======================================================================== BOC FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about BLUE OYSTER CULT |BBOCC| |BO"OC| |B" "C| |" "| _________| |_________ |BOC" | "BOC| |B --B:O:C-- C| |BOC._____ | _____.BOC| | | | | | BOc. |boc bocb. ;'"'boc bocbo, ';"b bocbo bocboc. :";boc c. "bocb ;, .o;"";oc." ";bocb 'boc";bocboc;' '?boc bocboc;"' '":bocboc"''' Version: 3.1 Date of Latest Revision: October 20, 1999 ======================================================================== Notes: This FAQ was created on an Apple Macintosh computer using a font of 10-point Monaco -- if the BOC symbol above does not look right on your screen, setting your font to a fixed width font (such as either "Monaco" or "Courier") should fix the problem. Also, the width of this document is set to 72 characters. With the help of numerous individual contributors (named below), this FAQ has been compiled by John Swartz (referred to herein as "the editor"). Please send any suggestions, corrections or changes to him at the address listed at the end of this FAQ. TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= 1. The Nexus Of The Crisis, And The Origin Of Storms -- FAQ Information a. Why a BOC FAQ? b. The *real* people that made this FAQ possible c. Version history d. Archive location of this FAQ e. Commonly used abbreviations 2. The Oyster Boys Are Swimming Now -- Who Are Blue Oyster Cult? a. Who are BOC? b. No really, who are BOC? c. History of the Band d. Pre-history of the Band 3. My Ears Will Melt, And Then My Eyes -- Blue Oyster Cult Discography a. Domestic (U.S.) Album Releases b. Solo Albums, Live Imports, Movie Soundtracks, and Special Compilations c. Compilation Albums (domestic) d. Compilation Albums (foreign) e. Bootleg Recordings f. Other Releases (Singles, Promos, Etc.) g. The Brain Surgeons Discography 4. R. U. Ready 2 Rock? -- Frequently Asked Questions a. What are BOC up to these days? b. When is the new (*not* a "Greatest Hits") album coming out? c. Where can I find (Flat Out, Imaginos, Bad Channels, other rare items)? d. What is the "best" BOC album? e. What is the story behind the recording of the album, *Imaginos*? f. What is the story told by the album, *Imaginos*? g. Is there a BOC/H.P. Lovecraft connection? h. Where is the BOC symbol on the _____ album? i. Where can I get a complete set of BOC lyrics? j. What is a (Diz-Buster, ME-262, Stun Guitar, . . .)? k. Who is (Suzy, Celine, Debbie Denise, Sir Rastus Bear, . . .)? l. Where can I get BOC live recordings? m. Where can I find Rossignol's book, 'The Origins of a World War'? n. What do the Japanese words in "Godzilla" mean? o. Are there other BOC recordings, and how can I hear them? (1) Unique Singles (2) "Guitar's Practicing Musicians" (3) BOC on Other Recordings (4) Soft White Underbelly, Oaxaca, and Stalk-Forrest Group (5) "Wings Of Mercury" (6) The Red And The Black, and The Buck Dharma Band (7) Live Radio Broadcasts (8) Demos (9) "No Zilla" p. Where can I find BOC MP3s? q. Are BOC Nazis? r. When did Buck Dharma shave off his moustache? s. Will the original line-up ever get back together again? t. How tall was the original line-up? 5. A Harvest of Life, A Harvest of Death -- Other Items of Interest a. Use of Umlauts, and the Origin of the Name, "Blue Oyster Cult" b. BOC in Concert c. BOC on the Charts d. The Movie "Heavy Metal" e. The Buck Dharma Band Ricky Browning Benefit f. Song References g. References to BOC h. Bands Covering BOC i. The BOC/Michael Moorcock Connection j. Hidden Messages k. BOC on Video l. BOC Collectibles 6. Three Men in Black Said, "Don't Report This" -- More Sources Of Info a. Bolle Gregmar -- BOC/Brain Surgeons Fan Clubs b. Church Of The Cult -- BOC Fan Club For French Fans c. Buck Dharma Mailing List d. Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost -- The Brain Surgeons e. BOC-L -- The BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail List f. BOC on AOL g. BOC on the Web (1) Official BOC Sites (2) Fan and Reference Sites (3) Artwork and Photography Sites (4) BOC-Related Sites (5) Other Related Commercial Sites h. Other Online Sources 7. Think I'll Write "Good Health To You" -- Copyright and Disclaimer ======================================================================== 1. The Nexus Of The Crisis, And The Origin Of Storms -- FAQ Information Why a BOC FAQ? ============== Short Answer: Why not? Slightly-Longer Answer: *Everybody* needs a FAQ, don't they? Long Answer: Blue Oyster Cult has, these days, a fairly small, but loyal, and somewhat rabid following. The band has a history of over 20 years, and many people who were not fans back then want to know about the band's origins. In addition, the various themes of BOC's music are interesting to discuss. Finally, BOC fans on the internet seem to ask the same questions over and over again - of course, part of this is because we *like* to re-hash the topics, and usually come up with something new when we do. Editor's Smart-Mouthed Answer: After you've read through this FAQ, which will probably printout to over 100 pages, the answer will become obvious ("We Understand...We Understand"). Note: This FAQ was originally created for, and circulated on, "BOC-L", a group of individuals who regularly communicate using electronic mail (E-Mail) to discuss, among other things, BOC. Information on how people with internet access can subscribe to this group (also referred to as the BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail list) appears elsewhere in this FAQ. The *real* people that made this FAQ possible ============================================= This FAQ has finally come into being for two reasons, (1) because someone volunteered to finally take on the project, and (2) because lots of knowledgeable BOC fans contributed. While I am somewhat proud to say that I took on the project of generating the BOC FAQ, it is only by the many submissions of input from BOC fans that made this FAQ possible. While I am a fan, I don't claim to be the most knowledgeable on all things related to BOC. My job as editor was mostly to layout the format of the FAQ, and enter in the data. I am in debt to the following individuals, who are listed in no particular order: Jean Lansford Bryan Irby Steve Swann Ben Cohen Bryce Baker Dave Hardman Andy Gilham David Kuznick Warrick Bell David Dean Terry Poot Tim Fulcher Alun Hughes Carl Anderson Ken Alexander John McIntyre Craig Shipley Eric Falk Dan Weissman Jason Gool Ed Tidwell Mark Mitchum Ken Harward Jason Scruton Tom Gannon Jonathan Padgett James DeWitt Keith Frazier Gary Wingert Craig Matsumoto Chuck Rosenberg Scott Heller Rob Maerz Todd Ellenberg Ken Drew Ken VanTassell Robert Reich Miles-Kevin Baron Alan Siebert Robert Sedler Joseph Brooks Craig Marciniak Steven Hulvey Andrew Lloyd Skip Galvin Andrew Apold Alexandre Garcia Wallace McBride Jack Taylor Jean-Luc Carrier Rich Kulawiec Jack Heffling Dan Clore Shawn Quinn Douglas Pearson Alexis Gavras Chuck Saden Ted Alger Steven Tice Teri Cruzan Chris Jackson Thorsten Thielen Todd Seely William Pickett Goran Janicijevic Phill Ash Rob Gorman Chris Baker John Riviello Manuel Delacour Bill Futreal Christian Mumford Tony DeStefano Michael Sharpe John Trimble Todd Yam Rus Hall Mark DeLugt Wesley Elsberry Laj Waldner Adrian Brevard Rick DesLauriers Chris Wilson Nathaniel Webb Greg Rozeboom Dave Dalrymple Erik Kjelland Chris Martin Richard Averdahl Charlie Gow Gord Ludolph Mike Phelps Darrell Maul Steve Rivet Paul Mather Mike Tanigawa David Puckett Charlie Grant Russell Emberson Giancarlo Bolther James Causey Michael Heath Michael Looney Brian Bearden Alesandro De Mitri Mark Bowman Bob Milot Daniel Lyons John Roeser (related to a famous guitarist) John Shirley (BOC lyricist) Les Braunstein (of "Soft White Underbelly" and "Les Vegas") Andrew Winters (of "Soft White Underbelly" and "Stalk-Forrest Group") Tommy Zvoncheck (of "Blue Oyster Cult") Deborah Frost (of "The Brain Surgeons") Albert Bouchard (of "The Brain Surgeons" and "Blue Oyster Cult") Joe Bouchard (of "Blue Oyster Cult" and "The Cult Brothers") Eric Bloom (of "Blue Oyster Cult") Donald Roeser (a.k.a. "Buck Dharma" of "Blue Oyster Cult") Melne Murphy (of the BOC Fan Club) Finally, and most importantly, special thanks go out to Bolle Gregmar, head of the BOC Fan Club. First and foremost, he (along with Melne Murphy) has done all of us BOC fans a great service by providing the fan club, and keeping it going even after BOC was something less than a household name. Beyond that, he has spent several hours on the phone with me going over this FAQ, providing me lots of interesting information, correcting various inaccuracies, and helping me with some legal issues. You will see his name sprinkled throughout the FAQ -- he is probably the singularly most knowledgeable individual on Blue Oyster Cult, other than members of the band themselves (and in some cases, because of all the things he's collected on the band, he may still know about things that members of the band may have forgotten) -- one of the band members once said, "Bolle is the Blue Oyster Cult - we're just the band". Version history =============== This version of this FAQ, identified as version "3.1", supersedes all previous versions. It contains the following changes over version 3.0: Many additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ. New sections were added on live radio broadcasts, demo material by the band, and the heights of the original line-up. A new question (Where can I find BOC MP3s?) has also been added. The discography section has been updated to include new BOC compilations and bootlegs that have been released, as well as the new release *Piece Of Work* by the Brain Surgeons. In addition, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released a re-mastered "gold" CD of *Blue Oyster Cult* and *Tyranny And Mutation* on a single CD (complete with restored album sleeve artwork and new liner notes penned by Eric Bloom), and a "BOC Tribute Album" (*Don't Fear The Remake* by Too Hip For The Room) now exists. Finally, with all the concern in the world this year about the "Y2K" issue with computers, the FAQ has been modified to be "Y2K-compliant": All date references using 2 digits (e.g. "the 70's") have been replaced by 4 digits (e.g. "the 1970's). Is this necessary? Hardly, but, at least you can't blame me when your computer crashes on January 1st, 2000. Version 3.0 contains the following changes over version 2.3: Most significantly, one of the most frequently asked questions, "Will BOC ever release a new album, and when?" has been at long last answered. BOC's first full studio album of new material in 10 years, *Heaven Forbid*, was released in March of 1998 on CMC International Records. In addition, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released a re-mastered "gold" CD of *Agents Of Fortune* (complete with restored album sleeve artwork and new liner notes penned by Buck Dharma). Some additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ. In particular, some new information has been added/updated based on issues 4-10 of "Morning Final", the former newsletter for the BOC fanclub. New BOC websites come and go, or change addresses. Version 2.3 contains the following changes over version 2.2: Some additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ. In particular, some new information has been added/updated based on issues 1-3 of "Morning Final", the former newsletter for the BOC fanclub (note: the next revision of the FAQ will include updated information based on issues 4-10). Numerous new BOC and related websites have been added to website listing. A section about a very special benefit performance by Buck Dharma has been added. Information about BOC's planned upcoming album is updated, including information on the *Summerdaze* album, which contains one of the songs scheduled to be on the new BOC album. Finally, Sony Music has released 2 new BOC compilation albums (*On Flame With Rock And Roll* and *Don't Fear The Reaper* - not to be confused with earlier Columbia BOC compilations of the same names), Joe Bouchard has released a CD of songs he wrote and performed with the "Cult Brothers" (*Joe Bouchard Presents the X Brothers: Solid Citizens*), and the Brain Surgeons have released a promotional cassette (*Pull The Plug*) and new CD (*Malpractise*), which have been added to the discography. Version 2.2 contains the following changes over version 2.1: Some additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ. Minor errors continue to be found and corrected. Some of the information has been expanded upon or corrected, based on an article on BOC by Steve Roeser and Bolle Gregmar that appeared in the June 7, 1996 issue of *Goldmine* magazine. Editor's comment: This article may be the most comprehensive work ever written about BOC to date -- it contains an extensive history and lots of trivia, not to mention many photographs of the band. The authors have also acknowledged the BOC FAQ and its editor in the article. The article is based on the two author's extensive knowledge of the band, as well as recent interviews with Sandy Pearlman, Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Albert Bouchard and Joe Bouchard. The list of BOC-related web sites has been expanded. Two new sub-sections (Bands Covering BOC, and BOC Collectibles) have been added, as well as answers to two more questions (Are BOC Nazis? and When did Buck Dharma shave off his moustache?). Information about BOC's planned upcoming album is also included. Finally, Sony Music has released another BOC compilation album (*Revisited*), and the Brain Surgeons have released a new album (*Box Of Hammers*), which have been added to the discography. Version 2.1 contains the following changes over version 2.0: Minor corrections that various individuals have spotted have been made. Some additional random bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ, and some of the information is now better organized. The information pertaining to Michael Moorcock has been split into a separate sub-section. Finally, since the last release of the FAQ, Sony/Columbia has released the BOC compilation double CD, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, and this information has been added to the discography. Version 2.0 contains the following changes over version 1.0: Information in sections 4 and 5 has been modified and expanded, based on conversations with Bolle Gregmar, head of the BOC Fan Club. Minor corrections that various individuals have spotted have been made. Some additional bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ, and sections 3, 4, and 5 have been re-organized in several areas. Eric Bloom provided me with information on some of his various musical projects, and Buck Dharma has provided information on the song, "Harvester Of Eyes". I received e-mail from Soft White Underbelly vocalist Les Braunstein, and he gave me some insight into the band's early history. A new section on miscellaneous releases (singles, promos, etc.) has been added, as well as a portion of Bryce Baker's interpretation of the *Imaginos* saga. More neat BOC stuff can now be found on the Internet and the World Wide Web. The Brain Surgeons have released a new album (*Trepanation*), which has been added to the discography. Finally, since the last release of the FAQ, *Flat Out* has become available on CD as an import. The generation of this version of the BOC FAQ began on August 4th, 1994, when, after seeing the words "we need a FAQ" in them for about the 10th time on a BOC discussion group (BOC-L), the editor decided to take a stab a writing a FAQ -- not particularly for BOC-L members, but for BOC fans in general. "Draft" versions of the FAQ were circulated on BOC-L, with lots of comments by it's members. Draft versions of the FAQ were also sent to former band members Albert Bouchard (who is a member of BOC-L) and Joe Bouchard (who has internet access), as well as to the head of the BOC Fan Club. The first "official" version of the FAQ, version 1.0, was released to BOC-L on 15 February, 1995. It was subsequently sent to the internet newsgroups, "alt.rock-n-roll" and "alt.rock-n-roll.classic". It later appeared on several links on the World Wide Web (WWW). Archive location of this FAQ ============================ For the most up-to-date information regarding the FAQ, including links to text and HTML versions of the FAQ, the editor has a BOC website at the following URL: http://members.aol.com/bocfaqman/ The latest version of this FAQ can be found in the BOC-L archives. The archives are located via anonymous FTP from in the [.boc-l] directory. In other words, use whatever FTP program you have to access the following address: ftp.spc.edu and use the following username: anonymous Use your E-Mail address as a password. Once in, set the directory to [.boc-l], and use the "get" command to transfer the FAQ to your system. The filename is: BOC_FAQ-version#.txt (e.g., This version is: BOC_FAQ-3_1.txt) Along with the FAQ, a few other items of interest may be found. The FAQ, along with other BOC-L archives, can also be accessed by the World Wide Web. Using your web browser, open the following URL: ftp://ftp.spc.edu/boc-l There are now several WWW links with BOC-related information, including links to the BOC-L archives, including the FAQ (where the most up-to-date version will always be kept). See the listing located near the end of the FAQ for a listing of these links. Commonly used abbreviations =========================== AOF, AoF, AF Agents Of Fortune (album title) BB Buck's Boogie (song title) BDB Buck Dharma Band BFY, B4Y Burnin' For You (song title) BOC Blue Oyster Cult (band name, album title, song title) BOC-L BOC Listserver (BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail discussion group) CC Cult Classic (compilation album title) CE Cultosaurus Erectus (album title) CGLOD Cold Gray Light Of Dawn (song title) CN Club Ninja (album title) COE Career Of Evil (song title, compilation album title) COF[WRAR] Cities On Flame [With Rock And Roll] (song title) DFTR (Don't Fear) The Reaper (song title) D&S, DAS, DS Dominance And Submission (song title, way of life) ETI Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (song title) ETL Extraterrestrial Live (album title) FO Flat Out (Buck Dharma solo album title) FOUO Fire Of Unknown Origin (album title, song title) FT Flaming Telepaths (song title) GAOL Golden Age Of Leather (song title) HF Heaven Forbid (album title) HM Harvest Moon (song title) HOE Harvester Of Eyes (song title) KOTJ Kick Out The Jams (song title) LFM Live For Me (song title) MC Motorcycle Club (as in the song, "Transmaniacon MC") ME 262 Messerschmitt 262 (song title, WWII German warplane) MF Morning Final (song title, BOC fanclub newsletter) OFWRAR, OFWR&R On Flame With Rock And Roll (compilation album title) OYFOOYK On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (album title) PUD Power Underneath Despair (song title) TRATB, TR&TB The Red And The Black (song title) SABAAF She's As Beautiful As A Foot (song title) SB Still Burnin' (song title) SEE Some Enchanted Evening (album title) SFG Stalk-Forrest Group (former band name) SOBAK Society Of Buck Ass-Kissers * ST Secret Treaties (album title) STTS Stairway To The Stars (song title) SWU Soft White Underbelly (former band name) SYIB, CUIB See You In Black (song title) tBS The Brain Surgeons THFTR Too Hip For The Room (see section on bands covering BOC) [T]RBN [The] Revolution By Night (album title) T&M, TAM, TM Tyranny And Mutation (album title) WGGOOTP We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (song title) WOTT, WOT Workshop Of The Telescopes (song, compilation album title) * This reference is an inside joke on the America On-Line bulletin boards for BOC. It refers to a fan that unashamedly praises Buck Dharma as an individual on the BOC message board. And, here's a few commonly used abbreviations by folks on the internet: AFAIK As Far As I Know BTW By The Way FWIW For What It's Worth HTML HyperText Markup Language IMHO In My Humble (or Honest) Opinion LOL Laughing Out Loud Ob Obligatory ROTFL(MAO) Rolling On The Floor Laughing (My Ass Off) WWW World Wide Web Editor's Note: To avoid people having to keep coming back to this section while reading the FAQ, I have avoided using the abbreviations in the FAQ (other than "FAQ" of course; but if you've gotten this far and don't know what "FAQ" stands for, I suggest you start over right now). 2. The Oyster Boys Are Swimming Now -- Who Are Blue Oyster Cult? Who are BOC? ============ A group of aliens who serve "Les Invisibles" (see discussion on the story told by the album, *Imaginos*). No really, who are BOC? ======================= A 5-man rock band from New York (see below). History of the Band =================== Note: The following is taken mostly from liner notes written by Arthur Levy in the "Career of Evil" album, portions of which also appeared in BOC tour programs and press kits. Additional information appears in [brackets]. Some of the history, and pre-history (which appears in the next section) information was taken from the liner notes to a German import compilation CD (Editor's note: Thanks to Andy Gilham for translating the German to English for me.). In the early 1970's, in the utter chaos of an embattled America cast adrift by the fires that plagued it for a decade, there arose a rock band whose destiny was no less than to bring ultimate meaning to the concept of heavy metal. When Blue Oyster Cult played, it was the sound of monsters in the hills. The wind carried the band's unknown tongues across continents until it felt as if earth's very crust could tear away. The agents of fortune responsible for this rage of heavy-metal thunder were a shadowy quintet, indeed. Their primal rumblings were first heard in the late 1960's, in the band known as Soft White Underbelly, which evolved into the Stalk-Forrest Group as an antidote to that era's "success-rock" syndrome. The dusty nightmare of Altamont settled into rock's fabric, and a thoroughly professional band emerged from the SWU/SFG heiarchy. As Blue Oyster Cult then, a familiar lineup would remain unchanged for a dozen years: leather-clad Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar) leering at audiences behind silver-mirrored shades; white-suited Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) attaining pyrotechnic levels that earned him Top-10 honors in rock-guitar polls; menacingly frail, pale Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar, vocals), longtime companion to poetess Patti Smith, lurking near the fringes of BOC's pulse; and Long Island brothers Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals) and Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), drifting effortlessly from pile-driving, bottom-end work to more exotic rhythms with enviable finesse. High above them all hung the ominous BOC banner, ancient symbol of Kronos (Saturn) in white on a field of black. [An interesting note is that Eric Bloom, according to the liner notes written by Volker Koerdt on the German import BOC CD, *The Reaper - Best*, stated that it was difficult to find his leather gear in those days -- "You couldn't get that stuff in those days, I had to buy it in gay stores or sex shops."] The indispensable sixth member of this American rock 'n' roll cabal was Sandy Pearlman. As producer, songwriter, and manager of BOC, Pearlman's knowledge of history and philosophy have enjoyed free reign for nearly 20 years. His production credits grew to include The Clash, Dream Syndicate, and Dictators. As one of the acknowledged founders of modern rock criticism (with Richard Meltzer, Paul Williams, and Jon Landau), he was the first to apply the term "heavy metal" to the music at hand. And as eternal student and teacher, his quest for true cosmic enlightenment is forever. BOC drew upon its collective talent as composers and musicians for the aptly titled debut album on Columbia, *Blue Oyster Cult* (released January, 1972), produced by Pearlman and Murray Krugman, a Columbia A&R executive. This team (with engineer David Lucas) would stay together through BOC's first seven years and as many LPs. The songwriting pattern was also set, a fusion of terror and madness, wit and irony, pop culture, social psychology, science, mythology, intellectual calisthenics, gutter outrage -- tactical directions that remained constant. A discernible popular following took hold as American rockers accepted BOC at a level previously reserved for U.K. bands only. In order to whet the appetites of these enlightened ones, a limited edition "Live Bootleg" 12-inch EP was circulated by the label. Since its release in October, 1972, this cherished item has become the Maltese Falcon of heavy metal collectibles. [Note: This recording is known under several names (see discography), and, while not widely circulated, is available as an import.] Over the next three years, BOC steadily ascended to headlining status, notwithstanding the absence of a Top-40 single or million- selling gold LP sales, just "Cult Power" (bolstered by rock critic establishment endorsements in the press and on the FM airwaves) and sheer musical depth. The LPs reflected this: *Tyranny And Mutation* (February, 1973) and *Secret Treaties* (April, 1974) both reinforced and exaggerated BOC's many obsessions, just as the band's public image threatened to overtake its existential reality. They bought some breathing space with the release of their first live album, the double LP, *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* (February, 1975). The album contained live performances of songs off the first three albums, plus "Buck's Boogie", "Maserati GT" (Pearlman's dream car, or a re-working of the Yardbirds' "I Ain't Got You") and Steppenwolf's elegy to the summer of love, "Born To Be Wild" -- in which Eric and Donald's Texas chainsaw guitar duel attains brain-shattering modulation. The inevitable commercial breakthrough took place with the next two LPs, which presented more individual contributions by the members of the band: the RIAA platinum *Agents Of Fortune* (May, 1976), with the Top- 10 [editor's note: it reached #12 actually] hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (later quoted by Stephen King in *The Stand*); and *Spectres* (November, 1977), whose "Godzilla" set off another explosion, especially in Japan, where BOC was greeted as a messenger of the gods, not unlike "Godjira" itself. This phase of BOC's career culminated in a second live album: *Some Enchanted Evening* (September, 1978) "made up for" the various sins of omission/commission on *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, while it also capitalized on having played more than 250 shows before a half-million people since *Spectres* was issued. In 1976, on the *Agents Of Fortune* tour, BOC also unleashed a new dimension in staging as they joined forces with one of the country's most advanced optical physics laboratories and developed the sophisticated and powerful (hence, controversial) laser light shows in rock, at a cost of $200,000. Upon the release of *Spectres*, an even more advanced laser presentation was unveiled at twice the cost, with twice the power. [Due to the controversy surrounding BOC laser shows (there were rumors that the lasers caused some people to go blind, and certain groups claimed that BOC must be evil to do such dangerous things at their shows), some venues would not allow their use. BOC later abandoned the use of lasers at their shows, citing cost and a desire to get "back to basics".] BOC's excursion out of the 1970's and into the 1980's unfolded over the course of its next three studio LPs. On *Mirrors* (June, 1979), BOC's first California recording, Pearlman and Krugman relinquished production to Tom Werman, a CBS staff producer (Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent, later Motley Crue). *Cultosaurus Erectus* (June, 1980), produced by Martin Birch (of Black Sabbath/DeepPurple/Whitesnake renown) included "Black Blade", a collaboration with British fiction/fantasy novelist Michael Moorcock. But it took *Fire Of Unknown Origin* (June, 1981), again produced by Birch, to bring BOC into the new video/Top-40 generation, with "Burnin' For You" and the controversial "Joan Crawford". BOC's third (and most likely final) live LP [like *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, a double LP] was the result of four months of recording and painstaking track selection. *Extraterrestrial Live* (April, 1982) became the standard by which BOC would be measured on stage. [It was also during this timeframe (August of 1981, to be more precise) that the first change of personnel in the band occurred. Albert Bouchard, the band's original drummer, apparently failed to show up on time for a show in Norfolk, England. Rick Downey, one of the members of BOC's road crew, happened to be a capable drummer himself, and was asked to play in Albert's absence. Albert arrived after the band had played five songs, and finished the show. Two days later, a very similar situation occurred, with Albert arriving late to the show, and Rick playing the first five songs in his absence. After this, Albert left the band, which was presumably only a "leave of absence" resolve some personal issues. Rick Downey continued to fill in as BOC's drummer, and was made the permanent drummer about a year after Albert left. Most of the songs on *Extraterrestrial Live* feature Rick Downey's drumming. However, two songs on the album feature Albert Bouchard on the drums -- Albert is credited as playing on "Dominance and Submission", and "Black Blade" (the recordings used of those two songs were made prior to Albert's leaving BOC). In addition, Albert Bouchard's likeness (along with Rick Downey and the rest of BOC) is pictured on the back of the album.] A year of minimum performances, maximum rehearsals and recording, and some unexpected personnel changes [i.e. Albert Bouchard] resulted in the release of *The Revolution By Night* (October, 1983). The LP was produced by Bruce Fairbairn (who worked with Loverboy since its inception, and went on to produce Bon Jovi). [In January of 1985, Rick Downey (upset that BOC wanted to use a different drummer in the studio for their next album) quit the band (After leaving BOC, he became the lighting designer for Utopia and Motley Crue, then tour manager for The Outfield and Anthrax, before returning in 1994 to be lighting designer and tour manager for BOC). As BOC had a 2 week tour of California in February, and no drummer, the band asked Albert Bouchard to fill in. However, Albert was only hired as a temporary replacement, much to the dismay of those who thought that the original line-up would be restored. On recommendation from Rick Derringer, Jimmy Wilcox became BOC's new drummer (although Billy Idol drummer Thommy Price was to provide some drum work in the studio for the next album). In addition, Allen Lanier took a leave of absence, presumably due to artistic differences with the band (he reportedly did not like the new BOC sound, or the use of so many writers outside the band) and was replaced by Tommy Zvoncheck on keyboards. With 3 of the original 5 band members remaining when the band resumed touring in May 1985, band insiders often referred to them as "3OC".] [These] further personnel changes [i.e. Rick Downey and Allen Lanier] were evident on *Club Ninja* (January 1986), BOC's first new album in 27 months, as Pearlman returned to produce his first LP with the band in nine years. Its title is derived from the song "Shadow Warrior" (literal translation of the Japanese ninja), which contained a lyric by best-selling novelist Eric Van Lustbader, author of *The Ninja*. [After a returning to the U.S. in February of 1986 from the European leg of the *Club Ninja* tour (where nearly everyone on the tour got sick), bassist Joe Bouchard left the band for personal reasons. On recommendation from Tommy Zvoncheck, Jon Rogers became the new bassist (having only a week to learn the songs). With only Eric and Buck remaining of the original lineup, band insiders often referred to them as "Two Oyster Cult".] [In September of 1986, after the *Club Ninja* tour was over, the band, according to singer Eric Bloom, "semi-officially broke up". However, the break was short-lived, as Allen Lanier rejoined Eric and Buck (returning the band to "3OC"). According to Buck, "We re-formed because we had an offer to go to Greece. Then we ended up playing some shows in Germany and just sort of fell back into it to make a living. "On Buck's recommendation, Ron Riddle became BOC's drummer when they resumed touring in June of 1987 (beginning in Greece). During this timeframe, the *Imaginos* (July 1988) album was finished and released, but more details of that album appear in another part of this FAQ.] [In May of 1991, drummer Ron Riddle left the band (and joined the Stuart Hamm Band), and was replaced by Chuck Burgi (who had played as a session drummer for Meatloaf, Rainbow, and other bands; and had played in the Eric Bloom band with Eric, Dennis Feldman of Heaven, and Bob Kulick of Meatloaf -- this band played a few shows in the New York area in 1987, and became known as Skull after Eric left the band). In 1992, Chuck Burgi took some "time off" to record a Japan-only release CD with ex-Rainbow keyboardist David Rosenthal -- John Miceli, drummer for Meatloaf, filled in for him (he had only one day to rehearse with the band). Blue Oyster Cult toured off and on between 1988 to 1999, mostly in smaller concert venues than they had been accustomed to during the peak years of their popularity (roughly 1975 - 1983). During this time, no new BOC albums were released, partly due to contractual issues between CBS records and the band. However, CBS released two compilation albums, *Career of Evil - The Metal Years*, and *On Flame With Rock And Roll*, in 1990. Also, BOC appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 science fiction movie, *Bad Channels* -- the album includes two new BOC tunes ("Demon's Kiss" and "When Horsemen Arrive"), along with a myriad of instrumental pieces (created by Buck Dharma using his guitars and Macintosh computer) that were used for the score of the movie. In 1994, the band released *Cult Classic* on Herald records. This album came about due to interest in the band by horror writer Stephen King, who wanted to use "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" as part of the soundtrack in the TV Mini-Series adaptation of his novel, *The Stand*. Due to contractual issues between CBS and the band (CBS owned the footage rights to BOC's music), BOC got a "one-off" deal from Herald records to re-do the songs (Herald had a similar arrangement with Rick Wakeman, formerly of Yes). In May of 1995, bassist Jon Rogers left the band to pursue a career with a new band. He was temporarily replaced by Greg Smith, who has previously worked with Alice Cooper, Ritchie Blackmore, Vinnie Moore, and the Plasmatics. Greg came on recommendation from Chuck Burgi, who had worked with Greg on David Rosenthal's album. In August of 1995, Greg left the band to support tours with Alice Cooper and Ritchie Blackmore. Based on recommendations from Greg Smith and John Miceli, the new bassist for BOC is Danny Miranda, from Long Island, New York. In September of 1995, drummer Chuck Burgi left the band to work with Greg Smith in Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Chuck was replaced by former Rainbow drummer John O'Reilly, but returned in August of 1996. During John O'Reilly's tenure with BOC, both John Miceli and Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli (who has also played with Black Sabbath) filled in for John O'Reilly on a few occasions. John Miceli also filled in for Chuck Burgi for a few dates in late 1996 and early 1997, and was replaced by BOC's current drummer, Bobby Rondinelli, in February of 1997. Chuck Burgi would go on to become the drummer for Enrique Iglesias, although he also filled in for Bobby Rondinelli for a few shows in 1999 (so that Bobby could be part of a Cozy Powell tribute). Also in September of 1995, CBS-Sony released a double CD titled, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, a compilation of BOC's greatest hits with some previously unreleased versions of BOC tracks. CMC International Records released the *Summerdaze* album in conjunction with 1997 summer tour BOC did with Foghat, Pat Travers, and Steppenwolf. This album featured 2 live BOC tracks plus a new studio track ("Power Underneath Despair"). In March of 1998, CMC International Records released the long- awaited new BOC album, *Heaven Forbid*. This album had been delayed for a number of years due to difficulties in securing a proper business deal between the band and a recording label. Based mostly on the strength of sales of *Heaven Forbid*, CMC International has agreed to release the next BOC album, which is anticipated to be released in the year 2000. At the end of 1998, Allen Lanier took some "time off" from the band, returning in March of 1999. In his absence, keyboards and additional guitar was handled for a few shows by Kasim Sulton, former bassist for Utopia, and keyboardist for Meatloaf. This only lasted for a few shows, however, as Kasim had a prior commitment with Meatloaf (Note: Kasim was being considered in 1995 when BOC needed a bassist as well). From late January until early March of 1999, Allen's parts were handled by Al Pitrelli, guitarist for Savatage. Allen returned to the band in March of 1999. Also in May of 1999, former drummer Chuck Burgi returned to play a few shows with the band. And what of the Bouchard Brothers - the original drummer (Albert) and bassist (Joe) for BOC? After his departure from BOC, Albert spent a lot of time working on a solo album (to be titled, *Imaginos*), along with Sandy Pearlman (also a driving conceptual force behind BOC), who was still managing BOC. Eventually, *Imaginos* was released in 1988. However, due to problems with CBS records, the album was released as a BOC album, with many of the tracks re-worked, against Albert's wishes. More on the recording of *Imaginos* appears in another part of this FAQ. In addition, Albert had hoped that he would be able re-join the band's original line-up. This however, was not to be. As previously mentioned, Albert was asked to fill in for a two-week tour of California in early 1985 when BOC was in-between drummers (Rick Downey and Jimmy Wilcox). He agreed, hoping to patch things up with the band. However, they made it clear to him that he was merely a temporary hired hand, and his "final" performance with BOC was in February 1985. After Joe Bouchard left BOC, he and Albert both played with the Spencer Davis Group (Joe on keyboards, Albert on drums). After that, they formed "The Bouchard Brothers", but due to artistic differences, Albert left that band before their first show - Joe continued with the band under the name, "The Cult Brothers". For this band, Joe played mostly keyboards and guitar, and singing lead. Also in this band was Billy Hilfiger on guitar, Andy Hilfiger on bass, and Jimmy Cacala on drums. They played a number of BOC covers, plus some original songs. Also, the Cult Brothers played as a Doors tribute band, Crystal Ship, with a different lead vocalist (Joe Tag) on several occasions. The original material created by the Cult Brothers was released on CD in 1997 (*Joe Bouchard Presents the X Brothers: Solid Citizens*) on the "Cellsum" record label (see next paragraph). Albert in his post-BOC days also played with Helen Wheels (who dated Albert in the 1960's, and provided lyrics for several BOC songs), David Roter, Richie Stotts (former guitarist for The Plasmatics) and a band called "Imaginary Playmates" that he formed with his wife, Deborah Frost. This project would later become their current band, "The Brain Surgeons". A drummer herself, formerly of the 1970's all-girl band "Flaming Youth" (which inspired the KISS song of the same name), Deborah was better known as a rock journalist, writing for such publications as The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Creem, Spin, and Musician, to name a few. Also in The Brain Surgeons is guitarist Billy Hilfiger (who played in King's Flux, as well as with Albert for Helen Wheels, and then The Cult Brothers), guitarist Peter Bohovesky (who's old band, Kablamachunk, had an album produced by Albert before breaking up), and bassist David Hirschberg. The Brain Surgeons released their first album, *Eponymous*, in early 1994 on their own independent label (Cellsum). The album was later released in October 1994 on the "Ripe and Ready" record label. They released their second album, *Trepanation*, in 1995 on the Cellsum label, and in 1996 by "Ripe and Ready". Their third album (*Box Of Hammers*) was released in 1996, their fourth album (*Malpractise*) was released in 1997, both on the Cellsum label - both of these albums were released by "Ripe and Ready" in 1998. Their fifth album (the double CD, *Piece Of Work*) was released on Cellsum/Ripe and Ready in 1999.] Blue Oyster Cult made choices many years before, and their decision stands: to face the real politics of rock survival in a nightly stand of metallic force. In a world where science and nature are at war, and survival depends on the delicate balance of the natural and supernatural, BOC are more than just informed observers. They are served by forces that many cannot understand. Now the voices call in hunger: That is why we need them. It is why they are here. Pre-history of the Band ======================= Not surprisingly, the first two members of Blue Oyster Cult to play together were brothers Albert Bouchard (b. 24 May 1947) and Joe Bouchard (b. 9 November 1948). Both originally learned to play guitar and keyboards (Albert even played organ for his church for a few years). In their teens, Albert played drums, and Joe played guitar in a band known as "The Regal Tones" (with their cousins). They covered numerous U.S. and Canadian radio hits. While starting out playing mostly surf music, they later copied British bands such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles (complete with Beatle wigs). Donald Roeser (b. 12 November 1947), while he did take both accordion and drum lessons in his early years, was basically self-taught on guitar. He first took up the instrument after breaking his wrist playing basketball as a teenager. Soon after the cast came off, Donald started playing lead guitar in a band known as "The Montereys". While the rest of the band that would become Blue Oyster Cult grew up in New York, Allen Lanier (b. 25 June 1946) was raised mostly in the south (although he attended high school in Connecticut). He played in a few forgettable bands in high school, and immersed himself in the blues during his two years at the University of North Carolina. his primary instrument was guitar, but would often get "stuck" playing keyboards due to his ability to handle that instrument -- so too would it later be with BOC. Eric Bloom (b. 1 December 1944) attended Hobart College in upstate New York in the early 1960's. He gained some notoriety at the small school for having a PA system (and convincing the school to buy a decent PA). He was also the singer for "The Lost and Found", which also had Pete Haviland on guitar and John Trivers on bass. The band broke up in 1968 and Eric moved to Long Island, getting a sales job at a Sam Ash music store. Albert and Donald met as freshmen at Clarkson College of Technology in 1965. The two had met once or twice there, but were formally introduced to each other by mutual friend Bruce Abbott (co-author of the songs, "Golden Age Of Leather" and "Mirrors"). Donald and Bruce had played together in a band called "Eve of Instruction", alluding to their planned college studies in engineering. Albert (drums), Donald (guitar), Bruce (bass), Jeff Latham (guitar, who also later played in Soft White Underbelly when Allen Lanier spent about six months in the army in 1968), and Skip O'Donnell (vocals, mostly because he could sing at practices with no mike and be heard over the amplifiers), formed "The Disciples". The band played a mix of Beach Boys, Coasters, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Lee Dorsey, Lou Christie, Temptations, Impressions, Smokey Robinson, etc. The band was fairly short-lived, but reformed during Albert and Donald's sophomore year as "The Travesty", a copy band of "The Blues Project". During the summer either before or after the Travesty was formed, both Albert and Joe Bouchard played in a band called "The Clansmen", which coincidentally included Pete Haviland (guitarist in Eric Bloom's band, "The Lost and Found"). Donald and Albert both dropped out of college after two years, and tried to get jobs and find musicians in New York City and Albany with no success. Albert moved to Chicago to briefly play with his old bandmate Jeff Latham. Donald, still in Long Island, met Samuel (Sandy) Pearlman (writer for the rock magazine *Crawdaddy*, who at some point also had the knickname, "Memphis Sam") and Richard Meltzer (who were both attending Stony Brook college on Long Island). Donald had begun jamming with high school friend Andrew Winters (bass, who also worked in Pearlman's father's drug store), Meltzer's buddy John Wiesenthal (keyboards), and Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards - he was introduced to the band by Wiesenthal). Donald called Albert to join them (Wiesenthal dropped out around that time), and a psychedelic band by the name of "Soft White Underbelly" (a named dubbed by Sandy Pearlman), was born in 1967 (note: Richard Meltzer reportedly wanted to call the band, "Cow"). Prior to finding a lead singer, lead vocals were shared by Albert and Donald. When Soft White Underbelly formed, the band concentrated not on cover tunes, but on free-form improvisations and extended musical jams. They got some fairly immediate exposure by opening for bands like Muddy Waters, the Grateful Dead, the Band, and Jefferson Airplane. Richard Meltzer, and possibly Sandy Pearlman, tried to front the band briefly as the lead singer, but both proved to be more effective as lyricists for the band. Also briefly fronting the band was a saxophone player named Jeff Richards. The man who became the band's lead singer would be Hobart College (the same school Eric Bloom attended) graduate Les Braunstein. Les had gained some fame and fortune for having written a song titled, "The Blue Frog Song", which was recorded as "I'm In Love With A Big Blue Frog" by Peter, Paul, and Mary. He met the Soft White Underbelly back in 1967, and began hanging out with them regularly. One day at one of the rehearsals, Les plugged a microphone into one of the amplifiers and started singing while the band jammed. Soon after, Les was officially asked to join the band. Richard Meltzer apparently didn't think too highly of Les Braunstein. According to Buck Dharma, Meltzer wrote the lyrics to "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" (originally titled "He's As Beautiful As A Foot" - the "he" referring to Les) in order to make Les look stupid while singing them. However, according to Les, Meltzer hadn't written those lyrics until after Braunstein had left the band. Nevertheless, Braunstein's charisma (he had a style and look similar to Jim Morrison of the Doors) was no doubt part of the reason that Elektra records offered the Soft White Underbelly a record deal. Elektra's president and founder, Jac Holzman, who has been credited for "discovering" the Doors, was impressed with the band. It is also interesting to note that New York comedian David Roter, a friend of Sandy Pearlman's, sat in a few times with Soft White Underbelly as the lead singer. However, his outrageous material concerned the band (although he would later contribute to a few BOC songs). Around the time that the Soft White Underbelly was securing a record deal, Joe Bouchard was playing guitar in various fraternity party bands in college at Ithaca, New York. During his junior year, while he was "between bands", he saw a latin/jazz band called "Que Pasa", whose leader happened to be his classical guitar teacher. He happened to have a class with the bass player, who told him he was leaving the band. Joe went to his teacher and asked for the job, and became the official bass player for "Que Pasa" for the next two years. Coincidentally, the band was seen in Aruba in 1968 by the sister of Bruce Abbott - the one who formally introduced Donald Roeser to Albert Bouchard back in 1965. During this time, Eric Bloom had been working as a salesman at a music store. Members of the Soft White Underbelly happened to be in the store one day (to buy new equipment with money advanced to them by Elektra), and Eric recognized them. He later asked the band if he could be their road manager. With access to a van or truck and PA equipment, he was a good candidate for the job, but it would be his voice that ultimately proved to be a more important asset. In early 1969, Soft White Underbelly recorded material for an album for Elektra that was never released. Due to differences with the rest of the band, Les Braunstein left the band after recording the album (or possibly before it was completed). Braunstein's departure was probably a factor in Elektra's decision not to release it. Albert Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman, and Richard Meltzer all tried to sing. According to Albert Bouchard, he and Pearlman wanted Patti Smith (who had met the band around that time, and later formed a personal relationship with Allen Lanier) to sing, but the rest of the band out-voted them. As it turned out, the best sounding was Eric Bloom. After leaving Soft White Underbelly, Les Braunstein had various musical projects. In 1973, he recorded three songs with Albert Bouchard, Buck Dharma, and John Trivers. Since about 1975, he has performed as "Les Vegas", which he still performs as to this day. After Braunstein's departure, and an embarrassing performance at New York's Fillmore East (opening for Jethro Tull and Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart -- this performance was notable for the fact that Buck wore a pair of pants with pennies glued all over them), the band's name was changed to "Stalk-Forrest Group". Meanwhile, Pearlman spent several months trying to convince Elektra to take another chance with the band (with Eric Bloom now the lead vocalist). They finally agreed, and in early 1970, the band traveled to Los Angeles to record another album. However, Elektra decided not to release that album either (reasons are sketchy). Soon after recording the second unreleased Elektra album, Andrew Winters left the band (and although he presumably never played with the band again, he did play with David Roter, and he provided an uncredited bass part for the 1979 Roter single release, "I Think I Slept With Jackie Kennedy Last Night"/"He's A Rabbi"). Albert called up his brother Joe, and by the summer of 1970, the line-up that would soon call themselves "Blue Oyster Cult" (but not before briefly going by the names of "Oaxaca" and "Santos Sisters") was complete. The band continued to perform in the New York area club scene, slipping in future BOC tunes in between Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, and Grand Funk Railroad covers. During one of the band's performances (at a swingers/nudist party at an off-season summer camp in the Catskills), David Lucas, a TV/radio commercial jingle producer, saw the band perform. He liked them so much he let them use his studio to cut a demo. This four-song demo included "Then Came The Last Days Of May", the actual track that was re-mixed and put on BOC's first album. Sandy Pearlman convinced Columbia marketing man (and future co-producer) Murray Krugman (who believed that Columbia was looking for a heavy metal group in the same vein as Black Sabbath) to get the band another demo and audition with Columbia. The rest, as they say, is history. 