SFA - "New York" EP
Blogging time has been scarce lately, but I've had some mp3 rips collecting dust that I just hadn't posted. This short burst of postings will probably come to a quick end soon enough. In the meanwhile, let's listen to some SFA.
In Brendan's brief history of SFA he writes: "The EP was crap. It didn't help that our engineer was doing lines of coke on the mixing board while we were laying down tracks. If you're one of the unfortunate few who bought out first EP, I apologize. It was so bad that I used to break copies of the record before giving it to promoters and zines so they could judge it without having to suffer through it."
Regardless (sorry Brendan), in the interest of hardcore history I'm posting it here. I believe this might be the only vinyl release featuring both of SFA's vocalists (Mike Bullshit and Brendan) singing together. If it ain't the only one, there are few anyway. Just be advised that, as Brendan has noted, it is SFA's worst recording production-wise. But doesn't that just make it more endearing?
Songs:
Intro/Bliss
Once Again
95 Average
Gyroscope
Zip-A-Tone
Finast
RealityJourney
Visuals:
Cover (large)
Back
Insert 1
Insert 2
Vinyl
posted by Vinyl Head at 9:01 AM
21 Comments:
I hate you.
I had hoped that every copy of this ep had been destroyed years ago.
To be accurate, however, this isn't really the only recording with both me and Mike singing... since Mike (who is sincerely tone deaf) remixed the recording, mixed my vocals all the way down. He's at 10... I'm somewhere around 2.
Mike sings. I'm pretty much reduced to being the slight echo on his voice.
As a bit of trivia, and to show what a difference a remix makes... the version of Gyroscope on this recording is the exact same as the version of Gyroscope on the Squat or Rot 7" compilation. There was no new recording. We just turned me up and Mike off... and did a quick (not tone deaf) remix.
www.warriorsfromhell.ipbfree.com
:)
Hey man. Great post on SFA's "new york"EP. But I noticed the song "95 average" is linked to the "Reality Journey" mp3 (
http://culturefreak.com/punkobituary/SFA-NY7/SFA-RealityJourney.mp3), so i ended up taking the same MP3 twice.Please fix this.Great blog digging up some zombie chestnuts.
Brendan,
I kinda figured you'd hate me for this but just couldn't help myself. I'm an obsessive packrat and a historian and just can't let things disappear.
I have to say I NEVER WOULD have guessed that the Gyroscope recording on Squat Or Rot was the same, remixed.
Who sang Gyroscope on the (1985?) demo? I think I heard that version on Dave Koenig's streaming blog.
Nuno,
Thanks for the heads up and I fixed the incorrect link.
But, I think one of the songs is incorrectly labeled to ("Finast" is listed as something else or something?) Maybe someone can confirm. Unfortunately it may be weeks before I can fix this. Life is too crazed right now.
Mike sang on the demo
History typically belongs to those who want to control what people know. If you don't want things to be told, you don't allow it to be told. If you want to control all the details, you make them up so you look like the hero.
The truth is some where in another dimension and in the voices of former bandmates at the bar.
The history of this EP is pretty funny, we were so excited to record, to have 1000 pressings which we carried home on the subway in two cardboard boxes, to making the sleeves, the stickers, everything ourselves. It was assembled on my single room BedStuy apartment floor with a glue stick using the copy machine from my job at the airport. Some of the recorded historical details of the EP's creation, are uhhh "different" from reality that has been written in SFA history postings. It was a really good first try from a bunch of nooyawk hawdcoaw kidz who didn't know how to play their instruments, and two people who didn't know how to sing. Only one knew how to write.
I don't care who knows this, because one of these days the real truth about SFA will be published and we'll all be ashamed as we should be.
This is a classic NYHC EP from the late 80's from a band that had alot of potential and deserved alot better, but our own limitations, self delusion of that ying yang of worthlessness and grandeur and general stupidity directed SFA into the toilet at CB's pizzeria by 1997.
The Squat or Rot contribution was a remix of the original 8 track recording made at the Music Box and remixed by Jack. Brendan showed up on the last day of recording with a gun after all the work was done by me, Billy and Jack.
Mike sang on the '85 demo, and the first LP and half of the second were from the early giant pile of songs we wrote with Mike. There's more history to tell.
20 years is a long time to forget and to remember.
