Another message from Doug:
Regarding the tape flip I spotted on IWFTM:
Yeah, I think the tape "flip" was most noticeable on 'Man.
Regarding the missing bits on Melody Laughter and the inteference on Heroin:
I don't know the "small missing sections," but it just must be the two different edits, and trying (with Move Back!) to remove the lengthly tuning up/whatever, but leave anything genuinely interesting. I think the "Bernd" CD was just fade in, fade out. The clicking sounds, I have no idea about. I don't recall them, and probably won't A/B the two CDs to come up with an answer. When I initially listened back to Move Back! (and I must be talking about twenty years ago or thereabouts) I remember hearing a low hum on disc 2 (I think) that I had never caught in the studio. I don't know where that came from, but maybe less than perfect mastering on my part! I did try, though!
Regarding my questions about seeing the early Stooges:
As for the Stooges ? it was pre-first LP Stooges. Since I had never heard them before, and I referred to it as a "big, simple sound" that I liked and was intrigued by, it may have been a long No Fun or I Wanna Be Your Dog. I still love that first album. Yeah, Fun House is great, too (Raw Power, ditto) ? but that first one! I later saw them at the Detroit Rock 'n' Roll Revival, along with the MC5, Chuck Berry, Dr. John, Sun Ra (!) ? a whole day of cool sounds. Anyway, that still may have been before the first LP came out. Then between the first two LPs, they were in Cincinnati (as was I) at the Ludlow Garage. Iggy prowled the audience and scared my girlfriend. That concert leaned toward Fun House.
Regarding the bits of the Mekas film soundtrack that I can hear in the background between some songs:
Yes, the Exploding Plastic Inevitable included Warhol movies projected on the band. Since Valleydale was a Swing-era ballroom, the EPI people (I don't remember if there was anyone else besides the VU&Nico, Dave Faison, the road manager, and Gerard, the dancer) taped-up rolls of white paper to project the movies on. Gerard danced his flashlight dances and "shooting up" for Herion. The between song music was the sound of the Warhol movie soundtracks. The one movie name I remember (for whatever reason) was "Vinyl." Oh, also the psych-classic lightball projected reflections around the room. Pretty heady stuff for midwestern college students in 1966! If you have Move Back!, I used photos on the jacket graphics from the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper coverage of the Cincinnati EPI. On the cover, there's what I always guessed as Cale's eye projected over the band ? that gives some sense of what it looked like. The back cover shows audience members outlined by the projectors. Not high tech. Not big budget. On the inside, there's a photo of Gerard dancing, and one of Gerard, Nico and Dave Faison enjoying some hors d?oeuvres!
Regarding VUAS:
Mike Kostek, that's right! The first time he called me, it was his lady friend (I guess) acting like a corporate secretary telling me that Mike Kostek would like to speak with me.
Regarding the possibity of ever digging out the tape again for a fresh transfer:
As to another mastering of the old tape, it's up in a cabinet in my bedroom (I hope my daughters just don't throw it away, someday ? what's this old thing?), and hasn't been touched for twenty years. I was hoping that Universal would fly me into NYC to master it for the big time, but baring that, I'm done with it really. Done with that project. Now if money was involved (not to sound greedy ? just to make it worth my while!)..
