Found this background story to TonyConrad handing his VU recordings collection back to John Cale. I hadn't heard about a gig being recorded over the phone.
TonyConrad was one of my professors when I attended grad school at SUNY Buffalo in '77. We became friendly and, as I was traveling with a mammoth record collection at the time, Tony thought I might be interested in hearing the contents of (literally) a shoebox of cassettes and other tapes he possessed, much of it relating to the Velvets. I enjoyed epic-length listening sessions at Tony's loft, hearing "Booker T' and many other pieces for the first time. One Velvets concert was recorded by Tony from a phone connection; someone at the gig left a lobby pay phone off the hook so that Tony could run tape.
Some years later, Tony told me that one of his students (who ran a record store in his home town) offered Tony some money for the box of tapes. John Cale, with whom Tony stayed in touch as they were (and are) two parts of the anti-LaMonte Young faction, heard about this and freaked, instilling Tony with fear of Lou's lawyers. Cale later collected the box of tapes.
iaredatsun wrote:Found this background story to TonyConrad handing his VU recordings collection back to John Cale. I hadn't heard about a gig being recorded over the phone.
It may just be a coincidence or maybe this is some sort of urban myth, but a few years ago on the Stooges forum somebody posted a reference to a similar story about a Stooges concert supposedly being recorded this way.
iaredatsun wrote: John Cale ... freaked, instilling Tony with fear of Lou's lawyers.
If Cale really freaked, was he primarily protecting Conrad from the wrath of Lou and his lawyers, or was he trying it on to prevent the tapes being released?
iaredatsun wrote: John Cale ... freaked, instilling Tony with fear of Lou's lawyers.
If Cale really freaked, was he primarily protecting Conrad from the wrath of Lou and his lawyers, or was he trying it on to prevent the tapes being released?
Any guesses anyone?
Cale has always struck me as a magnanimous person. I'd have thought he was protecting TonyConrad. The rumour about Cale and the Gymnasium tape bootleg on this forum seemed to imply that he knew about its release.