More old garbage

[bosshoss]

I have posted the second White Light Flyer (July 1977) a couple of times over the years, because I thought it gave a great idea of what "garage rock" collectors were aware of, around 1977, at the beginning of the punk explosion. I had not seen the first flyer which was done in April 1977, until my pal and ex-White Light employee (and celebrated poster artist) John Foy dug deep and came up with a copy for me. It's probably the only copy in existence at this stage. And further proof that White light was the first record store in the world which sold nothing but garage and punk rock (& r&r) records. Had to get that in!

You'll notice there are hardly any UK punk records listed. That's because hardly any had been released yet. Or we couldn't get any stock.

 

[gregk25]

The selection reads pretty much spotless (Shakin Stevens wasn't that bad at the start). But I'd be curious to hear how many people in Sydney where hip to these cool sounds in April '77 when overseas magazines must have been 2-3- months old when reaching OZ shores. And had the Fatal press of "I'm Stranded" sold out already at that point?

 

[bosshoss]

Michael W and bunter were fully hip to the sounds. Maybe 50 people in Sydney were really into it, when we first started. But it expanded rapidly because the store opening coincided with the rise of UK punk and especially Radio Birdman in Sydney. We were already selling a lot of garage and punk about 6 months before we changed the entire store to nothing but punk. So we really started with garage and punk about mid-1976. Before that we sold all kinds of imported rock records, and bootlegs. But we got sick of the disco crowd who would come into the store, listen to 20 records and leave without buying anything. In the meantime we had unsealed 20 brand new records so they could hear them and dance the bump all around the shop.

We would have already sold all the Saints Fatal 45s by that time. We had 100 copies, but they went pretty fast, because White Light was the only place in Sydney that had them. We ordered them directly from Ed Kuepper. Because we were an import store, the local record companies hated us and refused to supply us with Australian pressings. So Chris Bailey personally brought us a huge stack of the Saints LP so we could sell it.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

I didn't know that Richard Hell & the Voivoids' "Blank Generation" featured in an eponymous movie. Might be worth tracking down!

 

[Laurent Bigot]

I didn't know that Richard Hell & the Voivoids' "Blank Generation" featured in an eponymous movie. Might be worth tracking down!

Beside the few music scenes, it's pretty boring.

 

[Rythmn Boy]

Quote "Michael W and bunter were fully hip to the sounds. Maybe 50 people in Sydney were really into it, when we first started. But it expanded rapidly because the store opening coincided with the rise of UK punk and especially Radio Birdman in Sydney."

Great flyer!

I had little idea in mid-1976 but 2JJ broadened the horizons. My early record shop memories are Angel Arcade, White Light, Anthem, Phantom, a half a dozen secondhand shops on Pitt St and shops that weren't punk-oriented at all, but sometimes had something good in. In particular, I am thinking of Rowe St Records (which wasn't on Rowe St, wherever that was), where I picked up the second Jam album and Vital Dub, both for about $5. They probably ordered them in by mistake and sold them cheap

 

[Michael W]

The selection reads pretty much spotless (Shakin Stevens wasn't that bad at the start). But I'd be curious to hear how many people in Sydney where hip to these cool sounds in April '77 when overseas magazines must have been 2-3- months old when reaching OZ shores.

I used to buy the NME from local Sydney newsagents & it was three months out of date, but if I read a review of a record & went to a record shop to buy it they would have just got in in because the records also took 3 months to arrive. So we were out of date but in sync, LOL. I wasn't as hip as bunter, who was already buying Pebbles LPs, Bomp magazine, & introduced me to lists of rare 45s for sale from people like Doug Hanners.

 

[Rythmn Boy]

Quote "I used to buy the NME from local Sydney newsagents & it was three months out of date, but if I read a review of a record & went to a record shop to buy it they would have just got in in because the records also took 3 months to arrive".

Ditto. Sometimes, I also tried Sounds or Record Mirror as well

From all I've read, one of the most switched on fellers in all Australia in 1977 was James Baker (Victims, Scientists etc) , who spent 1976 in the US and England and caught several of the seminal bands live and was already a fan of the New York Dolls, Stooges etc

 

[bosshoss]

Talking about James Baker, the Victims and Scientists, here's a photo of some (mostly) old White Light stock. The exception being the Lipstick Killers ep, which was only pressed in a tiny quantity (4 or 5 copies I have been told). Dave Taylor gave me this copy a few years ago.

 

[Rythmn Boy]

I've got three of the seven, bought at the time. But what tracks are on the LK ep, and what is the insert in the Psycho Surgeons single?

 

[Michael W]

From all I've read, one of the most switched on fellers in all Australia in 1977 was James Baker

Also Jules Normington, who has posted on this forum about going to the USA in the '70s to buy rare garage 45s that he then sold in the Phantom record shop.

 

[bosshoss]

I've got three of the seven, bought at the time. But what tracks are on the LK ep, and what is the insert in the Psycho Surgeons single?

The ep has Sockman, Pensioner Pie, Accidents and Rot In Love. The insert is a sticker designed and printed by our singer Paul Gearside. It was included with 12 copies of Horizontal Action.

 

[bosshoss]

Also Jules Normington, who has posted on this forum about going to the USA in the '70s to buy rare garage 45s that he then sold in the Phantom record shop.

Since we're listing switched on candidates from Sydney 1977, I'll mention Lee Taylor, John Foy, Peter Bliek, Charlie Georgees, Ron Peno, Deniz Tek, Rob Younger, George Munoz, David Taylor and Tom Price.

 

[bunter]

Frank Cotterell was working at Peach's Records in Pitt street circa 1976/1977, another garage fan.

 

[gregk25]

Talking about James Baker, the Victims and Scientists, here's a photo of some (mostly) old White Light stock. The exception being the Lipstick Killers ep, which was only pressed in a tiny quantity (4 or 5 copies I have been told). Dave Taylor gave me this copy a few years ago.

Just due to the generosity of BossHoss: 4/7 - though those devine Victims inserts are of course to die for. Were they xeroxed to beginn with?

 

[Rythmn Boy]

See all Victims inserts here:

http://wallabybeat.blogspot.com/2013/06/it-never-ends-victims-television-addict.html

 

[gregk25]

See all Victims inserts here:

http://wallabybeat.blogspot.com/2013/06/it-never-ends-victims-television-addict.html

Thanks for reminding me. In its prime ten years ago Wallaby Beat was thee authority for anybody into early OZ punk. They really knew their stuff.

 

[gregk25]

The 1st couple of years of listening to "Television Addict" I was always singing along "Just because I watch dinosaur, doesn't mean I need a facelift". Only when googeling for the lyrics one day did I see it was actually "Dinah Shore" Flick was singing about....