About
After working with another rock band, Dr. Zork and the Warts, Wilson built a makeshift recording studio in his parents' home, and in 1974 he made his first album, a self-produced jazz-oriented project titled Another Galaxy. As the first new wave groups began making a name for themselves at the New York club CBGB, Wilson saw a format that would seemingly welcome his more unconventional ideas, so he formed a band, Gary Wilson & the Blind Dates. Their performances mixed new wave pop with the avant-garde, and Wilson, usually wearing his trademark sunglasses, would cover himself up in plastic wrap or duct tape, break records over his head, cavort with mannequins, and roll around on the floor in milk and flour as part of the act. While the Blind Dates would gig often in the New York area (including several shows at CBGB), their work was a tough sell for mainstream rock listeners. Undeterred, Wilson returned to his basement recording space and cut an album, You Think You Really Know Me, that included offbeat gems such as "6.4 = Make Out," "Groovy Girls Make Love at the Beach," and "I Wanna Lose Control" that reflected his eclectic musical vision as well as his troubles with women and his unhappy teen years as a high school oddball. Wilson issued the album in 1977 on his own MCM label, originally pressing 300 copies, many of which he smashed at his own gigs. In 1979, he pressed another 300 copies; the album received little press and scant sales, but a smattering of local radio airplay prompted him to move to California in search of a record deal. While on the West Coast, he released three singles, and allegedly received a fan letter from the members of the Residents, but a major-label deal and larger gigs failed to materialize.
From 🇺🇸 United States
Genres