Soviet Bootlegs Of Banned Records Printed On Discarded X-Ray Plates
- Thread starter Favelado
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ska invita
back on the other side
THeres a bit more on listening to music and reading illegal books in Soviet Russia here
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...itchens-became-hotbeds-of-dissent-and-culture
I know behind the iron curtain in some eastern europe you could pick up Radio Luxemburg for all your hot tunes
i think this map on wiki shows its reach - though it isnt explained
A little search comes up with this:
http://www.radioluxembourg.co.uk/?page_id=30
"Radio Luxembourg was an expression of freedom and liberty for a whole generation in Western as well as Eastern Europe, and therefore had a major impact on society, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Although it was clearly apolitical, some even claim that Radio Luxembourg, the famous ‘Two-O-Eight’ helped to undermine communism with the rock and pop music it broadcast by triggering a desire for change and liberty among young people behind the Iron Curtain.
An exhibition organised by the Luxembourg Embassy in Warsaw and the Faculty of History of the Warsaw University from 16 May to 22 June 2012 highlighted the role of Radio Luxembourg in Poland during the Cold War – ‘Wspominając Radio Luksemburg w PRL’ (Remembering Radio Luxembourg in the People’s Republic of Poland). It aimed to show how the music and information broadcast by Radio Luxembourg was used, processed and adapted by the people of Poland during the 1960s and 1970s."
Lots more to read in the link, including why the signal didnt get jammed and so on, and lots of great testimonials. I like this one:
Jerzy Gluziński, listener from Warsaw:
Radio Luxembourg was something completely different to listen to. First of all you had to find it. And in order for Radio Luxembourg to be received at all it had to be dark. During the day the range of medium waves didn’t allow for this. It was also quite far away from us, so I made a special antenna, which went about 20–30 meters out of the window. This was done especially for this radio, so we could listen and get a decent signal. Back in those days radio sounded completely different and you have no idea what it was like on short wave.
and
Witold Sikorski, lecturer, Warsaw Institute of Technology:
I was the editor of the school newspaper and I knew English well so I did the overview of Radio Luxembourg, its music charts. I wrote down all the titles from the charts, what was new, the rankings and so forth. Then at 5am I would sit at the typewriter, I would type it all up and on Monday we had it in the newspaper. Our school was best informed in terms of Radio Luxembourg news.
ETA: Seems like in the USSR you migh have been able to pick up BBC, Voice of America and Radio Liberte.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...itchens-became-hotbeds-of-dissent-and-culture
I know behind the iron curtain in some eastern europe you could pick up Radio Luxemburg for all your hot tunes
i think this map on wiki shows its reach - though it isnt explained
A little search comes up with this:
http://www.radioluxembourg.co.uk/?page_id=30
"Radio Luxembourg was an expression of freedom and liberty for a whole generation in Western as well as Eastern Europe, and therefore had a major impact on society, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Although it was clearly apolitical, some even claim that Radio Luxembourg, the famous ‘Two-O-Eight’ helped to undermine communism with the rock and pop music it broadcast by triggering a desire for change and liberty among young people behind the Iron Curtain.
An exhibition organised by the Luxembourg Embassy in Warsaw and the Faculty of History of the Warsaw University from 16 May to 22 June 2012 highlighted the role of Radio Luxembourg in Poland during the Cold War – ‘Wspominając Radio Luksemburg w PRL’ (Remembering Radio Luxembourg in the People’s Republic of Poland). It aimed to show how the music and information broadcast by Radio Luxembourg was used, processed and adapted by the people of Poland during the 1960s and 1970s."
Lots more to read in the link, including why the signal didnt get jammed and so on, and lots of great testimonials. I like this one:
Jerzy Gluziński, listener from Warsaw:
Radio Luxembourg was something completely different to listen to. First of all you had to find it. And in order for Radio Luxembourg to be received at all it had to be dark. During the day the range of medium waves didn’t allow for this. It was also quite far away from us, so I made a special antenna, which went about 20–30 meters out of the window. This was done especially for this radio, so we could listen and get a decent signal. Back in those days radio sounded completely different and you have no idea what it was like on short wave.
and
Witold Sikorski, lecturer, Warsaw Institute of Technology:
I was the editor of the school newspaper and I knew English well so I did the overview of Radio Luxembourg, its music charts. I wrote down all the titles from the charts, what was new, the rankings and so forth. Then at 5am I would sit at the typewriter, I would type it all up and on Monday we had it in the newspaper. Our school was best informed in terms of Radio Luxembourg news.
ETA: Seems like in the USSR you migh have been able to pick up BBC, Voice of America and Radio Liberte.
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ska invita
back on the other side
I think Im right in saying communist countries would have one record label each - in the USSR it was Melodiya - and that was all that was allowed to be put out, and obviously it would have to be approved by the social realist A&R men 
A quick look on the net shows a lot of this stuff has been archived and written about by obsessives, but mainly it was all classical music and eventually some tame pop. I wonder what gems might be out there though....maybe some Soviet equivalent of radiophonic workshop?
A quick look on the net shows a lot of this stuff has been archived and written about by obsessives, but mainly it was all classical music and eventually some tame pop. I wonder what gems might be out there though....maybe some Soviet equivalent of radiophonic workshop?
ska invita
back on the other side
thats pretty good! Im going to check out more
this popped up and says under the video:
The 1960s and 1970s saw the beginning of modern Russian pop and rock music. It started with the wave of VIA's (vocal-instrumental ensemble), a specific sort of music bands performing radio-friendly pop, rock and folk, composed by members of the Union of Composers and approved by censorship. This wave begun with Pojuschie Gitary and Pesnyary; popular VIA bands also included Tcvety, Zemlyane and Verasy. Among the pioneers of Soviet electronica, was 1970s ambient composer Eduard Artemiev, best known for his scores to Tarkovsky's science fiction films.
some names to check out
i have a memory in the early 90s of reading about Russian DJs having to use reel to reel and this seemed really funny at the time
found this - only a short clip unfortunately
this popped up and says under the video:
The 1960s and 1970s saw the beginning of modern Russian pop and rock music. It started with the wave of VIA's (vocal-instrumental ensemble), a specific sort of music bands performing radio-friendly pop, rock and folk, composed by members of the Union of Composers and approved by censorship. This wave begun with Pojuschie Gitary and Pesnyary; popular VIA bands also included Tcvety, Zemlyane and Verasy. Among the pioneers of Soviet electronica, was 1970s ambient composer Eduard Artemiev, best known for his scores to Tarkovsky's science fiction films.
some names to check out
i have a memory in the early 90s of reading about Russian DJs having to use reel to reel and this seemed really funny at the time
found this - only a short clip unfortunately
ska invita
back on the other side
I saw this photo posted on facebook the other day on a vinyl-porn page
the first disco in Katowice, a coalmining town in the south of Poland, 1974
looking for it now it comes with a great article:
In the winter of 1973 to 1974 I played in Wisla / Vistula city in the mountains – a few nights in the cafe 'center' and the fire station hall. This fire station was a large room, but terribly dusty. On the floor lay a few millimeters of dust. So the audience - rather haphazard, cheap turist motley. After these events have been me just terribly dusty singles, which have been light gray, almost white in color - dust down grooves in the plate. It was the worst phenomenon that I remember from my entire 40-year career deejayskiej.
Cafe 'center' it was a different world compare to everyday in communist Poland of early ‘70. Customers were: cinkciarstwo (illegal money exchange for profit), expensive whores, rich vegetable traders, private businesses, foreign tourists, and as always and everywhere present undercover / SB political secret Police agents. The restaurant was small, low, and I remember that it was very crowded and hot, a lot of sweat in the air mixed with exquisite perfume sexy ladies dancing and sweating less exquisite scents and horny (the previously mentioned ladies and expensive whores) men.
Event organizer was Andrew Boguslawski from Katowice - after studying piano musician and owner of a special communist administration permit - issued to him for a big bribe (as he drunk - confessed to me in very secret) to organize clubs - issued by the then so-called max corrupt Department of Culture - the City of Katowice. One day person named Czeslaw Gazda found me there in the city Vistula cafe 'center'. He was well earned dough and stuffed with WIA manager (Regional Agency for Artistic Events in Katowice) - former manager know and love when bands ‘Blue & Black’ and ‘ABC’.
Lots more to read here: http://1952yahudeejay1970.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-first-real-disco-in-katowice.html
the first disco in Katowice, a coalmining town in the south of Poland, 1974
looking for it now it comes with a great article:
In the winter of 1973 to 1974 I played in Wisla / Vistula city in the mountains – a few nights in the cafe 'center' and the fire station hall. This fire station was a large room, but terribly dusty. On the floor lay a few millimeters of dust. So the audience - rather haphazard, cheap turist motley. After these events have been me just terribly dusty singles, which have been light gray, almost white in color - dust down grooves in the plate. It was the worst phenomenon that I remember from my entire 40-year career deejayskiej.
Cafe 'center' it was a different world compare to everyday in communist Poland of early ‘70. Customers were: cinkciarstwo (illegal money exchange for profit), expensive whores, rich vegetable traders, private businesses, foreign tourists, and as always and everywhere present undercover / SB political secret Police agents. The restaurant was small, low, and I remember that it was very crowded and hot, a lot of sweat in the air mixed with exquisite perfume sexy ladies dancing and sweating less exquisite scents and horny (the previously mentioned ladies and expensive whores) men.
Event organizer was Andrew Boguslawski from Katowice - after studying piano musician and owner of a special communist administration permit - issued to him for a big bribe (as he drunk - confessed to me in very secret) to organize clubs - issued by the then so-called max corrupt Department of Culture - the City of Katowice. One day person named Czeslaw Gazda found me there in the city Vistula cafe 'center'. He was well earned dough and stuffed with WIA manager (Regional Agency for Artistic Events in Katowice) - former manager know and love when bands ‘Blue & Black’ and ‘ABC’.