3. My Ears Will Melt, And Then My Eyes -- Blue Oyster Cult Discography Note: Songwriting credits, as they are listed on the album, follow the title of each song. Additional notes (including who is listed as having played on the album) follow the song listing. Domestic (U.S.) Album Releases ============================== *Blue Oyster Cult* 1. Transmaniacon MC -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser, E. Bloom) 2. I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, E. Bloom) 3. Then Came The Last Days Of May -- (D. Roeser) 4. Stairway To The Stars -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser) 5. Before The Kiss, A Redcap -- (S. Pearlman, M. Krugman, A. Lanier, D. Roeser) 6. Screams -- (J. Bouchard) 7. She's As Beautiful As A Foot -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard, A. Lanier) 8. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll -- (S. Pearlman, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) 9. Workshop Of The Telescopes -- (S. Pearlman, BOC) 10. Redeemed -- (S. Pearlman, H. Farcas, A. Bouchard, A. Lanier) Notes: Released January 1972 by Columbia. Re-mastered on "gold" CD together with *Tyranny And Mutation* and released May 1999 by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, with restored and expanded liner notes. Produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. Instruments: Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (lead vocal, stun guitar, keyboards), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Allen Lanier (rhythm guitar, keyboards). The song "Redeemed" is alternately known as "Sir Rastus Bear". The song, "Before The Kiss, A Redcap", was originally titled "Conry's Bar". The remaining information was provided by Albert Bouchard: "Cities on Flame With Rock And Roll", originally titled "Siren Singalong", was inspired by Black Sabbath's "The Wizard" (note the similarities to the start of the main riff), MC5's "Motor City is Burning" (Sandy Pearlman got the idea for some of the lyrics from this song), and King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man". The main riff to "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" was inspired by a Jimi Hendrix lick during his song, "Hey Joe". *Tyranny And Mutation* 1. The Red & The Black -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman) 2. O.D.'d On Life Itself -- (E. Bloom, A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, S. Pearlman) 3. Hot Rails To Hell -- (J. Bouchard) 4. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, D. Roeser, S. Pearlman) 5. Baby Ice Dog -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, P. Smith) 6. Wings Wetted Down -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard) 7. Teen Archer -- (D. Roeser, E. Bloom, R. Meltzer) 8. Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl) -- (A. Bouchard, S. Pearlman) Notes: Released February 1973 by Columbia. Re-mastered on "gold" CD together with *Blue Oyster Cult* and released May 1999 by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, with restored and expanded liner notes. Produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. Instruments: Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (vocal, stun guitar, all synthesizers), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, keyboard), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar). A quadraphonic pressing of this album was also made. The album is the only one in the band's discography where the band is listed as *THE* Blue Oyster Cult. The album was originally planned to be titled, "The Red And The Black", and the sides of the final product were dubbed "The Black" (physical, sensual, aural activation) and "The Red" (phantasmagorical id-teasers and supernatural beings). The following was printed in the liner notes: "Seepage from deep, black, brittle experiments which failed and transformations too hard to find. 'I was overcome and turned to red.' Duster's dust became the sale. Lucifer the light. A restless motion came to move and then subside. In endless knocking at the door - it's time. Tyranny & Mutation. Tyranny & Mutation." According to Joe Bouchard, most of the lyrics for "Wings Wetted Down" came from a book of poems by Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet (referred to as one of the 3 or 4 greatest Spanish-language poets of this century, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971). According to Albert Bouchard, the music to "Baby Ice Dog" was inspired by the Blues Project song, "I Can't Keep From Crying." *Secret Treaties* 1. Career Of Evil -- (A. Bouchard, P. Smith) 2. Subhuman -- (E. Bloom, S. Pearlman) 3. Dominance And Submission -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman) 4. ME 262 -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, S. Pearlman) 5. Cagey Cretins -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer) 6. Harvester Of Eyes -- (D. Roeser, E. Bloom, R. Meltzer) 7. Flaming Telepaths -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman, D. Roeser) 8. Astronomy -- (J. Bouchard, A. Bouchard, S. Pearlman) Notes: Released April 1974 by Columbia. Produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. The album, originally planned to be titled, "Power In The Hands Of Fools", went gold in 1992. Instruments: Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (lead vocal, keyboards, stun guitar), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar, all synthesizers). A quadraphonic pressing of this album was also made. The printing on the CD incorrectly lists D. Roeser's name as "E." Roeser on the credits for "ME 262". In addition, there is a slight glitch on the CD version of "Cagey Cretins" - during the guitar solo, there is a brief sway of key and tone, as if the tape was bumped during the creation of the CD. The following was printed in the liner notes: "Rossignol's curious, albeit simply titled book, 'The Origins of a World War', spoke in terms of 'secret treaties', drawn up between the Ambassadors from Plutonia and Desdinova the foreign minister. These treaties founded a secret science from the stars. Astronomy. The career of evil." The book mentioned does not exist. According to Albert Bouchard, the riffs from "Cagey Cretins" are based on the Soft White Underbelly songs, "Bark In The Sun" and "Mystic Stump". The song "Career Of Evil" was based on Patti Smith's poem titled "Poem Of Isadore Ducasse". According to an issue of Morning Final, a riff from "Astronomy" was inspired by David Bowie's "Panic In Detroit". In a 1975 critics poll in the U.K. music magazine *Melody Maker*, this album was voted "Top Rock Album of All Time". *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* (live) 1. The Subhuman 2. Harvester Of Eyes 3. Hot Rails To Hell 4. Red & The Black 5. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters 6. Buck's Boogie -- (Buck Dharma) 7. Last Days Of May 8. Cities On Flame 9. ME 262 10. Before The Kiss (A Redcap) 11. Maserati GT (I Ain't Got You) -- (C. Carter) 12. Born To Be Wild -- (M. Bonfire) Notes: Released February 1975 by Columbia. Produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. The album went gold. Instruments: Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocal on "Before The Kiss" and "Last Days Of May"), Eric Bloom (vocals, stun guitar, synthesizer), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocal on "Cities On Flame"), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocal on "Hot Rails To Hell"), Allen Lanier (rhythm guitar, all keyboards). The CD liner mis-spells Buck's last name as "Rooser". On the CD version, there is a strange EQ shift during Eric's on-stage talking prior to the start of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters". "Maserati GT" is a re-working of "I Ain't Got You", originally by the Yardbirds. "Born To Be Wild" was originally done by Steppenwolf. "Buck's Boogie" is dedicated to Ron McCoy, who was a DJ in Los Angeles in the 1970's, and let Buck sit in one night as a guest DJ on his show. According to Bolle Gregmar, Albert Bouchard should also receive a writing credit for "Buck's Boogie" (a credit which eventually appeared on the compilation CD set, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*) -- Albert derived the song from the Stalk-Forrest Group song, "Arthur Comics", and then gave it to Buck to add his personal touch. According to Buck Dharma, the riff in "Buck's Boogie" was inspired by the Beatles song, "You Can't Do That". The songs were recorded at the following locations: Academy of Music, New York; Paramount Theatre, Portland & Seattle; Show Palace, Phoenix; Long Beach Arena, California; P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver; and Capitol Theatre, New Jersey. The "introduction" of the band that appears before the final song was done by BOC lighting director Carol Dodds, who usually did the nightly introduction of the band. *Agents Of Fortune* 1. This Ain't The Summer Of Love -- (M. Krugman, A. Bouchard, D. Waller) 2. True Confessions -- (A. Lanier) 3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper -- (D. Roeser) 4. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) -- (D. Roeser, S. Pearlman) 5. The Revenge Of Vera Gemini -- (A. Bouchard, P. Smith) 6. Sinful Love -- (A. Bouchard, H. Robbins) 7. Tattoo Vampire -- (A. Bouchard, H. Robbins) 8. Morning Final -- (J. Bouchard) 9. Tenderloin -- (A. Lanier) 10. Debbie Denise -- (A. Bouchard, P. Smith) Notes: Released May 1976 by Columbia. Re-mastered on "gold" CD and released January 1998 by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, with restored and expanded liner notes. Produced by Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, and David Lucas. The album went platinum. In addition, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper was listed in the August 1997 issue of *MOJO* magazine as #80 on the magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time". Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals, synthesizer, percussion), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, piano), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, harmonica), Allen Lanier (keyboards, vocals, guitar, bass), Patti Smith (vocal on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"). Helen Robbins also goes by (and has been credited on BOC albums) as "Helen Wheels". The lead vocal on "True Confessions" is Allen Lanier -- his only lead vocal on all of BOC's albums. Also, according to Albert Bouchard, Allen plays the bass part to "Morning Final" on the album. The songs "Tattoo Vampire" and "Debbie Denise" were originally titled "Tattooed Vampire" and "To Remember Debbie Denise" respectively. The song "E.T.I.", originally an instrumental track, was tried with different lyrics by Sandy Pearlman (titled "Punishment Park", it may have even had a vocal track by Sandy) and Joe Bouchard (titled "Des Pot Soup") before using the current lyrics. Also according to Albert Bouchard, Randy Brecker plays saxophone on "True Confessions". His brother Michael Brecker also played a fluglehorn part for "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", but it was edited out of the final mix. The riff to "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" was inspired by the song, "Ascension Day" by Third World War. Don Waller, who came up with the title for "This Ain't The Summer Of Love", also used the title for a song by the Imperial Dogs - the only similarities to BOC's song, other than the title, is the lines "This ain't the Garden of Eden. This ain't the Summer of Love." The album cover depicts someone holding 4 Tarot cards: Death, The Queen, The King, The Sun. Stories say that these cards were part of an actual Tarot card reading done for the band. *Spectres* 1. Godzilla -- (D. Roeser) 2. Golden Age Of Leather -- (B. Abbott, D. Roeser) 3. Death Valley Nights -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) 4. Searchin' For Celine -- (A. Lanier) 5. Fireworks -- (A. Bouchard) 6. R. U. Ready 2 Rock -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard) 7. Celestial The Queen -- (H. Wheels, J. Bouchard) 8. Goin' Through The Motions -- (E. Bloom, I. Hunter) 9. I Love The Night -- (D. Roeser) 10. Nosferatu -- (H. Wheels, J. Bouchard) Notes: Released November 1977 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy Pearlman, Murray Krugman, David Lucas, and Blue Oyster Cult. The album, originally planned to be titled, "The Big Hurt", went gold. Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead and rhythm guitar, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, guitar), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, harmonica), Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar). According to Allen Lanier, the photograph on the album's cover was inspired by turn of the century photographer Jacob Rees, whose "How The Other Lives" album depicted the classier gang members of the period in their true colors." According to Albert Bouchard, parts of "Godzilla" were inspired by a song titled, "Go Go Gorilla". According to Joe Bouchard, the bass break on "Godzilla" is a direct tribute to Stanley Clarke. According to "Morning Final #11", "I Love The Night" had a 3rd verse on the original demo, which has been included on occasion when the band performed the song live. The song "Fireworks" was originally titled, "Blazing Red". A version of the song "Searchin' For Celine" was demoed by Allen Lanier for the *Agents Of Fortune* album. *Some Enchanted Evening* (live) 1. R. U. Ready 2 Rock 2. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) 3. Astronomy 4. Kick Out The Jams -- (MC5) 5. Godzilla 6. (Don't Fear) The Reaper 7. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place -- (B. Mann, C. Weil) Notes: Released September 1978 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy Pearlman, Murray Krugman, and Blue Oyster Cult. The album went platinum. Extra percussion was provided by Tony Cedrone and Rickey Reyer. "Kick Out The Jams" was originally done by MC5 - BOC's version also included a riff from the MC5 song, "Ramblin' Rose" during the guitar solo. "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" was originally done by The Animals. The songs were recorded at the following locations: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia - 4/13/78 (R. U. Ready To Rock, Kick Out The Jams); Municipal Auditorium, Columbus, Georgia - 4/11/78 (E.T.I., Astronomy); Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, Arkansas - 4/9/78 (The Reaper); Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, England - 6/1/78 (Godzilla, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place). The version of "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" that's on the CD version of this album is from a different show than the original LP/cassette version. The version on the CD is from a show in either Edinburgh or London, not Newcastle. According to Bolle Gregmar, somehow, the boxes containing the shows in question got switched, and this error (sometimes called "Murray's Choice", in reference to Murray Krugman) resulted in the CD being made with the song from the other site, and not Newcastle (which is also erroneously spelled "New Castle" on the album). The live ending of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was based on the ending of the Stalk-Forrest Group song, "Gil Blanco County". *Mirrors* 1. Dr. Music -- (R. Meltzer, J. Bouchard, D. Roeser) 2. The Great Sun Jester -- (M. Moorcock, J. Trivers, E. Bloom) 3. In Thee -- (A. Lanier) 4. Mirrors -- (D. Roeser, B. Abbott) 5. Moon Crazy -- (J. Bouchard) 6. The Vigil -- (D. Roeser, S. Roeser) 7. I Am The Storm -- (J. Bouchard, R. Binder) 8. You're Not The One (I Was Looking For) -- (A. Bouchard, C. Bouchard) 9. Lonely Teardrops -- (A. Lanier) Notes: Released in June 1979 by Columbia. Produced by Tom Werman. Additional instruments: Genya Ravan, Ellen Foley (backing vocals on "Dr. Music" and "Mirrors"), Wendy Webb (backing vocals on "Lonely Teardrops"), Mickey Raphael (harmonica on "Dr. Music"), Jai Winding (strings on "In Thee"). The printing on the CD incorrectly lists B. Abbott as "B. Abbot". The cover of the album is not a photo of a rearview mirror, but a painting by Loren Salazar (according to Eric Bloom, "quite famous in the Seattle area"). If you look closely on the left side of the album cover (you probably need a magnifying glass for the CD or cassette), two sperm cells can be seen painted in the clouds and sky. The song "The Vigil" originally had different lyrics by Patti Smith, and was titled, "Devil's Hangnail" or "The Devil's Nail". The song "Lonely Teardrops" was originally titled, "Wind In My Veins". According to Morning Final #8, the song "You're Not The One (I Was Looking For) was inspired by the Cars' song, "My Best Friend's Girl". According to Joe Bouchard, the "Dr. Music" was inspired by the Larry Williams' "Bony Moronie" and Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". *Cultosaurus Erectus* 1. Black Blade -- (E. Bloom, M. Moorcock, J. Trivers) 2. Monsters -- (A. Bouchard, C. Bouchard) 3. Divine Wind -- (D. Roeser) 4. Deadline -- (D. Roeser) 5. The Marshall Plan -- (Blue Oyster Cult) 6. Hungry Boys -- (A. Bouchard, C. Bouchard) 7. Fallen Angel -- (J. Bouchard, H. Robbins) 8. Lips In The Hills -- (D. Roeser, E. Bloom, R. Meltzer) 9. Unknown Tongue -- (A. Bouchard, D. Roter) Notes: Released in June 1980 by Columbia. Re-mastered and re-released in 1999 in England by Sony's "Rewind" label, with restored liner notes. Produced by Martin Birch. Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals), Mark Rivera (saxophone on "Monsters"). Helen Robbins also goes by (and has been credited on BOC albums) as "Helen Wheels". On the CD version of "Deadline", the downbeat of the first note of the song is missing. The U.K. "Rewind" release of 1999 does not contain this flaw. The songs "Fallen Angel" and "Hungry Boys" were originally titled, "Falling Angel" and "Hungry Boys In Brooklyn" respectively. The song "Lips In The Hills" originally had different lyrics by Buck Dharma, and was titled, "Hold Me Tight". When released as a single, the song "The Marshall Plan" was titled "Here's Johnny". The printing on the CD incorrectly lists C. Bouchard as "K. Bouchard". *Fire Of Unknown Origin* 1. Fire Of Unknown Origin -- (J. Bouchard, P. Smith, E. Bloom, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser) 2. Burnin' For You -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer) 3. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars -- (E. Bloom, M. Moorcock) 4. Sole Survivor -- (E. Bloom, J. Trivers, L. Myers) 5. Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver -- (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman) 6. Vengeance (The Pact) -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard) 7. After Dark -- (E. Bloom, J. Trivers, L. Myers) 8. Joan Crawford -- (A. Bouchard, D. Roter, J. Rigg) 9. Don't Turn Your Back -- (A. Lanier, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) Notes: Released in June 1981 by Columbia. Produced by Martin Birch. The album went gold. Instruments: Eric Bloom (lead vocals, bass on "Heavy Metal"), Albert Bouchard (drums, synthesizer, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals, bass and sound effects on "Joan Crawford"), Karla DeVito (background vocal on "Sole Survivor"), Sandy Jean (background vocal on "Don't Turn Your Back"), Bill Civitella, Tony Cedrone, Buck Dharma (additional percussion on "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars"), Jess Levy (string arrangements on "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" and "Joan Crawford"). The song "Veteran Of the Psychic Wars" appears in the movie "Heavy Metal". A version of the song "Fire Of Unknown Origin" (with Albert Bouchard on lead vocals) was originally worked-up during the sessions for the *Agents Of Fortune* album. The song "Burnin' For You", based on Richard Meltzer's poem, "Burn Out The Day" (which both Albert and Joe attempted to put to music before Buck's music was used) may have been originally intended for Buck's *Flat Out* album. The song "Vengeance (The Pact)" began as a song called "Dakota Silo Sitter" with different lyrics by Joe, before Albert supplied lyrics based on the movie "Heavy Metal", and titled it "Taarna's Theme". The song "Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver" was originally titled "Ear Damage". The piano intro for "Joan Crawford", one of Allen Lanier's spotlights in many live BOC shows, was actually written by Joe Bouchard. *Extraterrestrial Live* (live) 1. Dominance And Submission 2. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll 3. Dr. Music 4. The Red And The Black 5. Joan Crawford 6. Burnin' For You 7. Roadhouse Blues -- (The Doors) 8. Black Blade 9. Hot Rails To Hell 10. Godzilla 11. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars 12. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) 13. (Don't Fear) The Reaper Notes: Released in April 1982 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy Pearlman and George Geranios. The album was originally planned to be titled, "Cult in the Act". Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Rick Downey (drums), Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums on "Black Blade" and "Dominance And Submission"), Special Guest: Robbie Krieger (guitar on "Roadhouse Blues") -- note: The CD liner incorrectly lists his name as "Bobbie" Krieger. "Roadhouse Blues" was originally done by The Doors. The songs were recorded at the following locations: Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida - 10/9/81 (Burnin' For You, E.T.I., The Red And The Black, Joan Crawford, Godzilla, Veteran Of The Psychic Wars, The Reaper); Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York - 12/30/81 (Dr. Music, Hot Rails To Hell) and 10/17/80 (Black Blade); Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 12/31/81 (Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll); The Country Club, Reseda, California - 12/15/81 (Roadhouse Blues); Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, New York - 2/11/80 (Dominance And Submission - originally recorded for the "King Biscuit Flower Hour"). The drum fills before the final verse of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" are not as they were played live - some of the beats were removed in the mixing. This is believed to be the last BOC album that was available on 8-track tape. *The Revolution By Night* 1. Take Me Away -- (E. Bloom, A. Nova) 2. Eyes On Fire -- (G. Winter) 3. Shooting Shark -- (D. Roeser, P. Smith) 4. Veins -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer) 5. Shadow Of California -- (J. Bouchard, N. Smith, S. Pearlman) 6. Feel The Thunder -- (E. Bloom) 7. Let Go -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, I. Hunter) 8. Dragon Lady -- (D. Roeser, B. Blotto) 9. Light Years Of Love -- (J. Bouchard, H. Wheels) Notes: Released in October 1983 by Columbia. Produced by Bruce Fairbairn. The album was originally planned to be titled, "Night Makes Right". As a single, "Shooting Shark" spent 3 weeks on the U.S. charts, reaching as high as #83. Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, electric and Spanish guitar, vocoder, vocals), Rick Downey (drums), Allen Lanier (piano, synthesizers), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Larry Fast/Synergy (additional synthesizer programming), Randy Jackson (bass on "Shooting Shark"), Marc Baum (saxophone on "Shooting Shark"), Greg Winter (background vocals on "Eyes On Fire"), Aldo Nova (guitar and synthesizer on "Take Me Away"). *Club Ninja* 1. White Flags -- (Leggatt Bros.) 2. Dancin' In The Ruins -- (L. Gottlieb, J. Scanlon) 3. Make Rock Not War -- (B. Halligan Jr.) 4. Perfect Water -- (D. Roeser, J. Carroll) 5. Spy In The House Of The Night -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer) 6. Beat 'Em Up -- (B. Halligan Jr.) 7. When The War Comes -- (J. Bouchard, S. Pearlman) 8. Shadow Warrior -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, Eric Van Lustbader) 9. Madness To The Method -- (D. Roeser, D. Trismen) Notes: There were three different releases by Columbia of this album, each with a slightly different mix. A somewhat rushed mix was released in England in November of 1985 (this release is believed to be available only on LP and cassette, but not on CD). Another mix was released in Holland in December of 1995. The third mix (released in the U.S. and elsewhere), was released in January 1986. EPIC records released this album as a "Collector's Choice" edition in 1992 using the Holland mix. Produced by Sandy Pearlman. Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, guitar), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Jimmy Wilcox (background vocals, percussion), Tommy Zvoncheck (synthesizers, piano, organ), Thommy Price (drums), Phil Grande (additional guitars), Kenny Aaronson (additional bass). This is the first CD recorded by BOC (as opposed to previous releases, where the CD was later cut from the LP masters). The spoken words at the start of "When the War Comes" ("When the bones of our oppressors... All hail the revolution") are done by New York DJ Howard Stern (who's mother is presumably related to Eric Bloom's wife's mother). The European releases of this album do not contain these spoken words. In addition, on the first (England) mix, "White Flags" does not end via fade-out. This version is available on some single versions of this song. There are other various discrepancies between the album and single releases due to the various mixes (there are noticeable variations in "White Flags", "Make Rock Not War", "Spy In The House Of The Night", "When The War Comes", "The Shadow Warrior", and "Madness To The Method"). The song "White Flags" was originally recorded on Hugh and Gordon Leggatt's 1982 album, *Illuminations*. According to "Morning Final #2", the song "Shadow Warrior" was originally a song called "I'm A Rebel" (with different lyrics), and written (but not used) for the 1984 film, *Teachers*. This album was discontinued in the U.S., although it was re-released in March of 1997 on Koch records, with new liner notes. *Imaginos* 1. I Am The One You Warned Me Of -- (S. Pearlman, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) 2. Les Invisibles -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard) 3. In The Presence Of Another World -- (S. Pearlman, J. Bouchard) 4. Del Rio's Song -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard) 5. The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard) 6. Astronomy -- (S. Pearlman, J. Bouchard, A. Bouchard) 7. Magna Of Illusion -- (S. Pearlman, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) 8. Blue Oyster Cult -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom) 9. Imaginos -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard) Notes: Released in July 1988 by Columbia. Produced by Sandy Pearlman - associate producer: Albert Bouchard. Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals), Albert Bouchard (guitar, percussion, vocals), Joe Bouchard (keyboards, vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitars, vocals), Kenny Aaronson (bass), Thommy Price (drums), Jack Secret (additional vocals), Tommy Moringiello (guitars), Jack Rigg (guitars), Tommy Zvoncheck (keyboards), Shocking U (background vocals on "In The Presence Of Another World"), Joey Cerisano (additional lead vocal on "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria"), Jon Rogers (additional lead vocal on "Imaginos"), The Guitar Orchestra of the State of Imaginos (Marc Biedermann, Kevin Carlson, Robbie Krieger, Tommy Moringiello, Aldo Nova, Jack Rigg, Joe Satriani). According to Bolle Gregmar, Joe Satriani played the lead on "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria", and Robbie Krieger played the lead on "Blue Oyster Cult". According to Albert Bouchard, Robbie Krieger also played the lead on "Magna Of Illusion". In addition, Albert Bouchard says that several musicians were either improperly credited, or not credited at all. See the specific FAQ question on the recording of *Imaginos* for more on this topic. The house on the album's cover is a photo from the early 1900's of the famous Cliff House Hotel in San Francisco. The original Cliff House was destroyed by fire in 1894, and a second hotel (pictured on the album cover) was built in 1896. It was also destroyed by fire in 1907. A third hotel was built in 1909 and is still standing, but pales in comparison to the one on the album cover. This album is no longer in print in the U.S. *Heaven Forbid* 1. See You In Black -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser) 2. Harvest Moon -- (D. Roeser) 3. Power Underneath Despair -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser) 4. X-Ray Eyes -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser) 5. Hammer Back -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser) 6. Damaged -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser) 7. Cold Gray Light Of Dawn -- (J. Shirley, E. Bloom, D. Roeser) 8. Real World -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser) 9. Live For Me -- (J. Shirley, D. Roeser) 10. Still Burnin' -- (J. Rogers, D. Roeser) 11. In Thee -- (A. Lanier) Note: Released in March 1998 by CMC International. Produced by Buck Dharma - additional production by Steve Schenck and Eric Bloom. The album was originally planned to be titled, "Ezekiel's Wheel". Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Buck Dharma (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Danny Miranda (bass, vocals), Chuck Burgi (drums, vocals) Bobby Rondinelli (drums on "Live For Me"), Jon Rogers (bass, vocals on "Harvest Moon", "Power Underneath Despair", and "Still Burnin'"), Tony Perrino (additional keyboards), George Cintron (additional vocals). "In Thee" was recorded "live at Millbrook". The song, "Power Underneath Despair" had been released by CMC on the *Summerdaze* album in 1997. The back of the CD mispells the word "despair" (for the song, "Power Underneath Despair") as "dispair". The distribution for European copies of this album was handled by SPV records. The European release is sold with an insert of the CD tray liner artwork (a blond woman, holding a scepter with the BOC symbol) displayed on the front of the CD. Solo Albums, Live Imports, Movie Soundtracks, and Special Compilations ====================================================================== *Flat Out* (Buck Dharma solo album) 1. Born To Rock -- (N. Smith, D. Roeser) 2. That Summer Night -- (D. Roeser) 3. Cold Wind -- (D. Roeser) 4. Your Loving Heart -- (D. Roeser, S. Roeser) 5. Five Thirty-Five -- (D. Roeser) 6. Wind Weather And Storm -- (R. Meltzer, D. Roeser) 7. All Tied Up -- (D. Roeser) 8. Anwar's Theme -- (D. Roeser) 9. Come Softly To Me -- (G. Christopher, B. Ellis, G. Troxel) Notes: Released in 1982 by Portrait Records. Produced by Donald Roeser. Instruments: Buck Dharma (all vocals, instruments, effects and noises, except those that follow), Sandy Roeser (vocal on "Come Softly To Me", backing vocals on "That Summer Night"), R. Downey (drums on "Your Loving Heart", "Five Thirty-Five", "Anwar's Theme"), Neil Smith (drums on "Born To Rock", "That Summer Night"), Dennis Dunaway (bass on "Born To Rock"), Giis de Lang (additional rhythm guitar on "Born To Rock"), Richard Crooks (drums on "Cold Wind"), Will Lee (bass on "Cold Wind", "All Tied Up"), Billy Alessi (synthesizer on "Cold Wind" and "All Tied Up"), Craig MacGregor (bass on "Your Loving Heart", "Five Thirty- Five", "Anwar's Theme"), Spyke Grubb (backing vocal on "Five Thirty- Five"), Teruo Nakamura (bass on "Wind Weather And Storm"), Richie Cannata (sax, clarinet, and horn arrangement on "Wind Weather And Storm"), Steve Jordan (drums on "All Tied Up"), Sue Evans (percussion on "Anwar's Theme", "Come Softly To Me"), D. Roeser (a.k.a. Buck Dharma, drums on "Wind Weather And Storm", synthesizer on "All Tied Up"), Jan Allen, Terry Bretone, Sandy Roeser, Richard Bifulco (hospital staff on "Your Loving Heart"), (2K) Kessie (PA voice on "Your Loving Heart"). A special thanks is listed to Chris Cassone "for Gnop Gnip" (see "hidden messages" section of FAQ). The song "Wind Weather And Storm" was demoed by Buck for BOC's *Agents Of Fortune* album. This album is currently no longer in print in the U.S., however Sony/Portrait in France released the album on CD in 1995 (see elsewhere in the FAQ for more information). *Live 1976* (U.K. Import) 1. Stairway To The Stars 2. Harvester Of Eyes 3. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll 4. ME-262 5. Dominance And Submission 6. Astronomy 7. Buck's Boogie 8. This Ain't The Summer Of Love 9. Born To Be Wild 10. (Don't Fear) The Reaper Notes: Recorded in Largo, Maryland (12/27/76). Released in 1991 by the Castle Communications label. Instruments: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, guitar, vocals), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals). The sound quality on the CD is rather poor. A video by of this performance is also available (also titled *Live 1976*), which includes all of the above songs, plus "E.T.I.". See later in the FAQ for a description of this video. *Bad Channels* (movie soundtrack, available only on CD) Demon's Kiss -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, J. Shirley) The Horsemen Arrive -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, J. Shirley) [the following 9 tunes are by bands other than BOC] Joker - That's How It Is, Jane Jane (The Hurricane) Fair Game - Somewhere In The Night, Blind Faith Sykotik Sinfoney - Manic Depresso, Mr. Cool DMT - Myth Of Freedom, Touching Myself Again The Ukelalliens - Little Old Lady Polka Bad Channels Movie Soundtrack (instrumental pieces written and performed by Buck Dharma of BOC): Bad Channels Overture Power Station Power Station II Shadow V.U. Cosmo Rules, But Lump Controls Battering Ram This Dude Is F****d Pick Up Her Feed Spray That Scumbag Out Of Station Tree Full Of Owls Cookie In Bottle Corky Gets It Eulogy For Corky Spore Bomb Remodeling Ginger Snaps Moon Gets It Notes: Released in 1992 by Moonstone Records. Instruments: Eric Bloom (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Buck Dharma (lead guitar, vocals, keyboards), Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Jon Rogers (bass, background vocals), Chuck Burgi (drums, background vocals). The CD liner notes incorrectly list the names of Jon Rogers and Chuck Burgi as "John Rogers" and "Chuck Burgie" respectively. "The Horsemen Arrive", should actually be titled, "When Horsemen Arrive" - this song was tried with different lyrics, and titled "Out Of The Darkness". The film credits incorrectly list the song by this alternate title. *Summerdaze* (compilation of the 4 acts from the 1997 Summerdaze tour) John Kay and Steppenwolf: Bad Attitude Rocket Ship Make The Best Of What You Got Blue Oyster Cult: Power Underneath Despair -- (E. Bloom, D. Roeser, J. Shirley) (Don't Fear) The Reaper -- (D. Roeser) Godzilla -- (D. Roeser) Foghat: Honey Hush Nothing But Trouble You'll Be Mine Pat Travers: Ice Queen Just Enough Money Lookin' Up Notes: Released in 1997 by CMC International Records. Instruments (for BOC): Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals), Danny Miranda (bass, vocals), Bobby Rondinelli (drums). The instrument credits on the album refer to the BOC line-up appearing on the tour, however, the credits for the actual recordings are somewhat different. "Power Underneath Despair", a studio track recorded in 1995, was produced by Steve Schenck, Buck Dharma, and Eric Bloom; and featured Danny Miranda on bass and Chuck Burgi on drums. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (Moscow, Idaho), and "Godzilla" (Kalispell, Montana), both recorded live in 1992, feature Jon Rogers on bass and John Miceli on drums. The band photograph in the liner notes is circa 1993 showing Chuck Burgi, Eric Bloom, Allen Lanier, Buck Dharma, and Jon Rogers. *Joe Bouchard Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens* 1. Pray -- (J. Bouchard) 2. Hot Time In Hell -- (J. Gray) 3. On Fire With Love -- (J. Bouchard, A. Hilfiger, B. Hilfiger, N. Smith) 4. Love's A Killer -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith) 5. Pearls -- (J. Bouchard) 6. Inner Bit -- (J. Bouchard) 7. Wild Ones -- (J. Bouchard, D. Dunaway, N. Smith) 8. Dreamland -- (J. Bouchard) 9. The Van Song -- (J. Bouchard, A. Hilfiger, J. Cacala) 10. Dream Machine -- (J. Bouchard) 11. End Post -- (J. Bouchard) 12. All Things Paramount -- (J. Bouchard) 13. Run For The Sun -- (J. Bouchard, R. Meltzer) Notes: Released in 1997 by Cellsum Records (see address listed for Albert Bouchard/Deborah Frost elsewhere in this FAQ for ordering information). Produced by Joe Bouchard. Instruments: Joe Bouchard (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, bass, mandolin), Andy Hilfiger (bass, vocals), Billy Hilfiger (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Cacala (drums, vocals). A version of the song "Love's A Killer" originally appeared on the Deadringer album, *Electrocution Of The Heart* -- Joe Bouchard also played keyboards on that album. A version of the song "Wild Ones" was originally submitted and demoed to Alice Cooper for his album, *Raise Your Fist And Yell*, but was not used. The lyrics for "Run For The Sun" were originally used for a song called, "Hot Desert Sand", which was demoed for BOC's *Fire Of Unknown Origin* album, but not used. More information about this CD, including lyrics, can be found on the World Wide Web at http://w3.nai.net/~xbros/ Compilation Albums (domestic) ============================= *(Don't Fear) The Reaper* (compilation) (available only on tape) 1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. You're Not The One (I Was Looking For) [from Mirrors] 3. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation] 4. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties] 5. Born To Be Wild 6. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult] 7. Buck's Boogie [from promo release] 8. Redeemed [from Blue Oyster Cult] Notes: Released in 1989 by Columbia, and should not be confused with the 1997 Sony release of the same name. Some of the versions used on this recording were the single, not the album versions. The most notable differences include the edited version of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (the guitar solo section was cut), and "Career Of Evil" (Apparently the line, "Do it to your daughter on a dirt road" was considered too controversial -- the vocals were either re-recorded or re-mixed so the line says "Do it like ya oughtta on a dirt road"). Also, this version omits the second verse of the song. "Born To Be Wild" is a studio version of the song (the riff is different) which appeared as the b-side to a single release of the live version (from *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*). The version of "Buck's Boogie" is a live version from a 1972 show in New York that appeared on Columbia's promo issue "Bootleg EP" (see section on bootleg recordings). *Career Of Evil - The Metal Years* (compilation) 1. Cities On Flame [from Extraterrestrial Live] 2. The Red And The Black [from Extraterrestrial Live] 3. Hot Rails To Hell [from Extraterrestrial Live] 4. Dominance And Submission [from Extraterrestrial Live] 5. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from On your Feet Or On Your Knees] 6. ME 262 [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees] 7. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Agents Of Fortune] 8. Beat 'Em Up [from Club Ninja] 9. Black Blade [from Cultosaurus Erectus] 10. Harvester Of Eyes [from Secret Treaties] 11. Flaming Telepaths [from Secret Treaties] 12. Godzilla [from Extraterrestrial Live] 13. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Some Enchanted Evening] Note: Released in 1990 by Columbia. On the cassette version of this album, the jam at the end of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" was removed - the song ends with Buck's trill way up the neck. The CD version of the album does not have this edit. According "Morning Final #2", this CD was originally issued in place of a CD release of *Extraterrestrial Live* (although that album was later released on CD). *On Flame With Rock And Roll* (compilation) 1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. Transmaniacon MC [from Blue Oyster Cult] 3. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult] 4. Kick Out The Jams [from Some Enchanted Evening] 5. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Spectres] 6. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties] 7. Godzilla [from Spectres] 8. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] 9. Dominance And Submission [from Secret Treaties] 10. Death Valley Nights [from Spectres] Notes: Released in 1990 by CBS Special Products, and should not be confused with the 1997 KRB Music Companies release of the same name. The version of "Career Of Evil" used on this recording was the single, not the album version (Apparently the line, "Do it to your daughter on a dirt road" was considered too controversial -- the vocals were either re-recorded or re-mixed so the line says "Do it like ya oughtta on a dirt road"). Also, this version omits the second verse of the song. Two of the tracks ("Dominance And Submission", "Death Valley Nights") do not appear on the cassette version of this album. *Cult Classic* (re-recording of old BOC tunes) 1. Don't Fear The Reaper -- (D. Roeser) 2. E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence) -- (S. Pearlman, D. Roeser) 3. M.E. 262 -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, D. Roeser) 4. This Ain't The Summer Of Love -- (D. Roeser, D. Waller, M. Krugman) 5. Burning For You -- (D. Roeser, R. Meltzer) 6. O.D.'d On Life Itself -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) 7. Flaming Telepaths -- (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) 8. Godzilla -- (D. Roeser) 9. Astronomy -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard) 10. Cities on Flame With Rock 'N' Roll -- (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser) 11. Harvester Of Eyes -- (R. Meltzer, E. Bloom, D. Roeser) 12. Buck's Boogie -- (D. Roeser) 13. Don't Fear The Reaper (TV Mix) -- (D. Roeser) 14. Godzilla (TV Mix) -- (D. Roeser) Notes: Released in 1994, by Herald/Fragile/Caroline Records. Produced by Donald Roeser and Eric Bloom. Executive producer: Steve Schenck. Associate producer: Jeff Kawalek. Instruments: Eric Bloom (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, lead vocals, keyboards), Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitars), Jon Rogers (bass, background vocals), Chuck Burgi (drums, percussion, background vocals). The CD was released in 1996 in Europe under the title, "Champions Of Rock". *Workshop Of The Telescopes* (double CD compilation) Disc 1 1. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult] 2. Transmaniacon MC [from Blue Oyster Cult] 3. Before The Kiss, A Redcap [from Blue Oyster Cult] 4. Stairway To The Stars [from Blue Oyster Cult] 5. Buck's Boogie [from "Guitars That Destroyed The World"] 6. Workshop Of The Telescopes [from promo release] 7. The Red And The Black [from promo release] 8. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation] 9. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties] 10. Flaming Telepaths [from Secret Treaties] 11. Astronomy [from Secret Treaties] 12. Subhuman [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees] 13. Harvester Of Eyes [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees] 14. M.E. 262 [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees] 15. Born To Be Wild [from b-side of Born To Be Wild single] Disc 2 1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune] 3. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Agents Of Fortune] 4. Godzilla [from Spectres] 5. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres] 6. Golden Age Of Leather [from Spectres] 7. Kick Out The Jams [from Some Enchanted Evening] 8. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place [from Some Enchanted Evening] 9. In Thee [from Mirrors] 10. The Marshall Plan [from Cultosaurus Erectus] 11. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] 12. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] 13. Dominance And Submission [from Extraterrestrial Live] 14. Take Me Away [from The Revolution By Night] 15. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night] 16. Dancin' In The Ruins [from Club Ninja] 17. Perfect Water [from Club Ninja] Notes: Released in 1995 by Sony/Columbia's Legacy label. The versions of "Workshop Of The Telescopes" and "The Red And The Black" were recorded live in 1972, and previously not commercially issued, but released on 12-inch vinyl to radio stations. The version of "Buck's Boogie" used on this recording was also from that release (as well as the Columbia compilation, "Guitars That Destroyed The World"). The release, which also included a live version of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll", was titled *The BOC Bootleg EP*. The version of "Born To Be Wild" is a studio version which was previously only available either on the b-side of the single release of "Born To Be Wild" from *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, or on the *(Don't Fear) The Reaper* compilation tape. The band used to refer to this track as their "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" version, as the rhythm part of the track sounds very similar to the song. This CD set correctly credits A. Bouchard and B. Dharma for the writing of "Buck's Boogie", but incorrectly credits D. Roeser, A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, and S. Pearlman for the writing of "The Red And The Black" (when it should be "A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman"). The version of "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" is from the LP version of *Some Enchanted Evening*, not the CD version (see notes for *Some Enchanted Evening*). *Revisited* (compilation) 1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. Godzilla [from Spectres] 3. Transmaniacon MC [from Blue Oyster Cult] 4. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres] 5. Hot Rails To Hell [from Tyranny And Mutation] 6. The Red And The Black [from Blue Oyster Cult] 7. In Thee [from Mirrors] 8. Before The Kiss, A Redcap [from Blue Oyster Cult] 9. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation] Notes: Released in 1996 by Sony Music Special Products. M. Krugman and A. Lanier were left off the credits for "Before The Kiss, A Redcap". The cover photo used shows the original BOC line-up in concert performing the "5 Guitars". *On Flame With Rock And Roll* (compilation) 1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult] 3. Kick Out The Jams [from Some Enchanted Evening] 4. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Spectres] 5. Godzilla [from Spectres] 6. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] Notes: Released in 1997 by KRB Music Companies/Sony Music Special Products, and should not be confused with the 1990 CBS Special Products release of the same name. This release is part of the "Six Pack" series, containing six hits by a particular artist. The cover photo is the same as the photo on the *Revisited* compilation, with the flaming logo from the first *On Flame With Rock And Roll* compilation above the photo. *Don't Fear The Reaper* (compilation) 1. The Red And The Black [from Tyranny And Mutation] 2. In Thee [from Mirrors] 3. Nosferatu [from Spectres] 4. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night] 5. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Extraterrestrial Live] 6. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres] 7. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation] 8. Before The Kiss, A Redcap [from Blue Oyster Cult] 9. Hot Rails To Hell [from Tyranny And Mutation] 10. Buck's Boogie [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees] Notes: Released in 1997 by Sony Music Special Products, and should not be confused with the 1989 Columbia release of the same name. This CD credits A. Bouchard and D. Roeser for the writing of "Buck's Boogie", and M. Krugman and A. Lanier were left off the credits for "Before The Kiss, A Redcap". The cover photo is the same as the photo on the *Revisited* compilation. *Super Hits* (compilation) 1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune] 3. Godzilla [from Spectres] 4. The Red And The Black [from promo release] 5. O.D.'d On Life Itself [from Tyranny And Mutation] 6. Goin' Through The Motions [from Spectres] 7. Black Blade [from Cultosaurus Erectus] 8. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters [from Tyranny And Mutation] 9. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] 10. Flaming Telepaths [from Secret Treaties] Notes: Released in 1998 by Sony. The song "The Red And The Black" originally appeared on the *Tyranny And Mutation* album. However, the version on this compilation was recorded live in 1972, and originally only released on 12-inch vinyl to radio stations. It was later released by Sony on the *Workshop Of The Telescopes* compilation. The song is incorrectly listed in the liner notes to this compilation as being from *Tyranny And Mutation*. Also, the liner notes incorrectly credit "The Red And The Black" to "E. Bloom, S. Pearlman, D. Roeser", when it should be "A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman". Compilation Albums (foreign) ============================ *Rock Storia E Musica - Blue Oyster Cult - Gruppo Editoriale Fabri* (Italian import compilation) (available only on tape) 1. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Extraterrestrial Live] 2. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Extraterrestrial Live] 3. Hot Rails To Hell [from Extraterrestrial Live] 4. Godzilla [from Extraterrestrial Live] 5. Dominance And Submission [from Extraterrestrial Live] 6. Monsters [from Cultosaurus Erectus] 7. The Great Sun Jester [from Mirrors] 8. Black Blade [from Extraterrestrial Live] Notes: Released in 1983 by Columbia. *Rock Shots - Hins Collection - "Club Ninja" Track Sequence* (Indonesian import compilation) (available only on tape) 1. Beat 'Em Up 2. Make Rock, Not War 3. Spy In The House Of The Night 4. Dancin' In The Ruins 5. The Shadow Warrior 6. Perfect Water 7. White Flags 8. When The War Comes 9. Madness To The Method 10. Light Years Of Love 11. Eyes On Fire 12. Shadow Of California 13. Take Me Away Notes: Released in 1986. The versions on this tape are presumably the same versions as appeared on *The Revolution By Night* and *Club Ninja*. *Il Grande Rock De Agostini* (Italian import compilation) 1. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. The Red And The Black [from Tyranny And Mutation] 3. Godzilla [from Spectres] 4. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 5. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) [from Agents Of Fortune] 6. Joan Crawford [from Extraterrestrial Live] 7. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Spectres] 8. Astronomy [from Secret Treaties] 9. The Subhuman [from Secret Treaties] 10. Blue Oyster Cult [from Imaginos] Notes: Released in 1991, by Columbia/Sony (Italy). Part of a "magazine set" - a large series of around 100 or so CDs/pamphlets on various rock bands. A subscriber would receive a new CD/pamphlet on a periodic basis until they had the whole set. Only one CD had BOC songs - #25 in the series. The songs were recorded straight off BOC LPs. The disc incorrectly credits 5 of the tracks as being from *Some Enchanted Evening*. *The Reaper - Best* (German/Holland import compilation) 1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [from Agents Of Fortune] 2. Godzilla [from Spectres] 3. R. U. Ready 2 Rock [from Some Enchanted Evening] 4. Then Came The Last Days Of May [from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees] 5. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult] 6. The Marshall Plan [from Cultosaurus Erectus] 7. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] 8. Joan Crawford [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] 9. Dr. Music [from Mirrors] 10. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place [from Some Enchanted Evening] 11. White Flags [from Club Ninja] 12. The Vigil [from Mirrors] 13. Take Me Away [from The Revolution By Night] 14. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night] 15. I Am The One You Warned Me Of [from Imaginos] 16. In The Presence Of Another World (Excerpts From) [from Imaginos] Notes: Released in 1993. Distributed by Sony Music Entertainment (Germany), made in Austria, printed in Holland. Most of the writing on the CD liner, including about 10 pages of history on the band, is printed in German. Several of the songs ("(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Godzilla", "Then Came The Last Days Of May", "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll", "Joan Crawford", "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place") have been enhanced over the original album versions to improve the sound quality. The version of "In The Presence Of Another World" is an abbreviated version of the song appearing on *Imaginos* - the song ends after the line "In the fullness of another world, there is no emptiness..." just prior to the "Your master" coda section. The version of "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" is from the LP version of *Some Enchanted Evening*, not the CD version (see notes for *Some Enchanted Evening*). *Champions Of Rock* (European release of *Cult Classic*) See listing for *Cult Classic* Notes: This CD was released in 1996 in Europe as part of a series of artists including April Wine, J. Geils Band, Gentle Giant, Nazareth, Saxon, Robin Trower, and UFO. It is released by the "Disky" label in Holland with "all tracks licensed from EMI International Records". The cover photo is a group shot of the 5 original members of BOC, probably taken in the mid to late 1970's. *Tattoo Vampire* (German import compilation) 1. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [from Blue Oyster Cult] 2. Stairway To The Stars [from Blue Oyster Cult] 3. Then Came The Last Days Of May [from Blue Oyster Cult] 4. Workshop Of The Telescopes [from promo release] 5. Career Of Evil [from Secret Treaties] 6. This Ain't The Summer Of Love [from Agents Of Fortune] 7. Tattoo Vampire [from Agents Of Fortune] 8. The Red And The Black [from Extraterrestrial Live] 9. Burnin' For You [from Fire Of Unknown Origin] 10. Born To Be Wild (Studio) [from b-side of Born To Be Wild single] 11. Black Blade [from Cultosaurus Erectus] 12. Shooting Shark [from The Revolution By Night] 13. Dr. Music (Live) [from Extraterrestrial Live] 14. Godzilla [from Spectres] Notes: Released in 1998 by Sony Music Entertainment (Germany). The song "Workshop Of The Telescopes" was recorded live in 1972, and originally only released on 12-inch vinyl to radio stations. It was later released by Sony on the *Workshop Of The Telescopes* compilation. The version of "Born To Be Wild" is a studio version which was previously only available either on the b-side of the single release of "Born To Be Wild" from *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, or on the *(Don't Fear) The Reaper* compilation tape. It was later released by Sony on the *Workshop Of The Telescopes* compilation. While the track listings indicate that "Dr. Music" is a live recording, they do not also indicate that both "Workshop Of The Telescopes" and "The Red And The Black" are also live recordings. Bootleg Recordings ================== Note: Most of the following won't be found in your local (U.S.) record store. How to obtain these recordings is discussed elsewhere in this FAQ. *Blue Oyster Cult - Live NY '72* (Columbia promo/various imports) Title (label, release year) The Blue Oyster Cult Bootleg EP (Columbia, 1972) - LP promo In My Mouth Or On The Ground (Idle Mind, 1976) - 10" blue or black Blue Oyster Cult (Maserati, 1976) - LP only Fantasy Distillation Of Reality (TKRWM, 1977) - LP only Blue Oyster Cult (Sky Dog International) - vinyl (1989), CD (1990) 1. The Red And The Black 2. Buck's Boogie 3. Workshop Of The Telescopes 4. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll Notes: The above 4 songs were recorded on 4/3/72 at Nugget's Pizza Parlor in Rochester, NY. "The Red And The Black", "Workshop Of The Telescopes", and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" were part of a radio broadcast a week later. "Buck's Boogie" lacked publishing copyrights security at that time, and was not broadcast, but did appear on a compilation album of various artists, titled, *The Guitars That Destroyed The World* in the early 1970's. Columbia released *The Blue Oyster Cult Bootleg EP* as a promotional EP to radio stations as a pre- release to *Tyranny And Mutation*. On that EP, the credits for "Buck's Boogie" (D. Roeser, A. Bouchard) and "The Red And The Black" (S. Pearlman, E. Bloom, A. Bouchard) were swapped. This error has been propagated through the years on various releases (most notably, the credits for "Buck's Boogie" were never fully rectified until the 1995 Sony release, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*). In 1976, Idle Mind released this recording on 10" (both black and blue) vinyl with the title *In My Mouth Or On The Ground*. Also in 1976, Maserati released this recording (with lyrics to some of BOC's albums, as well as promotional photos) with the title *Blue Oyster Cult*, but created confusion with a label on the record reading "Soft White Underbelly" (there are no Soft White Underbelly recordings on this album). This recording also goes by the album number of "ME262". In 1977, TKRWM released this recording, along with the two tracks from the Stalk- Forrest Group single ("What Is Quicksand?" and "Arthur Comics" - see the section about other BOC recordings for more information on them) with the title "Fantasy Distillation Of Reality" (and also erroneously stamped "Live in Montreal" - creating additional confusion). Finally, Sky Dog released this recording under the title *Blue Oyster Cult* or *Live In NY '72*. It is believed that at least one of these releases has the tracks in the wrong order, putting the "side one" tracks (The Red And The Black, Buck's Boogie) after the "side two" tracks (Workshop Of The Telescopes, Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll). *Still Kicking* (often mislabeled "Still Ticking"; possible alternative title is "Still Fighting", often mislabeled "Still Fiction") (available only on LP) Intro Dr. Music Heavy Metal (The Black and Silver) Joan Crawford M.E. 262 Flaming Telepaths Veteran Of The Psychic Wars Roadhouse Blues Notes: Released in 1982 by the "Good Shape" label. The songs were recorded in London at The Venue (8/19/81) and Castle Donnington (8/22/81). This recording may only be available on LP. The Castle Donnington show was Rick Downey's first full performance with BOC. The mislabeling of the titles stems from a very bizarre font which was used on the cover, that was difficult to read. The sound quality is poor. "Heavy Metal" included an up-tempo riff at the end of the song that was only done by the band on the European leg of this tour. *Violences 3* (Italy import) (available only on LP) Born To Be Wild Arthur Comics Roadhouse Blues Notes: Released in 1982 by the "Blam" label, as part of a boxed set of 3 artists (Motorhead, Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Oyster Cult) each doing 3 songs each. The three songs are from the 9/8/80 show at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA. *The Thing!* (Italy import) (also released as a German import as two individual CDs -- "Blue Oyster Cult Live And Alive - Vol. 1" and "Blue Oyster Cult Live And Alive - Vol. 2"; also, the tracks indicated with a + were released as single CD imports under the titles "Godzilla", and "Burnin' For You") Disc 1 1. Dr. Music + 2. E.T.I. 3. Burnin' For You + 4. Fire Of Unknown Origin + 5. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll 6. Joan Crawford + 7. Flaming Telepaths 8. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars + 9. Hot Rails To Hell + Disc 2 1. ME-262 + 2. Heavy Metal 3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper + 4. Godzilla + 5. Born To Be Wild + 6. 5 Guitars + 7. Roadhouse Blues + Notes: Released in 1991 by the "Beech Marten" label (The "Live And Alive Vol. 1/2" import was released by the "PR-Records" label, the "Godzilla" import was released in 1993 in both vinyl and CD formats by the "Metal Mess" label, and the "Burnin' For You" import was released in 1994 by the "Live Line" label). Recorded at Bonds International Casinos, New York City (6/16/81). Instruments: Eric Bloom (guitars, vocals), Donald Roeser (guitars, vocals), Allen Lanier (keyboards, backing vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums), Joe Bouchard (bass, backing vocals). The "Live And Alive Vol. 1/2" recording has the two discs reversed (i.e. "Vol. 1" is Disc 2 of "The Thing!", and "Vol. 2" is Disc 1 of "The Thing!"). "The Thing!" has the correct concert order. The CD has three major typos: The recording was at "Bonds International", not "Bands International". Also, the recording date was "6/16/81", not "6/18/81". Finally, "Flaming Telepaths" is mis-spelled as "Flaming Telephats". This recording was broadcast on ABC Radio's "A Night on the Road" on 8/8/81. According to Bolle Gregmar, some of the songs at the end of the show (The Reaper, Godzilla, Born To Be Wild, 5 Guitars) were actually recorded the previous year (9/8/80 show at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA). These were spliced in by Steve Schenck and George Geranios when the mixing budget ran out. Steve Schenck had to overdub the keyboards on "Flaming Telepaths". The version of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" sounds as if Buck mistakenly sings the second verse twice, while the band recovers without missing a beat. Actually, the splicing of the two shows was done in the middle of the song, but was done in error. The version of "5 Guitars" is the "Mark III" (Golden Age of Leather) version. Also, for some unknown reason, "5 Guitars" was mixed after "Born To Be Wild", when in actuality the band played them in the opposite order ("5 Guitars" segues into "Born To Be Wild"), and "Heavy Metal" was actually played as an encore to the Bonds show. The photo on the front of *The Thing!* CD appears to have been taken in the early 1970's (every-one's hair is quite long). *Nail You Down* (Luxembourg or Italy import) (also released as an import with the title, "Rock and Roll Reapers") 1. Stairway To the Stars 2. Harvester Of Eyes 3. Workshop Of Telescopes 4. Before The Kiss (A Redcap) 5. Born To Rock 6. Hot Rails To Hell 7. Seven Screaming Dizbusters 8. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll 9. Burnin' For You 10. Joan Crawford 11. Born To Be Wild 12. (Don't Fear) The Reaper 13. Roadhouse Blues Notes: Released in 1992 by the "Oh Boy" label (The "Rock and Roll Reapers" import was released by the "Metal Mania" label). From the ABC recording, "Captured Live", recorded on 7/23/83 at Perkins Palace, Pasadena, CA, and broadcast on 8/29/83. The show also contained some songs from *Revolution By Night* (Take Me Away, Feel The Thunder, Veins), but they were not broadcast as the album had not yet been released. The photo on the back of the CD contains Albert Bouchard. He was not in the band at the time of this performance. This version of "Roadhouse Blues" contains, in the middle of the song, a few bars of the Doors' song, "Love Me Two Times" (which is incorrectly listed on the "Rock and Roll Reapers" release as a separate track). *Into The Crypts Of Rays* (Italy import) 1. R. U. Ready 2 Rock 2. White Flags 3. Take Me Away 4. Dancin' In The Ruins 5. The Shadow Warrior 6. Burnin' For You 7. Godzilla 8. Wings Of Mercury 9. (Don't Fear) The Reaper 10. Born To Be Wild 11. Let Go 12. Shooting Shark Notes: Released in 1993 by the "International Broadcast Recordings" label. Recorded at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA on 3/27/86. However, the last 3 songs on the CD are actually from a 2/14/84 show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The California portion of this recording (often incorrectly referred as being from Los Angeles) was broadcast on "The King Biscuit Flower Hour" on 7/13/86. This show was rebroadcast by King Biscuit on 8/31/98, and sent to radio stations on CD (the last 3 songs were not part of the King Biscuit broadcast, and therefore not on this radio-only CD). "Wings Of Mercury" is credited as written by Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom, and Albert Bouchard. However, according to Bolle Gregmar, the song was actually written by Dream Syndicate (Karl Precoda), and given to BOC to use (both Dream Syndicate and BOC were managed by Sandy Pearlman, and Tommy Zvoncheck plays keyboards on at least one Dream Syndicate album). It was planned to be played by BOC on the Hear 'n Aid project (a heavy-metal album project organized by Ronnie James Dio to raise money for the hungry -- the album featured a group of stars singing one song, plus a number of tracks by some of the artists), but was not used. "Wings Of Mercury" was actually played as the first encore of the Santa Monica show, but was inserted in-between "Godzilla" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" for the radio broadcast. The recording of "Born To Be Wild" appears to have been edited to remove the "Texas Chainsaw guitar duel". The second verse of "Shooting Shark" is not on the recording -- either the band did not perform the second verse, or it was edited out of the mix. The name of this release no doubt comes from the Celtic Frost song of the same name. Stalk-Forrest Group -- *St. Cecilila - The California Album* (European import) (available only on LP) 1. Gil Blanco County 2. Ragamuffin' Dumplin 3. Bonomo's Turkish Taffy 4. Arthur Comics 5. Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors 6. What Is Quicksand 7. St. Cecilia 8. Donovan's Monkey 9. I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep 10. A Fact About Sneakers Notes: Released in 1998 by the "Acetato" label. It is believed that about 500 copies of this recording were pressed in Europe, with the source being tapes traded by fans. The quality is presumably good, but not excellent. The first seven songs are taken from the Stalk-Forrest Group recording that Elektra never released. The line-up for these songs was Jesse Python (Eric Bloom), Buck Dharma (Donald Roeser), Prince Omega (Albert Bouchard), La Vern (Allen Lanier), and Andy Winters (Andrew Winters). The remaining three songs were recorded as a demo in 1971 (possibly for Columbia) by Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Albert Bouchard, Allen Lanier and Joe Bouchard. The version of "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" sounds quite different than the version released on the first BOC album, including a piano part, and a riff which would later be used in the *Imaginos* song, "I Am The One You Warned Me Of". Dharma For Buck (source of distribution uknown) 1. Kilburn County (Gil Blanco County) 2. Magic Man (Ragamuffin' Dumplin) 3. Nope Is What I Hope (Bonomo's Turkish Taffy) 4. Arthur Comics 5. Behind My Back (Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors) 6. Right Back In Tokyo (What Is Quicksand) 7. St. Cecelia (St. Cecilia) 8. Stairway To The Stars 9. Dominence & Submission (Dominance And Submission) 10. Astronomy 11. ME-262 12. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll 13. Morning Final 14. This Ain't The Summer Of Love 15. Don't Fear The Reaper Notes: Released in 1999 on Tendolar. This release is, by bootleg standards, fairly poorly done, and may even have been done as a CD-R (recordable CD) as opposed to being mass-produced at a CD processing plant. However, it is included here because it has been advertised by legitimate CD import dealers, and it is currently the only CD source of the Stalk-Forrest Group Elektra demo. The first 7 tracks are in fact from the Stalk-Forrest Group demo (mislabeled on the CD as being from the "Stalk-Forrest band"), made in 1970 for Elektra, but never officially released. The remaining tracks are taken from two separate concerts which were broadcast as part of the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The first 5 of these tracks were taken from a 6/8/75 show on Long Island, New York, and the remaining 3 were taken from a 10/24/76 show in Albany, New York. The cover artwork is the artwork to BOC's *Spectres* release, with the changed title (suggesting possible computer reproduction). The track list is riddled with errors (the list above shows the tracks as listed on the CD, followed by the correct track title in parenthesis), suggesting that the producer created this recording from cassette tapes without a proper track list. It is suspected that the live BOC tracks which follow are also taken from cassette tape copies (despite the CD's claim of being a "stereo soundboard recording") of the King Biscuit Flower Hour broadcasts. The sound quality is uneven, no better than many fan-traded tapes of the same material, and there are a few cuts in some of the live tracks (most notably the end of "Don't Fear The Reaper", presumably due to no more time available on the CD). Further, the printing on the CD itself entitles it as "Pharma For Back". Other Releases (Singles, Promos, Etc.) ====================================== NOTE: This list is not meant to identify every case of which singles were released in which country. Where a non-U.S. release is unique from other releases (in terms of tracks on the release, not necessarily other factors such as artwork), it is indicated here. If another country is not identified with the release, then it was released in the U.S. (but may have also been released in other countries as well). 7" vinyl 1972 -- Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll - mono/stereo (promo) 1972 -- Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll/Before The Kiss, A Redcap 1973 -- Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll - mono/stereo (promo reissue) 1973 -- The Red And The Black/Baby Ice Dog - Japanese single 1974 -- Hot Rails To Hell/7 Screaming Diz-Busters 1974 -- Career Of Evil/Dominance And Submission 1974 -- Flaming Telepaths/Career Of Evil - Japanese single 1975 -- Born To Be Wild - promo 1975 -- Born To Be Wild - live/studio 1975 -- Born To Be Wild/Cities On Flame - Japanese single 1975 -- Last Days Of May/Cities On Flame - Japanese single 1976 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper - mono/stereo (edited promo) 1976 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Tattoo Vampire 1976 -- This Ain't The Summer of Love - mono/stereo (promo) 1976 -- This Ain't The Summer of Love/Debbie Denise 1976 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Dominance And Submission - Columbia "Hall of Fame" reissue 1976 -- Sinful Love/(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Japanese single 1977 -- Goin' Through The Motions - mono/stereo (promo) 1977 -- Goin' Through The Motions/Searchin' For Celine 1977 -- Godzilla - mono/stereo (promo) 1977 -- Godzilla/Nosferatu 1978 -- I Love The Night/Nosferatu - U.K. single 1978 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/R. U. Ready 2 Rock - U.K. single) 1978 -- Godzilla - live/studio (promo) 1978 -- Godzilla - live/studio (special radio station copy promo) 1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - mono/stereo (promo) 1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/E.T.I. 1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Stairway To The Stars (live) - U.K. single 1978 -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Kick Out The Jams - Dutch single 1978 -- Godzilla/Born To Be Wild - Japanese single 1979 -- In Thee - promo 1979 -- In Thee/The Vigil - U.K., Australian single 1979 -- In Thee/Lonely Teardrops 1979 -- Your Not The One (I Was Looking For) - promo 1979 -- Your Not The One (I Was Looking For)/Moon Crazy 1979 -- Mirrors/Lonely Teardrops - U.K. single 1979 -- Mirrors/Lonely Teardrops - U.K. single (on clear vinyl) 1979 -- Moon Crazy/I Am The Storm - Japanese single 1980 -- Here's Johnny (The Marshall Plan)/Divine Wind - promo 1980 -- Here's Johnny (The Marshall Plan)/Divine Wind - with special guest star Don Kirschner 1980 -- Fallen Angel/Lips In The Hills - U.K., Australian, Spanish single 1980 -- Deadline/Monsters - U.K. single 1981 -- Burnin' For You - LP version/short version (promo) 1981 -- Burnin' For You/Vengeance (The Pact) 1981 -- Burnin' For You/Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver - U.K. single 1981 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You - Columbia "Hall of Fame" reissue 1983 -- Shooting Shark - LP version/short version (promo) 1983 -- Shooting Shark/Dragon Lady 1983 -- Shooting Shark/Feel The Thunder - Dutch, Spanish single 1983 -- Take Me Away/Feel The Thunder - U.K. single 1983 -- Take Me Away - LP version/short version (promo) 1983 -- Take Me Away/Let Go 1984 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/R U Ready 2 Rock - U.K. "Old Gold" 1980's reissue 1985 -- White Flags/Rock Not War - U.K. single 1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins - promo 1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins/Shadow Warrior 1986 -- Perfect Water - promo 1986 -- Perfect Water/Spy In The House Of The Night 1988 -- Astronomy(edit)/Magna Of Illusion - U.K., Dutch single 1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You (from *Cult Classic*) - U.K. single on Fragile label 12" Vinyl 1972 -- *The Blue Oyster Cult Bootleg EP* - The Red And The Black/Buck's Boogie/Workshop Of The Telescopes/Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll - promo 1978 -- Godzilla/Godzilla (live) - promo) 1978 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/R. U. Ready 2 Rock - U.K. single (1978 tour edition) 1981 -- Burnin' For You/Joan Crawford/Sole Survivor/Veteran Of The Psychic Wars - *Fire Of Unknown Origin* 4 song promo 1981 -- Burnin' For You/Dr. Music (live)/Flaming Telepaths (live) - U.K. single 1982 -- Roadhouse Blues (LP/edit) - promo 1982 -- Roadhouse Blues (LP/edit)/Veteran Of The Psychic Wars (all from *Extraterrestrial Live*) - promo 1983 -- Shooting Shark (LP/edit)/Take Me Away/Eyes on Fire - *Revolution By Night* 4 song promo 1983 -- Take Me Away (from *Revolution By Night)/Burnin' For You (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*)/(Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune)/Dr. Music (live) - U.K. release 1983 -- Shooting Shark/Dragon Lady - U.K. single 1985 -- White Flags/Shooting Shark/Rock Not War - U.K. single 1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins 1986 -- Dancin' In The Ruins/Shadow Warrior - Holland single 1986 -- Perfect Water - LP version/short version 1988 -- Astronomy/Magna Of Illusion (from *Imaginos*)/(Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*) - U.K. Single 1988 -- Astronomy (Wild Mix) (with and without the Stephen King intro)/Magna Of Illusion - U.K. single CD 1988 -- Astronomy - *Imaginos* promo (2 LP versions - one with Stephen King intro, 2 short versions - one with S. King intro) 1988 -- The Next Chapter (In The Presence of Another World) (LP/edit) - *Imaginos* promo 1988 -- Astronomy/Magna of Illusion (from *Imaginos*)/(Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*) - U.K. Single 1989 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*)/Burnin' For You (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*) - 3 inch CD single 1992 -- Tyranny And Mutation/Secret Treaties - Double CD release by Sony-France 1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Cult Classic*) - promo 1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You/Godzilla (from *Cult Classic*) - promo 1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You (from *Cult Classic*) - U.K. Single 1995 -- Blue Oyster Cult/Tyranny And Mutation/Secret Treaties - 3 Pack release by Sony/Legacy of the first 3 BOC albums on CD 1998 -- See You In Black - *Heaven Forbid* promo 1998 -- Harvest Moon - *Heaven Forbid* promo 1998 -- Live For Me (album version/radio edit) - *Heaven Forbid* promo 1998 -- Agents Of Fortune - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Re-mastered "gold" CD 1999 -- Blue Oyster Cult/Tyranny And Mutation - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Re-mastered "gold" CD Other Agents Of Fortune/Spectres - release as a single cassette Agents Of Fortune/Spectres - Australian double vinyl release Agents Of Fortune/Spectres - European double CD release Silver Condor/Fire Of Unknown Origin - Saudi Arabian single cassette (Imaginos vocalist Joey Cerisano is Silver Condor's lead singer) Career Of Evil: The Metal Years - on vinyl - U.K. import 1998 -- Imaginos - on blue vinyl - U.K. import 1989 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper (from *Agents Of Fortune*)/Burnin' For You (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*) - cassette single 1994 -- Tyranny And Mutation/Secret Treaties - European double CD 1994 -- Cult Classic - Vinyl with picture sleeve 1994 -- (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You (from *Cult Classic*) - U.K. Cassette Single Blue Oyster Cult/Cultosaurus Erectus/Club Ninja - European CD 3 Pack Quadraphonic vinyl -- Tyranny And Mutation, Secret Treaties "White Label Promo" LPs -- Promo versions of all BOC's albums were made "White Label Promo" Cassettes -- Club Ninja (4 song sampler, with Fastway on the b-side), Imaginos (4 song sampler), Imaginos (full), (Don't Fear) The Reaper, (Don't Fear) The Reaper/Burnin' For You Columbia "Playback Series" (4 track, 7-inch promotional EPs): 1971 -- Blue Oyster Cult (Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll) Messina and Loggins (Listen To A Country Song) Jack Holmes (Trust Me) R.E.O. Speedwagon (157 Riverside Drive) 1974 -- Rupert Holmes (Letters That Cross In The Mail) Blue Oyster Cult (ME-262) Tanya Tucker (The Man Who Turned My Mamma On) Colin Blunstone (Smooth Operation) 1975 -- New York's Heavy Metal Sound - Japanese LP - BOC and Aerosmith Side 1 (BOC) The Red And The Black (from *Tyranny And Mutation*) Flaming Telepaths, ME 262 (both from *Secret Treaties*) Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll, Hot Rails To Hell (both from *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*) Side 2 (Aerosmith) Same Old Song And Dance Lord Of The Thighs S.O.S. (Too Bad) Train Kept A Rollin' The Brain Surgeons Discography ============================== *Eponymous* 1. Language Of Love -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 2. Most Romantic Place In The World -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) 3. I Play The Drums -- (S. Kempner) 4. Soul Jive -- (P. Smith, D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 5. Brain From Terra Incognita -- (R. Meltzer, D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 6. Love Potion #9 -- (Lieber, Stoller) 7. Mad Dude -- (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) 8. Big Bang Theory -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 9. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 10. (666) Devil Got Your Mother -- (D. Roter, A. Bouchard) 11. Name Your Monster -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 12. Time Will Take Care Of You -- (D. Frost, M. Barkan, A. Bouchard) Notes: Released in 1994 by Cellsum Records, and later by Ripe and Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments: Deborah Frost (vocals, drums, percussion, guitar), Albert Bouchard (vocals, drums, guitars, The Legendary Albertron, keyboards, piano, percussion, sax, synth, slide, jaminator), Mike Leslie (bass, bass violin, synth), Jacob Bouchard (guitar samples), Ace Bouchard (vocals, toy drums), Flip Barnes (trumpet), David Hirschberg (alto sax), Steve Levy (comet). The "Legendary Albertron", according to Al Bouchard, is "an idea that I borrowed from Glen Branca. A couple 2x4s, old strings, pieces of pipe, tuning pegs and humbucking pickups. It's played by striking with chopsticks and has sixteen strings (8 pairs) tuned to the A Dorian scale. It's sort of like an electric hammer dulcimer. I made it for the Imaginos Overture back in '83." A version of "(666) Devil Got Your Mother" appears on David Roter's 1989 release, *Beauty Of The Island*. A version of the song, "Soul Jive" was originally demoed by Albert for the sessions for BOC's *Agents Of Fortune* album - different versions were also demoed again under the names "Jungle Fever" (with lyrics by Albert) and "White Hot Star" (for the *Cultosaurus Erectus* album, with lyrics by Helen Wheels). *Trepanation* 1. Gimme Nothin' -- (R. Meltzer, D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 2. Stones In My Passway (R. Johnson) 3. Medusa -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 4. A Kiss Is A Promise -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 5. Sally -- (P. Smith, A. Bouchard) 6. My Civilization -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 7. Happy New Year -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 8. Sisters Of The Precious Blood -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 9. Ramblin' Rose -- (Wilkin, Birch) 10. Hansel & Gretel -- (R. Meltzer, D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 11. Everything Is Blue -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 12. If U Come Close -- (H. Wheels, D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 13. Bad Habit -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 14. Night Of The 1,000 Guitars -- (The Brain Surgeons) Notes: Released in 1995 by Cellsum Records, and in 1996 by Ripe and Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments: Albert Bouchard (vocals, drums, percussion, guitars, Albertron, sax, EBow, keyboards), Deborah Frost (vocals, guitars, percussion, clarinet), Peter Bohovesky (vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, trumpet), Billy Hilfiger (lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, vocals), David Hirschberg (bass guitar, saxophone, percussion), Joe Bouchard (mandolin on "A Kiss Is A Promise", vocals on "Sally", "Ramblin' Rose"), Ace Bouchard (percussion on "Happy New Year", "Sisters Of The Precious Blood", guitar on "Night Of The 1,000 Guitars"). A re-worked version of the lyrics to "Hansel & Gretel" can be found in Richard Meltzer's 1995 book, "The Night (Alone)". Versions of the songs, "Sally" and "Hansel & Gretel" were originally demoed by Albert for the sessions for BOC's *Agents Of Fortune* album. *Career Of Christmas* (fanclub release, available only on cassette) 1. Career Of Evil -- (Bouchard, Smith) 2. Ciudades Y Navidades -- (Bouchard, Bouchard, Frost, Placio-Linden, Pearlman) 3. Baby Ice Dog -- (Bouchard, Smith) Notes: Released in 1995 by Cellsum Records. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments: Deborah Frost (vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Peter Bohovesky (guitar, vocals), Billy Hilfiger (guitar), David Hirschberg (bass), Tommy Mandel (organ), Ace Bouchard (vocals). Not available commercially, but only as a limited release to Brain Surgeons' fans. Contact Cellsum Records (see address listed for Albert Bouchard/Deborah Frost elsewhere in this FAQ) for availability. These songs were later released in 1997 on the Brain Surgeons album, *Malpractise*. *Box Of Hammers* 1. Saint Vitus Dance -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, H. Wheels) 2. Locked Up -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 3. Gun -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, D. Frost, H. Wheels) 4. I'm On Fire -- (Dwight Twilley) 5. 'Lil Egypt -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 6. Earthquake Boogie -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, R. Meltzer) 7. Donkey Show -- (Peter Bohovesky) 8. Date With A Guitar -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 9. End In Tears -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 10. Tender Was The Night -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer) 11. Operation Luv -- (D. Frost, A. Bouchard) 12. Laura's Plastic Swords -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer) 13. Casa Del Sol -- (Deborah Frost) 14. Overture -- (A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard) Notes: Released in 1996 by Cellsum Records, and in 1998 by Ripe and Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Additional production and mix by Paul Special. Instruments: Peter Bohovesky (lead, rhythm guitars, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, banjo, etc.), Deborah Frost (vocals, clarinet), Billy Hilfiger (lead, rhythm guitars), David Hirschberg (bass), Joe Bouchard (keyboards on "Saint Vitus Dance", "Gun", "Tender Was The Night", "Overture"), Jacob Bouchard (vocals on "Overture"), Louis "Flip" Barnes (trumpet on "Donkey Show", "Overture"), Crispin Cioe (sax on "Donkey Show", "End In Tears", "Laura's Plastic Swords"), Dave Dunton (keyboards on "Date With A Guitar", "End In Tears", "Laura's Plastic Swords"), Don Fleming (guitar on "Gun", "Overture", theremin on "Gun", "'Lil Egypt"), John Fried (vocals on "Donkey Show"), Tara Key (guitar on "Saint Vitus Dance), Jack Rigg (guitar on "Overture"), Felice Rosser (vocals on "End In Tears"), Jack Secret (vocals on "Earthquake Boogie"), Deena Shoshkes (vocals on "Donkey Show"). The lyrics for "Operation Luv" were originally part of another Bouchard/Frost song called, "When You're In, You're In", which was recorded by Deadringer on their *Electrocution Of The Heart* album. A different version of "Donkey Show" appears on Peter Bohovesky's 1997 CD, *Peter Bohovesky*. Different versions of the song "Gun" were demoed by Joe Bouchard for the sessions for BOC's *Mirrors*, *Cultosaurus Erectus*, and *Fire Of Unknown Origin* albums, and played live by BOC a few times in 1979. *Pull The Plug* (fanclub release, available only on cassette) 1. Frenchette -- (Johansen, Sylvain) 2. Language Of Love -- (Frost, Bouchard) 3. Death Valley Nights -- (Meltzer, Bouchard) 4. Lady Of The Harbor -- (Frost, Bouchard) 5. I Am The One You Warned Me Of -- (Pearlman, Bouchard) 6. Astronomy -- (Pearlman, Bouchard, Bouchard) 7. Name Your Monster -- (Frost, Bouchard) Notes: Released in 1997 by Cellsum Records, and in 1998 by Ripe and Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Instruments: Pete Bohovesky, Albert Bouchard, Deborah Frost, Billy Hilfiger, David Hirschberg; with Joe Bouchard. The songs on this cassette are done in an acoustic style, similar to the "Unplugged" format popularized in the 1990's by MTV. Not available commercially, but only as a limited promotional release to Brain Surgeons' fans. Contact Cellsum Records (see address listed for Albert Bouchard/Deborah Frost elsewhere in this FAQ) for availability. These songs (with the exception of "Frenchette" and "Lady Of The Harbor") were later released in 1997 on the Brain Surgeons album, *Malpractise*. A different version of "Lady Of The Harbor" was later released in 1999 on the Brain Surgeons album, *Piece Of Work*. *Malpractise* 1. Needle Gun -- (Brock) 2. Ciudades Y Navidades -- (Bouchard, Bouchard, Frost, Placio-Linden, Pearlman) 3. Hassan I Sahba -- (Calvert, Rudolf) 4. Career Of Evil -- (Bouchard, Smith) 5. Language Of Love -- (Bouchard, Frost) 6. The Girl That Love Made Blind -- (Bouchard, Pearlman) 7. Death Valley Nights -- (Bouchard, Meltzer) 8. Name Your Monster -- (Bouchard, Frost) 9. Baby Ice Dog -- (Bouchard, Smith) 10. Tour Spiel -- (Watt) 11. I Am The One You Warned Me Of -- (Bouchard, Pearlman) 12. Astronomy -- (Bouchard, Bouchard, Pearlman) Notes: Released in 1997 by Cellsum Records, and in 1998 by Ripe and Ready. Produced by Snowy. Instruments: Peter Bohovesky (lead, rhythm guitars, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, organ, slide, guitar, harmonica, Albertron), Deborah Frost (vocals, drums), Billy Hilfiger (lead, rhythm guitars, wit), David Hirschberg (bass), with Ace Bouchard (vocals, sound design), Joe Bouchard (mandolin, keyboards, bass, vocals), Tommy Mandel (organ). The recordings of "Ciudades Y Navidades", "Career Of Evil", and "Baby Ice Dog" originally appeared on the fanclub-only release, *Career Of Christmas*. The recordings of "Language Of Love", "Death Valley Nights", "Name Your Monster", "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", and "Astronomy" originally appeared on the fanclub-only release, *Pull The Plug*. A version of the song "The Girl That Love Made Blind" was originally recorded for the album, *Imaginos*, but not used. The song, "Tour Spiel" (done by Albert Bouchard, Deborah Frost, and Joe Bouchard) is a re-mix of the version that appears on the Minutemen tribute album, *Our Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute To D. Boon And The Minutemen*. *Piece Of Work* (double CD) Disc 1 1. Biloxi -- (J. Winchester) 2. Rain, Rain -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 3. On The Road (Again) -- (A. Bouchard, R. Meltzer) 4. Practice Makes Perfect -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 5. Swamp Thing -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, B. Hilfiger) 6. Alpha And Omega -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, R. Binder) 7. More Than Truth -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 8. Hog Dog Man -- (P. Bohovesky, A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 9. Bad Hair Day -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, R. Meltzer) 10. Last Angry Woman -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, B. Hilfiger) 11. Way Of The World -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 12. Pink Roses -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) Disc 2 1. Rock And Roll Is Dead -- (Bouchard, Frost, Dr. Donna Gaines, Hilfiger) 2. Confession #9 -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 3. Billy's Song -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, B. Hilfiger) 4. Simple Man -- (G. Rossington, R. Van Zant) 5. Victory Boulevard -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 6. Madame X Factor -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 7. Lost -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 8. Competition -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost, H. Wheels, M. Barkan) 9. Prince Albert In The Cans -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) 10. Lady Of The Harbor -- (A. Bouchard, D. Frost) Notes: Released in 1999 by Cellsum Records and Ripe and Ready. Produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost. Additional production and mix by Paul Special. Instruments: Peter Bohovesky (lead, rhythm guitars, vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, guitars, harmonica), Deborah Frost (vocals, slide, rhythm guitars), Billy Hilfiger (lead, rhythm guitars, vocals), David Hirschberg (bass, drums), with Crispin Cioe (saxes), Merrill Clark (keys), Soozie Tyrell (fiddle), Ace Bouchard (vocals). The song listing on the back of the CD incorrectly lists "Bad Hair Day" as being between "Swamp Thing" and "Alpha And Omega". Versions of the songs, "Alpha And Omega" and "Bad Hair Day" (originally titled "I Need A Flat Top") were originally demoed by Albert for the sessions for BOC's *Cultosaurus Erectus* album. An acoustic version of "Lady Of The Harbor" originally appeared on the fanclub-only release, *Pull The Plug*. The track "Prince Albert In The Cans" is an instrumental track (a drum solo) which climaxes with Albert's use of a Syndrum, which he manipulates the same way he did during his live drum solos with BOC (during "Godzilla"). The track "Lady Of The Harbor" ends with a reprise of "Biloxi", modified to sound as if it is being played on an old phonograph. 