Orita had previously produced an LP featuring Shinki Chen; who was considered the Japanese equivalent of Jimi Hendrix. The self-titled album Shinki Chen featured other notable musicians, including George Yanagi and Masayoshi Kabe. To many in Japan, it is now considered a classic, and is a part of Universal Music’s ”Naked Line” series of legitimate digitally-remastered reissues. After the release of Shinki Chen’s debut solo LP, Orita took over the Japanese division of Atlantic Records and brought Shinki over to the label. Orita formed the trio “Speed, Glue & Shinki” with former Golden Cups bassist Masayoshi Kabe, and Filipino singer-drummer Joey Smith, whom Shinki had discovered performing at a shopping centre in Yokohama. The band took their name from Smith’s use of amphetamines, and Kabe’s interest of sniffing Pro-Bond glue during the 1960s. Speed, Glue and Shinki released their debut album Eve in 1971, but immediately split up as Shinki and Kabe couldn’t tolerate Smith’s personal life. After they disbanded, a large double-LP was independently released by Smith, titled Speed, Glue & Shinki, which was mostly the work of Joey Smith…
*All photos taken from Chris Carter’s Flickr page.
Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson
27th February 1955 – 24th November 2010
“Peter Christopherson, affectionately known as Sleazy, died peacefully in his sleep on the 24th of November at his home in Bangkok, Thailand.
“The music and art world has lost a great talent whose unique approach ignored the conventions of the day and often challenged the status quo.
“Sleazy’s playful and inspiring creativity saw him pushing boundaries as a musician, video director and designer throughout his life. He had recently returned to Thailand from Europe, where he had played a short but spectacular series of live shows as a member of Throbbing Gristle and in the newly formed trio X-TG with Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter.
“Sleazy’s visual art career included work as a member of the influential British design agency Hipgnosis, creating iconic record sleeve artwork in the 1970s for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and, later, Factory Records. He took the first promo photographs of the Sex Pistols, created a highly controversial window display for Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s clothing shop, SEX, and went on to design the logo of the hugely popular fashion company, BOY. In 1976 Sleazy met Cosey Fanni Tutti, Chris Carter and Genesis P-Orridge and together they formed electronic music provocateurs Throbbing Gristle and Industrial Records, creating one of the first independent record labels of the era and laying the foundation for a new genre of music. The band was infamously described in the Daily Mail by Tory MP Nicholas Fairbairn as “the wreckers of civilisation”.
“TG ceased operations in 1981, after which Sleazy formed Psychic TV with Genesis P-Orridge and they produced two albums. The second, Dreams Less Sweet included his future life partner Jhonn Balance as a member, with whom he went on to form Coil and to release an extensive body of work up until Jhonn’s passing in 2004. Subsequently, Sleazy left the UK to live in Bangkok, Thailand and to continue his artistic and musical vision in the guise of The Threshold HouseBoys Choir and Soisong.
“Following their original break-up, Throbbing Gristle’s legacy steadily grew within the music and art world, leading to their reformation in 2004 and a series of sold-out performances, including in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.
“At the time of his death, Sleazy was in the midst of assembling what was to be Throbbing Gristle’s next project: a cover version of Nico’s Desertshore album.
“Peter was a kind and beautiful soul. No words can express how much he will be missed.”
Back then long time ago when grass was green
Woke up in a daze
Arrived like strangers in the night
Fab – long time ago when we was fab
Fab – back when income tax was all we had
Caresses fleeced you in the morning light
Casualties at dawn
And we did it all
Fab – long time ago when we was fab
Fab – you are my world you are my only love
And while you’re in this world
The fuzz gonna come and claim you
But you mo better wise
When the buzz gonna come and take you away
Take you away
Take you away
The microscopes that magnified the tears
Studied warts and all
Still the life flows on and on
Fab – long time ago when we was fab
Fab – but its all over now baby blue
Fab – long time ago when we was fab
Fab – like this pullover you sent to me
Fab
And you’ve really got a hold me
Fab – long time ago when we was fab
(The complete, unedited version as opposed to the one that was mercilessly hacked by myself for The Philippine Star)
“I’d been part of NU before it was even born. My mother, in her teens, was a big fan of radio stations like 99.5 RT and she would befriend many of the DJs. Before they got married, she told my father Atom Henares that it was her dream to own a radio station. For 6 years nothing was mentioned, and my mother dismissed it as just another one of her pipe dreams. Then one day he came to her and said that he was ready. She contacted one of her DJ friends, Mike Pedero, and with Atom the two built NU107. I remember my father telling me that we were going to have a radio station, and I was quite excited even though I was a 7 year old whose knowledge of music was limited to Menudo. At that age I’d eat anything up without care for labels or genres. We’d listen to the test broadcasts and I instantly had my favorites, among them Sting’s “Englishman in New York” and R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”. I pride myself in having good taste back then, despite what Erwin Romulo might say. One day Cris Cruise, the station manager finally went on the air. These were his words:
“NU107 is DWNU FM at 107.5 Megahertz in Makati. A member of the KBP, this is NU107. We are signing on.”
Directed and edited by Kiri Dalena
Written and produced by Patricia Evangelista
Cinematography by Luis Liwanag
Audio by Akira Liwanag
Production Management by Vincent Bascos
Editing by Majoy Siason
Research by Litz Balane
Video Research by Biena Magbitang
Camerawork by Kiri Dalena, Luis Liwanag, Akira Liwanag and John Javellana
Technical Assist by Vincent Dario
In partnership with The Asia Foundation and the Canadian Embassy
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