RFI: Mingering Mike (DC Outsider Music/Art)

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I know a bunch of you probably read the NYtimes article about this guy, but I haven't been able to track down anything much more than blog entries, old messageboard posts and a few images. Does anyone have any of the music online?

― LITTLE LAMB [Jon Williams] (ex machina), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

there is no music. it's just him meticulously creating the artwork

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

No, he taped music.

― LITTLE LAMB [Jon Williams] (ex machina), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 04:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I would also very much like to hear this music.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

oh yeah, you're right. i thought it was just the covers and fake records inside, but i guess the guy who bought all the covers has a bunch of reel-to-reels also

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 04:42 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, i would love to hear the Mingering Mike stuff -- my fingers are firmly crossed that it's not awful like Wesley Willis' stuff.

― jack cole (jackcole), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 06:34 (twenty-two years ago)

nine months pass...

http://www.mingeringmike.com/

Site is currently under construction, but promises sound files!

― Matt Boch (Matt Boch), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Mingering Mike = Callum surely?

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

Has anybody bought the book yet that collects Mingering Mike's artwork?

Dusty Groove says:

Mingering Mike/Dori Hadar -- Mingering Mike -- The Amazing Career Of An Imaginary Soul Superstar ... Book
Princeton Architectural Press,
An incredible document of the legendary Mingering Mike -- the self-styled 70s soul superstar who never recorded any music, but created a huge body of work on hand-drawn record sleeves and 45s! Mike's story has been told briefly before in Wax Poetics, but this book really gets to the full scope of his creations -- as it offers up almost 200 color pages of record covers, record labels, and even fake "records" themselves -- made out of cardboard, but presented by Mike as if they were his very own albums! The book was put together by Dori Hadar -- the DC digger who first stumbled upon the work at a flea market -- and he's done a great job of bringing out aspects of Mike's life, and the way that they show up on the albums -- very thoughtful commentary throughout, and from the perspective of a record lover who knows that Mike's genius is no mere "outsider art" accident -- but a thorough investigation of all aspects of the black music business in the 70s! 192 pages, softcover, full color."

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 15 April 2007 19:47 (eighteen years ago)

I wonder if Mike is gonna get anything money-wise from this book being out?

― curmudgeon, Monday, 16 April 2007 13:21 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

I was e-mailed the following:

For those of you in the DC area, there will be a Mingering Mike exhibit and book release party at Hemphill Fine Arts on June 2nd. The collection will be on display through the end of July. Don't miss it - viewing the collection in person is a mind blowing experience.

- An actual 45 of Mingering Mike's hit single "There's Nothing Wrong With You Baby (Parts 1 and 2)" on Green & Brown Records! All original a cappella recordings, picture sleeve, and labels! Limited run of 1000 copies with hand numbered inserts. Produced in conjunction with The Vanguard Squad.

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:23 (eighteen years ago)

xpost. According to Dori Hadar, who wrote the book, Mike gets 50% of the proceeds. The book's great, by the way. Mike's sleeves are like a parallel-universe history of 70s soul - the blaxploitation album, the anti-war album, the dirty funk album…

― Dorianlynskey, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 16:20 (eighteen years ago)

Cool.

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 16:33 (eighteen years ago)

Mike was on npr.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 16:47 (eighteen years ago)

four weeks pass...

Wow.

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 12 June 2007 19:19 (eighteen years ago)

We got this book at my library, it's at my house right now and it is
excellent.
One of my favorite covers is the one with a turd on a dinner plate.

― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 12 June 2007 20:04 (eighteen years ago)

I need to go check out the exhibit of the artwork at the Hemphill Gallery. I think it is there until July 28th

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 12 June 2007 20:40 (eighteen years ago)

I think that they warrant closer inspection, probably a lot more impressive up close. Some band or bands should record an album of his actual songs.
Maybe that would kill the whole idea, though.

― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 12 June 2007 20:45 (eighteen years ago)

there's a myspace site now

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:42 (eighteen years ago)

the book is really really cool

― dmr, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:53 (eighteen years ago)

my favorite might be the "brother of the dragon" gatefold

also some of the drug ones ... scary shit

Mike's sleeves are like a parallel-universe history of 70s soul - the blaxploitation album, the anti-war album, the dirty funk album…

not only that, it's half music history half autobiography

― dmr, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 01:01 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.mingeringmike.com/Gallery/Audio-Andre---Tuxedo-Styled/index.htm

― dmr, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 01:34 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.myspace.com/mingeringmike

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 01:40 (eighteen years ago)

seven months pass...

http://www.mingeringmike.com/images/gallery/whatbecomes2.jpg

Thread needs reviving!

― Mark G, Thursday, 31 January 2008 15:58 (eighteen years ago)

four months pass...

REVIVE. This -- and the lengthyaccompanying feature article -- seems pretty awesome to me.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 17 June 2008 19:34 (seventeen years ago)

four years pass...

Mingering Mike's collection has been acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. I'm so happy about this. I was the editor of the book from a few years back. Found out via the author's facebook update that this has happened. Good for Mike!

― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Wednesday, 27 February 2013 17:04 (thirteen years ago)

yes!

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 27 February 2013 17:12 (thirteen years ago)

one year passes...

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/46852/spring-arts-guide-2015/#pick_mingering

Feb. 27–Aug. 2 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Free.

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 14 February 2015 21:30 (eleven years ago)

http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2015/feb/12/g2

― djh, Saturday, 14 February 2015 22:22 (eleven years ago)

Free Public Programs

A series of free public programs will complement the installation. To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, Umberger, Hadar, independent writer and curator Tom Patterson, and Carroll Hynson, Jr., a D.C.-based radio personality and '60s and '70s music expert, will sit down with Mingering Mike to discuss the artist's work during a "Roundtable Remix" panel discussion Friday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. Umberger will lead a gallery talk Tuesday, March 10, at 5:30 p.m., and the museum will host a "Supersonic Rewind" dance party featuring soul hits of the '60's and '70's that influenced the artist's work Saturday, March 14, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the museum's Kogod Courtyard. Conservator Kate Maynor will discuss conservation of the collection in a gallery talk Wednesday, April 15, at noon. For additional information about programs, the public may visit americanart.si.edu/calendar.

Connecting Online

A slide show of selected artworks in the exhibition will be available on the exhibition webpage, americanart.si.edu/mingeringmike. Behind-the-scenes insights about the exhibition will be published on the museum's blog, Eye Level, at eyelevel.si.edu. The public may also follow the museum for exhibition updates on Twitter by following @americanartand using #MingeringMike, Facebook at facebook.com/americanart, Pinterest at pinterest.com/americanartpin and Instagram at instagram.com/americanartmuseum, or by subscribing to the museum's email list at americanart.si.edu/visit/enews.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 February 2015 16:44 (eleven years ago)

As I noted on an ILE DC thread--I ended up going to the Mingering Mike panel discussion at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It was pretty interesting (and not as awkward as I thought it might be for Mike). Mike did "outsider" art-- soul and funk album covers and some reel to reel tapes and cassettes of his own music from 1966 to 1977 I think. Mike was dressed as a surgeon in gown and mask as he wants to keep his identity secret.... Images of Mike's artwork were projected behind them.

Oh, Mike said that last summer Peter Buck asked him to do an album cover for him and that he drew it in August 2014.

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 28 February 2015 17:48 (eleven years ago)

Exhibit was closed during and after panel discussion so I have to go back to see it

― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 March 2015 16:20 (eleven years ago)

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