Tag Archives: Television

Television – Little Johnny Jewel (ROIR Version) (1978)

by 1970s, Punk Rock • Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Television made their vinyl debut with “Little Johnny Jewel”, a 7-inch single on the independent label Ork Records in 1975. Ork Records was owned by their manager, Terry Ork. The song was split into two parts, one on each side of the single. Richard Lloyd apparently disagreed with the selection of this song, preferring the never-released “O Mi Amore” for their debut, to the extent that he seriously considered leaving the band. Reportedly Pere Ubu guitarist Peter Laughner auditioned for his spot during this time. ROIR (pronounced “roar”), or Reach Out International Records, is a New York City-based record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label exclusively distributed its releases in cassette format. ROIR released early recordings by Bad Brains, Flipper and Television.







[via Ivan Aga in Madrid]

Television – Venus (1977)

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by 1970s • Tags: , , , , ,

Marquee Moon is the debut album by American rock band Television, released in 1977. It was re-released September 23, 2003. It is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time. Television was one of the mainstay acts that emerged from the CBGB scene in New York City. This album features the elliptical lyrics of Tom Verlaine set against the sparse yet complex guitar work of Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, and the rhythm section of Fred Smith (bass) and Billy Ficca (drums). The introspective mood of the album, and the careful, instrumental virtuosity of the band were arguably one of the first manifestations of the post-punk movement. Despite critical acclaim, the album never achieved more than a cult following in the United States at the time of its release, but rose to number 28 in Britain, partly because of a lengthy rave review by Nick Kent in the New Musical Express.




[via Peter H. Olesen]