Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

For discussion of all aspects of the New York legends.
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taxine
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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by taxine » 09 Jul 2019 11:19

Amaizing stuff,many thanks for sharing dear Phil !!
But there are no stars in New York sky, they're all on the ground.
This is the place where she lay her head when she went to bed at night....

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Sheila Klein
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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by Sheila Klein » 09 Jul 2019 21:46

Some observations derived from "Dear Delmore":
  • I assume the letter to have been written in either late 1964 or early '65.
  • Lou shows an earlier awareness of “underground” film/Jack Smith/Flaming Creatures than I'd have expected.
  • Apart from having an MA from Berkeley rather than UCLA, I assume the "third member of my tribe" to have been Walter DeMaria.
  • The Primitives mini-promo tour fascinates me and I wish we knew more about it, but it's great to have at least the brief account Lou provides here.
  • We finally get an explanation, however brief, of the termination of Lou's Pickwick/Primitives run.
  • “My manager”: Terry Philips?
  • Was the song with the "not dirty, just offensive" lyrics "Heroin"?
  • Is the "longhaired group" in England mulling over one of Lou's songs Downliners Sect? Given that the letter is written shortly after Lou first met Cale, and that those two share writing credit (along with Pickwickians Terry Philips and Jerry Vance) on "Why Don't You Smile Now", the timing seems to coincide.
  • His vision of what working at the welfare department would entail harkens ahead to Berlin and "The Kids."
  • How different would all of our worlds be had Lou submitted that application to Harvard?
  • We get what I reckon is the most accurate explanation yet of Lou's military/draft situation. (I assume "the obvious reasons" to have been his psych history, and/or answering Yes to whether he is attracted to men.)
  • “The record industry is viscous”: You hit me with a flower.

threechordwonder
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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by threechordwonder » 09 Jul 2019 23:01

Phil, can I add to your list please?

"The rich johns on park ave" paying to watch sex acts fits neatly with Nelson Algrens "A walk on the wild side" ... coincidence or
prescience?

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simonm
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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by simonm » 09 Jul 2019 23:30

Downliners Sect - yes, I think so.
Lkewise, agree: Heroin = "offensive", maybe Venus In Furs also?
I loved the stream of consciousness bit about his encounters with/observations of the extremes of life in NY and going to the edge, which also partially accounts for him writing those songs. His glee in telling Delmore about Flaming Creatures is funny.
The 'I just met this Welsh guy' bit is great too, you couldn't make it up!
The 'what will i do next' bit like another alternate reality almost opening up.

How long after this does he bump into Sterling on the subway I wonder?

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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by Wick Pick » 10 Jul 2019 04:55

Another interesting point is that they recorded 33 songs at Pickwick.

I believe Venus In Furs was probably written in May/June 1965 given that Lou didn't try to copyright it on his early May demo tape.

The two early songs with dirty lyrics most likely are Heroin and I'm Waiting For The Man, though there were surely others.

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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by simonm » 10 Jul 2019 21:53

Wick Pick wrote:
10 Jul 2019 04:55
Another interesting point is that they recorded 33 songs at Pickwick.
I've got Soundville and the Ostrich boot 45 - that's 13 tracks in all, then there's 10 on the Surfsiders LP and maybe up to 6 on the Terry Phillips /Ronnie Dove LP, that makes 29 - what else is there?

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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by simonm » 10 Jul 2019 23:31

a few more i don't know (from a Hoffman thread)
Connie Carson - It's Hard For A Girl
Robertha Williams - Tell Mama Not To Cry
The Foxes - Soul City

and i forgot the All Night Workers - Why Don't You Smile Now?

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Mark
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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by Mark » 11 Jul 2019 02:55

You've got a couple of duplicates there - Soul City and It's Hard For a Girl are on Soundsville.

The Unterberger book mentions a few Pickwick co-writes that don't seem to have been released. And of course Walk Alone is credited to the Pickwick team, maybe for contractual reasons (a contender for Lou's mythical 1965 folk album?)
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by Mark » 11 Jul 2019 13:21

There's also 'Sad Lonely Orphan Boy' which is on the Primitives rehearsal take.
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

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Re: Dear Delmore- It has been a very long summer and winter.

Post by Wick Pick » 11 Jul 2019 13:39

This is getting close, 29 songs so far. Did I miss any from above?


HOT ROD SONG
LET THE WEDDING BELLS RING
JOHNNY WON’T SURF NO MORE
SAD LONELY ORPHAN BOY
TEARDROPS IN THE SAND
I’VE GOT A TIGER IN MY TANK
WON’T YOU SMILE NOW
THE OSTRICH
SNEAKY PETE
CYCLE ANNIE
YOU’RE DRIVING ME INSANE
LOVE CAN MAKE YOU CRY
WALK ALONE
PUT YOUR MONEY DOWN
I’M GONNA FIGHT
HIT ME WHERE IT HURTS
LOWERS FOR THE LADY
DON’T TURN MY WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
BAD GUY
BABY YOU’RE THE ONE
MAYBE TOMORROW
NOBODY’S GONNA GET HURT
OH NO DON’T DO IT
ONE AND ONE
SOUL CITY
TELL MAMA NOT TO CRY
THIS ROSE
WHAT ABOUT ME?
WILD ONES
YA RUNNIN’ BUT I’LL GET YA
It's Hard For A Girl (added this one via Simonm)

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