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James Chance / Contortions

@jameschanceofficial

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James Chance 1953-2024, RIP 🎷Admin: @stupefaction & @theoreticalmovement

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𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦: Oct 25 and Nov. 8th
First public screening of the JAMES CHANCE documentary by his brother, David -
𝗦𝗔𝗫 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔𝗖: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
in 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗝𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗬 and 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 !!
courtesy of @wfmu

Saturday, October 25th 7-8pm
WFMU Radio’s 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹
43 Montgomery St
Jersey City, NJ

Saturday, November 8th (time to be announced)
𝗪𝗙𝗠𝗨 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street
Manhattan, NY

Photo by @pierregayte by @jameschanceofficial

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a year ago

James Chance 1953-2024. R.I.P. 🎷
Obituary link in bio. by @jameschanceofficial

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Reminder: Today is @bandcamp Friday. While we work on making more of James’ catalog available there, this stone cold classic is available in both physical & digital formats. Add it to your collection today! 🎷🎷🎷 @superiorviaduct by @jameschanceofficial

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4 years ago

Some new arrivals to the James Chance archive. First foreign JC ephemera that I've acquired.

Slide 1: French gig poster for The Contortions at Palace Theatre/Theatre Le Palace, June 13, 1980. Based on the date/time, and the proximity to the release of the Live Aux Bains Douches album, this Contortions line up was likely comprised of the following players:

James Chance - Sax, Organ, Vocals

Al McDowell (Ornette Coleman Quartet & Prime Time) - Bass

Richard Harrisson (Defunkt, Melvin Gibbs' Eye & I) - Drums

Fred Wells - Guitar

Patrick Geoffrois - Guitar

Lorenzo Wyche - Trumpet

Slide 2:Actuel Magazine poster featuring James Chance/White. C. 1980. Not sure if this is the source of origin for this image. The same image appears on the inner sleeve of the fore-mentioned Live Aux Bains Douches LP, as well as the front cover on the CD reissue. Actuel was a French pop culture magazine that started in the early 60's and ran until 1994.

RIP James Chance

#jameswhiteandtheblacks #jameschanceandthecontortions #nonewyork #nowave #actuelmagazine by @jameschanceofficial

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a month ago

Remembering James 🎷 by @jameschanceofficial

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3 months ago

The works of James Chance. These photos aren't new, I took these photo back in 24, shortly after he passed, so the recent promo cassette isn't added here. I'm still missing the Incorrigible LP. They only pressed it on vinyl for the French/EU market so copies don't come up too often, but I'm always on the lookout! Missing a few other odds and ends...at least one more ROIR cassette, a few picture discs, the Off White and Buy 8 tracks, Sax Maniac on Cassette!

The "Ex-Tortions" are actually The Raybeats

The Richard Hell material was eventually released on the "R.I.P." compilation that was released by ROIR in 1984.

Yes the reel has been digitized and chances are if you got any of that live stuff from torrents like dimeadozen/skotf archive, back in the blogspot days, you've probably heard it. I heard the digital files before I obtained the reel.

The reel formerly belonged to one of the guys who put all that stuff out there. He got it all transferred and didn't need the reels anymore so he auctioned them off. This is the only one I won.

RIP James Chance, Anya Phillips, Diego Cortez & George Scott III

#jameschance #jameswhiteandtheblacks #thecontortions #flamingdemonics #recordcollection by @jameschanceofficial

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4 months ago

First two slides: James White & The Blacks - Melt Yourself Down promo cassette. Unicorn Records 1983.

Slides three and four are of the 12" vinyl Test Press with Unicorn Records press kit (photos from Discogs)

This album was recorded in 1983 then shelved. I've never got the full story as to why, but I do know it wasn't officially released until 1986 when it was released by Selfish Records out of Japan. For over 30 years the album was only available in Japan. Thankfully, In 2021, Modern Harmonic finally reissued it for US audiences.

I was aware of the 12" test press but not the test/promo cassette. Another one for the JC archive.

#jameswhiteandtheblacks #jameschance #meltyourselfdown #nonewyork unicornrecords by @jameschanceofficial

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4 months ago

The maestro, the sax maniac known as James Chance left this world 2 years ago today.

This zine was originally supposed to be a fundraiser to help with James' medical costs but he passed before I could get it finished. I decided to finish it, but as a memorial zine. I made 100 copies. Most went to the Siegfried family ahead of James' wake, to be distributed at his service. Some went to friends, photographers who donated their work, and collaborators. I ended up with about 30 copies, which I sold for the cost of shipping. I didn't charge a penny for it since it was a labor of love and not a tool for profit.

RIP James Chance, Anya Phillips, Judy Taylor, Bradly Field & George Scott III

#jameschance #thecontortions #jameswhiteandtheblacks #nowave #saxmaniac by @jameschanceofficial

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4 months ago

August 8, 1977 by @jameschanceofficial

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a year ago

Friends! Sax Maniac: The Life & Times of James Chance is screening at the WFMU Record Fair this Saturday, Nov 8 at 2PM! This doc dives into the world of James Chance, the sax-playing, dance-fighting frontman who shaped the late ‘70s / early ‘80s New York underground. His sound was part Velvet Underground art rock, part James Brown funk, and part Albert Ayler / Sun Ra free jazz chaos.
People always call James Chance “no-wave” - and yeah, he helped define that scene - but James was way deeper. He was a trained musician who ran his bands like a jazz outfit, demanding real skill and intensity. His fusion of free-jazz sax, funk grooves, punk attitude, and that fierce, confrontational stage presence made him totally singular.
This film means a lot to me also because of its connection to Sylvia Reed. Sylvia was best friends with James’s girlfriend and manager, Anya Phillips. Those two brilliant women used their subversive taste and sharp instincts to help guide both Lou’s and James’s careers.
I loved this documentary and can’t recommend it enough.
It’s a special labor of love by James’s brother, David Siegfried. Catch it this Saturday at the WFMU Record Fair in the Metropolitan Pavilion (125 W. 18th Street). Day passes are only $10, and the screening’s at 2PM.
See you there 💗🎷 by @jameschanceofficial

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a year ago

This Saturday at @wfmu’s Monty Hall, the NY area premier of “Sax Maniac: The Life and Times of James Chance”. Tickets available at the link below or link in bio!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sax-maniac-the-life-and-times-of-james-chance-tickets-1737962836629 taken in WFMU's Monty Hall by @jameschanceofficial

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a year ago

The first Christmas without our man. 🎅 💔 by @jameschanceofficial

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2 years ago