Roky Erickson's Insane 1980s Press Kit
Before the internet ruined everything, there was the arcane beauty of the music business 'Press Kit': a physical folder or bound book of tangible marketing assets mailed directly to radio DJs, magazine editors, and record store owners to promote a new release.
Popularized by record labels from the 1960s through the 1990s, these photocopied (or cheaply printed) booklets and folders were highly tactile and stylized to make an artist stand out from the mountains of mail that flowed into magazine and newspaper offices daily.
No finer example exists than Roky Erickson's epic bound collection of biographical notes and press clippings produced during his tenure in the Bay Area, and used to promote his 1980 album Roky Erickson and The Aliens. Produced by Creedence Clearwater Revival's Stu Cook, the classic album features San Francisco's new wave 'Bleib Aliens' as Roky's backing band (Duane Aslaksen, guitar; Bill Miller, electric autoharp; Steve Burgess, bass; Fuzzy Furioso, drums).
The contents of the press booklet include beautiful news clippings from all the big name music publications of the day, such as Creem, Trouser Press, NME, and Rolling Stone — to obscure (and long-defunct) regional magazines and papers including The NY Rocker, Comstock Lode, and France's Rock & Folk newsletter, as well as fanzine articles written by the likes of Norton Records co-founder Miriam Linna.
The bound promo pack was assembled and produced by one 'Brenda Shahan of T.B.A.', and features artwork and illustrations by Captain Colourz, plus photography by Lance Gordon, Ray Francois and Jean Constant Gindreau.
UPDATE (see end for more): Much interest has developed since this posting regarding the origin of this press kit. Public Record supporter @piero.capizzi has indicated that there were multiple pressings of this booklet, and may have been produced in conjunction with Craig Luckin, Roky's manager at the time. Have more back info on this item? Leave us a voicemail! ~Pr Ed.
Shahan's charmingly-written biographical introduction of Roky is reprinted here, for the first time anywhere on the internet:
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ROKY ERICKSON.... a collection of biographical notes
Roky Erickson was born on St. Swithin's Day in Dallas, Texas. He was first horrified by comic books. "The kind," Roky recalls, "that were printed in black and white. They were so horrifying they couldn't print them in color...and then, they couldn't print them at all!" His fixation on late-night television and horror movies explained the gremlins who lived behind the door of his bedroom in the shadows. What's-that's and bumps-in-the-night have followed Roky since he was quite young. His teachers must surely have thought it a phase -- something to "grow out of."
His musical career as guitarist-singer-songwriter began when his first single, "You're Gonna Miss Me," with The Spades became a regional hit. Soon after, he joined the 13th Floor Elevators. They received national recognition for their release of "You're Gonna Miss Me." The song was a hit on all the charts and the Elevators were heralded for their new sounds and themes. An extended West Coast tour was so long that they became active members of the San Francisco psychedelic sound of the late sixties. Typical of their time, the Elevators made a community of their audience.
A total of four albums and seven singles were released by the International Artists label. This obscure label's rise to fame was caused by the Elevators and has resulted in international recognition to this day. But, at the time, the Elevators were too far ahead, too strange by Texas standards. They disbanded at the peak of their recording career.
In spite of the obstacles, Erickson continued to write and perform. He published his first book of poetry, OPENERS, in 1972. That same year, Lenny Kaye's NUGGETS compilation album on Elektra was released featuring "You're Gonna Miss Me." The search for Roky recordings was in full swing by collectors and music academicians.
Roky wanted his music to be his, to represent him. He began rehearsing his own material almost exclusively and the dual history began. The "former lead singer of the 13th Floor Elevators" was recording again.
A demo-tape was released as a single, backed by the Bleib Aliens. It drew new fans as the long-term fans were captured once again. Roky moved to California after well-received special appearances in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Soon after he began playing with The Aliens of San Francisco, he recorded an E.P. for France's Sponge label.
(continued)
The science fiction implemented by Roky Erickson was superbly executed by The Aliens, with Bill Miller on electric auto-harp and Duane Aslaksen on guitar. As international attention grew, a single was released by Rhino Records in the United States and Virgin in the United Kingdom.
In the meantime, "new wave" discovered "psychedelic" and Sire reissued Nuggets. The International Artists fan club reconsidered changing its focus to the Roky Erickson fan club and reissued his original recording with The Spades.
With The Aliens, Roky was able to play with a startling array of new, almost ethereal sounds. Roky's charisma, and the sheer power of their performances, created an underground reputation for excellent shows. They began working on the album as International Artists reissued their entire catalog and Radar Records reissued the first two Elevator albums, with "You're Gonna Miss Me" as a single, of course.
The CBS release is a good taste of Erickson's rock experiments. He continuously writes and records new material. Both his poems and lyrics were reviewed for inclusion in his two books-in-progress, I, THE CHILD'S MIND and FUTURE DEMONIC BLEIB.
His recent performances in Texas and California have delighted audiences. Whether relating his famous gothic epochs or his more melodic love songs, Roky creates pure theatre of the ideas he tucks between his lyrics.
While preparing for future concerts and recording sessions, Erickson continues to search for additions to his collection of contemporary horror comics, books, films, and recordings.
"I just love monsters," Roky claims. "I haven't met one person in the world that doesn't like a monster...Sometimes I wonder why I write my songs. I guess the reason I say that is -- sometimes my songs seem a little bit too normal, you know? They seem to be a little bit too wordy. I'd rather have a song that's ...scary."
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In addition to a trove of articles, photographs, and typographic treasures, the promotional binder includes an exhaustive discography and recording notes.
If you want to see more scans from Roky's Insane 1980s Press Kit, leave us a Voicemail (just click the button at the bottom of your screen) and let us know which pages you want to see!
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We are proud to present this historical artifact for the first time anywhere on the internet, for you, and for the Public Record.
UPDATE | BONUS Images:
