The Monks

RIP, The Monks were amazing, way ahead of their time. Hell, they are STILL ahead of our time imo.

What they did almost 50 years ago still brings out fresh, creative responses on the '07 tribute album, where Gary memorably materializes, still on top of things: http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-06-05/music/silver-monk-time-a-tribute-to-the-monks/full/ Still sounds good. Never did see the doc.

True hero of music
RIP

RIP. I remember first hearing about the Monks in a WFMU catalog and got the Repertoire reissue shortly afterwards, and I've listened to it pretty consistently since. Dude was great. Love his crazy voice and that guitar sound is still awesome.

Sad news. Thank you for the music Gary.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Most recent post on The Monks' message board is kind of poignant

This was one of the albums Henry Rollins reissued on his short-lived Infinite Zero imprint...1995-ish I guess? Anyway, it was a revelation to twenty-something me.

That documentary is really great, too. Nice to revisit all those guys when they are older and they are totally the most normal, nicest people just living in their little towns maybe singing w the church, etc. They are so humble and chill and yet the music they made in the 60s was just sooooooo off the leash, just wild, wild stuff. They combined punk, industrial, alt country, krautrock, and genres into a rad electro-acoustic minimalist garage rock stomp that no one has come close to topping.

i meant "and genres yet undiscovered"

Yeah, I tracked down the Infinite Zero reissue in Mondo Kim's. That's what New York is for!

Missed this until now. Gary was so hugely generous and kind, and amazing live. When I saw him with the "Mock Monks" at the Bryant-Lake Bowl circa the Iraq War he growled "George Bush, who the hell is he?" This was after my article came out about them, and when I shook hands with him before the show, he smiled and said, "I have something for you," and gave me an honorary noose, which I put around the collar of my black shirt.

THIRD MAN RECORDS ANNOUNCES
THE MONKS'
HAMBURG RECORDINGS 1967
FEATURES FIVE UNHEARD TRACKS
AND NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOS

NEW TRACK "I'M WATCHING YOU"
PREMIERED VIA DANGEROUS MINDS

HAMBURG RECORDINGS 1967
TO BE RELEASED JUNE 23, 2017

Third Man Records is excited to announce The Monks' Hamburg Tapes 1967, featuring five unheard tracks from the legendary group. To ring in the announcement, Dangerous Minds has premiered the new track "I'm Watching You," noting that "these songs aren't just some forgotten cast-offs, they're as vital and as punchy as everything else the Monks recorded." The album will see a vinyl and CD release on June 23.

The Monks - a strange, rare group with a story that sounds like a drunk friend's generous hyperbole. A group of American G.I.s stationed in Germany on the precipice of Western cultural revolution starts playing music loosely connected to the rock n' roll craze, contrastingly incorporating a critical and often offensive avant-garde edge. Nothing was off limits - screeching vocals, dark aesthetics, staccato-strummed banjo, sardonic lyricism, critiques of the Vietnam War and full monk costuming down to the tonsure. When viewed on the whole, it seems like an art school student's senior thesis on what the craze means and its future possibilities. Due in large part to original Polydor vinyl collectability and years in the word-of-mouth hype machine, their legend and cult status has steadily blossomed since their last shows in 1967.

Fast forward to 2017, the crew at Third Man, already huge fans, are presented with an honest-to God treasure trove of original Monks photos, newspaper clippings, business cards, letterhead, contracts, postcards and, yes, analog tapes, containing trailblazing, wild compositions completely unheard by public ears.

"I'm Watching You" would have been recorded on February 28th, 1967 at the same sessions that would produce the Monks' final single "Love Can Tame the Wild" b/w "He Went Down to the Sea." The remaining four songs were recorded after hours in the Top Ten Club later that year, just prior to the break-up of the band.

These songs have been unreleased for 50 years and are quite possibly the last music left to be heard by this legendary band.

Hamburg Recordings 1967 track list:

1. I'm Watching You
2. Julia
3. P.O. Box 3291
4. I Need U Shatzi
5. Yellow Grass

http://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1purPOW-3L._SL1500_.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1purPOW-3L._SL1500_.jpg

Absolute capital C-classic! Thank whomevers responsible that the Beat Club footage of them is still around. They were a very charismatic and entertaining live act. And prolly thank my beloved Fall for helping repopularize them in the 90s. And that one album BMT is a stone avant garage groove from back to front. Addendum re: pic above, wow! Gonna have to get that. Thanx for the tip, NYCnative.

Yeah!

thank the germans for not being the bbc! _all_ the beat club stuff still exists, afaik, including unbroadcast material.

by the way, has anyone actually heard dave day's "don't ha ha" that he released as a 7" at some point?

Was the Rollins reissue of Black Monk Time before the Fall cover?

nah, extricate was 1990, infinite zero issue was '97. apparently the first cd issue of it was an israeli pirate on israphon in 1990.

I believe its a version of "Don't you just know it" with 'authentic' laughing in the chorus.

What?

Oh i see

pretty psyched for this tbh. just curious about the cover art. i thought by these final sessions they had ditched the haircuts and uniform.

Never knew about this Raincoats cover single until just now.

Also can’t remember if I commented on this thread that Eddie seems to have been named after Lawrence of Arabia

it's from the tribute album "silver monk time", has some good stuff on there including gary burger with faust (not sure which faust). there's also a nice live show from around that time (2006 or so) of the monks in berlin with the raincoats, the recently departed mark e. smith, etc., guesting.

It’s BEAT time, it’s HOP time, it’s *BUMP* time!

Just watched the doc with my mother- and sister-in-law. Both loved the band so much.

HI DERE!