Popular Metaphysics
Encyclopedia
Popular Metaphysics was a record label created by Sandy Pearlman
in Studio C of the Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco in 1989
. The label was short lived, but it signed a few solid acts and released their records on the MCA
label, including Love Club
(1990), Manitoba's Wild Kingdom
(1990), and World Entertainment War
(1991).
. Pearlman ran Studio C as Alpha & Omega Studio until 1991. He also used it for his own projects, including those on his short-lived MCA-distributed label Popular Metaphysics, and he also sub-leased it to other producers and artists.
Howie Klein
was the owner and President of 415 Records
and he had been named General Manager of Reprise Records
in 1989; later, in 1995, he would become President of Reprise Records and Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Records
, a position he held until his retirement in 2001. Sandy Pearlman took over as President of 415 Records when Klein left and A&R Director Daniel Levitin
stayed to help run the label. Levitin had held that position with 415 Records when Columbia Records
severed their co-branding contract earlier in 1989. By this time, Al Teller, who had been president of Columbia when the 415 partnership began, was now president of MCA Records
and so, Pearlman formed a new co-branding alliance between 415 Records and MCA
. Three months after Klein left, in 1989, Pearlman bought 415 Records and named Tom Schedler head of his A&R department. Shortly after, Pearlman changed the label's name to Popular Metaphysics, ending the 415 Label.
In 1990, Mark Garvey's Songwriters' Market published a listing that read as follows: "*SANDY PEARLMAN, INC., 245 Hyde St., San Francisco CA 94102. (415)885-4999. A&R Director: Natasha V. Record producer, record company (Popular Metaphysics, formerly 415), recording studio (Alpha & Omega Recording, Hyde Street Studios)."
Popular Metaphysics signed and released records through its co-branding agreement with MCA for a diverse but small group of artists, including Love Club, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, and World Entertainment War. Not every artist that Popular Metaphysics courted was co-branded by MCA. In the summer of 1990, Salt Lake City, Utah
alternative band Idaho Syndrome, did a showcase for a label representative, and and expected to be signed, contingent on MCA's final approval. As lead singer Ryley Fogg described it two years later, "They didn't like dirge rock," and the deal fell through.
Lime Twigs and Treachery (1990
)
Recorded at , engineered by , mastered by Stephen Marcussen
, produced by Bill Buchanan, and released as a CD in the US (cat# MCAD-10034) on Jan 1, 1990 on the Popular Metaphysics/MCA Records label.
...And You? (1990
)
Recorded at , engineered by , with Ulrich Wild
assisting, mastered by , produced by Andy Shernoff
and released in Germany as a vinyl LP album (cat.# 2292-57200-1), in the UK as a cassette tape album (cat.# MCGC 6087), and in the US as a CD album (cat# MCAD 6367) and cassette (cat# 6367), on Popular Metaphysics, co-branded with MCA
.
World Entertainment War (1991
)
Recorded at Alpha Omega Studios, engineered by Ulrich Wild
and Mark Senasac, produced and mixed by Mark Senasac, mastered by Stephen Marcussen
, and released in the US and Germany on CD (cat# MCD-10137), cassette, (cat# 10137) and album (cat# MCAD10137), by Popular Metaphysics/MCA.
Sandy Pearlman
Sandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
in Studio C of the Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco in 1989
1989 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
. The label was short lived, but it signed a few solid acts and released their records on the MCA
MCA
- Archaeology :* Medieval Climatic Anomaly, an extreme and persistent drought in California and Patagonia during Medieval TimeChodu- Aviation :* Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways...
label, including Love Club
Love Club
Love Club was a San Francisco-based American goth band of the 1980s and 1990s, originally founded and fronted by vocalist and pianist Deborah Borchers, with guitarist Lawrence Doyle. They are perhaps most notable for Borchers' vocals, and for being one of a very few bands signed by Sandy Pearlman...
(1990), Manitoba's Wild Kingdom
Manitoba's Wild Kingdom
Manitoba's Wild Kingdom is a heavy metal and punk rock band based in New York City. They are perhaps most notable for consisting, in part, of members of the New York punk band The Dictators and for being one of the very few musical groups Sandy Pearlman ever signed to his short-lived record label,...
(1990), and World Entertainment War
World Entertainment War
World Entertainment War is an American funk rock band, formed in 1986, noted for its memorable costumes, props, and antics, both on and off-stage and for songs containing intricate lyrics of a political and often humorous nature...
(1991).
History
In 1986, Sandy Pearlman leased Studio C in San Francisco's Hyde Street Studios from studio owner Dan AlexanderDan Alexander
Robert Daniel Alexander was a tackle and guard who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets. Dan was draft from Louisiana State University in the 8th round of the 1977 NFL draft....
. Pearlman ran Studio C as Alpha & Omega Studio until 1991. He also used it for his own projects, including those on his short-lived MCA-distributed label Popular Metaphysics, and he also sub-leased it to other producers and artists.
