ze records - info required

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i have a bit of a thing for this late 70's / early 80's new york / paris label and see that there is almost nothing about it on the interweb. i'd like to address this and set up a ze webpage, so if anyone has any ze info (no matter how seemingly inconsequential), could they please let me know.

thanks.

― stirmonster, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

cristina's excellent version of "is that all there is?" was withdrawn at the insistence of its writers (leiber and stoller?) who felt it disrespected the song

― mark s, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Its a fantastic version right enough. I may be wrong, but I seem to recall the objection to Christina's versh of 'Is that all there is' was that she changed the line 'the house burned down' to 'I burned the house down'.

― Alexander Blair, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Kid Creole and the Coconuts were on Ze, the other couple ones just vanished from my mind as I started to reply. I know there was this really cool-looking Ze Records Christmas Album, I wish I had that now. Perhaps Mr. Alex in NYC knows about Ze?

― Sean, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Was that "Queen of Siam" LP by Lydia Lunch on Ze? She's an annoying poser, but hearing her with a blaring horn section was interesting. I probably shouldn't have flung my copy out 15 years ago, but if I had it today I wouldn't play it.

― Sean, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Weren't there a bunch of Alan Vega solo albums on Ze?

― Lee G, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I think the Waitresses' "I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts" was on Ze. ..?

― Dave225, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yes, that was the one that slipped my mind. It's fun being a record geek yay!

― Sean, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

There's a really good compilation which I think is deleted called Hope springs eternal which gives a good overview of the labels breadth. Sadly a lot of the stuff is unavailable, even Cale's music for a new society is hard to find on cd except as an import. Stirmonster, mail me offlist if you want any more info about it, copy burned etc.

There is a Christmas album (I know I dig my copy out every hristmas as it had two of the best Christmas songs evah on it), funnily enough it's called the Ze Christmas record and is well worth seeking out too.

Davitt Sigerson who recorded for the label went on to become a big cheese with Capitol(?) Records and I think may have had a hand in Tori Amos's career.

― Billy Dods, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Was (Not Was) - classic or dud? S/D. The Was bros. early singles and first two LPs were on Ze.

The Waitresses - classic or genious? (sic)

Chris Butler e-mailed me about my post on the latter! Sadly, I never followed it up.

Who coined the phrase Mutant Disco? Anyone?

― Jeff W, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Chris Butler is pretty accessible. (his email address is on futurefossil.com) He's a good guy - his solo albums are great too - get 'em while you can.

― Dave225, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

If you can track down a copy of the Trouser Press Record Guide from the 1980s you'll find quite a lot of reviews of Ze releases.

There are two articles by Kevin Pearce at www.tangents.co.uk that contain worthwhile information about Ze. These are called "Missing in Action : A Plea for Ze" and "the Label Fable". Also an article at www.richardstrange.com entitled "Christina and Ze Records" has lots of info about Michael Zilkha who founded the label. Zilkha was also the executive producer of the film "Downtown 81" and the official site www.downtown81.com is worth checking out.

― Mark Dixon, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

richard strange!!!

Not much to add, but I looked out Mutant Disco after this thread got going and played Material's "Busting Out" over and over and it is a sensational tune.

― Alexander Blair, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

thank you all and esp. to mark for the links!

and yup, 'bustin' out' is amazing.

― stirmonster, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

oh, and if anyone is interested, today michael zilkha who owned ze is doing this!

― stirmonster, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

love those sleevenotes!!

― mark s, Monday, 3 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

the second Suicide record was originally on Ze / Island

― Baxter Wingnut, Tuesday, 4 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

ten months pass...

http://www.discogs.com/label/ZE_Records

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Monday, 14 April 2003 01:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

actually there is a official ZE homepage now and reissues are on it´s way. do you have a part in this twitch?

http://www.zerecords.com

― Jens (brighter), Monday, 14 April 2003 16:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

sixteen years pass...

https://www.nts.live/shows/trevorjackson/episodes/trevor-jackson-6th-august-2019

Trevor Jackson Island Records mix of stuff from the 80s. Not sure if there’s any Ze stuff, but wasn’t sure where else to post this

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 14 August 2019 03:42 (four years ago) link

It's a long mix. The record company Universal blocked his Soundcloud one and turned down his offer to put out something official for them

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 14 August 2019 13:18 (four years ago) link

Cool, I know what I'm doing at work today! First track I was racking my brain for a minute before I recalled: Wally Badarou.

― confusementalism (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 14 August 2019 16:07 (four years ago) link

Oh yeah, I recall him. I still need to listen to more of it.

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 15 August 2019 04:34 (four years ago) link

still do.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 20 August 2019 03:03 (four years ago) link

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