BOC FAQ: Part 1 of 7, Ver. 2.0
John A Swartz
jswartz at MBUNIX.MITRE.ORG
Fri Sep 1 14:49:35 EDT 1995
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BOC FAQ -- Part 1 (Contents, Administrative, Band History - Part 1)
Version: 2.0 Date of Latest Revision: September 5, 1995
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NOTE: The file for this FAQ has been split into 7 parts for portability
among newreaders, mail servers, etc as it contains approximately 210
Kbytes of data. If you don't see and "End of Section" indication at the
end of each section, you didn't get the whole thing. The FAQ will be
available in its entirety for FTP access (see elsewhere in this FAQ for
more information). See copyright and disclaimer at the end of Part 7 --
this FAQ may only be distributed in its entirety, including the
copyright and disclaimer. Thanks for your cooperation,
John
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BOC FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about BLUE OYSTER CULT
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Version: 2.0 Date of Latest Revision: September 5, 1995
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Notes: This FAQ was created on an Apple Macintosh computer using
Microsoft Word (version 5.0). The font used is 10-point Monaco -- if
the BOC symbol above does not look right on your screen, setting your
font to either "Monaco" or "Courier" should fix the problem. With the
help of numerous individual contributors (named below), this FAQ has
been compiled by John Swartz (referred to herein as "the editor"),
Please send any suggestions, corrections or changes to him at the
address listed at the end of this FAQ.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
1. The Nexus Of The Crisis, And The Origin Of Storms -- FAQ Information
a. Why a BOC FAQ?
b. The *real* people that made this FAQ possible.
c. Version history.
d. Archive location of this FAQ.
e. Commonly used abbreviations.
2. The Oyster Boys Are Swimming Now -- Who Are Blue Oyster Cult?
a. Who are BOC?
b. No really, who are BOC?
c. History of the Band
d. Pre-history of the Band
3. My Ears Will Melt, And Then My Eyes -- Blue Oyster Cult Discography
a. Domestic (U.S.) Album Releases
b. Solo Albums, and Movie Soundtracks
c. Compilation Albums (domestic)
d. Compilation Albums (foreign)
e. Import Live Recordings
f. Other Releases (Singles, Promos, Etc.)
4. R. U. Ready 2 Rock? -- Frequently Asked Questions
a. What are BOC up to these days?
b. When is the new album (*not* a "Greatest Hits" album) coming out?
c. Is *Flat Out* available on CD?
d. What is the "best" BOC album?
e. What is the story behind the recording of the album, *Imaginos*?
f. What is the story told by the album, *Imaginos*?
g. Is there a BOC/H.P. Lovecraft connection?
h. Where is the BOC symbol on the _____ album?
i. Where can I get a complete set of BOC lyrics?
j. What is a (Diz-Buster, ME-262, Stun Guitar, . . .)?
k. Who is (Suzy, Celine, Debbie Denise, Sir Rastus Bear, . . .)?
l. Where can I get BOC live recordings?
m. Where can I find Rossignol's book, 'The Origins of a World War'?
n. What do the Japanese words in "Godzilla" mean?
o. Are there other BOC songs, and how can I hear them?
p. Will the original line-up ever get back together again?
5. A Harvest of Life, A Harvest of Death -- Other Items of Interest
a. Use of Umlauts, and the Origin of the Name, "Blue Oyster Cult"
b. BOC in Concert
c. The Movie "Heavy Metal"
d. Other Releases of BOC Music
e. Song References
f. References to BOC
g. Hidden Messages
h. Black and Blue, and Other Videos
6. Three Men in Black Said, "Don't Report This" -- Other Sources Of Info
a. Bolle Gregmar -- BOC/Brain Surgeons Fan Clubs
b. Ben Cohen -- The BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail List (BOC-L)
c. Albert Bouchard and Deborah Frost -- The Brain Surgeons
d. BOC on AOL
e. Other On-Line Sources
7. Think I'll Write "Good Health To You" -- Copyright and Disclaimer
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1. The Nexus Of The Crisis, And The Origin Of Storms -- FAQ Information
Why a BOC FAQ?
--------------
Short Answer: Why not?
Only Slightly-Longer Answer: *Everybody* needs a FAQ, don't they?
Long Answer: Blue Oyster Cult has, these days, a fairly small, but
loyal, and somewhat rabid following. The band has a history of over 20
years, and many people who were not fans back then want to know about
the band's origins. In addition, the various themes of BOC's music are
interesting to discuss. Finally, BOC fans on the internet seem to ask
the same questions over and over again - of course, part of this is
because we *like* to re-hash the topics, and usually come up with
something new when we do.
