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THE BURROUGHS FILE: A reference guide to works of William S. Burroughs,
recordings, film and video appearances, samples, publications, etcetera.
This project began as an Internet/Usenet FAQ/index of WSB recordings and has
grown considerably with each revision to expand in scope. Many thanks to Danny
Iacovou for his help with adding the listing of books by WSB.
This is Version 3.4, last updated on December 13, 1993. If you're aware of
any Burroughs works not cited here please email any details, rumors, or
ramblings to malcolm@wrs.com.
=========================
The Burroughs File Index:
=========================
1 - Recent news
2 - Recordings
- Recording Bibliography as of 1972
- other WSB recordings
- WSB samples 7 clips used by other artists
3 - Movies and video appearances
- WSB major works (produced/starring/scripted)
- WSB appears
- WSB references
4 - Books & publications by WSB
5 - Other items of potential interest
- Books about WSB
- WSB Jr. books
- Recordings and other works referencing WSB
6 - Contact addresses
7 - Information wanted - missing details - Help expand this file!
Sections are prefaced by 1), 2), N) so if online you can search/jump to a
section by searching for "1)", etc. Recent additions are marked with "| "
in the left margin to make it a little easier to spot what changed from the
last revision.
===============
1) Recent news:
===============
| a recent performance:
| The Black Rider - running November 20 - December 1, 1993
| written by William S. Burroughs
| music by Tom Waits (it's not clear if Waits is there live for the performance)
| directed by Robert Wilson
| at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York.
| This also previously ran in Germany.
some recent cd releases:
'THE SACRED SAWDUST RING'
CD with a track done by WSB & Coco. 4:25 long
It's a dance type track with WSB speaking in the background.
Some of the other artists on this disc are David Tibet, Sam Mills,
Patti Palladin. The disc is all written, produced, and engineered
by a person named Ken Thomas. Released 1993?
For info: Sawdust Ring, PO Box 435, London, SEI 4SR
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS SPARE ASS ANNIE AND OTHER TALES
Island Records 1993
a cd project produced by Hal Wilner, with the Disposable Heroes of
Hiphoprisy.
01. Interlude
02. Spare Ass Annie
03. Interlude 2
04. The Last Words Of Dutch Shultz
05. Interlude 3
06. Mildred Pierce Reporting
07. Dr. Benway Operates
08. Warning To Young Couples
09. Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk?
10. Last Words With Ras I. Zulu
11. One God Universe
12. Interlude 4
13. The Junky's Christmas
14. Words Of Advise For Young People
15. Last Words With Michael Franti
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL featuring Burroughs, Hal Wilner,
and Michael Franti talking about the making of Spare Ass Annie. This includes
selected excerpts from the disc as well as a bunch of commentary.
Island - PRCD 5003-2. 1993.
"THE 'PRIEST' THEY CALLED HIM"
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana has composed the backing music for a story about
heroin by author William S. Burroughs. Cobain plays a haunting guitar
behind Burroughs' narration of "The 'Priest' They Called Him" about a
junkie priest who finds a suitcase in the street on Christmas Eve with
a dismembered body.
CD on Tim/Kerr records (TK92CD044) 1993. Approximately 10 minutes long.
| Also released as a very limited 'signed' 10 inch.
| "they call him priest" and "a junkie's christmas" (on Spare Ass Annie)
| are different readings or interpretations of the same story.
WORKS SUPPOSEDLY IN PROGRESS:
WSB has contributed to an upcoming Coil album.
INTERFERENCE is a current (and as-yet unreleased) musical project that
Keith LeBlanc is involved in. Others involved include Doug Wimbish
and Skip McDonald, and Tim Simenon (from Bomb the Bass).
Possible winter release but doesn't have a record company to carry it yet.
At least one track features WSB sound bytes.
====================================================================
2) Recordings listing taken from an official bibliography from 1972:
====================================================================
G. RECORDS AND TAPES
1. _Call_Me_Burroughs_
a. _Call_Me_Burroughs_. 12-inch long-playing record published by
Gait Froge at her English Bookshop, 42, rue de Seine, Paris 6e,
Summer 1965.
WSB reads excerpts from The Naked Lunch on side one and from
Nova Express on side two. The tapes were recorded and edited by
Ian Sommerville in Paris. [description of sleeve follows]
b. _Call_Me_Burroughs_. An American edition of G1a was released
by ESP-Disk record company of New York City in late 1966 as ESP 1050.
An extract from side two (Nova Express) lasting for 1.03 minutes is
present on The ESP Sampler issued as ESP 1051 in 1967. Two extracts
from side two are also present on an LP in Aspen 5/6, 1967.
c. _Call_Me_Burroughs_. Issued as a C-60 cassette recording by Udo
Breger, Gottingen, as Expanded Media Editions 6.
2. Excerpt from Nova Express
A 23-minute section read by WSB on Klacto/23, a tape issued by
Carl Weissner and his Klactoveedsedsteen magazine in Frankfurt,
September 1967.
3. Quote
On Dashiell Hedayat, Obsolete, a 12-inch long-playing album
released as Shandar SR 10009, Paris, 1971. The short clip of tape
of WSB appears at the end of the track "Love Song for Zelda"
on face A and is WSB saying: "I have said the basic techniques
of novia are very simple: consisting of creating and aggravating
conflicts. No riots like injustice directed enemies" (12 seconds).
The tape is thought to have been supplied by Daevid Allen and to
have originated in the soundtrack of the film Towers Open Fire.
