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| The Outsets, 1983 |
Ivan Julian (born 1955) has been playing guitar professionally since he was a teenager. After leaving the Voidoids, Ivan fronted his own band, The Outsets. Tommy Keene was one of the guitarists who auditioned for The Outsets; decades later, he and Ivan toured as an acoustic duo. The Outsets were followed by Lovelies, a band led by Cynthia Sley, ex-Bush Tetras (who was married to Ivan at the time.) Lovelies made a 1988 album called Mad Orphans. Ivan and Cynthia have a son, Austin Sley Julian, who is in a band called Sediment Club.
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| Ivan and Cynthia in 1988 (photo from Ffanzeen) |
Ivan guested on Sandinista ("Ivan Meets GI Joe" is about him), and he played on solo albums by Bob Pfeifer (ex-Human Switchboard) and Richard Barone (ex-Bongos). While in The Voidoids, Ivan played bass with Jon Tiven's Yankees and on Billy Karloff's The Maniac.
In the 90's, Ivan formed a lasting association with Matthew Sweet. Ivan played on the Altered Beast, Goodfriend, and Sunshine Lies albums, and performed in Sweet's live band for the better part of the decade.
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| Ivan Julian with the late Robert Quine |
Today I'm sharing the first of two volumes of The Best Of Ivan Julian. This one features recordings from 1976 through 1999: The Voidoids, The Outsets, Lovelies, Lord Boy and other artists who Ivan played with. The next post will feature Ivan's music from the 21st century. He is an incredible guitarist, as well as a talented songwriter, singer, engineer, and producer.
The Best Of Ivan Julian: 20th Century
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mediafire.com/file/xgnj67s7o002mqo/1V@NJUL1@N-v1.zip/file
My rip of The Outsets' 1980 single (Fever/I'm Searchin For You) is included, as well as a demo track that Ivan recorded in the 1990's. I found more information about that demo at Jim Santos' Demo Universe:
https://demouniverse.com/2016/09/14/ivan-julian-ten-songs-circa-1995/
Thanks Jonder, much to discover for an old Voidoids fan like me. Never realized Ivan Meets GI Joe was about him btw.
ReplyDeleteIvan mentioned in an interview that during the Sandinista recording sessions he told Joe Strummer a story about visiting Studio 54, which inspired Joe to write the song. Ivan also played guitar on "The Call Up".
DeleteIt"s "about" Ivan? No, it's about the privations of the Soviet Union and the excess of the USA. Topper Headon wrote the song not Joe & Mick.
DeleteWho's going to tell Ivan Julian that it's not about him? "So you're on the floor at 54..."
DeleteI should have said that Ivan's story "inspired the song".
Don't worry Jonder, I'll tell him next time I see him. Better yet, Ritchie can tell him!
DeleteThanks! And if you trip over Topper in some Far East opium den, tell him that the lyrics to "Ivan Meets GI Joe" read more like "Dance This Mess Around" than "Games Without Frontiers".
DeleteThey do all sixteen dances!
They do the Vostok Bomb! Do the Stalin Strike!
Do the Cossack Spin! Try the Hitch Hike!
You could (should?) have included Smitten from Hell's Destiny St demos btw. Ivan Julian (and not Quine, as was pointed out to me) plays great lead guitar on it. Digging the Outsets single as I type this...
ReplyDeleteI listened to Smitten while I was "auditioning" songs for the compilation. Ended up using "Ignore That Door" instead, partly because Ivan helped to write it before he left the band.
DeleteYou can listen to all of The Outsets' recordings here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8U1SF5TWs9B85GvXTeRRpA
Some of the songs on Ivan's 2009 solo album date back to Outsets days. This set from WFMU is fantastic:
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ivan_Julian/Live_at_WFMU_on_The_Cherry_Blossom_Clinic_With_Terre_T_on_August_13_2011
Wow! I've been looking forward to this! I had no idea that Ivan plays on Bob Pfiefer's lone solo album (a CLASSIC!) Thanks! - Stinky
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thanks for not telling people I mixed Ivan Kral up with Ivan Julian when you first mentioned him. ;)
Your secret's safe with me, pal! Not many people have called Bob's album a classic. In 2011, Bob Pfeifer returned to writing songs (as well as a novel), and formed a short lived band called Tabby Chinos -- with Cynthia Sley!