Editor's Smart-Mouthed Answer: After you've read through this FAQ,
which will probably printout to well over 40 pages, you'll realize what
a stupid question that was.
Note: This FAQ was originally created for, and circulated on, "BOC-L",
a group of individuals who regularly communicate using electronic mail
(E-Mail) to discuss, among other things, BOC. Information on how people
with internet access can subscribe to this group (also referred to as
the BOC discussion group, BOC E-Mail group, or BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail list)
appears elsewhere in this FAQ.
The *real* people that made this FAQ possible.
----------------------------------------------
This FAQ has finally come into being for two reasons, (1) because
someone volunteered to finally take on the project, and (2) because lots
of knowledgeable BOC fans contributed. While I am somewhat proud to say
that I took on the project of generating the BOC FAQ, it is only by the
many submissions of input from BOC fans that made this FAQ possible.
While I am a fan, I'm no BOC "expert". My job as editor was mostly to
layout the format of the FAQ, and enter in the data. I am in debt to
the following individuals, who are listed in no particular order:
Jean Lansford Bryan Irby Steve Swann
Ben Cohen Bryce Baker Dave Hardman
Andy Gilham David Kuznick Warrick Bell
David Dean Terry Poot Tim Fulcher
Alun Hughes Carl Anderson Ken Alexander
John McIntyre Craig Shipley Eric Falk
Dan Weissman Jason Gool Ed Tidwell
Mark Mitchum Ken Harward Jason Scruton
Tom Gannon Jonathan Padgett James DeWitt
Keith Frazier Gary Wingert Craig Matsumoto
Chuck Rosenberg Scott Heller Rob Maerz
Todd Ellenberg Ken Drew Ken VanTassell
Robert Reich Miles-Kevin Baron Alan Siebert
Robert Sedler Joseph Brooks Craig Marciniak
Melne Murphy (of the BOC Fan Club)
Les Braunstein (of "Soft White Underbelly" and "Les Vegas")
Eric Bloom (of "Blue Oyster Cult")
Donald Roeser (a.k.a. "Buck Dharma" of "Blue Oyster Cult")
Joe Bouchard (of "Blue Oyster Cult" and "The Cult Brothers")
Albert Bouchard (of "The Brain Surgeons" and "Blue Oyster Cult")
Deborah Frost (of "The Brain Surgeons")
And finally, and most importantly, special thanks go out to Bolle
Gregmar, head of the BOC Fan Club. First and foremost, he has done all
of us BOC fans a great service by keeping the fan club going. Beyond
that, he has spent several hours on the phone with me going over this
FAQ, providing me lots of interesting information, correcting various
inaccuracies, and helping me with some legal issues. You will see his
name sprinkled throughout the FAQ -- he is probably the singularly most
knowledgeable individual on Blue Oyster Cult, other than members of the
band themselves (and in some cases, because of all the things he's
collected on the band, he may still know about things that members of
the band may have forgotten).
Version history.
----------------
This is the second "official" version. of this FAQ, and is
identified as version "2.0". This version supersedes all previous
versions.
Version 2.0 contains the following changes over version 1.0:
Information in sections 4 and 5 has been modified and expanded, based on
conversations with Bolle Gregmar, head of the BOC Fan Club. Minor
corrections that various individuals have spotted have been made
(Editor's note: I can't believe that I didn't catch the error where I
stated that "Shooting Shark" was on *Club Ninja*!). Some additional
bits of information have been sprinkled throughout the FAQ, and sections
3, 4, and 5 have been re-organized in several areas. Eric Bloom
provided me with information on some of his various musical projects,
and Buck Dharma has provided information on the song, "Harvester Of
Eyes". I received e-mail from Soft White Underbelly vocalist Les
Braunstein, and he gave me some insight into the band's early history.
A new section on miscellaneous releases (singles, promos, etc.) has been
added (special thanks to Ken Drew and Ken VanTassell for their input),
as well as a portion of Bryce Baker's interpretation of the *Imaginos*
saga. More neat BOC stuff can now be found on the Internet and the
World Wide Web. The Brain Surgeons have released a new album
(*Trepanation*), which has been released and added to the discography.
Finally, since the last release of the FAQ, *Flat Out* has become
available on CD as an import.
Currently, one additional version is planned for release in 1995.