(This was recently reissued on cd by a label out of Paris called
Mantra (MANTRA 075) They actually list WSB as vocals on the song
'Long Song for Zelda' The other artists on the disc are; Daevid
Allen - lead guitar, Dashiell Hedayat - guitar, keyboards, cutups,
Didier Malherbe - Sax, flute, and water music, Pip Pyle - Drums,
Christian Tritsch - bass and acoustic guitar.)
4. Quote
a. On Ravi Shankar, Chappaqua, Original Soundtrack Recording, 12-inch
long-playing record released by Columbia Records/CBS, New York,
c. May 1968, as Columbia Masterworks OS 3230. The short appearance
by WSB on the soundtrack occurs a little after the beginning of
the last track on side two entitled "Theme" and is WSB saying,
"An unworthy vessel, obviously -- I withdraw from the case--" (5 seconds)
b. The alternate soundtrack for the film was Ornette Coleman's
Chappaqua Suite. It was not used, but was recorded and released
in France and the U.S.A. WSB's voice is present on the U.S. edition
only.
5. Conversation
On short tapes made as radio advertisements for the record Brian Jones
Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka. Produced by Kenny Everett for
Rolling Stones Records in London, 1971. The tapes were made for use
on American FM radio. Three ads were made, two of which include
Burroughs. They consist of music from the record edited together with
a sales message by Everett and conversational clips by WSB, Brion Gysin,
Derek Taylor, and Everett.
6. Ali's Smile 10" record
WSB reading the complete text of Ali's Smile. Brighton: Unicorn Press,
October 1971. One side of a 12-inch long-playing record accompanying
the book.
7. Excerpts from The Wild Boys
Issued on the 2-volume 12-inch long-playing record The Dial-a-Poem
Poets, GSP001 (6.53 minutes). Recorded by John Giorno, Nov 19, 1971,
at WSB's flat in London. Originally used as part of the Dial-a-Poem
project.
8. Burroughs Reading
A tape recorded in New York, Feb 14, 1965, from Valentine's Day
Reading. Released on a 10-inch long-playing record as _OU_ Revuedisque
40-41 (10.15 minutes), Ingatestone, March 1972. One of 500 copies.
_OU_ magazine consists of a collection of artwork and documents,
often with a record, in a folder. Some copies of the record were
issued in a separate white cover (about 75 copies).
9. Burroughs Reading
A tape recorded in New York, Feb 14, 1965, from Valentine's Day
Reading. Has the same opening segment identifying the time and
date as G8 (above). Released on a 10-inch long-playing record as
_OU_ Revuedisque 42-43-44 (8.40 minutes), Ingatestone, Oct 10,
1973. One of 500 copies. A few copies of the record were available
separately but lacked any cover except a thin tissue inner sleeve.
Other WSB recordings since 1972:
================================
THE NOVA CONVENTION - VOLUME 1 & 2 - 2 CASSETTES - GPS 016 & 017
also issued on double lp
Giorno Poetry Systems - 1979 - recorded at The Nova
Convention includes Laurie Anderson, W.S. Burroughs,
John Cage, Allen Ginsberg, Brion Gysin, Julia Heyward,
Timothy Leary, Les Levine, Peter Orlovsky, Anne Waldman,
Robert Anton Wilson, John Giorno, Philip Glass, Patti
Smith, Terry Southern, Frank Zappa.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - NOTHING HERE NOW BUT THE RECORDINGS
Industrial records, 1981. Complied by Genesis P-Orridge at
the Burroughs archives in Lawrence. The last release on
Industrial Records.
Nothing Here But the Recordings released 1981. The last Industrial Record
YOU'RE THE GUY I WANT TO SHARE MY MONEY WITH - LP GPS 020-021
Giorno Poetry Systems - 1981 - spoken word album split
between W.S. Burroughs, Laurie Anderson & John Giorno.
WSB pieces from "Red Night Tour" - has been reissued on cd.
FRUIT OF THE ORIGINAL SIN (COMP. WITH PETER GORDON, WINSTON TONG, DNA, ETC.)
1981 DISQUES DU CREPUSCULE TWI 035 - Double lp, reissued on cd
WSB track is called "Twilight's Last Gleaming", from the Red Night
Tour w/John Giorno, Keystone Corner, San Francisco 5/16/81.
YOU'RE A HOOK - 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIAL A POEM - 1983 - LP
GPS release w/ various artists and
WSB's "Old Man Bickford"
NAROPA INSTITUTE 1983
tape of Burroughs from Naropa Institute 1983, appears to be a bootleg.
BETTER AN OLD DEMON THAN A NEW GOD - LP
Giorno Poetry Systems - 1983 or 84? - spokenword & musical
compilation including David Johansen, John Giorno,
W.S. Burroughs, PTV, Lydia Lunch, Meredith Monk,
Jim Carroll, Anne Waldman, Richard Hell, Arto Lindsay.
MYTHS: INSTRUCTIONS 1.
1984 BELGIUM - SUB ROSA 33001-1
COMPILATION WITH WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, CAMBERWELL NOW, ETC.
track 3 - The Five Steps (with Martin Olson, percussion/electronics)
also has tracks by Genesis P-Orridge & SPK
Also noted as "The Myths Collection Part One" cd, Sub Rosa, subcd003-15
THE MYTHS COLLECTION PART TWO
Sub Rosa (SUBCD009-32)
WSB track called 'Burroughs called the Law' (1:30).
