Laser Pace - Granfalloon (Takoma - 1974) Wow!

This kicks all manner of ass.

we should have a "takoma one-offs and obscurities" thread; so many weird things on that label. i'm partial to joseph byrd's "yankee transcendoodle."

was just listening to this yesterday!

u can buy yourself a copy now
http://cgi.ebay.com/LASER-PACE-Granfalloon-rare-rock-pop-vinyl-LP_W0QQitemZ350279763423QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item518e4d05df

that craig moerer has everything, doesn't he?

less than pretty copy has no bids:

http://cgi.ebay.com/LASER-PACE-GRANFALLOON-TAKOMA-PSYCH-LP-LISTEN_W0QQitemZ380213870939QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item588683415b

sheesh, vg- :(

i am so tempted to buy a clean copy of "Down Here On Earth" from Craig fuckin' Moerer, but I don't want to give him any of my money.

we should have a "takoma one-offs and obscurities" thread; so many weird things on that label. i'm partial to joseph byrd's "yankee transcendoodle."

― by another name (amateurist), Tuesday, February 23, 2010 12:51 AM (3 weeks ago) Bookmark

HOMEGAS!!!!!

http://grown-so-ugly.blogspot.com/2007/06/homegas-released-on-takoma-records-in.html

^^ seriously loving this record.

The circle complete! Skot and Maureen O'Connor today, as he just posted on FB:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/77641_10151852005437137_2043696155_o.jpg

And with Doug Decker:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/194426_10151852010147137_1467893312_o.jpg

they are so awesome. can't believe doug did all that engineering work. if you like those early 70's john fahey takoma records, doug produced/engineered them! lots of takoma stuff. and working for wally heider studios he did all the remote work. he recorded band of gypsies and tons of other stuff. the stones at madison square garden in 1969! seemingly, he went everywhere and recorded everyone.

plus, the hollywood garage rock roots!

doug:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YprEf1iwkrQ

maureen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYLzbR-EEiY

did i mention that they recorded a laser pace album in 1975 that was never released?

!

As suggested more than once upthread, an excellent trans-Takoma thread was later homegrownm, and still ready for the sewing, fertilizing and picking:
Takoma's one-offs and obscurities How'd they come to be in your emporium, Skot? On a Laser Pace mission, I hope.

they had to go to new york and took a trip to massachusetts partly to see me! do some sightseeing. i would have loved to hang out with them more, they are staying nearby, but i am going up north tomorrow morning to hang with my parents. we had a wonderful visit though. we chatted and listened to records for a couple of hours. it was great. they inspire me. and they brought me copies of the AMAZING 1980 single they put out under the name New Math. punk funk! its soooooo good. maria played it on her umass radio show tonight.

i wish i knew someone a la numero group with money who would put out a reissue that is worthy of their stuff. they have live tapes, unreleased album, that cool single, the takoma album. wish i was rich.

we talked about joe byrd. doug worked with him and he was a big fan of laser pace. i put on a silver apples record and they dug that. they'd never heard them. i even played maureen some cocteau twins. john fahey really dug the band apparently. and he loved maureen's voice and playing. i gave them a harmonic choir album to take home.

An unreleased Laser Pace album!!!! Someone really needs to do these guys justice and reissue a box set. The market is out there!!

The first time I played Laser Pace for Tera was while driving around rural Pennsylvania, looking for records. It was a damp fogging day and the places we stopped were almost scary, people having thrift stores out of their basements and homes. Laser Pace was perfect was the day.

yeah, lots of intriguing backstory re Fahey etc. when John Christopherson was answering our questions on this thread. If you get a chance, Scott, I'd suggest that you suggest they check with Mumero (the Asterik series might be a good fit; don't know how electronic Numero wants to get, but they def like female voices). Also maybe Light In The Attic? Some of the labels distributed by Forced Exposure? Anyway, since they dig Joe Byrd, might also suggest they might like Broadcast, sometimes compared to the United States of America.

Would love to hear any unreleased stuff - surely we can mobilise the ilx army to get some interest?

Hmm...hold all these thoughts, let me check around here.

Original LP mix is streaming on YouTube--John C. asks if it's the mono version---so they're aware of this, apparently don't mind (it's been up since April). Prob like the attention, as indicated re uploads linked from this thread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LogZn8sQGUY

Speaking of attention, they may not have continued past the remaster cos figured wasn't so much of a potential audience--and without an expert indie publicity campaign, they may well be right, depending on expectations, required financial return, etc. Maybe Kickstarter, if Granfalloon gets more publicity? But seems like a series, rather than a box set, might work better at this point--does anybody still buy boxes, other than diehard fans of Registered Cult Figures--?

According to this article lots of people buy box sets.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-03/numero-group-soul-revivers?chan=lifestyle+small_business+channel_etc

weird, spin just did a big feature on those numero guys. impression i got was most sell 1000 & break even due to label fanbase, the big successes are once in a while.

We all had a great time last night at get bent's birthday get-together with Maureen and Doug! Much chat had about all sorts of things. We also all agreed that Scott is the coolest.

i don't think i ever saw ned's post. very cool.

i put up the 1980 New Math single. Maureen & Doug and their faithful Buchla doing up post-punk Los Angeles in fine style. i love it.

"Whiplash"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w-IfQ8T7VA

"Hometown Meltdown"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCR-2NhYdBc

Now that is weird, I was just thinking about this album today

I'm planning on interviewing Maureen and Doug soon, and have ideas about where to place the results...

i'm glad you're finally doing it. took you long enough! :))))))))))))

rest in peace, maureen. so glad to have known you. you were truly special and an inspiration.

Absolutely.

I was listening to Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies today, and searching provided this thread, which I had never seen. What a great series of conversations and events! And I'm listening to Laser Pace now, and it is blowing my mind.

this is finally happening. very happy. only took 10 years. nice to talk to doug today. did i mention that there is an unreleased second album? but first things first. i wish you guys could have met maureen. she was so awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYLzbR-EEiY

She was indeed.

it's coming! a mere ten years after this thread started. it pays to be patient. get yours on Record Store Day!

https://scontent.fbed1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29496038_10156743727132137_4901683891786941658_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeHXq7P-v6Ndmsbn_HUjOtG2y-YDzrcy8cRiHbfxBmG_PduXcsm_3N7veDDzKYI629N76JjZVl0nHBCfJOS4pw-1rgMYFJ95VtcM1QUVcWFliQ&oh=330ef54ce29fe04e5e25b13f3930d1f4&oe=5B48A93F

https://scontent.fbed1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29468339_10156743730907137_6350818970591875468_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeEypmhChZribfbxU0ErxJZ4GFcJLGOuzhVnwxBYmEY5baoIkZlx43CmJq-iQIxcPU8cnBGXel5AznUEeOsillOuaGWc0-oduKggU89Ptf3izA&oh=3907c61bcb78c6190e509b337b8898bb&oe=5B2F549B

awesome

i am a proud owner of the CD reissue thanks to you

wow!! awesome skot

i swear off RSD every year and then there's always one thing that gets me out....

you should be able to get it from Feeding Tube direct after RSD if you don't see it in a store. or Forced Exposure. pressing of 500.

Amazing work indeed. :-)

WOW!
great work

!

you the man, scott

liner notes by me and doug decker and also chris who posted on this thread so many years ago! his piece on the band is amazing and hilarious.

just really happy to have it happen for real. and really happy that more people will be able to hear it. listening now and it sounds great.

Picked up a copy at Cheapo today
What an amazing, demented record

Good job on the liner notes skot

thanks!