert Bouchard.
Don's Heavy - Untitled Buck Dharma instrumental track.
Too Young To Die - Eric Bloom track.
Gun - Joe Bouchard re-worked this song yet again. Eventually re-worked
by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost, and released on the Brain
Surgeons' *Box Of Hammers*.
In The Presence Of Another World - Another re-working of this song by
Joe Bouchard, with vocals by Eric Bloom.
*Revolution By Night* Sessions:
Stone Of Love (+) - Buck Dharma track. An updated version of this song
was released on the album, *Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*.
So Supernatural - Another Joe Bouchard vampire tune.
"The Teacher's Soundtrack" Demos:
Summa Cum Laude - Buck Dharma track. Re-recorded as "Summa Cum Loud" by
Deadringer on their *Electrocution Of The Heart* album.
Double Talk - Joe Bouchard track. Re-recorded by Deadringer on their
*Electrocution Of The Heart* album.
I'm A Rebel - Eric Bloom track. Re-recorded with different lyrics as
"Shadow Warrior" on BOC's *Club Ninja* album.
*Imaginos* Sessions:
Albert had recorded all of the songs on *Imaginos*, including tracks
left off the album, with him singing most of the vocals. His version
includes not only the songs that appeared on the album, but also the
songs: "Gil Blanco County" (a new version of the Stalk-Forrest Group
song), "The Girl That Love Made Blind", "Blue Oyster Cult Reprise",
"Imaginos Overture", and an acapella reprise of the first verse of
"Magna Of Illusion". Albert also demoed a version of the song "Half-
Life Time", which was intended for the second Imaginos album.
Other Known Tracks (may or may not have been demoed for BOC albums):
Hot Date (+) - Buck Dharma song using a Roland drum machine.
Here Comes That Feeling (+) - Buck Dharma song planned for his second
solo album. An updated version of this song was released on the album,
*Curse Of The Hidden Mirror*.
2120 Revisited (+) - Buck Dharma instrumental jam inspired by the
Rolling Stones' "2120 S. Michigan Ave."
Pack Of Lies (+) - Buck Dharma song with lyrics given to him by a fan.
No Traffic (+) - Buck Dharma song who's music became "E.T.I.".
Lost Lenore (+) - Buck Dharma track with lyrics by Bruce Abbot that was
submitted as an entry to a C.B radio songwriting contest. According to
Buck, it didn't win.
Boogie Woogie Bagel Bun (+) - Buck Dharma big beat instrumental, named
by Broadway Blotto.
Blues for Sandra (+) - Buck Dharma instrumental with romantic overtones.
Sandra refers to Sandra Roeser, Buck Dharma's wife.
Track II 1980 (+) - Buck Dharma heavy blues instrumental from 1980.
ECPI (+) - Buck Dharma upbeat song about a computer from 1980.
Sexy Devil - Neil Smith tune with Buck Dharma on guitar and Sandra
Roeser on vocals.
Jump Up And Fight - Buck Dharma track demoed for the movie "Zoo Gang".
Cities On Flame With Disco - Albert Bouchard's amusing parody of "Cities
On Flame With Rock And Roll"
Outlaws On The Run - Heavy Eric Bloom track.
Don't Come Runnin' - Eric Bloom track.
Heavy Into Ross (+) - Buck's attempt at a song for Ross Perot's 1992
Presidential campaign.
Nightmare Epiphany (+) - Buck Dharma track intented for a solo record.
Fall At Your Feet (+) - Buck's recording of this Crowded House cover.
Loofah (+) - Buck parody of a Suzanne Vega song. Vocals by Sandra
Roeser.
Real Estate Attorney (+) - Another Buck parody of a jazz/big band song.
I'm Alive (+), She Do To Me (+) - 2 songs written by Dick Trismen (who
wrote the lyrics for "Madness To The Method", and "Here Comes That
Feeling") that Buck played on and produced.
Rudy (+) - Buck recording with Sandra Roeser of the Leiber/Stoller song
"Ruby Baby".
"No Zilla"
----------
In 1998, Sony/TriStar released a "Godzilla" movie. Despite efforts
by BOC fans, BOC's ode to the monster was not used for the film or its
soundtrack. In May of 1998, Buck and Eric decided to poke fun at that
decision by recording a parody of their song "Godzilla", entitled "No
Zilla". To create the song, Buck and Eric used the "TV Mix" of
"Godzilla" from the *Cult Classic* album (which had no lead vocals) and
re-recorded new lyrics. This song was released only to radio stations.
Where can I find BOC MP3s?
==========================
Short Answer: You can't (at least not legally).
Long Answer: First, a definition. MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) is a
standard technology and format for encoding and compressing a sound
sequence into a very small file (about one-tenth the size of the
original file) while preserving most of the original level of sound
quality when it is played. MP3 files (identified with the file name
suffix of ".mp3") are available for downloading from a number of Web
sites. They have become popular in the late 1990s as songs can be
compressed into small files that retain near CD quality, yet take only
minutes to download with standard modem connections to the internet (or
seconds on faster connections such as cable modems or T1 lines).
MP3s are also seen by many as a form of piracy as people encode
published music into MP3 format and distribute it on the internet (sort
of like making tape copies of your CDs and handing them out to your
closest million or so friends). Having a song in MP3 format is legal,
provided you either own the original source of the song (that is, the
CD, tape, or LP from which it was encoded), or have received permission
from the song's copyright holder to own it (many bands, especially
smaller ones on independent labels, are distributing their music in MP3
format free of charge as a means to promote their music). However, many
individuals are now searching the internet to find MP3s of copyrighted
music so that they can avoid purchasing it on CD, tape, or LP.
All of BOC's music is copyrighted. The only way to legally obtain BOC
MP3s is to purchase BOC's albums and encode the songs into MP3 format
yourself (note: this is not difficult to do on a home computer, but is
beyond the scope of the BOC FAQ). As long as you own the albums, you
have legal right to also own the MP3s, just as you have a right to make
backup tapes of your albums. However, like backup tapes of your albums,
it is illegal to distribute these copies, whether you do so for
financial gain or not. Therefore, if there are any BOC MP3s on the web,
they are illegal copies. How to search the internet for illegal copies
of BOC's music is beyond the scope of the BOC FAQ. The short answer
bears repeating:
You can't (at least not legally).
Update: Of course, with the advent of the file-sharing software Napster
and other programs, BOC's music, like most other music, has proliferated
over the Internet, as many have encoded their personal music collections
and made them available to other users. The fact that these MP3s are
fairly readily available does not make them anymore legal than in the
past. However, along with the various MP3s of copyrighted BOC material,
there are also a number of MP3s created from BOC bootlegs or live tapes.
Since the original sources of these files are not copyrighted, such MP3s
would probably be considered "legal". Still, with the future of on-line
music distribution (and the legalities associated with) undetermined,
nothing in this section should be construed as legal advice.
Are BOC Nazis?
==============
Short Answer: No
Slightly-Longer Answer: Eric Bloom (Sandy Pearlman too) is Jewish...
Longer Answer: In the early 1970's BOC tried to create a particular
image. This was reflected in many elements including the types of music
they played, their album covers, the use of an umlaut in their name
(used in European alphabets, including German, see later in the FAQ for
more information on BOC's use of the umlaut) and how they dressed (most
notably Eric Bloom wearing leather). The BOC symbol was often depicted
in black on a red background (coinciding with the lyrics, "red and black
- it's their color scheme", which actually referred to the Canadian
mounted police), which is the same color scheme used by the Nazis for
the swastika. Therefore, some saw BOC's symbol, another sort of
"twisted cross", as some form of Nazi symbol. In addition, the "Hot
Rails To Hell" (a title which aptly fit BOC's sinister image) single
depicted a German military figure on the picture sleeve, also adding
fuel to the fire for a band often referred to simply as "The Cult"
(note: the band of that name would not appear on the scene until
later).
Of course, the real controversy came with the release of *Secret
Treaties*. The following elements were all used to support the argument
that BOC were Nazis:
The cover itself depicts the band around a German WWII airplane, the ME-
262. The image of this airplane was also used by the band in various
promotional items around this time, such as picture sleeves for singles,
posters, and advertisements (some which bore the slogan "Aggression
Unchallenged is Aggression Unleashed").
The song "ME 262" of course is about the airplane of the same name, and
is written from the point of view of a German WWII pilot. Lyrics like
"Hitler's on the phone from Berlin - says 'I'm gonna make you a star'",
"There's no reward for failure but death", and "See these English planes
go burn", were seen as advocating the Nazi cause (editor's comment: of
course these people failed to grasp the fact that one can write about
topics and points of view that one doesn't necessarily support).
Many of the remaining songs on the album supported the band's sinister
image: "Career Of Evil", "Subhuman", "Dominance And Submission", "Cagey
Cretins", and "Harvester Of Eyes". Of course, none of these songs refer
to Nazism or even German warplanes.
Finally, the liner notes refer to the mysterious (and, as we now all
know, non-existent book, "The Origins of a World War", which could also
be interpreted as having ties with Nazis.
So, there were many factors which suggested that BOC could be
Nazis. For the band's part, little was done initially to downplay any
image - probably under the assumption that "no press is *bad* press".
While there was no admission of being Nazis there was probably little
denial as well by the band, management, or record label. Sandy Pearlman
had even made statements in reference to "music as Fascism".
What was not well understood at the time, however, was that the
concepts surrounding *Secret Treaties* were derived from Sandy
Pearlman's Imaginos poems (see other sections in the FAQ for discussion
on the story of Imaginos, and the references to *Secret Treaties*, and
the song "ME 262"). Sandy was an avid reader of science fiction and
world war history, and was trying to provoke thoughts in the minds of
the listener by using all of this imagery. In addition, the use of
mysticism and evil imagery was somewhat a sign of the times -- a
reaction to the late 1960's which focused more on the images of peace,
love, and flowers.
However, this image began to backlash upon the band. The Jewish
Defense League picketed their concerts, and threatened to sabotage them.
Record stores in Germany refused to sell *Secret Treaties*. It's one
thing for a band to create an image, even one that might be offensive to
some (note: although the band really meant it all as a sort of joke),
but it's quite another when the fans of the band start believing in it.
Albert Bouchard describes one incident which made the band re-think
their image. "After a gig in Portland, Oregon, this blond, blue eyed
guy came up in full (Nazi Secret Service) uniform, saluting us. He
freaked us all out."
When did Buck Dharma shave off his moustache?
=============================================
A lot of BOC fans from the 1970's and early 1980's that have
"rediscovered" BOC in the 1990's had asked this question. Some time
around 1985, Buck shaved off his trademark moustache, and was without it
until 1997. In 1997, Buck was again seen with a moustache, and briefly
also had a goatee. Buck was seen without a moustache again in 1999.
Somewhat related: Eric Bloom has had his hair cut very short these
days. For inquiring minds that want to know, he has been sporting this
new hairstyle since 1994.
Will the original line-up ever get back together again?
=======================================================
Short Answer: No
Longer Answer: While many BOC fans (especially those that saw the
original line-up together) would like to see this happen, it is just not
likely. By "original line-up", we mean of course, Eric Bloom, Buck
Dharma, Allen Lanier, Joe Bouchard, and Albert Bouchard. It has now
been over 10 years since that line-up performed live together, and while
*Imaginos* was credited to the entire band, it was not really a "band
effort" (this was discussed previously in the FAQ). The current line-up
of BOC are happy with their current situation, and both Bouchard
brothers are pursuing their own individual projects. However, it is
possible that members of the original line-up may collaborate with each
other on future projects.
How tall was the original line-up?
==================================
A quote, believed to be by Eric Bloom, was printed in *Raves*
magazine: "We're one of the shortest bands in rock." So, here are the
heights of the original members (shortest to tallest):
Buck Dharma - 5 feet, 2 inches
Albert Bouchard - 5 feet, 3 inches
Joe Bouchard - 5 feet, 4 inches
Eric Bloom - 5 feet, 7 inches
Allen Lanier - 5 feet, 8 inches
5. A Harvest of Life, A Harvest of Death -- Other Items of Interest
Use of Umlauts, and the Origin of the Name, "Blue Oyster Cult"
==============================================================
In the August 16, 1991 issue of Entertainment Weekly, on page 62,
there's a story on band names that have umlauts in them. (Umlauts, we
learn, are the two little dots over a letter, in particular over the "O"
in Blue Oyster Cult.) The story credits Richard Meltzer with the "fad"
of using umlauts in names, and recounts the story of how BOC was named.
From the article:
"Sometimes genius strikes at the least-expected moment. In 1971,
musician and songwriter Sandy Pearlman was trying to devise a new name
for his band. Standing on a New York street corner with rock writer
Richard Meltzer (who had been in an earlier incarnation of the group),
Pearlman glanced into the window of a nearby restaurant and noticed that
the menu included Blue Point oysters. "I said, 'Why don't we call it
Blue Oyster Cult?'" he recalls. "And Richard said, 'And we'll add an
umlaut over the o!' And I said, 'Great!'"
There's another quote from Pearlman later in the story: "It was
meant to bring all sorts of ambiguous implications to the name."
Apparently when BOC auditioned for Columbia in 1971, they did not
have a name. They had to come up with one to finalize the deal, and
entrusted Pearlman to come up with it. This is presumably when Pearlman
and Meltzer decided on the name "Blue Oyster Cult". It is believed that
the name was already part of Pearlman's Imaginos poems, which were
conceived around 1967. When Pearlman returned to the band and announced
the name, the band was less than enthusiastic about it. In fact, some
band members said that they hated the name. Never the less, the name
stuck.
There is an interesting story as to how Pearlman and Meltzer came
up with the term "Blue Oyster Cult". It has been reported in several
BOC articles in the past, but is believed to be untrue. The story goes
that Pearlman went off with Meltzer, got stoned, and noticed a bottle of
"Cully Stout Beer". Using this name, the two tried to come up with a
number of anagrams using the name, one of which was "Blue Oyster Cult",
and that this was how they came up with the name. What is more likely
however, is that Pearlman and Meltzer tried to come up with anagrams for
"Blue Oyster Cult" and came up with "Cully Stout Beer". As Bolle
Gregmar notes, the term "stout beer" is not a likely label for a beer
(editor's note: sort of like labeling Pepsi Cola as "Pepsi Cola Soda").
However, someone once made a fake label for this "beer" using the BOC
symbol, and the label appeared in the March 1976 issue of the rock
magazine *Zig Zag* (an interview with Sandy Pearlman also appears in
this issue).
Speaking of the origin of band names, Sandy Pearlman is also the
one who came up with the band's earlier names, "Soft White Underbelly"
and "Stalk-Forrest Group". The first came from a quote by Winston
Churchill saying that Italy was the "soft white underbelly" of Nazi
Europe. "Stalk-Forrest" came to Sandy presumably while eating Chinese
food that had mushrooms and bamboo shoots in it.
Bolle Gregmar reports that the "dots" over letters are known as
"diacritics", and that the word "umlaut" actually refers to the letter
'u' with a diacritic over it. He also reports that Allen Lanier may
have originally suggested the use of the umlaut in BOC's name.
Diacritics, or "diaereses" marks are used in languages to indicate
pronunciation. In some cases, it indicates that two adjacent vowels
should be pronounced separately. Therefore, if one pronounces the
band's name as the umlaut indicates, it might be pronounced Blue "Oh-
Easter" Cult. However, in some cases, the umlaut indicates that the
vowel is pronounced differently. In this case, the pronunciation might
be Blue "Eeooster" Cult.
Other bands later copied BOC's practice of using umlauts or
diacritic marks in their band logos. For example, Motorhead used a
diacritic over the second 'o'. Motley Crue used diacritics over both
the 'o' and 'u'. Also, the heavy-metal parody band Spinal Tap put a
diacritic over the 'n'.
BOC in Concert
==============
As previously mentioned, BOC, starting in 1976, toured with a laser
show. Due to controversies surrounding the band's use of lasers, they
were removed from the shows a few years later. According to Bolle
Gregmar, some of the controversy was actually politically motivated by
members of the Carter administration (James Carter, better known as
"Jimmy" Carter, was President of the US from 1977 - 1980), who had the
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) citing hypothetical (and largely
overblown) dangers of BOC's use of lasers. However, the main problem
with the lasers at that time was that they were very unreliable as well
as fragile, and were very expensive to repair (which was required
several times during the years BOC used them). Some of BOC's use of
lasers, including Eric's wrist-laser, can be seen on the *Live 1976*
video.
