1962 reading

[Rekrab]

I just saw this in the Timeline for 1962:

"Reading on Los Angeles radio station KPFK (44 minutes) [8/5]"

Is there a recording of this early reading?

Even if the station didn't record it, home taping off the radio was fairly common in those days, and there may be a tape somewhere, just waiting to be discovered.

 

[Rekrab]

It does exist:

Record: BB4966,
Article: Poetry of Charles Bukowski.
When & Where: Los Angeles : Pacifica Radio Archive, 1962.
Description: Poet reads selections of his own work.|POETRY OF CHARLES BUKOWSKI - Poet reads selections of his own work. - BROADCAST: KPFK, 5 Aug. 1962.
Reels: 1 of reels 1
Length: 1 reel (44 min.) : 7 1/2 ips, mono.|44:00
Total: 44:00

http://pacificaradioarchives.org/index.html

Pacifica Radio is KPFK, if I recall from my L.A. days.

 

[hank solo]

Earliest Known Recordings of C.B.

Now, who has a copy?

 

[mjp]

Pacifica sells copies of old programs, but so far, not any Bukowski shows. I emailed them a few times when I found out about that reading, but they never answered.

 

[Rekrab]

That old thread escaped my attention. Most of the programs Pacifica is posting or selling seem to be political, with only a few literary ones thrown in. Maybe if they get enough requests for the Bukowski reading, they'll make it available.

I was a KPFK listener during the 70s and early 80s. There was a show that aired daily readings from whatever book they were doing at the time. I listened to the entire reading of B. Traven's THE DEATH SHIP while cranking out economic research studies for banks. Having that sort of programming kept me from going insane with boredom.

 

[mjp]

There were some great radio stations in Los Angeles back in the day. But even the public stations now are homogenous and dull.

I will email them again about making the Bukowski show available for purchase.

Brian De Shazor, Archives Director
bdeshazor [at] pacificaradioarchives.org
(818) 506-1077 or (800) 735-0230
Ext. 263

 

[HenryChinaski]

maybe if we all inundate them with emails they'll at least fuckin answer somebody.

EDIT: OKAY, GREAT NEWS. I JUST CALLED THE GUY.
it is available for purchase.
you can either order it with a credit card over the phone or through the mail.

ITEM: BB4966
Poetry Of Charles Bukowski
Price: $15.00
Shipping: $2.95

PACIFICA RADIO ARCHIVES
PO BOX 865
N. HOLLYWOOD CA.
91603

FUCK YES. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

p.s. this is the number i called = (800) 735-0230

 

[mjp]

I'm all over it, chummy.






Telephone. Pick. Up.
I have to remember that trick.

 

[Rekrab]

Amazing that they don't just say as much on their website. Nobody can accuse them of cheap commercialism. Maybe it's make-a-cassette-copy-on-demand. Thanks for calling them, HenryChinaski.

 

[cirerita]

Do they send a cassette or a CD?

 

[HenryChinaski]

well see, the funny thing is, i was so excited about it being available that when he was telling me what format it was in, i kinda forgot.

 

[mjp]

The rest of their paid releases are on CD, though I wonder if these are CDR or pressed. I would assume CDR. I will be calling them today so I'll find out.

 

[roni]

...and the guys abroad go whining because it isn't available as a download from their website.
As always, shipping-cost will eat us alive.

Well, still better than NOT having it at all - thanks Henry.

 

[Bukfan]

Great news! Thanks, HC! I better write them a letter...

 

[HenryChinaski]

Okay, so any of you folks who get this reading please do us a solid and write a little review of it in here. I'm curious to see what all he reads.

 

[mjp]

I completely spaced this out. I never called to order it. Heh.

I'm on hold with them now. A nice old lady is rummaging through the file cabinets...



Okay, I'll know in 7 - 10 days. FYI, you can get that on CD or cassette, but my friend on the other end of the line had no idea what CDR was, so I won't know until I see it. But I would assume it's going to be CDR.

