Gary Pig Gold


Gary Pig Gold is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, author and journalist. His fanzine The Pig Paper was Canada's second independently published music magazine, and among the recording artists he has worked with are Pat Boone, Dave Rave, Endless Summer, Simply Saucer and Shane Faubert. Gold has written many books on popular music and has contributed to dozens of magazines as well as seven books in the multi-genre MusicHound album guide series. AllMusic describes him as "rock music's all-time hardest-working man... with all apologies to James Brown".

Writing and publishing

Under this nom de plume, Gold began self-publishing the fanzine The Pig Paper in 1973 and distributing it by mail to friends. Visiting London two years later he met Joe Strummer, then leading The 101ers, who encouraged Gold to continue his writing. That winter, he published a mock concert program commemorating an appearance by The Who in Toronto, and in 1977 a similar Pig Paper on The Kinks became the first issue to be made available outside of Canada, when Gold followed the band to a concert and record signing in Buffalo, New York.
The featured interviewee of was Edgar Breau, whose band Simply Saucer Gold began managing and producing, releasing their first record June 8, 1978 on Pig Records. It was voted Single Of The Week in London's Record Mirror the following month. By then, The Pig Paper was being distributed throughout the U.S. and Europe, offering early in-depth coverage of The Viletones, Ramones, Half Japanese, Elvis Costello and Talking Heads as well as features on such vintage acts as The Hollies and Dave Clark Five.
The Pig Paper has become an important primary source for the documentation of the Toronto punk scene with citations in numerous published works and histories of the punk movement.
Gold is a noted interviewer and music writer, writing for music publications and fanzines like Ear Candy Mag, Indie Journal, and purrmag.
Gold is a writer and contribute to numerous music publications, authoring Visible Ink Press's Music Hound Essential Album Guide series, as well as Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth, Encounters With Bob Dylan, Lost in the Grooves, Paul McCartney: I Saw Him Standing There, TV A-Go-Go, ''Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond 1977–1981, and The Little Black Book of Music. He is a contributor on publications such as Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed published by Routledge.
His syndicated "Pigshit" column continues to run monthly online, having first appeared in Los Angeles' Flipside (fanzine) in 1979.
He was also a featured interview subject in the Jandek on Corwood'' documentary film.

Music activities

Immediately after attending a Jan and Dean concert in Toronto during the summer of 1980, Gold relocated to California where he formed The Loved Ones, as well as promoting concerts for local bands such as The Crowd over the next three years. He spent the remainder of the decade back in Canada, first joining the Vancouver-based Fun With Numbers band before touring five years with Endless Summer. In 1989, he returned to the studio, working in Nashville alongside Donald Dunn and Pat Boone, then at Daniel Lanois’ Grant Avenue Studio with Dave Rave DesRoches, the latter sessions resulting in the Valentino's Pirates album, which became the first independently recorded western release to be issued on the Soviet Union's Melodiya record label.
After relocating to New York City with DesRoches to form the Dave Rave Conspiracy alongside Billy Ficca of Television and ex-Washington Squares Lauren Agnelli, Gold co-founded the pioneering alternative-country band The Ghost Rockets, whose maximum rhythm ‘n’ bluegrass cover of the Beach Boys' "In My Room" became a radio "turntable hit" in Europe. Another song, "Marcia Marcia Marcia", written by Gold, Buddy Woodward and David Ribyat for the A Very Brady Sequel movie, appeared instead on the King Records label in New Zealand, to be followed by dozens of other Ghost Rockets releases worldwide.

Activities as a producer

Gold meanwhile produced two albums for Shane Faubert, formerly of The Cheepskates, at Dubway Studios. With Shane, he began the To M’Lou Music label in 1998, releasing the acclaimed debut album of the Los Angeles band The Masticators as well as He's a Rebel: The Gene Pitney Story Retold, which included exclusive recordings by Billy Cowsill, Mick Farren, Gordon Waller and Al Kooper. Gold contributed tracks himself to the Bullseye Records of Canada Men In Plaid Bay City Rollers tribute album as well as singing alongside Jim Carroll for Back to The Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay, and with Andrew Loog Oldham on the 1993 issue of Alex Chilton's Bach's Bottom album.

Later career

In 2008, Gold began work at John Huelbig's Backroom Studios in Wallington, New Jersey, writing, performing and producing with such artists as Mark Johnson, Chris Butler, Dave Rave and Frank Lee Sprague.

Discography

Gary Pig Gold, 1998
  • "Permanent Vacation" / "Rock and Roll Love Letter," 2000Gary Goes To Hollywood!, 2002

Production credits

  • "She's A Dog" / "I Can Change My Mind" – Simply Saucer, 1978, 2018Valentino's Pirates – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1990, 2001, 2019San Blass – Shane Faubert, 1993Three Octave Fantastic Hexagram – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1994Squirrelboy Blue – Shane Faubert, 1997Unsound, Volume Two: Guitars! – various artists, 1999Homework # 2: U.S. D.I.Y.- Punk and Punkwave Singles R to U – Simply Saucer, 2000Driving In The Rain 3AM: Songs to Get Lost With – Dave Rave Group, 2002He's A Rebel: The Gene Pitney Story Retold – various artists, 2002Cyborgs Revisited – Simply Saucer, 2003