In addition to wrist-lasers, Eric had a few other "hand effects"
over the years. Prior to the use of lasers, Eric used to have a device
that either emitted sparks or shot rockets from his hand. These
effects, along with the use of the wrist-laser, were most often used at
the end of "Astronomy". Eric also had a knife effect which he used to
give the illusion of slashing his palm or wrist (the knife would leave a
large trail of blood). This effect was usually used either during
"Unknown Tongue" (during the line "And then she took her father's razor,
and watched it cut into her palm"), or during the monologue portion of
"Seven Screaming Diz-Busters" (where Eric would sometimes tell the story
of selling his soul to the Devil to become a rock star, and he had to
sign his record contract in blood).
Other than lasers, BOC has used numerous lighting effects over the
years to great effect. The lasers and/or spotlights were often shined
on a large mirror ball. Strobes were often used during the ending
portion of "Flaming Telepaths" (during the "and the joke's on you"
section), as well as during portions of "ME 262". Appropriate use of
colored spotlights has also be important during BOC shows, such as green
lighting during "Godzilla" or red and yellow lighting during "E.T.I."
(during "the king in yellow and the queen in red" lyric).
Albert had a drum solo during "Buck's Boogie" in the mid 1970's.
In the late 1970's until he left the band, his drum solo was during
"Godzilla". All subsequent BOC drummers also had a drum solo during
"Godzilla". While they were used by BOC, the drum solo also was
punctuated by lasers. After Joe Bouchard left BOC, all subsequent BOC
bassists had a solo in "Godzilla" prior to the drum solo.
For a few years in the early 1980's (starting on the *Fire Of
Unknown Origin* tour), BOC toured with a 20 foot high model of Godzilla.
During the band's performance of the song with the same name, the
beast's eyes would light up, his head turned from side to side, and
smoke poured from his mouth. Now that BOC plays mostly smaller venues,
the 20 foot high Godzilla (they also used a 40 foot high model for a few
shows) tours no more. During Albert Bouchard's drum solo during
"Godzilla", he wore a large Godzilla mask for part of the solo - he
started doing this in 1978. After he left the band, Rick Downey
continued this practice for a few shows.
For a few shows in the mid 1970's, Albert would put on a gas mask
during the band's performance of "ME 262". According to Albert, it was
obtained from an Army/Navy store. After tiring of wearing it one night,
Albert threw the gas mask into the crowd.
In the early 1980's, when BOC performed "Veteran Of The Psychic
Wars", Rick Downey received some "help" on percussion. Two roadies
dressed as monks played on some additional tom-toms set up on either
side of Rick's drums.
When Albert Bouchard was still in the band, part of BOC's concert
performances consisted of 5-man guitar jams (one of Eric Bloom's ideas).
During the early-mid 1970's, the "Mark I" jam was performed as part of
the song, "ME 262". The "Mark II" and "Mark III" jams, performed prior
to "Born To Be Wild", usually started with a bass solo by Joe Bouchard
(after Albert left, the band performed "Born To Be Wild" immediately
after the bass solo). The "Mark II" jam, done after "This Ain't The
Summer Of Love", was performed from 1976 until about 1979. The "Mark
III" jam, performed in the early 1980's, was based mostly on the song,
"Golden Age Of Leather". According to Albert Bouchard, BOC also worked
up a 5 guitar version of "I Love The Night", but it was never played
live.
When BOC performed "Born To Be Wild" (regularly up until about
1984), the song was high-lighted by Eric and Buck's "Texas Chainsaw
guitar duel" (also one of Eric Bloom's ideas). This consisted of Buck
and Eric placing the necks of their guitars together, raking the strings
of one guitar over the strings of the other. This would be repeated
several times, usually to the accompaniment of strobe-lights. This
practice was revived in 2001 during the song "ME-262". Also, Eric would
drive his motorcycle on-stage from backstage at the beginning of the
song. Obviously, this practice had to stop when BOC played at clubs.
Prior to the final portion of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll",
Albert (later Eric) would shout "Rock And . . .", and the audience would
respond with "Roll". This would start slowly, and build in up in speed
until the line between "Rock" and "Roll" was gone. The band would kick
back in, ending with Buck trilling high up on the neck of his guitar.
He would then stop, spit (or pretend to) into his palms, crack his
knuckles, and then individually crack the knuckles of the last 3 fingers
on his left hand. He would then start the final instrumental segment of
the song. While the band jammed, Eric would stand by the drums, and
"help" the drummer hit a few cymbals with a few drumsticks of his own
(during the *Club Ninja* tour, Eric, often clad in martial arts attire,
used a nunchaku to strike the cymbals).
In the early days of BOC, Eric (who often wore a cape in addition
to all his leather gear) used to swing a small chain around on-stage,
and strike various objects for effect. He often struck some of Albert's
cymbals, which is probably how the rumors that BOC's drummer played his
drums with chains got started. According to Albert Bouchard, he also
used to whip the mike-stand with the chain, but at one performance when
he pulled the chain back, it pulled the mike into his face and gave him
a bloody nose. Understandably, the chain was dropped from the shows.
At the end of a show, Buck would sometimes rip every string on his
guitar, except the low E-string, and play the final chord (or, for Buck,
note) of the song on the one remaining string.
Eric used to play a guitar shaped like the BOC logo. According to
Bolle Gregmar, he still owns one, but doesn't tour with it as the risk
of having this rare item stolen is too high. In 1999 or 2000, however,
he was seen with a new Kronos guitar, custom-made for him by Harper
Guitars.
BOC has, on occasion, performed some songs with different band
members switching roles. For example, at a show in Boston in 1985, Joe
Bouchard sang the first verse of "Joan Crawford". Bolle Gregmar reports
that they once started a show playing "Dr. Music" with Eric on drums,
Albert on bass and Joe on guitar and lead vocal.
In BOC's early days, they used to cover (among other songs) The
Rolling Stones' "It's Not Easy". According to Eric Bloom, "The hook of
the tune live was a triple drum solo with Albert, Donald, and I all
playing drums at the same time."
BOC was part of a rather significant event in the early history of
the band, KISS. On 12/31/1973, noted as their "industry live debut",
KISS opened at the New York City Academy of Music for Teenage Lust, Iggy
and The Stooges, and BOC. Interestingly, BOC apparently hauled a German
oom-pah band from a neighboring restaurant (Luchow's) for part of their
set. The most notable moment of the night, however, happened when
bassist Gene Simmons, famous for (among other things) breathing fire
during a KISS performance, accidentally set his hair on fire during the
show. While not planned, the event no doubt helped to increase the
mystique surrounding the make-up wearing rockers. Exactly two years
later, on 12/31/1975, it was BOC who opened for KISS in New York (at
Nassau Coliseum).
An interesting occurrence happened at a New Year's Eve show at the
Academy of Music, NYC in 1974. During the encore Eric Bloom announced
he was going to carry out his new year's resolution. He then proceeded
to shave his beard off onstage with an electric razor. Perhaps "New
Year's Eve was the final barrier" (a line from the song, "Dominance And
Submission").
Speaking of "Dominance And Submission", some fans noted that when
BOC first performed both "Dominance And Submission" and "Astronomy"
live, it was Albert, and not Eric, who sang them. This was prior to the
recording of *Secret Treaties*, where Albert sang "Dominance And
Submission", but not "Astronomy". According to Albert Bouchard, he sang
both songs live prior to the recording of *Secret Treaties*, and planned
to do the same on the record. He did "Dominance And Submission", which
he thought came out great, but tried "Astronomy" numerous times, getting
worse each time. Eric tried to sing it, and did it perfectly in one
take. Although Joe may have taken a crack at singing the verses as
well, Eric apparently sang it the best, so he did it for the record and
subsequent live shows. Albert also indicates that he stopped singing
"Dominance And Submission" live because he found it difficult to sing it
while playing drums at the time.
At a show in the fall of 1985 at The Channel in Boston, MA, Eric
Bloom turned out to be somewhat of a prophet. At one point during the
set, he asked the Boston crowd, "How 'bout the Red Sox and the Mets in
the World Series next year?" (He also added, "I hate the Yankees, man,
they suck." -- something every Boston fan loves to hear) As events
would turn out, the Red Sox and the Mets played each other in the 1986
World Series. Unfortunately for Boston fans (but fortunately, no doubt,
for Eric Bloom), the Mets beat the Red Sox in 7 games.
In the summer of 1995, BOC began adding an acoustic portion to
their sets. Buck and Allen played acoustic guitar for these numbers.
To date, the songs that have been part of this set are "In Thee" and
"The Great Sun Jester". "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" was also planned
to be used, but never added to the set. "The Great Sun Jester" was only
played a few times as part of this set, but "In Thee" has remained in
most of BOC's setlists since 1995.
By the way, for those who don't know, the music played just prior
to BOC starting their set (at least for the past several years) is the
end titles from the soundtrack to the movie *Blade Runner* by Vangelis.
BOC on the Charts
=================
While BOC's commercial success is limited compared to many artists,
they have had a number of albums and singles that have made the music
industry's top-selling charts. While currently unconfirmed, it is
believed that every BOC album prior to *The Revolution By Night* has
gone at least gold (at least 500,000 units sold), with a few going
platinum (at least 1 million units sold). The following chart
indicates, by BOC album, the length of time it (or its respective
singles) spent on the U.S. charts, the album's (or single's) peak
position, and if the album went gold or platinum.
Album (single) # of weeks Peak Gold/Platinum
-------------- ---------- ---- -------------
Blue Oyster Cult 8 172
Tyranny And Mutation 13 122
Secret Treaties 14 53 Gold
On Your Feet Or On Your Knees 13 22 Gold
Agents Of Fortune 35 29 (U.K. - 26) Platinum
(Don't Fear) The Reaper 20 12 (U.K. - 16)
Spectres 14 43 Gold
Some Enchanted Evening 12 44 (U.K. Top 20) Platinum
Mirrors 17 44
In Thee 4 74
Cultosaurus Erectus 16 34 (U.K. - 12)
Fire Of Unknown Origin 31 24 Gold
Burnin' For You 14 40 (for 3 weeks)
Extraterrestiral Live 19 29 (U.K. - 95)
The Revolution By Night 16 93
Shooting Shark 3 83
Club Ninja 14 63
Dancin' In The Ruins 10 9 (for 3 weeks)
Imaginos 8 122
Astronomy 9 12
The Movie "Heavy Metal"
=======================
The song "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" (from *Fire Of Unknown
Origin*) appears in the movie "Heavy Metal". According to Albert
Bouchard, BOC was originally approached to do 5-7 songs for the
soundtrack (with Elmer Bernstein doing the rest). According to "Morning
Final #14", the songs "Vengeance (The Pact)" and "Don't Turn Your Back"
were written following the script of the movie, with "Heavy Metal: The
Black And Silver" also being inspired by the movie, but not directly
from the script. These four songs were submitted for consideration for
the movie soundtrack. Ironically, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars", not
specifically inspired by the movie, was chosen to be on the soundtrack.
It is also believed that the song "Sole Survivor" was inspired by the
movie, although not directly from the script. "Vengeance (The Pact)"
was originally titled "Taarna's Theme" - the song lyrics are taken from
the last story in the movie (with Taarna, the warrior woman who rides
the giant bird). The apparent reason for the song not being used is
that it told the 17-minute (in the movie) story in 5 minutes. The
soundtrack was finally officially released on CD in 1995, and an updated
version of the movie was released in 1996.
The Buck Dharma Band Ricky Browning Benefit
===========================================
On 4/11/1997, the "Buck Dharma Band" (Buck on guitar and vocals,
Danny Miranda on bass, John Miceli on drums, and Sandy Roeser on vocals)
performed a benefit concert in Atlanta, GA for Ricky Browning, a child
with an inoperable brain tumor. Ricky went through 4 months of
extensive chemotherapy and was being treated by Hospice Atlanta (a place
traditionally reserved for children who are expected to not survive),
and was very near death on multiple occasions. However, Ricky used
visualization techniques of his hero, the Japanese monster "Godzilla",
to fight his illness (Ricky would pretend that Godzilla was in his head
fighting the tumor). Ricky has astounded doctors as his tumor, once the
size of a lemon, had all but disappeared. Unfortunately for Ricky and
his family, huge medical bills have been incurred for his various
treatments (Ricky has no health insurance and he outlived his emergency
Medicaid benefits).
BOC fan (and friend of Buck's wife, Sandy Roeser) Chuck Saden,
learned of Ricky's situation and fascination with Godzilla, and told
Buck Dharma, also a fan of Godzilla (and author of the BOC song,
"Godzilla"). Buck then agreed to do a benefit concert to raise money
for Ricky. Saden sent Ricky some recordings of both "Godzilla" and
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (a song which Ricky says taught him a lesson,
and that because of it, he was no longer afraid of dying).
The Buck Dharma Band came down to Atlanta a day early, and
participated in a special fund-raising dinner, and signed autographs.
Earlier in the day, Buck met Ricky for the first time as part of
television and radio publicity for the show, and Buck sang some acoustic
versions of his songs. The concert was a wild success (see the section
in the FAQ on "other BOC songs" for a complete setlist from the
performance), and even turned out to be incredibly therapeutic for
Ricky. Earlier in the evening, Ricky had had to be taken out of the
venue by EMTs due to exhaustion. However, when he heard the band
playing "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", Ricky jumped up before the EMT could
sit him back down, ran into the venue and was clapping and rocking to
the music. Ricky even helped play the drums when the band played the
next song, "Godzilla". It was truly fitting that Ricky would
participate in the song about his hero, who helped him overcome his
affliction. Sometime after this concert, Ricky had a Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI) scan, and it showed no evidence of his tumor.
Unfortunately, Ricky's tumor did return, and he passed away in 1998.
Spearheaded by BOC sound master George Geranios, the concert was
professionally recorded, as well as being extensively videotaped. A
very special video titled *Miracles DO Happen, Take One*, which contains
information about Ricky's story and footage from this concert, is now
available from the Rose Legacy Corporation. They can be obtained by
mailing $19.95, plus $3.00 shipping and handling (make checks payable to
the Rose Legacy Corp.) to:
The Rose Legacy Corp.
P.O. Box 543856
Chicago, IL 60654-0856
Proceeds from the sale of the video will go to the Browning family,
and donations will be used to distribute free videos to various causes.
This is more than a concert video - it is a film of hope and
inspiration, and Ricky himself hopes that it will help other sick kids
get better.
Prior to this special concert, a very limited edition Buck Dharma
t-shirt was produced for the concert. The black t-shirt, with a Buck
Dharma logo on the front and a Buck Dharma promotional picture on the
back, is still available for $20.00 (plus $3.00 shipping) from the above
address (shipping is free if you order a video as well) -- specify size
(L, XL, or XXL). A CD containing tracks from the concert is planned be
made available for purchase in the future.
Song References
===============
NOTE: Much of what appears in this section is based on fan
observations and interpretations, unless a bandmember is specifically
identified. And, even then, the band members have often said that much
of what they write is subject to the listener's interpretation. If your
interpretation of a song is different from what is printed here, that
does not necessarily make it wrong.
Altamont, which is referred to in the song, "Transmaniacon MC" (the
"MC" standing for "motorcycle club"), refers to a festival in 1970 at
Altamont (a racetrack in California). The festival was supposed to be
another Woodstock. The Rolling Stones were the main act, and they
controversially hired the Hells Angels as security. Apparently The
Stones had used the British Hell's Angels as security in the past, and
assumed that the California Hell's Angels would be the same. There was
mayhem during the Stones' set, and the Angels stabbed one member of the
audience to death (right in front of a camera), although the stabbed man
was apparently holding a gun. Either during this incident, or right
afterwards, The Stones played the song, "Sympathy For The Devil". The
incident is documented in the concert movie, "Gimme Shelter". In
typically overblown style, journalists have dubbed that show "the night
rock-n-roll lost its innocence."
The "Transmaniacon MC", according to Al Bouchard, are a mythical
group that Sandy Pearlman invented called "the Los Maniacos Bus Boy
Club" which was supposed to conjure up a picture of insane Mexican
waiters that have a musical group.
According to Buck Dharma, "(Then Came The) Last Days Of May" is the
true story of three collegiate drug dealers who went to Tucson to score
for the fall semester. They were ripped off and shot. While two of the
guys died, the other survived to testify against the perpetrators, who
were two young men from a notorious wealthy local family. They
apparently served about ten years in prison before being released.
There are a few books with the words, "Stairway To The Stars" in
the title. One is a book ("Stairway To The Stars: The Story of The
World's Largest Observatory") about the Mauna Kea observatory on the Big
Island of Hawaii. Another ("Stairway to the Stars: Achievement
Program") was written by the Assembly of God as part of its ministry to
women. Another ("Stairway to the Stars : Colorado's Argentine Central
Railway") is about a railway in Colorado. The song, "Stairway To The
Stars", however, does not appear to have inspired any of these, or have
been inspired by them (especially since they were published after the
song was on a BOC album).
According to Joe Bouchard, "Screams" was written to describe his
impressions and emotions when he first moved to New York to be in the
band. Joe grew up in a small town, and driving into New York from Long
Island at night was quite a new experience for him. Also, Joe says that
the song "Morning Final" is based on a true story of a murder that
happened at a subway stop at the corner of 23rd Street in New York City.
Joe used to go to a deli that was near there, and he was a bit disturbed
by the fact that a murder took place there.
In an old interview with *Creem* magazine, Eric Bloom says that
"O.D.'d On Life Itself" is basically a song inspired when Sandy saw some
girl who was "totally out of it, a real asshole; she'd O.D.'d on life".
According to Buck Dharma, "Harvester Of Eyes" is about former U.S.
Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas. The following is from Compuserve's
American Academic Encyclopedia:
Abe Fortas, b. Memphis, Tenn., June 19, 1910, d. Apr. 5, 1982, was a
prominent Washington, D. C., attorney and presidential advisor when
President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the U.S. Supreme Court in
1965. Johnson's subsequent nomination of Fortas as chief justice was
blocked by Senate foes of his activist stand on civil liberties, and the
nomination was caught up in a clash between the executive and
legislative branches. In 1969, following charges of questionable ethics
and conflict of interest, Fortas resigned from the Court. His arguments
in GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT (1962) established the right of the poor to
legal counsel.
What's all that got to do with "Harvester Of Eyes"? Not much.
However, it was Fortas' senate nomination hearings which inspired
Richard Meltzer to write the song's lyrics. When Fortas' avoidance of
service in World War II was questioned, he responded that he had ocular
tuberculosis -- which inspired the lyric, "I'm the eye-man of TV, with
my ocular TB".
The BOC Fanclub newsletter "Morning Final" (issue #12), provides
insight into the meaning of several songs on *Secret Treaties*.
"Harvester of Eyes" and "ME-262" have already been mentioned. The song,
"Dominance And Submission" is the true story of an automobile ride taken
with Suzy and her brother ("Charles the grinning boy"), in which some
unexpected sexual actions were suggested. "Morning Final #12" does not
say who was put "in the backseat" and taken "for a ride". "Flaming
Telepaths" refers to experimental drug use (note: one article on BOC
mentioned this song as being about a science fictional experimentation
of drugs on humans, with disastrous side effects). "Astronomy" refers
to Suzy, who at the time was very experimental and sexually aware. The
song has its roots in a lesbian encounter, and the reaction to it.
The line, "when prophecy fails, the falling notion" in the song,
"E.T.I." may have been inspired by the classic psychology text, "When
Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group that
Predicted the Destruction of the World", by Leon Festinger, Henry W.
Riecken and Stanley Schacter (3 men - possibly to which the lyrics
refer?). Presumably when this book came out, it was published under
aliases, but the science world soon discovered the identities of the
authors. The men were then criticized as frauds, and accused of writing
the book only for financial reward. On report about them dubbed them
"Agents of Fortune".
The line "three men in black said, 'Don't report this . . .", also
in "E.T.I." may have been inspired by the "The Men In Black Report" by
Kurt Glemser (Galaxy Press). The book discusses UFO sightings and Men
in Black (usually 3), that would visit UFO witnesses, warning them not
to divulge what they had seen. The name "Balthazar", mentioned in
"E.T.I." is the name of one of the three kings/wise-men/astrologers in
the Bible who visited Jesus Christ soon after his birth -- the other two
were named Melchor and Kaspar. Perhaps "E.T.I." is suggesting that
Jesus Christ was brought to earth, or at least visited by, aliens. On
the other side of the life of Christ, the Bible discusses Jesus'
"ascension", where he is taken up to heaven in front of some of his
disciples. The use of the word "ascension" in "E.T.I." may suggest that
the ascension was some sort of alien abduction (Jesus rising into the
sky, surrounded by a beam of light).
"Balthazar" may also refer to the character in "Romeo and Juliet"
by William Shakespeare. Balthazar is the name of the servant who tells
Romeo that Juliet has died ("the awful truth"?). While this doesn't fit
with the UFO/Jesus interpretation, it is interesting since on *Agents of
Fortune*, the song "E.T.I." follows "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", where we
are told "Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity".
Other UFO references to UFO lore in the song "E.T.I." are provided
by Dan Clore. "Daylight disk" comes from the classification system
proposed by J. Allen Hynek in his 1974 work, *The UFO Experience: A
Scientific Inquiry*. It refers to a flying saucer seen during the day.
"Fairy rings" refers to rings of underground fungus that make the grass
very green above them. It also refers to a large circular fungus that
kills the grass above it, leaving a big white circle. These are often
identified as traces of UFO landings. "Tower beds" are a reference to
UFO landing apparatus (Stonehenge is theorized by some to be a tower
bed). Finally, "Dead leaves always give up motion" may refer to the
term "dead leaf motion" or "falling leaf motion" of UFOs -- a pattern of
descent, going back and forth and pausing.
There is a real book titled, *The King in Yellow* (referred to in
the song, "Extra Terrestrial Intelligence"), written by Robert W.
Chambers, published in 1895. The book is believed to be out of print,
with its last known publication being possibly in the late 1970's. It
is a collection of short stories, several of which mention an imaginary
book (play) titled "The King in Yellow". Like various tomes mentioned
in Lovecraft, this (non-existent) play has detrimental effects on the
sanity of readers. From *The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction* (by John
Clute and Peter Nicholls):
"The eponymous 'King in Yellow' is not a person, but a verse play
in book form, which... drives its readers to despair, madness and even
suicide. Of the four *King in Yellow* tales in the book, 'The Repairer
of Reputations' is of particular interest, being set in 1920, after a
war, in a USA that has legalized suicide."
The book, *The King in Yellow* also contains a story titled, "The
Street of The Four Winds". It is not clear whether or not this inspired
the reference to the four winds bar in the song, "Astronomy". However,
the song does not appear connected with the story in any other way.
As for "The Queen in Red" (the other half of that line from "ETI"),
this may refer to "The Red Queen" from Lewis Carroll's "Alice Through
The Looking Glass" (a sequel to "Alice In Wonderland"). In the story,
the Red Queen is a chess piece and is forced to run continuously but
never actually moves because everything else in the landscape is also
running, and so keeps pace with her. Based on this story, evolutionary
biologist L. Van Valen proposed "The Red Queen Principle", which states
that for an evolutionalry system, continuing development is needed just
in order to maintain it's relative fitness.
The line "24th of May" in the song, "The Revenge Of Vera Gemini"
refers to both Albert Bouchard's and Bob Dylan's birthday. On the
occasion of his 25th birthday, Patti Smith gave Albert the lyrics to
this song, which she presumably wrote about a true incident involving
her and Bob Dylan. Coincidentally, that day is also the birthday of
England's Queen Victoria, which is referred to in the Rush song,
"Lakeside Park" -- "Everyone would gather on the twenty fourth of May,
Sitting in the sand to watch the fireworks display".
It is a popular misconception that the song, "(Don't Fear) The
Reaper" is about suicide. The line "Romeo and Juliet are together in
eternity" refers to William Shakespeare's characters Romeo and Juliet,
who were young lovers that had each committed suicide. The song tells a
woman not to fear death (in the first 2 verses), and then tells that she
does die with no fear (in the 3rd verse). Opinions as to the true
meaning of this song are mixed -- some believe that it merely advocates
not to fear the coming of death as it is part of the cycles of nature
("Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind and the sun and the
rain"), while others (including anti-rock zealots) claim that BOC is
advocating suicide (Editor's Comment: Yeah, and in "Godzilla" BOC is
advocating that a big radioactive dinosaur stomp all over Tokyo too.).
Albert Bouchard says that he heard Buck say many times that the song was
not about suicide, but merely about not fearing death. Finally, Bolle
Gregmar says that Buck actually wrote the lyrics to "The Reaper" during
a time when he thought he was dying, and the lyrics were Buck's way of
saying that we shouldn't waste our time worrying about dying because it
is inevitable.
The song, "Godzilla" refers to the Americanized name of the
Japanese movie monster, "Gojira". Gojira (the name is a portmanteau
from "gorilla" and "Kujira", meaning "whale") is a dinosaur which was
released from millions of years of hibernation by atomic testing in the
Pacific Ocean. The beast became mutated by the radiation, to the point
where he is now radioactive (able to project this radioactivity via his
breath). The original Godzilla movie was released in Japan in 1954,
less than a decade after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan.
While Godzilla was originally an evil being, he became somewhat of a
folk hero in Japan, starring in over 15 movies, becoming a friend to
humanity after about the 4th one (in more recent movies, since about
1984, Godzilla has gone back to being more of a "bad guy"). According
to Bolle Gregmar, BOC had to pay royalties to Toho, the filmmaker of the
Godzilla movies, to use the name on the song. Sony/TriStar pictures
released a new version of this film in May of 1998. Despite the pleas
of BOC fans worldwide, neither BOC nor their song "Godzilla" appeared on
the movie's soundtrack. Another Japanese movie monster, "Gamera" (a
giant flying turtle) appears in the title of Buck Dharma's instrumental,
"Gamera Is Missing".
According to Bruce Abbott, the song, "Golden Age Of Leather" refers
to a group in a motorcycle club reaching a practical endpoint to that
lifestyle. Having achieved their "golden age", the bikers make a
suicide pact rather than age gracefully, "in this day of flaccid
plumage".
The initials "R.U.R." from the song, "R. U. Ready 2 Rock" were a
tribute to the K. Capek play, "Rossum's Universal Robots". This play is
cited as having the first appearance of the term "robot" in science
fiction literature.
Several BOC songs refer to vampires. "Nosferatu" is a re-working
of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". In the original silent version of
Nosferatu, the captain's log can be seen to include the lines "Rats in
the hold. My crew is dead. I fear the plague", and the line "Only a
woman can break his spell, pure in heart who will offer her blood" -
these lines are used in the song. Other BOC songs which refer to
vampires include "Screams", "Wings Wetted Down", "Morning Final", "Moon
Crazy", and "Light Years Of Love". Looks like Joe Bouchard was really
into vampires . . . Buck also wrote a song, "I Love The Night", tells
the tale of a man's meeting with a female vampire - while the lyrics are
always subject to interpretation, the third verse of this song (omitted
from the album) makes the song's meaning more clear. Finally, according
to Eric Bloom, his "After Dark" is sort of his sequel to "I Love The
Night".
The line "Jim says some destinies should not be delivered", in the
song "In Thee" refers to Jim Carroll. As previously mentioned, Jim
Carroll and Allen Lanier collaborated on several songs, including the
song "Day And Night", which appeared on Carroll's *Catholic Boy* album.
The song contains the line "Some destinies, they should not be
delivered".
The line "Aces and eights are the fate that you drew", in the song
"I Am The Storm" refers to the "dead man's hand" of a pair of aces and
eights in poker. It is known as this as it is the hand that Wild Bill
Hickok was rumored to be holding when he was killed.
According to the liner notes in the compilation CD set, *Workshop
Of The Telescopes*, the song "Dr. Music" is a tongue-in-cheek look at
S+M (sadism and masochism).
The song, "The Vigil" is about some friends of the band who are
UFO-watchers. The line "27 faces, with their eyes turned to the sky"
may refer to the VLA (Very Large Array), a set of 27 radio telescopes
(there actually is a 28th, but it only gets used as a backup if one of
the 27 fails). The site, located in New Mexico (near Socorro), was
completed right about the time *Mirrors* was released.
The title of the album *Cultosaurus Erectus* is believed to have
been inspired by the Charlie Mingus album *Pithecanthropus Erectus*.
Further, BOC may have also been making a reference to the fact that some
heavy metal bands that had been around for a few years by that time were
being referred to as "dinosaur bands".
The song "Hungry Boys", originally titled, "Hungry Boys In
Brooklyn", is about drug addiction.
The song "Deadline" is based on the true story of an old
acquaintance of the band, who was murdered in 1972. According to Albert
Bouchard, the person in question was booking agent Phil King (who booked
gigs for the band before they were signed to Columbia). Phil was
apparently pressuring this guy to pay back a gambling debt, and the guy
ended up shooting him. Phil King is also mentioned in the song, "Hot
Rails to Hell" (in the lyric, "The King did not know"). Allen once
described Phil King (also known as Phil Friedman) as a "big dude in a
cheap vinyl leather jacket, two-tone blue '64 Lincoln Continental, wore
a Fu Manchu mustache, combing his hair at all times, he had a perfect
Shaft hairdo, chrome shades he never took off, wore 'em to bed..." Soon
after BOC's first album was released, Phil was able to convince a New
York DJ to play "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" on the radio.
The song "Divine Wind", originally entitled "Ayatollah", was
written by BOC as sort of an "Anti-Iran" song. During the time the song
came out, Iran had been holding U.S. citizens hostage for many months.
The lyric, "If he really thinks we're the devil, then let's send him to
hell" refers to the Ayatollah Khomeni calling the U.S. "The Great
Satan". When BOC performed this song in concert, roadie Joe Lauro,
wearing an Ayatollah mask, played guitar on stage with the band.
The song "Lips In The Hills" may refer to an incident in July of
1947 known as "The Roswell Incident". Supposedly, a UFO crashed in the
hills in or near Roswell, New Mexico, although this was denied/covered-
up by the U.S. Air Force (originally saying it was a weather balloon).
Many people in the area at the time supposedly saw/heard strange things
going on right before the crash. The USAF recently released a report on
the incident, revealing that the "UFO" was part of a secret government
program, known as Project Mogul, to spy on the Soviet Union's nuclear
weapon development. High-altitude balloons were equipped with special
sensors and radar reflectors to detect atomic testing, but the project
was canceled, with the balloons being allowed to fall back to earth. It
is likely that flying saucer enthusiasts will remain skeptical of the
USAF's report. While this interpretation may be valid, Eric Bloom once
told some BOC fans that the original concept of "Lips In The Hills" was
about breast feeding.
The song "The Marshall Plan" details the story of a teenager who loses his
girlfriend at a rock concert to the band, and, inspired by the experience,
becomes a rock star himself. The song's title no doubt comes from the U.S.
economic aid program for the reconstruction of post-WWII Europe of the same
name. This program was intended in part to improve U.S. relations with Europe,
however in some cases, some of the countries remained apathetic (or even
hostile) towards the U.S. Similarly, while "Johnny" becomes a rock star in part
to win back his girl, "still he reaches out, but Suzy's disappeared." Of
course, it is likely that the title is a play on words where Marshall refers to
amplifiers of the same name. Thus, Johnny's plan ("I ain't playin' no surf
music - I'm gonna play some heavy music - I'm gonna play bad - I'm gonna play
loud") to win Suzy back no doubt requires the use of lots of Marshall
amplifiers.
According to the "SF-References-In-Music List" (copyright by Rich
Kulawiec), the song "Monsters" is about a small group of people
who escape a ravaged Earth but wind up battling each other over one of
the women. An article in the British magazine *NME* referred to the
song as being about "gang bangs and piracy in hyperspace".
Also according to the *NME* article, the song "Unknown Tongue" is a
true story about a girl that David Roter (co-author of the song) used to
know. Apparently a nice Catholic girl, she had a fetish for cutting her
big toe with a razor and drinking some of her blood. Of course, in the
BOC song, the girl cuts her palm, not her toe.
The lyrics to the song, "Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver" were
inspired by the 1977 book, *The Iron Sun: Crossing The Universe Through
Black Holes*, by Adrian Berry. Several of the lyrics to the first verse
are derived from chapter titles of the book. The chapters to Part One
(Through the Black Hole) are titled as follows: (1) Where Matter
Vanishes, (2) The Spinning Gateway, (3) Into the Whirlpool, and (4) The
Forbidden Circle. Part Two (The Iron Sun) begins with (1) The Arm of
Orion.
The song, "Joan Crawford" refers to the famous actress of the same
name. The deceased Crawford's daughter, Christina, wrote a book, which
later became a movie, titled, "Mommie Dearest". The book/movie paints a
rather unflattering picture of the actress as an abusive mother. The
song refers to Joan coming back from the grave to haunt Christina.
Inspiration for some of the lyrics to the song, "Burnin' For You"
may have come from Jack Kerouac's book, *On The Road*. There is a poem
on page 255 that goes like this:
Home in Missoula
Home in Truckee
Home in Opelousas
Ain't no home for me
Home in old Medora
Home in Wounded Knee
Home in Ogallala
Home I'll never be
Speaking of Jack Kerouac, it is interesting to note that he once
wrote a book titled, *The Dharma Bums*. It is not known whether or not
this was Sandy Pearlman's inspiration for the name, "Buck Dharma".
The song, "Your Loving Heart" on Buck Dharma's 1982 solo album
*Flat Out* tells the story of a person who is dying because he needs a
new heart, and a "young woman" who loves him (presumably his wife) gets
into a car accident (presumably suicide) and her heart is used to save
him. Twelve years later, something strikingly similar happened in real
life. The Associated Press reported of a real-life occurrence of such a
scenario (August, 1994):
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) -- A 58 year old man who had been waiting
four years for a heart transplant finally got one -- from his own
daughter, who was killed in a car wreck.
Chester Szuber received the heart Monday from his 22-year-old
daughter, Patti, officials at William Beaumont Hospital said Thursday.
She was killed in a traffic accident a week ago in Knoxville, Tenn.
Editor's Note: I am not trying to in any way imply that Patti Szuber's
car accident was a suicide.
The song "Anwar's Theme" on *Flat Out* is in tribute to Anwar al-
Sadat, the former leader of Egypt. Buck Dharma has stated that Sadat
was one of the people he had admired the most. A co-winner of the Nobel
Peace Prize for his work to make peace with Israel, Sadat was
assassinated in 1981. The bridge in the middle of the song represents
Sadat's assassination - Sadat died at the hands of fundamentalists
assassins during a military review celebrating the 1973 Suez crossing.
In Morning Final #14, John Shirley provided some insight as to the
meaning of his lyrics which BOC used for songs (the 2 songs from *Bad
Channels* plus 8 songs from *Heaven Forbid*):
Demon's Kiss - The dangers of going with the darker desires.
When Horsemen Arrive - Man is his own worst enemy.
See You In Black - Someone trying to convince a woman to kill her
husband because he beats her up.
Power Underneath Despair - A story of a guy betrayed into jail by some
gangsters, and his revenge.
X-Ray Eyes - Inspired by a Ray Milland movie, "The Man With The X-Ray
Eyes", it's about seeing things beyond what most of us can
normally see, and why such a gift may be a curse.
Hammer Back - A feeling that you have to be prepared at all times,
because the world is a dangerous and uncertain place.
Damaged - Longing to be a better person, but having a dark side that you
enjoy.
Cold Gray Light Of Dawn - Recognition of one's own mortality and
limitations.
Real World - Everything is subjective, and miracles are hiding just over
the horizon.
Live For Me - The story of 2 brothers with a psychic link, where one is
killed by a drunk driver, but tells his brother to live
his life for him -- enjoy it, but do it smart so that
he'll survive.
References To BOC
=================
Movies
------
NOTE: See the following link on the official BOC website for more
information about references to BOC on television:
http://www.blueoystercult.com/Media/movies.html
In the movie, "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", one of the characters
is approached by a kid looking for concert tickets. He asks him if he
has any BOC tickets.
A line in the movie, "Alien 3" was probably inspired by BOC. In
the movie, the character named Dillon has the following line: "Do you
want to be on your feet, or on your knees?"
BOC received two references in the 1999 film, "Detroit Rock City".
In one scene, where some kids are riding in a car on their way to
Detroit, the comment is made that in 1973 KISS opened for BOC, and that
the very next year, to the day, BOC opened for KISS. In actuality, it
was 2 years to the day that this happened, and not the very next year.
In another scene, in a convenience store, someone threatens to steal
KISS tickets from a little kid. The kid summons his older brother, who
is very large. As the older brother comes down the aisle, the camera
zooms on his footsteps, and BOC's "Godzilla" plays.
Whether or not this is at all directly related to BOC's song,
"Debbie Denise" is not known, but it is rather interesting none-the-
less. According to the credits for the films *Forrest Gump* and
*Contact*, the name of the Visual Effects Producer was "Debbie Denise".
Perhaps her parents were BOC fans . . .
In the 1992 film, "Singles", Matt Dillon plays a member of a grunge
band called Citizen Dick. On his refrigerator is a handbill or small
poster, showing Citizen Dick opening for Blue Oyster Cult.
In John Carpenter's 1987 movie, "Prince of Darkness", there is a
scene with the BOC symbol. It is used as a satanic symbol and appears
on the flesh of a possessed person. John Carpenter was also responsible
for the previously-mentioned movie, "Halloween", in which "(Don't Fear)
The Reaper is played.
The song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" has appeared in several movies,
including "Spirit of '76", "Halloween", "The Stand", and "The Stoned
Age" (which also features "Burnin' For You" - see more in the next
paragraph). "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was also used in 1995 in the
season premier of the ABC television show, "Charlie Grace." In the 1996
movie, "The Frighteners", a cover of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper) is
performed by The Mutton Birds, and in the 1996 movie "Scream", an
acoustic cover of the song is played by the band Gus. Some version of
the song, possibly the one which appears on the "Guitar's Practicing
Musicians Volume III", is used in the movie, "The Executioners Song".
The heavy use of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" prompted *Entertainment
Weekly* magazine (February 7th 1997) to refer to it as the "most
terrifying song in a miniseries or movie". In addition, the title of
the song was referred to in the movie, "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" --
after beating Death at Battleship and Twister, one of the film's
protagonists says, "I can't believe we beat Death", to which his partner
responded, "Don't Fear The Reaper".
What could almost be described as a BOC video, the movie, "The
Stoned Age", contains lots of references to BOC. The movie (released in
the early to mid 1990's), which might be considered rather funny or
rather stupid, depending on your point of view, sort of pays homage to
sex, drugs, and rock and roll in the 1970's. The lead character, a
youth named Joe, is a big BOC fan, who rides around with his buddy Hubbs
in search of the ultimate good time. Joe, who had been hit by BOC's
lasers during a performance of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (a "pussy song"
according to Hubbs), has been having visions of a giant "gnarly
eyeball". During the film, Joe and Hubbs basically spend their time
getting wasted, and trying to pick-up girls to party with. Aside from
about a minute's worth of live footage of BOC playing "(Don't Fear) The
Reaper" (when Joe is hit by the lasers), there are lots of BOC
references in the film. The car driven by Joe and Hubbs, named "The
Blue Torpedo", has a big BOC logo on the hood. One of the girls wears a
BOC tour shirt with the *Tyranny And Mutation" cover on it. "(Don't
Fear) The Reaper" is played a few times, as well as "Burnin' For You".
The use of "Burnin' For You" is erroneous for the time depicted in the
movie (mid to late 1970's, when BOC used lasers in concert) as this song
came out in 1981. Bolle Gregmar, Melne Murphy, and The Museum of Cult
are mentioned in the credits, as Bolle served as the BOC advisor.
Finally, Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma have a cameo appearance as bootleg
t-shirt salesmen in the trailer after the credits roll. The versions of
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin' For You" used in the movie are
the versions off of *Cult Classic* (no doubt to avoid legal issues with
Columbia, although CBS records is credited as providing the BOC concert
footage).
Finally, video production specialist and BOC fan, Daryl Maxwell,
created a digital "video" for the band's song, "Divine Wind". As
previously mentioned, the song was originally written as a reaction to a
situation in Iran where U.S. citizens were taken hostage. In the wake
of terrorist attacks in the U.S. on September 11, 2001, many BOC fans
felt the song was very applicable once again. This video was assembled
from news footage, and is a compelling and emotional reflection on
America's new Day of Infamy. The video currently can be found online at
www.blueoystercult.com.
Television
----------
NOTE: See the following link on the official BOC website for more
information about references to BOC on television:
http://www.blueoystercult.com/Media/TVappear.html
The song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" has been referenced numerous
times in television and video. In an episode of the animated cartoon,
"The Simpsons", Homer Simpson is quoted as saying "O.K. Homer, Don't
Fear The Reaper" before attempting some death-defying stunt. In 1997, a
professional wrestler known as "The Coroner" in the National
Professional Wrestling Association uses "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" as his
theme song. In 1998, on the TV game show "Jeopardy" (aired 2/3/1998),
an answer in the "Double Jeopardy" round (for $800) read: "In 1976,
Blue Oyster Cult advised 'Don't Fear' him..." A children's show, "Big
Bad Beetle Borgs" used the song title as the title of one of their
episodes. Finally, in his 1985 video "The Compleat Al", "Weird Al"
Yankovic has a sketch where he plays "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" backwards
and hears the following message in some silly voice with weird science
fiction noises (possibly using a theremin) in the background: "Hello,
we the ancient astronauts would like to thank everyone for making this
record possible. Thank you thank you thank you, we really appreciate
it, thanks guys..." Editor's note: this was a joke for the video - you
won't actually hear these sounds if try this yourself.
Another reference to BOC was made in an episode of the animated
cartoon "The Simpsons". Homer is talking to his friends in a bar about
dying. His friends begin discussing obtaining his body parts after he
dies, to which he replies, "Hey! Quit harvesting me with your eyes!"
In the fall of 2001, BOC was heavily referenced in the season
premier of "The Simpsons". In the episode, Homer appears in court
because Bart has stolen a car. The judge asked Homer why he hadn't
driven Bart all the way to school. Homer said because he had dropped
Bart off to chase down a local radio station van to win a contest. "For
$40?" the judge asks, at which point Homer pulls a round Kronos symbol
necklace out of his collar and says, "And this Blue Oyster Cult
medallion . . . cool." Then Homer says, "Your Honor, if I could just
sing a little bit of 'Don't Fear The Reaper'", at which point the judge
cuts him off by responding, "I'm familiar with BOC" Finally, the
opening strains of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" are played over the closing
credits.
The premier episode for the second season of HBO's *Spawn* series
contains a possible BOC reference. The character Violator, the demon
guardian of Spawn says to him, "This world ain't about trust, its about
Dominance and Submission, its about power!"
In 1999, the Showtime television channel showed the 1998 Tri-Star
release of the movie *Godzilla*. The announcer quoted a line from BOC's
song "Godzilla" during an advertisement for the moview by saying,
"History shows again and again, how nature points out the folly of
man.......Godzilla".
An episode of the cartoon series "Duckman" contained a BOC
reference. Duckman is seen reminiscing about his days in high school in
1976. In the scene, he spray-paints "Blue Oyster Cult Rocks" on his
principal's car.
In an episode of the show "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (show #910
- "The Final Sacrifice"), a character says, "My God! It's a cult!", to
which another character replies, "Yes, and they worship blue oysters."
In another episode (titled "SoulTaker"), a character is about to kiss
the character soultaker. When the kiss is interrupted, someone makes
the comment, "Don't tongue the Reaper".
In an episode of the Canadian comedy show, "This Hour has 22
Minutes", there was a skit where they were spoofing another Canadian
show called "Da Vinci's Inquest". During a portion of the skit, they
called "Da Vinci's Request", Da Vinci calls a radio station requesting
"Don't Fear The Reaper by the Blue Oyster Cult".
In June of 1999, a reference to BOC was made on the television
show, "That 70s Show". The character of Hyde considered moving to New
York to start a punk band that would be "the soundtrack to the
revolution". The character of Eric responded, "Last week you said Blue
Oyster Cult was the soundtrack to the revolution." Also, the 199
Halloween episode of the show opened with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
playing in the background.
In a 1999 episode of the television show, "First Wave" (shown on
the Science Fiction channel), BOC's "Burnin' For You" was used as
background music.
A 1999 episode of the telvision show "Angel" (a spin-off of the
show, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer") appeared to have a few obscure BOC
references. A villain in the show was named "Meltzer", who was
described as "Damaged". Also a "gnarly floating eyeball" was seen in
the show - a possible reference to the film with numerous BOC
references, "The Stoned Age".
In a 1999 episode of the television game show, "Who Wants To Be A
Millionare", BOC was one of the answers in the question, "What band did
Paul McCartney form after the Beatles?" Obviously, "Blue Oyster Cult"
was one of the incorrect choices.
BOC was parodied by the television show "Saturday Night Live" in
early 2000. The skit made to look like an episode of the VH1 show,
"Behind The Music", and the subject was BOC's recording of "(Don't Fear)
The Reaper". Guest host Christopher Walken played "super producer"
Bruce Dickenson, and SNL cast members portray members of BOC (note:
there were some definite likenesses of Buck, Eric, Joe, and Albert -
although the "Eric" character was named "Gene", the "Buck" character was
named "Eric", the person who looked like Albert was playing guitar, the
person who looked like Joe was much larger than Joe, and the drummer was
referred to as "Bobby" - the name of BOC's current drummer). The skit
revolved around the band attempting to record the song, with the
producer wanting "more cowbell" in the song - much to the distraction of
all the band (with the exception of the "Eric" character, who was
playing the cowbell). As a "response" to this skit, BOC had stage tech
Tommy Skriver join them onstage at several shows after the skit aired,
playing a cowbell during "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".
In an episode of what is believed to be from the television show,
"Friday The 13th, The Series", there was a serial killer that removed
the eyes of his victims. His name was "the harvester" - no doubt a
reference to the BOC song, "Harvester Of Eyes".
Books
-----
There exists a science-fiction novel, titled, *Transmaniacon*
(published 1979 by Kensington Pub. Corp., ISBN: 0890834172), written by
John Shirley (who is writing some lyrics for the band these days). The
following description was provided by Ken Alexander to BOC-L:
Description: this is a post-apocalypse science fiction novel,
containing a huge amount of references from early Blue Oyster Cult
albums. References include the Transmaniacon Motorcycle Club, Dominance
and Submission, the BOC symbol, "not talking about the light up above,
I'm talking about the hellfire down below", the light that never warms,
Lucifer, Career of Evil, and many more. Our too-powerful (anti?) hero
travels between cities in what is left of the USA, with an eventual goal
of destroying the impenetrable barrier that now surrounds it. Strange
cults, cities of dolphins, beasts of burden that are giant genetically-
engineered human hands, a 700-year-old Luciferage Rofocale...
Copyright page: To The Blue Oyster Cult & Patti Smith & Leslie Fielder
& Aleister Crowley & not necessarily in that "Order."
In addition, the following is in the novel: The "Cult of Dis" (Diz?).
A "password" to gain access to a certain place is "We're pain, we're
steel, we're a plot of knives" (part of the lyrics to BOC's
"Transmaniacon MC"). The symbol of "The Order" was shown -- it is the
BOC symbol (referenced as "the ancient Greeks' mathematical symbol of
Chaos"). During the climactic moment in the novel, one of the main
character is listening to BOC's "Career Of Evil".
John Shirley's 1980 novel, *City Come a Walkin'* has several BOC
references. The story is set in San Francisco in the year 2008.
References are made to "reds and wine" (from BOC's "Before The Kiss, A
Redcap"), "Tenderloin District" (from BOC's "Tenderloin"), a sign which
blinked "from yellow to red" (from BOC's "E.T.I." - editor's comment: I
know, this one is stretching it a bit). A band called "First Tongue" is
described in the story -- they wore robes of red and black and silver,
the lead singer had a burn-scar brand of "The Sign, the cabalistic sign
for chaos, the cross whose base becomes a scythe". The band, who's
performance included a laser light show, was also described as "the only
remaining successful occultist rock band, a genre begun almost three
decades before by the Blue Oyster Cult". Finally, the stories character
"City" is described as having short dark curly hair, standing 5 feet 7
inches tall, and wearing mirrored sunglasses -- did John Shirley have
Eric Bloom in mind when he described City?
John Shirley (who also performed in a punk group called "Sado
Nation") has written a number of other books, some of which may contain
veiled references to BOC. John Shirley has indicated that his 1997
novel "Silicon Embrace" contains many BOC references. His books *Shock
Rock* and *Black Butterflies* contain a story titled "Flaming
Telepaths". His book *Eclipse* describes a scene where a mad guitarist
is playing BOC's "Transmaniacon M.C." from the top of the Arc de
Triomphe in Paris, France; while it is being reduced to rubble by evil
forces. A more complete John Shirley bibliography can be seen at his
website (listed in the "BOC On The Web" section of this FAQ).
BOC and Brain Surgeons lyricist Richard Meltzer has written a book
titled, *Aesthetics of Rock*. There are some references to the Soft
White Underbelly in the book. Included in the book is a picture the
band.
As previously mentioned, Richard Meltzer wrote a novel titled *The
Night (Alone)* which contains the poem, "Hansel & Gretel" (a version of
which was recorded on the Brain Surgeons album, *Trepanation*). In this
book, there is presumably also a section which is based on Buck's 1972
wedding where Meltzer got drunk and "misbehaved". Les Braunstein and
Patti Smith were also in attendance. Les presumably kept bringing
Meltzer drinks, aggravating his condition. This book also contains a
poem entitled "Friends And Neighbors", which appears to be an early
version of the lyrics to the BOC song, "Veins". A reading of this poem
by Meltzer can be seen on the video, *Rhymes With Seltzer: Richard
Meltzer Reads Some Stuff*.
