IMAGINOS DEMOS

Date : 1981-1984
Lieu : Albert Bouchard’s studio
Label : Inconnu
Support : 1 cd
Durée : 70:16 mn
Source : Soundboard
Qualité sonore : 8,5/10

Liste des titres :

1. I Am the One You Warned Me Of (5:10)
2. Imaginos (5:57)
3. Gil Blanco County (5:07)
4. Del Rio’s Song (5:42)
5. Blue Oyster Cult (7:14)
6. Les Invisibles (5:19)
7. The Girl That Love Made Blind (6:08)
8. The Siege and Investiture of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle at Weisseria (5:36)
9. In The Presence of Another World (6:07)
10. Blue Oyster Cult (reprise) (3:48)
11. Astronomy 1984 (6:52)
12. Magna of Illusion (5:54)
13. Magna of Illusion Chorale (1:33)

Musiciens :

Al Bouchard – lead vocals, drums, guitar
Tommy Moringiello – guitars
Jack Rigg – guitars
Tommy Mandel – keyboards
Jon Rogers – additional lead vocal (« I Am The One You Warned Me Of »)
Phil Grandee – guitar
Kenny Aaronson – bass (?)
Thommy Price – drums (?)

backing vocalists:
Jeff Kawalik, Corky Stasiak, Helen Wheels, Glen Bell, Peggy Atkins, Casper McCloud

 

 

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Commentaire :(en Anglais, sorry!)

from the boc faq – http://members.aol.com/bocfaqman/boc_faq.html

What is the story behind the recording of the album, Imaginos?

The Imaginos story actually pre-dates BOC, and started within the mind of Sandy Pearlman, who, back in about 1967, wrote a collection of poems called « The Soft Doctrines of Immaginos » (note the original spelling of Immaginos). It was Pearlman’s desire that BOC be the embodiment of the Imaginos concept. Around that time, two songs were written around this concept — « Gil Blanco County » (which would appear on the Stalk-Forrest Group demo for Elektra), and a Buck Dharma tune called « Port Jefferson » (interestingly enough, this is the town where current BOC drummer Bobby Rondinelli was born). Radio promotion copies of the first BOC album included an insert which indicated that the song « Redeemed » was « a short version of the tune that will appear on their fourth album, an opera, titled, ‘The Soft Doctrines of the Imaginos' ».
While the band decided against doing the concept, Albert Bouchard began working on music for it.
By 1974, the songs « Imaginos », « Astronomy » (which appeared on *Secret Treaties*), and « The Subhuman » (which also appeared on *Secret Treaties*, and would later be changed to « Blue Oyster Cult » on the *Imaginos* album) were written.
At the *Agents Of Fortune* sessions, Albert demoed « Imaginos ».
At the *Spectres* sessions, Joe Bouchard demoed « In The Presence Of Another World » (which was also worked up by the band as a candidate for the *Mirrors* album), while Albert Bouchard demoed « Del Rio’s Song », « I Am The One You Warned Me Of », « The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle At Weisseria », and a song titled, « The Girl That Love Made Blind » — however, the band was still not interested in doing the whole project.
Albert continued to write and demo songs for the project, and by *Cultosaurus Erectus*, really wanted to see the band do the concept. After Albert left BOC in 1981, he began working with Sandy Pearlman on the project, recording all the basic tracks in 1982.
Albert brought Joe Bouchard, Allen Lanier, and Buck Dharma to play certain portions of some of the tracks.
By 1984, the Imaginos work was essentially completed.
Sandy Pearlman first approached CBS about putting the album together around 1981, and CBS was initially interested in the project.
According to Eric Bloom, CBS was not happy with the final result (in which Albert sang much of the lead vocals), and was not interested in releasing the album unless it was released as a « BOC » album with Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma singing lead vocals. In response to concerns over his own vocals, Albert obtained the services of Joey Cerisano, a veteran of the New Jersey music scene (who at the time had been in a band known as Silver Condor) to sing on the tracks. Joey Cerisano’s rendition of « The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle At Weisseria » was used on the final release of *Imaginos*, while Cerisano went on himself to become one of the most successful jingle singers in the United States (he’s done jingles for Budweiser, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and numerous car companies, to name a few of his credits).
After BOC had broken up in 1986, the idea of the band getting together to release *Imaginos* was discussed. Albert, hoping to get the original line-up back together for the recording (and a subsequent tour), spent time getting in contact with all the original members of the band. Apparently Albert had a difficult time convincing Joe Bouchard, who was the last of the original 5 members to quit the band, to do the project. However, the rest of the band (Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Jon Rogers, joined by Ron Riddle on drums) had reformed as Blue Oyster Cult by the time Joe Bouchard had agreed to do the project. In addition, the financial obligations had to be worked out as Albert wanted to be co-producer of the album, having played such a large role in the project.
With the band re-forming in mid-1987 without Albert and Joe Bouchard, Albert abandoned the *Imaginos* project. However, Sandy Pearlman and the band did go forward with the project, re-doing some of the tracks by early 1988, and releasing *Imaginos* as a BOC album later that year.
The original 5 members of the band are credited as performing on the album, along with several other musicians (see album credits in Discography section). However, it is not clear how much of a « BOC » album this is, beyond Eric/Buck’s lead vocals, and their hand in the writing of some of the songs. According to Albert Bouchard, the bulk of the instrumentation credits should go to former Ian Hunter guitarist Tommy Moringiello (guitars), former David Johansen guitarist Jack Rigg (guitars), and Tommy Mandel (keyboards – uncredited on the album). Tommy Zvoncheck later indicated that most of Tommy Mandel’s keyboard parts were replaced by his own on the released version of *Imaginos*.
In addition, Albert says the following were not credited on the album: Jon Rogers (additional lead vocal on « I Am The One You Warned Me Of »), Phil Grandee (guitar), and a number of individuals contributing background vocals (Jeff Kawalik, Corky Stasiak, Helen Wheels, Glen Bell, Peggy Atkins, Casper McCloud – although it is not clear if these contributions appeared on the released version of *Imaginos*).
Between the reworking of the songs on *Imaginos*, the improper credits, and the fact that the band apparently did not want Albert back as their drummer after the release of *Imaginos*, there were considerable hard feelings between Albert and BOC/Sandy Pearlman.
The original *Imaginos* project contained over 90 minutes of music, and budgets wouldn’t allow for the complete package. The « complete » Imaginos story spans 200 years from the beginning of the 19 Century to the end of the 20th. At the time the album was recorded, two other parts were anticipated, titled (according to Sandy Pearlman) « Germany Minus Zero And Counting » and « The Mutant Reformation ». Albert Bouchard has indicated that possible titles for « Germany Minus Zero And Counting » were « Half-Life Time », and « Bombs Over Germany ». According to Albert Bouchard, the following songs were left off of *Imaginos*: « Gil Blanco County », « The Girl That Love Made Blind », « Blue Oyster Cult Reprise », « Imaginos Overture », and an a capella reprise of the first verse of « Magna Of Illusion ». Also, the song « Shadow Of California » (from the album, *The Revolution By Night*) was originally intended, in one form or another, to be on the second « Imaginos » album. It is possible that « Shadow Of California » was partially re-worked from an Albert Bouchard song, « Half-Life Time », which contains the lyrics that later appeared as the spoken intro to the *Club Ninja* song, « When The War Comes ». With the past problems and current tensions between the various parties associated the recording of *Imaginos*, it is probably unlikely that the full Imaginos saga will ever be completed, at least not by BOC. Albert Bouchard has released some *Imaginos* material (« Overture » on *Box Of Hammers*, « I Am The One You Warned Me Of », « Astronomy », and « The Girl That Love Made Blind » on *Malpractise*), and has expressed interest in doing more, as his other activities allow. Sandy Pearlman has been reportedly working over the past few years on an Imaginos comic book and multi-media (video game) project, but it is unknown if this project will ever be finished.

