James Chance and the Contortions. C or D

Yeah, they're all on ZE, which had a huge reissue explosion a few years back, commissioned a bunch of remixes that got shelved for years and eventually released on Strut, disappeared for a while, and finally seem to have gotten their existing-and-putting-out-music shit together. Newer reissues are coming out as downloads only, which kind of sucks, but they'd already gotten most of their classic releases back out there.

James Chance and the Contortions were great "gateway drug" for going into post-punk music for me. They had the right minimal funk elements that I was use to hearing beforehand. However, their frenetic style is sooo not the same way as James Brown or Michael Jackson. They are classic to me and "Buy" and "Off White" are great records.

I'd probably never have got into 'Off White' by myself, but one of my friends was obsessed with it and I gradually got into it.

'Buy Contortions' is far more accessible I think. Good record - it always sounded to me like the musicians were jamming and having a lot of fun whilst recording it.

Also, I was reading that Village Voice article about James Chance earlier in the thread and their is no mention of his girlfriend/manager/stylist/svengali Anya Phillips. Actually there is scant information on this woman. The only thing I know is she was James Chance's manager/Debbie Harry's friend/and apparent drug dealer to all the NY musicians during the punk/post-punk era. I'm surprised their isn't any documentary or thread on ILM about her.

There's a couple of photos in the 'Please Kill Me' book and a brief capsule summary "Entrepreneur. Dominatrix. Former manager of James Chance and the Contortions. (Deceased: 1985)"

I've got Buy, but I haven't listened to it in a long time.

Was surprised to see that it is going for money on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00028HP62/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1286858785&sr=8-1&condition=used

Didn't realize it went out of print already.

this is the one record i have two copies of

Lost Chance is really good

(Deceased: 1985)

Pretty sure Anya died in 1981.

This site says 1981

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11504700

Yeah - seems it was 1981. I guess P.K.M isn't always that accurate.

I read those two punk music books that included Anya's photos and all, but you would think with someone was an influence in that scene their would be a documentary about her. I mean I know she wasn't Clive Davis but if it wasn't for her, James Chance wouldn't be James Chance. Plus, she seemed to be connected to a lot of cultural moments during that era. Maybe one day.

pretty sure Simon Reynold's "Rip It Up & Start Again" book has a little more info about her.

Seeing James Chance live in 1979 in the 100 people at most capacity DC Space when I was 18 was an experience. I liked the music but his schtick where he would grab audience members (at this show, a woman's hair) was dumb, and I recall he quickly let go when a big dude suddenly appeared nearby.

I didn't see Chance until about 1981, as James White; no violence left in his schtick, and musically The Blacks were a well oiled machine, much like Defunkt (with whom I believe they shared some members.)

I don't think enough is known about Anya Phillips' life to support a documentary. But with the gentrification of so much of formerly-seedy Manhattan, closing of CBGB etc., it would seem that whole era, shown in tantalizingly brief snippets in Downtown '81, would be ripe for some sort of film. That intersection of punk/no wave/art/gay/hiphop culture is really fascinating, if the story were told right.

Blog entry on Chance here (with Anya misidentified as Lydia Lunch):

http://punkeinfilm.blogspot.com/2008/03/james-chance.html

the film blank city - which i haven't seen, but i met the people who made it when i was in new york last week - pretty much is about that era and apparently do a really good job - they've recovered a lot of rare and lost footage.

Hadn't heard about this, thanks. Trailer looks GREAT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y5xCjd0EWU

Blank City theatrical premieres are next week:

http://acuterecords.com/blog/?p=509

awesome!

I'm pretty excited about this. I love the no wave scene. Oh and I forgot to say this about James Chance:

FUCKING CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.ica.org.uk/28673/Film/Vivienne-Dick.html

One of the best bands that ever walked

James Chance will be doing a Q+A after tonight's screening of Blank City at the IFC center in NYC. OK?

I just discovered these today on youtube, so in case they have not come to others' attention: here's lovely footage of James White and the Blacks at Hurrah in 1980.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRINgi1F5MI

this is from the "Almost Black" era, is there any discussion about that song and how "fraught" it is ...?

amazing footage!

thanks for this!

New album, The Flesh Is Weak, coming out in November. Credited to James Chance & the Contortions, though it's almost all new bandmembers except for guitarist Tomás Doncker. Includes a new version of "Melt Yourself Down" and covers of "Home Is Where The Hatred Is," "That's Life," and "I Who Have Nothing." It's really good.

awesome

Nov. 10th NYC gig

Nov. 12 in Austin

Dec. 10 in Toronto

Listening to the new album and per Don Van Gorp's post just above, very good indeed. Even better -- they're touring the West Coast here in a couple of weeks, and the SF show is just a couple of blocks up the road from where I live. See you there!

Here's the full tour details:

March 14 - Austin TX - SxSW
March 18 - San Diego - The Hideout
March 19 - Los Angeles - The Echo
March 22 - San Francisco - The Knockout
March 24 - Portland - Star Theater
March 25 - Seattle - LoFi

Plus a KEXP session a couple of days after the Seattle show.

it's apparently sold out. I snoozed. I also feel like a dork asking my friends whose bands are opening for a coveted guest list spot because I'm sure those are already taken too.

Can't be sold out, I snagged two tickets for Kate and I an hour ago:

http://jameschanceandthecontortions.brownpapertickets.com/

Unless my doing that made it sold out. :-D

I just tried and bought one!

FYI this was posted on the fb event page on Thurs.
Savoir Faire Booking
March 9 at 12:41am ·
The show has sold out. We will release 15 tickets at the door day of show.