4. R. U. Ready 2 Rock? -- Frequently Asked Questions What are BOC up to these days? ============================== BOC (the current line-up consists of Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Danny Miranda, and Bobby Rondinelli) are currently managed by Steve Schenck, the executive producer of *Cult Classic*. BOC is, as one of their t-shirts sold at a concert from a few years ago says, "On Tour Forever" (mostly touring large clubs). TicketMaster is handling the tickets for most of their concerts, which are not highly promoted. Many of us find out where they are playing after the show is over. Keep your eyes open! Eric Bloom also posts upcoming show dates on America On- Line, and these dates have been posted on some pages on the World Wide Web (see another part of this FAQ for more information). Buck Dharma may also release more independent music in the future. The 4/11/97 Rick Browning Benefit performance of the Buck Dharma Band (Buck Dharma, Danny Miranda, John Miceli, Sandy Roeser) in Atlanta was professionally recorded and videotaped. The video is available now (see the section of the FAQ on the Ricky Browning Benefit for more information), and a CD (with tracks not available on the video) should be available some time in the near future, with some of the proceeds going to charities. The band may perform in other locations in the future. Buck has also up a mailing list and offering t-shirts with the *Flat Out* logo on it. Members of this mailing list will learn of future audio releases when they become available. See elsewhere in the FAQ for more information. Danny Miranda and Bobby Rondinelli also play in the New York area in a band called "Pyramid" with George Cintron on guitar and vocals. They play a variety of cover tunes, as well as George's original music. Albert Bouchard is currently playing occasional shows (mostly clubs in the New York area) with The Brain Surgeons (Albert on drums, vocals and occasional guitar, Deborah Frost on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Peter Bohovesky on guitar and vocals, Billy Hilfiger on guitar, and David Hirschberg on bass). They play mostly Brain Surgeons' tunes along with a few BOC tunes -- Baby Ice Dog, The Red And The Black, Career Of Evil, This Ain't The Summer of Love, Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll (in English and Spanish), Death Valley Nights, Dominance And Submission, Astronomy, and I Am The One You Warned Me Of have been played on different occasions. Joe Bouchard, according to Bolle Gregmar, is now really "Dr. Music", having received his Master's Degree in Music (at the University of Hartford). His thesis/grad test was a four movement dance work for orchestra, computers and a rock band, which he composed and scored. Aside from his previous involvement in "Deadringer" and the "Cult Brothers", Joe has produced at least one album (*Burn To My Touch* by "Liege Lord" in 1987). One of his non-music hobbies is brewing lots of beer. He also teaches at the National Guitar Workshop, and has just recently submitted a guitar instruction book/CD titled "Rock Guitar (for beginners)" to be published soon. Joe has also played occasional shows with "The Cult Brothers", and provided support to albums by The Brain Surgeons. He has released a CD with original music written and performed by the "Cult Brothers", titled *Joe Bouchard Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens*. Both Joe and Albert have also played in the New York area with the David Roter band. Sandy Pearlman, according to Bolle Gregmar, is running his studio Alpha & Omega in San Rafael, California. He is hoping to turn *Imaginos* into a multi-media project, however the status of this project is unknown at this time. He currently is not involved with BOC. He is also the vice president of media and artist development at the internet music company, GoodNoise. When is the new (*not* a "Greatest Hits") album coming out? =========================================================== Short Answer: Have you not heard of the new BOC album? HEAVEN FORBID! Long Answer: This had probably been one of the biggest questions surrounding BOC in the 1990's. There had been several "false starts" over the past few years as far as a new album goes, with deals falling through, or compilation albums being released instead. However, on March 24th, 1998, the band released their first complete studio album in 10 years, *Heaven Forbid*, on CMC International Records. CMC International has agreed to release a new BOC album, expected in the year 2000. As of this writing, no song titles are known for this release. There has also been a rumor that BOC will contribute a new song for the *Heavy Metal Part 2* movie. Also, prior to the release of *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, Sony had indicated that there was additional BOC material that might be released in the future, depending on the what arrangements can be made with the band. Speculation among some BOC fans (including the editor) is that Sony will only venture further in this endeavor if *Workshop Of The Telescopes* sells reasonably, indicating to Sony that such endeavors might be worthwhile from a financial standpoint. Possible material might include other single b-sides, re-mixes, live cuts, and the Soft White Underbelly and Stalk-Forrest Group demo material, among other things. Time will tell if such a product is merely a "fantasy distillation of reality". In addition, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs released a "gold" CD of BOC's *Agents Of Fortune* album in 1998, and a "gold" CD containing BOC's first two albums (*Blue Oyster Cult* and *Tyranny And Mutation*) on a single CD in 1999. These re-mastered CDs have superior sonic quality to the original CD releases, and includes the original album liner notes and artwork. In addition, these releases contain some new liner notes penned by Buck Dharma (for the *Agents Of Fortune* release) and Eric Bloom (for the *Blue Oyster Cult*/*Tyranny And Mutation* release). The track listings are identical to the original releases of these albums. Sony is currently planning another BOC compilation CD. This CD is expected to be titled, *Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best of Blue Oyster Cult*. While it will contain no new recordings, it is expected that all of the tracks will be remastered, giving superior sonic quality to the original CD releases. It was planned for a fall 1999 release, however it has been pushed February of 2000. Finally, it was believed that King Biscuit Flower Hour Records will release a live BOC album in the near future. This album, would contain songs from the 6 times that King Biscuit broadcast live BOC shows over the radio (spanning the years 1975 to 1986). According to Bolle Gregmar, the album might be released by the end of 1999. Where can I find (Flat Out, Imaginos, Bad Channels, other rare items)? ====================================================================== *Flat Out* was never released in the U. S. on CD. However, it is available as an import. According to Bolle Gregmar, it's a French release on SONY/PORTRAIT (14-477942-10) -- part of their "Mr. Collector" series. At one time, Bolle Gregmar had been discussing with Buck Dharma the possibility of letting Rhino Records release *Flat Out* on CD, possibly with an additional track. The status of this project is not currently known. However, Buck did release a number of limited editions of Flat Out (creating the copies in his own studio) which included the song "Gamera Is Missing" as an added track. It is not known if he will do another production run of these CDs, however the next release of music by Buck outside of BOC will most likely be music from the Buck Dharma Band Ricky Browning Benefit Concert. *Imaginos* has been out of print in the U.S. for a few years. However, it may still be available in Europe, and can be obtained as an import. *Bad Channels* may still be in print. However, since the movie was a relatively small production (and not a box office hit), it may be hard to find in music stores. If it is available, it is usually found in the "Movie Soundtracks" section, and not under "Blue Oyster Cult". There are a number of avenues for fans to obtain these, and other rare BOC items. The magazines *Goldmine* or *Discoveries* may list some dealers which sell European imports (see the section "Where can I get BOC live recordings?" for more information on these items). Many of these dealers now also are accessible on the Internet - using an Internet search engine might help locate some of them. Also, Internet auction sites (most notably Ebay -- http://www.ebay.com) often have individuals auctioning off BOC items. Editor's note: I personally have bought and sold numerous items on Ebay and have found it a very positive experience. I have seen many BOC and related items, including *Flat Out*, *Imaginos*, and *Bad Channels* being auctioned on a regular basis. What is the "best" BOC album? ============================= Perhaps this question should be: "What BOC album should I buy?", which gets asked every now and then, usually by people who have only heard BOC on the radio (i.e., "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Godzilla", and "Burnin' For You", sometimes collectively referred to as "The Big Three"), and are looking to buy one BOC album. Or it gets answered when someone voices their dislike for a particular album. Editor's note: *Club Ninja*, and sometimes *Mirrors* (which is sometimes referred to as "Errors"; and in a magazine interview, Albert Bouchard claimed that his song, "You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)" is in reference to using Tom Werman to produce the album) or *The Revolution By Night*, most often get this abuse, and then several individuals will rush to the albums' defense. There is no definitive answer - it's obviously a matter of personal choice, but the following (in no particular order) might provide some guidance: 1. Some say an artist is only as good as their latest album. Certainly how an band sounds "today" can usually be best determined by their latest release, and BOC's *Heaven Forbid* is an excellent example. It is, in fact, the only complete studio BOC album released in 10 years, and has a much more "modern" feel to it than the rest of BOC's albums. In addition, several tracks from this album are regularly played live by the band. For any new fan wishing to discover BOC, this album would perhaps be the best place to start. 2. Compilation albums might be recommended for those who don't plan on purchasing more than a few albums. BOC, like other bands that have been around for years, have several to choose from. The compilation released by Sony, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, stands head and shoulders above all the others as the definitive "greatest hits" package. Not only are most of the hits included, but also some previously hard-to-get material (the studio version of "Born To Be Wild", and three of the four songs on the *BOC Bootleg EP* release). As for other compilation albums to choose from, *Cult Classic* is the most representative of what songs the band is playing live these days, and how they are playing them (the songs have been re-recorded). Other compilations contain only previously-released material, and are usually only sought out by collectors. While they may contain representative tracks, they pale in comparison to either *Workshop Of The Telescopes* or *Cult Classic*. On the other hand, they sometimes can be obtained at bargain prices. 3. Some people recommend live albums, and BOC has 3 to choose from. *Extraterrestrial Live* is the most recent, and captures "The Big Three". *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* is the earliest, capturing much of the older material, with a somewhat "raw" sound by modern standards (although it sounds very much like a live recording, as opposed to some "live" albums which are overdubbed later in the studio). *Some Enchanted Evening*, although only a single album (the other 2 are double albums), is considered by many to have the best sound and song selection. 4. While the band no longer performs songs from this album (see next question for more information), many of BOC's current fans cite the album, *Imaginos* as the best work the band every put out (both from a musical and conceptual standpoint). Others, however, point out that BOC as a group are not completely responsible for this album (again, see next question for more information). Some of the concepts alluded to in *Imaginos* (as well as versions of two of the songs) are present on the *Secret Treaties* album, and many fans cite this album as their favorite (the band still regularly plays 2 or 3 of the songs off that album). 5. Due mostly to the benefit of a hit single on them, *Agents Of Fortune* (containing "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"), *Spectres* (containing "Godzilla"), and *Fire Of Unknown Origin* (containing "Burnin' For You") are probably BOC's most successful albums commercially, and some fans would cite one of them as their favorites. 6. Since he is the head of the BOC fan club, it is appropriate to consider Bolle Gregmar's favorite album, *Cultosaurus Erectus*. This album, released after *Mirrors*, marked a return to the "heavier" BOC sound, due in part to the production talents of Martin Birch (who had produced albums for Black Sabbath and Deep Purple). According to Bolle, the album is very energetic, and contains some of the band's best song- writing. 7. The one that started it all, *Blue Oyster Cult*, is cited by many as their favorite. The band's roots can be most clearly seen on this album, and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To The Stars" are still regularly performed by the band. For those that like the songs on the first album, *Tyranny And Mutation* and *Secret Treaties* also get high marks. Editor's Note: The only "real" way to enjoy BOC is to get *all* of their albums. What is the story behind the recording of the album, *Imaginos*? ================================================================ The Imaginos story actually pre-dates BOC, and started within the mind of Sandy Pearlman, who, back in about 1967, wrote a collection of poems called "The Soft Doctrines of Immaginos" (note the original spelling of Immaginos). It was Pearlman's desire that BOC be the embodiment of the Imaginos concept. Around that time, two songs were written around this concept -- "Gil Blanco County" (which would appear on the Stalk-Forrest Group demo for Elektra), and a Buck Dharma tune called "Port Jefferson". Radio promotion copies of the first BOC album included an insert which indicated that the song "Redeemed" was "a short version of the tune that will appear on their fourth album, an opera, titled, 'The Soft Doctrines of the Imaginos'". While the band decided against doing the concept, Albert Bouchard began working on music for it. By 1974, the songs "Imaginos", "Astronomy" (which appeared on *Secret Treaties*), and "The Subhuman" (which also appeared on *Secret Treaties*, and would later be changed to "Blue Oyster Cult" on the *Imaginos* album) were written. At the *Agents Of Fortune* sessions, Albert demoed "Imaginos". At the *Spectres* sessions, Joe Bouchard demoed "In The Presence Of Another World" (which was also worked up by the band as a candidate for the *Mirrors* album), while Albert Bouchard demoed "Del Rio's Song", "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria", and a song titled, "The Girl That Love Made Blind" -- however, the band was still not interested in doing the whole project. Albert continued to write and demo songs for the project, and by *Cultosaurus Erectus*, really wanted to see the band do the concept. After Albert left BOC in 1981, he began working with Sandy Pearlman on the project, recording all the basic tracks in 1982. Albert brought Joe Bouchard, Allen Lanier, and Buck Dharma to play certain portions of some of the tracks. By 1984, the Imaginos work was essentially completed. Sandy Pearlman first approached CBS about putting the album together around 1981, and CBS was initially interested in the project. According to Eric Bloom, CBS was not happy with the final result (in which Albert sang much of the lead vocals), and was not interested in releasing the album unless it was released as a "BOC" album with Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma singing lead vocals. In response to concerns over his own vocals, Albert obtained the services of Joey Cerisano, a veteran of the New Jersey music scene (who at the time had been in a band known as Silver Condor) to sing on the tracks. Joey Cerisano's rendition of "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" was used on the final release of *Imaginos*, while Cerisano went on himself to become one of the most successful jingle singers in the United States (he's done jingles for Budweiser, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and numerous car companies, to name a few of his credits). After BOC had broken up in 1986, the idea of the band getting together to release *Imaginos* was discussed. Albert, hoping to get the original line-up back together for the recording (and a subsequent tour), spent time getting in contact with all the original members of the band. Apparently Albert had a difficult time convincing Joe Bouchard, who was the last of the original 5 members to quit the band, to do the project. However, the rest of the band (Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Jon Rogers, joined by Ron Riddle on drums) had reformed as Blue Oyster Cult by the time Joe Bouchard had agreed to do the project. In addition, the financial obligations had to be worked out as Albert wanted to be co-producer of the album, having played such a large role in the project. With the band re-forming in mid-1987 without Albert and Joe Bouchard, Albert abandoned the *Imaginos* project. However, Sandy Pearlman and the band did go forward with the project, re-doing some of the tracks by early 1988, and releasing *Imaginos* as a BOC album later that year. The original 5 members of the band are credited as performing on the album, along with several other musicians (see album credits in Discography section). However, it is not clear how much of a "BOC" album this is, beyond Eric/Buck's lead vocals, and their hand in the writing of some of the songs. According to Albert Bouchard, the bulk of the instrumentation credits should go to former Ian Hunter guitarist Tommy Moringiello (guitars), former David Johansen guitarist Jack Rigg (guitars), and Tommy Mandel (keyboards - uncredited on the album). Tommy Zvoncheck later indicated that most of Tommy Mandel's keyboard parts were replaced by his own on the released version of *Imaginos*. In addition, Albert says the following were not credited on the album: Jon Rogers (additional lead vocal on "I Am The One You Warned Me Of"), Phil Grandee (guitar), and a number of individuals contributing background vocals (Jeff Kawalik, Corky Stasiak, Helen Wheels, Glen Bell, Peggy Atkins, Casper McCloud - although iis not clear if these contributions appeared on the released version of *Imaginos*). Between the reworking of the songs on *Imaginos*, the improper credits, and the fact that the band apparently did not want Albert back as their drummer after the release of *Imaginos*, there were considerable hard feelings between Albert and BOC/Sandy Pearlman. The original *Imaginos* project contained over 90 minutes of music, and budgets wouldn't allow for the complete package. The "complete" Imaginos story spans 200 years from the beginning of the 19 Century to the end of the 20th. At the time the album was recorded, two other parts were anticipated, titled (according to Sandy Pearlman) "Germany Minus Zero And Counting" and "The Mutant Reformation". Albert Bouchard has indicated that possible titles for "Germany Minus Zero And Counting" were "Half-Life Time", and "Bombs Over Germany". According to Albert Bouchard, the following songs were left off of *Imaginos*: "Gil Blanco County", "The Girl That Love Made Blind", "Blue Oyster Cult Reprise", "Imaginos Overture", and an a capella reprise of the first verse of "Magna Of Illusion". Also, the song "Shadow Of California" (from the album, *The Revolution By Night*) was originally intended, in one form or another, to be on the second "Imaginos" album. It is possible that "Shadow Of California" was partially re-worked from an Albert Bouchard song, "Half-Life Time", which contains the lyrics that later appeared as the spoken intro to the *Club Ninja* song, "When The War Comes". With the past problems and current tensions between the various parties associated the recording of *Imaginos*, it is probably unlikely that the full Imaginos saga will ever be completed, at least not by BOC. Albert Bouchard has released some *Imaginos* material ("Overture" on *Box Of Hammers*, "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", "Astronomy", and "The Girl That Love Made Blind" on *Malpractise*), and has expressed interest in doing more, as his other activities allow. Sandy Pearlman has been reportedly working over the past few years on an Imaginos comic book and multi-media (video game) project, but it is unknown if this project will ever be finished. Bolle Gregmar provided a list of songs which Albert mixed in 1985 in the planned order of the tracks: 1. I Am The One You Warned Me Of 2. Imaginos 3. Gil Blanco County 4. Del Rio's Song 5. Blue Oyster Cult 6. Blue Oyster Cult Reprise 7. Half-Life Time 8. Les Invisibles 9. The Girl That Love Made Blind 10. The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria 11. In The Presence Of Another World 12. Imaginos Overture 13. Astronomy 14. Magna Of Illusion 15. Magna Of Illusion Chorale (a capella reprise of the first verse) Albert Bouchard provided a list of songs which might be applicable to the rest of the Imaginos trilogy. They appear, with his comments, as follows: Act One: The Imaginos album we're familiar with. Act Two: Bombs over Germany Workshop Of The Telescopes The Girl That Love Made Blind * ME 262 The Red And The Black Cities On Flame ** Shadow Of California Half-Life Time + Veteran Of The Psychic Wars ++ Career Of Evil ++ Act Three: The Mutant Reformation Take Me Away ++ The Vigil ++ ETI R. U. Ready 2 Rock Heavy Metal Flaming Telepaths Gil Blanco County * Redeemed * Left off the original Imaginos album ** "Motor City is Burning" version -- based somewhat on the MC5 song + Very few have heard this one ++ Non-Pearlman songs because I never plan to write another with him and these tunes kind of fit into the story What is the story told by the album, *Imaginos*? ================================================ Sandy Pearlman, in an interview with *Kerrang* magazine (September 1988) says, "Basically, it's an interpretation of history - an explanation for the onset of World War I, or a revelation of the occult origins of it. Imaginos is the main character, and is what I call 'an actor in history'. He plays different roles in history and was born as a modified child, modified by an alien influence, and his mission is to present the human race with the challenge of evil. The aliens are playing with our history as if it's a game, and he motivates the game and presents the choices to the human race. They react as they will." Sandy Pearlman also says that the story explains what the "Blue Oyster Cult" is. "They are aliens. When Imaginos is dying on a beach (in the song 'Blue Oyster Cult'), they announce their presence to him and give him a choice - side with them or die as a human. He chooses the former and realizes he was one of them after all. In 'Astronomy' he realizes he is descended from the stars." Of course, the above statements leave much left untold, and subject to interpretation. Such discussion went on between various individuals on BOC-L, and this discussion was captured, distilled, and condensed into a sort of mini-thesis by BOC-L member Bryce "The Subhuman" Baker. His complete work may be available (either now or soon) in the BOC-L archives. An edited version of his work is presented here (note: quotes that go unreferenced are either from the liner notes or song lyrics): The Saga of Imaginos begins with the discovery of the New World by the Spanish. "Out beyond the Europe's rim the Spaniards met the Indians." The Indians: the natives of the New World, the Aztecs, Haitians, and others. "To the Spanish, agents of a Catholic Sovereign, the New World was no place of grace ... anti-genesis, anti-Eden, seat of evil, pit of darkness ... the priests in the expeditions could imagine no place worse than this place ... visibly in the thrall of invisible spirits." These spirits: Les Invisibles - The Invisible Ones. It is assumed that the Indians of the New World (in particular, the Aztecs and the Haitians) worshipped Les Invisibles (which we also assume to number seven). Les Invisibles' seat of power is Haiti, "... still a dream world, seat of Les Invisibles ...", suggesting a connection between their world and our world. This is not taken to be a physical connection (as a portal, for example), but a religious connection, as The Vatican is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Haitian Voodoo references are indeed present in Imaginos, Baron Samedi (see the lyrics to 'Les Invisibles') is reportedly the Voodoo lord of graveyards, and Les Mesteres (also in "Les Invisibles") is reportedly another name for the Loa, the seven African spirits worshipped in Voodoo. Regarding the dance of Don Pedro, ghost-dancing (a group dance for communication with the dead) plays a large part in Haitian religious beliefs, and apparently played a similarly large role in Aztec religious customs; drums seem to have been the instrument of choice (see lyrics in 'Les Invisibles' and 'Del Rio's Song'). As to the identity of Don Pedro, the emperor Montezuma supposedly had a Spanish-sympathizing son named Don Pedro who helped rebuild the Mexican capital after its destruction by the Spanish. How this could tie in is unclear, and may simply be a coincidence. If rich in its evil, the New World was also rich in its gold. At first, to the Spaniards, the gold was "no luminous mirror of delight, but rather, a mirror of blackness." But as fear turned to greed, in this gold, this mirror of blackness, "the Spaniards discovered for themselves an image of self without limit ... the invention of all new things, the invention of genocide." Greed overcame fear. Civilizations were wiped out (under the guise of religious purification), and Spanish power in Europe rose, fueled by the gold from the New World. "For hundreds of years, all the gold ... came from the New World ... the seduction of the Old World by the New World - innocence corrupts experience." Ultimately, the Spain/Portugal monopoly on the New World was broken by England, under the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). "Her occult advisor was a Dr. John Dee. He spoke, he said, with invisible spirits and in his possession was a magic mirror of black volcanic glass ... it was fashioned in Mexico." Dee's associate, Edward Kelly, looked into the stone, and Dee recorded his visions (this mirror and some of Dee's other paraphernalia are on display in London in the British Museum). The interpretation relative to the Imaginos story is that Les Invisibles somehow made this mirror available to Dee, and information gained from using it was used in the destruction of Spanish power. It has been suggested that this was a form of 'retaliatory strike' at Spain by Les Invisibles for invading Mexico and eradicating much of the religion devoted to them. However, it is seems more likely that this wasn't a 'retaliatory strike' at all, but part of a larger, centuries-spanning scheme by Les Invisibles to cause strife and bloodshed in Europe, continuing all the way to World War I, and perhaps beyond. It should be noted that in contrast to the relative black mirror of New World gold mentioned in the first paragraph, here we have the first appearance of an actual, physical black mirror. In the early 1800's, (perhaps in the month of August) Les Invisibles cause the birth of a 'modified' child - Imaginos - in New Hampshire. His powers include the ability to see the future to some degree ("singing songs nobody knew and stories left undone") and to change his shape ("actually this Buzzardo was Imaginos in disguise"). Ignorant of his future role and billing himself as somewhat of an adventurer, he travels North America (at least Vermont and Texas) before winding up in New Orleans in 1829. Still acting as an "adventurer", he heads up an "expedition", sailing the Mississippi south towards Mexico. Realizing that there may be more of a reason behind his powers than he previously believed, and perhaps having visions or some other drive, he has goals for the expedition he isn't telling his crew. He is heading south to the Yucatan, to a place "just between the verse and me" where he will find something "lost, last and luminous, scored to sky yet never found". Somewhere along the trip, the boat is shipwrecked near land. As Imaginos lies on the shore, seriously injured and dying, his friends, the survivors of the shipwreck, leave him alone to die "on a shore where oyster beds seem plush as down". The morning tide washes in and he drowns. As can be seen here, Imaginos' ability to see into the future is limited to some degree, or he would have been able to foretell of his upcoming shipwreck. This shipwreck, however, was no accident. As he drowns, Les Invisibles come to Imaginos and show him everything: "the Invisible [Ones] visible at last and manifest; no mere hints or traces". Knowing who and what he is and the role carved for him in future events, he agrees to become the Invisible Ones' agent on earth; he becomes one of the "Blue Oyster Cult", the servants of Les Invisibles. Les Invisibles, acting through the "oyster boys" (some kind of fish-like creature) resurrect Imaginos from the dead. He is now their agent, "unleashed to forge a new destiny; he is Imaginos called Desdinova." After the shipwreck, it is clearly stated in the liner notes that Imaginos dies. The song "Blue Oyster Cult" contains a bit about "The Dream of Luxor", which is an Egyptian reference to rebirth: "Luxor, site of the southern Temple of Amun, built essentially by Amenophis III and Ramesses II. The image of Amun from the temple at Karnak spent the flood season here ... at Luxor, Amun took the form of Min, a mummiform, ithyphallic fertility god ... fertility gods in Egyptian religion were associated with rebirth and immortality." (Jean Lansford) "We understand, and so do I" and "One deal is what we made" from "Blue Oyster Cult", taken along with the liner notes for "Astronomy" point to the "all is made clear" inference (and also to the 'I didn't know what the hell's going on with me' inference mentioned above). It isn't really very clear just who or what the Oyster Boys are, just that they somehow are connected with The Invisible Ones. The next songs in the cycle are mainly descriptive, rather than playing out the story. "I Am the One You Warned Me Of" - Imaginos, reborn, fully aware of who and what he is. "Fresh from zones of moisture": on that "shore where oyster beds seemed plush as down" to a drowning young Imaginos. We almost get a sense of 'excitement' from this song. Albert Bouchard had an interesting comment on the song and the lyric "and afterwards the meat": "This song was influenced by "Memo from Turner" and was supposed to be about Imaginos getting down and lascivious." "In the Presence of Another World" - Imaginos, the earthly agent of Les Invisibles, still aware of his former self, but now so much more, and forebodings of the evil to come. "The Siege and Investiture of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" - the continuation of Les Invisibles' influence on earth - earlier, through corruption by gold, now through corruption by technology. The liner notes have a lot to say on the reborn Imaginos: "This then is Imaginos of whom it will be said, between what he can realize and what he can imagine, there is to be nothing and no distance. His will be the perfect sight. 'Behind closed eyes realize your sight.' Through the powers of perfect vision and Imaginos, vested in him by Les Invisibles, he will bring the world to a rendezvous with its own destiny, to change the world's course, to -write- history, to tilt the axis of destiny - Imaginos becomes the world's greatest actor, a transcendent role player, an actor in history." It can only be assumed that between his rebirth (~1829) and the next song in the story (Magna of Illusion, ~1892), Imaginos is somehow living up to this role, involving himself in key events that will lead up to the grand conclusion. 1892, Imaginos, now in the role of an old sea captain: "Out beyond the Europe's rim and further by far, beyond the sphere of light, into a place where darkness is omnipotent and never from hungry. In Mayaland in the Yucatan he will discover an unheard-of temple or pyramid. At the core of the pyramid, with only one way in and no way out, is a chamber of jade, curiously sculpted with impossible angles, itself surrounding something hardly there, a new germ, made from 'pieces of the perfect black.' [jumping down a paragraph in the notes...] "In the chamber of jade is a mirror carved of blackest obsidian, black volcanic glass, tempered with blood: 'the sugar of sacrifice.' Obviously a magic mirror, it is nothing less than the Magna of Illusion: the last song in the cycle. In it Imaginos, now playing the of an old English sea captain in the 1890's, takes the mirror from Mexico (which is nowhere) to Europe. He takes it by crime and blood from the jungle to give to his granddaughter on her birthday. It sits in her family's attic in misty Cornwall for ten years or more. Poisoning Europe ..." [moving back up a paragraph in the notes...] "When thrust in vivo into Europe's all too fertile soil, this new germ will - having grown ever more powerful and mature, having in fact become an organism - beam ridding voices direct to the brains of the (European) multitudes. The voices call in hunger for absolute darkness and absolute light. They are ready. We are ready. It is ready" [moving back down...] "And then World War I breaks out. A disease with a long incubation." Some random general reflections: 1. If you follow the story, it is obvious that the songs on the album are in the wrong order. There is, however, this 'random access history' disclaimer. It has been speculated that the record company screwed up the order of the songs and the random access bit was added afterwards. That is completely unsubstantiated, and probably not true, but who knows? In the liner notes, an order is listed, but my interpretation of the real order (substantiated by Albert Bouchard) is: Les Invisibles Imaginos Del Rio's Song Blue Oyster Cult Astronomy I Am The One You Warned Me Of } these two could flip flop In The Presence Of Another World } The Siege And Investiture . . . Magna Of Illusion 2. An issue that has not been explored is the origin or the location of Les Invisibles. From the liner notes and overall feel of the album, you get the impression of another, mystical world, beyond our time and space, and that is how the story has been interpreted above. But to throw in a wrench, I quote Albert Bouchard in Morning Final #10: "Basically, what it is that this guy comes down from a spaceship, and he lands in New Hampshire. I don't know if he has a son or not, but there's a young Immaginos (note: "Immaginos" was Albert's intended spelling) that is hatched from the spaceship in New Hampshire. He drifts down towards Texas. When he's in Texas he discovers that he has all sorts of powers that regular people don't have. I guess that he's probably not completely aware that he's an extra-terrestrial." Note that his interview was in 1982 (and done for some metal magazine, it was never published), a lot could have changed in the time between the interview and when the final version(s?) of the story was settled on. But if you look at some of the lyrics out of context, we have: "the rhyme of the star clock" [Les Invisibles] "this starry wisdom" [I Am The One ...] "how even space can modulate" [In The Presence ...] "the milky way abyss inclines" "the buried city in the stars" "from the glare of stars, the starry wisdom" [The Siege And ...] Again, the above quotes are -completely- out of context and are meant just to provide a (weak) counterview to the mystical, almost religious viewpoint. Also, a mystical location and an outerspace location are by no means mutually exclusive. But, to tighten that wrench: "and don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent" [Astronomy] "Astronomy...a star!" [Astronomy] "approached the sun, in August" [Imaginos] Sirius: The Dog Star, a star of the constellation Canis Major, the brightest star in the heavens. Used for navigational purposes because it usually remains fixed in the sky. The Dog Days ... the period of in late summer (between early July and late August) when Sirius rises and sets with the sun. And according to Dr. Paul Mather: "Okay, here's another Sirius connection. I remember R.A. Wilson making much about the connection between the "Dog Days" and Sirius. There is a "primitive" African tribe - the Dogon tribe - who, it seems, accurately detected the companion to Sirius and mapped its relationship to Sirius. This companion is invisible to the naked eye, and can only be detected by x-rays (I seem to recall). The tribe detected its presence long before modern radio astronomy." The plot thickens ... "The Dogon tribe worship a half-man, half-fish god, who is said to come from the companion star, and who is said to have come down to Earth." This account was later shown to the bogus result of the tribe mixing modern astronomy with their mythology, or something like that [from FoFP]. But it was still widespread and certainly available to influence a young Sandy Pearlman ... In any event, as mentioned above, "outer space" and "beyond time and space" are certainly not mutually exclusive. 3. A few other BOC songs (not from *Imaginos*) have, either by title or lyric, a similar sort of feel to them: Harvester of Eyes, Flaming Telepaths, Stairway to the Stars, Workshop of the Telescopes ("by those who see with their eyes closed, they'll know me by my black telescope", "the power that was undine"), ME-262 ("watch me in mirrors", and "Captain Von Ondine" - see discussion below on the term, "undine"). Another BOC fan has speculated that there may be a relationship between the line "Dance the Don Pedro", and the hallucinogenic cactus San Pedro. A definition of the cactus reads as follows: San Pedro. A common ornamental cactus which is still widely available for landscaping from local nurseries, particularly in desert states. Known to the natives as the sacred cactus of the four winds. This plant is native to the western slopes of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador where it can grow to over 5 meters. Used traditionally in divination, diagnosis of disease, finding lost or stolen property, and to possess another person's soul. A form of the original San Pedro religion still survives to this day, around Huacanada, Peru. Aside from the speculation that the cactus was perhaps part of the Imaginos story, the definition of "sacred cactus of the four winds" suggests a possible connection to the four winds bar in "Astronomy". There are some speculations as to how the song, "Workshop Of The Telescopes" fits into the Imaginos story. It is possible that the line "Sees through the charms of Doctors and their wives" refers to Dr. John Dee and his associate Ed Kelly mentioned previously. Dr. Dee believed that Kelly was in touch with cosmic forces, and Kelly was presumably using this belief to get Dr. Dee to allow him to sleep with his wife. "Salamander Drake" may refer to a fire-breathing dragon: salamander - a mythical animal having the power to endure fire without harm, an elemental being in theory of Paracelsus inhabiting fire; drake - dragon. Note: There may be more to this, as the BOC lyric book capitalizes the words "Salamander" and "Drake", implying perhaps a proper name rather than a thing. Perhaps "Drake" actually refers to Sir Francis Drake, who, under approval of England's Elizabeth I, raided Spanish ships bringing gold from Mexico (this ties in with some of the concepts of *Imaginos* -- European conflict originating from the New World). "Undine" (also mentioned in the song) is, according to the Swiss-born alchemist and physician Paracelsus, a water-spirit that can obtain a human soul by bearing a child to a human husband. This may also refer to "Captain Von Ondine" in the song, "ME-262" (perhaps Captain Von Ondine is the child born of a water spirit - this also appears to tie in with some of the concepts of *Imaginos*). A further note about the term "Ondine". There is a rare brain disorder known as "Ondine's Curse" where the victim can not breathe involuntarily. Ondine refers to a nymph of Greek mythology who offended the gods. As punishment, she was sentenced to think about every breath. She could never sleep, for sleep would mean not thinking about breathing, and she would die. Finally, the term "Ondine" may have simply come from a club in New York called "Ondine's". A 1967 issue of *Crawdaddy* magazine mentioned a concert by The Doors there. From all of this discussion, it appears that the inspiration for the story of *Imaginos* appears to come from various sources. Another possible source may be Jean Ray's 1965 collection of short stories entitled *Ghouls in my Grave*. One of the stories is entitled "The Black Mirror", and contains the following 2 paragraphs which suggest that perhaps Sandy Pearlman had read it: "In 1842 the collection of curios formed at Strawberry Hill by Horace Walpole was sold at auction. Among the singular objects contained in it was the famous black mirror of Dr. John Dee, physician, surgeon, and astrologer of Queen Elizabeth I. It was a piece of beautifully black coal, perfectly polished and carved into an oval shape, with a handle of brown ivory. It had formerly been in the collection of the Earls of Peterborough, bearing this description: 'Black stone by means of which Dr. Dee called forth spirits.'" and "Yes, but Edward Kelley, the sinister pirate who clung to poor Dee like a shadow, used the mirror for discovering hidden treasures and for committing his mysterious crimes." Is there a BOC/H.P. Lovecraft connection? ========================================= Not directly, however, some of the concepts in BOC's lyrics, particularly *Imaginos* seem to be inspired by some of Lovecraft's work. For those not familiar, Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an early 20th- century writer of horror and science fiction stories. Although some of Lovecraft's contemporaries often did not appreciate his work (labeling it "bad taste" and "sick"), Stephen King has acknowledged Lovecraft as the 20th-century's "greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale". He is best known for several short stories often referred to collectively as the "Cthulhu Mythos" -- these stories refer to "The Great Old Ones", creatures from other worlds and dimensions which once ruled the earth, and have since been defeated, expelled, or imprisoned by various cosmic forces. These creatures may rise again ("when the stars are right"), often aided by human cults performing ceremonies with various blasphemous incantations. Looking at the lyrics and liner notes of *Imaginos*, it's obvious that there are many similarities. The story told by *Imaginos* explores a lot of the same concepts as the "Cthulhu Mythos", close enough for some to claim that the two are one and the same (For example, Desdinova or Imaginos is "an actor playing roles in history, challenging man against evil". He could be considered as an agent of evil -- Lovecraft's Nyarlathotep.). However, general is that *Imaginos*, while no doubt inspired by some of Lovecraft's work (Al Bouchard also indicates that Sandy Pearlman and he had read some of Lovecraft's work), is not meant to be a re-telling of Lovecraft's "Cthulhu Mythos". Having said that, the following are some literary references between *Imaginos* and Lovecraft's work: The song "Les Invisibles" contains the line "beneath the polar mountain". Lovecraft's tale, "At the Mountains of Madness" discusses Antarctica as being a location where some of the Great Old Ones either arrived, ruled, or lay waiting. The songs "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" and "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" both contain references to "Starry Wisdom". Lovecraft's story, "The Haunter of the Dark" refers to "the Church of the Starry Wisdom", a cult organization in which "the Shining Trapazohedron shows them heaven & other worlds, & that the Haunter of the Dark tells them secrets in some way." Also, the Shining Trapazohedron appears to be similar in function to the Magna of Illusion of *Imaginos*. The song, "Les Invisibles" talks about "the empress lay sleeping to the rhyme of the star clock", which may refer to the Great Old One's return "when the stars are right". The song "In The Presence Of Another World" contains the spoken words, "when the stars are right". This same line is used in Lovecraft's, "The Call of Cthulhu". In addition, the "Oyster Boys", as water beings can be likened to agents of Cthulhu. The song, "Harvest Moon" seems very Lovecraftian in nature as well. An unknown evil is implied in the final verse, where the singer refuses to go out at nights since the disappearance of someone's daughter, yet with the understanding that she'll be found in the spring when the snow melts. Lovecraft wrote a few stories about towns with such hidden evils. Where is the BOC symbol on the _____ album? =========================================== The symbol of Kronos (Saturn) appears on every BOC album. According to Albert Bouchard, the symbol was used by Bill Gawlik in his "City of the Future" project (his Masters thesis in architecture at Stony Brook University). Sandy Pearlman liked the symbol, and hired Bill Gawlik to do the covers for BOC's first two albums. Sandy had Bill put the symbol on the covers, and it became the band's logo. According to Eric Bloom, Gawlik is also responsible for the name "Tyranny And Mutation" for BOC's second album. The symbol is also very similar to the ancient Greek symbol for "chaos". While it is visible on most albums, it can be hard to spot on a few (most notably "Spectres" and "Cultosaurus Erectus"). The following lists the location of the BOC symbol on each album: *Blue Oyster Cult* -- Album center, on the horizon. *Tyranny And Mutation* -- Album center, over the tower. *Secret Treaties* -- On the tailfin of the plane (which is an ME 262), and also Eric's shirt. *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* -- On the flag on the limo. *Agents Of Fortune* -- On one of the stones in the doorway. *Spectres* -- In the crystal ball on the floor in the lower left corner. Note: This is difficult to see on the cassette, and the CD cover is cropped so that only part of the crystal ball can be seen. *Some Enchanted Evening* -- On the horse's bridle. *Mirrors* -- Bottom center of album. *Cultosaurus Erectus* -- Slightly tilted, on the side of the spaceship. Note: Unless you have the LP cover, you probably can't see this. Perhaps it is visible with a magnifying glass on the CD, but on the cassette, even the spaceship itself can barely be made out. The symbol is easily visible on the LP, though. Also, the symbol was not included on the spaceship on some European releases of this album, including the 1999 "Rewind" re-master. *Fire Of Unknown Origin* -- On the robe of the cultist in front. *Extraterrestrial Live* -- On the robe of the cultist, side of the spaceship, and on the band's equipment cases. *The Revolution By Night* -- Lower right-hand corner, on the side of the highway. *Club Ninja* -- The space station is in the shape of the symbol. *Imaginos* -- Next to the word "cult", below the album title. *Career of Evil: The Metal Years* -- Album center, in flames. *On Flame With Rock And Roll* -- Album center, in flames. *Cult Classic* -- Album center, outlined by the windows, the railings, and the snake. *Workshop Of The Telescopes* -- Album center, on the box. *Revisited* (and other compilations with same cover) -- On Eric Bloom's guitar. *Heaven Forbid* -- In the eyes of man (Note: While the symbol can be easily seen, on the CD cover anyway, in the "good" eye, it is also present, in a sort of outline form, on the "bad" eye as well). On the European release which used the CD tray liner artwork on the cover, the symbol is the top of the woman's scepter. As an aside, the curved part of the symbol represents a sickle -- Greek mythology tells us that the god Kronos, was given the sickle by his mother to kill his father, the god Ouranos. Kronos sliced off his father's genitals, and threw them into the sea, which later formed the goddess Aphrodite. Kronos later became the father of the Greek gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. Also, Saturn and Lead were congruent in alchemy, so the symbol for Saturn (the Roman name for Kronos) is also the symbol for lead, which is a "heavy metal". Just to throw a few other pieces out on the table, from Chetwynd's Dictionary of Symbols: Lead, personified as Saturn: depression or unconscious content, which once raised into the light of the conscious, rational mind, becomes gold Saturn or Kronos The lowest and darkest stage of any process of transformation. The terrifying aspect of losing your youth. But at the same time this nadir of life, this mood of darkest depression, liberates what is essential from the dross and affords the chance of transformation. [...] Kronos castrates his father: He severs the point of contact between male and female in his fierce struggle to be born, to achieve individuality. [...] ... Saturn becomes the focal point of opposites, each changing into the other in the course of life.... Alchemy (Summary of tables) The Descent into the Black Yellow, leaving the sun of ordinary consciousness behind Blue, for the sky empty of sun or ego Green, for dissolution in the sea. Sinking within. The Fourfold Sequence of Alchemical Work The Black: Lead, Earth, Death of the ordinary conscious outlook The White: Quicksilver, Air, Disintegration of the corpse The Red: Sulfur, Fire, Relating conscious with unconscious parts The Gold: Gold, Water, Germinates the seed of the new Self In addition, the following terms have been used when referring to this symbol: Cross and Claw - a review of *Imaginos* in *Rolling Stone* magazine mentioned this term. Cross of Confusion - There is a book titled, "Cults That Kill", which discusses police investigations of satanic murders. In the book, the symbol is mentioned as being used by the Romans to question the existence of Christ. Editor's Note: The above is not meant to imply that BOC intended people to extract all (or any) of these meanings out of the fact that they used the symbol of Kronos. However, some of the alchemical implications do seem to fit nicely with many of their songs, and may spawn endless hours of discussion among BOC fans. In addition, the suggestion that the symbol implies that BOC is "satanic" will probably also spawn much discussion, and probably a lot of ridicule as well. Special thanks go out to Jean Lansford and Wallace McBride for providing the symbol information. Where can I get a complete set of BOC lyrics? ============================================= Bolle Gregmar has worked with the band to compile a complete "official" set of lyrics to all of the BOC songs. The lyric book is available to BOC fan club members. Bolle's address is listed elsewhere in this FAQ. Note: The band, their management, and/or their record labels hold the legal rights to BOC's song lyrics. The BOC fan club had previously received legal permission to re-produce a limited number of copies of them in the lyric book. All other sources of lyrics, unless they come directly from the band, their management, their record labels, or one of the officially produced BOC songbooks (see BOC Collectibles section in the FAQ for information on released BOC songbooks) should be considered "unofficial" (and likely to be in violation of copyright laws). You used to be able to send 50 cents to an address (believed to by Sandy Pearlman's) printed on the back of BOC albums and get a complete set of BOC lyrics. It was a bargain, despite several errors. However, they are no longer available this way. So, if you just bought your first copy of *Some Enchanted Evening*, and were hoping to get lyrics, save your 50 cents. The lyrics for all of the songs on *Extraterrestrial Live*, with the exception of "Roadhouse Blues", are listed in the liner notes. These too, have several errors. Lyrics to the songs on *Flat Out* are printed on the inner sleeve of the LP. Lyrics to BOC's album *Heaven Forbid* (with a few misprints) can be find in the album's liner notes. The lyrics for the songs on the first two albums by the Brain Surgeons are listed in their CD liner notes. Lyrics to the X Brothers album can be found at the band's website (http://w3.nai.net/~xbros/). What is a (Diz-Buster, ME-262, Stun Guitar, . . .)