Appears on

  • "Johnny Kool" / "Wouldn't It Be Nice" – Endless Summer, 1986
  • "That Summer Feeling" / "Wouldn't It Be Nice" – Endless Summer, 1988
  • "Fools’ Hall Of Fame" – Pat Boone, 1989Kalkara – Shane Faubert, 1990Amazing Grace – The Wretches, 1990A One Act Play With V-8 Engines – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1992Bach's Bottom – Alex Chilton, 1993
  • "Christmas" / "Steeplechase" – The Rooks, 1993Cowboy Flowers Sessions – Agnelli and Rave, 1995
  • "Roses To You" / "Marcia Marcia Marcia" – The Ghost Rockets, 1996
  • "Weight Of The World" / "Do It All Over" – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1996Confetti! – Agnelli and Rave, 1997Bootlegs – The Ghost Rockets, 1998Spatula Ranch Sessions, Volume One – The Ghost Rockets, 1998Encore Echoes – The Rooks, 2000D. T. Delinquent – Jack Pedler, 2003Lost and Found – Jeremy, 2004Anthology, Vol.s 1 and 2 – Dave Rave, 2006Modern Silence – Casper & The Cookies, 2009NBT-4-CNP – The Next Big Thing, 2009Live With What You Know – Dave Rave, 2010Complete Masticators! – The Masticators, 2013Best – Mick Hargreaves, 2013A Little Messed Up In Rock & Roll – Dave Rave, 2017

Compilation albums

Baloney Sandwich – The Loved Ones, The Know Goods, 19901990 Volume 5 – Dave Rave Group, 199122 Original Hits, 22 Original Stars – Dave Rave Conspiracy, Lauren Agnelli, 1991U.S. Rock ‘n’ Roll Anthology Volume 1 – Dave Rave, 1991The 8th Wonder – Martin and the E-Chords, 1991More Hits, More Stars – Dave Rave Conspiracy, Coyote Shivers, 1992Reaction, Volume One – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1992Rock My Child – Lauren Agnelli, 1993Back To The Streets: Celebrating The Music of Don Covay, 1993Impact Music, Volume 2 – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1994Powerplay – The Ghost Rockets, 1995Total Fun – The Ghost Rockets, 1996Hit The Hay, Volume 2 – The Ghost Rockets, 1996Never Been To Nashville – The Ghost Rockets, 1996Astral Weeks – The Ghost Rockets, 1996Pop! Productions 1987-1997 – The Ghost Rockets, 1997A Pig Pop Sampler – The Ghost Rockets, Shane Faubert, 1997Edges From The Postcard – The Ghost Rockets, 1997Fireworks – The Ghost Rockets, 1997Twangfest 1997 – The Ghost Rockets, 1997The Ghost Rockets, Astral Weeks – The Ghost Rockets, 1997Unsound, Volume One: Pop! – Gary and the Portastudio, 1998Edges From The Postcard 2 – The Ghost Rockets, 1998Essentials – The Ghost Rockets, 1999This Note's For You Too! A Tribute to Neil Young – Shane Faubert, 1999Postcards From The Other Side – The Ghost Rockets, 1999A Tribute to The Left Banke: Shadows Breaking Over Our Heads – Shane Faubert, 1999Men In Plaid: A Tribute to The Bay City Rollers – Gary and the Grip Weeds, 2000Full Circle: A Tribute to Gene Clark – The Ghost Rockets, 2000Burnt Marshmallows and Teeny Bikinis – Gary and the Masticators, 2000International Pop Overthrow Vol. 3 – Shane Faubert, 2000Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes – Shane Faubert, 2001Dropped On The Head, Volume 1 – Gary Pig Gold, 2001Uno-A-Go-Go! – Gary Pig Gold, 2002Under the Covers at Hawthorne High Vol. 9 – The Ghost Rockets, 2004This is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio, Volume 1 – Gary Pig Gold and Shane Faubert, 2005The Blog Gems, Volume Three – Gary and the Masticators, 2006Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 2 – Gary Pig Gold, 2006Sweet Relief – The Next Big Thing, Ghost Rockets, Dave Rave Group, 2007ValleyView Christmas Compilation 2007 – Gary Pig Gold, 2007Tributes Or Not Tributes – Gary and the Grip Weeds, 2008Raiders Of The Lost Hook Vol. 2 – Dave Rave Group, 2008The Mockeers: Then and Now – Gary Pig Gold and his Loved Ones, 2008ValleyView Christmas Compilation 2008 – Gary Gold and his Orchestra, 2008That's Truckdrivin' – Gary Pig Gold, 2009Winter Holidays with Little Pocket – Gary Pig Gold, 2009Not Quite Yet – The Faubert Gold, 2010International Email Audio Art Project Volume 2 – Gary Pig Gold, 2010Mongrel Zine Volume Nine CD Comp – Gary Pig Gold, 2010What We Do On Our Holidays – Gary Pig Gold, 2010Best Of Mongrel Zine #1-3 Compilation – Gary Pig Gold, 2011Pop Garden Radio Presents: The Rock On The Road Tour, Season 2 – The Next Big Thing, 2011Legacy: A Tribute To Rick Nelson, Volume 1 – Gary Pig Gold, 2013Get Yer Fa La La's Out: A Bullseye Christmas Vol. III – Gary Pig Gold, 2013It Was 50 Years Ago Today: A Tribute to The Beatles, Volume 2 – Little Sisters, 2014Heavy Metalloid Music – The Loved Ones, 2016

Selected articles

Filmography

Jandek on Corwood, 2004
  • , 2013
  • , 2021