Version 2.1, will be released in the Fall of 1995, and will contain
information on anticipated new album releases by BOC (a compilation by
Sony, and hopefully a new studio album), as well as some other minor
clarifications (Editor's note: or corrections to any mistakes I made in
this version -- if you spot any, please let me know!). Beyond that, a
new revision or two is likely in 1996, depending on what the band is
doing, or what new information I can find.
The generation of this version of the BOC FAQ began on August 4th,
1994, when, after seeing the words "we need a FAQ" in them for about the
10th time on the BOC discussion group (BOC-L), the editor decided to
take a stab a writing a FAQ -- not particularly for BOC-L members, but
for BOC fans in general (Editor's Comment: Every time I post a message
about BOC to "alt.rock-n-roll", I get questions from other BOC fans
about various topics.). "Draft" versions of the FAQ were circulated on
BOC-L, with lots of comments by it's members. Draft versions of the FAQ
were also sent to former band members Albert Bouchard (who is a member
of BOC-L) and Joe Bouchard (who has internet access), as well as to the
head of the BOC Fan Club. The first "official" version of the FAQ,
version 1.0, was released to BOC-L on 15 February, 1995. It was
subsequently sent to the internet newsgroups, "alt.rock-n-roll" and
"alt.rock-n-roll.classic". It later appeared on several links on the
World Wide Web (WWW).
Archive location of this FAQ.
-----------------------------
The latest version of this FAQ can be found in the BOC-L archives.
The archives are located via anonymous FTP from <ftp.spc.edu> in the
[.boc-l] directory. In other words, use whatever ftp program you have
to access the following address:
ftp.spc.edu
and use the following username:
anonymous
Use your E-Mail address as a password. Once in, set the directory to
[.boc-l], and use the "get" command to transfer the FAQ to your system.
The filename is:
BOC_FAQ-version#.txt
(e.g., This version is: BOC_FAQ-2_0.txt)
Along with the FAQ, a few other items of interest may be found.
The FAQ, along with other BOC-L archives, can also be accessed by
the World Wide Web (WWW). Using your web browser, open the following
URL:
ftp://ftp.spc.edu/boc-l
There are now several WWW links with BOC-related information,
including links to the BOC-L archives, including the FAQ (where the most
up-to-date version will always be kept). See the listing located near
the end of the FAQ for a listing of these links.
Commonly used abbreviations.
----------------------------
AOF, AF Agents Of Fortune (album title)
BB Buck's Boogie (song title)
BFY Burnin' For You (song title)
BOC Blue Oyster Cult (band name, album title, song title)
BOC-L BOC List (BOC/Hawkwind E-Mail discussion group)
CC Cult Classic (compilation album title)
CE Cultosaurus Erectus (album title)
CN Club Ninja (album title)
COE Career Of Evil (song title, compilation album title)
COF(WR&R) Cities On Flame (With Rock And Roll)
DFTR (Don't Fear) The Reaper (song title)
D&S, DAS, DS Dominance And Submission (song title, way of life)
ETI Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (song title)
ETL Extraterrestrial Live (album title)
FO Flat Out (Buck Dharma solo album title)
FOUO Fire Of Unknown Origin (album title, song title)
FT Flaming Telepaths (song title)
HOE Harvester Of Eyes (song title)
MC Motorcycle Club (as in the song, "Transmaniacon MC")
ME 262 Messerschmitt 262 (song title, WWII German warplane)
OFWR&R, OFWRAR On Flame With Rock And Roll (compilation album title)
OYFOOYK On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (album title)
R&B The Red And The Black (song title)
SABAAF She's As Beautiful As A Foot (song title)
SEE Some Enchanted Evening (album title)
SFG Stalk-Forrest Group (former band name)
ST Secret Treaties (album title)
STTS Stairway To The Stars (song title)
SWU Soft White Underbelly (former band name)
(T)RBN (The) Revolution By Night (album title)
T&M, TAM, TM Tyranny and Mutation (album title)
WOTT, WOT Workshop Of The Telescopes (song, compil. album title)
And, here's a few commonly used abbreviations by folks on the internet:
BTW By The Way
FWIW For What It's Worth
IMHO In My Humble (or Honest) Opinion
LOL Laughing Out Loud
Ob Obligatory
ROTFL(MAO) Rolling On The Floor Laughing (My Ass Off)
Editor's Note: To avoid people having to keep coming back to this
section while reading the FAQ, I have avoided using the abbreviations in
the FAQ (other than "FAQ" of course; but if you've gotten this far and
don't know what "FAQ" stands for, I suggest you start over right now).
