It's Chinese New Year! Thanks very much to Alex Jay for sharing his 1989 postcard from Mike
Here is a postcard from Mike to Alex Jay wishing him a happy new year. Nice clear handwriting and an intriguing message which I shall let Alex explain what Mike is referring to in a moment. A short message but clearly shows Mike's appreciation for his friends phone call and the goodies that he had sent... but who is Mary (M&M's)?
Alex says "This Chinese New year or Lunar New Year arrives January 23. As you know, it's the year of the dragon. Back in 1989 Mike sent this postcard with the year of the snake. This Chinese zodiac animal follows the dragon, so 2013 will be its year.
In his message, Mike referred to "ABCD"; this was a music catalog of
unauthorized concert
recordings on CDs. Mike was listing some of his favorite groups and
musicians he found in the
catalog. And the recordings were expensive.
And then he referred to the astrology information on the face of the card,
"Well look[s] like yours made
it for this year." The snake is my zodiac animal, but I do not believe in
astrology, Chinese or Western."
Travel back in time to 1989 and I would have been in my late teens and I was a massive fan of The Sisters of Mercy and Xmal Deutschland they were and still are amongst my top favourite bands! As well I also liked and still like Joy Division, New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, Wire, Durutti Column, Ultravox, OMD, Kraftwerk, Jean Michel Jarre and also aware of Japan, Roxy Music, Brian Eno and Mike Oldfield . However at that time and until now I hadn't really heard much of Tangarine Dream or Penguin Cafe and not at all of Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze or Seventh Wave.
I wish Mike could have designed some of the groups record sleeves or posters but as far as I am aware he didn't but perhaps there is something that is waiting to be discovered. I don't think I have or know of any of Mike's work from 1989.
Going further back in time Mike did work for a record company - Reprise Records, Los Angeles, for a short time (between Nov 1962 - Feb 1963) with Art Director Merle Shore and according to Mike's CV he designed record covers, which ones these might be would be a nice discovery as well.
Front of Postcard from Mike to Alex.