 

[hank solo]

I emailed two of the contacts on their site on the 15th Jan to enquire. So far, no reply.
:(

 

[mjp]

I didn't get anywhere by email either. I'm taking off for a couple days, but maybe someone else in the US can call the 800 number and find out if they will send to the UK...

 

[HenryChinaski]

I'm sure they will. it just might be a little more to ship it. so we've already found out that email gets you nowhere. call the number. it gets results.

 

[cirerita]

Has anyone received a copy of this? I would like to order a copy, but first I need to be sure it's a CD or CDR, not a cassette.

 

[hank solo]

Did you see mjp's posts over in the What are you listening to now? thread?

Okay, I've heard the whole thing and it's good. It's not great, but it's good. I was excited early on, because the first poem he reads is not collected in a Black Sparrow or Ecco release, but from then on out, it's all stuff that was published and read all over the place. I was really hoping for a lot of obscure stuff, seeing that the reading is so early, but no such luck.

On the plus side, he really performs some of these. In "The Day I Kicked A Bankroll Out The Window" he sounds as angry as if the split with Barbara Frye had just happened, though by 1962 their divorce was 4 or 5 years in the past.

It's pretty straight forward. He only makes a couple of comments between poems. I won't ruin then for those of you who are going to buy this.

The CD lists 13 "poems" but those are the tracks. Track 1 and 2 both contain three poems each. Track 13 is a Pacifica radio tag. So 12 tracks, 16 poems. It is a CDR.


Prayer For Broken-Handed Lovers
The Best Way To Get Famous Is To Run Away
Conversation In A Cheap Room
To The Whore Who Took My Poems
The Day I Kicked A Bankroll Out The Window
What A Man I Was
The Loser
The Tragedy Of The Leaves
The Ants
Bring Down The Beams
Riot
Hooray Say The Roses
Old Man Dead In A Room
Conversation On A Telephone
The Twins
The Sunday Artist

Incidentally - I count 16 poems there. Label says 12 :confused:

 

[cirerita]

obviously not, thanks for the tip.

 

[mjp]

Incidentally - I count 16 poems there. Label says 12

Tracks one and two both contain 3 poems.

 

[hank solo]

Received an email from Pacifica Radio Archives today. Maybe a few of us did. Anyway here we go:

My apologies for the delayed reply...

I have placed this item in our online store, so you may now order it via
internet (credit card or paypal). Here is the link:

http://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/browse/recording.php?recid=723&catid=2

You can also order it by calling our office in Los Angeles (1-800-735-0230).

Still no option for International shipping though.

 

[Snowball Fight]

Still no option for International shipping though.

I just ordered with a Canadian address...we'll see if they ship it as quoted. Of course I'll still have Canada Customs to deal with!

 

[Father Luke]

From the Shipping Page

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery after the receipt of your order. If
you would like your order to be shipped any way other than the U.S.
Postal Service or for rush service, call (800) 735-0230 or email us.

Shipping and handling charges will vary for international orders; once
the order is submitted, we will contact you if there are any additional
fees.

There is an interesting Support Us page.
Should anyone care to make any donations. . .


Your contribution goes a long way toward helping us preserve
and restore the one-of-a-kind recordings that dwell in our
archives. We are grateful for any and all contributions!

Your online pledge"”payable by credit card or PayPal"”is safe
and secure.

Hope that helps?

 

[Bukfan]

Does that mean that you can just order it and then they'll contact you about the international shipping fee?

 

[hank solo]

It means pay for the CD and standard shipping and then they'll ask for more if necessary.

 

[Bukfan]

Thanks, hank solo! I just ordered it through Paypal. Then we'll see what happens...

 

[Bukfan]

It arrived today! They did'nt ask for additional money for sending the CD to Europe.
It's great to hear Buk read his poems way back in 1962 before his first Loujon book was published...