BOC is referenced several times in Richard Meltzer's book, *A Whore
Just Like the Rest: The Music Writings of Richard Meltzer*. This book,
a collection of many of his writings over the years, contains a number
of derrogatory references to the band. It is obvious that Richard
Meltzer has some hard feelings toward the band, feeling that he was not
treated fairly by some of the band members or their management in the
1970's.
Johnny Green, former road manager for the Clash (who were managed
for a time by Sandy Pearlman) wrote a book called *A Riot Of Our Own*.
There is a description in the book of the Clash going to see BOC at the
Hammersmith Odeon in London, and the wife of a member of BOC's entourage
became involved in a food fight.
Horror novelist Stephen King has used references to BOC in some of
his works. As previously mentioned, some of the lyrics to "(Don't Fear)
The Reaper" were quoted in his novel, "The Stand". The lyrics were
actually mis-quoted -- the line "Come on baby" appeared in the novel as
"Come on Mary". In the DVD release of the mini-series adaptation of
"The Stand", Stephen King comments indicates that "(Don't Fear) The
Reaper" was inspirational in his writing of the story. Also, there are
two references to the BOC song, "Tattoo Vampire" in the Stephen
King/Peter Straub novel, "The Talisman". Chapter 29 contains the
sentence: "From the room above came regular thumps and an occasional
drift of music Jack finally recognized as a record by Blue Oyster
Cult.", Chapter 30 contains the sentence: "From the floor above, Jack
now dimly heard the thud thud thud of a bass pattern, and then again
recognized it as being from a record by Blue Oyster Cult.", and Chapter
31 contains the sentence: "The screaming heavy metal of Blue Oyster
Cult's `Tattoo Vampire' was gone."
The BOC song, "Astronomy", may have been the inspiration for part
of one of Karl Edward Wagner's works. One of the chapters of his "Kane"
series has a chapter titled "On the Origin of Storms". "Origin of
storms" is a line from BOC's "Astronomy".
A book, "The Album Cover Album", lists BOC's *Secret Treaties* on
page 81.
Tom De Haven's book, *New Jersey Lunch*, contains a scene featuring
a group of individuals wearing black t-shirts with rock bands, including
BOC.
Comedian Dennis Miller's book contains the following quote: "These
days, by the time a story is actually made into a movie, it has been
passed around like a goatskin flask at a Blue Oyster Cult concert."
Comics
------
NOTE: See the following link on the official BOC website for more
information about references to BOC on television:
http://www.blueoystercult.com/Media/comix.html
A comic book titled "The Sandman" (written by Neil Gaiman),
contains a character called 'The Corinthian', which may possibly be
based on the song, "Harvester Of Eyes". He is of medium build (well
built), has white hair, and wears sunglasses to hide the fact that his
eyes are actually small mouths which he uses to eat out people's eyes
with ("right in front to the back of your skull"). The name
"Corinthian" probably refers to Greek story of Oedipus, who was from the
ancient Greek city of Corinth. In his life, Oedipus accidentally killed
his father, unwittingly married his mother, and later in life blinded
himself by gouging his own eyes.
Neil Gaiman (with Terry Pratchett) has also written a novel, "Good
Omens", which contains two BOC references. The plot contains a freeway
junction which has, through careful manipulation by a demon, been
developed to act as a huge unholy rune which does something very bad
when empowered. This seems to fit with lyrics in the song, "Shadow Of
California". A more direct reference appears when the character "Big
Ted" looks at "The Fourth Horseman" and says, "Ere, I seen you before.
You was on the cover of that Blue Oyster Cult album."
References to Blue Oyster Cult songs are sprinkled throughout the
"Xenogenesis: Day of the Demons" storyline in Marvel's "The Defenders"
comic. The issues are Vol.1, 58-60 dated April, May and June 1978. The
story is by David Anthony Kraft and the first comic in the trilogy is
"Dedicated to Eric Bloom and BOC!" (the third comic in the trilogy is
dedicated to "The Long Island Oysters"). The issues are titled Agents
of Fortune", "Tyranny and Mutation", and "The Revenge of Vera Gemini!".
In the comics, a former Reaper of Souls, the Defenders (Valkyrie,
Nighthawk, Hellcat and the Hulk), and Dr. Strange fight to stop the cult
of the Harvester of Eyes, an Agent of Fortune, and Vera Gemini from
releasing demons upon the Earth. The Agent of Fortune steals an
"omniscient amulet" called the "Eye of Agamotto" that can be used to
breach the barrier between the "demon dimension" and the Earth. More
detail would give too much away, but the Cult boys themselves even
appear in a few frames of issue #60, playing a "game of Dominance and
Submission" with Vera Gemini. Editor's Note: Special thanks go out to
Mark Mitchum for researching and providing this reference. Andy Gilham
also points out that David Kraft had earlier written a Deathlok story in
Marvel Spotlight #33, titled "(Don't Fear) the Reaper". The story also
co-stars Devil-Slayer from Defenders 58-60, but otherwise has no other
BOC connection.
Another comic book reference to BOC can be found in a Batman comic
book mini-series, which originally appeared in "Detective Comics",
issues 575-578 (titled "Batman: Year Two" and "Batman: Full Circle").
This series featured a villain called "The Reaper". The first issue was
called "Fear The Reaper", and was also the character's catch-phrase.
The character's costume had a red and black color scheme. The series
originally appeared in "Detective Comics", issues 575-578.
BOC was also mentioned in an issue of Marvel Super Action. This
was a title that reprinted old issues of Captain America. On page one,
Nick Fury enters the room, and Cap exclaims "Nick Fury!" Fury responds,
"Who were you expecting, the Blue Oyster Cult?" In the original issue
in the 1960's, Fury said "Who were you expecting, the Lovin' Spoonful?"
A popular Italian comic series called "Dylan Dog" contains a BOC
reference in one of their 1989 comics. In the episode "Grand Guignol",
one of the characters is wearing a BOC t-shirt.
The Japanese comic book, "Battle Angel Alita" by Yukito Kishiro
(published in approximately 1994 in Japan by Shueisha Inc.) contains a
few BOC references. The main character (a cyborg named Alita) is
rescued in the beginning by a cyber doctor "harvesting eyes" from cyborg
corpses. One character called Zapan (who first appeared in the second
issue) has the BOC symbol on his head. Another character (who first
appeared in issue 4-1) is named "Desty Nova" (similar to "Desdinova"),
with a servant named Buzzardo.. According to another source, in issue
8-6, Desty gives Alita a new body, and it's called the Imaginos.
A 1999 issue of the comic book "Knights of the Dinner Table" is
titled "Don't Fear the Reaper". A related comic "Knights of the Dinner
Table Illustrated" shows a character armed with a scythe screaming,
"Forget the song, it's time to fear the reaper!"
In one of the 1995 issues of "Sports Illustrated For Kids", the
comic "Hedley Case" contains a BOC reference. One of the characters in
the strip is seen playing a guitar. There are lyrics floating in the
air behind him, blaring from the speakers of a stereo. These lyrics,
from the song "Before The Kiss, A Redcap" appear: "Outside on the
turnpike they've got this new hit tune..." (and in the next square) "The
thrills become as cheap as gas and gas as cheap as thrills..."
The 1996 or 1997 DC comic book, "Challengers of the Unknown #3",
contains a few BOC lyrical references. In the book, the Challengers are
confronted by a human being who has become a gateway to another
dimension who screams lyrics and titles to BOC songs.
Page 2:
"--have to LISTEN, I SAW the TRANSMANIACON! The WORKSHOP OF THE
TELESCOPES! SEVEN SCREAMING DIZ-BUSTERS! Don't you understand? BEFORE
the KISS, a redcap! A REDCAP!"
Page 15-17:
"...by SILVERFISH IMPERETRIX, whose uncorrupted [sic] eye sees through
the charms of DOCTORS and their WIVES! I am become a THRESHOLD for him
WHO LURKS in HELLISH GLARE and INFERENCE! THE HARVESTER OF EYES!
Writings appear on the WALL. Curtains part and landscapes FALL where
DUSTERS [sic] DUST becomes the sale and LUCIFER the LIGHT! EXPERIMENTS
that FAILED too many times! TRANSFORMATIONS that were TOO HARD TO FIND!
TYRANNY and MUTATION!"
The second issue of DC Comics' "The Creeper" (January 1998)
contains a few BOC references. In the story, "Shadow In The Mirror", on
page 2, a person utters the following lines:
"...Now c'mon Harlan. It ain't all that bad. Th' Transmaniacon's nothin
t'be afraid of..."
"...that ol' Harvester Of Eyes, now he plays a mean trumpet, no
foolin'."
"You go and tell my friend Harlan he shouldn't oughtta worry about all
that Tyranny And Mutation."
The two previous comic references were both written by Len
Kaminski, and according to him, these references are related. The
person uttering the lines in "The Creeper" story is actually talking
across dimensions to the character (Harlan Clooney) in "The Challengers"
comic.
According to Eric Bloom, there is a 1998 comic, "Lost Heroes",
drawn by Rob Prior (artist for the cover of BOC's *Heaven Forbid*),
which features various actors drawn into the plot. Starting with issue
#1 (the second in the series), Eric Bloom is drawn in as an "agent of
fortune" (a member of the FBI) by the name of Fred. His character
continues for several issues. One fan points out that one of Fred's FBI
partners, a man named "Interface", bears a passing resemblence to Buck
Dharma.
In the June 2000 issue of the Avengers (#29), a Central American
town has been transformed into a pre-Conquest city through magic. The
heroes infiltrate the city in disguise: "Good thing we found these
robes -- we'd be pretty conspicuous in costume." "Yeah, instead of
looking like the High Priests of the Blue Oyster Cult."
Music
-----
There exists a "live import" CD recording of the band, The Smashing
Pumpkins, titled *Tribute To BOC*. The CD's recording was made on
February 9th, 1991 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The recording contains
mostly songs written by the Smashing Pumpkins, but includes a cover of
BOC's "Godzilla". In addition a Smashing Pumpkins show in Hoboken, New
Jersey on February 8th, 1991 also contained a cover of "Godzilla", and
this performance is captured on two Smashing Pumpkins "live import"
recordings - *Man Of Light* and *Retrospective*.
The Japanese band, Shonen Knife, has a song titled "Blue Oyster
Cult" (it is not a cover of the BOC tune of the same name) on their 1991
release, *712*. While the song itself has nothing to do with BOC (it is
a song about food poisoning), the album's cover has some BOC (Kronos)
symbols on it.
Radio Birdman, and Australian group active in the late 1970's (and
recently reformed) held BOC as one of their influences. Aside from
covering "Transmaniacon MC" and "Career Of Evil" in concert, they made a
few references to BOC over the years. The title of their first album
was *Radios Appear* (a line from the BOC song "Dominance And
Submission"). Their song, "Do The Pop" included the lyric "On your
feet/Or on your knees, now". Their song, "Hand of Law", contains the
lyric "And the light/That never, never warms" (a line from BOC's
"Astronomy"). Radio Birdman's leader Deniz Tek also wrote several BOC
references into his songs. He wrote a song, "Why Tell Me", which
included the lyric, "Went out in the desert night/To the Four Winds Bar
and Grill" (the Four Winds Bar being mentioned in BOC's "Astronomy"). A
similar reference appears in his song "Dozen On Ice", which contains the
line, "Got a dozen on ice, in the back room at the Four Winds Bar."
Also, his song "Hand Of Law" contains the line, "the light that never,
never warms", yet another reference to BOC's "Astronomy". Finally, his
song "My Wall" contains the line, "And Susie still wants to know where
winds come from". Thanks to Andy Gilham for this information.
The Norwegian band, Turbonegro, has an album titled *Never Is
Forever*. According to the band, it is a tribute to BOC. No other
information is currently known about this release.
On the fIREHOSE cover of BOC's "The Red And The Black" (which
appears on their *Live Totem Pole EP*), just as the song begins, one of
the bandmembers can be heard to say, "This is for Eric Bloom".
The Swedish band, The Nomads, recorded at least two singles under
the alternate name of "The Screaming Dizbusters" (an obvious reference
to BOC's song "7 Screaming Diz-Busters). One was a cover of BOC's "This
Ain't The Summer Of Love". The other, "The Next Big Thing", was not,
however it had some sleeve notes that were a direct reference to BOC:
"THE NEXUS OF THE CRISIS AND THE ORIGIN OF STORMS. 'THE SCREAMING
DIZBUSTERS - A DARK DEEP BRITTLE EXPERIMENT INVOLVING DUSTER'S DUST.
THE HARVESTER OF EYES AND THE MISTRESS OF THE SALMON SALT RAN INTO THE
BABY ICE DOG AT THE FOUR WINDS BAR. JUST ONE DEAL...THAT'S ALL IT
TOOK...AFTERALL, MIDNIGHT WAS THE BARRIER BACK IN '63. WATCH OUT! THE
ONE THEY CALL THE PROPHET - COVERS ON HIS EYES. TOO MUCH REVOLUTION?
THIS IS JUST A HOBBY FOR THESE GUYS - NUTHIN' Y'HEAR!? - A HOBBY!!'
PRODUCED BY ARTHUR COMICS FOR TRANSMANIACON M.C. IN THE WORKSHOP OF THE
TELESCOPES...SLEEVE BY CHARLES, THE GRINNING BOY FOR THERE GOES TOKYO
STUDIOS. FOR ANDY, RICHARD, SCOTT, RICH and ROSS without whom...not
forgetting ERIC BLOOM & BUCK DHARMA. Those were the days..."
As previously mentioned, the Minutemen's song, "Tour Spiel" was
written as a tribute to BOC. Some of the lyrical references include:
"I dreamed I was E. Bloom but I woke up Joe Bouchard in some town out on
the road", "With patent leather boots on (just like Richard told me),
another hack on the Spectres tour", and "Richard Meltzer gave me a hard
time".
On the Dictators song "Two Tub Man" (which appears on their 1975
album, *Go Girl Crazy*), there are some spoken words which include:
"Dig the boozers down there - there ain't no...You can bring on...Hay
Stack Balloon, Eric Bloom...I don't care who you bring here daddy-o..."
On Motorhead's *Bastards* album, there is a track titled "On Your
Feet or On Your Knees. In addition, the inner sleeve photos on the
album *Motorhead* show a *Secret Treaties* poster. Finally, Motorhead
uses an umlaut over the first 'o' in their logo.
The triple live CD by the Hoodoo Gurus, *Bite The Bullet* contains
the following name in the credits: "The Screaming Diz-Buster - Ron
Peno" Ron is the singer for the band Died Pretty. The Diz-Buster
mention is presumed to be in reference to his large penis.
Interviews with Metallica in the early 1990's indicated that their
song "Harvester Of Sorrows" is a tribute to BOC's "Harvester Of Eyes".
Further, they have also stated that they were concerned with doing
justice to BOC's "Astronomy" when they covered it on their *Garage,
Inc.* album.
Former Dream Syndicate guitarist Karl Precoda, who wrote the song
"Wings Of Mercury", which BOC played in concert in 1985 and 1986 started
a band by the name of "Last Days of May". They released an album with
the same title. One of the tracks on that release was entitled, "Sand,
Sea, And Space". One might speculate that this title was inspired by
Buck's "Wind, Weather, And Storm".
While not an explicit reference to BOC, many people have pointed
out that the main riff to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" bears a
striking resemblance to the main riff of BOC's "Godzilla".
A Styx fan reported that at a Styx concert in Japan, two members of
the band were criss-crossing their guitar necks under strobe lights.
This was one of the highlights of BOC's shows in the 1970's and early
1980's.
The organist at New York's Madison Square Garden may be a BOC fan.
Often during New York Rangers' hockey games, "Cities On Flame With Rock
And Roll" can be heard.
Other
-----
The September 1999 issue of "PC Computing" magazine has a
discussion (on page 135) of software related to "Godzilla". The
software is a download manager called "GoZilla". Included in the
discussion is the headline, "Oh, No! There goes Tokyo."
In a 1999 issue of the U.K. magazine "The Guitar Magazine", BOC's
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was voted number 16 in their "Riff of the
Millenium" poll.
In the January 2000 issue of the computer magazine "MacAddict", a
possible reference to BOC was made. In the "shutdown" section, a fake
correction to a previous issue had the line "what we meant to say was
that Joan Crawford has risen from the grave and we're all very afraid."