? =================================================== Former BOC drummer Albert Bouchard has stated that the "diz" refers to the cleft of the penis - in some Slavic languages, like in ex- Yugoslav, "dizna" means "nozzle, small outlet, etc.". Bolle Gregmar further tells us that "duster's dust" (from the song, "Seven Screaming Diz-Busters") refers to sperm. Therefore, a "Diz-Buster" refers to someone (or something) which causes one to ejaculate. Well, you wanted to know . . . The ME-262 (referred to by the BOC song of the same name) was the world's first operational turbojet-powered fighter plane (as the song says, "ME-262 Prince of turbojets"), first entering operational service for Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany on July 10th, 1944 (at Juvincourt, France). "ME" is short for Messerschmitt, the German aircraft builder Willy Messerschmitt (as the song says, "Willy's done quite a job"). Unfortunately for Nazi Germany, while the plane as a fighter proved to be superior to any of the Allied planes of its day, the plane did not end up to be a major factor in World War II. The main reasons for this are that it entered too late into the war (only about 10 months before the end of the hostilities in Europe), and there was not a good plan for the deployment of the ME-262 (they were used mostly as bombers, where their true tactical superiority were as fighters due to their speed advantage). Technical Data (as reported in "Jane's History of Aviation"): Engines - two 8.825 kN (1,984 lb st) Junkers Jumo 109-004B- 1 or 004-4 turbojets (as the song says, "Junkers Jumo 004"). Wing Span - 12.5 m (41 ft). Length - 10.61 m (34 ft, 10 in). Max Take-Off weight - 7,045 kg (15,531 lb). Take-Off run with two auxiliary rockets - 600 m (1,969 ft). Max level speed - 868 km/h (539 mph) at 7,000 m (22,975 ft). Range - 1,050 km (652 miles). Eric Bloom is listed on the first 4 BOC albums as playing "stun guitar". There has been much discussion on BOC-L as to exactly what a stun guitar is. Some have heard that it refers to a guitar that was wired for a constant "fuzztone" sound. Other people have suggested that it may be an inside joke with the band, referring to either Eric wanting his guitar turned up loud (according to Albert Bouchard, there used to be some arguments among the band members about how loud Eric's guitar should be during BOC's concerts), or possibly that he did not play much guitar on the albums (again, according to Albert Bouchard, Eric did play some guitar on most of the albums, although Buck did most of the guitar work). Others have jokingly said it refers to Eric's guitar-playing skills (Editor's note: Eric may not be Buck Dharma when it comes to playing guitar, but Eric can play. However, he was originally brought into the band as a singer, not as a guitar player). According to Albert Bouchard, the true meaning of "stun guitar" is as follows: "He played fuzz parts on 'She's As Beautiful As A Foot' and other songs on the first BOC album. They were all pretty easy so we decided to make it more mysterious by calling it Stun instead of Fuzz." According to Bolle Gregmar, however, a more accurate description of the parts that Eric played would be that they were "muted" (i.e. placing one's hand over the guitar strings to eliminate sustain of the played notes), and cites underlying guitar parts on "Stairway To The Stars" and "O.D.'d On Life Itself" as some of the better examples of Eric's stun guitar work. Of course, it is only appropriate to hear Eric's logic in this matter. In an interview in 1975 with *Circus Raves* magazine, Eric states "Originally, I got 'stun guitar' from Star Trek, I was a very big Treky...if you recall the line 'set your phasers on stun', that's where I got 'stun guitar' from. I was really into the Star Trek technology." According to Albert Bouchard, there is a somewhat interesting story regarding Eric Bloom playing guitar with the band. After the band's first performance with Bloom as lead vocalist (at the Fillmore East in New York City), it was decided that he should have a guitar. For their next performance (at The Electric Circus in New York City), Bloom had a guitar, however it was not plugged in at the time. Elektra executives were at the performance, and later remarked that they felt that Bloom's rhythm guitar added greatly to the band's sound. The insert enclosed with the radio promo copies of BOC's first LP provides some insight into the term, "Bungo Pony": "I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" is a colorful tale set in New York during the late fifties. The location is Columbia University where the apathy setting in on campus results in a dreadful scandal. The diseases picked up from animals caught cruising the dormitories are still showing scars. Conry's bar (mentioned in "Before The Kiss, A Redcap") is a real place, and BOC has played there. According to Al Bouchard, there were two, Conry's East and Conry's West, both on Hempstead Turnpike. BOC was the house band at Conry's West for several months in 1969-70. They played Conry's East on New Year's Eve 1970/71 (playing an Auld Lang Syne / In A Gadda Davida medley at midnight). Alas, the two bars have both been gone for over 20 years now. "Redcap" (mentioned in "Before The Kiss, A Redcap") refers to a barbiturate. According to Buck Dharma, Sandy Pearlman witnessed a woman and a man exchange the pill through a kiss when the band was playing at Conry's bar. The line "their tongues extend, and then retract" refers to the act of exchanging the pill through their kiss. According to Sandy Pearlman (from a 1974 interview in *Creem* magazine), the incident in question occurred at Conry's bar, but that it was a man who approached Sandy with the "red" on his tongue offering the "kiss". The line "the gin glows in the dark" also came from an incident at Conry's bar. According to Sandy, there was a fight, and a guy who was drinking a gin and tonic threw his glass down on Sandy's table, and the gin was glowing in the dark. Who is (Suzy, Celine, Debbie Denise, Sir Rastus Bear, . . .)? ============================================================= "Suzy" is referred to in at least 4 BOC songs ("Before The Kiss, A Redcap", "Dominance and Submission", "Astronomy", and "The Marshall Plan"). Suzy originally referred to one of Sandy Pearlman's many girlfriends, but later just came to refer to "some mean bitch" (poor Sandy). An interesting aside is that BOC's *Imaginos* was actually released on SUZY Records in Yugoslavia (the only BOC album issued in that country), as this was the record company that had exclusive rights for CBS Records in Yugoslavia. "Celine" (as referred to in the song, "Searchin' for Celine") is Louis Ferdinand Celine, a French writer from around the turn of the century. As such, "Searchin" was originally written as searching for a "he" instead of a "she". Celine suffered from narcolepsy, which is an affliction which causes one to fall asleep at any time without warning - this may be why the song contains the line "I know why she's sleeping, I know why she's tired." The following is from the America On-line Encyclopedia on CIS: Celine, Louis Ferdinand {say-leen'} Louis Celine, originally named Louis Ferdinand Destouches, b. May 27, 1894, d. July 1, 1961, was a French writer and doctor whose novels Journey to the End of the Night (1932; Eng. trans., 1943) and Death on the Installment Plan (1936; Eng. trans., 1938) are innovative, chaotic, and antiheroic visions of human suffering. Pessimism pervades Celine's fiction as his characters sense failure, anxiety, nihilism, and inertia. Celine was unable to communicate with others, and during his life sank more deeply into a hate-filled world of madness and rage. A progressive disintegration of personality is visible in the stylistic incoherence of Guignol's Band (1944; Eng. trans., 1954), Castle to Castle (1957; Eng. trans., 1968), and North (1960; Eng. trans., 1972). His novels are verbal frescoes peopled with horrendous giants, paraplegics, and gnomes, and are filled with scenes of dismemberment and murder. Accused of collaboration, Celine fled (1944) France to live in Germany at Sigmaringen and then moved (1945) to Denmark. Condemned by default (1950) in France to one year of imprisonment and declared a national disgrace, Celine returned to France after his pardon in 1951. "Debbie Denise" (referred to in the song of the same name) was originally one of Patti Smith's poetic flirtations with lesbianism -- the words were about a woman as told by a woman (the line "I was out rolling with my band" originally read "I was out rolling with my man"). Was there a Debbie Denise? It doesn't appear that there was. However, somewhere in the mid to late 1970's, two young, blond, attractive twins named "Debbie" and "Denise" turned up in L.A., and apparently became well acquainted with members of the band's touring personnel. According to Bolle Gregmar, "Sir Rastus Bear" (as referred to in the song, "Redeemed") was the dog of Henry Farcas (who wrote the lyrics to the song). Where can I get BOC live recordings? ==================================== As far as "live recordings" go, one must distinguish between a "live tape" and "bootleg" (often referred to as "Import", "Live Recording" or "Euro-CD"). A "live tape" is a tape of a live performance - perhaps obtained by taping a radio broadcast, or a live show. Sometimes the tape may come from the soundboard of the band's sound engineers. These live tapes are usually traded amongst fans, or kept as personal copies, and are not distributed on a for-profit basis. "Bootlegs", on the other hand, are mass-produced copies of a band's material (usually a live concert, but sometimes studio outtakes) which are sold for profit by individuals or organizations most likely not even closely related or affiliated with the said artist. With the advent of more powerful desktop publishing capabilities and the ability to record CDs (known as CD-Rs), more "bootleg" CDs may actually be CD-Rs produced on desktop computers. The *Dharma For Buck* release is a good example. Different people in the music world have different opinions of live recordings. Some argue that they hurt album sales, and take money away from the artist. Others argue that fans interested in live recordings (which are usually of lower quality than official releases) most likely already have bought most of the artist's official releases anyway, and in fact these recordings may even help to promote the artist. The prevailing attitude among most bands is that they have no problems with fans trading live tapes, but are against bootlegs (which may be illegal, depending on what country you live in). There has been a fair number of BOC shows that have been taped over the years, in one way or another. Many BOC fans have tapes of various shows, and the best way to obtain them is by trading with other BOC fans. To find other BOC fans to trade with, you could consult a BOC discussion group or the BOC Fan Club (see elsewhere in this FAQ for information) or appropriate internet newsgroups, check out the ads in magazines such as *Goldmine* or *Discoveries* (see below for more information), or meet some new friends at the next BOC concert. There are some dealers which may carry "Imports", "Live Recordings", and "Euro-CD's", although most of these are either small record stores, or mail-order dealers. Sometimes dealers can be found at flea-markets and record shows, and others can be found by searching the Internet. Mail-order dealers can be tricky to deal with as some have been known to be unscrupulous, fly-by-night operations that have inconsistent records of service and have no qualms about lying to customers or otherwise ripping them off. In addition, these recordings can often take months to arrive, so you want to be careful about how you are paying for your purchases. People who have dealt with mail-order dealers recommend that you never make a large initial order from a dealer that you have never dealt with before. People with internet access might want to ask people on appropriate newsgroups for information on the reliability of a particular dealer. Another way to find people selling or trading live recordings, videos, and other collectibles is to look in *Goldmine* or *Discoveries*, two magazines for record and CD collectors. These magazines run numerous ads from individuals and dealers looking to buy, sell, or trade records, CDs, tapes, and other memorabilia. *Goldmine*, which is published bi-weekly is the more extensive (and expensive) of the two. *Discoveries* is published monthly. Some of the BOC items that have been advertised recently include vinyl singles, *Flat Out* on CD, and a Quadraphonic pressing of *Secret Treaties*. If you can't find these magazines in your local bookstore or newsstand, here is some subscription information (Editor's Note: I have no affiliation with either *Goldmine* or *Discoveries*): GOLDMINE Special Services Subscription Department 700 E. State St. Iola, WI 54990-0001 U.S.A. Master Card & Visa orders: (800) 258-0929 DISCOVERIES Antique Trader Publications, Inc. 100 Bryant St. Dubuque, Iowa 52003 Master Card & Visa orders: (800) 334-7165 Where can I find Rossignol's book, 'The Origins of a World War'? ================================================================ You can't. The book mentioned in the liner notes of the *Secret Treaties* album does not exist. As an interesting aside, however, the following listing appears in the Library of Congress catalogue: Hubert, Joseph, 1874- Rossignol: le combat du 22 aout 1914.--Le martyre de habitants.--Les annees d'occupation.--A la memoire des fusilles. --Annexes ... [translation by Andy Gilham and Alexandre Garcia: Rossignol - the battle of the 22nd August, 1914 - the martyrdom of the people - the years of occupation - to the memory of the executed -- appendices...] Tamines, Imprimerie Duculot-roulin [1938] 212 p., 1 l. incl. front., illus. (incl. ports., plan) maps (1 fold.) 20 cm. [pub.Tamines, Duculot-roulin Printers, etc, etc] LC CALL NUMBER: D542.R6 H8 1938 SUBJECTS: European war, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Belgium. European war, 1914-1918--Atrocities. Rossignol, Belgium. ADDED ENTRIES: Neujean, Joseph, 1880-1931, joint author. Les drames de l'invasion allemande dans le Luxembourg belge. [The tragedy of the German invasion of Belgian Luxembourg.] GEOG. AREA CODE: e-be--- LCCN: 40-10573 Rossignol, as referred to by this entry, is actually the name of a place - there does in fact exist a small town called Rossignol, in the Belgian province of Luxembourg (not to be confused with the country of the same name). Another interesting aside: In 1901, a French weapons inspector named Rossignol invented an automatic rifle mechanism which became the basis of several self-loading weapon designs. This system is known as "direct gas impingement" or "pistonless gas". It is used today in the M16 series of rifles. It has only been recently that Rossignol was recognized for his invention, presumably due to French obsession with secrecy. What do the Japanese words in "Godzilla" mean? ============================================== The romanized Japanese is: Rinji news o moshiagemasu! Rinji news o moshiagemasu! Gojira ga Ginza hoomen e mukatte imasu! Daishikyu hinan shite kudasai! Daishikyu hinan shite kudasai! The translation is: Attention, emergency news! Attention, emergency news! Godzilla is going toward the Ginza area! Immediately escape/catch up/find shelter please! Immediately escape/catch up/find shelter please! Are there other BOC recordings, and how can I hear them? ======================================================== Unique Singles -------------- There have been a number of BOC singles released. In addition, a few BOC songs (most notably, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Godzilla", and "Burnin' For You") have appeared on compilation albums of various artists. Most of these songs, along with the "b-sides" of the singles, are as they appeared on the BOC album on which they were released. There are, however, some notable exceptions: "Godzilla" (from *Spectres*) -- A 12" single (Columbia 3-10725, 1977 promo) of this song was produced with the studio version on one side, and a live version (that is not the version found on either *Some Enchanted Evening* or *Extraterrestrial Live*) on the other side - the song is most easily identified by Eric's introduction - "It's not Raymond Burr, it's Godzilla!" "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" (from *Some Enchanted Evening*) -- A "b-side" of this single contains a live version of "Stairway To The Stars" that was recorded at Commack New York on 6/8/75. "Born To Be Wild" -- A compilation album of various artists titled, *Guitar Wars*, released in 1982, contains a live version of this song that was recorded at Poughkeepsie New York on 2/11/80. "Burnin' For You" (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*) -- The "b-side" of a 12" single (U.K. Release) of this song contains live versions of "Dr. Music" (recorded at Nassau Coliseum, NY, 10/17/80) and "Flaming Telepaths" (recorded at Bonds International Casino, NY, 6/16/81) - neither of these live versions are found on other domestic BOC albums. However, this version of "Dr. Music" can be found on the *Black And Blue* video, and this version of "Flaming Telepaths" can be found on the *The Thing!* recording. This live version of "Dr. Music" also appears on the 1983 U.K. 4-song release of "Take Me Away" with "Burnin' For You" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". "White Flags", "Make Rock Not War" (from *Club Ninja*) -- The U.K. single release with these two songs is presumably from the first (U.K.) mix of *Club Ninja*, and has the non-fadeout version of "White Flags", and also a longer version of "Make Rock Not War". These songs were released on 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl (the 12" vinyl also includes "Shooting Shark" from *The Revolution By Night*). "Astronomy" (from *Imaginos*) -- There are 4 versions of this song on a promo CD single, two long and two short versions of the song (the long version appears on *Imaginos*). Two of the versions (one long, one short) have a spoken intro by horror author Stephen King. The spoken intro is from the Imaginos liner notes: "Imaginos (performed by Blue Oyster Cult) - A bedtime story for the children of the damned. From a dream world, paralleling our earth in time and space, the invisible ones have sent an agent who will dream the dream of history. With limitless power he becomes the greatest actor of the 19th century. Taking on many ingenious disguises, he places himself at pivotal junctures in history, continually altering its course and testing our ability to respond to the challenge of evil. His name is 'Imaginos'". There's also a U.K. 12" single of "Astronomy" known as "Wild Mix", which is a re-mixed dance-oriented version of "Astronomy" and also has more of Albert's original vocal for the track. The single has 2 versions - with and without the Stephen King introduction. "In The Presence Of Another World" (from *Imaginos*) -- There are 2 versions of this song on a promo CD single. The first version is the album version. The second version is an edited version which ends by fading out during the "Your master" coda section, without the added spoken vocals. "Guitar's Practicing Musicians" ------------------------------- *Guitar* magazine put out a series of compilation albums called "Guitar's Practicing Musicians". These albums contain various jam sessions, re-worked songs, or musical experiments by various guitarists. "Gamera Is Missing" -- This song appears on Volume I of the series (released in 1989). The liner notes for the song are as follows: GAMERA IS MISSING / Buck Dharma (3:21) Buck Dharma : All instruments except drums Ron Riddle : Drums Equipment: Steinberger GM5, recorded direct through Chandler Tube Driver and Groove Tubes Preamp. Composed by Buck Dharma (c) 1989 Triceratops Music Inc. (ASCAP) Produced & recorded by Buck Dharma at his home studio, on an Akai 1214. Mixed by Buck Dharma at Masterview Soundcrafts, with Peter Kirk Hopper engineer. All computer editing and post production by Buck Dharma. Buck Dharma, a master of melodic rock phrasing, has been at the lead guitar helm of Blue Oyster Cult throughout its whole 14 album career. His "Gamera Is Missing" shows off all the fire and finesse that defined the blues based players who grew up feeding on the influence of early Clapton, Hendrix and Beck. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" -- This song appears on Volume III of the series (released in 1994). The liner notes for the song are as follows: Buck Dharma DON'T FEAR THE REAPER (Donald Roeser) SONY Music Inc. / BMI Buck Dharma: Guitars and Vocals Chuck Burgi: Drums Produced By Buck Dharma. Drums recorded by Bob Acquaviva at Acqrock Studios. All guitars and vocals recorded by Will Russell at Electric Wilburland. Mixed by Jeff Kawalek at Saul'Zattic. EQUIPMENT: Steinberger GM-7 guitars with LaBella Strings, Musicman Stingray Bass, Mesa Boogie Mark IV amp, Marshall 4X10 cab, Martin acoustic. "I played a similar version of the 'Reaper' live in a pop/rock trio called The Red and The Black that existed in 1990. John Stix suggested that I do that version for this disc, so I recorded Chuck Burgi's drums against a scratch electric guitar. We played a tempo map in Vision synched to a time code on tape. The last half of the tune was recorded first. Then the Martin acoustic and 'unplugged' vocals of the first half were recorded. The background vocals were sung to a rough mix on a separate piece of tape, then mixed to stereo and sampled into my Ensoniq ASR-10, which was then sequenced to the master 16trk tape." (quote by Buck Dharma) BOC on Other Recordings ----------------------- Most of the following information was provided by Melne Murphy of the BOC Fan Club, which appeared in an article in the fan club's newsletter, "Morning Final". Additional information was provided by Bolle Gregmar and Albert Bouchard. Buck played lead guitar on three songs ("Evil", "Drivin' Me Mad", and "Rock And Roll") on the Kasim Sulton (former bassist for Utopia, and keyboardist for Meatloaf) album, *Kasim* in 1982. He played lead guitar for the Blotto song (and video), "Metalhead" (released in 1982 on the *Combo Akimbo* album). Buck can also be found on one of "The Source" radio show albums jamming with the Pat Travers Band to Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" (in addition, Buck introduced Pat Travers at that show). Buck may also have been credited as playing on a live album by Shakin' Street. Finally, Buck contributed vocals to an acoustic medley of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin' For You", which appears on the album, *All-Time Greatest Hips* by the band Too Hip For The Room; and Buck, Eric, and Danny Miranda contributed to Too Hip For The Room's BOC tribute album, *Don't Fear The Remake* (see elsewhere in the FAQ for more information on this release). Eric sang as a backing vocalist on 2 songs ("Just Another Night" and "Ships") on Ian Hunter's 1979 album, *You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic*. Eric was also briefly involved in 1984 with Ritchie Cannata in the B.C. project -- they recorded a few demos, including "Eyes of Fire" with some of Cannata's musicians doing the session work. In 1986, both Eric (vocal) and Buck (guitar) appeared on the song "Stars" for the Hear 'n Aid project -- the project, organized by Ronnie James Dio, was a heavy-metal version of previous projects (most notably, the "We Are The World" and "Live Aid" projects) to raise money for world famine relief projects. Allen wrote several songs with Jim Carroll (who also co-wrote "Perfect Water" on *Club Ninja*). One of them, "Day and Night", appears on Carroll's first album, *Catholic Boy*. Allen plays keyboards on this track, as well as on the song "I Want The Angel". Another Lanier/Carroll collaboration, "Dance the Night Away" (originally intended for *Agents Of Fortune*, but was rejected), appears on Carroll's, *I Write Your Name*. Allen is also featured on keyboards throughout on Carroll's *Dry Dreams* album. Allen's contributions on guitar and/or keyboards can also be found on some of Patti Smith's albums (including her *Easter* album on the track "Space Monkey"; and her 1975 *Horses* album on the tracks "Kimberly" and "Elegie", which Allen also co-wrote), on John Cale's album, *Music For a New Society*, and on Amy Kanter's 1982 release, *Other Girl*. Allen was used often by Sandy Pearlman as a studio musician in the 1970's, playing on albums by the Dictators, Shakin' Street, Pavlov's Dog, and The Clash -- not all of these appearances are credited, or are credited to the name "Allen Glover". In addition, Jim Carroll has a spoken-word performance ("Nightclubbing") on a Sony Compilation album titled *Home Alive*, in which Allen provides guitar accompaniment. After leaving BOC, Joe Bouchard joined ex-Alice Cooper members Neil Smith (drums, who has a co-writing credit on BOC's "Shadow Of California") and Dennis Dunaway (bass, who worked with Buck Dharma on *Flat Out*), along with Jay Johnson (guitar) and Charlie Huhn (vocals) in the band known as "Deadringer". Joe plays keyboards, sings back-up, and co-wrote four songs ("Everybody Rock", "Love Is A Killer", "Double Talk", and "Secret Eyes") on the band's album, *Electrocution Of The Heart*, which was released on the Grudge record label (the track "Secret Eyes" was also released as a promo only CD single; the track "Double Talk" was originally written for the 1984 film, *Teachers*, but never used). Also on that album is a tune written by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost ("When You're In, You're In", which later appeared with different music as "Operation Luv" on the Brain Surgeons album, *Box Of Hammers*), and a tune written by Buck Dharma titled "Summa Cum Loud" (originally titled "Summa Cum Laude", it was written for the 1984 film, *Teachers*, but not used). Joe has also produced albums for Helen Wheels, and the Long Island band Empyre. Albert Bouchard performed on Tom Paxon's 1968 album, *The Things I Notice Now* (he played on the track, "Bishop Cody's Last Request"), and has produced (and in some cases performed on) albums, singles, or demos for David Roter (*Bambo* and *Beauty Of The Island*, both on David's label, Unknown Tongue), Heads Up, Helen Wheels, Maria Excommunikata, Kablamachunk, Women In Love, and Faith. Albert's song "Adopt Me" (co- written with Roter and Richard Meltzer, and demoed by Albert for *Cultosaurus Erectus*) appeared on David Roter's 1987 *Bambo* album (along with versions of "Joan Crawford" and "Unknown Tongue" - also of note is that former BOC keyboardist Tommy Zvoncheck played keyboards on Roter's version of "Joan Crawford"). Also on that album is a David Roter/Jack Rigg song called "Il Duce", which was recorded by BOC (for the *Cultosaurus Erectus* album, but it wasn't used) with Buck singing the lead vocal. For Roter's *Bambo* album, this recording was used, although Buck's lead vocal was replaced by Roter, and a keyboard part was added. It is also interesting to note that on this album, Albert is credited as "S.W. Underbelly". Roter's *Beauty Of The Island* album features a Roter/Bouchard composition, "666 (The Devil Got Your Mother)", which would later appear on The Brain Surgeons' *Eponymous*. Joe also plays keyboards on a track called "I Shot Dr. Krugman" (a possible reference to BOC record producer Murray Krugman). Albert is featured on former Plasmatic Ritchie Stotts' single "Man With The X-Ray Eyes" and "1944" (recorded in 1987, released in 1992). Albert, along with Deborah Frost, produced The Brain Surgeons' albums. In addition, Albert plays a guitar part, drums, and sings lead vocals, and Joe Bouchard plays acoustic piano, on a cover of BOC's "Dominance And Submission", for Mike Watt's (former bass player for punk bands The Minutemen and fIREHOSE) first solo album -- note that although the song did not make it onto Watt's *Ball-Hog or Tug Boat* CD, it was released as an additional track by Sony on two Mike Watt CD singles from that album (on the "E-Ticket Ride" single in the U.S., and on the "Piss Bottle Man" single in Europe). Albert also sings background vocals on Gumball's cover of BOC's "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" (which can be found on Gumball's *Revolution On Ice* album), plays drums on some of David Roter's 1996 album, *Find Something Beautiful* (which contains a song Albert co-wrote with David Roter called "Run M.F. Run") and on Brain Surgeons guitarist Peter Bohovesky's self-titled CD release. The Brain Surgeons (Albert and Deborah, with Joe Bouchard as well) have a song on the Minutemen tribute album, *Our Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute To D. Boon And The Minutemen* -- the song, "Tour Spiel", is significant in that it was originally written by the Minutemen to pay tribute to BOC (see the section on references to BOC). Helen Wheels debut CD, *Archetype* (released in 1998, it contains both new and previously released tracks), was produced by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost, and contains numerous contributions from the Bouchards: both Albert and Joe Bouchard (plus additional members of the Brain Surgeons and The X Brothers) play on Helen's rendition of "Tattoo Vampire" (a song which she originally wrote the lyrics for). Albert plays on some of the tracks ("Get Out Of Town", "Carry My Own Weight", Self-Defense"), and also co-wrote some of them ("Get Out Of Town", "Carry My Own Weight", "Self-Defense", "Helen Of Troy"). Joe Bouchard produced the original recording of some of the tracks ("Break The Chains", "Survival", "Tumblin Down", "Brotherhood Of Outlaws", "Loud Crowd", "Double Toungue"), and Albert produced the original recording of one of the tracks ("Carry My Own Weight"). Finally, the Brain Surgeons as a band play on the track, "Niagra Falls"). Les Braunstein (original Soft White Underbelly vocalist) has an appearance on vinyl, and now also on CD. Buck (guitar), Albert (drums) and John Trivers (bass) helped him record three songs in 1973. Les eventually unearthed the demo, added a violinist to the song, "Dead House" (the other two were "Whippoorwill" and "Ticket To Negumbo"), re- worked the vocals and changed the title to "Dark Angel", which was released as a single in 1979 on the Mega Toons label. Les is currently getting ready to release a CD entitled "Fool's Gold". It includes guest appearances by Buck Dharma (on "Scratch Around", "Dark Angel", and "Departure Point"), Albert Bouchard ("Slow Time", "Dark Angel", and "Departure Point"), as well as former Soft White Underbelly bandmates Peter Haviland and John Trivers. BOC's bassist Danny Miranda has appeared on several recordings. He ghosted on "Realized Fantasies" by TNT, and is on several Japan-only releases, including "Morning Wood", "The Mojo Brothers", and "A Place Called Rage." He also appears on two instrumental albums by Ralph Valducci. BOC's drummer Bobby Rondinelli appears on a CD with his brother Teddy, in a band called Rondinelli. He is also found playing on the Rainbow album, *Difficult to Cure*. Soft White Underbelly, Oaxaca, and Stalk-Forrest Group ------------------------------------------------------ In January of 1969, the band that would become BOC, the Soft White Underbelly, made a recording for Elektra Records. Les Braunstein was the lead vocalist at that time, and Andrew Winters was the bass player. The track list from the sessions is as follows (note: in addition to the songs listed, the band recorded demos of "Queen's Boulevard", "Bonomo's Turkish Taffy", and "Arthur Comics" in November of 1968): Rationale Passionale (L. Braunstein) Fantassy Morass* (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier) Mothra (S. Pearlman, A. Lanier, A. Bouchard) Jay Jay (L. Braunstein) Queen's Boulevard** (S. Pearlman, A. Lanier, A. Bouchard) Buddha's Knee (S. Pearlman, A. Bouchard, D. Roeser) Bark In The Sun (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) * Note 1: The vocals for this track were not recorded. ** Note 2: The first appearance of "Suzy" and "Diz". According to Bolle Gregmar, 10 tracks in total were recorded in January of 1969, although only the above 7 songs were believed to be planned for the album. According to Les Braunstein, on the track "Rationale Passionale", Sandy Pearlman played harmonica and Eric Bloom (then the band's equipment manager) played tambourine. After "Soft White Underbelly", the band's name changed to "Stalk- Forrest Group", and they made another recording in February of 1970 for Elektra Records. The line-up was Prince Omega (Albert Bouchard), Buck Dharma (Donald Roeser), Jessie Python (Eric Bloom), La Vern (Allen Lanier), and Andy Winters (Andrew Winters). Sandy Pearlman supposedly came up with the nicknames for all the band members, however only Donald Roeser continued later to use his nickname "Buck Dharma". The EP, titled "St. Cecilia" (a press kit from the *Mirrors* album lists this album title as "The California Album", which, like *Mirrors* was recorded in California), had the following tracks: Bonomo's Turkish Taffy (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) Arthur Comics (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) Gil Blanco County (S. Pearlman, A. Lanier) What Is Quicksand? (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier) Ragamuffin Dumplin' (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) St. Cecilia (S. Pearlman, A. Winters) According to Albert Bouchard and Andrew Winters, Allen Lanier played bass on the track, "St. Cecilia". Andrew Winters also indicates that he played acoustic guitar on the track. Also according to Andrew Winters, the original lyrics to "St. Cecilia" were written by John Wiesenthal's sister Tina, in a poem entitled "Blue" (according to Albert Bouchard and Bolle Gregmar, the title was "Green"). Andrew's music was used, but lyrics by Sandy Pearlman were used instead of Wiesenthal's. While the "Stalk-Forrest Group" album was never released, about 200 copies of "What Is Quicksand?" and "Arthur Comics" were pressed as a single on Elektra (EKM-45693), and later appeared on Elektra's "Nuggets" compilation. "Arthur Comics" was included on Elektra's 1986 vinyl boxed set *Elektrock*, and mentioned the band in the set's liner notes. In addition, "Arthur Comics" was part of the set played on 9/8/80 at the Old Waldorf Theatre in San Francisco, California as part of a radio broadcast. From the summer of 1970 to the summer of 1971, the band recorded a few demos in the hopes of securing a record deal. By this time, Joe Bouchard had replaced Andrew Winters on bass, and the "original lineup" of BOC was in place. At least one of these demos was referred to as "The Oaxaca Tapes", but there appears to be confusion on the part of those involved as to which demos were recorded at what times. During this time period, recordings of the following songs were made: A Fact About Sneakers (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) Betty Lou Got A New Pair Of Shoes (Bobby Freeman cover song) John L. Sullivan (R. Meltzer, A. Lanier) Donovan's Monkey (R. Meltzer, A. Bouchard) I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep (early version) Versions of "A Fact About Sneakers", "Donovan's Monkey", and "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep", along with the 7 songs scheduled to be on the Stalk-Forrest Group "St. Cecilia" album were released in 1998 on a European bootleg vinyl pressing (believed to be about 500 copies) entitled *St. Cecilia* by "Stalk-Forrest Group". In addition, the 7 songs scheduled to be on the "St. Cecilia" album were released with other live BOC tracks on the bootleg CD entitled *Dharma For Buck*. "Wings Of Mercury" ------------------ BOC performed the song, "Wings of Mercury", live on occasion during the 1985/1986 timeframe. The song appears on the *Into The Crypts Of Rays* recording, as well as some live tapes from that time period. This song, as previously mentioned, was actually written by Karl Precoda of Dream Syndicate. While Dream Syndicate didn't want to use it, Sandy Pearlman, who was producing one of their albums at the time, liked it, so BOC performed the song live. However, the band decided it was not right for the *Club Ninja* album. The Red And The Black, and The Buck Dharma Band ----------------------------------------------- Buck Dharma, Jon Rogers, and Ron Riddle briefly formed another band, "The Red and The Black" (also known as RonDonJon, or Roeser, Riddle, and Rogers), as a side-project to BOC. They played a number of gigs around NY in 1990 and maybe a little into '91. The music has been described as "heavy pop caught with one hand in the progressive cookie jar", having more in common with the harder parts of *Flat Out* than with BOC. The lead vocals were shared by the three of them, except that Buck sang all of the BOC tunes (editor's note: it's interesting to hear Buck sing "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"). A few demos were recorded by the band, including a seven song demo that was reviewed in "Morning Final" (BOC Fan Club Newsletter). The following songs were among those performed by the band and may exist on a few live tapes: What About Love? + (Rodgers, Roeser, Riddle) People In Love In America + (Rodgers) Speed Of Light + (Rodgers, Roeser, Riddle) Maiden Name + (Rodgers, Roeser, Riddle) Caroline * + (Roeser) Skin Tight + (Roeser, Rodgers) Harvest Moon * + (Roeser) Expressway To Your Heart * + (Sole Survivors cover song) Savage Garden + (Roeser, Rodgers) I Can't Get Next To You (Temptations cover song) Andrea * River Of Dreams * Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll Redline * Perfect Water * Dawn Of The Living Dead (Roeser, Abbott) On A Nite Flight Godzilla (featuring a "rap" section) Buck's Boogie The Red And The Black (Don't Fear) The Reaper * Recorded on a seven song demo by The Red And The Black + Recorded on a nine song demo by The Red And The Black As mentioned later in the FAQ, Buck Dharma, Danny Miranda, John Miceli, and Sandy Roeser participated in "The Buck Dharma Band", and played a benefit concert on 4/11/95 in Atlanta GA. Some of this material can be seen on a documentary video, and some will be available on CD in the future (see the Ricky Browning Benefit Concert section of the FAQ for more information). The entire setlist from this performance is as follows: Blackbird (Beatles cover, Buck solo and acoustic guitar) In My Life (Beatles cover, Buck solo and acoustic guitar) Astronomy (Secret Treaties version) Live For Me Deadline * Burnin' For You * Before the Kiss, A Redcap * Shooting Shark * Buck's Boogie * Real World Wind Weather And Storm * In Thee * Born To Rock * Five Thirty-Five * (Don't Fear) The Reaper * Godzilla (featuring Ricky Browning's assistance on drums) * I Fought The Law (Bobby Fuller Four cover) Harvest Moon (candidate for next BOC album) * Available on video -- see the Ricky Browning Benefit Concert section of the FAQ for more information Live Radio Broadcasts --------------------- Many BOC shows (over 25) were broadcast on the radio. Many BOC fans that trade live tapes have copies of these shows. At least 15 of these shows were pressed to vinyl, CD, or reel-to-reel tape by syndicated radio shows (such as the King Biscuit Flower Hour) for distribution to radio stations. While they are fairly rare, copies of these are occasionally sold by magazines such as *Goldmine*. Some of these recordings were later pressed to CD by "import" CD manufacturers - recordings such as *The Thing!*, *Nail You Down*, and *Into The Crypts Of Rays* are examples. Below is a listing of known radio shows that have been pressed to vinyl, CD, or reel-to-reel tape: King Bisquit Flower Hour (D.I.R. Broadcasting) 1975 Show #06-08 BOC/Black Oak Arkansas - Commack L.I., NY (Reel To Reel) [Used for *Dharma For Buck*] 1976 Show #10-24 BOC/Tommy Bolin - Albany, NY (Reel To Reel) [Used for *Dharma For Buck*] 1978 Show #03-28 BOC (on The British Bisquit) - Detroit, MI (Reel To Reel) 1980 Show # 233 BOC - Poughkeepsie, NY / The Babys - Cleveland, OH (2-LP-Set) 1980 Show # 306 BOC/Black Sabbath - Hartford, CT (2-LP-Set) 1986 Show # 636 BOC - Santa Monica, CA (2-LP-Set) [Used for *Into The Crypts Of Rays*] Westwood One - In Concert 1981 Show #81-3 BOC - Long Island / Loverboy - Santa Monica (2-LP-Set) 1983 Show #83-7 BOC - Poughkeepsie / Vandenberg - Houston (2-LP-Set) A Night On The Road (ABC Radio Networks) 1981 Show #ANOTR-681 BOC - New York (3-LP-Set) [Used for *The Thing!