BOC: "recognizing genius"

[Michael R Godwin]

On Thu, 15 Feb 2001, Douglas Pearson wrote:
> I have no idea who first used the term to apply to music ... Hapdash and
> the Colored Coat perhaps?  But it's probably safe to say that all
> subsequent usage of the term was inspired by/borrowed from Burroughs (and
> it would probably be a not-too-risky bet to make that even if Pearlman was
> one of the first to apply the term to music, that he got the idea from
> Meltzer).

IIRC, the first Hapshash record came out in 67 or maybe 68 and was
credited to "Hapshash and the Coloured Coat featuring the Human Host and
the Heavy Metal Kids". I don't think there was any claim that the _music_
was heavy metal - the title just namechecked William Burroughs. I remember
bands like Spooky Tooth at that time being described as heavy, but not
heavy metal. I almost believe that Pearlman was the first to use the term
to describe a musical style, but I think there were probably others before
him.

As for the BOC claim to have written "about half of their catalog" - my
recollection is that the Pearlman writing credits fall off after the first
couple of albums. And they are all co-credits (presumably as lyricist) - I
don't think he has ever written a complete song.

- Mike Godwin