Recorded in the Mid 60s by WSB.
A DIAMOND HIDDEN IN THE MOUTH OF A CORPSE - LP gps 035
Giorno Poetry Systems - 1985 - spokenword & musical
compilation including W.S. Burroughs, Husker Du, Cabaret
Voltaire, David Johansen, John Giorno Band, Diamanda Galas,
Coil, Michael Gira, Sonic Youth, David Van Tieghem,
Jessica Hagedorn and the Gangster Choir.
WSB's "the president/colonel bradford/every man a god"
from _the western land_
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - BREAK THROUGH IN GREY ROOM - LP/CD
Sub Rosa, released February 1987, lp SUB 33005-8, cd SUB CD006-9.
Tracks - Canine Was In Combat With The Alien/Origin And Theory Of The
Tape Cutup/Recalling All Active Agents/Silver Smoke Of Dreams/Junkie
Relations/Joujouka (x4)/Curse Go Back/Present Time Excersises/Working
With The Popular Forces/Interview With Mr.Martin/Soundpiece/Burroughs
Called The Law
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - THE DOCTOR IS ON THE MARKET - LP
Les Temps Modernes Recordings - 1986 - LTMV:XX
Various spoken word pieces.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - THE DOCTOR IS ON THE MARKET - LP - no jacket
Interior Music - IM003 - 1986(?)
"I found this record inside the MINUTES LP, listed
hereafter, Jacket when I bought it new. I opened
another MINUTES record to see if it had one also and it
didn't. So I have no idea if this was a mistake
or what." - Doug Grant
There are two differences from the Les Temps Modernes release:
#1. Track 3 side 1 is listed as "The Green Nun"
Listed as "Old Sarge Smiles" on LTM
release.
#2. Track 5 side 1 is listed as "Technical
Psychiatry". Listed as "Meeting of the
International Conference of Technical
Psychiatry" on the LTM release.
SMACK MY CRACK - LP
Giorno Poetry Systems - 1987 gps 038
- spokenword & musical compilation including
W.S. Burroughs, Tom Waits, Butthole Surfers, Chris Stein,
Einsturzende Neubauten, Diamanda Galas, Nick Cave, Swans,
John Giorno Band, Chad & Sudan.
WSB's "words of advice/kim like the great gatsby"
| WSB's extracts are taken from a draft of The Place of Dead Roads.
| There are slight differences between the final version and the CD.
MINUTES LTM V:XV - LP
Les Temps Modernes - March 1987 -
Comp with W.S. Burroughs, Jean Cocteau,
Winston Tong, Jacques Derrida, Richard Jobson,
The Monochrome Set, Louis Phillippe.
MINUTES TO GO!
1987 BEL INTERIOR MUSIC IM 001
COMPILATION WITH WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, WINSTON TONG, ANTI-GROUP, CV...
This is a different compilation than the one above, though
they both apparently feature some of the same artists.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - UNCOMMON QUOTES - CD
Caravan of Dreams Prod. - 1988 - essay titled "William
Burroughs: A Shift in Vision" enclosed. Recorded live
at the Caravan of Dreams, Sept. 11, 1986.
LIKE A GIRL, I WANT YOU TO KEEP COMING - LP/CD GPS 040
Giorno Poetry Systems - 1989 - spokenword & musical
compilation including W.S. Burroughs, Debbie Harry,
David Byrne, New Order, Karen Finley, Henry Rollins
band, John Giorno Band, PMS, Live Skull.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - DEAD CITY RADIO - CD (Island 422-846 264-2)
Island Records - 1990 - WSB spokenword over various musical
backdrops including Sonic Youth, John Cale, NBC Symphony
Orchestra, Chris Stein & others.
Also released as USA CD Polygram 846264-2
Canada CD Island CID-846264
WILLIAMS S. BURROUGHS - THE ELVIS OF LETTERS - LP/EP/CD (1985?)
T.K./Takoma Records (1991)/ Tim Kerr cd (91CD001)
- includes Burroughs Break, Word is Virus, Millions of Images,
and The Hipster Be-Bop Junkie.
WSB w/ music by Gus Van Sant (known for his films).
The 7" version only has 2 tracks:
"Millions of Images"/"Hipster Be-Bop Junkie"
CASH COW, THE BEST OF GIORNO POETRY SYSTEMS, 1965-1993
Joint release by East Side Digital and GPS.
Artists include Cabaret Voltaire, William S. Burroughs, Debbie
Harry, Buster Poindexter, John Giorno, Husker Du, Laurie Anderson,
Philip Glass, Patti Smith, Coil, Diamanda Galas, Frank Zappa and Glenn
Branca.
Frank Zappa does "The Talking Asshole." This is a reading from Burroughs
"Naked Lunch." There is also a nice BW photo of Frank Zappa and Burroughs.
"The Talking Asshole" was recorded at The Nova Convention, Dec. 2, 1978,
and previously issued on "The Nova Convention LP" (1979) and "You're a
Hook LP" (1983).
THE 'PRIEST' THEY CALLED HIM
cd on Tim/Kerr records (TK92CD044) 1993
with music by Kurt Cobain (of Nirvana)
about a junkie priest who finds a suitcase in the street on Christmas
Eve with a dismembered body. Approximately 10 minutes.
| Also released as a very limited 'signed' 10 inch.
BETTER AN OLD DEMON THAN A NEW GOD - LP
Giorno Poetry Systems release w/ various
artists and WSB's "Dinosaurs".
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS - ZERO TIME TO THE SICK TRACKS
(CASSETTE-ONLY) 19?? US (?) WSB 001
WHAT IS INDUSTRIAL MUSIC? 198?
compilation of Industrial Records singles
track called "Nothing Here Now" by William S. Burroughs.
THE REVISED BOY SCOUT MANUAL - 3 Cassettes
The Boy Scouts cassettes are the source of the article in the
RE/search book. The book transcribes 1 cassettes' worth.
Subject: Basically a manual detailing how to overthrow a government
of your choice.
INTERVIEW WITH WSB
There is also a cassette tape put out by The Temple of
Psychick Youth - "Interview with WSB" - It may be available
from the US section of TOPY and should be available through
the English section.
| Cold Spring in UK (a sort of TOPY-affiliated label) released a cassette on
| the cut-up method with WSB, Brion Gysin, and Genesis P-Orridge, limited to
| 23 copies. Possibly the same as the TOPY release mentioned above.
| Contents unknown, but i think it was how-to info from interviews.
Not necessarily WSB releases but using Burroughs quotes/samples:
================================================================
|
| This is getting to be a tough call, as I haven't even seen or heard many of
| these releases and it's not always clear whether WSB is a major contributer
| or if hew was just sampled from other recordings with or without his permission.
| But I feel it useful and necessary to separate the major releases under WSB's
| name from the ones that were musical releases using WSB material. With recent
| works such as the collaboration with Cobian and DHoH it becomes harder to define
| what is a major WSB release and what isn't. I'm not going to worry about it too
| much. If something like Material's & souls really had a very direct WSB involvment
| it still doesn't belong on the WSB release list above unless it was released under
| his name.
Some listings have the WSB sample/text included. If part of the
sample was unclear "***" indicates a missed word.
SOFT MACHINE - TRIPLE ECHO (3-lp box) 1977
| "She's Gone" - Version recorded June 1967, appears on Soft Machine's
| Triple Echo 3-LP compilation (1977). WSB credited with "Barely audible
| aphorism". Another version that may or may not include the WSB sample
| appeared on their 1967 Giorgio Gomelsky demos which were later released
| as the lp "At The Beginning" and "Jet Propelled Photograph" and "Rock
| Generation Volume 8". The band Soft Machine was actually named after
| a Burroughs novel, and founding member supposedly played a role in
| introducing WSB to Terry Riley and tape loops in the early 60's. Allen
| was also respsonsible for the WSB connection to the Dashiel Heydayat
| lp using Burroughs tapes. The Soft Machine took their name, with
| permission, from the title of a novel by WSB. Band member Daevid Allen
| worked with WSB in the early 60's and introduced WSB to Terry Riley.
| While WSB was apparently already familiar with tape decks and edits and
| experimentation via Brion Gysin during this period, rumor has it that
| Riley & Allen introduced Burroughs to tape loops around 1963 when
| working with him on a Burroughs production (The Ticket That Exploded?)
| while WSB resided at the "Beat Hotel".
LAURIE ANDERSON MISTER HEARTBREAK LP/CD
1984 US WARNER BROTHERS 9-25077-1 (LP) 9 25077 - 2 (CD)
and
12" - SHARKEY'S DAY(EDIT)/ SHARKEY'S NIGHT(EXTENDED)/ EXCELLENT BIRD
1984 US WARNER BROTHERS PRO-A-2123
on Sharkeys night: the vocal on this track is spoken by WSB.
LAURIE ANDERSON - HOME OF THE BRAVE CD: Warner Bros. 9 25400 - 2
Late Show: uses a William S. Burroughs sample and no other vocals
The sample is "Listen to my heartbeat".
Language is a virus: There is a WSB quote on the sleeve after the text for the track.
The quote is "Language is a virus from outer space".
This is also a film/video release of HOME OF THE BRAVE.
LAURIE ANDERSON "UNITED STATES, PARTS I-IV" 5 LP set. Warner Bros 25192-1
features the song "Language is a virus", and is preceded by "Difficult
Listening Hour", during which reference is made to WSB. The quote goes:
"... what's going on here anyways ? Who are you ?
And he said, 'now, I'm the Soul Doctor, and you know, language is a
virus from outer space, and hearing your name is better than seeing
your face.' "
MATERIAL - SEVEN SOULS (1989) VIRGIN
Most of the cuts on this album are new recordings of Burroughs over a
pastiche of funk and Middle Eastern stuff.
MINISTRY - JUST ONE FIX cd-single Sire/Warner Bros. 40677-2
| Tracks 1 and 3 are alternate mixes of Just One Fix (from Psalm 69)
| with some samples of WSB.
| Track 2 - "Quick Fix" (4:11) spoken words by WSB and music by MINISTRY
| [cover painting: "Last Chance Junction And Curse On Drug Hysteria"
| by William S. Burroughs]
| "Smash the control images. Smash the control machine.
| Junkies have no interest in sex and they have no interest in
| other people except as suppliers of junk.
| They go around looking younger for a few days. Then they need more.
| "Quick Fix" [the entire song is a WSB monologue put to music]
| "To put it country simple. Earth has a lot of things other folks
| might want, like the whole planet. And maybe these folks would
| like a few changes made. Like more carbon dioxide in the
| atmosphere [***] for their way of life. You seen this happen before
| right in the United States. Your way of life destroyed the Indians
| way of life. I'm with the invaders, no use trying to hide that. And
| at the same time I disagree with some of the things they're doing.
| No we're not united any more than you are. [etc]
| "Just One Fix (V.E.)"
| "Break it all down
| They go around looking younger for a few days. Then they need more.
| Break it all down
JESUS & MARY CHAIN - "ROLLERCOASTER E.P." - 12"
Blanco Y Negro - 1st track, side two,
"Lowlife" opens with WSB speaking.
"I bear no sick words, junk words..."
| JESUS & MARY CHAIN "Almost Gold"
| limited edition 10" (1992) features 3 live tracks including "Lowlife"
| with same sample as on release above.
NICK HAEFFNER uses WSB quotes in his version of
"Song From the Bottom of a Well".
MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO "God O.D. pt. 1" STORM THE STUDIO
WaxTrax Records, WAXCD066
"Storm the Studio"
GARY CLAIL "Toes Tapping" END OF THE CENTURY PARTY
On-U Sound Records, On-U CD9
"Lock them out and block the door. Bar them out for ever more.
Change the lock and chain the door. *** them out for ever more."
TACKHEAD "Ticking Time Bomb" FRIENDLY AS A HANDGRENADE
TVT Records 4060
"This world would be a pretty easy and pleasant place to live
if everybody would just mind his own business."
"Get us into the *** they screamed, without a ***, without a ***"
MARK STEWART "The Wrong Name & The Wrong Number" PAY IT ALL BACK,
VOLUME 2 On-U/Nettwerk/Capitol W2-98
[this one contains a LOT of short cut-ups of WSB thrown together]
"The wrong name and the wrong number"
"Getty, Lee, Rockefeller"
"I have not come"
"Hear that?"
"Why don't I come over with a board and drink Coca-Cola"
"Don't let them out, don't"
"The worlds of the all-powerful boards and syndicates of the earth"
"Explain how the *** 100 million more or less *** sweat down the
drain"
"Let them see us, don't tell them what we are doing"
"The apes, the dogs, the rat-men"
"Tape-worms, intestinal parasites"
[etc]
INTERFERENCE - unreleased work in progress
INTERFERENCE is a current (and as-yet unreleased) project that
Keith LeBlanc is involved in. Others involved include Doug Wimbish
and Skip McDonald, and Tim Simenon (from Bomb the Bass).
Possible winter release but doesn't have a record company to carry it yet.
WSB is "on an INTERFERENCE track, he's talking about New World
Order and this is ages ago - sixties, from a speech in the sixties.
It's got George Bush saying "New World Order" and Burroughs say
"What Order? Controlling shit-house of the World. The White House."
It goes on and on, it's really incredible what he's talking
about and he's saying "we don't just report the news, we
write it." He's saying "I've got millions and millions of
images that I can blast right out and control you gooks
right down to the molecule." In other words, television.
Then at the end he says "I've got orgasms, I've got screams,
I don't need art, space, what good is it that to me?" - Keith LeBlanc
SKREW - BURNING IN WATER, DROWNING IN FLAME
(MetalBlade/WB 1992) 26948-2
WSB sample on the track 'Poisonous'.
"Sometimes I think some junkie nurse maybe *** on my medication."
KEITH LEBLANC - MAJOR MALFUNCTION
World Records, WR005CD
on the track "Major Malfunction"
"Short time to go. Minutes...
Your planet has been invaded. [not 100% sure this is his voice]
Listen to my last words [...] world.
I have not come to explain or tidy up.
They is right, Mister, whoever is responsible for that whodunnit[?].
They is right, Mister, whoever is responsible for that.
I say to all these words are not premature, these words may be too
late.
Minutes to go. Minutes to go.
Premature reconversion, reconversion blues."
| DECODER - Film Soundtrack
| vocal samples WSB's cameos are included on soundtrack from
| Crippled Frog Records [which might have been a precursor to Temple Records]
===================
3) Movies & Videos:
===================
There are several video tapes of/by WSB available from Mystic Fire Video
(in the US, so these would be NTSC, as are most videos mentioned here
unless stated otherwise.)
| There were 3 Burroughs/Gysin/Balch film collaborations:
| Towers Open Fire 1964
| Based on drafts for The Soft Machine. Supposedly available on
| Mystic Fire Video and featuring Gysin and his Dream Machine.
| The Cut Ups 1966
| A short experimental film using cut-up techniques, later cut to
| 12 minutes. Source film included Guerilla Conditions, an unreleased
| silent documentary about WSB and Gysin in Paris. Miles reports
| that this film was the source of some of the techniques used
| by Nick Roeg in Performance [aside: the books that appear so
| prominently in Performance are the original Calder hardcover
| editions of Dead Fingers Talk, The Naked Lunch etc.]
| Bill and Tony 1968(?)
| Short film based on a Burroughs text.
| I can find very little documentation about the original film version of
| The Naked Lunch. Planet R101 has an extract from an early draft of the
| script and its chronology mentions Gysin as collaborating on the film
| scenario in 1969 which would put the release some time in the early
| 1970's. I seem to remember Factory records putting out a 2 or 3 video
| cassette set of a Burroughs seminar that incorporated footage from The
| Naked Lunch (possibly the whole thing) in about 1984. I'm pretty sure
| that Cronenberg's book on the making of his version of The Naked Lunch
| (Everything Is Permitted(?)) has a forward by WSB where he mentions the
| earlier version but I don't have a copy. - Chris Flatters cflatter@nrao.edu
OLD HABITS DIE HARD - Video - Giorno Pak 5
Contains piece by W.S. Burroughs.