* and related recordings] 1982 Show #ANOTR-282 BOC - Los Angeles (3-LP-Set) Captured Live (RKO Radio Networks) 1983 Show # CL-1083 BOC - Pasadena (Hosted & Unhosted Sets) (3-LP-Set) [Used for *Nail You Down* and *Rock And Roll Reapers*] 1984 Show # CL-1184 BOC - London (Hosted & Unhosted Sets) (2-LP-Set) The Source (NBC Radio's Young Adult Network) 1982 Show #NBC-82-4 BOC - New Haven (2-LP-Set) 1983 Show #NBC-83-1 Pat Travers* - Baltimore (2-LP-Set) *With Buck Dharma as announcer and guest guitarist on last song BBC Rock Hour (London Wavelength) 1981 SHOW #237 BOC Live In The USA (1-LP-Set) Demos ----- In addition to the songs previously mentioned, there are a number of BOC or BOC-related songs that have been written and recorded by the members of the band, but, for one reason or another, did not make it onto any of the BOC albums. Most of these songs were in demo format - some were only pieces of songs, some were 4-track recordings (usually bass, guitar, drums, and vocals), and others were nearly complete songs. There are also a number of tracks that were completely worked up by the band during the sessions, but eventually left off of the album. A few of these rare songs may appear on a live tape as a few of the songs were done by the band live a few times, but otherwise, the vast majority of these songs and snippets will never be heard by most BOC fans. Unless you personally know one of the members of the band, the only way one might hear some of this material is by making a pilgrimage to "The Museum of Cult". Bolle Gregmar, head of the BOC fan club, has copies of most of BOC's unreleased material. He may play some of it for you if you visit the museum (a.k.a. his apartment), but he is under agreement with the band not to duplicate any of the demo material (Editor's Note: He sticks to that agreement, so don't even bother asking for copies). Small descriptions of many of these tracks and demos can be found in issues of the BOC fan club's newsletter, "Morning Final". Below is an incomplete listing of known demo tracks of songs that were not used, listed by album session where known: *Blue Oyster Cult* Sessions: BOC is believed to have made 3 demos for Columbia records in 1971. The following tracks were part of the second demo. This is the demo that the band made at David Lucas' studio in the summer of 1971 - this demo led to a live audition for Columbia and the band's signing to that label: Then Came The Last Days Of May - This is the actual track that was remixed and put on the first BOC album. Siren Singalong - Precursor to "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll". Sun Comes Up - Allen Lanier track. You Make Me Feel - Believed to be an Allen Lanier track. The following songs were believed to have been recorded on either the first or third demos for Columbia: Four Door Blues ('57 Chevy) Highway Song *Tyranny And Mutation* Sessions: Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors - Meltzer/Bouchard composition that appeared on the unreleased Stalk-Forrest Group EP. It is believed that BOC tried to re-record this song for *Tyranny And Mutation*. *Secret Treaties* Sessions: Boorman the Chauffer - Joe Bouchard track, originally entitled "Gopher Chauffer", with a "ME-262" feel to it. Medames Sarat - Allen Lanier track, also referred to as "CC Voodoo" (Coca Cola Voodoo) - Sort of a backwards Red & Black. *Agents Of Fortune* Sessions: Dance The Night Away - Allen Lanier/Jim Carroll collaboration. Appears on Carroll's, *I Write Your Name*. Searchin' For Celine - Allen Lanier originally demoed this song for *Agents Of Fortune*, but it was not released until *Spectres* (with a slight re-write). Danger Water - Allen Lanier track. Lookin' For The Look - Allen Lanier track. Paint The Sky Red - Joe Bouchard track. Soul Jive - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by Patti Smith. This song was eventually released on the Brain Surgeons' *Eponymous*. Sally - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by Patti Smith. This song was eventually released on the Brain Surgeons' *Trepanation*. Hansel & Gretel - Albert Bouchard track, which was eventually released on the Brain Surgeons' *Trepanation*. Fire Of Unknown Origin - Original version, with lyrics by Patti Smith and vocals by Albert Bouchard. Imaginos - Albert's original attempt at this song. Wind, Weather, And Storm - Buck originally demoed this song for *Agents Of Forune*, but it was not released until his solo album, *Flat Out*. *Spectres* Sessions: Sky - Eric Bloom track with no vocal. Strong Stalk-Forrest Group feel to it, but heavier. Meet Me In Las Vegas - Eric Bloom track with some funny lyrics. The track consisted of Eric playing bass, drums, and singing. Seasons Of Isolation - Eric Bloom track with an eerie feel, reminiscent of "The Subhuman". Strong Stalk-Forrest Group feel to it. Please Hold - Allen Lanier track which seems to be sort of a sequel to "Lonely Teardrops" (off the *Mirrors* album). In The Presence Of Another World - Joe Bouchard's original demo, which was very different than the *Imaginos* version (with the exception of the "Your Master" section). This version was much more up-tempo, with a somewhat quirky or psychedelic sound. Beyond The Barrier - Joe Bouchard pop song with a strong 60's feel, about space travel. Will To Survive - Joe Bouchard shuffle tune, with a Helen Wheels lyric, about handling a break-up. Heavy Music/M For Murder - "Heavy Music" lyrically sounds like a sort of tribute to Deep Purple's "Highway Star". This song was re-written a few times, and during the pre-production of became "M For Murder". Night Flyer - This was originally a Joe Bouchard tune called first "Dope Rider", and then "Night Rider", about drug smuggling and dealing. Buck re-wrote the song, giving it a new lyric and a more suitable singing line for the verses. Make Me Your Man - Albert Bouchard track that was perhaps a little to poppy to be a contender for the album. Albert also demoed versions of the following songs for the *Imaginos* album at this time: "Del Rio's Song", "The Girl That Love Made Blind", "Frankenstein", and "I Am The One You Warned Me Of". A few covers were also recorded during this time -- the Ronettes' "Be My Baby", and Peter Tosh's "Steppin' Razor" (which the band refered to as "Dangerous"). *Mirrors* Sessions: TNT (Tough 'n' Tender), Prisoner Of Your Own Device - Albert Bouchard tracks, co-written by his then-wife Caryn. These songs were written around the time of *Spectres* sessions, but not tried out until the *Mirrors* sessions. TNT was played live a few times in February of 1979. Shot In The Dark - Albert Bouchard track. It was played live a few times in February of 1979. The Only Thing That Lasts Forever - Albert Bouchard track. Jungle Fever - Albert Bouchard's re-working of "Soul Jive", from the *Agents Of Fortune* sessions, with lyrics by Albert. Gun - Joe Bouchard track which the band performed live a few times in February of 1979, but was deemed not right for the album. Elle Sol (She's the Sun) - Joe Bouchard track. In The Presence Of Another World - The band had tried this song out during rehearsals for the *Some Enchanted Evening* tour, but also considered including it on *Mirrors*. Oh Cherry - Buck Dharma track. Devil's Hangnail - Buck Dharma's original submission for "The Vigil", with lyrics by Patti Smith. *Cultosaurus Erectus* Sessions: White Hot Star - Albert Bouchard's re-working of "Soul Jive"/"Jungle Fever", from the *Agents Of Fortune*/*Mirrors* sessions, with lyrics by Helen Wheels. Lover's Loan - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by Helen Wheels. This song was composed during long-distance telephone calls between the two. Lucy (Love's Lost Legend) - Albert Bouchard track with lyrics by his then-wife Caryn, set to a shuffle beat. Hell Bustin' Loose (She Fell In Love With Ritchie Blackmore's Dildo) - A rather funny tune set to a guitar lick based on Ritchie Blackmore's "The Man On The Silver Mountain". Operation Stardust, Undying Flame, Alpha And Omega - Three Albert Bouchard tracks with lyrics by Ronald Binder (who wrote the lyrics to "I Am The Storm" on the *Mirrors* album). "Alpha And Omega" was reworked by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost and released by the Brain Surgeons on their *Piece Of Work* album. I Need A Flat Top, Adopt Me - Two Albert Bouchard/Richard Meltzer collaborations. "Adopt Me" later appeared on David Roter's 1986 album, *Bambo*. "I Need A Flat Top" was reworked as "Bad Hair Day" by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost and released on the Brain Surgeons on their *Piece Of Work* album. Albert not only demoed a whole album's worth of tunes (between the songs listed above and those that were selected for the album), but also about a dozen songs for the *Imaginos* album as well. Falling Angel - Joe Bouchard's pre-cursor to "Fallen Angel", with different lyrics. Gun - Joe Bouchard re-worked this song from the *Mirrors* sessions, but it still couldn't be made to fit with the rest of the album's material. Hot Desert Sand - Joe Bouchard track which was later re-done in 1989 for the Cult Brothers, where it was re-titled "Run To The Sun", and was released on *Joe Bouchard Presents The X Brothers: Solid Citizens*. Anyway You Want It - Joe Bouchard track which sounded similar to "Gun" with a Rolling Stones feel to it. Infinity Machine - Joe Bouchard techno sounding track with a Velvet Underground feel to it. Hold Me Tight - A Buck Dharma tune with a great riff, but not a very BOC-sounding lyric. The riff to this track (often referred to as "Track X" during the sessions) was tried with different lyrics, finally becoming "Lips In The Hills" (with Richard Meltzer's lyrics). Showtime - Eric Bloom semi-reggae/ska tune. *Fire Of Unknown Origin* Sessions: Burnin' For You (acoustic version) - Buck Dharma and Albert Bouchard. Don's Heavy - Untitled Buck Dharma instrumental track. Too Young To Die - Eric Bloom track. Gun - Joe Bouchard re-worked this song yet again. Eventually re-worked by Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost, and released on the Brain Surgeons' *Box Of Hammers*. In The Presence Of Another World - Another re-working of this song by Joe Bouchard, with vocals by Eric Bloom. *Revolution By Night* Sessions: Stone Of Love - Buck Dharma track. So Supernatural - Another Joe Bouchard vampire tune. "The Teacher's Soundtrack" Demos: Summa Cum Laude - Buck Dharma track. Re-recorded as "Summa Cum Loud" by Deadringer on their *Electrocution Of The Heart* album. Double Talk - Joe Bouchard track. Re-recorded by Deadringer on their *Electrocution Of The Heart* album. I'm A Rebel - Eric Bloom track. Re-recorded with different lyrics as "Shadow Warrior" on BOC's *Club Ninja* album. *Imaginos* Sessions: Albert had recorded all of the songs on *Imaginos*, including tracks left off the album, with him singing most of the vocals. His version includes not only the songs that appeared on the album, but also the songs: "Gil Blanco County" (a new version of the Stalk-Forrest Group song), "The Girl That Love Made Blind", "Blue Oyster Cult Reprise", "Imaginos Overture", and an acapella reprise of the first verse of "Magna Of Illusion". Albert also demoed a version of the song "Half- Life Time", which was intended for the second Imaginos album. Other Known Tracks (Unsure of when they were done): Blues for Sandra - Buck Dharma instrumental with romantic overtones. Sandra refers to Sandra Roeser, Buck Dharma's wife. Track #2 - Buck Dharma heavy blues instrumental from 1980. ECPI - Buck Dharma upbeat song about a computer. Sexy Devil - Neil Smith tune with Buck Dharma on guitar and Sandra Roeser on vocals. Jump Up And Fight - Buck Dharma track demoed for the movie "Zoo Gang". Cities On Flame With Disco - Albert Bouchard's amusing parody of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" Outlaws On The Run - Heavy Eric Bloom track. Don't Come Runnin' - Eric Bloom track. "No Zilla" ---------- In 1998, Sony/TriStar released a "Godzilla" movie. Despite efforts by BOC fans, BOC's ode to the monster was not used for the film or its soundtrack. In May of 1998, Buck and Eric decided to poke fun at that decision by recording a parody of their song "Godzilla", entitled "No Zilla". To create the song, Buck and Eric used the "TV Mix" of "Godzilla" from the *Cult Classic* album (which had no lead vocals) and re-recorded new lyrics. This song was released only to radio stations. Where can I find BOC MP3s? ========================== Short Answer: You can't (at least not legally). Long Answer: First, a definition. MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) is a standard technology and format for encoding and compressing a sound sequence into a very small file (about one-tenth the size of the original file) while preserving most of the original level of sound quality when it is played. MP3 files (identified with the file name suffix of ".mp3") are available for downloading from a number of Web sites. They have become popular in the late 1990s as songs can be compressed into small files that retain near CD quality, yet take only minutes to download with standard modem connections to the internet (or seconds on faster connections such as cable modems or T1 lines). MP3s are also seen by many as a form of piracy as people encode published music into MP3 format and distribute it on the internet (sort of like making tape copies of your CDs and handing them out to your closest million or so friends). Having a song in MP3 format is legal, provided you either own the original source of the song (that is, the CD, tape, or LP from which it was encoded), or have received permission from the song's copyright holder to own it (many bands, especially smaller ones on independent labels, are distributing their music in MP3 format free of charge as a means to promote their music). However, many individuals are now searching the internet to find MP3s of copyrighted music so that they can avoid purchasing it on CD, tape, or LP. All of BOC's music is copyrighted. The only way to legally obtain BOC MP3s is to purchase BOC's albums and encode the songs into MP3 format yourself (note: this is not difficult to do on a home computer, but is beyond the scope of the BOC FAQ). As long as you own the albums, you have legal right to also own the MP3s, just as you have a right to make backup tapes of your albums. However, like backup tapes of your albums, it is illegal to distribute these copies, whether you do so for financial gain or not. Therefore, if there are any BOC MP3s on the web, they are illegal copies. How to search the internet for illegal copies of BOC's music is beyond the scope of the BOC FAQ. The short answer bears repeating: You can't (at least not legally). Are BOC Nazis? ============== Short Answer: No Slightly-Longer Answer: Eric Bloom (Sandy Pearlman too) is Jewish... Longer Answer: In the early 1970's BOC tried to create a particular image. This was reflected in many elements including the types of music they played, their album covers, the use of an umlaut in their name (used in European alphabets, including German, see later in the FAQ for more information on BOC's use of the umlaut) and how they dressed (most notably Eric Bloom wearing leather). The BOC symbol was often depicted in black on a red background (coinciding with the lyrics, "red and black - it's their color scheme", which actually referred to the Canadian mounted police), which is the same color scheme used by the Nazis for the swastika. Therefore, some saw BOC's symbol, another sort of "twisted cross", as some form of Nazi symbol. In addition, the "Hot Rails To Hell" (a title which aptly fit BOC's sinister image) single depicted a German military figure on the picture sleeve, also adding fuel to the fire for a band often referred to simply as "The Cult" (note: the band of that name would not appear on the scene until later). Of course, the real controversy came with the release of *Secret Treaties*. The following elements were all used to support the argument that BOC were Nazis: The cover itself depicts the band around a German WWII airplane, the ME- 262. The image of this airplane was also used by the band in various promotional items around this time, such as picture sleeves for singles, posters, and advertisements (some which bore the slogan "Aggression Unchallenged is Aggression Unleashed"). The song "ME 262" of course is about the airplane of the same name, and is written from the point of view of a German WWII pilot. Lyrics like "Hitler's on the phone from Berlin - says 'I'm gonna make you a star'", "There's no reward for failure but death", and "See these English planes go burn", were seen as advocating the Nazi cause (editor's comment: of course these people failed to grasp the fact that one can write about topics and points of view that one doesn't necessarily support). Many of the remaining songs on the album supported the band's sinister image: "Career Of Evil", "Subhuman", "Dominance And Submission", "Cagey Cretins", and "Harvester Of Eyes". Of course, none of these songs refer to Nazism or even German warplanes. Finally, the liner notes refer to the mysterious (and, as we now all know, non-existent book, "The Origins of a World War", which could also be interpreted as having ties with Nazis. So, there were many factors which suggested that BOC could be Nazis. For the band's part, little was done initially to downplay any image - probably under the assumption that "no press is *bad* press". While there was no admission of being Nazis there was probably little denial as well by the band, management, or record label. Sandy Pearlman had even made statements in reference to "music as Fascism". What was not well understood at the time, however, was that the concepts surrounding *Secret Treaties* were derived from Sandy Pearlman's Imaginos poems (see other sections in the FAQ for discussion on the story of Imaginos, and the references to *Secret Treaties*, and the song "ME 262"). Sandy was an avid reader of science fiction and world war history, and was trying to provoke thoughts in the minds of the listener by using all of this imagery. In addition, the use of mysticism and evil imagery was somewhat a sign of the times -- a reaction to the late 1960's which focused more on the images of peace, love, and flowers. However, this image began to backlash upon the band. The Jewish Defense League picketed their concerts, and threatened to sabotage them. Record stores in Germany refused to sell *Secret Treaties*. It's one thing for a band to create an image, even one that might be offensive to some (note: although the band really meant it all as a sort of joke), but it's quite another when the fans of the band start believing in it. Albert Bouchard describes one incident which made the band re-think their image. "After a gig in Portland, Oregon, this blond, blue eyed guy came up in full (Nazi Secret Service) uniform, saluting us. He freaked us all out." When did Buck Dharma shave off his moustache? ============================================= A lot of BOC fans from the 1970's and early 1980's that have "rediscovered" BOC in the 1990's had asked this question. Some time around 1985, Buck shaved off his trademark moustache, and was without it until 1997. In 1997, Buck was again seen with a moustache, and briefly also had a goatee. Buck was seen without a moustache again in 1999. Somewhat related: Eric Bloom has had his hair cut very short these days. For inquiring minds that want to know, he has been sporting this new hairstyle since 1994. Will the original line-up ever get back together again? ======================================================= Short Answer: No Longer Answer: While many BOC fans (especially those that saw the original line-up together) would like to see this happen, it is just not likely. By "original line-up", we mean of course, Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Joe Bouchard, and Albert Bouchard. It has now been over 10 years since that line-up performed live together, and while *Imaginos* was credited to the entire band, it was not really a "band effort" (this was discussed previously in the FAQ). The current line-up of BOC are happy with their current situation, and both Bouchard brothers are pursuing their own individual projects. How tall was the original line-up? ================================== A quote, believed to be by Eric Bloom, was printed in *Raves* magazine: "We're one of the shortest bands in rock." So, here are the heights of the original members (shortest to tallest): Buck Dharma - 5 feet, 2 inches Albert Bouchard - 5 feet, 3 inches Joe Bouchard - 5 feet, 4 inches Eric Bloom - 5 feet, 7 inches Allen Lanier - 5 feet, 8 inches 5. A Harvest of Life, A Harvest of Death -- Other Items of Interest Use of Umlauts, and the Origin of the Name, "Blue Oyster Cult" ============================================================== In the August 16, 1991 issue of Entertainment Weekly, on page 62, there's a story on band names that have umlauts in them. (Umlauts, we learn, are the two little dots over a letter, in particular over the "O" in Blue Oyster Cult.) The story credits Richard Meltzer with the "fad" of using umlauts in names, and recounts the story of how BOC was named. >From the article: "Sometimes genius strikes at the least-expected moment. In 1971, musician and songwriter Sandy Pearlman was trying to devise a new name for his band. Standing on a New York street corner with rock writer Richard Meltzer (who had been in an earlier incarnation of the group), Pearlman glanced into the window of a nearby restaurant and noticed that the menu included Blue Point oysters. "I said, 'Why don't we call it Blue Oyster Cult?'" he recalls. "And Richard said, 'And we'll add an umlaut over the o!' And I said, 'Great!'" There's another quote from Pearlman later in the story: "It was meant to bring all sorts of ambiguous implications to the name." Apparently when BOC auditioned for Columbia in 1971, they did not have a name. They had to come up with one to finalize the deal, and entrusted Pearlman to come up with it. This is presumably when Pearlman and Meltzer decided on the name "Blue Oyster Cult". It is believed that the name was already part of Pearlman's Imaginos poems, which were conceived around 1967. When Pearlman returned to the band and announced the name, the band was less than enthusiastic about it. In fact, some band members said that they hated the name. Never the less, the name stuck. There is an interesting story as to how Pearlman and Meltzer came up with the term "Blue Oyster Cult". It has been reported in several BOC articles in the past, but is believed to be untrue. The story goes that Pearlman went off with Meltzer, got stoned, and noticed a bottle of "Cully Stout Beer". Using this name, the two tried to come up with a number of anagrams using the name, one of which was "Blue Oyster Cult", and that this was how they came up with the name. What is more likely however, is that Pearlman and Meltzer tried to come up with anagrams for "Blue Oyster Cult" and came up with "Cully Stout Beer". As Bolle Gregmar notes, the term "stout beer" is not a likely label for a beer (editor's note: sort of like labeling Pepsi Cola as "Pepsi Cola Soda"). However, someone once made a fake label for this "beer" using the BOC symbol, and the label appeared in the March 1976 issue of the rock magazine *Zig Zag* (an interview with Sandy Pearlman also appears in this issue). Bolle Gregmar reports that the "dots" over letters are known as "diacritics", and that the word "umlaut" actually refers to the letter 'u' with a diacritic over it. He also reports that Allen Lanier may have originally suggested the use of the umlaut in BOC's name. Diacritics, or "diaereses" marks are used in languages to indicate that two adjacent vowels should be pronounced separately. Therefore, if one pronounces the band's name as the umlaut indicates, it should be pronounced Blue "Oh-Easter" Cult. Other bands later copied BOC's practice of using umlauts or diacritic marks in their band logos. For example, Motorhead used a diacritic over the first 'o'. Motley Crue used diacritics over both the 'o' and 'u'. Also, the heavy-metal parody band Spinal Tap put a diacritic over the 'n'. BOC in Concert ============== As previously mentioned, BOC, starting in 1976, toured with a laser show. Due to controversies surrounding the band's use of lasers, they were removed from the shows a few years later. According to Bolle Gregmar, some of the controversy was actually politically motivated by members of the Carter administration (James Carter, better known as "Jimmy" Carter, was President of the US from 1977 - 1980), who had the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) citing hypothetical (and largely overblown) dangers of BOC's use of lasers. However, the main problem with the lasers at that time was that they were very unreliable as well as fragile, and were very expensive to repair (which was required several times during the years BOC used them). Some of BOC's use of lasers, including Eric's wrist-laser, can be seen on the *Live 1976* video. In addition to wrist-lasers, Eric had a few other "hand effects" over the years. Prior to the use of lasers, Eric used to have a device that either emitted sparks or shot rockets from his hand. These effects, along with the use of the wrist-laser, were most often used at the end of "Astronomy". Eric also had a knife effect which he used to give the illusion of slashing his palm or wrist (the knife would leave a large trail of blood). This effect was usually used either during "Unknown Tongue" (during the line "And then she took her father's razor, and watched it cut into her palm"), or during the monologue portion of "Seven Screaming Diz-Busters" (where Eric would sometimes tell the story of selling his soul to the Devil to become a rock star, and he had to sign his record contract in blood). Other than lasers, BOC has used numerous lighting effects over the years to great effect. The lasers and/or spotlights were often shined on a large mirror ball. Strobes were often used during the ending portion of "Flaming Telepaths" (during the "and the joke's on you" section), as well as during portions of "ME 262". Appropriate use of colored spotlights has also be important during BOC shows, such as green lighting during "Godzilla" or red and yellow lighting during "E.T.I." (during "the king in yellow and the queen in red" lyric). Albert had a drum solo during "Buck's Boogie" in the mid 1970's. In the late 1970's until he left the band, his drum solo was during "Godzilla". All subsequent BOC drummers also had a drum solo during "Godzilla". While they were used by BOC, the drum solo also was punctuated by lasers. After Joe Bouchard left BOC, all subsequent BOC bassists had a solo in "Godzilla" prior to the drum solo. For a few years in the early 1980's (starting on the *Fire Of Unknown Origin* tour), BOC toured with a 20 foot high model of Godzilla. During the band's performance of the song with the same name, the beast's eyes would light up, his head turned from side to side, and smoke poured from his mouth. Now that BOC plays mostly smaller venues, the 20 foot high Godzilla (they also used a 40 foot high model for a few shows) tours no more. During Albert Bouchard's drum solo during "Godzilla", he wore a large Godzilla mask for part of the solo - he started doing this in 1978. After he left the band, Rick Downey continued this practice for a few shows. For a few shows in the mid 1970's, Albert would put on a gas mask during the band's performance of "ME 262". According to Albert, it was obtained from an Army/Navy store. After tiring of wearing it one night, Albert threw the gas mask into the crowd. In the early 1980's, when BOC performed "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars", Rick Downey received some "help" on percussion. Two roadies dressed as monks played on some additional tom-toms set up on either side of Rick's drums. When Albert Bouchard was still in the band, part of BOC's concert performances consisted of 5-man guitar jams (one of Eric Bloom's ideas). During the early-mid 1970's, the "Mark I" jam was performed as part of the song, "ME 262". The "Mark II" and "Mark III" jams, performed prior to "Born To Be Wild", usually started with a bass solo by Joe Bouchard (after Albert left, the band performed "Born To Be Wild" immediately after the bass solo). The "Mark II" jam, done after "This Ain't The Summer Of Love", was performed from 1976 until about 1979. The "Mark III" jam, performed in the early 1980's, was based mostly on the song, "Golden Age Of Leather". According to Albert Bouchard, BOC also worked up a 5 guitar version of "I Love The Night", but it was never played live. When BOC performed "Born To Be Wild" (regularly up until about 1984), the song was high-lighted by Eric and Buck's "Texas Chainsaw guitar duel" (also one of Eric Bloom's ideas). This consisted of Buck and Eric placing the necks of their guitars together, raking the strings of one guitar over the strings of the other. This would be repeated several times, usually to the accompaniment of strobe-lights. Also, Eric would drive his motorcycle on-stage from backstage at the beginning of the song. Obviously, this practice had to stop when BOC played at clubs. Prior to the final portion of "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll", Albert (later Eric) would shout "Rock And . . .", and the audience would respond with "Roll". This would start slowly, and build in up in speed until the line between "Rock" and "Roll" was gone. The band would kick back in, ending with Buck trilling high up on the neck of his guitar. He would then stop, spit (or pretend to) into his palms, crack his knuckles, and then individually crack the knuckles of the last 3 fingers on his left hand. He would then start the final instrumental segment of the song. While the band jammed, Eric would stand by the drums, and "help" the drummer hit a few cymbals with a few drumsticks of his own (during the *Club Ninja* tour, Eric, often clad in martial arts attire, used a nunchaku to strike the cymbals). In the early days of BOC, Eric (who often wore a cape in addition to all his leather gear) used to swing a small chain around on-stage, and strike various objects for effect. He often struck some of Albert's cymbals, which is probably how the rumors that BOC's drummer played his drums with chains got started. According to Albert Bouchard, he also used to whip the mike-stand with the chain, but at one performance when he pulled the chain back, it pulled the mike into his face and gave him a bloody nose. Understandably, the chain was dropped from the shows. At the end of a show, Buck would sometimes rip every string on his guitar, except the low E-string, and play the final chord (or, for Buck, note) of the song on the one remaining string. Eric used to play a guitar shaped like the BOC logo. According to Bolle Gregmar, he still owns one, but doesn't tour with it as the risk of having this rare item stolen is too high. BOC has, on occasion, performed some songs with different band members switching roles. For example, at a show in Boston in 1985, Joe Bouchard sang the first verse of "Joan Crawford". Bolle Gregmar reports that they once started a show playing "Dr. Music" with Eric on drums, Albert on bass and Joe on guitar and lead vocal. In BOC's early days, they used to cover (among other songs) The Rolling Stones' "It's Not Easy". According to Eric Bloom, "The hook of the tune live was a triple drum solo with Albert, Donald, and I all playing drums at the same time." BOC was part of a rather significant event in the early history of the band, KISS. On 12/31/73, noted as their "industry live debut", KISS opened at the New York City Academy of Music for Teenage Lust, Iggy and The Stooges, and BOC. Interestingly, BOC apparently hauled a German oom-pah band from a neighboring restaurant (Luchow's) for part of their set. The most notable moment of the night, however, happened when bassist Gene Simmons, famous for (among other things) breathing fire during a KISS performance, accidentally set his hair on fire during the show. While not planned, the event no doubt helped to increase the mystique surrounding the make-up wearing rockers. Exactly two years later, on 12/31/75, it was BOC who opened for KISS in New York (at Nassau Coliseum). An interesting occurrence happened at a New Year's Eve show at the Academy of Music, NYC in 1974. During the encore Eric Bloom announced he was going to carry out his new year's resolution. He then proceeded to shave his beard off onstage with an electric razor. Perhaps "New Year's Eve was the final barrier" (a line from the song, "Dominance And Submission"). Speaking of "Dominance And Submission", some fans noted that when BOC first performed both "Dominance And Submission" and "Astronomy" live, it was Albert, and not Eric, who sang them. This was prior to the recording of *Secret Treaties*, where Albert sang "Dominance And Submission", but not "Astronomy". According to Albert Bouchard, he sang both songs live prior to the recording of *Secret Treaties*, and planned to do the same on the record. He did "Dominance And Submission", which he thought came out great, but tried "Astronomy" numerous times, getting worse each time. Eric tried to sing it, and did it perfectly in one take. Although Joe may have taken a crack at singing the verses as well, Eric apparently sang it the best, so he did it for the record and subsequent live shows. Albert also indicates that he stopped singing "Dominance And Submission" live because he found it difficult to sing it while playing drums at the time. At a show in the fall of 1985 at The Channel in Boston, MA, Eric Bloom turned out to be somewhat of a prophet. At one point during the set, he asked the Boston crowd, "How 'bout the Red Sox and the Mets in the World Series next year?" (He also added, "I hate the Yankees, man, they suck." -- something every Boston fan loves to hear) As events would turn out, the Red Sox and the Mets played each other in the 1986 World Series. Unfortunately for Boston fans (but fortunately, no doubt, for Eric Bloom), the Mets beat the Red Sox in 7 games. In the summer of 1995, BOC began adding an acoustic portion to their sets. Buck and Allen played acoustic guitar for these numbers. To date, the songs that have been part of this set are "In Thee" and "The Great Sun Jester". "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" was also planned to be used, but never added to the set. "The Great Sun Jester" was only played a few times as part of this set, but "In Thee" has remained in most of BOC's setlists since 1995. By the way, for those who don't know, the music played just prior to BOC starting their set (at least for the past several years) is the end titles from the soundtrack to the movie *Blade Runner* by Vangelis. BOC on the Charts ================= While BOC's commercial success is limited compared to many artists, they have had a number of albums and singles that have made the music industry's top-selling charts. While currently unconfirmed, it is believed that every BOC album prior to *The Revolution By Night* has gone at least gold (at least 500,000 units sold), with a few going platinum (at least 1 million units sold). The following chart indicates, by BOC album, the length of time it (or its respective singles) spent on the U.S. charts, the album's (or single's) peak position, and if the album went gold or platinum. Album (single) # of weeks Peak Gold/Platinum -------------- ---------- ---- ------------- Blue Oyster Cult 8 172 Tyranny And Mutation 13 122 Secret Treaties 14 53 Gold On Your Feet Or On Your Knees 13 22 Gold Agents Of Fortune 35 29 (U.K. - 26) Platinum (Don't Fear) The Reaper 20 12 (U.K. - 16) Spectres 14 43 Gold Some Enchanted Evening 12 44 (U.K. Top 20) Platinum Mirrors 17 44 In Thee 4 74 Cultosaurus Erectus 16 34 (U.K. - 12) Fire Of Unknown Origin 31 24 Gold Burnin' For You 14 40 (for 3 weeks) Extraterrestiral Live 19 29 (U.K. - 95) The Revolution By Night 16 93 Shooting Shark 3 83 Club Ninja 14 63 Dancin' In The Ruins 10 9 (for 3 weeks) Imaginos 8 122 Astronomy 9 12 The Movie "Heavy Metal" ======================= The song "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" (from *Fire Of Unknown Origin*) appears in the movie "Heavy Metal". According to Albert Bouchard, BOC was originally approached to do 5-7 songs for the soundtrack (with Elmer Bernstein doing the rest). According to "Morning Final #14", the songs "Vengeance (The Pact)" and "Don't Turn Your Back" were written following the script of the movie, with "Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver" also being inspired by the movie, but not directly from the script. These four songs were submitted for consideration for the movie soundtrack. Ironically, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars", not specifically inspired by the movie, was chosen to be on the soundtrack. It is also believed that the song "Sole Survivor" was inspired by the movie, although not directly from the script. "Vengeance (The Pact)" was originally titled "Taarna's Theme" - the song lyrics are taken from the last story in the movie (with Taarna, the warrior woman who rides the giant bird). The apparent reason for the song not being used is that it told the 17-minute (in the movie) story in 5 minutes. The soundtrack was finally officially released on CD in 1995, and an updated version of the movie was released in 1996. The Buck Dharma Band Ricky Browning Benefit =========================================== On 4/11/97, the "Buck Dharma Band" (Buck on guitar and vocals, Danny Miranda on bass, John Miceli on drums, and Sandy Roeser on vocals) performed a benefit concert in Atlanta, GA for Ricky Browning, a child with an inoperable brain tumor. Ricky went through 4 months of extensive chemotherapy and was being treated by Hospice Atlanta (a place traditionally reserved for children who are expected to not survive), and was very near death on multiple occasions. However, Ricky used visualization techniques of his hero, the Japanese monster "Godzilla", to fight his illness (Ricky would pretend that Godzilla was in his head fighting the tumor). Ricky has astounded doctors as his tumor, once the size of a lemon, had all but disappeared. Unfortunately for Ricky and his family, huge medical bills have been incurred for his various treatments (Ricky has no health insurance and he outlived his emergency Medicaid benefits). BOC fan (and friend of Buck's wife, Sandy Roeser) Chuck Saden, learned of Ricky's situation and fascination with Godzilla, and told Buck Dharma, also a fan of Godzilla (and author of the BOC song, "Godzilla"). Buck then agreed to do a benefit concert to raise money for Ricky. Saden sent Ricky some recordings of both "Godzilla" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (a song which Ricky says taught him a lesson, and that because of it, he was no longer afraid of dying). The Buck Dharma Band came down to Atlanta a day early, and participated in a special fund-raising dinner, and signed autographs. Earlier in the day, Buck met Ricky for the first time as part of television and radio publicity for the show, and Buck sang some acoustic versions of his songs. The concert was a wild success (see the section in the FAQ on "other BOC songs" for a complete setlist from the performance), and even turned out to be incredibly therapeutic for Ricky. Earlier in the evening, Ricky had had to be taken out of the venue by EMTs due to exhaustion. However, when he heard the band playing "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", Ricky jumped up before the EMT could sit him back down, ran into the venue and was clapping and rocking to the music. Ricky even helped play the drums when the band played the next song, "Godzilla". It was truly fitting that Ricky would participate in the song about his hero, who helped him overcome his affliction. Sometime after this concert, Ricky had a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, and it showed no evidence of his tumor. Unfortunately, Ricky's tumor did return, and he passed away in 1998. Spearheaded by BOC sound master George Geranios, the concert was professionally recorded, as well as being extensively videotaped. A very special video titled *Miracles DO Happen, Take One*, which contains information about Ricky's story and footage from this concert, is now available from the Rose Legacy Corporation. They can be obtained by mailing $19.95, plus $3.00 shipping and handling (make checks payable to the Rose Legacy Corp.) to: The Rose Legacy Corp. P.O. Box 465081 Lawrenceville, GA 30042 Proceeds from the sale of the video will go to the Browning family, and donations will be used to distribute free videos to various causes. This is more than a concert video - it is a film of hope and inspiration, and Ricky himself hopes that it will help other sick kids get better. Prior to this special concert, a very limited edition Buck Dharma t-shirt was produced for the concert. The black t-shirt, with a Buck Dharma logo on the front and a Buck Dharma promotional picture on the back, is still available for $20.00 (plus $3.00 shipping) from the above address (shipping is free if you order a video as well) -- specify size (L, XL, or XXL). A CD containing tracks from the concert is planned be made available for purchase in the future. Song References =============== NOTE: Much of what appears in this section is based on fan observations and interpretations, unless a bandmember is specifically identified. And, even then, the band members have often said that much of what they write is subject to the listener's interpretation. If your interpretation of a song is different from what is printed here, that does not necessarily make it wrong. Altamont, which is referred to in the song, "Transmaniacon MC" (the "MC" standing for "motorcycle club"), refers to a festival in 1970 at Altamont (a racetrack in California). The festival was supposed to be another Woodstock. The Rolling Stones were the main act, and they controversially hired the Hells Angels as security. Apparently The Stones had used the British Hell's Angels as security in the past, and assumed that the California Hell's Angels would be the same. There was mayhem during the Stones' set, and the Angels stabbed one member of the audience to death (right in front of a camera), although the stabbed man was apparently holding a gun. Either during this incident, or right afterwards, The Stones played the song, "Sympathy For The Devil". The incident is documented in the concert movie, "Gimme Shelter". In typically overblown style, journalists have dubbed that show "the night rock-n-roll lost its innocence." The "Transmaniacon MC", according to Al Bouchard, are a mythical group that Sandy Pearlman invented called "the Los Maniacos Bus Boy Club" which was supposed to conjure up a picture of insane Mexican waiters that have a musical group. According to Buck Dharma, "(Then Came The) Last Days Of May" is the true story of three collegiate drug dealers who went to Tucson to score for the fall semester. They were ripped off and shot. While two of the guys died, the other survived to testify against the perpetrators, who were two young men from a notorious wealthy local family. They apparently served about ten years in prison before being released. There are a few books with the words, "Stairway To The Stars" in the title. One is a book ("Stairway To The Stars: The Story of The World's Largest Observatory") about the Mauna Kea observatory on the Big Island of Hawaii. Another ("Stairway to the Stars: Achievement Program") was written by the Assembly of God as part of its ministry to women. Another ("Stairway to the Stars : Colorado's Argentine Central Railway") is about a railway in Colorado. The song, "Stairway To The Stars", however, does not appear to have inspired any of these, or have been inspired by them (especially since they were published after the song was on a BOC album). According to Joe Bouchard, "Screams" was written to describe his impressions and emotions when he first moved to New York to be in the band. Joe grew up in a small town, and driving into New York from Long Island at night was quite a new experience for him. Also, Joe says that the song "Morning Final" is based on a true story of a murder that happened at a subway stop at the corner of 23rd Street in New York City. Joe used to go to a deli that was near there, and he was a bit disturbed by the fact that a murder took place there. In an old interview with *Creem* magazine, Eric Bloom says that "O.D.'d On Life Itself" is basically a song inspired when Sandy saw some girl who was "totally out of it, a real asshole; she'd O.D.'d on life". According to Buck Dharma, "Harvester Of Eyes" is about former U.S. Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas. The following is from Compuserve's American Academic Encyclopedia: Abe Fortas, b. Memphis, Tenn., June 19, 1910, d. Apr. 5, 1982, was a prominent Washington, D. C., attorney and presidential advisor when President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1965. Johnson's subsequent nomination of Fortas as chief justice was blocked by Senate foes of his activist stand on civil liberties, and the nomination was caught up in a clash between the executive and legislative branches. In 1969, following charges of questionable ethics and conflict of interest, Fortas resigned from the Court. His arguments in GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT (1962) established the right of the poor to legal counsel. What's all that got to do with "Harvester Of Eyes"? Not much. However, it was Fortas' senate nomination hearings which inspired Richard Meltzer to write the song's lyrics. When Fortas' avoidance of service in World War II was questioned, he responded that he had ocular tuberculosis -- which inspired the lyric, "I'm the eye-man of TV, with my ocular TB". The BOC Fanclub newsletter "Morning Final" (issue #12), provides insight into the meaning of several songs on *Secret Treaties*. "Harvester of Eyes" and "ME-262" have already been mentioned. The song, "Dominance And Submission" is the true story of an automobile ride taken with Suzy and her brother ("Charles the grinning boy"), in which some unexpected sexual actions were suggested. "Morning Final #12" does not say who was put "in the backseat" and taken "for a ride". "Flaming Telepaths" refers to experimental drug use (note: one article on BOC mentioned this song as being about a science fictional experimentation of drugs on humans, with disastrous side effects). "Astronomy" refers to Suzy, who at the time was very experimental and sexually aware. The song has its roots in a lesbian encounter, and the reaction to it. The line, "when prophecy fails, the falling notion" in the song, "E.T.I." may have been inspired by the classic psychology text, "When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group that Predicted the Destruction of the World", by Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken and Stanley Schacter (3 men - possibly to which the lyrics refer?). Presumably when this book came out, it was published under aliases, but the science world soon discovered the identities of the authors. The men were then criticized as frauds, and accused of writing the book only for financial reward. On report about them dubbed them "Agents of Fortune". The line "three men in black said, 'Don't report this . . .", also in "E.T.I." may have been inspired by the "The Men In Black Report" by Kurt Glemser (Galaxy Press). The book discusses UFO sightings and Men in Black (usually 3), that would visit UFO witnesses, warning them not to divulge what they had seen. The name "Balthazar", mentioned in "E.T.I." is the name of one of the three kings/wise-men/astrologers in the Bible who visited Jesus Christ soon after his birth -- the other two were named Melchor and Kaspar. Perhaps "E.T.I." is suggesting that Jesus Christ was brought to earth, or at least visited by, aliens. On the other side of the life of Christ, the Bible discusses Jesus' "ascension", where he is taken up to heaven in front of some of his disciples. The use of the word "ascension" in "E.T.I." may suggest that the ascension was some sort of alien abduction (Jesus rising into the sky, surrounded by a beam of light). "Balthazar" may also refer to the character in "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare. Balthazar is the name of the servant who tells Romeo that Juliet has died ("the awful truth"?). While this doesn't fit with the UFO/Jesus interpretation, it is interesting since on *Agents of Fortune*, the song "E.T.I." follows "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", where we are told "Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity". Other UFO references to UFO lore in the song "E.T.I." are provided by Dan Clore. "Daylight disk" comes from the classification system proposed by J. Allen Hynek in his 1974 work, *The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry*. It refers to a flying saucer seen during the day. "Fairy rings" refers to rings of underground fungus that make the grass very green above them. It also refers to a large circular fungus that kills the grass above it, leaving a big white circle. These are often identified as traces of UFO landings. "Tower beds" are a reference to UFO landing apparatus (Stonehenge is theorized by some to be a tower bed). Finally, "Dead leaves always give up motion" may refer to the term "dead leaf motion" or "falling leaf motion" of UFOs -- a pattern of descent, going back and forth and pausing. There is a real book titled, *The King in Yellow* (referred to in the song, "Extra Terrestrial Intelligence"), written by Robert W. Chambers, published in 1895. The book is believed to be out of print, with its last known publication being possibly in the late 1970's. It is a collection of short stories, several of which mention an imaginary book (play) titled "The King in Yellow". Like various tomes mentioned in Lovecraft, this (non-existent) play has detrimental effects on the sanity of readers. From *The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction* (by John Clute and Peter Nicholls): "The eponymous 'King in Yellow' is not a person, but a verse play in book form, which... drives its readers to despair, madness and even suicide. Of the four *King in Yellow* tales in the book, 'The Repairer of Reputations' is of particular interest, being set in 1920, after a war, in a USA that has legalized suicide." The book, *The King in Yellow* also contains a story titled, "The Street of The Four Winds". It is not clear whether or not this inspired the reference to the four winds bar in the song, "Astronomy". However, the song does not appear connected with the story in any other way. As for "The Queen in Red" (the other half of that line from "ETI"), this may refer to "The Red Queen" from Lewis Carroll's "Alice Through The Looking Glass" (a sequel to "Alice In Wonderland"). In the story, the Red Queen is a chess piece and is forced to run continuously but never actually moves because everything else in the landscape is also running, and so keeps pace with her. Based on this story, evolutionary biologist L. Van Valen proposed "The Red Queen Principle", which states that for an evolutionalry system, continuing development is needed just in order to maintain it's relative fitness. The line "24th of May" in the song, "The Revenge Of Vera Gemini" refers to both Albert Bouchard's and Bob Dylan's birthday. On the occasion of his 25th birthday, Patti Smith gave Albert the lyrics to this song, which she presumably wrote about a true incident involving her and Bob Dylan. Coincidentally, that day is also the birthday of England's Queen Victoria, which is referred to in the Rush song, "Lakeside Park" -- "Everyone would gather on the twenty fourth of May, Sitting in the sand to watch the fireworks display". It is a popular misconception that the song, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is about suicide. The line "Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity" refers to William Shakespeare's characters Romeo and Juliet, who were young lovers that had each committed suicide. The song tells a woman not to fear death (in the first 2 verses), and then tells that she does die with no fear (in the 3rd verse). Opinions as to the true meaning of this song are mixed -- some believe that it merely advocates not to fear the coming of death as it is part of the cycles of nature ("Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind and the sun and the rain"), while others (including anti-rock zealots) claim that BOC is advocating suicide (Editor's Comment: Yeah, and in "Godzilla" BOC is advocating that a big radioactive dinosaur stomp all over Tokyo too.). Albert Bouchard says that he heard Buck say many times that the song was not about suicide, but merely about not fearing death. Finally, Bolle Gregmar says that Buck actually wrote the lyrics to "The Reaper" during a time when he thought he was dying, and the lyrics were Buck's way of saying that we shouldn't waste our time worrying about dying because it is inevitable. The song, "Godzilla" refers to the Americanized name of the Japanese movie monster, "Gojira". Gojira (the name is a portmanteau from "gorilla" and "Kujira", meaning "whale") is a dinosaur which was released from millions of years of hibernation by atomic testing in the Pacific Ocean. The beast became mutated by the radiation, to the point where he is now radioactive (able to project this radioactivity via his breath). The original Godzilla movie was released in Japan in 1954, less than a decade after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. While Godzilla was originally an evil being, he became somewhat of a folk hero in Japan, starring in over 15 movies, becoming a friend to humanity after about the 4th one (in more recent movies, since about 1984, Godzilla has gone back to being more of a "bad guy"). According to Bolle Gregmar, BOC had to pay royalties to Toho, the filmmaker of the Godzilla movies, to use the name on the song. Sony/TriStar pictures released a new version of this film in May of 1998. Despite the pleas of BOC fans worldwide, neither BOC nor their song "Godzilla" appeared on the movie's soundtrack. Another Japanese movie monster, "Gamera" (a giant flying turtle) appears in the title of Buck Dharma's instrumental, "Gamera Is Missing". According to Bruce Abbott, the song, "Golden Age Of Leather" refers to a group in a motorcycle club reaching a practical endpoint to that lifestyle. Having achieved their "golden age", the bikers make a suicide pact rather than age gracefully, "in this day of flaccid plumage". The initials "R.U.R." from the song, "R. U. Ready 2 Rock" were a tribute to the K. Capek play, "Rossum's Universal Robots". This play is cited as having the first appearance of the term "robot" in science fiction literature. Several BOC songs refer to vampires. "Nosferatu" is a re-working of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". In the original silent version of Nosferatu, the captain's log can be seen to include the lines "Rats in the hold. My crew is dead. I fear the plague" - these lines are used in the song. Other BOC songs which refer to vampires include "Screams", "Wings Wetted Down", "Morning Final", "Moon Crazy", and "Light Years Of Love". Looks like Joe Bouchard was really into vampires . . . Buck also wrote a song, "I Love The Night", tells the tale of a man's meeting with a female vampire - while the lyrics are always subject to interpretation, the third verse of this song (omitted from the album) makes the song's meaning more clear. Finally, according to Eric Bloom, his "After Dark" is sort of his sequel to "I Love The Night". The line "Jim says some destinies should not be delivered", in the song "In Thee" refers to Jim Carroll. As previously mentioned, Jim Carroll and Allen Lanier collaborated on several songs, including the song "Day And Night", which appeared on Carroll's *Catholic Boy* album. The song contains the line "Some destinies, they should not be delivered". The line "Aces and eights are the fate that you drew", in the song "I Am The Storm" refers to the "dead man's hand" of a pair of aces and eights in poker. It is known as this as it is the hand that Wild Bill Hickok was rumored to be holding when he was killed. According to the liner notes in the compilation CD set, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, the song "Dr. Music" is a tongue-in-cheek look at S+M (sadism and masochism). The song, "The Vigil" is about some friends of the band who are UFO-watchers. The line "27 faces, with their eyes turned to the sky" may refer to the VLA (Very Large Array), a set of 27 radio telescopes (there actually is a 28th, but it only gets used as a backup if one of the 27 fails). The site, located in New Mexico (near Socorro), was completed right about the time *Mirrors* was released. The title of the album *Cultosaurus Erectus* is believed to have been inspired by the Charlie Mingus album *Pithecanthropus Erectus*. Further, BOC may have also been making a reference to the fact that some heavy metal bands that had been around for a few years by that time were being referred to as "dinosaur bands". The song "Hungry Boys", originally titled, "Hungry Boys In Brooklyn", is about drug addiction. The song "Deadline" is based on the true story of an old acquaintance of the band, who was murdered in 1972. According to Albert Bouchard, the person in question was booking agent Phil King (who booked gigs for the band before they were signed to Columbia). Phil was apparently pressuring this guy to pay back a gambling debt, and the guy ended up shooting him. Phil King is also mentioned in the song, "Hot Rails to Hell" (in the lyric, "The King did not know"). Allen once described Phil King (also known as Phil Friedman) as a "big dude in a cheap vinyl leather jacket, two-tone blue '64 Lincoln Continental, wore a Fu Manchu mustache, combing his hair at all times, he had a perfect Shaft hairdo, chrome shades he never took off, wore 'em to bed..." Soon after BOC's first album was released, Phil was able to convince a New York DJ to play "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" on the radio. The song "Divine Wind" was written by BOC as sort of an "Anti-Iran" song. During the time the song came out, Iran had been holding U.S. citizens hostage for many months. The lyric, "If he really thinks we're the devil, then let's send him to hell" refers to the Ayatollah Khomeni calling the U.S. "The Great Satan". When BOC performed this song in concert, roadie Joe Lauro, wearing an Ayatollah mask, played guitar on stage with the band. The song "Lips In The Hills" may refer to an incident in July of 1947 known as "The Roswell Incident". Supposedly, a UFO crashed in the hills in or near Roswell, New Mexico, although this was denied/covered- up by the U.S. Air Force (originally saying it was a weather balloon). Many people in the area at the time supposedly saw/heard strange things going on right before the crash. The USAF recently released a report on the incident, revealing that the "UFO" was part of a secret government program, known as Project Mogul, to spy on the Soviet Union's nuclear weapon development. High-altitude balloons were equipped with special sensors and radar reflectors to detect atomic testing, but the project was canceled, with the balloons being allowed to fall back to earth. It is likely that flying saucer enthusiasts will remain skeptical of the USAF's report. While this interpretation may be valid, Eric Bloom once told some BOC fans that the original concept of "Lips In The Hills" was about breast feeding. The song "The Marshall Plan" details the story of a teenager who loses his girlfriend at a rock concert to the band, and, inspired by the experience, becomes a rock star himself. The song's title no doubt comes from the U.S. economic aid program for the reconstruction of post- WWII Europe of the same name. This program was intended in part to improve U.S. relations with Europe, however in some cases, some of the countries remained apathetic (or even hostile) towards the U.S. Similarly, while "Johnny" becomes a rock star in part to win back his girl, "still he reaches out, but Suzy's disappeared." According to the "SF-References-In-Music List" (copyright by Rich Kulawiec), the song "Monsters" is about a small group of people who escape a ravaged Earth but wind up battling each other over one of the women. An article in the British magazine *NME* referred to the song as being about "gang bangs and piracy in hyperspace". Also according to the *NME* article, the song "Unknown Tongue" is a true story about a girl that David Roter (co-author of the song) used to know. Apparently a nice Catholic girl, she had a fetish for cutting her big toe with a razor and drinking some of her blood. The lyrics to the song, "Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver" were inspired by the 1977 book, *The Iron Sun: Crossing The Universe Through Black Holes*, by Adrian Berry. Several of the lyrics to the first verse are derived from chapter titles of the book. The chapters to Part One (Through the Black Hole) are titled as follows: (1) Where Matter Vanishes, (2) The Spinning Gateway, (3) Into the Whirlpool, and (4) The Forbidden Circle. Part Two (The Iron Sun) begins with (1) The Arm of Orion. The song, "Joan Crawford" refers to the famous actress of the same name. The deceased Crawford's daughter, Christina, wrote a book, which later became a movie, titled, "Mommie Dearest". The book/movie paints a rather unflattering picture of the actress as an abusive mother. The song refers to Joan coming back from the grave to haunt Christina. Inspiration for some of the lyrics to the song, "Burnin' For You" may have come from Jack Kerouac's book, *On The Road*. There is a poem on page 255 that goes like this: Home in Missoula Home in Truckee Home in Opelousas Ain't no home for me Home in old Medora Home in Wounded Knee Home in Ogallala Home I'll never be Speaking of Jack Kerouac, it is interesting to note that he once wrote a book titled, *The Dharma Bums*. It is not known whether or not this was Sandy Pearlman's inspiration for the name, "Buck Dharma". The song, "Your Loving Heart" on Buck Dharma's 1982 solo album tells the story of a person who is dying because he needs a new heart, and a "young woman" who loves him (presumably his wife) gets into a car accident (presumably suicide) and her heart is used to save him. Twelve years later, something strikingly similar happened in real life. The Associated Press reported of a real-life occurrence of such a scenario (August, 1994): ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) -- A 58 year old man who had been waiting four years for a heart transplant finally got one -- from his own daughter, who was killed in a car wreck. Chester Szuber received the heart Monday from his 22-year-old daughter, Patti, officials at William Beaumont Hospital said Thursday. She was killed in a traffic accident a week ago in Knoxville, Tenn. Editor's Note: I am not trying to in any way imply that Patti Szuber's car accident was a suicide. In Morning Final #14, John Shirley provided some insight as to the meaning of his lyrics which BOC used for songs (the 2 songs from *Bad Channels* plus 8 songs from *Heaven Forbid*): Demon's Kiss - The dangers of going with the darker desires. When Horsemen Arrive - Man is his own worst enemy. See You In Black - Someone trying to convince a woman to kill her husband because he beats her up. Power Underneath Despair - A story of a guy betrayed into jail by some gangsters, and his revenge. X-Ray Eyes - Inspired by a Ray Milland movie, "The Man With The X-Ray Eyes", it's about seeing things beyond what most of us can normally see, and why such a gift may be a curse. Hammer Back - A feeling that you have to be prepared at all times, because the world is a dangerous and uncertain place. Damaged - Longing to be a better person, but having a dark side that you enjoy. Cold Gray Light Of Dawn - Recognition of one's own mortality and limitations. Real World - Everything is subjective, and miracles are hiding just over the horizon. Live For Me - The story of 2 brothers with a psychic link, where one is killed by a drunk driver, but tells his brother to live his life for him -- enjoy it, but do it smart so that he'll survive. References To BOC ================= There exists a science-fiction novel, titled, *Transmaniacon* (published 1979 by Kensington Pub. Corp., ISBN: 0890834172), written by John Shirley (who is writing some lyrics for the band these days). The following description was provided by Ken Alexander to BOC-L: Description: this is a post-apocalypse science fiction novel, containing a huge amount of references from early Blue Oyster Cult albums. References include the Transmaniacon Motorcycle Club, Dominance and Submission, the BOC symbol, "not talking about the light up above, I'm talking about the hellfire down below", the light that never warms, Lucifer, Career of Evil, and many more. Our too-powerful (anti?) hero travels between cities in what is left of the USA, with an eventual goal of destroying the impenetrable barrier that now surrounds it. Strange cults, cities of dolphins, beasts of burden that are giant genetically- engineered human hands, a 700-year-old Luciferage Rofocale... Copyright page: To The Blue Oyster Cult & Patti Smith & Leslie Fielder & Aleister Crowley & not necessarily in that "Order." In addition, the following is in the novel: The "Cult of Dis" (Diz?). A "password" to gain access to a certain place is "We're pain, we're steel, we're a plot of knives" (part of the lyrics to BOC's "Transmaniacon MC"). The symbol of "The Order" was shown -- it is the BOC symbol (referenced as "the ancient Greeks' mathematical symbol of Chaos"). During the climactic moment in the novel, one of the main character is listening to BOC's "Career Of Evil". John Shirley's 1980 novel, *City Come a Walkin'* has several BOC references. The story is set in San Francisco in the year 2008. References are made to "reds and wine" (from BOC's "The Red And The Black"), "Tenderloin District" (from BOC's "Tenderloin"), a sign which blinked "from yellow to red" (from BOC's "E.T.I." - editor's comment: I know, this one is stretching it a bit). A band called "First Tongue" is described in the story -- they wore robes of red and black and silver, the lead singer had a burn-scar brand of "The Sign, the cabalistic sign for chaos, the cross whose base becomes a scythe". The band, who's performance included a laser light show, was also described as "the only remaining successful occultist rock band, a genre begun almost three decades before by the Blue Oyster Cult". Finally, the stories character "City" is described as having short dark curly hair, standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, and wearing mirrored sunglasses -- did John Shirley have Eric Bloom in mind when he described City? John Shirley (who also performed in a punk group called "Sado Nation") has written a number of other books, some of which may contain veiled references to BOC. John Shirley has indicated that his 1997 novel "Silicon Embrace" contains many BOC references. His books *Shock Rock* and *Black Butterflies* contain a story titled "Flaming Telepaths". His book *Eclipse* describes a scene where a mad guitarist is playing BOC's "Transmaniacon M.C." from the top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France; while it is being reduced to rubble by evil forces. A more complete John Shirley bibliography can be seen at his website (listed in the "BOC On The Web" section of this FAQ). BOC and Brain Surgeons lyricist Richard Meltzer has written a book titled, *Aesthetics of Rock*. There are some references to the Soft White Underbelly in the book. Included in the book is a picture the band. As previously mentioned, Richard Meltzer wrote a novel titled *The Night (Alone)* which contains the poem, "Hansel & Gretel" (a version of which was recorded on the Brain Surgeons album, *Trepanation*). In this book, there is presumably also a section which is based on Buck's 1972 wedding where Meltzer got drunk and "misbehaved". Les Braunstein and Patti Smith were also in attendance. Les presumably kept bringing Meltzer drinks, aggravating his condition. This book also contains a poem entitled "Friends And Neighbors", which appears to be an early version of the lyrics to the BOC song, "Veins". A reading of this poem by Meltzer can be seen on the video, *Rhymes With Seltzer: Richard Meltzer Reads Some Stuff*. Johnny Green, former road manager for the Clash (who were managed for a time by Sandy Pearlman) wrote a book called *A Riot Of Our Own*. There is a description in the book of the Clash going to see BOC at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, and the wife of a member of BOC's entourage became involved in a food fight. Horror novelist Stephen King has used references to BOC in some of his works. As previously mentioned, some of the lyrics to "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" were quoted in his novel, "The Stand". The lyrics were actually mis-quoted -- the line "Come on baby" appeared in the novel as "Come on Mary". Also, there are two references to the BOC song, "Tattoo Vampire" in the Stephen King/Peter Straub novel, "The Talisman". Chapter 29 contains the sentence: "From the room above came regular thumps and an occasional drift of music Jack finally recognized as a record by Blue Oyster Cult.", Chapter 30 contains the sentence: "From the floor above, Jack now dimly heard the thud thud thud of a bass pattern, and then again recognized it as being from a record by Blue Oyster Cult.", and Chapter 31 contains the sentence: "The screaming heavy metal of Blue Oyster Cult's `Tattoo Vampire' was gone." The BOC song, "Astronomy", may have been the inspiration for part of one of Karl Edward Wagner's works. One of the chapters of his "Kane" series has a chapter titled "On the Origin of Storms". "Origin of storms" is a line from BOC's "Astronomy". A book, "The Album Cover Album", lists BOC's *Secret Treaties* on page 81. Tom De Haven's book, *New Jersey Lunch*, contains a scene featuring a group of individuals wearing black t-shirts with rock bands, including BOC. Comedian Dennis Miller's book contains the following quote: "These days, by the time a story is actually made into a movie, it has been passed around like a goatskin flask at a Blue Oyster Cult concert." A comic book titled "The Sandman" (written by Neil Gaiman), contains a character called 'The Corinthian', which may possibly be based on the song, "Harvester Of Eyes". He is of medium build (well built), has white hair, and wears sunglasses to hide the fact that his eyes are actually small mouths which he uses to eat out people's eyes with ("right in front to the back of your skull"). Neil Gaiman (with Terry Pratchett) has also written a novel, "Good Omens", which contains two BOC references. The plot contains a freeway junction which has, through careful manipulation by a demon, been developed to act as a huge unholy rune which does something very bad when empowered. This seems to fit with lyrics in the song, "Shadow Of California". A more direct reference appears when the character "Big Ted" looks at "The Fourth Horseman" and says, "Ere, I seen you before. You was on the cover of that Blue Oyster Cult album." References to Blue Oyster Cult songs are sprinkled throughout the "Xenogenesis: Day of the Demons" storyline in Marvel's "The Defenders" comic. The issues are Vol.1, 58-60 dated April, May and June 1978. The story is by David Anthony Kraft and the first comic in the trilogy is "Dedicated to Eric Bloom and BOC!" (the third comic in the trilogy is dedicated to "The Long Island Oysters"). The issues are titled Agents of Fortune", "Tyranny and Mutation", and "The Revenge of Vera Gemini!". In the comics, a former Reaper of Souls, the Defenders (Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Hellcat and the Hulk), and Dr. Strange fight to stop the cult of the Harvester of Eyes, an Agent of Fortune, and Vera Gemini from releasing demons upon the Earth. The Agent of Fortune steals an "omniscient amulet" called the "Eye of Agamotto" that can be used to breach the barrier between the "demon dimension" and the Earth. More detail would give too much away, but the Cult boys themselves even appear in a few frames of issue #60, playing a "game of Dominance and Submission" with Vera Gemini. Editor's Note: Special thanks go out to Mark Mitchum for researching and providing this reference. Andy Gilham also points out that David Kraft had earlier written a Deathlok story in Marvel Spotlight #33, titled "(Don't Fear) the Reaper". The story also co-stars Devil-Slayer from Defenders 58-60, but otherwise has no other BOC connection. Another comic book reference to BOC can be found in a Batman comic book mini-series, which originally appeared in "Detective Comics", issues 575-578 (titled "Batman: Year Two" and "Batman: Full Circle"). This series featured a villain called "The Reaper". The first issue was called "Fear The Reaper", and was also the character's catch-phrase. The character's costume had a red and black color scheme. The series originally appeared in "Detective Comics", issues 575-578. BOC was also mentioned in an issue of Marvel Super Action. This was a title that reprinted old issues of Captain America. On page one, Nick Fury enters the room, and Cap exclaims "Nick Fury!" Fury responds, "Who were you expecting, the Blue Oyster Cult?" In the original issue in the 1960's, Fury said "Who were you expecting, the Lovin' Spoonful?" A popular Italian comic series called "Dylan Dog" contains a BOC reference in one of their 1989 comics. In the episode "Grand Guignol", one of the characters is wearing a BOC t-shirt. The Japanese comic book, "Battle Angel Alita" by Yukito Kishiro (published in approximately 1994 in Japan by Shueisha Inc.) contains a few BOC references. The main character (a cyborg named Alita) is rescued in the beginning by a cyber doctor "harvesting eyes" from cyborg corpses. One character called Zapan (who first appeared in the second issue) has the BOC symbol on his head. Another character (who first appeared in issue 4-1) is named "Desty Nova" (similar to "Desdinova"), with a servant named Buzzardo.. According to another source, in issue 8-6, Desty gives Alita a new body, and it's called the Imaginos. A 1999 issue of the comic book "Knight's of the Dinner Table" is titled "Don't Fear the Reaper". In one of the 1995 issues of "Sports Illustrated For Kids", the comic "Hedley Case" contains a BOC reference. One of the characters in the strip is seen playing a guitar. There are lyrics floating in the air behind him, blaring from the speakers of a stereo. These lyrics, from the song "Before The Kiss, A Redcap" appear: "Outside on the turnpike they've got this new hit tune..." (and in the next square) "The thrills become as cheap as gas and gas as cheap as thrills..." The 1996 or 1997 DC comic book, "Challengers of the Unknown #3", contains a few BOC lyrical references. In the book, the Challengers are confronted by a human being who has become a gateway to another dimension who screams lyrics and titles to BOC songs. Page 2: "--have to LISTEN, I SAW the TRANSMANIACON! The WORKSHOP OF THE TELESCOPES! SEVEN SCREAMING DIZ-BUSTERS! Don't you understand? BEFORE the KISS, a redcap! A REDCAP!" Page 15-17: "...by SILVERFISH IMPERETRIX, whose uncorrupted [sic] eye sees through the charms of DOCTORS and their WIVES! I am become a THRESHOLD for him WHO LURKS in HELLISH GLARE and INFERENCE! THE HARVESTER OF EYES! Writings appear on the WALL. Curtains part and landscapes FALL where DUSTERS [sic] DUST becomes the sale and LUCIFER the LIGHT! EXPERIMENTS that FAILED too many times! TRANSFORMATIONS that were TOO HARD TO FIND! TYRANNY and MUTATION!" The second issue of DC Comics' "The Creeper" (January 1998) contains a few BOC references. In the story, "Shadow In The Mirror", on page 2, a person utters the following lines: "...Now c'mon Harlan. It ain't all that bad. Th' Transmaniacon's nothin t'be afraid of..." "...that ol' Harvester Of Eyes, now he plays a mean trumpet, no foolin'." "You go and tell my friend Harlan he shouldn't oughtta worry about all that Tyranny And Mutation." The two previous comic references were both written by Len Kaminski, and according to him, these references are related. The person uttering the lines in "The Creeper" story is actually talking across dimensions to the character (Harlan Clooney) in "The Challengers" comic. According to Eric Bloom, there is a 1998 comic, "Lost Heroes", drawn by Rob Prior (artist for the cover of BOC's *Heaven Forbid*), which features various actors drawn into the plot. Starting with issue #1 (the second in the series), Eric Bloom is drawn in as an "agent of fortune" (a member of the FBI) by the name of Fred. His character continues for several issues. One fan points out that one of Fred's FBI partners, a man named "Interface", bears a passing resemblence to Buck Dharma. The September 1999 issue of "PC Computing" magazine has a discussion (on page 135) of software related to "Godzilla". The software is a download manager called "GoZilla". Included in the discussion is the headline, "Oh, No! There goes Tokyo." In the movie, "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", one of the characters is approached by a kid looking for concert tickets. He asks him if he has any BOC tickets. A line in the movie, "Alien 3" was probably inspired by BOC. In the movie, the character named Dillon has the following line: "Do you want to be on your feet, or on your knees?" BOC received two references in the 1999 film, "Detroit Rock City". In one scene, where some kids are riding in a car on their way to Detroit, the comment is made that in 1973 KISS opened for BOC, and that the very next year, to the day, BOC opened for KISS. In actuality, it was 2 years to the day that this happened, and not the very next year. In another scene, in a convenience store, someone threatens to steal KISS tickets from a little kid. The kid summons his older brother, who is very large. As the older brother comes down the aisle, the camera zooms on his footsteps, and BOC's "Godzilla" plays. The song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" has appeared in several movies, including "Spirit of '76", "Halloween", "The Stand", and "The Stoned Age" (which also features "Burnin' For You"). "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was also used in 1995 in the season premier of the ABC television show, "Charlie Grace." In the 1996 movie, "The Frighteners", a cover of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper) is performed by The Mutton Birds, and in the 1996 movie "Scream", an acoustic cover of the song is played by the band Gus. Some version of the song, possibly the one which appears on the "Guitar's Practicing Musicians Volume III", is used in the movie, "The Executioners Song". The heavy use of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" prompted *Entertainment Weekly* magazine (February 7th 1997) to refer to it as the "most terrifying song in a miniseries or movie". In addition, the title of the song was referred to in the movie, "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" -- after beating Death at Battleship and Twister, one of the film's protagonists says, "I can't believe we beat Death", to which his partner responded, "Don't Fear The Reaper". The song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" has also been referenced in television and video. In an episode of the animated cartoon, "The Simpsons", Homer Simpson is quoted as saying "O.K. Homer, Don't Fear The Reaper" before attempting some death-defying stunt. In 1997, a professional wrestler known as "The Coroner" in the National Professional Wrestling Association uses "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" as his theme song. In 1998, on the TV game show "Jeopardy" (aired 2/3/98), an answer in the "Double Jeopardy" round (for $800) read: "In 1976, Blue Oyster Cult advised 'Don't Fear' him..." A children's show, "Big Bad Beetle Borgs" used the song title as the title of one of their episodes. Finally, in his 1985 video "The Compleat Al", "Weird Al" Yankovic has a sketch where he plays "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" backwards and hears the following message in some silly voice with weird science fiction noises (possibly using a theremin) in the background: "Hello, we the ancient astronauts would like to thank everyone for making this record possible. Thank you thank you thank you, we really appreciate it, thanks guys..." Editor's note: this was a joke for the video - you won't actually hear these sounds if try this yourself. Another reference to BOC was made in an episode of the animated cartoon "The Simpsons". Homer is talking to his friends in a bar about dying. His friends begin discussing obtaining his body parts after he dies, to which he replies, "Hey! Quit harvesting me with your eyes!" The premier episode for the second season of HBO's *Spawn* series contains a possible BOC reference. The character Violator, the demon guardian of Spawn says to him, "This world ain't about trust, its about Dominance and Submission, its about power!" In 1999, the Showtime television channel showed the 1998 Tri-Star release of the movie *Godzilla*. The announcer quoted a line from BOC's song "Godzilla" during an advertisement for the moview by saying, "History shows again and again, how nature points out the folly of man.......Godzilla". An episode of the cartoon series "Duckman" contained a BOC reference. Duckman is seen reminiscing about his days in high school in 1976. In the scene, he spray-paints "Blue Oyster Cult Rocks" on his principal's car. In an episode of the show "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (show #910 - "The Final Sacrifice"), a character says, "My God! It's a cult!", to which another character replies, "Yes, and they worship blue oysters." In another episode (titled "SoulTaker"), a character is about to kiss the character soultaker. When the kiss is interrupted, someone makes the comment, "Don't tongue the Reaper". In an episode of the Canadian comedy show, "This Hour has 22 Minutes", there was a skit where they were spoofing another Canadian show called "Da Vinci's Inquest". During a portion of the skit, they called "Da Vinci's Request", Da Vinci calls a radio station requesting "Don't Fear The Reaper by the Blue Oyster Cult". In June of 1999, a reference to BOC was made on the television show, "That 70s Show". The character of Hyde considered moving to New York to start a punk band that would be "the soundtrack to the revolution". The character of Eric responded, "Last week you said Blue Oyster Cult was the soundtrack to the revolution." In a 1999 episode of the television show, "First Wave" (shown on the Science Fiction channel), BOC's "Burnin' For You" was used as background music. In an episode of what is believed to be from the television show, "Friday The 13th, The Series", there was a serial killer that removed the eyes of his victims. His name was "the harvester" - no doubt a reference to the BOC song, "Harvester Of Eyes". Whether or not this is at all directly related to BOC's song, "Debbie Denise" is not known, but it is rather interesting none-the- less. According to the credits for the films *Forrest Gump* and *Contact*, the name of the Visual Effects Producer was "Debbie Denise". Perhaps her parents were BOC fans . . . In the 1992 film, "Singles", Matt Dillon plays a member of a grunge band called Citizen Dick. On his refrigerator is a handbill or small poster, showing Citizen Dick opening for Blue Oyster Cult. In John Carpenter's 1987 movie, "Prince of Darkness", there is a scene with the BOC symbol. It is used as a satanic symbol and appears on the flesh of a possessed person. John Carpenter was also responsible for the previously-mentioned movie, "Halloween", in which "(Don't Fear) The Reaper is played. In 1992, at the 50th annual Hugo Awards (awards given out in the field of Science Fiction) the bases for the trophies being given out were a starfield design, upon which contained a constellation tracing out the BOC symbol. The bases were designed by Phil Tortorici, who is big fan of the group, and apparently no one questioned him about it when he supplied the bases for the trophies. There exists a "live import" CD recording of the band, The Smashing Pumpkins, titled *Tribute To BOC*. The CD's recording was made on February 9th, 1991 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The recording contains mostly songs written by the Smashing Pumpkins, but includes a cover of BOC's "Godzilla". In addition a Smashing Pumpkins show in Hoboken, New Jersey on February 8th, 1991 also contained a cover of "Godzilla", and this performance is captured on two Smashing Pumpkins "live import" recordings - *Man Of Light* and *Retrospective*. The Japanese band, Shonen Knife, has a song titled "Blue Oyster Cult" (it is not a cover of the BOC tune of the same name) on their 1991 release, *712*. While the song itself has nothing to do with BOC (it is a song about food poisoning), the album's cover has some BOC (Kronos) symbols on it. Radio Birdman, and Australian group active in the late 1970's (and recently reformed) held BOC as one of their influences. Aside from covering "Transmaniacon MC" and "Career Of Evil" in concert, they made a few references to BOC over the years. The title of their first album was *Radios Appear* (a line from the BOC song "Dominance And Submission"). Their song, "Do The Pop" included the lyric "On your feet/Or on your knees, now". Their song, "Hand of Law", contains the lyric "And the light/That never, never warms" (a line from BOC's "Astronomy"). Radio Birdman's leader Deniz Tek also wrote several BOC references into his songs. He wrote a song, "Why Tell Me", which included the lyric, "Went out in the desert night/To the Four Winds Bar and Grill" (the Four Winds Bar being mentioned in BOC's "Astronomy"). A similar reference appears in his song "Dozen On Ice", which contains the line, "Got a dozen on ice, in the back room at the Four Winds Bar." Also, his song "Hand Of Law" contains the line, "the light that never, never warms", yet another reference to BOC's "Astronomy". Finally, his song "My Wall" contains the line, "And Susie still wants to know where winds come from". Thanks to Andy Gilham for this information. The Norwegian band, Turbonegro, has an album titled *Never Is Forever*. According to the band, it is a tribute to BOC. No other information is currently known about this release. On the fIREHOSE cover of BOC's "The Red And The Black" (which appears on their *Live Totem Pole EP*), just as the song begins, one of the bandmembers can be heard to say, "This is for Eric Bloom". The Swedish band, The Nomads, recorded at least two singles under the alternate name of "The Screaming Dizbusters" (an obvious reference to BOC's song "7 Screaming Diz-Busters). One was a cover of BOC's "This Ain't The Summer Of Love". The other, "The Next Big Thing", was not, however it had some sleeve notes that were a direct reference to BOC: "THE NEXUS OF THE CRISIS AND THE ORIGIN OF STORMS. 'THE SCREAMING DIZBUSTERS - A DARK DEEP BRITTLE EXPERIMENT INVOLVING DUSTER'S DUST. THE HARVESTER OF EYES AND THE MISTRESS OF THE SALMON SALT RAN INTO THE BABY ICE DOG AT THE FOUR WINDS BAR. JUST ONE DEAL...THAT'S ALL IT TOOK...AFTERALL, MIDNIGHT WAS THE BARRIER BACK IN '63. WATCH OUT! THE ONE THEY CALL THE PROPHET - COVERS ON HIS EYES. TOO MUCH REVOLUTION? THIS IS JUST A HOBBY FOR THESE GUYS - NUTHIN' Y'HEAR!? - A HOBBY!!' PRODUCED BY ARTHUR COMICS FOR TRANSMANIACON M.C. IN THE WORKSHOP OF THE TELESCOPES...SLEEVE BY CHARLES, THE GRINNING BOY FOR THERE GOES TOKYO STUDIOS. FOR ANDY, RICHARD, SCOTT, RICH and ROSS without whom...not forgetting ERIC BLOOM & BUCK DHARMA. Those were the days..." As previously mentioned, the Minutemen's song, "Tour Spiel" was written as a tribute to BOC. Some of the lyrical references include: "I dreamed I was E. Bloom but I woke up Joe Bouchard in some town out on the road", "With patent leather boots on (just like Richard told me), another hack on the Spectres tour", and "Richard Meltzer gave me a hard time". On the Dictators song "Two Tub Man" (which appears on their 1975 album, *Go Girl Crazy*), there are some spoken words which include: "Dig the boozers down there - there ain't no...You can bring on...Hay Stack Balloon, Eric Bloom...I don't care who you bring here daddy-o..." On Motorhead's *Bastards* album, there is a track titled "On Your Feet or On Your Knees. In addition, the inner sleeve photos on the album *Motorhead* show a *Secret Treaties* poster. Finally, Motorhead uses an umlaut over the first 'o' in their logo. The triple live CD by the Hoodoo Gurus, *Bite The Bullet* contains the following name in the credits: "The Screaming Diz-Buster - Ron Peno" Ron is the singer for the band Died Pretty. The Diz-Buster mention is presumed to be in reference to his large penis. Interviews with Metallica in the early 1990's indicated that their song "Harvester Of Sorrows" is a tribute to BOC's "Harvester Of Eyes". Further, they have also stated that they were concerned with doing justice to BOC's "Astronomy" when they covered it on their *Garage, Inc.* album. Former Dream Syndicate guitarist Karl Precoda, who wrote the song "Wings Of Mercury", which BOC played in concert in 1985 and 1986 started a band by the name of "Last Days of May". They released an album with the same title. One of the tracks on that release was entitled, "Sand, Sea, And Space". One might speculate that this title was inspired by Buck's "Wind, Weather, And Storm". While not an explicit reference to BOC, many people have pointed out that the main riff to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" bears a striking resemblance to the main riff of BOC's "Godzilla". The organist at New York's Madison Square Garden may be a BOC fan. Often during New York Rangers' hockey games, "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" can be heard. In their coverage of the World Championships of Soccer in the late 1990's, Sweden's tabloid papers made a BOC reference in referring to one of the games. The game was between Brazil and Denmark, which Brazil won 3 to 2. One of Denmark's players, Marc Rieper has a few chances to tie the game before time ran out, but failed. The next day, a headline read: "Don't Fear The Rieper". Speaking of sports and BOC, in the spring of 1998, the Houston Astros baseball team had a pitcher named Billy Wagner. On at least two occasions, when his name was announced to the Houston crowd, BOC's "Burnin' For You" was played. Presumably, Billy has a "burnin'" fastball... In 1999, some fans spotted the use of "Buck's Boogie" by Fox TV during their coverage of NHL hockey. Specifically, the music was used as background to a clip of NHL highlights called "Classic Clips". Also, during the 1999 Stanley Cup finals between Buffalo and Dallas, "ME 262" could be heard during one stoppage of play. In 1995, some folks on BOC-L spotted a BOC reference in a Mercedes- Benz commercial. The commercial asked the viewer if they remembered various dreams they once had (saying, "You were gonna..."), implying that you could achieve your dream of owning a Mercedes. The last "dream" mentioned was: "You were gonna learn bar chords, and jam with Blue Oyster Cult." Mercedes-Benz did get permission from the band to use their name in the ad. Eric Bloom reports, "What did we get for it? Well, I can't really say, but if you see a guy with a beard and sunglasses on the Long Island Expressway driving a new C220..." On a somewhat related note, Deborah Frost of the Brain Surgeons reported that in 1998, a car program on Irish TV used the Brain Surgeons song, "Most Romantic Place In the World" as background for the ultimate Mercedes test drive. BOC was also used for magazine advertisements for Ampex tape back in the 1970's. Under a picture of the band, the advertisement reads: "Blue Oyster Cult dazzles rock fans everywhere with a spectacular laser light show. They don't compromise on quality on tour or in the studio. That's why the Cult's hit albums are mastered on Ampex Grand Master recording tape." BOC was mentioned in a 1999 advertisement for the Loopmaster portable CD player. The March 1999 issue of *Maxim* magazine contained the ad, which included the following words: "With 11 colors to choose from, you can attach your player to your favorite band - green for Greenday, blue for Blue Oyster Cult..." There are at least 2 instances of BOC being on billboards. In 1977, a billboard at the entrance to Long Island showed the artwork for *Spectres* with the words, "Welcome to Long Island - Home of Blue Oyster Cult". In 1998, a billboard in Michigan for a classic rock station showed a picture of Dr. Jack Kevorkian (known for assisting terminally- ill people with their suicides) with the words, "Don't Fear The Reaper", with "Blue Oyster Cult" written below it in smaller letters. BOC also supplied music for a CD-ROM game called "Ripper". The *Cult Classic* version of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is used. Also, one of the puzzles in the game involves arranging tarot cards which have the following words: "sun, fear, wind, reaper, seasons rain". Newsday reported the following prior to its release: "THE 19TH Century's most famous serial killer, London's Jack the Ripper, resurfaces in New York in the year 2040, in Take 2 Interactive's 'Ripper.' The four-disc first-person cinematic adventure, two years and $2.5 million in the making, features two hours of state-of-the-art video, a sound track by Blue Oyster Cult (which includes their 'Don't Fear The Reaper') and four endings. As a reporter tracking the killer, the player interacts with a cast of 30, headed by Christopher Walken, Karen Allen, Ossie Davis, Jimmy Walker, Burgess Meredith and Tahnee Welch. Due Feb. 1 for the PC, March 1 for Sony Playstation, April-May for Macintosh." Editor's notes: The dates listed are for 1996. The only BOC music in the game is "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". More information on the game "Ripper" can be found at the following URL on the World Wide Web: http://www.take2games.com/taketwo/ripper.html Fans of the computer adventure game "DOOM" can access a scene inspired heavily by BOC. Known as the "BOC DOOM - Level 2 Site", it contains segments of BOC songs for sound effects, cover art on the walls of a maze (which is in the shape of the BOC symbol), and also some live concert footage. It can be found at the following URL on the World Wide Web: http://www.europa.com/~doomer/bocdoom2.html Another computer adventure game with a BOC tie-in is called "Harvester". On the back of the game's box are several scenes from the game. One of them shows a guy walking through a room full of eyes. This appears to be a reference to BOC's song, "Harvester Of Eyes". Speaking of computer games, the November 1998 issue of *Computer Gaming World* has an ad for the game "Blood II, The Chosen". The BOC symbol can be seen in the background of the ad. Bands Covering BOC ================== Tracking down all known covers of BOC tunes is probably an impossible task. Several people have given me information on band's covering BOC, although some of the bands may be local acts that most of us have never heard of. Some of the covers were never recorded, while others may exist on demo tapes only. For the most part, I have tried to include only covers by artists that have actually recorded the cover on one of their albums. I have used computer resources available to me to verify as many of these covers as possible, and where available, I have listed the recording on which the cover can be found (note: with the proliferation of compilation albums and box sets, these recordings might be found on multiple sources - the source listed is believed to be the original source, and no effort has been made to track down every available source). The information is presented in the following format: Artist - "BOC Cover" - *Recording Title* Agents Of Fortune - "Stairway To The Stars", "Burnin' For You", O.D.'d On Life Itself", "Lips In The Hills" - 4-track CD Apollo 440 - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Millennium Fever* Big Country - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Ships* (CD single) Bigod 20 - "Dominance And Submission" - *One* (CD single) The Boo Radleys - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" Braindamage - "Flaming Telepaths" - *The Turning Point* Braindead - "Godzilla" The Bridewell Taxis - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" CHOP (Mike Watt project) - "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" and "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" - single Current '93 - "This Ain't the Summer of Love" - *Swastikas For Noddy* Fighting Gravity - "Godzilla" - *No Stopping, No Standing* fIREHOSE - "The Red And The Black" - *Live Totem Pole EP* Fu Manchu - "Godzilla" - single (10-inch vinyl) - *Eatin' Dust* (different version than single) Goo Goo Dolls - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Goo Goo Dolls* Guitar Orchestra - "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" - *Interpretations* Gumball - "She's as Beautiful As A Foot" - *Revolution On Ice* Gus - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *"Scream" Movie Soundtrack* Honeymoon Killers - "Godzilla" - *Let It Breed* L7 - "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" - *"I Know What You Did Last Summer" Movie Soundtrack* Rose McDowall - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - single (U.K. 12" vinyl) The Meatmen - "Hot Rails To Hell" - *Pope On A Rope* The Meices - "Burnin' For You - *West X North-South* (Compilation/Box Set) Metal Flake Mother - "Godzilla" (live) Metallica - "Astronomy" - *Garage, Inc.