Weird. Guess we'll find out! But might not hurt to double check beforehand.

Yeah apparently there was a ticket glitch and they were quite apologetic! Waiting to see how this gets resolved!

Okay looks like they're honoring the sales -- apparently the idea was to hold some spaces open for walk ups on the day but those were the ones you and I (and others!) got. Guess it all evens out!

Fundraiser for or James Chance and Judy Taylor

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/for-james-chance-and-judy-taylor

whoa!!!

Buy getting reissued I see - is this the best James Chance record?

it's up there.

Buy and Off White and uh a whole lotta other stuff on the 4-CD Irresistible Impulse(Tiger Style,2006), which I've still got, though haven't played it in a long time. Think I liked most of it---still available, and here's track list:https://www.amazon.com/Irresistible-Impulse-James-Chance/dp/B000089J02

Yeah, that set is definitely the best option - I like Off White more than Buy, even if starting with two versions of "Contort Yourself" in a row is kind of annoying.

Bad developments...

Hello Friends and Fans of James,
Here is the latest news: At the last update, James' building was taking legal action to force James to move. He has tentatively made an agreement with them to stay, but he has to clean out Judy's room because it's a two person space and the building needs to rent that half of the apartment. Up until now James has been unable to comply in cleaning out her space, because of his physical condition, but Sylvia Reed has generously agreed to help him. I am hopeful that this will resolve things however we need to see significant movement towards this goal before the building will make it official that he can remain there.

Unfortunately James' physical health has deteriorated to the point where he can no longer even leave the apartment. He has an aide from social services that comes in 5 days a week to bring him groceries and other supplies. He can get around the apartment with a walker but that's about it, he's afraid to venture out.

Another problem that occurred is that the mailman just assumed James had moved and stopped delivering his mail because it was piling up in his mailbox. As a result of this, his Social Security Disability got cut off, which was his only source of income outside of this GoFundMe. I had to step in and pull some funds out of the GoFundMe account to keep him afloat, which I had to arrange through his aide because his bank account had become dormant and they closed it. Thankfully his aide is an honest and trustworthy person and he is not totally alone.

As you can tell it's been a challenging time trying to keep James from falling through the cracks. It's difficult because I can only do so much long distance. I hope we can boost some donations to help shore up his funds until we resolve the issue with his SS Disability.

Thanks everyone who has donated and reached out, I don't know what the family would have done if not for all of your generosity.

i came to add this too. please support, if you are able.

Not the ukgofundme, which is a 404 message now, but this one, from xpost Bad Developments: https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-james-chance-and-judy-taylor

He has left us. :(

https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-james-chance-and-judy-taylor?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-171875274229-2fdebc202dc911ef&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B1137-update-supporters-v5b

RIP

"Buy" is a phenomenal record

one of a kind, rip james

RIP :(

What a performer. I’m trying to remember how many years ago I saw him last, early oughts sometime, and he seemed unwell then. RIP, sax maniac.

I was a fan of 1st Contortions no wave punk-funk album & I know the guy later mellowed a bit as a person, but I remember him trying to shove a female audience member & pull her hair upstairs onstage @ dc space circa 1979 until a big guy stepped in & Chance backed off. Set was only 20 minutes long but was exciting ( his attitude & antics then didn't impress, but his music did)

my first date with my (now) wife was to see james white and the blacks just off campus. rip.
https://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19800414-01.2.12&srpos=1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-james+white+and+the+blacks------

i didn't write that, btw. i think drew lived in my dorm and we had a nodding acquaintance but i am easily intimidated.

rip to the man, i'm digging through my archive of old contortions flacs from dime now. i think there used to be a website that had details on all the lineups of the contortions, but i can't find it... i can only find a very similar one on lydia lunch. perhaps the memory cheats.

Weasel Walter used to have it all on his website but I don't believe it is extant any longer, the nitty gritty details are still on his blog

https://weaselwalter.blogspot.com/2011/11/early-live-history-of-contortions-1.html

The Infinite Zero reissue ofBuy was a crucial document document for me, leading to a long obsession with the no wave era. I shared a bill with Chance sometime in 2004 or 2005, it was very strange, but great.

i put him on in 2007. He arrived with the rest of the band and his partner Judy Taylor (who sadly died a few years back). They were both pretty out of it, and quite chaotic and i was worried the performance wouldn't happen. He more or less crawled onto the stage and i was expecting a total car crash but the second the band started he was completely transformed and gave one of thee most electrifying performances i've ever seen. he took the roof off the place. it was quite bizarre. I have a recording and he sounds on epic form.

Afterwards JC and Judy were selling merch and my friend had to take over as they were giving everyone more £s back in change than they were paying.

i saw him again in 2015 and he was looking very frail and couldn't move about very easily. But when he started performing he was doing moves that would have put James Brown to shame and at one point even leapt off the stage. What a legend.

I saw him around 2015 or 16 and at one point during the set he called Judy on his cellphone and had like a 5 minute conversation with her in between songs - what time he was gonna be home, what he had for dinner, did she need him to pick up anything, etc, the band just patiently standing by waiting for him to re-engage. But when he kicked into performer mode there was no stopping him.

incredible, and can absolutely picture that scenario.

Weasel Walter used to have it all on his website but I don't believe it is extant any longer, the nitty gritty details are still on his blog

https://weaselwalter.blogspot.com/2011/11/early-live-history-of-contortions-1.html

― chr1sb3singer

Thanks. I swear to God I had a tape of that first Max's gig from December 1977 somewhere, but I might just be misremembering.

Lucy Sante on James Chance

That was great, thanks for linking