Howie Klein
Howie Klein
Howie Klein is an American DJ, music producer, record label founder, record label executive, and political blogger, who was president of Reprise Records from 1989 to 2001....
was the owner and President of 415 Records
415 Records
415 Records was a San Francisco record label created in 1978. The label focused its efforts on local punk rock and new wave music acts of the late 1970s through the late 1980s, including The Offs, The Nuns, Romeo Void, and Wire Train...
and he had been named General Manager of Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
in 1989; later, in 1995, he would become President of Reprise Records and Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, a position he held until his retirement in 2001. Sandy Pearlman took over as President of 415 Records when Klein left and A&R Director Daniel Levitin
Daniel Levitin
Professor Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D. is a prominent American cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, record producer, musician, and writer...
stayed to help run the label. Levitin had held that position with 415 Records when Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
severed their co-branding contract earlier in 1989. By this time, Al Teller, who had been president of Columbia when the 415 partnership began, was now president of MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
and so, Pearlman formed a new co-branding alliance between 415 Records and MCA
MCA
- Archaeology :* Medieval Climatic Anomaly, an extreme and persistent drought in California and Patagonia during Medieval TimeChodu- Aviation :* Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways...
. Three months after Klein left, in 1989, Pearlman bought 415 Records and named Tom Schedler head of his A&R department. Shortly after, Pearlman changed the label's name to Popular Metaphysics, ending the 415 Label.
In 1990, Mark Garvey's Songwriters' Market published a listing that read as follows: "*SANDY PEARLMAN, INC., 245 Hyde St., San Francisco CA 94102. (415)885-4999. A&R Director: Natasha V. Record producer, record company (Popular Metaphysics, formerly 415), recording studio (Alpha & Omega Recording, Hyde Street Studios)."
Popular Metaphysics signed and released records through its co-branding agreement with MCA for a diverse but small group of artists, including Love Club, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, and World Entertainment War. Not every artist that Popular Metaphysics courted was co-branded by MCA. In the summer of 1990, Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
alternative band Idaho Syndrome, did a showcase for a label representative, and and expected to be signed, contingent on MCA's final approval. As lead singer Ryley Fogg described it two years later, "They didn't like dirge rock," and the deal fell through.
Artists signed to Popular Metaphysics
Popular Metaphysics signed artists included:
|
Discography
- Love ClubLove ClubLove Club was a San Francisco-based American goth band of the 1980s and 1990s, originally founded and fronted by vocalist and pianist Deborah Borchers, with guitarist Lawrence Doyle. They are perhaps most notable for Borchers' vocals, and for being one of a very few bands signed by Sandy Pearlman...
Lime Twigs and Treachery (1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
)
Recorded at , engineered by , mastered by Stephen Marcussen
Stephen Marcussen
Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. Marcussen is one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the music industry and his expertise has been coveted by a wide range of artists over the years...
, produced by Bill Buchanan, and released as a CD in the US (cat# MCAD-10034) on Jan 1, 1990 on the Popular Metaphysics/MCA Records label.
- Manitoba's Wild KingdomManitoba's Wild KingdomManitoba's Wild Kingdom is a heavy metal and punk rock band based in New York City. They are perhaps most notable for consisting, in part, of members of the New York punk band The Dictators and for being one of the very few musical groups Sandy Pearlman ever signed to his short-lived record label,...
...And You? (1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
)
Recorded at , engineered by , with Ulrich Wild
Ulrich Wild
Ulrich Wild is an American record producer, engineer and mixer specializing in the rock and metal genres. Born and raised in Switzerland, Ulrich is now a naturalized citizen living in Los Angeles...
assisting, mastered by , produced by Andy Shernoff
Andy Shernoff
Andy Shernoff is a musician, songwriter, record producer and oenophile.He is a founding member of The Dictators, one of the original New York punk bands, in which he wrote nearly all of the songs, played bass guitar and keyboards, and sang backing vocals and occasional leads...
and released in Germany as a vinyl LP album (cat.# 2292-57200-1), in the UK as a cassette tape album (cat.# MCGC 6087), and in the US as a CD album (cat# MCAD 6367) and cassette (cat# 6367), on Popular Metaphysics, co-branded with MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
.
- World Entertainment WarWorld Entertainment WarWorld Entertainment War is an American funk rock band, formed in 1986, noted for its memorable costumes, props, and antics, both on and off-stage and for songs containing intricate lyrics of a political and often humorous nature...
World Entertainment War (1991
1991 in music
See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
)
Recorded at Alpha Omega Studios, engineered by Ulrich Wild
Ulrich Wild
Ulrich Wild is an American record producer, engineer and mixer specializing in the rock and metal genres. Born and raised in Switzerland, Ulrich is now a naturalized citizen living in Los Angeles...
and Mark Senasac, produced and mixed by Mark Senasac, mastered by Stephen Marcussen
Stephen Marcussen
Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. Marcussen is one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the music industry and his expertise has been coveted by a wide range of artists over the years...
, and released in the US and Germany on CD (cat# MCD-10137), cassette, (cat# 10137) and album (cat# MCAD10137), by Popular Metaphysics/MCA.