* The Minutemen - "The Red And The Black" - *3 Way Tie (For Last)* - "The Red And The Black" (live) - *Tour Spiel* (7" EP) The Mutton Birds - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *"The Frighteners" Movie Soundtrack* The Panther Moderns - "See You In Black" - *Red Star* (John Shirley's band released their own version, with different music, before BOC's *Heaven Forbid*) Radio Birdman - "Transmaniacon MC" - *Surfing At 2JJJ* (bootleg) - "Career Of Evil" - *Rock'n'Roll War* (bootleg - credits the song to "Bouchard/Smith - Blue Oyster Cult) - *Murder City Nights* (bootleg - the track is mislabeled "Career Beatle") - "ME-262", "Before The Kiss", and "Dominance And Submission" have also been covered live - unknown whether or not recorded versions exist Rattlebone - "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" The Riverboys - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" David Roter - "Joan Crawford" - *Bambo* - "Unknown Tongue" - *Bambo* Clint Ruin & Lydia Lunch - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *Don't Fear The Reaper* (EP) Screaming Dizbusters (The Nomads) - "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" - single The Screaming Tribesmen - "The Red And The Black" The Sinners - "Dominance and Submission" - *Ten Year Jubilee* (EP) Smashing Pumpkins - "Godzilla" (live) - *Tribute to BOC* (bootleg CD) Patti Smith - "Fire Of Unknown Origin" (her original poem, with instrumental accompaniment), formerly released as a b-side to the single "Frederick" and on a 3-song EP, is to be included as a bonus track on the CD re-release of her *Wave* album Superfuzz - "Godzilla" - *Godzilla* (CD - 3 different versions) Teutonic Guilt - "Tenderloin" Thanatos - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - *665 - The Neighbor of the Beast* Thunderpuss 2000 - "Godzilla" - single (4 dance remix versions) Tommyknockers - "ME-262" and/or "Career Of Evil" Too Hip For The Room - "Don't Fear The Reaper/Burnin' For You" medley - *All-Time Greatest Hips* - "Godzilla", "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars", Sole Survivor", "Cagey Cretins", "Searchin' For Celine", "Lips In The Hills", "Joan Crawford", "O.D.'d On Life Itself", "Black Blade", "Last Days Of May", "Before The Kiss (A Redcap)", "Fire Of Unknown Origin", "E.T.I.", "The Vigil", "Take Me Away", "Shooting Shark", "Dragon Lady", "Harvester Of Eyes", "In Thee", "Mirrors", "Unknown Tongue", "Divine Wind" - *Don't Fear The Remake* Bonnie Tyler - "Goin' Through The Motions" - *Faster Than the Speed of Light* UV's - "This Ain't the Summer of Love" - U.K. magazine *Bucketfull Of Brains (#26)* flexidisc Mike Watt - "Dominance And Submission" - *E-Ticket Ride* and *Piss Bottle Man* (singles) Helen Wheels - "Tattoo Vampire" - *Archetype* White Flag/Tesco Vee - "Hot Rails To Hell" - *Wild Kingdom* - "Hot Rails To Hell" (live) - *Feeding Frenzy* World of Pooh - "Dominance and Submission" - *Not All That Terrifies Harms* (compilation) Also, the magazine *Forced Exposure* published a fake review of a non-existent BOC tribute album. The review appears in issue #18 (Spring 1994). The fake album is called "Then Came The Last Days Of May", and presumably features the following artists and BOC covers: Crawlspace - "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" Sonic Youth - "I'm On The Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" Helios Creed - "Career Of Evil" DOS - "O.D.'d On Life Itself" Kray Cherub - "Transmaniacon M.C." Beme Seed - "Baby Ice Dog" Skullflower's - "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" MX-80 - "Tenderloin" Sun City Girls - "Extraterrestrial Intelligence." Note: Again, this album does not exits - the review is fake. Speaking of BOC tribute albums, however, there now exists one. The acoustic trio Too Hip For The Room has recorded an album of BOC covers. Entitled *Don't Fear The Remake*, this album contains musical contributions from Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, and Danny Miranda of BOC, as well as contributions by BOC lyricist John Shirley, Buck Dharma's wife and brothers, Broadway Blotto, and several BOC fans. See above for which tracks were known to have been covered. More information will be provided in a future version of the FAQ. To obtain a copy of this release, write to: Too Hip For The Room P.O. Box 1300 Bellmore, NY 11710 Or send e-mail inquiries to Zurna@aol.com The BOC/Michael Moorcock Connection =================================== Science-Fiction writer and former Hawkwind member Michael Moorcock has collaborated with Eric Bloom on three BOC tunes: "The Great Sun Jester", "Black Blade", and "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars". The lyrics to these songs have been inspired by, or used in several of Moorcock's works. "The Great Sun Jester" is mentioned in two of his novels: "The Fireclown" (a line from the song), and "The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming" (this latter has recently been included in a collection of Moorcock's stories under the title "Constant Fire" - the collection itself is called "Behold the Man and other stories"). Perhaps coincidental, but in "The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming" (titled "Messiah at the End of Time" in the U.S.), the character who appears claiming to be the Fire Clown states one of his many names as Emmanuel Bloom (E. Bloom - co-author of "The Great Sun Jester"?). The song "Black Blade" refers to Elric the albino king, featured prominently in several Moorcock stories (e.g. "Elric of Melnibone", "Stormbringer"). Elric was a melancholic individual who relied on a supernatural, but treacherous sword for his strength and vigor. The "Black Blade" is that sword, which rules its master, and eventually the universe. The title of the song, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" was used in Moorcock's "The Dragon in the Sword" (published in 1987) -- "We are the lost, we are the last, we are the unkind. We are the Warriors at the Edge of Time. We are the cold, the halt, the deaf, the blind. Fate's frozen forces, veterans of the psychic wars..." (from "The Dragon in the Sword", p.68.) In addition, the line "we are veterans of a thousand psychic wars" appears in Moorcock's song "Standing On The Edge", which appeared on Hawkwind's 1975 concept album, *Warrior On The Edge Of Time*. There is an interesting connection between two of the three BOC/Moorcock tunes. One of the lyrics in "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" refers to "the winds of limbo". "The Winds Of Limbo" was the alternative title of Moorcock's novel, "The Fireclown". As previously mentioned, "the fireclown" is mentioned in song "The Great Sun Jester". In addition to the three songs mentioned, Michael Moorcock also wrote lyrics for a BOC song which eventually became "Feel The Thunder". Although the lyrics were not used, some form of them were eventually used in the song, "Sleep Of A Thousand Tears", which was released on Hawkwind's 1985 album, *Chronicle Of The Black Sword*. Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock once performed "Black Blade" and "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" together in 1987 at the Dungeons and Dragons convention, "Dragoncon '87". Moorcock has also performed slightly different forms of the songs "Black Blade" and "The Great Sun Jester" as spoken-word pieces. "Black Blade" was performed in 1977 (3 years before appearing on *Cultosaurus Erectus*), and "The Great Sun Jester was performed with Hawkwind in the early 1980's. Hidden Messages =============== The song, "You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)" (from *Mirrors*) contains the lyric, "All of the fancy ladies, oh they could talk, and talk", after which a few seconds of high-pitched "babbling" can be heard. The "babbling" is actually some spoken words speeded up -- by slowing down the section, a portion of the Lord's Prayer ("Our Father, who art in Heaven"), repeated over and over, can be clearly heard. According to Bolle Gregmar, Tom Werman inserted a sped-up recording of the Lord's Prayer in the recording as a joke (this same sped-up clip was also used by Werman on Cheap Trick's 1978 album, *Heaven Tonight* -- on the song "How Are You", this same clip is played after singer Robin Zander sings "You talk too much, you even scare my friends"). The words are believed to be spoken by Tom Werman himself. Some anti-rock religious zealots have claimed that the spoken words are actually, "Furthermore, our father who art in heaven . . . Satan", however there is a loud thump where the word "Satan" is, and (in the editor's opinion, who once heard this as presented by some anti-rock religious zealots) can not be clearly made out. On *Cultosaurus Erectus*, at the very end of the song, "Black Blade", as it is fading out, the "voice of the Black Blade" can be heard to say, "You poor fucking humans". This is in the overlap between the fadeout of the song and the explosions that kick off "Monsters" (the next track). It may help to use headphones and turn the volume up as the song is fading out to hear this, but it's not necessary - once you know what to listen for, it's not too hard to pick it out. (WARNING - If you do use this method to hear this, make sure you turn it back down before the first notes of the next track, "Monsters" begins!). This is not on the version of "Black Blade" on *Extraterrestrial Live* (which does not fade out). On *Flat Out* (Buck Dharma's solo album), there is a "backwards" recording after one of the songs. Presumably this was done as a joke as during the time that the album was released (early 1980's), lots of rock groups were being accused by religious zealots that their lyrics contains satanic messages recorded backwards. The actual recording is of two people playing ping pong, and discussing some things about the album (nothing satanic). The Fan Club lyric book titles this song Gnop Gnip (ping pong spelled backwards) and gives the following. You have to read it backwards though: > > haeeY > kcehc dnuos a rof tsuj si siht wonk I tub ass yruoy kcik dluoc I > hoo-hoO > cisum lavitsef mlif hu nevele lennahC > eb ot desu cisum nevele lennahc eht wonk'y ekil sdnuos tI > taht ekil gnihtemos ro evif songnoB > dellac ti s'tahw...hu, sognob, haey hO > sognob oeretS > drocer ognob oerets ylraE > ognod a evah I, evah I BOC on Video ============ In the early 1980's ("Cultosaurus Erectus" tour), BOC toured with Black Sabbath on a "Black and Blue" tour. The bands would alternate who would be the headliner depending the city in which they were performing. A video was released of the concert on 10/17/80 at Nassau Coliseum, New York. A Japanese version (complete with subtitles) is available through various video distributors (see *Goldmine* or *Discoveries* for video dealers - it's probably not available at your local video stores). The video switches back an forth between the two bands every 3-4 songs. The video also contains a video of "The Marshall Plan" (studio version of the song), where a clean-shaven Eric Bloom plays the part of Johnny. According to Bolle Gregmar, the video is only available commercially on laserdisc. However, copies on video cassette can be found. There is a video of the *Live 1976* performance (same title). It contains all the songs on the album, plus "E.T.I.". Actually, it was never intended as a "video", and was actually shot live at the Capital Center (Largo, Maryland) in 1976 and projected on large screens at the show (a common practice at the Capital Center - somewhat ahead of it's time in 1976). Someone kept a copy of the footage, and turned it into a video. When BOC performed at the Capital Center again in 1978, again video on large screens was used, but the film was apparently not kept. The sound quality of the video has been sharply criticized -- the "quality" is good, but it is very poorly mixed. This same poor mix appears on the *Live 1976* CD as well. Sound quality aside, the video quality is quite good, and captures the band on its *Agents Of Fortune* tour, complete with lasers, individual solos, and a 5-man guitar jam. In 1998, this release was also released on DVD (digital videodisc). While not an official video, many people made video copies of a broadcast of a BOC show on 10/9/81 in Hollywood, Florida. The broadcast, which was part of the "Blue Jean Network", was simulcast on MTV and other TV stations, as well as several radio stations. Many of the songs at this show were used for the *Extraterrestrial Live* album. Videos for the following songs have been made: "The Marshall Plan" (which was included with the "Black and Blue" video), "Burnin' For You", "Joan Crawford" (which MTV apparently found too controversial to show, it also features a cameo by Steve Schenck), "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" (live, from *Extraterrestrial Live*), "Roadhouse Blues" (live video of the band at the Country Club in Reseda, CA on 12/15/81, with Robbie Krieger), "Born To Rock", "Your Loving Heart", "Take Me Away", "Shooting Shark", and "Dancin' In The Ruins". A version of "Godzilla" (live shots of the band, interspersed with clips from various Godzilla movies) may also exist. A video for "Astronomy" (from *Imaginos*) was also made, but never released in the U.S. In addition to the above videos, BOC made a promotional live video of 3 songs from *Mirrors* ("Mirrors", "In Thee", "The Great Sun Jester"), and a promotional live video of 4 songs ("R. U. Ready 2 Rock", "Godzilla", "Born To Be Wild", "(Don't Fear) The Reaper") from their 12/30/77 show in Cobo Hall, Detroit Michigan. Buck Dharma is also featured in the "Metal Head" video by Blotto, on which Buck also played the guitar solo). Buck and Eric also appeared on the video *Stars* for the "Hear 'n Aid" project previously mentioned in the FAQ. While not a BOC video, the movie, "The Stoned Age", contains lots of references to BOC. The movie (released in the early to mid 1990's), which might be considered rather funny or rather stupid, depending on your point of view, sort of pays homage to sex, drugs, and rock and roll in the 1970's. The lead character, a youth named Joe, is a big BOC fan, who rides around with his buddy Hubbs in search of the ultimate good time. Joe, who had been hit by BOC's lasers during a performance of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (a "pussy song" according to Hubbs), has been having visions of a giant "gnarly eyeball". During the film, Joe and Hubbs basically spend their time getting wasted, and trying to pick-up girls to party with. Aside from about a minute's worth of live footage of BOC playing "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (when Joe is hit by the lasers), there are lots of BOC references in the film. The car driven by Joe and Hubbs, named "The Blue Torpedo", has a big BOC logo on the hood. One of the girls wears a BOC tour shirt with the *Tyranny And Mutation" cover on it. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is played a few times, as well as "Burnin' For You". The use of "Burnin' For You" is erroneous for the time depicted in the movie (mid to late 1970's, when BOC used lasers in concert) as this song came out in 1981. Bolle Gregmar, Melne Murphy, and The Museum of Cult are mentioned in the credits, as Bolle served as the BOC advisor. Finally, Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma have a cameo appearance as bootleg t-shirt salesmen in the trailer after the credits roll. The versions of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin' For You" used in the movie are the versions off of *Cult Classic* (no doubt to avoid legal issues with Columbia, although CBS records is credited as providing the BOC concert footage). While The Brain Surgeons have not made any official videos, Brain Surgeon's guitarist Peter Bohovesky has a role in Alanis Morissette's video, "One Hand in my Pocket" as this guy in puppet outfit scaring a child. According to Deborah Frost, Peter makes puppets (life-size costumes, not hand puppets) for his mother's well known non-profit children's theater company, the Hudson Vagabond Players. A video producer was interested in using the puppet costumes for the video. However, they are difficult for the inexperienced to maneuver in, so Peter, who's familiar with the way they work, wore one for the video. Albert and Joe Bouchard appear playing with David Roter's band in June of 1998. Albert plays drums and Joe plays keyboards. The video, which also features Pete Bohovesky, Jack Rigg, and others playing with David Roter, includes a performance of BOC's "Joan Crawford" (the lyrics were written by Roter). This video was previously available through Cellsum Records. See the section on contacting Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost for more information. As previously mentioned in the FAQ, a video was made containing footage of the 1997 Buck Dharma Band Ricky Browning Benefit. See the section in the FAQ on this event for more information (including ordering information). In addition to videos, BOC has made several appearances on television over the years. BOC appeared on the *Merv Griffin Show*, mock-performing (actually, they were only lip-synching and pretending to perform to their recordings) "Burnin' For You" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". They later mock-performed the *Extraterrestrial Live* version of "Burnin' For You" on *The Uncle Floyd Show*. For *The Tomorrow Show*, BOC would play live versions of "Burnin' For You" and "Joan Crawford", interspersed with an interview of Buck and Eric. BOC was one of two bands featured on *Search* newsmagazine segment on rock music and hearing loss, where Allen is shown taking a hearing test. Allen and Joe are interviewed on the *Night Flight* show, and the (MTV-banned) "Joan Crawford" video was also shown. BOC also appeared on two shows which discussed issues dealing with rock music and the Devil, *That Teen Show* (where Buck, Eric, and Allen were interviewed) and *Take Off* (where Eric was interviewed). Eric and Rick Downey are interviewed on the set by Martha Quinn (Martha would later star in the *Bad Channels* movie). On the show *Fridays*, Allen performed on piano and keyboards for three songs with the Jim Carroll Band. In 1991, BOC was on Rick Dee's *Into The Night* program on ABC, playing "Godzila" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". Also, in 1988, Buck, Eric, and Jon Rogers appeared on the British edition of MTV for a 25-minute interview. They also debuted the "Astronomy" video on this show. BOC Collectibles ================ It is probably an impossible task to identify all of the various BOC collectibles that are out there. In addition, most of the collectibles were made during the 1970's and early 1980's, so many will be hard, if not impossible to find. The three best sources for trying to find BOC collectibles are probably the fanclub, the internet, or dealers/collectors advertising in magazines such as *Goldmine*. After collecting albums, live recordings, videos, and numerous t- shirts, one of the more popular BOC collectibles has been tour programs. There were a total of seven different tourbooks published: three in the U.S., three in the U.K., and one in Japan. The first tourbook (14" x 11") was put out in 1977 in the U.S. for the *Spectres* tour. For the 1978 U.K. tour (*Spectres*/*Some Enchanted Evening*), the same book was used, but was produced at a small size (10" x 8"). For BOC's 1979 tour of Japan (*Some Enchanted Evening*), a Japanese tourbook (14" x 10") was printed. BOC also released a tourbook in the U.K. (10" x 9") in 1979 for the *Mirrors* tour. For some reason, no U.S. tourbook for *Mirrors* was produced -- only a poster-magazine titled "Rockbill" which had a band biography, some pictures, and an order form for Satin tour jackets (another BOC collectible). Tourbooks were also released in the U.S. in 1980 for the *Cultosaurus Erectus* tour (9" x 12") and in 1981 for the *Fire Of Unknown Origin* tour (11.75" x 11.75"). Finally, a tourbook for the 1986 *Club Ninja* tour (10" x 9") was produced, and the leftovers were later sold in the U.S. Note: Much of the information on tour programs was provided by Melne Murphy of the BOC Fan Club, which appeared in an article in the fan club's newsletter, "Morning Final". One other collectible for musicians who are BOC fans are songbooks. Warner Brothers Publications produced three BOC songbooks which included basic piano arrangements, guitar chords (no tablature), and lyrics. The most interesting of the three was the *Anthology* book, released in 1978. The cover of the book was the *Some Enchanted Evening* cover, and it included all of the songs on *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* (with the exception of "Buck's Boogie", "Maserati GT", and "Born To Be Wild"), *Some Enchanted Evening*, as well as "This Ain't The Summer Of Love". Also released in 1978 was *Spectres/Agents Of Fortune*, which contained all the songs from those two albums. Interestingly enough, *Agents Of Fortune* came before *Spectres*, but the songbook lists all the songs from *Spectres* first. The third book from Warner Brothers was for *Mirrors*, and was released in 1979. These three songbooks are long out of print. According to Bolle Gregmar, Warner Brothers also released 3 BOC songs as sheet music: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "In Thee", and "Dancin' In The Ruins". Finally, the Hal Leonard Corporation recently released a songbook for *Cult Classic*. This book contains both musical notation and tablature for guitar for all the songs on *Cult Classic* -- even the guitar leads and solos. Other BOC collectibles include (but are not limited to): badges, pendants, keychains, dice (pictures of a BOC keychain and BOC dice are printed on the two CDs which make up *Workshop Of The Telescopes*), stickers, baseball caps, visors, scarves, headbands, belt buckles, patches, pins, promo photos, cardboard standups, and guitar picks. Finally, one might consider published articles about BOC as a collectible. Most articles on BOC, aside from local newspaper articles (usually coinciding with a BOC show), can be found in music magazines from the 1970's and 1980's. A good place to start would be magazines such as *Creem*, *Circus*, *Hit Parader*, *Rolling Stone*, and *Kerrang*. In addition to various live recordings and interviews captured by fans on tape, there exists a set of recordings from the spring of 1981 to the summer of 1982 when Eric Bloom acted as a gues DJ, on WLIR-FM in New York. The show was called "Every Wednesday Nite With Eric Bloom" with host Ben Manilla. The show was sometimes nicknamed "The Bozo Patrol", after a "Bozo Patrol Theme Song" which Eric and Ben created. 6. Three Men in Black Said, "Don't Report This" -- More Sources Of Info Bolle Gregmar -- BOC/Brain Surgeons Fan Clubs ============================================= Bolle Gregmar (who has personally known the band since around 1975) is listed on BOC's *Cult Classic* and *Heaven Forbid*, and The Brain Surgeon's albums as the person to write to for fan club information. Bolle is also the proprietor of "The Museum of Cult", where BOC fans from all over the world go to see and hear the most complete collection of BOC music, information, and memorabilia. Also involved in running the fan club is Melne Murphy, most famous as the artist responsible for the cover of *Cult Classic*. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the following address for more information: P.O. Box 931324 Los Angeles, CA 90093 The BOC Fan Club has published fourteen issues of the fan club newsletter, "Morning Final". Issues #1-10 were published between 1990 and 1993, with issues #11-14 published from 1995 to 1997. Currently, no future issues are planned, but the fanclub has a strong on-line presence (on "America On-Line" -- see the section "BOC On AOL" for more information), and has set up a website at the following URL: http://www.bocfanclub.com The fan club can be reached by e-mail. Questions can be directed to the following e-mail address: BOCfanclub@aol.com Back issues of "Morning Final" are available. Issues #1-10 are available as a compilation, for those who joined the fanclub after they were published. The complete set of all fourteen issues is also available. In addition, the fanclub published a BOC lyric book, and is the definitive source for BOC lyrics. Editor's Note: The publications by the fan club are extremely well-done, and contain a wealth of information for any BOC fan. Church Of The Cult -- BOC Fan Club For French Fans ================================================== There is a BOC fanclub based out of France, known as the "Church Of The Cult", run by Jean-Luc Carrier. The fanclub produces a newsletter, titled "Blue Pearl", which is mostly in French. For more information on this fanclub, write to: Church Of The Cult 134, Rue de Periole 31500 Toulouse France Or, Jean-Luc can be reached via e-mail: LukeChurch@aol.com Buck Dharma Mailing List ======================== Buck Dharma has authorized and created a T-shirt commemorating the *Flat Out* Album. The graphic is a full color rendition of the Flat White Wall Tire from the back cover of the album looming out of a high quality black T-shirt with BUCK DHARMA FLAT OUT in righteous lettering. Available in L and XL sizes for $22.95 Postpaid. Send Check or Money Order to: DHARMA PO Box 6145 Fair Haven NJ 07704 Include full shipping address, telephone number, and size preference. You will be added to mailing list for audio and other projects under development. Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost -- The Brain Surgeons ======================================================= Former BOC drummer Albert Bouchard, and his wife Deborah Frost, now both with The Brain Surgeons, are both members of the BOC/Hawkwind E- Mail list. Members of BOC-L can reach them via the list. If you are interested in obtaining Brain Surgeons information, and the latest Cellsum Records Catalog (which includes The Brain Surgeons discography, plus other releases such as Joe Bouchard's "X Brothers" CD), write to: Cellsum Records, P.O. Box 1070 Fort George Station New York, N.Y. 10040 More information about The Brain Surgeons can be obtained at the band's website (see the section on on-line sources for the address). BOC-L -- The BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail List ===================================== For those with internet access, there is an E-Mail discussion group (moderated by Ben Cohen) dedicated to discussing the bands Blue Oyster Cult and Hawkwind (since both bands have many similarities). To subscribe to the BOC-L mailing list, you must send a mail message to the following address: listserv@listserv.spc.edu with a message body of: SUB BOC-L Editor's Note: The subscription request address (well, the old address -- BOC-L has been upgraded since then) is listed on the Brain Surgeons' album, *Trepanation*, so you know this is a great group to be a part of. You should receive an introductory file, after which you must confirm that you want to sign up. Once added to the list, you will receive all posts to the list. Occasionally, some people have problems signing on the list at the above address. If you do, contact the list moderator via e-mail: ben@st-canard.spc.edu Why does this discussion group handle both BOC and Hawkwind? Well, there are several similarities between the groups. Both groups have relatively small, but loyal (and somewhat rabid) followings. Both groups play a similar style of music, and have been around for years. The music of both groups is heavily drawn-from science-fiction/fantasy themes. In addition, Michael Moorcock, who co-wrote 3 of BOC's tunes (see previous discussion in the FAQ), has also been a member of Hawkwind. BOC on AOL ========== The internet service provider, "America On-Line" is the host to some of the most prolific on-line BOC discussion as the heads of the fanclub (Bolle Gregmar and Melne Murphy), along with Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, and Danny Miranda are AOL subscribers. Several BOC-related "folders" (similar to internet newsgroups, but only accessible to AOL members) are resident in AOL's "Music Space". Along with numerous on- line fans, notices from the fanclub and the band are regularly posted there. In particular, Eric Bloom posts the latest touring information there, which usually gets disseminated to other on-line locations. In addition, there are folders set up for "Soft White Underbelly", "Oaxaca", "The Red And The Black", and "Buck Dharma", where a few hardcore fans participate in electronic dialog. Like the BOC folder, folders for these groups are also found under "Classic Rock". A "Brain Surgeons" folder has also appeared in the "Classic Rock" folder, with participation from Albert Bouchard, Deborah Frost, Billy Hilfiger, and Joe Bouchard. For AOL members, a direct link to all of the BOC and related message boards can be found by following in your AOL browser: aol://4344:128.BOCmain.1346456.543903049 Otherwise, the following sequence will take you to this area: Click on "Music Space" on the "Channels" screen Click on "Chat and Messages" Click "Fans and Followers" Folder Click "Blue Oyster Cult" AOL's "Music Space" also links one to "The Nightclub", AOL's on- line music chat center. BOC chats are held there regularly - currently either the first or second Tuesday night of every month, from 10 pm to midnight, Eastern Time. Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, and Danny Miranda participate regularly on these sessions, and some chats have included participation by other members of the band. Along with some of BOC's biggest fans, Bolle Gregmar, Melne Murphy, Sandy Roeser (Buck's wife), Rick Downey, Albert Bouchard, Deborah Frost, Billy Hilfiger and others have participated in the chats as well. BOC on the Web ============== With the explosion of the World Wide Web, BOC and BOC-related sites are appearing all the time, and it is no longer possible to keep up with all of them. The FAQ will list many of them, but this is not an exhaustive list. However, if you access every website listed in the FAQ, and every link that each of those sites list, you will probably cover 99% of all BOC information available on the World Wide Web. Good luck, and plan on spending a lot of time on-line. Official BOC Sites ------------------ http://www.blueoystercult.com ("The Official BOC Website" - linked directly to the fanclub's website) http://www.bocfanclub.com ("The BOC Fanclub" - this is the official website of the BOC fanclub - lots of information on BOC and the fanclub, plus rare pictures of the band and memorabilia) http://www.cmcinternational.com (CMC International Records - Distributors of the *Summerdaze* CD, and BOC's latest album, *Heaven Forbid*. They have a BOC page, with the album cover artwork, a discography, and soundclips for "See You In Black" at: http://www.cmcinternational.com/boc.html) http://www.music.sony.com/Music/ (Sony Music, which carries BOC's past available U.S. releases as well as *Workshop Of The Telescopes*. They have added a BOC page, which contains pictures, sound bytes, links to other sites, and more at: http://www.sony.com/Music/ArtistInfo/BOC/index.html) http://www.mazurpr.com/ (Mazur Public Relations - handles publicity for many bands, including BOC) Fan and Reference Sites ----------------------- http://members.aol.com/bocfaqman/ ("The Home of the BOC FAQ MAN" - the FAQ editor's BOC website - contains links to the FAQ, news, an online quiz to test your FAQ knowledge, and several other links) http://members.aol.com/tbspostop/ ("The Brain Surgeons Post-Op" - the FAQ editor's Brain Surgeons website - contains Brain Surgeons music in RealAudio format, links, tour information, and an online version of the Cellsum Records catalog) http://j-and-a.com/boc.html ("Blue Oyster Cult Online" - contains links to numerous sites, photos, and an online bulletin board where BOC fans can post messages. A java- based chat is also available.) http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/6801/boc.html ("Flaming Telepaths" - the oldest BOC site on the web - contains links to other BOC sites, as well as some sound files) http://members.aol.com/mileskb/boc/ ("On Tour Forever" - latest news on the band, including up-to-date tour information, and links to other BOC sites) http://members.aol.com/psychoguy/bocring.htm ("The BOC Web-Ring" - A site which links numerous other BOC sites together. Maintainers of BOC sites are encouraged to join.) http://members.aol.com/BillyD64/PFF.html ("The Peasant Fan Foundation" - a site for BOC fans - links, discussions, and member-submitted essays) http://members.aol.com/Miles9000/TCIring.html ("The Church of Imaginos Web-Ring" - links, member pages, and regular BOC fan chat sessions - America On-Line members can access specific AOL BOC-related areas) http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Towers/1615/ ("Imaginos" - contains links, interviews, news, and personal reviews of each BOC album and song by the author.) http://members.aol.com/vegas4boc/ ("Las Vegas BOC Connection" - contains current info on the band, upcoming concerts, and links to other sites) http://members.aol.com/LoriNorris/boc.htm ("OysterAnn's BOC Web Page" -- current band photos, links, and information) http://www.mindspring.com/~futreal/boc.htm ("The BOC and tBS Workshop" - links, pictures, articles, reviews and more for BOC and all off-shoots, including The Brain Surgeons, the Buck Dharma Band, and The Cult Brothers) http://www.keyinfo.com/~tyranny1/ (old address -- http://www.geocities.com/~tyranny1/) ("Ezekiel's Wheel" - contains links, pictures, artwork, and interviews) http://www.usd.edu/~tgannon/boc.html ("TCG's BOC Page" - contains BOC links, guitar tab archives, and artwork) http://www.angelfire.com/sc/arthurcomics/ ("The Devil's Music Index" - review of a recent BOC show, and a review of *Heaven Forbid* and *Blue Oyster Cult*) http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Towers/4236/ ("The Lighthouse of Lost Christabel" - a fan's collection of BOC stuff. A java-based chat is also available.) http://www.angelfire.com/pa/blueoystercult/ ("Todd's BOC Page" - discography and sounds) http://members.aol.com/orion31161/boc.htm ("Mike's BOC Page" - links and photos) http://members.aol.com/BabyIceDog/ScrMaus.htm ("The Secret Room in the Mausoleum" - BOC and Dark Shadows pictures and links) http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/4774/ ("Salute The Four Quarters" - lots of BOC pictures and links) http://members.aol.com/Miles9000/MadnessToTheMethod.html ("Madness To The Method" - links and BOC-related artwork) http://members.aol.com/VraGemini7/VeraGem.html ("The Revenge of Vera Gemini" - links, and information on BOC references in Marvel Comics' "Defenders" series) http://weber.u.washington.edu/~dtarr/boc.html (page with BOC and other music info - contains BOC and other music links) http://www.public.asu.edu/~fayst/boc.html ("Big Rich's BOC Page" - contains BOC links, sounds, and the Sony BOC catalog listing) http://home.cdsnet.net/~mcfamily/boc.htm (several BOC links, and some pictures) http://netrover.com/~nukestar/ ("Club Ninja" - guitar tabs and links) http://145.89.82.151/~martijn/boc/boc.htm ("BOCbase" - A noble attempt to put all known BOC releases, concerts, and BOC-related releases into a database.) http://listserv.spc.edu/archives/boc-l.html (archives of BOC-L postings - view postings by week, or search the archives by keywords) http://www.egroups.com/list/blueoystercult/ (archives of BOC e-mail list - similar to BOC-L, but dedicated solely to BOC conversation - contains information on how to subscribe to the list) http://jump.to/boc ("dotBOC" web portal - providing BOC links, chat, and free BOC e-mail) http://members.tripod.com/~malmstn/boc.htm ("The Godzilla Page" - where you can hear different songs sung to the music of BOC's "Godzilla) Artwork and Photography Sites ----------------------------- http://www.dreamscape.com/astro/ ("Astro's Arts" - custom BOC graphics) http://www.wwa.com/~crownos ("The Endless Shadow Bar" - artwork inspired by BOC and related bands) http://home.earthlink.net/~grozeb/ ("The Mystic Sign" - BOC-inspired artwork) http://www.trenton.edu/~frodge/boc.html (several downloadable BOC pictures) http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/zgists/wre/photo/boc.html (several pictures from a 1981 BOC concert) http://www.magic105fm.com/lsn/boc/boc.htm (several recent BOC concert photos) http://www.pyx106.com/blueoyst.htm (a few pictures from a 1996 BOC concert) http://members.aol.com/MyBOC2u/ ("Del Rio's Page" - lots of pictures of current BOC shows) http://www.users.interport.net/~skorpioh/portfolio3.html (a few live shots from old BOC shows) http://members.tripod.com/~bfried7/cult.htm (live pictures from the "laser era") http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/Mall/1697/boc1.html (live pictures from 1998 and links) BOC-Related Sites ----------------- http://www.j-and-a.com/rose.htm or http://www.roselegacy.com/ (The Rose Legacy Corporation Home Page - information about Ricky Browning, the Buck Dharma Band benefit to raise money for him, and information on ordering products associated with this event) http://w3.nai.net/~xbros/ (The X Brothers Home Page - information about Joe Bouchard's CD release of original material that he performed with the band known as "The Cult Brothers" - contains album ordering information, photos, and lyrics) http://www.darkecho.com/JohnShirley.html (website for author and current BOC lyricist John Shirley - contains information about his books, his music, interviews, and more) http://www.lesvegas.com/ (website for Soft White Underbelly lead vocalist Les Braunstein - information on his new album "Fools Gold", and more) http://www.helenwheels.com (website for BOC and Brain Surgeons lyricist Helen Wheels - contains information, pictures, CD ordering information, and more) http://www.triversmyersmusic.com (website for the jingle company formed by husband/wife team of John Trivers and Liz Myers - John Trivers played bass in Eric Bloom's band, "The Lost and Found" in the 1960's, and both Trivers and Myers collaborated with BOC on a few songs - Liz Meyers also co-wrote the hit song by Eddie Money, "Shakin'") http://www.oceanstar.com/~fi/patti/ (website for Patti Smith - information, links, pictures, and more) http://JimCarroll.forbin.com/ (website for Jim Carroll - information, pictures, and more) http://www.gsmith.com (website for Greg Smith - temporary bassist for BOC over the summer of 1995) Other Related Commercial Sites ------------------------------ http://www.mofi.com/ (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab - Producers of the re-mastered *Agents Of Fortune* "gold" CD) http://www.king-biscuit.com/kbrecords.html (The King Biscuit Flower Hour Records - Distributors of live concert recordings, including reportedly a new BOC release in 1999) http://www.krause.com/goldmine/ (website for *Goldmine* magazine - lots of information for the music collector. In addition, they have a portion of the BOC article from their June 7, 1996 issue which featured BOC as the cover story. Currently, that article can be found at the following URL: http://www.krause.com/goldmine/is_414/issue.htm) http://www.rollingstone.com (website for *Rolling Stone* magazine - there's some articles and info on BOC - look under the "B" section for the link to BOC's area) http://www.artist-shop.com ("The Artist Shop", a music store dedicated to independent artists. Cellsum Records has a page at this site - CDs by the Brain Surgeons, X Brothers, and other Cellsum artists can be ordered there, and the site has a few sound clips of Brain Surgeons and X Brothers music. In addition, the Artist Shop hosts online chats with artists - Buck Dharma has done two of them, and the Ricky Browning Benefit video can also be ordered from here.) http://www.addict.com/ ("Addicted To Noise" - an on-line music review magazine. The Brain Surgeons' Deborah Frost, and BOC/Brain Surgeons lyricist Richard Meltzer, contribute to this magazine. Check out the list of sponsors in the early issues for "The Brain Surgeons", and you can view artwork to *Eponymous*, and listen to sound samples of "Language Of Love" and "Name Your Monster" - http://www.addict.com/adverts/Cellsum/February/. In addition, one of the back issues contains a review of BOC's *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, with sound samples of "Stairway To The Stars", "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", and "Career Of Evil" - http://www.addict.com/issues/1.10/Up_Front/Editorial_Rant/index.html) http://members.aol.com/HARPERGTRS/ (Harper Guitars website - This manufacturer has made custom BOC guitars for both Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma, which they have been playing in concert. Pictures of the guitars, are at this website, as well as ordering information.) http://www.europa.com/~doomer/bocdoom2.html (The "BOC DOOM 2" site - downloading of the level is available) http://www.take2games.com/taketwo/ripper.html (information on the computer game, "Ripper" - featuring BOC music) http://www.CDaddy.com/ (Crawdaddy website - One of the first rock magazines, *Crawdaddy* had Richard Meltzer and Sandy Pearlman as major contributors in the late 1960's. Information on new issues, or ordering reprints of the original issues from the 1960's, is available at this site.) http://www.ubl.com/ (The Ultimate Band List - both BOC and The Brain Surgeons have cards with links to other sites) http://www.hardradio.com/ ("HardRadio" - an online radio station specializing in hard rock and heavy metal - contains sound samples of songs from *Heaven Forbid*) http://www.goodnoise.com/ ("Goodnoise" - a company which distributes music via the internet - former BOC manager Sandy Pearlman is their vice president of media and artist development) http://www.stormbirds.com ("Stormbirds" - a site dedicated to ME-262 aircraft - lots of great pictures and information - including information on a project to produce new ME-262 aircraft based on the original specifications) http://www.ebay.com ("Ebay" - one of the largest Internet auction sites - many BOC and related items are auctioned there regularly, including many hard-to-find items - it is recommended that one uses the "Search" page to search on "Blue Oyster Cult" and check the box that says "search title and description") Other Online Sources ==================== Discussions on BOC also appear on some of the internet newsgroups (also known as "USENET"). There is an "official" BOC internet newsgroup, called "alt.music.blueoystercult". BOC discussion may also occasionally appear on "alt.rock-n-roll", "alt.rock-n-roll.classic", and "alt.rock-n-roll.hard". As mentioned in the list of websites, there is another BOC mailing list, similar to BOC-L, but dedicated to only BOC discussion (that is, no Hawkwind). To subscribe, send an empty message to the following addres: blueoystercult-subscribe@makelist.com 7. Think I'll Write "Good Health To You" -- Copyright and Disclaimer Copyright (c) 1995 - 1999 by John A. Swartz, FAQ editor. All rights reserved. Permission for non-commercial distribution is hereby granted, provided that this file is distributed intact, including this copyright statement, and the disclaimer below. This file is not intended for commercial distribution, and may not be distributed for financial gain, or included in commercial collections without express permission from the editor. SHARE THIS INFORMATION FREELY AND IN GOOD FAITH. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT. Versions of this document may be published in the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format for dissemination on the World Wide Web only after the editor's approval of the modifications. *SPECIAL NOTICE TO THOSE LINKING TO THE FAQ ON THEIR WEB PAGES* It has been most encouraging to me to see all of the BOC-related websites that have appeared, and even more encouraging that they link to the FAQ. However, the proliferation of the FAQ on the World Wide Web is causing me to lose track of who is linking to the FAQ. The main reason for me wanting to know who is linking to the FAQ is so that I know who to notify of future updates. So, I'm asking you to help me. Anyone who wishes to link the FAQ to their web pages may do so (assuming that their pages have something to do with BOC), however, I ask that you please contact me to let me know you are doing this - I will add your e- mail address to a distribution list so that I can notify you of future changes. E-Mail questions and suggestions to: BOCFAQMAN@aol.com Complaints can be sent as well, but they will be ignored. Disclaimer: I have done my best to ensure that the information contained in this document is current and accurate, and as free from personal biases (either my own or anyone who contributes information), but I accept no responsibility for actions resulting from information contained herein. Any opinions that are expressed in this document are either my own, or one of the listed contributors. I accept no responsibility for views expressed by individual contributors, other than to ensure that they are attributed to the proper individual(s). My personal views are too crazy to be attributed to anybody other than myself. This FAQ is "Y2K-compliant". "Good Health To You", John