In 1992, at the 50th annual Hugo Awards (awards given out in the
field of Science Fiction) the bases for the trophies being given out
were a starfield design, upon which contained a constellation tracing
out the BOC symbol. The bases were designed by Phil Tortorici, who is
big fan of the group, and apparently no one questioned him about it when
he supplied the bases for the trophies.
In their coverage of the World Championships of Soccer in the late
1990's, Sweden's tabloid papers made a BOC reference in referring to one
of the games. The game was between Brazil and Denmark, which Brazil won
3 to 2. One of Denmark's players, Marc Rieper has a few chances to tie
the game before time ran out, but failed. The next day, a headline
read: "Don't Fear The Rieper".
Speaking of sports and BOC, in the spring of 1998, the Houston
Astros baseball team had a pitcher named Billy Wagner. On at least two
occasions, when his name was announced to the Houston crowd, BOC's
"Burnin' For You" was played. Presumably, Billy has a "burnin'"
fastball...
In 1999, some fans spotted the use of "Buck's Boogie" by Fox TV
during their coverage of NHL hockey. Specifically, the music was used
as background to a clip of NHL highlights called "Classic Clips". Also,
during the 1999 Stanley Cup finals between Buffalo and Dallas, "ME 262"
could be heard during one stoppage of play.
In 1995, some folks on BOC-L spotted a BOC reference in a Mercedes-
Benz commercial. The commercial asked the viewer if they remembered
various dreams they once had (saying, "You were gonna..."), implying
that you could achieve your dream of owning a Mercedes. The last
"dream" mentioned was: "You were gonna learn bar chords, and jam with
Blue Oyster Cult." Mercedes-Benz did get permission from the band to
use their name in the ad. Eric Bloom reports, "What did we get for it?
Well, I can't really say, but if you see a guy with a beard and
sunglasses on the Long Island Expressway driving a new C220..." On a
somewhat related note, Deborah Frost of the Brain Surgeons reported that
in 1998, a car program on Irish TV used the Brain Surgeons song, "Most
Romantic Place In the World" as background for the ultimate Mercedes
test drive.
The guitar solo section of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was used in a
television advertisement in 2000 by the online securities company Web
Street Securities. As the muisc plays, two boys are showned bicycling
away from an unseen danger during a lightning storm.
In May of 2000, a television advertisement for the Indianapolis 500
auto race featured BOC's version of "Born To Be Wild" as background
music.
BOC was also used for magazine advertisements for Ampex tape back
in 1979 and 1980. Under a picture of the band, the advertisement reads:
"Blue Oyster Cult dazzles rock fans everywhere with a spectacular laser
light show. They don't compromise on quality on tour or in the studio.
That's why the Cult's hit albums are mastered on Ampex Grand Master
recording tape."
BOC was mentioned in a 1999 advertisement for the Loopmaster
portable CD player. The March 1999 issue of *Maxim* magazine contained
the ad, which included the following words: "With 11 colors to choose
from, you can attach your player to your favorite band - green for
Greenday, blue for Blue Oyster Cult..."
There are at least 2 instances of BOC being on billboards. In
1977, a billboard at the entrance to Long Island showed the artwork for
*Spectres* with the words, "Welcome to Long Island - Home of Blue Oyster
Cult". In 1998, a billboard in Michigan for a classic rock station
showed a picture of Dr. Jack Kevorkian (known for assisting terminally-
ill people with their suicides) with the words, "Don't Fear The Reaper",
with "Blue Oyster Cult" written below it in smaller letters.
BOC also supplied music for a CD-ROM game called "Ripper". The
*Cult Classic* version of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is used. Also, one
of the puzzles in the game involves arranging tarot cards which have the
following words: "sun, fear, wind, reaper, seasons rain". Newsday
reported the following prior to its release:
"THE 19TH Century's most famous serial killer, London's Jack the Ripper,
resurfaces in New York in the year 2040, in Take 2 Interactive's
'Ripper.' The four-disc first-person cinematic adventure, two years and
$2.5 million in the making, features two hours of state-of-the-art
video, a sound track by Blue Oyster Cult (which includes their 'Don't
Fear The Reaper') and four endings. As a reporter tracking the killer,
the player interacts with a cast of 30, headed by Christopher Walken,
Karen Allen, Ossie Davis, Jimmy Walker, Burgess Meredith and Tahnee
Welch. Due Feb. 1 for the PC, March 1 for Sony Playstation, April-May
for Macintosh." Editor's notes: The dates listed are for 1996. The
only BOC music in the game is "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".
Fans of the computer adventure game "DOOM" can access a scene
inspired heavily by BOC. Known as the "BOC DOOM - Level 2 Site", it
contains segments of BOC songs for sound effects, cover art on the walls
of a maze (which is in the shape of the BOC symbol), and also some live
concert footage. It can be found at the following URL on the World Wide
Web:
http://www.europa.com/~doomer/bocdoom2.html
Another computer adventure game with a BOC tie-in is called
"Harvester". On the back of the game's box are several scenes from the
game. One of them shows a guy walking through a room full of eyes.
This appears to be a reference to BOC's song, "Harvester Of Eyes".
Speaking of computer games, the November 1998 issue of *Computer
Gaming World* has an ad for the game "Blood II, The Chosen". The BOC
symbol can be seen in the background of the ad.
Bands Covering BOC
==================
Tracking down all known covers of BOC tunes is probably an
impossible task. Several people have given me information on band's
covering BOC, although some of the bands may be local acts that most of
us have never heard of. Some of the covers were never recorded, while
others may exist on demo tapes only. For the most part, I have tried to
include only covers by artists that have actually recorded the cover on
one of their albums. I have used computer resources available to me to
verify as many of these covers as possible, and where available, I have
listed the recording on which the cover can be found (note: with the
proliferation of compilation albums and box sets, these recordings might
be found on multiple sources - the source listed is believed to be the
original source, and no effort has been made to track down every
available source). The information is presented in the following
format:
Artist - "BOC Cover" - *Recording Title*
Lee Aaron - "Beat 'em Up" - *Call Of The Wild* (released before BOC's)
Agents Of Fortune - "Stairway To The Stars", "Burnin' For You", O.D.'d
On Life Itself", "Lips In The Hills" - 4-track CD
Apollo 440 - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Millennium Fever*
Sebastian Bach - "Godzilla" - *Bring 'em Back Alive* (promo copy only)
Big Country - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Ships* (CD single)
Bigod 20 - "Dominance And Submission" - *One* (CD single)
The Boo Radleys - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
Braindamage - "Flaming Telepaths" - *The Turning Point*
Braindead - "Godzilla"
The Bridewell Taxis - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
CHOP (Mike Watt project) - "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" and
"She's As Beautiful As A Foot" - single
Current '93 - "This Ain't the Summer of Love" - *Swastikas For Noddy*
Dragstrip - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (instrumental) - *Reaction Time*
Fighting Gravity - "Godzilla" - *No Stopping, No Standing*
fIREHOSE - "The Red And The Black" - *Live Totem Pole EP*
Fu Manchu - "Godzilla" - single (10-inch vinyl)
- *Eatin' Dust* (different version than single)
Goo Goo Dolls - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Goo Goo Dolls*
Guitar Orchestra - "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" - *Interpretations*
Gumball - "She's as Beautiful As A Foot" - *Revolution On Ice*
Gus - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *"Scream" Movie Soundtrack*
Honeymoon Killers - "Godzilla" - *Let It Breed*
L7 - "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" - *"I Know What You Did Last
Summer" Movie Soundtrack*
Lizzy Borden - "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" - *Deal With The Devil*
Rose McDowall - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - single (U.K. 12" vinyl)
The Meatmen - "Hot Rails To Hell" - *Pope On A Rope*
The Meices - "Burnin' For You - *West X North-South*
(Compilation/Box Set)
Metal Flake Mother - "Godzilla" (live)
Metallica - "Astronomy" - *Garage, Inc.*
The Minutemen - "The Red And The Black" - *3 Way Tie (For Last)*
- "The Red And The Black" (live) - *Tour Spiel* (7" EP)
The Mutton Birds - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *"The Frighteners"
Movie Soundtrack*
The Panther Moderns - "See You In Black" - *Red Star* (John Shirley's
band released their own
version, with different
music, before BOC's *Heaven
Forbid*)
Radio Birdman - "Transmaniacon MC" - *Surfing At 2JJJ* (bootleg)
- "Career Of Evil" - *Rock'n'Roll War* (bootleg - credits
the song to "Bouchard/Smith - Blue Oyster Cult)
- *Murder City Nights* (bootleg - the
track is mislabeled "Career Beatle")
- "ME-262", "Before The Kiss", and "Dominance And
Submission" have also been covered live - unknown
whether or not recorded versions exist
Rattlebone - "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"
The Riverboys - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
David Roter - "Joan Crawford" - *Bambo*
- "Unknown Tongue" - *Bambo*
Clint Ruin & Lydia Lunch - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Don't Fear The
Reaper* (EP)
Screaming Dizbusters (The Nomads) - "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" -
single
The Screaming Tribesmen - "The Red And The Black"
The Sinners - "Dominance and Submission" - *Ten Year Jubilee* (EP)
Smashing Pumpkins - "Godzilla" (live) - *Tribute to BOC* (bootleg CD)
Patti Smith - "Fire Of Unknown Origin" (her original poem, with
instrumental accompaniment), formerly released as a b-side
to the single "Frederick" and on a 3-song EP, it was later
included as a bonus track on the CD re-release of her
*Wave* album
Superfuzz - "Godzilla" - *Godzilla* (CD - 3 different versions)
Teutonic Guilt - "Tenderloin"
Thanatos - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *665 - The Neighbor of the Beast*
Thunderpuss 2000 - "Godzilla" - single (4 dance remix versions)
Tommyknockers - "ME-262" and/or "Career Of Evil"
Too Hip For The Room - "Don't Fear The Reaper/Burnin' For You" medley -
*All-Time Greatest Hips*
- (See below) - *Don't Fear The Remake*
Bonnie Tyler - "Goin' Through The Motions" - *Faster Than the Speed of
Light*
UV's - "This Ain't the Summer of Love" - U.K. magazine *Bucketfull Of
Brains (#26)* flexidisc
Mike Watt - "Dominance And Submission" - *E-Ticket Ride* and
*Piss Bottle Man* (singles)
Helen Wheels - "Tattoo Vampire" - *Archetype*
White Flag/Tesco Vee - "Hot Rails To Hell" - *Wild Kingdom*
- "Hot Rails To Hell" (live) - *Feeding Frenzy*
World of Pooh - "Dominance and Submission" - *Not All That Terrifies
Harms* (compilation)
Also, the magazine *Forced Exposure* published a fake review of a
non-existent BOC tribute album. The review appears in issue #18 (Spring
1994). The fake album is called "Then Came The Last Days Of May", and
presumably features the following artists and BOC covers:
Crawlspace - "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"
Sonic Youth - "I'm On The Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep"
Helios Creed - "Career Of Evil"
DOS - "O.D.'d On Life Itself"
Kray Cherub - "Transmaniacon M.C."
Beme Seed - "Baby Ice Dog"
Skullflower's - "She's As Beautiful As A Foot"
MX-80 - "Tenderloin"
Sun City Girls - "Extraterrestrial Intelligence."
Note: Again, this album does not exits - the review is fake.
Speaking of BOC tribute albums, however, there now exists one. The
acoustic trio Too Hip For The Room has recorded an album of BOC covers.
Entitled *Don't Fear The Remake*, this album contains musical
contributions from Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, and Danny Miranda of BOC, as
well as contributions by BOC lyricist John Shirley, Buck Dharma's wife
and brothers, Broadway Blotto, and several BOC fans. The cover is a
hand-drawn parody of BOC's *Heaven Forbid* album cover. The tracklist
is given below, and noted where parts of BOC songs are "hidden" within
other songs:
1. "The History Of..." - spoken word intros by both Bolle Gregmar
(BOC Fanclub) and Eric Bloom (quoting a made-up biography of
the band, Too Hip For The Room, which contains parodied
references to BOC's own career - instrumental portions of "Joan
Crawford", "After Dark", "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Seven
Screaming Dizbusters", "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" and the
intro to "I Love The Night" - this track is a take-off of the
Stephen King intro to the "Astronomy" single from *Imaginos*
2. "Godzilla"
3. "Fire Of Unknown Origin" - the lyrics are sung over the
instrumentation of "O.D.'d On Life Itself"
4. "Cagey Cretins"
5. "Sole Survivor"
6. "Overture From Guys & Aliens" - medly of "The Vigil", "E.T.I.",
and "Take Me Away"
7. "Searchin For Celine"/"Lips In The Hills"/"Joan Crawford"
8. "Harvester Of Eyes"
9. "Divine Wind" - also contains instrumental portions of
"Monsters"
10. "Veins" - features "The Fabulous Roeser Brothers" (Brian, John,
and Don, aka Buck Dharma)
11. "Black Blade"/"Last Days Of May" - "Last Days Of May" is sung
over the instrumentation to portions of "Before The Kiss, A
Redcap" (Danny Miranda contributed to this track) - also
contains a small portion from "Monsters".
12. "In Thee" - a portion of the vocals sung by Buck Dharma
13. "Dragon Lady" - contains a small portion of "I Love The Night"
14. "Mirrors"
15. "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars"
16. "Shooting Shark"
17. "Unknown Tongue"
Editor's Note: This CD sounds very little like BOC as the band is not
trying to faithfully reproduce the songs the way BOC recorded them.
These versions are very different from the originals - often humourous,
and always interesting. Non-BOC fans might enjoy the music, but would
not appreciate the subtleties and inside jokes that fill this CD. It
is, however, highly recommended for any BOC fan.
The band also released, as an MP3 download, a "Christmas Medley" of
5 BOC songs with modified lyrics for the holidays - "Don't Fear the
Reindeer" (Don't Fear The Reaper), "Carafe Of Eggnog" (Career Of Evil),
"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Lips In The Hills), "Take Your Gift
Back" (See You In Black), "Present Underneath The Stairs" (Power
Underneath Despair).
More information can be found at Too Hip For The Room's website:
http://members.aol.com/toohiproom/
To obtain a copy of this release, write to:
Too Hip For The Room
P.O. Box 1300
Bellmore, NY 11710
Or send e-mail inquiries to [email protected]
Finally, while not a "band" cover of a BOC song, a "Muzak" version
of BOC's "I Love The Night" apparently exists. In 1999 and 2000,
several BOC fans confirmed hearing this instrumental version. Often
referred to as "elevator music", "Muzak" (a name formed by combining
"music" with "Kodak", the favorite high-tech company of the founder of
Muzak), refers to instrumental versions of songs that are played, among
other places, in department stores and dentist offics, or while people
are placed "on hold" while on the telephone. Those fans who have heard
the Muzak version of "I Love The Night" were not sure if the version was
a complete re-recording, or whether audio from the original version was
used.
The BOC/Michael Moorcock Connection
===================================
Science-Fiction writer and former Hawkwind member Michael Moorcock
has collaborated with Eric Bloom on three BOC tunes: "The Great Sun
Jester", "Black Blade", and "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars". The lyrics
to these songs have been inspired by, or used in several of Moorcock's
works.
"The Great Sun Jester" is mentioned in two of his novels: "The
Fireclown" (a line from the song), and "The Transformation of Miss Mavis
Ming" (this latter has recently been included in a collection of
Moorcock's stories under the title "Constant Fire" - the collection
itself is called "Behold the Man and other stories"). Perhaps
coincidental, but in "The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming" (titled
"Messiah at the End of Time" in the U.S.), the character who appears
claiming to be the Fire Clown states one of his many names as Emmanuel
Bloom (E. Bloom - co-author of "The Great Sun Jester"?).
The song "Black Blade" refers to Elric the albino king, featured
prominently in several Moorcock stories (e.g. "Elric of Melnibone",
"Stormbringer"). Elric was a melancholic individual who relied on a
supernatural, but treacherous sword for his strength and vigor. The
"Black Blade" is that sword, which rules its master, and eventually the
universe.
The title of the song, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" was used in
Moorcock's "The Dragon in the Sword" (published in 1987) -- "We are the
lost, we are the last, we are the unkind. We are the Warriors at the
Edge of Time. We are the cold, the halt, the deaf, the blind. Fate's
frozen forces, veterans of the psychic wars..." (from "The Dragon in the
Sword", p.68.) In addition, the line "we are veterans of a thousand
psychic wars" appears in Moorcock's song "Standing On The Edge", which
appeared on Hawkwind's 1975 concept album, *Warrior On The Edge Of
Time*.
