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William S. Burroughs (1914-1997)




Full Length Recordings

William S. Burroughs reads Junky, written 1953
Nothing Here Now But The Recordings (1950-60s)
Breakthrough in the Grey Room (1960s)
Real English Tea Made Here (1964-65)
Seven Souls (1997)
William S. Burroughs Sings (with Kurt Cobain, REM, & more)







Various Tracks



    William S. Burroughs and Kurt Cobain

  1. The "Priest" They Called Him (1992)

    The "Priest" They Called Him (1992) is an album collaboration between William S. Burroughs and Kurt Cobain. Cobain provides dissonant guitar backing based on "Silent Night" and "To Anacreon in Heaven" to Burroughs' deadpan reading. Originally released as a limited edition 10-inch EP picture disc on Tim/Kerr Records in 1993, it was subsequently re-released on CD and 10-inch vinyl. This short piece read was first published in Exterminator! The titular "Priest" is the protagonist, an otherwise nameless heroin addict trying to score on Christmas Eve. After selling a leather suitcase filled with a pair of severed legs (and subsequently visiting the ubiquitous crooked doctor), the Priest returns to a boarding house with a fix. While preparing, the Priest is interrupted by muffled moans from the next room. He knocks and finds a crippled Mexican boy in the throes of agonizing withdrawal. After giving the boy his drugs as an act of charity, the Priest returns to his room, reclines on his bed and dies, in what Burroughs calls "the immaculate fix." Another reading of this piece was also used in The Junky's Christmas, a short animated film in 1990.

    Wiliam Burroughs recorded at Red House Studios in Lawrence, Kansas, on September 25, 1992. It was engineered by Brad Murphy. Cobain's guitar part was recorded in November 1992. Barrett Jones pushed the record button straight to DAT at Laundry Room Studios in Seattle, Washington. The mixdown was engineered by E. J. Rose with James Grauerholz at Red House Studios; Grauerholtz also produced. Thor Lindsay served as executive producer.


    BBC R4 Documentary

  2. Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted: A Profile of William S. Burroughs

    Presented by Laurie Anderson
    Produced by Samual Bryant
    Broadcast March 4, 2008, BBC Radio 4



    TALK TALK, Vol. 3, No. 6, September/October 1981

  3. Abandoned Artifacts

    A processed version which combines three separate overlapping reading along with a rhythm track. Original recordings courtesy of James Grauerholz from performances at The Edge, Toronto; Tuts, Chicago; and Keystone Korner, San Francisco. Another reading of the same piece from New York is contained on the newly released double ablum featuring William Burroughs, John Giorno, and Laurie Anderson, entitled You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With. "Abandoned Artifacts" is a selection from Chapter One of Burrough's upcoming western novel, "The Place of Dead Roads".

  4. On The Nova Lark

    This selection was recorded by William S. Burroughs in the early 60's in London or Tangiers. It is a passage partially contained in "The Nova Express". The background music is probably bleeding backwards from an instrument.


    This recording was a press run of 2,000, available only in TALK TALK, Vol. 3, No. 6, September/October 1981.

    The 38 page magazine includes live reviews of Peter Tosh, Abuse, Sunsplash, Venture and The Fall; interviews with Psychedelic Furs, Billy ldol, Iggy Pop and William Burroughs; reggae, tape and record reviews; and reports on the music scenes of Lawrence and Germany. The cover of the magazine (front and back) is by William S Burroughs.

    Recorded at Ramona Recording Studios, Lawrence, KS.
    Recorded By James Grauerholz, Karl Hoffmann

    Label: Fresh Sounds Inc – FRESH Flexi 003
    Format: 320 (Flexi-disc, 33 ⅓ RPM, 6")
    Country: US
    Released: Sep 1981



  5. from Naked Lunch (1977)

    Rec. St. Marks Chruch, NYC, April 9, 1977, from the LP Dial-A-Poem Poets Big Ego

  6. from "The Wild Boys" (1974)

    Recorded Duke Street, London, Nov. 19, 1971, from the LP Dial-A-Poem Poets

  7. What Washington, What Orders (1974)

    recorded GPS, April 1, 1974, from the LP Dial-A-Poem Poets Disconnnected

  8. Keynote Commentary / Roosevelt After Inauguration (1978)

    recorded at the Nova Convention, NYC, 1978 from the LP The Nova Convention

  9. Benway (1978)

    recorded at the Nova Convention, NYC, 1978 from the LP The Nova Convention

  10. from The Gay Gun: This is Kim Carson / Just Like The Collapse of any Currency / The Whole Tamale (1978)

  11. What the Nova Convention is About (1978)

    recorded at the Nova Convention, NYC, 1978 from the LP The Nova Convention

  12. Conversations | William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Timothy Leary, Les Levine, and Robert Anton Wilson (1978)

    recorded at the Nova Convention, NYC, 1978 from the LP The Nova Convention

  13. When Did I Stop Wanting to be President (1975)

    recorded at the Nova Convention, NYC, 1978 from the LP The Nova Convention

  14. "This, gentlemen, is a death dwarf..." (1965)

    Nova Express, excerpts read by the author, from Aspen No. 5+6

  15. "Mister Bradley Mister Martin..." (1965)

    Nova Express, excerpts read by the author, from Aspen No. 5+6

  16. William S. Burroughs - Introducing John Stanley Hart; He Entered the Bar with the Best of Intentions

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  17. William S. Burroughs - Twilight's Last Gleamings

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  18. William S. Burroughs - By Protagonist Kim Carson

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  19. William S. Burroughs - The Do Rights

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  20. William S. Burroughs - Salt Chunk Mary; Like Mr. Hart, Kim Has a Dark Side to His Character

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  21. William S. Burroughs - Progressive Education

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  22. William S. Burroughs - The Wild Fruits

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  23. William S. Burroughs - The Unworthy Vessel

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"

  24. William S. Burroughs - Excerpts from The Western Land: The President, Colonel Bradford, Everyman a God

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "A Diamond Hidden In The Mouth Of A Corpse" (1985)

  25. William S. Burroughs - "Dinosaurs"

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "Better An Old Demon Than A New God" (1984)

  26. William S. Burroughs - "The Chief Smiles" from The Wild Boys (1974, 6:50)
    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "William S. Burroughs / John Giorno" (1975)


  27. William S. Burroughs - The Green Nun" from The Wild Boys (1974, 3:32)

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "William S. Burroughs / John Giorno" (1975)


  28. William S. Burroughs - excerpt from "Ah Pook Is Here" (1975, 12:00)

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "William S. Burroughs / John Giorno" (1975)

  29. William S. Burroughs - excerpt from "Cities Of The Red Night" (1975, 10:00)

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "William S. Burroughs / John Giorno" (1975)

  30. William S. Burroughs - excerpt from "103rd Street Boys" from Junkie" (1975, 7:29)

  31. William S. Burroughs - excerpt from "Naked Lunch" (1975, 20:28)

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "William S. Burroughs / John Giorno" (1975)

  32. William S. Burroughs - "From Here To Eternity" from Exterminator (1974, 3:40)

    from Dial-A-Poem-Poets: "William S. Burroughs / John Giorno" (1975)

  33. William S. Burroughs and Gerard Malanga - Untitled
    Burroughs discusses "dream" with Malanga, in New York, July 21, 1974.
    from Gerard Malanga - Up From the Archives


  34. A Reading by John Giorno & William Burroughs (November 7, 1974)

    Charles Amirkhanian and Victor Bedoian introduce a live reading before an audience of over 1,000 at the Pauley Ballroom of UC Berkeley given by America's most noted writers, William S. Burroughs and John Giorno. Giorno (b. 1936) reads his newest work "Subduing Demons in America" and his "Suicide Sutra". Burroughs reads from "Nova Express" , "The Wild Boys" and other works.


RELATED RESOURCES:
William S. Burroughs in UbuWeb Films