2. The Oyster Boys Are Swimming Now -- Who Are Blue Oyster Cult?
Who are BOC?
------------
A group of aliens who serve "Les Invisibles" (see discussion on the
story told by the album, *Imaginos*).
No really, who are BOC?
-----------------------
A 5-man rock band from New York (see below).
History of the Band
-------------------
Note: The following is taken mostly from liner notes written by Arthur
Levy in the "Career of Evil" album, portions of which also appeared in
BOC tour programs and press kits. Additional information appears in
[brackets]. Some of the history, and pre-history (which appears in the
next section) information was taken from the liner notes to a German
import compilation CD (Editor's note: Thanks to Andy Gilham for
translating the German to English for me.).
In the early 1970s, in the utter chaos of an embattled America cast
adrift by the fires that plagued it for a decade, there arose a rock
band whose destiny was no less than to bring ultimate meaning to the
concept of heavy metal. When Blue Oyster Cult played, it was the sound
of monsters in the hills. The wind carried the band's unknown tongues
across continents until it felt as if earth's very crust could tear
away.
The agents of fortune responsible for this rage of heavy-metal
thunder were a shadowy quintet, indeed. Their primal rumblings were
first heard in the late '60s, in the band known as Soft White
Underbelly, which evolved into the Stalk-Forrest Group as an antidote to
that era's "success-rock" syndrome. The dusty nightmare of Altamont
settled into rock's fabric, and a thoroughly professional band emerged
from the SWU/SFG heiarchy.
As Blue Oyster Cult then, a familiar lineup would remain unchanged
for a dozen years: leather-clad Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar) leering at
audiences behind silver-mirrored shades; white-suited Donald "Buck
Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) attaining pyrotechnic levels that
earned him Top-10 honors in rock-guitar polls; menacingly frail, pale
Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar, vocals), longtime companion to poetess
Patti Smith, lurking near the fringes of BOC's pulse; and Long Island
brothers Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals) and Joe Bouchard (bass,
vocals), drifting effortlessly from pile-driving, bottom-end work to
more exotic rhythms with enviable finesse. High above them all hung the
ominous BOC banner, ancient symbol of Kronos (Saturn) in white on a
field of black.
The indispensable sixth member of this American rock 'n' roll cabal
was Sandy Pearlman. As producer, songwriter, and manager of BOC,
Pearlman's knowledge of history and philosophy have enjoyed free reign
for nearly 20 years. His production credits grew to include The Clash,
Dream Syndicate, and Dictators. As one of the acknowledged founders of
modern rock criticism (with Richard Meltzer, Paul Williams, and Jon
Landau), he was the first to apply the term "heavy metal" to the music
at hand. And as eternal student and teacher, his quest for true cosmic
enlightenment is forever.
BOC drew upon its collective talent as composers and musicians for
the aptly titled debut album on Columbia, *Blue Oyster Cult* (released
January, 1972), produced by Pearlman and Murray Krugman, a Columbia A&R
executive. This team (with engineer David Lucas) would stay together
through BOC's first seven years and as many LPs. The songwriting
pattern was also set, a fusion of terror and madness, wit and irony, pop
culture, social psychology, science, mythology, intellectual
calisthenics, gutter outrage -- tactical directions that remained
constant. [An interesting note is that Eric Bloom, according to the
liner notes written by Volker Koerdt on the German import BOC CD, *The
Reaper - Best*, stated that it was difficult to find his leather gear in
those days -- "You couldn't get that stuff in those days, I had to buy
it in gay shops or sex shops."]
A discernible popular following took hold as American rockers
accepted BOC at a level previously reserved for U.K. bands only. In
order to whet the appetites of these enlightened ones, a limited edition
*Live Bootleg* 12-inch EP was circulated by the label. Since its
release in October, 1972, this cherished item has become the Maltese
Falcon of heavy metal collectibles. [Note: This recording is known
under several names (see discography), and, while not widely circulated,
is available as an import.]
Over the next three years, BOC steadily ascended to headlining
status, notwithstanding the absence of a Top-40 single or million-
selling gold LP sales, just "Cult Power" (bolstered by rock critic
establishment endorsements in the press and on the FM airwaves) and
sheer musical depth. The LPs reflected this: *Tyranny And Mutation*
(February, 1973) and *Secret Treaties* (April, 1974) both reinforced and
exaggerated BOC's many obsessions, just as the band's public image
threatened to overtake its existential reality. They bought some
breathing space with the release of their first live album, the double
LP, *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* (February, 1975). The album
contained live performances of songs off the first three albums, plus
"Buck's Boogie", "Maserati GT" (Pearlman's dream car, or a re-working of
the Yardbirds' "I Ain't Got You") and Steppenwolf's elegy to the summer
of love, "Born To Be Wild" -- in which Eric and Donald's Texas chainsaw
guitar duel attains brain-shattering modulation.