There is an interesting connection between two of the three
BOC/Moorcock tunes. One of the lyrics in "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars"
refers to "the winds of limbo". "The Winds Of Limbo" was the
alternative title of Moorcock's novel, "The Fireclown". As previously
mentioned, "the fireclown" is mentioned in song "The Great Sun Jester".
In addition to the three songs mentioned, Michael Moorcock also
wrote lyrics for a BOC song which eventually became "Feel The Thunder".
Although the lyrics were not used, some form of them were eventually
used in the song, "Sleep Of A Thousand Tears", which was released on
Hawkwind's 1985 album, *Chronicle Of The Black Sword*.
Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock once performed "Black Blade" and
"Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" together in 1987 at the Dungeons and
Dragons convention, "Dragoncon '87". Moorcock has also performed
slightly different forms of the songs "Black Blade" and "The Great Sun
Jester" as spoken-word pieces. "Black Blade" was performed in 1977 (3
years before appearing on *Cultosaurus Erectus*), and "The Great Sun
Jester was performed with Hawkwind in the early 1980's.
Hidden Messages
===============
The song, "You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)" (from *Mirrors*)
contains the lyric, "All of the fancy ladies, oh they could talk, and
talk", after which a few seconds of high-pitched "babbling" can be
heard. The "babbling" is actually some spoken words speeded up -- by
slowing down the section, a portion of the Lord's Prayer ("Our Father,
who art in Heaven"), repeated over and over, can be clearly heard.
According to Bolle Gregmar, Tom Werman inserted a sped-up recording of
the Lord's Prayer in the recording as a joke (this same sped-up clip was
also used by Werman on Cheap Trick's 1978 album, *Heaven Tonight* -- on
the song "How Are You", this same clip is played after singer Robin
Zander sings "You talk too much, you even scare my friends"). The words
are believed to be spoken by Tom Werman himself. Some anti-rock
religious zealots have claimed that the spoken words are actually,
"Furthermore, our father who art in heaven . . . Satan", however there
is a loud thump where the word "Satan" is, and (in the editor's opinion,
who once heard this as presented by some anti-rock religious zealots)
can not be clearly made out.
On *Cultosaurus Erectus*, at the very end of the song, "Black
Blade", as it is fading out, the "voice of the Black Blade" can be heard
to say, "You poor fucking humans". This is in the overlap between the
fadeout of the song and the explosions that kick off "Monsters" (the
next track). It may help to use headphones and turn the volume up as
the song is fading out to hear this, but it's not necessary - once you
know what to listen for, it's not too hard to pick it out. (WARNING -
If you do use this method to hear this, make sure you turn it back down
before the first notes of the next track, "Monsters" begins!). This is
not on the version of "Black Blade" on *Extraterrestrial Live* (which
does not fade out).
On *Flat Out* (Buck Dharma's solo album), there is a "backwards"
recording after one of the songs. Presumably this was done as a joke as
during the time that the album was released (early 1980's), lots of rock
groups were being accused by religious zealots that their lyrics
contains satanic messages recorded backwards. The actual recording is
of two people playing ping pong, and discussing some things about the
album (nothing satanic). The Fan Club lyric book titles this song Gnop
Gnip (ping pong spelled backwards) and gives the following. You have to
read it backwards though:
>
> haeeY
> kcehc dnuos a rof tsuj si siht wonk I tub ass yruoy kcik dluoc I
> hoo-hoO
> cisum lavitsef mlif hu nevele lennahC
> eb ot desu cisum nevele lennahc eht wonk'y ekil sdnuos tI
> taht ekil gnihtemos ro evif songnoB
> dellac ti s'tahw...hu, sognob, haey hO
> sognob oeretS
> drocer ognob oerets ylraE
> ognod a evah I, evah I
BOC on Video
============
In the early 1980's ("Cultosaurus Erectus" tour), BOC toured with
Black Sabbath on a "Black and Blue" tour. The bands would alternate who
would be the headliner depending the city in which they were performing.
A video was released of the concert on 10/17/1980 at Nassau Coliseum,
New York. A Japanese version (complete with subtitles) is available
through various video distributors (see *Goldmine* or *Discoveries* for
video dealers - it's probably not available at your local video stores).
The video switches back an forth between the two bands every 3-4 songs.
The video also contains a video of "The Marshall Plan" (studio version
of the song), where a clean-shaven Eric Bloom plays the part of Johnny.
According to Bolle Gregmar, the video is only available commercially on
laserdisc. However, copies on video cassette can be found.
There is a video of the *Live 1976* performance (same title). It
contains all the songs on the album, plus "E.T.I.". Actually, it was
never intended as a "video", and was actually shot live at the Capital
Center (Largo, Maryland) in 1976 and projected on large screens at the
show (a common practice at the Capital Center - somewhat ahead of it's
time in 1976). Someone kept a copy of the footage, and turned it into a
video. When BOC performed at the Capital Center again in 1978, again
video on large screens was used, but the film was apparently not kept.
The sound quality of the video has been sharply criticized -- the
"quality" is good, but it is very poorly mixed. This same poor mix
appears on the *Live 1976* CD as well. Sound quality aside, the video
quality is quite good, and captures the band on its *Agents Of Fortune*
tour, complete with lasers, individual solos, and a 5-man guitar jam.
In 1998, this release was also released on DVD (digital videodisc).
While not an official video, many people made video copies of a
broadcast of a BOC show on 10/9/1981 in Hollywood, Florida. The
broadcast, which was part of the "Blue Jean Network", was simulcast on
MTV and other TV stations, as well as several radio stations. Many of
the songs at this show were used for the *Extraterrestrial Live* album.
Videos for the following songs have been made: "The Marshall Plan"
(which was included with the "Black and Blue" video), "Burnin' For You",
"Joan Crawford" (which MTV apparently found too controversial to show,
it also features a cameo by Steve Schenck), "Veteran Of The Psychic
Wars" (live, from *Extraterrestrial Live*), "Roadhouse Blues" (live
video of the band at the Country Club in Reseda, CA on 12/15/1981, with
Robbie Krieger), "Born To Rock", "Your Loving Heart", "Take Me Away",
"Shooting Shark", and "Dancin' In The Ruins". A version of "Godzilla"
(live shots of the band, interspersed with clips from various Godzilla
movies) may also exist. A video for "Astronomy" (from *Imaginos*) was
also made, but never released in the U.S. In addition to the above
videos, BOC made a promotional live video of 3 songs from *Mirrors*
("Mirrors", "In Thee", "The Great Sun Jester"), and a promotional live
video of 4 songs ("R. U. Ready 2 Rock", "Godzilla", "Born To Be Wild",
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper") from their 12/30/1977 show in Cobo Hall,
Detroit Michigan. Buck Dharma is also featured in the "Metal Head"
video by Blotto, on which Buck also played the guitar solo). Buck and
Eric also appeared on the video *Stars* for the "Hear 'n Aid" project
previously mentioned in the FAQ.
While The Brain Surgeons have not made any official videos, Brain
Surgeon's guitarist Peter Bohovesky has a role in Alanis Morissette's
video, "One Hand in my Pocket" as this guy in puppet outfit scaring a
child. According to Deborah Frost, Peter makes puppets (life-size
costumes, not hand puppets) for his mother's well known non-profit
children's theater company, the Hudson Vagabond Players. A video
producer was interested in using the puppet costumes for the video.
However, they are difficult for the inexperienced to maneuver in, so
Peter, who's familiar with the way they work, wore one for the video.
Albert and Joe Bouchard appear playing with David Roter's band in
June of 1998. Albert plays drums and Joe plays keyboards. The video,
which also features Pete Bohovesky, Jack Rigg, and others playing with
David Roter, includes a performance of BOC's "Joan Crawford" (the lyrics
were written by Roter). This video was previously available through
Cellsum Records. See the section on contacting Albert Bouchard and
Deborah Frost for more information.
As previously mentioned in the FAQ, a video was made containing
footage of the 1997 Buck Dharma Band Ricky Browning Benefit. See the
section in the FAQ on this event for more information (including
ordering information).
In addition to videos, BOC has made several appearances on
television over the years. BOC appeared on the *Merv Griffin Show*,
mock-performing (actually, they were only lip-synching and pretending to
perform to their recordings) "Burnin' For You" and "(Don't Fear) The
Reaper". They later mock-performed the *Extraterrestrial Live* version
of "Burnin' For You" on *The Uncle Floyd Show*. For *The Tomorrow
Show*, BOC would play live versions of "Burnin' For You" and "Joan
Crawford", interspersed with an interview of Buck and Eric. BOC was one
of two bands featured on *Search* news magazine segment on rock music
and hearing loss, where Allen is shown taking a hearing test. Allen and
Joe are interviewed on the *Night Flight* show, and the (MTV-banned)
"Joan Crawford" video was also shown. BOC also appeared on two shows
which discussed issues dealing with rock music and the Devil, *That Teen
Show* (where Buck, Eric, and Allen were interviewed) and *Take Off*
(where Eric was interviewed). Eric and Rick Downey are interviewed on
the set by Martha Quinn (Martha would later star in the *Bad Channels*
movie). On the show *Fridays*, Allen performed on piano and keyboards
for three songs with the Jim Carroll Band. In 1991, BOC was on Rick
Dee's *Into The Night* program on ABC, playing "Godzila" and "(Don't
Fear) The Reaper". Also, in 1988, Buck, Eric, and Jon Rogers appeared
on the British edition of MTV for a 25-minute interview. They also
debuted the "Astronomy" video on this show.
BOC Collectibles
================
It is probably an impossible task to identify all of the various
BOC collectibles that are out there. In addition, most of the
collectibles were made during the 1970's and early 1980's, so many will
be hard, if not impossible to find. The three best sources for trying
to find BOC collectibles are probably the fanclub, the internet, or
dealers/collectors advertising in magazines such as *Goldmine*.
After collecting albums, live recordings, videos, and numerous t-
shirts, one of the more popular BOC collectibles has been tour programs.
There were a total of seven different tourbooks published: three in the
U.S., three in the U.K., and one in Japan. The first tourbook (14" x
11") was put out in 1977 in the U.S. for the *Spectres* tour. For the
1978 U.K. tour (*Spectres*/*Some Enchanted Evening*), the same book was
used, but was produced at a small size (10" x 8"). For BOC's 1979 tour
of Japan (*Some Enchanted Evening*), a Japanese tourbook (14" x 10") was
printed. BOC also released a tourbook in the U.K. (10" x 9") in 1979
for the *Mirrors* tour. For some reason, no U.S. tourbook for *Mirrors*
was produced -- only a poster-magazine titled "Rockbill" which had a
band biography, some pictures, and an order form for Satin tour jackets
(another BOC collectible). Tourbooks were also released in the U.S. in
1980 for the *Cultosaurus Erectus* tour (9" x 12") and in 1981 for the
*Fire Of Unknown Origin* tour (11.75" x 11.75"). Finally, a tourbook
for the 1986 *Club Ninja* tour (10" x 9") was produced, and the
leftovers were later sold in the U.S. Note: Much of the information on
tour programs was provided by Melne Murphy of the BOC Fan Club, which
appeared in an article in the fan club's newsletter, "Morning Final".
One other collectible for musicians who are BOC fans are songbooks.
Warner Brothers Publications produced three BOC songbooks which included
basic piano arrangements, guitar chords (no tablature), and lyrics. The
most interesting of the three was the *Anthology* book, released in
1978. The cover of the book was the *Some Enchanted Evening* cover, and
it included all of the songs on *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* (with
the exception of "Buck's Boogie", "Maserati GT", and "Born To Be Wild"),
*Some Enchanted Evening*, as well as "This Ain't The Summer Of Love".
Also released in 1978 was *Spectres/Agents Of Fortune*, which contained
all the songs from those two albums. Interestingly enough, *Agents Of
Fortune* came before *Spectres*, but the songbook lists all the songs
from *Spectres* first. The third book from Warner Brothers was for
*Mirrors*, and was released in 1979. These three songbooks are long out
of print. According to Bolle Gregmar, Warner Brothers also released 3
BOC songs as sheet music: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "In Thee", and
"Dancin' In The Ruins". Finally, the Hal Leonard Corporation recently
released a songbook for *Cult Classic*. This book contains both musical
notation and tablature for guitar for all the songs on *Cult Classic* --
even the guitar leads and solos.
Other BOC collectibles include (but are not limited to): badges,
pendants, keychains, dice (pictures of a BOC keychain and BOC dice are
printed on the two CDs which make up *Workshop Of The Telescopes*),
stickers, baseball caps, visors, scarves, headbands, belt buckles,
patches, pins, promo photos, cardboard standups, and guitar picks.
Finally, one might consider published articles about BOC as a
collectible. Most articles on BOC, aside from local newspaper articles
(usually coinciding with a BOC show), can be found in music magazines
from the 1970's and 1980's. A good place to start would be magazines
such as *Creem*, *Circus*, *Hit Parader*, *Rolling Stone*, and
*Kerrang*.
In addition to various live recordings and interviews captured by
fans on tape, there exists a set of recordings from the spring of 1981
to the summer of 1982 when Eric Bloom acted as a gues DJ, on WLIR-FM in
New York. The show was called "Every Wednesday Nite With Eric Bloom"
with host Ben Manilla. The show was sometimes nicknamed "The Bozo
Patrol", after a "Bozo Patrol Theme Song" which Eric and Ben created.
6. Three Men in Black Said, "Don't Report This" -- More Sources Of Info
Bolle Gregmar -- BOC/Brain Surgeons Fan Clubs
=============================================
Bolle Gregmar (who has personally known the band since around 1975)
is listed on BOC's *Cult Classic* and *Heaven Forbid*, and The Brain
Surgeon's albums as the person to write to for fan club information.
Bolle is also the proprietor of "The Museum of Cult", where BOC fans
from all over the world go to see and hear the most complete collection
of BOC music, information, and memorabilia. Also involved in running
the fan club is Melne Murphy, most famous as the artist responsible for
the cover of *Cult Classic*. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to
the following address for more information:
P.O. Box 931324
Los Angeles, CA 90093
The BOC Fan Club has published fourteen issues of the fan club
newsletter, "Morning Final". Issues #1-10 were published between 1990
and 1993, with issues #11-14 published from 1995 to 1997. Currently, no
future issues are planned, but the fanclub has a strong on-line presence
(on "America On-Line" -- see the section "BOC On AOL" for more
information), and has set up a website at the following URL:
http://www.bocfanclub.com
The fan club can be reached by e-mail. Questions can be directed
to the following e-mail address:
[email protected]
Back issues of "Morning Final" are available. Issues #1-10 are
available as a compilation, for those who joined the fanclub after they
were published. The complete set of all fourteen issues is also
available. In addition, the fanclub published a BOC lyric book, and is
the definitive source for BOC lyrics.
Editor's Note: The publications by the fan club are extremely
well-done, and contain a wealth of information for any BOC fan.
Church Of The Cult -- BOC Fan Club For French Fans
==================================================
There is a BOC fanclub based out of France, known as the "Church Of
The Cult", run by Jean-Luc Carrier. The fanclub produces a newsletter,
titled "Blue Pearl", which is mostly in French. For more information on
this fanclub, write to:
Church Of The Cult
134, Rue de Periole
31500 Toulouse
France
Or, Jean-Luc can be reached via e-mail: [email protected]
Buck Dharma Mailing List
========================
Buck Dharma has authorized and created a T-shirt commemorating the
*Flat Out* Album. The graphic is a full color rendition of the Flat
White Wall Tire from the back cover of the album looming out of a high
quality black T-shirt with BUCK DHARMA FLAT OUT in righteous lettering.
More information about Buck's work, new merchandise, and e-mail
mailing list will be available at his new website -
http://www.buckdharma.com
Or, you can request information by sending mail to:
DHARMA
PO Box 6145
Fair Haven NJ 07704
Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost -- The Brain Surgeons
=======================================================
Former BOC drummer Albert Bouchard, and his wife Deborah Frost, now
both with The Brain Surgeons, are both members of the BOC/Hawkwind E-
Mail list. Members of BOC-L can reach them via the list. If you are
interested in obtaining Brain Surgeons information, and the latest
Cellsum Records Catalog (which includes The Brain Surgeons discography,
plus other releases such as Joe Bouchard's "X Brothers" CD), write to:
Cellsum Records,
P.O. Box 1070
Fort George Station
New York, N.Y. 10040
More information about The Brain Surgeons can be obtained at the
band's website - http://www.cellsum.com
BOC Newswire - Latest BOC News And Tour Dates
=============================================
This E-Mail list is strictly for receiving announcements about the
latest BOC news and tour updates. To subscribe, send an e-mail message
to:
[email protected]
BOC-L -- The BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail List
=====================================
There is an E-Mail discussion group (moderated by Ben Cohen)
dedicated to discussing the bands Blue Oyster Cult and Hawkwind (since
both bands have many similarities). To subscribe to the BOC-L mailing
list, you must send a mail message to the following address:
[email protected]
with a message body of:
SUB BOC-L
Editor's Note: The subscription request address (well, the old
address -- BOC-L has been upgraded since then) is listed on the Brain
Surgeons' album, *Trepanation*, so you know this is a great group to be
a part of.