Deletehttp://agitreader.com/features/human_switchboard-10.17.html
PS - I useta get Ivan Julian mixed up with Ivan Putski, the "Polish Hammer" who wrassled with The Crusher, Baron Von Raschke, and Tito Santana back in the day.
DeleteOn a serious note, I thought it was Cynthia Sley who wrote a book about living with Peter Laughner, but it was actually Adele Bertei.
Dang it Jonder, you managed to tie together a bunch of vinyl I have found over the years and posted. I had no idea the connections but of course my mission has been to 'save the vinyl' from landfills (at the expense of overloading the blog and taking huge time chunks out of peoples lives who download it) and get people interested enough to hang on to the gems! You are a keen music scholar indeed!
ReplyDeleteThanks, man! I know you shared the Lovelies album awhile back. I raided your archives for my Moon Martin covers post too.
DeleteHopefully you got the Yankees and all my Human Switchboard stuff (that post years and years ago was the first one someone dared call a 'Masterpiece'). I think the world needs to hear that ROIR tape....pretty please?
DeleteNice...thanks
ReplyDeleteHuman Switchboard, legends! Still have their Hangar album and first single (produced by David Thomas) on vinyl. Still searching for their Live album, have you got that one maybe Jonder?
ReplyDeleteI have the Human Switchboard "Coffee Break" tape that ROIR put out, but not the 1980 live LP. I can share the Bob Pfeifer album -- Stinky says it's a classic, but I can't hear much of Ivan Julian on it.
DeleteThere's a definite Lou Reed vibe to Bob Pfeifer's AFTER WORDS in the writing, and the delivery. But once you get past that, it's a smart, pop-py, catchy album. I logged many miles singing along to it. How many bands aped The Beatles? Dylan? Led Zep? The Velvets? Solo Lou Reed isn't exempt.
ReplyDeleteWhen I checked discogs to be sure I had the album title right, the other recommendations further illustrated where this album is coming from; they recommend The Bongos, The Feelies, Rain Parade, Shoes, and Human Switchboard ('natch!) - Stinky
At the request of Ramone666 (ramone666.blogspot.com) - Live 1980
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mediafire.com/file/mwuebx08hp9ou2f/HVM@N$W!TCHB0@RDL!VE1980.zip/file
At the request of Viacomclosedmedown (downunderground.blogspot.com) - Coffee Break! (1982)
https://www.mediafire.com/file/cjz1cfgei3coorl/HVM@N$W!TCHB0@RDC0FF33BR3@K!.zip/file
At the behest of Stinky LePew (jonderblog Chief Disinformation Officer): - After Words (1987)
https://www.mediafire.com/file/xc0l593slkmsbl3/B0BPFE!F3R@FT3RW0RD$.zip/file
Thanks Jonder! This looks great! Love the Voidoids of course but didn't realize he played with Richard Lloyd and Robert Quine on those Matthew Sweet albums. Thanks for connecting all these dots
ReplyDeleteGlad to connect the dots for you, MrDave! In one interview, Ivan Julian said that Quine recommended him to Matthew Sweet when Sweet was looking for a touring guitarist. Ivan also said that he, Quine, and Lloyd were never in the studio at the same time for the Altered Beast album. The credits for Altered Beast are amazing! Drummers on that album included Fred Maher, Mick Fleetwood, Pete Thomas, Rik Menck, and Jody Stephens.
Deletehttps://www.discogs.com/Matthew-Sweet-Altered-Beast/release/17862568
Ivan Julian and Richard Lloyd are also connected through Vinny DeNunzio, who played drums on Lloyd's debut solo album, Alchemy. Vinny was The Feelies' first drummer (before they recorded anything), and Vinny was the drummer in Ivan's band The Outsets. Vinny and ex-Bongo James Mastro (who also played on Alchemy) later formed a band called The Health & Happiness Show. Richard Lloyd guested on The Health & Happiness Show's second album, and Ivan appeared on the third. Stinky or I should probably do a Richard Lloyd compilation...