Bolle Gregmar provided a list of songs which Albert mixed in 1985 in the planned order of the tracks:

01. I Am The One You Warned Me Of
02. Imaginos
03. Gil Blanco County
04. Del Rio’s Song
05. Blue Oyster Cult
06. Blue Oyster Cult Reprise
07. Half-Life Time
08. Les Invisibles
09. The Girl That Love Made Blind
10. The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle At Weisseria
11. In The Presence Of Another World
12. Imaginos Overture
13. Astronomy
14. Magna Of Illusion
15. Magna Of Illusion Chorale (a capella reprise of the first verse)

Albert Bouchard provided a list of songs which might be applicable to the rest of the Imaginos trilogy. They appear, with his comments, as follows:

Act One: The Imaginos album we’re familiar with.

Act Two:
– Bombs over Germany
– Workshop Of The Telescopes
– The Girl That Love Made Blind *
– ME 262
– The Red And The Black
– Cities On Flame **
– Shadow Of California
– Half-Life Time +
– Veteran Of The Psychic Wars ++
– Career Of Evil ++

Act Three:
– The Mutant Reformation
– Take Me Away ++
– The Vigil ++
– ETI
– R. U. Ready 2 Rock
– Heavy Metal
– Flaming Telepaths
– Gil Blanco County *
– Redeemed

* Left off the original Imaginos album
** « Motor City is Burning » version — based somewhat on the MC5 song
+ Very few have heard this one
++ Non-Pearlman songs because I never plan to write another with him and these tunes kind of fit into the story

 

 

Pochette (version 1) :

Pochette (version 2) :

Bootleg n°868