You should receive an introductory file, after which you must
confirm that you want to sign up. Once added to the list, you will
receive all posts to the list. Occasionally, some people have problems
signing on the list at the above address. If you do, contact the list
moderator via e-mail: [email protected]
Why does this discussion group handle both BOC and Hawkwind? Well,
there are several similarities between the groups. Both groups have
relatively small, but loyal (and somewhat rabid) followings. Both
groups play a similar style of music, and have been around for years.
The music of both groups is heavily drawn-from science-fiction/fantasy
themes. In addition, Michael Moorcock, who co-wrote 3 of BOC's tunes
(see previous discussion in the FAQ), has also been a member of
Hawkwind.
BOC on AOL
==========
The internet service provider, "America On-Line" is the host to
some of the most prolific on-line BOC discussion as the heads of the
fanclub (Bolle Gregmar and Melne Murphy), along with Eric Bloom, Buck
Dharma, and Danny Miranda are AOL subscribers. Several BOC-related
"folders" (similar to internet newsgroups, but only accessible to AOL
members) are resident in AOL's "Music Space". Along with numerous on-
line fans, notices from the fanclub and the band are regularly posted
there. In particular, Eric Bloom posts the latest touring information
there, which usually gets disseminated to other on-line locations.
In addition, there are folders set up for "Soft White Underbelly",
"Oaxaca", "The Red And The Black", and "Buck Dharma", where a few
hardcore fans participate in electronic dialog. Like the BOC folder,
folders for these groups are also found under "Classic Rock". A "Brain
Surgeons" folder has also appeared in the "Classic Rock" folder, with
participation from Albert Bouchard, Deborah Frost, Billy Hilfiger, and
Joe Bouchard.
For AOL members, a direct link to all of the BOC and related
message boards can be found by following in your AOL browser:
aol://4344:128.BOCmain.1346456.543903049
Otherwise, the following sequence will take you to this area:
Click on "Music Space" on the "Channels" screen
Click on "Chat and Messages"
Click "Fans and Followers" Folder
Click "Blue Oyster Cult"
AOL's "Music Space" also links one to "The Nightclub", AOL's on-
line music chat center. BOC chats are held there regularly - currently
either the first or second Tuesday night of every month, from 10 pm to
midnight, Eastern Time. Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, and Danny Miranda
participate regularly on these sessions, and some chats have included
participation by other members of the band. Along with some of BOC's
biggest fans, Bolle Gregmar, Melne Murphy, Sandy Roeser (Buck's wife),
Rick Downey, Albert Bouchard, Deborah Frost, Billy Hilfiger and others
have participated in the chats as well.
BOC on the Web
==============
With the explosion of the World Wide Web, BOC and BOC-related sites
are appearing all the time, and it is no longer possible to keep up with
all of them. The FAQ will list many of them, but this is not an
exhaustive list. However, if you access every website listed in the
FAQ, and every link that each of those sites list, you will probably
cover 99% of all BOC information available on the World Wide Web. Good
luck, and plan on spending a lot of time on-line.
Official BOC Sites
------------------
http://www.blueoystercult.com
(The Official BOC Website - band info, history, news, tour dates, and
more)
http://www.bocfanclub.com
("The BOC Fanclub" - this is the official website of the BOC fanclub -
lots of information on BOC and the fanclub, plus rare pictures of the
band and memorabilia)
http://www.buckdharma.com
(Buck Dharma's new home on the web - information, music, photos, guitar
stuff, chats, fun and games)
http://www.cmcinternational.com
(CMC International Records - Distributors of the *Summerdaze* CD, and
BOC's latest album, *Heaven Forbid*. They have a BOC page, with the
album cover artwork, a discography, and soundclips for "See You In
Black" at: http://www.cmcinternational.com/boc.html)
http://www.legacyrecordings.com/boc
(Columbia/Legacy, part of Sony Music, responsible for re-mastering BOC's
back catalog. This BOC page has information on Sony's BOC releases,
photos, links, and includes a clip of the band playing "(Don't Fear) The
Reaper" in 1976.
http://www.sonymusic.com/
(Sony Music, which carries BOC's past available U.S. releases as well as
*Workshop Of The Telescopes*. They have added a BOC page, which
contains pictures, sound bytes, links to other sites, and more at:
http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/BlueOysterCult/)
http://www.mazurpr.com/
(Mazur Public Relations - handles publicity for many bands, including
BOC)
Fan and Reference Sites
-----------------------
http://members.aol.com/bocfaqman/
("The Home of the BOC FAQ MAN" - the FAQ editor's BOC website - contains
links to the FAQ, news, an online quiz to test your FAQ knowledge, and
several other links)
http://members.aol.com/tbspostop/
("The Brain Surgeons Post-Op" - the FAQ editor's Brain Surgeons website
- contains Brain Surgeons music in RealAudio format, links, tour
information, and an online version of the Cellsum Records catalog)
http://j-and-a.com/boc.html
("Blue Oyster Cult Online" - contains links to numerous sites, photos,
and an online bulletin board where BOC fans can post messages. A java-
based chat is also available.)
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/6801/boc.html
("Flaming Telepaths" - the oldest BOC site on the web - contains links
to other BOC sites, as well as some sound files)
http://members.aol.com/mileskb/boc/
("On Tour Forever" - latest news on the band, including up-to-date tour
information, and links to other BOC sites)
http://members.aol.com/BillyD64/PFF.html
("The Peasant Fan Foundation" - a site for BOC fans - links,
discussions, and member-submitted essays)
http://members.aol.com/Miles9000/TCIring.html
("The Church of Imaginos Web-Ring" - links, member pages, and regular
BOC fan chat sessions - America On-Line members can access specific AOL
BOC-related areas)
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Towers/1615/
("Imaginos" - contains links, interviews, news, and personal reviews of
each BOC album and song by the author.)
http://members.aol.com/vegas4boc/
("Las Vegas BOC Connection" - contains current info on the band,
upcoming concerts, and links to other sites)
http://members.aol.com/LoriNorris/boc.htm
("OysterAnn's BOC Web Page" -- current band photos, links, and
information)
http://www.geocities.com/~tyranny1/index-a.html
("Ezekiel's Wheel" - contains links, pictures, artwork, and interviews)
http://www.usd.edu/~tgannon/boc.html
("TCG's BOC Page" - contains BOC links, guitar tab archives, and
artwork)
http://www.angelfire.com/sc/arthurcomics/
("The Devil's Music Index" - review of a recent BOC show, and a review
of *Heaven Forbid* and *Blue Oyster Cult*)
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/blueoystercult/
("Todd's BOC Page" - discography and sounds)
http://members.aol.com/orion31161/boc.htm
("Mike's BOC Page" - links and photos)
http://members.aol.com/BabyIceDog/ScrMaus.htm
("The Secret Room in the Mausoleum" - BOC and Dark Shadows pictures and
links)
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/4774/
("Salute The Four Quarters" - lots of BOC pictures and links)
http://members.aol.com/Miles9000/MadnessToTheMethod.html
("Madness To The Method" - links and BOC-related artwork)
http://home.cdsnet.net/~mcfamily/boc.htm
(several BOC links, and some pictures)
http://145.89.82.151/~martijn/boc/boc.htm
("BOCbase" - A noble attempt to put all known BOC releases, concerts,
and BOC-related releases into a database.)
http://listserv.spc.edu/archives/boc-l.html
(archives of BOC-L postings - view postings by week, or search the
archives by keywords)
http://www.egroups.com/list/blueoystercult/
(archives of BOC e-mail list - similar to BOC-L, but dedicated solely to
BOC conversation - contains information on how to subscribe to the list)
http://jump.to/boc
("dotBOC" web portal - providing BOC links, chat, and free BOC e-mail)
http://boc.jumptunes.com
("The Belfry" - album reviews, and an interpretation of *Imaginos*)
Artwork and Photography Sites
-----------------------------
http://members.aol.com/edtheedge/
("Cagey Cretin's Classic Cult Chronicles" - lots of great photos of BOC
live and backstage from recent tours)
http://www.wwa.com/~crownos
("The Endless Shadow Bar" - artwork inspired by BOC and related bands)
http://home.earthlink.net/~grozeb/
("The Mystic Sign" - BOC-inspired artwork)
http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/zgists/wre/photo/boc.html
(several pictures from a 1981 BOC concert)
http://members.aol.com/MyBOC2u/
("Del Rio's Page" - lots of pictures of current BOC shows)
http://members.tripod.com/~bfried7/cult.htm
(live pictures from the "laser era")
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/Mall/1697/boc1.html
(live pictures from 1998 and links)
http://fortunecity.zing.com/album/?id=4294181861
(live pictures of BOC from the 1970's)
BOC-Related Sites
-----------------
http://www.cellsum.com
(Cellsum Records - official site for the Brain Surgeons - news, tour
dates, merchandise - includes other Cellsum artists like Joe Bouchard,
Helen Wheels, and David Roter)
http://www.j-and-a.com/rose.htm or http://www.roselegacy.com/
(The Rose Legacy Corporation Home Page - information about Ricky
Browning, the Buck Dharma Band benefit to raise money for him, and
information on ordering products associated with this event)
http://w3.nai.net/~xbros/
(The X Brothers Home Page - information about Joe Bouchard's CD release
of original material that he performed with the band known as "The Cult
Brothers" - contains album ordering information, photos, and lyrics)
http://www.placecalledrage.com/
(Place Called Rage - side project of BOC bassist Danny Miranda -
Savatage guitarist Al Pitrelli, who has played live with BOC, is also
part of this project)
http://www.darkecho.com/JohnShirley.html
(website for author and current BOC lyricist John Shirley - contains
information about his books, his music, interviews, and more)
http://www.nealsmith.com
(website for Neal Smith, who has collaborated with Joe Bouchard on a few
CDs - information on the Bouchard Dunaway & Smith CD, *Back From Hell*
can be found here)
http://www.lesvegas.com/
(website for Soft White Underbelly lead vocalist Les Braunstein -
information on his new album "Fools Gold", and more)
http://www.aumcreations.com/helenwheels/
(website for BOC and Brain Surgeons lyricist Helen Wheels - contains
information, pictures, CD ordering information, and more)
http://www.triversmyersmusic.com
(website for the jingle company formed by husband/wife team of John
Trivers and Liz Myers - John Trivers played bass in Eric Bloom's band,
"The Lost and Found" in the 1960's, and both Trivers and Myers
collaborated with BOC on a few songs - Liz Meyers also co-wrote the hit
song by Eddie Money, "Shakin'")
http://www.oceanstar.com/~fi/patti/
(website for Patti Smith - information, links, pictures, and more)
http://JimCarroll.forbin.com/
(website for Jim Carroll - information, pictures, and more)
http://www.gsmith.com
(website for Greg Smith - temporary bassist for BOC over the summer of
1995)
http://www.cerisano.com
(website for Joey Cerisano - lead vocal on "The Siege And Investiture Of
Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" on *Imaginos*
http://www.ronriddle.baka.com/
(website for Ron Riddle - who played drums for BOC from 1987 to 1991)
http://www.geocities.com/JudyGirls/Kasim.html
(fan's website for Kasim Sulton - who briefly played live with BOC in
Allen Lanier's absense)
http://www.dicktrismen.com
(website for Dick Trismen - who has provided lyrics for a few BOC songs)
Other Related Commercial Sites
------------------------------
http://www.mofi.com/
(Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab - Producers of the re-mastered *Agents Of
Fortune* and *Blue Oyster Cult*/*Tyranny And Mutation* "gold" CDs. Now
out of business.)
http://www.rollingstone.com
(website for *Rolling Stone* magazine - there's some articles and info
on BOC - look under the "B" section for the link to BOC's area)
http://www.artist-shop.com
("The Artist Shop", a music store dedicated to independent artists.
Cellsum Records has a page at this site - CDs by the Brain Surgeons, X
Brothers, and other Cellsum artists can be ordered there, and the site
has a few sound clips of Brain Surgeons and X Brothers music. In
addition, the Artist Shop hosts online chats with artists - Buck Dharma
has done two of them, and the Ricky Browning Benefit video can also be
ordered from here.)
http://www.harpersguitars.com
(Harper Guitars website - This manufacturer has made custom BOC guitars
for both Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma, which they have been playing in
concert. Pictures of the guitars, are at this website, as well as
ordering information.)
http://www.europa.com/~doomer/bocdoom2.html
(The "BOC DOOM 2" site - downloading of the level is available)
http://www.CDaddy.com/
(Crawdaddy website - One of the first rock magazines, *Crawdaddy* had
Richard Meltzer and Sandy Pearlman as major contributors in the late
1960's. Information on new issues, or ordering reprints of the original
issues from the 1960's, is available at this site.)
http://www.ubl.com/
(The Ultimate Band List - both BOC and The Brain Surgeons have cards
with links to other sites)
http://www.hardradio.com/
("HardRadio" - an online radio station specializing in hard rock and
heavy metal - contains sound samples of songs from *Heaven Forbid*)
http://www.goodnoise.com/
("Goodnoise" - a company which distributes music via the internet -
former BOC manager Sandy Pearlman is their vice president of media and
artist development)
http://www.stormbirds.com
("Stormbirds" - a site dedicated to ME-262 aircraft - lots of great
pictures and information - including information on a project to produce
new ME-262 aircraft based on the original specifications)
http://www.cliffhouse.com
(website for the Cliff House Hotel in San Fransisco - a photo of the
second "Cliff House" appears on the cover of *Imaginos*)
http://www.ebay.com
("Ebay" - one of the largest Internet auction sites - many BOC and
related items are auctioned there regularly, including many hard-to-find
items - it is recommended that one uses the "Search" page to search on
"Blue Oyster Cult" and check the box that says "search title and
description")
Other Online Sources
====================
Discussions on BOC also appear on some of the internet newsgroups
(also known as "USENET"). There is an "official" BOC internet
newsgroup, called "alt.music.blueoystercult". BOC discussion may also
occasionally appear on "alt.rock-n-roll", "alt.rock-n-roll.classic", and
"alt.rock-n-roll.hard".
As mentioned in the list of websites, there is another BOC mailing
list, similar to BOC-L, but dedicated to only BOC discussion (that is,
no Hawkwind). To subscribe, send an empty message to the following
addres:
[email protected]
7. Think I'll Write "Good Health To You" -- Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright (c) 1995 - 2001 by John A. Swartz, FAQ editor. All rights
reserved. Permission for non-commercial distribution is hereby granted,
provided that this file is distributed intact, including this copyright
statement, and the disclaimer below. This file is not intended for
commercial distribution, and may not be distributed for financial gain,
or included in commercial collections without express permission from
the editor. SHARE THIS INFORMATION FREELY AND IN GOOD FAITH. DO NOT
DISTRIBUTE MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT. Versions of this
document may be published in the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format
for dissemination on the World Wide Web only after the editor's approval
of the modifications.
*SPECIAL NOTICE TO THOSE LINKING TO THE FAQ ON THEIR WEB PAGES*
It has been most encouraging to me to see all of the BOC-related
websites that have appeared, and even more encouraging that they link to
the FAQ. However, the proliferation of the FAQ on the World Wide Web is
causing me to lose track of who is linking to the FAQ. The main reason
for me wanting to know who is linking to the FAQ is so that I know who
to notify of future updates. So, I'm asking you to help me. Anyone who
wishes to link the FAQ to their web pages may do so (assuming that
their pages have something to do with BOC), however, I ask that you
please contact me to let me know you are doing this - I will add your e-
mail address to a distribution list so that I can notify you of future
changes.
E-Mail questions and suggestions to:
[email protected]
Complaints can be sent as well, but they will be ignored.
Disclaimer: I have done my best to ensure that the information
contained in this document is current and accurate, and as free from
personal biases (either my own or anyone who contributes information),
but I accept no responsibility for actions resulting from information
contained herein. Any opinions that are expressed in this document are
either my own, or one of the listed contributors. I accept no
responsibility for views expressed by individual contributors, other
than to ensure that they are attributed to the proper individual(s). My
personal views are too crazy to be attributed to anybody other than
myself.
This FAQ is "Y2K-compliant" - rather it was when we cared about such
things.
"Good Health To You",
John
