m y s t e r e :
the red crayola
and john fahey
1967
the lost tapes
m y s t e r e :
the red crayola
and john fahey
1967
the lost tapes
in 1967, the red crayola (rick barthelme, steve cunningham, mayo thompson) left their native texas for a jaunt to "summer of love" california. while they were there, they met and played with john fahey. a live chunk of their collaboration was released in 1998 in the live 1967 double cd (pictured above).
however, there were studio sessions recorded by the red crayola and john fahey. according to mayo thompson:
"in '67...we recorded some material with john fahey. and our record company went through the ceiling over this. they threatened not to bring us back from california...so rick (barthelme) and steve (cunningham) said, "you go to frisco and get the tapes, and we're going back to texas." so it became my job to do this, because i had started the band. so i came back up here and picked up the tapes, which were reluctantly handed over. we intended to try to do something with them. and then i had to take these tapes back to texas, give them to the record company, and then bust up, that was the end of that."the following information was reported to me in conversations with mayo thompson. the tapes were recorded (a couple of 16 track reels worth), then turned over to international artists, the bands' record company. they have not been seen nor heard of since.
[from a 1996 interview with richie unterberger on www.richieunterberger.com]
apparently, when international artists was sold in the late seventies, no master tapes were handed over. all of the subsequent reissues were mastered from vinyl copies of the ia releases.
the only lead i have found is that the tapes may have been in the possession of one billy joe dillard, one of the lawyers who owned international artists. he relocated to memphis, and subsequently may have opened a recording studio or record pressing company there.
so, if anyone out there has any information on mr. billy joe dillard, or on the whereabouts of any of the tapes (or any reference copies), please forward it to this writer.
these recordings would be a significant find.
b . w i l d e r e d
...information, updates and corrections to this article can be sent to...
email: b.wildered@whiterose.net
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