Beats and Friends: A Checklist of Audio-Visual ... - British Library

Literature: audio and video recordings
Com: John Walters talks to Burroughs about his life and work in an interview recorded
during his 1982 reading tour of the UK. Includes comments about Burroughs's work
from the journalist Miles. Broadcast on BBC Radio 1, 6 November 1982.
William Burroughs
tape cassette
SA: 1CA0024030
Com: Two readings by Burroughs, one from Naropa in 1985, the other, here entitled
River City Reunion, from Lawrence, Kansas, in 1987. Issuing company unknown.
William Burroughs live
tape cassette
SA: 1CA0024031
Com: Recordings from the years 1977-79 and 1983. Issuing company unknown.
William Burroughs tapes
24 tape reels, 8 tape cassettes
SA: C1156
Com: A collection of experimental tape recordings made in New York (1964-65) and
London (1966-72). The collection comprises 24 reels of 1/4" magnetic tape, each of
varying length: one 10" metal spool containing a mono dub of 'Puerto de los Santos'
(the original tape is apparently no longer extant); nine 3" reels, some with Burroughs's
handwritten labels or in boxes with his annotations (most of the boxes have Ian
Sommerville's catalogue number, as well as later notes by Burroughs's bibliographer and
archivist Barry Miles); twelve 7" reels, several of which have been re-spooled with new
leader tape; one 5.75" reel; and one 5" reel with Burroughs's original handwritten label
(the box has Brion Gysin's writing crossed out, and additional writing by Sommerville).
Six of the cassettes are dubbings of material on the open reel tapes. The collection
includes two original audio-cassettes (one with Burroughs's handwriting), the first
featuring a recording of Burroughs at home in London with Johnny Brady (including
Burroughs 'auditing' Brady), and Burroughs discussing drugs with a person unknown;
the second features a visit from Francis de Costello, Keith Modigliani's interview with
Burroughs for Gay Sunshine, some cut-ups, and a brief talk with filmmaker Antony
Balch. Most of the material consists of tape-recorder experiments, comprising off-air
recordings of radio broadcasts and TV shows, fragments of a BBC Shakespeare play,
radio static, and readings from newspaper bulletins and his own texts (including
discussions about the cut-up technique itself), all intersposed. With a total duration of
approximately 12 hours, the collection provides a valuable insight into Burroughs's
methodology, and constitutes an important document of his expansion from cut-ups on
paper to vocal and sonic experimentation. Some of this material is curated on the 3-CD
set Real English Tea Made Here (Audio Research Editions ARECD301, 2007).
William S. Burroughs
tape cassette
SA: 1CA0024032
Com: Two recordings of Burroughs in conversation. The first dates from August 1985
and features Gregory Corso and James Grauerholz; Burroughs discusses his novel The
Western Lands, Genesis P-Orridge, guns and hunting, and other subjects. The second is
a poor-quality recording from BBC Radio featuring Burroughs interviewed by John
Walters. Issuing company unknown.
William S. Burroughs
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