Tuesday, October 20, 2020

The Best Of Michael Belfer

Belfer, Draper, Williams, Mooney
Michael Belfer is probably still best known as the guitarist for SF punk legends The Sleepers. With singer Ricky Williams, drummer Tim Mooney and bassist Paul Draper, they released the groundbreaking Seventh World EP in 1978. Belfer also played guitar with Tuxedomoon in 1978-79. He appeared on their EP's Scream With A View and No Tears, as well as the Subterranean Modern compilation. Tuxedomoon built their 1980 single "Crash!" on a backwards Belfer guitar line.

After Tuxedomoon moved to Europe, Belfer devoted himself to The Sleepers. With a second guitarist (Mike White) and a new rhythm section, The Sleepers recorded the album Painless Nights. The live band included Benjamin Bossi (who became Romeo Void's saxophonist), Ron MacLeod (bass) and Brian MacLeod (drums). You can hear them at their peak on the 1981 live compilation Savoy Sound Wave Goodbye. The Sleepers broke up after a disastrous 1981 gig in NYC.
Adolescent Records' showcase



Ricky Williams joined Tim Mooney in a new SF band called Toiling Midgets. Belfer and Brian MacLeod formed a group called Clocks Of Paradise. Belfer also played on Night Air, the 1983 solo album by Blaine Reininger from Tuxedomoon. After Toiling Midgets' first breakup, Belfer and Mooney briefly joined Midgets guitarist Paul Hood in a Seattle band called Perfect Circles. In a Razorcake interview, Duane Peters recalled, "I had a band called Firesports in San Francisco in 1984. We actually got signed. We started shooting up in front of the guys from the studio who were signing our shit. That was Michael Belfer. He was in it from the Sleeper(s)". At the end of the decade, Belfer gigged with Jennifer Miro and Jeff Olener in The Nuns.

In the early 90's, Belfer created soundtrack music for the film Red Spirit Lake, and played on compositions by Beth Custer (of Club Foot Orchestra), and Naut Humon (of Rhythm & Noise). Belfer then became a guitarist for hire with Bay Area alt-rock bands Torcher (1995) and Black Lab (1997-99). He worked again with Tim Mooney in a group called Lil Tiger (1998-2001). Lil Tiger completed an album for Tim/Kerr Records, but the label went under and the record was left unreleased.

This compilation features songs from Michael Belfer's recordings with The Sleepers, Tuxedomoon, Lil Tiger and others. Michael is an innovative guitarist who favors atmosphere and emotion over technical dexterity (though he demonstrates the latter with Torcher and Black Lab). He has cited Robert Fripp and Peter Green as influences. Hozac Books recently announced that they will publish a "Tuxedomoon/Sleepers memoir" by Michael Belfer called When Can I Fly? Hopefully the memoir will include more than junkie stories. The last song on this set is Hannah Marcus' exquisite kiss-off to a druggie boyfriend, "Osiris In Pieces". Hope you enjoy it!
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7 comments:

  1. jonderOctober 20, 2020 at 2:45 PM

    The Wonderful And Frightening Sounds of Michael Belfer:
    https://tinyurl.com/y36lukdb

    NOTES:  The music and history of Lil Tiger can be found at https://unownedartist.bandcamp.com.  
    Michael Belfer has engineering and production credits for Indian Jewelry and others. Belfer produced and played on Glasstown's album Living And Forgetting (2001), and played on the Duane Peters' Gunfight album (2005), and Mike Relm's 2008 single "Bodyrock".

    Belfer can be seen in this 2009 video with Meri St. Meri performing the John Cale song "You Know More Than I Know":  https://youtu.be/N_UNxEKzdWw

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  2. Viacomclosedmedown on youtubeOctober 21, 2020 at 4:45 PM

    Got'm corrupt file chemosabi with only track 17 shows but WINRAR error to open.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. jonderOctober 21, 2020 at 8:05 PM

      Thanks for catching that! Try this link:

      https://tinyurl.com/y24hvaua

      Delete
  3. AnonymousOctober 23, 2020 at 8:03 AM

    Wow! You found a SF band (The Sleepers) that I hadn't heard of despite six years of pouring through the racks of SF record & thrift stores! I'm looking forward to hearing them! - Stinky

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    1. jonderOctober 23, 2020 at 9:35 AM

      I hope you like them! Apparently the album (Painless Nights) wasn't well-distributed, which is part of what made the tour a disaster. An original copy of the "Seventh World" EP goes for at least $100 these days.

      In a 2013 interview, Michael Belfer described the two records as "two completely different bands": by 1980-81, The Sleepers were miles away from the punk band of 1978. It's like the difference between the Sex Pistols' album and Metal Box, Three Imaginary Boys vs. Faith, or the Warsaw EP vs Closer. All three bands were more mature, knew their way around the studio, and were less focused on fans' expectations. Belfer again: "We did everything to please ourselves."

      https://www.vice.com/el/article/3b5989/we-interviewed-sleepers-guitarist-michael-belfer

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  4. WYNovember 3, 2020 at 5:03 PM

    Thank you for posting this. I made a similar playlist a week ago without having seen yours (see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_yvm-tEMr4&list=PLO6dAc-iH-AUEim9P2AwSjmHIH57Tllt8). Will compare notes with yours...

    Here is a link for the book, if you don't mind me posting it:

    https://hozacrecords.com/product/pre-order-when-can-i-fly-book-by-michael-belfer-with-will-york/

    Definitely a lot more than just junkie stories!

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    1. jonderNovember 4, 2020 at 9:30 AM

      I'm so glad you found my post, especially since you and I are thinking along such similar lines... I was unaware of the band Mondo and am digging Michael's solo at the end of "A Thousand Mansions". Lyrics are almost prescient, considering how many SF residents have been priced out of their homes: "A thousand mansions to house the chosen few."

      Thanks too for the heads up that the book is ready for pre-order. Looking forward to the stories and photos.

      Here's a link to the 2008 hip hop track "Bodyrock" featuring Gift of Gab from Blackalicious, Chantal from Morningwood, and Michael Belfer:

      https://youtu.be/PRZDg-VLPqY

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