The inevitable commercial breakthrough took place with the next two
LPs, which presented more individual contributions by the members of the
band: the RIAA platinum *Agents Of Fortune* (May, 1976), with the Top-
10 hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (later quoted by Stephen King in *The
Stand*); and *Spectres* (November, 1977), whose "Godzilla" set off
another explosion, especially in Japan, where BOC was greeted as a
messenger of the gods, not unlike "Godjira" itself. This phase of BOC's
career culminated in a second live album: *Some Enchanted Evening*
(September, 1978) "made up for" the various sins of omission/commission
on *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees*, while it also capitalized on having
played more than 250 shows before a half-million people since *Spectres*
was issued.
In 1976, on the *Agents of Fortune* tour, BOC also unleashed a new
dimension in staging as they joined forces with one of the country's
most advanced optical physics laboratories and developed the
sophisticated and powerful (hence, controversial) laser light shows in
rock, at a cost of $200,000. Upon the release of *Spectres*, an even
more advanced laser presentation was unveiled at twice the cost, with
twice the power. [Due to the controversiality of BOC laser shows (there
were rumors that the lasers caused some people to go blind, and certain
groups claimed that BOC must be evil to do such dangerous things at
their shows), some venues would not allow their use. BOC later
abandoned the use of lasers at their shows, citing cost and a desire to
get "back to basics".]
BOC's excursion out of the '70s and into the '80s unfolded over the
course of its next three studio LPs. On *Mirrors* (June, 1979), BOC's
first California recording, Pearlman and Krugman relinquished production
to Tom Werman, a CBS staff producer (Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent, later
Motley Crue). *Cultosaurus Erectus* (June, 1980), produced by Martin
Birch (of Black Sabbath/Deep Purple/Whitesnake renown) included "Black
Blade", a collaboration with British fiction/fantasy novelist Michael
Moorcock. But it took *Fire Of Unknown Origin* (June, 1981), again
produced by Birch, to bring BOC into the new video/Top-40 generation,
with "Burnin' For You" and the controversial "Joan Crawford".
BOC's third (and most likely final) live LP [like *On Your Feet Or
On Your Knees*, a double LP] was the result of four months of recording
and painstaking track selection. *Extraterrestrial Live* (April, 1982)
became the standard by which BOC would be measured onstage.
[It was also during this timeframe (August of 1981, to be more
precise) that the first change of personnel in the band occurred.
Albert Bouchard, the band's original drummer, apparently failed to show
up on time for a show in Norfolk, England. Rick Downey, one of the
members of BOC's road crew, happened to be a capable drummer himself,
and was asked to play in Albert's absence. After further disagreements
between Albert and the rest of the band, Albert left the band, which was
presumably only a "leave of absence" resolve some personal issues. Rick
Downey continued to fill in as BOC's drummer, and was made the permanent
drummer about a year after Albert left. Most of the songs on
*Extraterrestrial Live* feature Rick Downey's drumming. However, two
songs on the album feature Albert Bouchard on the drums -- Albert is
credited as playing on "Dominance and Submission", and "Black Blade"
(the recordings used of those two songs were made prior to Albert's
leaving BOC). In addition, Albert Bouchard's likeness (along with Rick
Downey and the rest of BOC) is pictured on the back of the album.]
A year of minimum performances, maximum rehearsals and recording,
and some unexpected personnel changes [i.e. Albert Bouchard] resulted in
the release of *The Revolution By Night* (October, 1983). The LP was
produced by Bruce Fairbairn (who worked with Loverboy since its
inception, and went on to produce Bon Jovi). [In January of 1985, Rick
Downey (upset that BOC wanted to use a different drummer in the studio
for their next album) quit the band (After leaving BOC, he became the
lighting designer for Utopia and Motley Crue, then tour manager for The
Outfield and Anthrax, before returning in 1994 to be lighting designer
and tour manager for BOC). As BOC had a 2 week tour of California in
February, and no drummer, the band asked Albert Bouchard to fill in.
However, Albert was only hired as a temporary replacement, much to the
dismay of those who thought that the original line-up would be restored.
On recommendation from Rick Derringer, Jimmy Wilcox became BOC's new
drummer (although Billy Idol drummer Thommy Price was to provide some
drum work in the studio for the next album). In addition, Allen Lanier
took a leave of absence, presumably due to artistic differences with
the band (he reportedly did not like the new BOC sound, or the use of so
many writers outside the band) and was replaced by Tommy Zvoncheck on
keyboards. With 3 of the original 5 band members remaining when the
band resumed touring in May 1985, band insiders often referred to them
as "3OC".]
[These] further personnel changes [i.e. Rick Downey and Allen
Lanier] were evident on *Club Ninja* (January 1986), BOC's first new
album in 27 months, as Pearlman returned to produce his first LP with
the band in nine years. Its title is derived from the song "Shadow
Warrior" (literal translation of the Japanese ninja), which contained a
lyric by best-selling novelist Eric Van Lustbader, author of *The
Ninja*. [After a returning to the U.S. in February of 1986 from the
European leg of the *Club Ninja* tour (where nearly everyone on the tour
got sick), bassist Joe Bouchard left the band for personal reasons. On
recommendation from Tommy Zvoncheck, Jon Rogers became the new bassist
(having only a week to learn the songs). With only Eric and Buck
remaining of the original lineup, band insiders often referred to them
as "Two Oyster Cult".]
[In September of 1986, after the *Club Ninja* tour was over, the
band, according to singer Eric Bloom, "semi-officially broke up".
However, the break was short-lived, as Allen Lanier rejoined Eric and
Buck (returning the band to "3OC"). According to Buck, "We re-formed
because we had an offer to go to Greece. Then we ended up playing some
shows in Germany and just sort of fell back into it to make a living."
On Buck's recommendation, Ron Riddle became BOC's drummer when they
resumed touring in June of 1987 (beginning in Greece). During this
timeframe, the *Imaginos* (July 1988) album was finished and released,
but more details of that album appear in another part of this FAQ.]
[In May of 1991, drummer Ron Riddle left the band (and joined the
Stuart Hamm Band), and was replaced by Chuck Burgi (who had played as a
session drummer for Meatloaf, Rainbow, and other bands; and had played
in the Eric Bloom band, later became known as "Skull", with Eric, Dennis
Feldman of Heaven, and Bob Kulick of Meatloaf). In 1992, Chuck Burgi
took some "time off" to record a Japan-only release CD with ex-Rainbow
keyboardist David Rosenthal -- John Miceli, drummer for Meatloaf, filled
in for him (he had only one day to rehearse with the band).
Blue Oyster Cult toured off and on between 1988 to 1995, mostly in
smaller concert venues than they had been accustomed to during the peak
years of their popularity (roughly 1975 - 1983). During this time, no
new BOC albums were released, partly due to contractual issues between
CBS records and the band. However, CBS released two compilation albums,
*Career of Evil - The Metal Years*, and *On Flame With Rock And Roll*,
in 1990. Also, BOC appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 science
fiction movie, *Bad Channels* -- the album includes two new BOC tunes
("Demon's Kiss" and "The Horsemen Arrive"), along with a myriad of
instrumental pieces that were used for the movie (these were reportedly
done completely by Buck Dharma using his guitars and Macintosh
computer).
In 1994, the band released *Cult Classic* on Herald records. This
album came about due to interest in the band by horror writer Stephen
King, who wanted to use "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" as part of the
soundtrack in the TV Mini-Series adaptation of his novel, *The Stand*.
Due to contractual issues between CBS and the band (CBS owned the
footage rights to BOC's music), BOC got a "one-off" deal from Herald
records to re-do the songs (Herald had a similar arrangement with Rick
Wakeman, formerly of Yes).
In May of 1995, bassist Jon Rogers left the band to pursue a career
with a new band. He was temporarily replaced by Greg Smith, who has
previously worked with Alice Cooper, Ritchie Blackmore, Vinnie Moore,
and the Plasmatics. Greg came on recommendation from Chuck Burgi, who
had worked with Greg on David Rosenthal's album. In August of 1995,
Greg left the band to support tours with Alice Cooper and Ritchie
Blackmore. Based on recommendations from Greg Smith and John Miceli,
the new bassist for BOC is Danny Miranda, from Long Island, New York. A
new studio album is planned for the hopefully not-too-distant future
(probably 1996), and CBS-Sony is planning to release a double CD
compilation (announced release date is September 26) with the title,
*Workshop Of The Telescopes*.
----------------
End of Section 1 out of 7
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