"Almost all the bands that feature on the compilations were teenagers aged 13 to 17 who would sell their records at high-school dances, play a few local shows and then disband upon graduation from high school. Their short, random careers make it all the more exciting when you hear the quality of the tracks.
"But how did Warren manage to collect and release such a vast amount of abstruse tunes? With a box of 45s and an address book in his pocket, he travelled to the Library of Congress in Washington to find out how to get in touch with the bands. After noting all the songwriters’ names and addresses he could find, he called everyone in a particular area with a particular surname until he hit the jackpot.
"Once he got through to the right person, he faced his next obstacle. Often the bands would laugh or think he was mate prank-calling about their erstwhile garage rock careers. Even so, he'd write to them with a contract, royalty cheque and a few questions. He’d wait a week and phone them again until he’d persuaded them he was for real.
"I don't care if he's American. Give the man a knighthood."
Lucy Jones at the NME recalls the Back from the Grave album series.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment