Listen: All Tomorrow’s Parties / The Velvet Underground & Nico VelvetAllTomorrows.mp3

Not an easy 7″ to find, thanks Dick Storms for giving it to me years ago as a gift. Dick started The Record Archive, turning it into one of the best record shops of it’s day. From the humble beginnings of two standups (boxes) at a local flea market it grew to a sprawling vinyl hub, including deep catalog, collectables, knowledgeable staff, guest dj’s – even a back room complete with stage/sound/lights. Loads of local bands played, and national acts did those in-store signing things there too. Talk about taste – Dick had it down, not only in music but furniture, art, design and personality. A Rochester legend.

I wasn’t aware at the time that this single was actually a different take from the album version. I’d always assumed it was simply an edit. How could this not have been a hit one asks. Nico could sing any song and make it Nico. Andy Warhol was a decent A&R guy it turns out.

Listen: Screamin’ You Head / Hi-Techs HiTechsScreaminYouHead.mp3

It’s always good fun to be releasing local records out of the scene you create. This is what we all did during the late 70′s, not only in Rochester, but every town was on fire with this stuff then. Dick Storms who owned one of the local record stores, The Record Archive, started a label to release stuff for us all. And one of best were The Hi-Techs. Paul had played drums in the early New Math, and on the ‘Die Trying’ single. Things seemed to take and last forever then, but looking back, it all moved pretty quickly. Paul left and started The Hi-Techs with his wife Peggi, they eventually morphed into Personal Effects and later still (as well as presently) into The Margaret Explosion. This was their second single as The Hi-Techs, a double sided little masterpiece. Roger & I played this a lot on our show. It still sounds fantastic.