Lots more to read here: http://1952yahudeejay1970.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-first-real-disco-in-katowice.html
ska invita
back on the other side
it mentions a special machine in the article, but thats all...?
ska invita
back on the other side
wow 
Great thread 
sim667
All aboard the 303 bus.
Hmmmmm
ska invita
back on the other side
im sure you could just go to a cutting house and get it done - grab an xray, burn a hole in the middle with a cigarrette, cut around it with scissors and take it down to music houseHmmmmm
sim667
All aboard the 303 bus.
im sure you could just go to a cutting house and get it done - grab an xray, burn a hole in the middle with a cigarrette, cut around it with scissors and take it down to music house
Im sure they'd love it.
But I wouldnt have though cutting machines would be particularly easily accessible in the USSR, I'd have thought theyd be making the pressings from the smuggled in vinyl. If all music was controlled by authority, then surely they'd have militant records of who owned cutting machines so they could easily trace unauthorised material.
Favelado
J'adore South Shore
Wouldn't it have happened like this?
Here's 200 roubles mate. How about when you knock off at the end of your shift, you let me have a go on the cutting machine?
ska invita
back on the other side
There were cutting machines becasue the record industry pumped out a lot vinyl and controlled a lot studios...but not easily accessible...
yeah its not clear...there was a lot of corruption though too, and for a bribe in the right place you could get things done...or maybe You were the vinyl cutter! Did it on your lunchbreak. Stakes were high though. Would be nice to find out the full story
Favelado
J'adore South Shore
Even posting in Russian pigeon English for the thread. Real dedication.
ska invita
back on the other side
youngian
Well-Known Member
In order to counter this Western decadence they had state sanctioned muscians to do cover versions. Most popular was American Communist Dean Reed who was unknown in his native country but gave an interview with 60 minutes in the Glasnost era and outraged his country. The interviewer was appalled at this traitor and probed him with questions like; "are you seriously saying Mr Gorbachev is more of a man of peace than President Reagan?" That's a tough one.
seventh bullet
sovietwave
THeres a bit more on listening to music and reading illegal books in Soviet Russia here
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...itchens-became-hotbeds-of-dissent-and-culture
I know behind the iron curtain in some eastern europe you could pick up Radio Luxemburg for all your hot tunes
i think this map on wiki shows its reach - though it isnt explained
A little search comes up with this:
http://www.radioluxembourg.co.uk/?page_id=30
"Radio Luxembourg was an expression of freedom and liberty for a whole generation in Western as well as Eastern Europe, and therefore had a major impact on society, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Although it was clearly apolitical, some even claim that Radio Luxembourg, the famous ‘Two-O-Eight’ helped to undermine communism with the rock and pop music it broadcast by triggering a desire for change and liberty among young people behind the Iron Curtain.
An exhibition organised by the Luxembourg Embassy in Warsaw and the Faculty of History of the Warsaw University from 16 May to 22 June 2012 highlighted the role of Radio Luxembourg in Poland during the Cold War – ‘Wspominając Radio Luksemburg w PRL’ (Remembering Radio Luxembourg in the People’s Republic of Poland). It aimed to show how the music and information broadcast by Radio Luxembourg was used, processed and adapted by the people of Poland during the 1960s and 1970s."
Lots more to read in the link, including why the signal didnt get jammed and so on, and lots of great testimonials. I like this one:
Jerzy Gluziński, listener from Warsaw:
Radio Luxembourg was something completely different to listen to. First of all you had to find it. And in order for Radio Luxembourg to be received at all it had to be dark. During the day the range of medium waves didn’t allow for this. It was also quite far away from us, so I made a special antenna, which went about 20–30 meters out of the window. This was done especially for this radio, so we could listen and get a decent signal. Back in those days radio sounded completely different and you have no idea what it was like on short wave.
and
Witold Sikorski, lecturer, Warsaw Institute of Technology:
I was the editor of the school newspaper and I knew English well so I did the overview of Radio Luxembourg, its music charts. I wrote down all the titles from the charts, what was new, the rankings and so forth. Then at 5am I would sit at the typewriter, I would type it all up and on Monday we had it in the newspaper. Our school was best informed in terms of Radio Luxembourg news.
It might be good not to conflate the Soviet Union with the European 'People's Democracies.'
Tape recordings of popular western music were used by Orthodox religious groups in the USSR (tapes played on train carriages etc) to attract youth to social meetings.
A Russian Review article about six years ago went into it among other things in a particular Ukrainian city where youth gained access to and consumed western popular culture and developed religious faith with it. I would put up a PDF but didn't renew my subscription a while back. It was written by the author of this.
TitanSound
Mr Beardy Drummer
ska invita
back on the other side
There were differences but there was also a lot the same - in the case of Poland it too had one censored record label. Why do you think its so wrong to talk about the two alongside each other?
BTW from a comment on one of the links above
Treacle Toes
Time
.
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TitanSound
Mr Beardy Drummer
In Soviet Russia, thread starts you.
It really is!!
Treacle Toes
Time
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
The Record is called 'rythmic excercises' in case anyone is struggling with their Russian.