The Pyramid 5h Anniversary show was pretty funny, but we should have been alot better.
Interesting Jan. If I've forgotten or misremembered details, feel free to send me any corrections and I'll ammend what I have on websites. Bare in mind, my memories are from my perspective. There are some things I'm sure that are incomplete. just as you remember some things incomplete.
You folded and glued hundreds of eps that were sent out through the mail order which you ran out of your apartment. Me and Mike also folded and glued (with help from Iri and Miriam) hundreds of eps that we brought to stores and shows and gave to promoters and zines.
**interesting sidenote Jan... do you remember Miriam? Tomboyish young latina skingirl? She became a Playmate in the 90's. Weird.
As to the recording and the mixing... I was there for a lot more than one day. I had little to do since most of the mix work was guitar and drums... and for the overall sound, SFA was still really Mike's baby at the time so I kept out of most of it. The remix for the Squat or Rot months later, however, was only one day and I was there from beginning to end. The gun was at the mix for the 7"ep. that's where we took the picture with Mike for the label.
But do you really not remember that Mike remixed the whole thing on his own before sending it out? Everyone was satisfied with the mix and then Mike took it to a different studio with just him and that coked up engineer. I remember Jerib was particularly pissed.
Seriously though Jan, if you have an issue with the history that I've put out there on the page, let me know. Some things may just be differences of opinion or perspective... or some things I may have confused or forgotten. Or Hell, you just may have some things to add. Feel free to get in touch with me and I'll edit. The SFA story is your story too.
not worth the effort. It'll wait til the coffee table book comes out.
wow. So much for extending a genuine offer to fix things you feel need to be corrected. I tried.
how about the cover? my copy has a different sleeve (showing some dead body), pressing info anyone?
core-throat,
The covers were all simply photocopied sheets of US legal sized paper, 8.5X11. Mike picked the cover, he zoomed in on my hand in an Army picture of me he liked. He had about 1000 copies made. Band members with friends folded and glued all the papers to make the record sleeves.
Some of the sheets were damged or lost, so we wound up with more records than sleeves and needed new ones printed... about a hundred. I wasn't thrilled with the picture Mike chose for the cover and didn't even know what it was until he told me. I came up with about five different covers and printed new sleeves with about 20 of each to show Mike and we used those too. There only a few of each out there.
If you have a dead body on the front of yours, decomposed to the point you could see the skull, there were maybe 10 of those. It's a picture from WW1. We were just having fun, trying different things. We also got bored and many of the records have nasty hand written notes from us when we were packing them.
oops... I meant 8.5X14, not 8.5X11
brendan,
thanks a lot for the info.
yeah, i've got the WW1 sleeve. only about 10 of those?? lucky strike!!
i guess i bought it from mike, back in 1991 when GO! toured europe!
the ep will be added to the core-throat archive soon!
hey dude, i have had you linked on my blog for ages!
want to return the favor please?
http://seeeingred.blogspot.com/
thanks!
-Stewart
Blendon and Jan-bo:
SFA sucks...so time for a reunion? Can we make money this time? Plus I need another chance to take a picture of Brendan on the toilet. Almost got the fucker in Italy. C'mon Brenadine, after all it's only fair...
Miriam? Who the fuck was Miriam? You guys getting hysterical over historical details? Who the fuck can remember anything from those days. Do you have any idea how many brain cells we've all killed since then?!
Love,
Grimlock
Billy, we did make money... we just didn't get any of it.
You would remember Miriam if I showed you a picture.
She hung out with us a lot.
And you did get me on the toilet you fucker.
It was also at the perfect moment, just as I was reaching under and wiping.
You almost got away with it.
But then you blew it.
Me: "Hey Billy..."
You: "I don't have a camera."
Me: "uhhh... I didn't ask if you did."
You: "fuck."
Yeah guys, have a copy of the EP with a front photo of armed police bastards with helmets and guns...
Jochen from ex RAD-DEV germany
ahh Brendan, those were the days.
glad we're all still alive.
seriously.
we did some dumb stuff.
https://www.facebook.com/SFANewYorkHardcore
https://new.myspace.com/sfanyhc
http://twitter.com/sfanyhc
http://www.youtube.com/user/SFANewYorkHardcore
http://sfanyhc.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
Post a Comment
<< Home