Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

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Warlock
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Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by Warlock » 18 Dec 2017 23:27

Hi all
I lost a bunch of files recently, including the WFTM recorded at the Merce Cunningham Benefit at Philip Johnson's Glass House in 67. Does anyone remember what bootleg it was on? And has anyone here ever seen the actual film, from where the recording was taken? Or at least a clip? It's a west german documentary "498 3rd Ave" by Klaus Wildenhahn. I wrote to both Norddeutcher Rundfunk and Sveriges Radio but unfortunately they have nothing in their archives.

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lurid
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Re: Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by lurid » 24 Dec 2017 22:05

I've got the whole film on an old VHS cassette somewhere. It is very boring unless you're a Merce Cunningham afficionado. My copy is probabably the original source of all the extant audio versions - I got it in the early 1990s and distributed it widely....IIRC it was shown (once) on German TV.

A Danish friend of mine contacted the original filmmaker a while ago and Mr Wildenhahn confirmed that he had no material other than what was included in the film. I always found it the most frustrating thing - at one point the VU are playing on the soundtrack and the camera pans round about 200 degrees but never reaches them!

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Warlock
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Re: Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by Warlock » 25 Dec 2017 15:47

Thanks Lurid! That sounds both very interesting and very annoying. Any chance you ever transferred it to a digital file? I would really love to see it! I always had the short sound sequence from the film on my computers, but they are all gone now. Can't find it on any of my boots either.

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lurid
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Re: Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by lurid » 26 Dec 2017 15:29

sadly I never transferred it from the old VHS format - I just made an audio copy of the VU segments and put the video away in a box somewhere. From memory I only watched it once just to make sure I got all the VU appearances (2 small segments both with uber-annoying voice-overs by some moron talking about Merce Cunningham!)

BUT if anyone out there can do a transfer I'll be happy to dig the VHS cassette out and send it to them? I guarantee that you will only watch it 1 time. (assuming I can actually find it again....)

But I always found this show to be very interesting - all the (Billy Name? Gerard Malanga?) U-Haul pics, the rumour that it was on the way back from this gig that Lou "sacked" Andy etc etc. Added to the fact that for so long this was the only available audio of our boys in 1967, just 2 months before they recorded WH/WH. The filmmaker really missed a great opportunity I think, although I suppose from his point of view he was just tagging along with the Merce Cunningham dance troupe....if only he had realised!

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Warlock
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Re: Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by Warlock » 26 Dec 2017 22:05

Oh I would transfer if for you (or us)!!! Would love to. I'm not sure you're willing to send the VHS to Sweden though haha? But I would return it back to you.

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lurid
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Re: Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by lurid » 26 Dec 2017 23:16

I'm in Scotland. I could practically throw it to you. Let me try to find it tomorrow and I will be in touch.

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lurid
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Re: Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by lurid » 27 Dec 2017 15:50

success! I found a Maxell 180 VHS marked:

498 3rd Ave by Klaus Wildenhahn
Merce Cunningham Dance Co 1967
VU at Philip Johnson's Glass House, Greenwich, Connecticut, July 1967
79mins 15 seconds

I'll PM you
(but you WILL be frustated when you watch it!)
Warlock wrote:Oh I would transfer if for you (or us)!!! Would love to. I'm not sure you're willing to send the VHS to Sweden though haha? But I would return it back to you.

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Warlock
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Re: Velvets at the Philip Johnson's Glass House

Post by Warlock » 27 Dec 2017 20:44

Brilliant Lurid! You got mail!

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