GANG OF SOULS - Video - Giorno Pak 4
Contains piece by W.S. Burroughs
IT'S CLEAN IT JUST LOOKS DIRTY - Video - Giorno Pak 3
Contains short movie (approx 14 min) featuring
W.S. Burroughs.
DRUGSTORE COWBOY - Movie - Cameo appearance by WSB as Junkie
Priest. Gus Van Sant film. Available on Video.
(also see references to audio releases with Van Sant above)
TWISTER - Movie - Cameo appearance by WSB as gun shooter.
is available on video and also stars Crispin Glover.
| FRIED SHOES, COOKED DIAMONDS
a film documentary on a gathering at Naropa Institute with all the
beat poets and figures of that time including WSB.
There's a video called BURROUGHS that includes an appearance of Burroughs on
Saturday Night Live and some interviews and footage from some films of his.
may be the same item as below.
William Burroughs <videorecording>
Roland Collection, ICA
Northbrook, Ill. : Roland Collection of Films on Art : ICA
Video, <198-?>
A video of Burroughs's Thanksgiving piece (from Dead City Radio)
appeared in U2's Zoo TV special, aired on MTV and Fox in 1992.
| "Thanksgiving" video was directed by Gus van Sant...
MTV has run a short clip from a video featuring WSB reading.
Not sure of the source or title, but it may have been "King of the sewers".
It was definitely something with sewers. (Could be same as Zoo TV clip?)
Ministry: WSB also appears (speaking and image) on the Ministry
video, "Just One Fix", the Cold Turkey of the 90s.
Laurie Anderson's film "Home of the Brave" has WSB dancing with
Laurie and giving two short recitations. Also, the film features the
song "Language is a virus", title taken from WSB.
'Heavy Petting', is a 'movie'/doc featuring lots of old sex education
clips, and with various actors/artists talking about their sexual
experiences. William S Burroughs was one of the people featured.
The producer and director was "Obie Benz". Also featured Sandra Bernhard,
David Byrne, and a lot of other people.
Burroughs does the narration for the B&W film "Witchcraft Through the
Ages," (HAXAN), this old & cheesy pseudo-documentary. The video is at least
an hour long & W.S.B. does the entire thing. its an old silent film from 1922
that was reissued in the sixties with music and WSB as narrater.
This has been found for rental at Wherehouse video and Blockbuster!
The Subgenius !Arise! video uses extensive cut ups from "Witchcraft
Through the Ages".
NAKED LUNCH, a film by David Cronenberg, is more a semi-biographical fantasy
based on William S. Burroughs life than it is an adaptation of Naked Lunch.
Soundtrack by Ornette Coleman.
| DECODER - Movie - video w/ booklet.
| is a German film with WSB cameos, with vocal also included on soundtrack
====================================
4) Published books and works by WSB:
====================================
The Place OF Dead Roads
LC 83-8498.
320p. 1985. ltd signed ed. 100.00
(0-03-070416-2) H Holt & Co.
The Place OF Dead Roads
LC 83-8498.
320p. 1985. pap. 9.95
(0-8050-1541-8, Owl Bks) H Holt & Co.
Tornado Alley
(illus) 56p.
(Orig.) 1989. 16.00 (0-916156-85-0);
signed, limited 50.00 (0-916156-84-2);
pap 9.00x (0-916156-84-4) Cherry Valley
Watching The World's Weather
(illus) 250p. 1991. 24.95
(0-521-34342-9) Cambridge U Pr.
The Yage Letters (Burroughs and Ginsberg)
LC 63-12222
(Orig). 1963. pap. 5.95
(0-87286-004-3) City Lights.
The Adding Machine: Collected Essays
201p. 1986. 16.95
(0-685-13462-8) Seaver Bks.
Ah Pook Is Here!
1982. pap.
(0-7145-3859-0) Riverrun Ny.
Blade Runner: A Movie
LC 78-21584.
1979. (Dynamic Bks);
pap. 6.95 (0-912652-46-2);
signed ed. o.p. 20.00 (0-912652-47-0) Blue Wind.
The Burroughs File
1984. 9.95 (0-87286-158-9);
pap. 8.95 City Lights.
The Cat Inside
LC 92-1126.
96p. 1992. 10.00
(0-670-84465-9, Viking) Viking Penguin.
Cities Of Red Night
1992. pap. 9.95
(0-8050-1763-1) H Holt & Co.
The Exterminator
(Fiction Ser.) 176p. 1979. pap. 7.95
(0-14-005003-5, Penguin Bks) Viking Penguin.
The Four Horseman Of The Apocalypse
Wilson, Terry, tr. from ENG
67p. (Orig., GER). 1984. pap. 9.95
(3-88030-027-5) Left Bank.
Interzone
224p. 1990. pap. 9.95
(0-14-009451-2, Penguin Bks) Viking Penguin.
The Job: Interviews with William S. Burroughs
224p 1989. pap. 11.00
(0-14-011882-9, Penguin Bks) Viking Penguin.
Junky
(Fiction Ser.) 176p. 1977. pap. 9.00
(0-14-004351-9, Penguin Bks) Viking Penguin.
The Last Words Of Dutch Schultz
LC 80-54557.
(illus). 1987 pap. 4.95
(0-8050-0179-4) Seaver Bks.
Naked Lunch
LC 83-83214.
256p. 1984 17.95 (0-8021-1204-8);
pap. 6.95 (0-8021-3093-3) Grove Pr.
Naked Lunch
1992. pap. 11.95
(0-8021-3295-2) Grove Pr.
Naked Scientology, Ali's Smile
106p. (Orig., GER.). 1985. pap. text ed. 8.95
(3-88030-011-9) Left Bank.
Nova Express
LC 92-18339.
1992. write for info.
(0-8021-3330-4) Grove Pr.
Port of Saints
LC 80-10309.
1980 24.95 (0-912652-64-0);
pap. 12.95 (0-912652-65-9) Blue Wind.
Queer
144p. 1987. pap. 8.95
(0-14-008389-8, Penguin Bks) Viking Penguin.
The Ticket That Exploded
224p. 7.95
(0-802105150-7) Grove Pr.
Uncommon Quotes,
Vol. 1. Hoffman, Kathelin, ed.
1989. 12.50 (0-929856-00-7);
cassette avail. Caravan Dreams Prodns.
The Western Lands
1987. 18.95
(0-670-81352-4) Viking Penguin.
The Western Lands
272p. 1988. pap 9.95
(0-14-009456-3, Penguin Bks) Viking Penguin.
The Wild Boys: A Book Of The Dead
LC 92-19273.
1992. write for info.
(0-8021-3331-2) Grove Pr.
Cobble Stone Gardens
1st ed.
<Baltimore> : Cherry Valley Editions, c1976.
| (Contents of which are included in The Burroughs File.)
Dead Fingers Talk
London : Tandem, <1970, c1963>.
| (Either a cut up or collection of excerpts from Naked Lunch and the
| next 3-4 novels designed to get through UK censors.)
Early Routines
Santa Barbara, Calif. : Cadmus Editions, 1981.
The Job : interviews with William S. Burroughs / by Daniel Odier.
Rev. and enl. ed., including "Playback from Eden to Watergate"
and "Electronic revolution, 1970-71".
New York : Grove Press : distributed by Random House, <1974>.
The Job : topical writings and interviews / William S. Burroughs
with Daniel Odier.
London : John Calder, 1984.
With William Burroughs : a report from the bunker
edited by Victor Bockris.
1st ed.
New York : Seaver Books ; distributed by Grove Press, 1981.
Brion Gysin let the mice in.
by Gysin, Brion.
Edited by Jan Herman. With texts by William Burroughs & Ian Sommerville.
<West Glover, Vt.> Something Else Press <1973>.
Electronic revolution
2nd ed. enl. by Feedback from Watergate to the Garden of Eden.
<Bonn> : Expanded Media Editions, c1976.
Here to go : planet R-101
by Brion Gysin ;
interviewed by Terry Wilson ;
with introduction and texts by William S. Burroughs & Brion Gysin.
<San Francisco, CA> : Re/Search Publications;
<Eugene, OR : Distributed by SUBCO, c1982>.
(UK version on Quartet books, has additional pictures, different cover (hardback), and different lists of books/refernces/etc,
and no mention of Genesis or Sleazy in the credits.)
Junkie
London : D. Bruce & Watson, 1973, c1953.
Letters to Allen Ginsberg, 1953-1957
New York : Full Court Press, c1982.
Paper Cloud ; Thick pages
Kyoto, Japan : Kyoto Shoin International, 1992.
Roosevelt After Inauguration And Other Atrocities
San Francisco : City Lights Books, c1979.
The Soft Machine ; Nova Express ; The Wild Boys : three novels
; with an epilogue by Allen Ginsberg ; an interview with William Burroughs.
1st Black Cat ed.
New York : Grove Press : distributed by Random House, 1980.
The Third Mind / William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin.
New York : Viking Press, 1978.
William S. Burroughs : selected letters
edited by Oliver C.G. Harris.
New York : Viking, 1993-
With William Burroughs : a report from the bunker
edited by Victor Bockris.
1st ed.
New York : Seaver Books ; distributed by Grove Press, 1981.
| Minutes To Go: by WSB, Brion Gysin, Sinclair Beilles, and Gregory Corso.
| Early cut up experiments published by a bookshop in Paris. Written about in Here To Go.
| Re/Search #4/5: William S. Burroughs/Brion Gysin/Throbbing Gristle
| 1982 ISBN 0-940642-05-0
| Interview, excerpts, and photos.
| The Drug Experience 196?
| Burroughs, Ginsberg, and the whole crew of 60's celebrities talking about
| their experiences with various drugs. Burroughs got the "Opiates" section.
| (excerpt from Junky)
=========================================================
5) Works about WSB and other items of potential interest:
=========================================================
| William Burroughs
| by Barry Miles (1993)
| Hyperion, 114 Fifth Ave., New York NY 10001
| The Dream At The End Of The World : Paul Bowles and the Literary Renegades in Tangier
| by Michelle Green 1991 HarperCollins ISBN 0-06-016571-5
| includes some profiles of WSB in Tangier
William S. Burroughs
by Jennie Skerl.
Boston : Twayne Publishers, c1985.
William S. Burroughs at the front : critical reception, 1959-1989
edited by Jennie Skerl and Robin Lydenberg.
Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press, c1991.
Word cultures : radical theory and practice in William S. Burroughs' fiction
Robin Lydenberg.
Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c1987.
Contemporary literary censorship : the case history of Burroughs' Naked Lunch
by Michael Barry Goodman.
Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1981.
There's a book about Gysin and Burroughs (mainly Gysin, but with lots
of history and pictures of both) that was published in the UK last year.
It's called "Man from Nowhere," and is a beautiful book with reminiscenses
by Paul Bowles, Iggy Pop, Bill Laswell, and many many others. The book
was published in a small edition and is extremely hard to find both in the US
and in England. It comes with a bunch of postcards with photos of Burroughs
and Gysin and reproductions of some of their art.
"The Evening Sun Turned Crimson" by Herbert Huncke - Cherry Valley
Editions 1980. Has some excellent memoirs of his relationships
with William. EXPLODED VIEWS BOOKS in L.A. may have a copy of this for
sale in their current catalog. It's probably long out of print.
MANAPSARA - LP - PRESENTS "QUEER" A SOUNDTRACK TO THE NOVEL
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS.
Sub Rosa 19? - Authorized musical
interpretation of the WSB's book "Queer"
MANAPSARA - 12" - "ROUTINE" & " MARKETPLACE"
Sub Rosa 19? - extended remixes released
after the above lp.
Books by William S. Burroughs, Jr. (WSB's son):
Kentucky Ham, by William S. Burroughs, Jr.
LC 83-19447.
176p. 1984. 15.95
(0-87951-956-8) Overlook Pr.
Kentucky Ham, by William S. Burroughs, Jr.
192p. 1988. Tusk. pap. 8.95
(0-87951-315-2) Overlook Pr.
Speed, by William S. Burroughs, Jr.
LC 83-42919.
192p. 1984. 14.95
(0-87951-192-3) Overlook Pr.
| The rock group Steely Dan was named after a metallic dildo in WSB's
| _The Naked Lunch_.
==========================
6) contact addresses, etc.
==========================
Possible sources of some of the releases above, and other addresses:
| INTERGALACTIC GARAGE
| PO BOX 3047, Shepherdstown, WV 25443 USA
| (304) 876-6818 FAX (304) 876-9414
| best Email address: igg@his.com
|
| INTERGALACTIC GARAGE is making an attempt to support all the Burroughs CD
| releases via mail order.
| currently got stock on the Cobain/Burroughs THE PRIEST both as the CD-5
| and as the v. ltd 'signed' 10 inch. Plus Gus' CD-5, Breakthrough, REsearch's
| WSB T-shirt, etc.
| Also has some rare Ginsberg CD-5 from Holland.
| RE/SEARCH (415) 362-1465
| 20 Romolo St. Suite B
| San Francisco, CA 94133 USA
| Publisher with at least one book/magazine on WSB, may also carry videos and
| T-shirts
| TOPYNA
| BOX 33540
| SAN DIEGO CA 92163 USA
| has a file of article interviews [nothing rare] on WSB that people have
| sent in. write if interested.
gps = giorno poetry systems institute inc.
222 bowery
new york, ny 10012 USA
WSB & Gus van Sant - "The Elvis of Letters" cd may be sourced from:
Dutch East India Trading
PO Box 800
Rockville Centre, NY 11571-0800 USA
(516) 764-6200 (516) 764-6315 fax
Sub Rosa, P.O. Box 808, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
"Cash Cow, The Best of Giorno Poetry Systems, 1965-1993", can also be
sourced via:
East Side Digital
530 North Third St.
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA
(612) 375-9188
The following is probably a good source of WSB books:
City Lights Mail Orders
261 Columbus
San Francisco, CA 94133 USA
If you care to, you can try to reach William S. Burroughs at:
William Burroughs Communications
729-1/2 Massachusetts
Lawrence, KS 66044 USA
============================
7) Looking for more details:
============================
| I'm working on publishing this file offline as a small zine/guidebook format,
| DTP'd and pasted up with a few photos, etc. Does anyone have any WSB images
| scanned, or can you offer me any? Especially useful if in TIF, PCX or format
| I can use easily with WordPerfect but we'll ytake what we can get. I'd also
| welcome pointers to PC or Unix graphics conversion utilities to convert to
| those for me from GIF or whatever is available.
| I'd like release dates, lp/cd catalog numbers, ISBN numbers and quote
| transcriptions from any items that are lacking these kinds of details. Also
| still always seeking info on any recordings, visuals or publications not
| already listed here. And answers to any specific queries or rumors below.
Anyone know anything about an Ornette Coleman collaboration? I heard some
reference to this but haven't substantiated it. I know Coleman did the
soundtrack for Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. I think Coleman is on some of
the jajouka recordings used on one of the Burroughs cds. Is there some
other "collaboration I'm unaware of?
| There's an Ornette album with about 5 mins of Jajouka music at the end
| (which one?), from the same tapes the Brian Jones LP, I think, but different.
| This track may have been divided into several short interludes on the Sub
| Rosa CD Break Through in Grey Room?
I've heard there was a 70's film adaptation of Naked Lunch. Can anyone
confirm this?
Does Throbbing Gristle's _Rafters_ starts with a Burroughs quote?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
||||||||Malcolm Humes|||||||||||||||||||||||||malcolm@wrs.com|||||||||||||||
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Maintained by malcolm@wrs.com. Considerable help in compiling this came from
Mason Jones, Doug Grant and Danny Iacovou. Contributions also from Brian May,
Conrad Bullock, Marcus Deininger, Peter Webb, Jari Kerminen, Sebastian Welton,
Jeff Spirer, Chris Solnordal, Robert Stanzel, Paul Moore, Mike Howes, Michael
Whitney, Chris Flatters, G.D. Pratt, Andrew Russ, Tino, Allan Balliett,
coyote 131 and D. Troyer.
============================================================================
End of the Burroughs file.