The label started in 1982. However, my concert production company started in 1977, with the same name, and I made a lot of tapes in those years that I didn't put out until I had the record label.

I was a partner in Go records and I unfortunately discovered that my other partners were embezzling from the company. I had to go to court and the judge put me in charge, so I untangled the situation. That happened in 1981. Go existed from 1980 through 1982. The Avengers LP with the blue cover was my thieving partners attempting to put out the Avengers record with a different cover in order to sell it behind my back. That’s how I discovered the blue cover. 99% were destroyed, but I’ll look around for something to put up on E-bay.

The logo is a reference to the 1940’s Civil Defense logo for bomb shelters. It seemed like punk and bomb shelters had something in common. And we found out that the government never trademarked the Civil Defense logo, so it was free to use.

The label has never really stopped. The active distribution of CDs LPs and cassettes petered out in 1995. However, numerous number licenses were issued to digital distribution companies in the late 1990’s, all of whom went under in the dot com collapse. Next year I am entering into a partnership to re-release all the old albums and release for the first time 13 live concerts that were originally recorded for Rat music Volume 1. They were full concerts of which we used one song on the compilation. Also I obtained the rights to the Avengers’ opening for the Sex Pistols Winterland 1978 and that will be part of next year’s package of releases.

I lost some money when Jem went under in the late 80’s and also in the early 90’s when Rough Trade went under, but the worst problem I had was in 1990 during the Gulf War. Many individual stores that I was selling to went under and bounced a lot of checks on us. It was an extremely painful experience.

Over the years some very interesting people worked with me. In my shipping department in 1984 were both Billy and Roddy from Faith No More and their lead singer at the time, Courtney Love. In the early 90’s, also in my shipping department, was Fat Mike, of No FX. At the same time in the sales department was a guy named Mike La Vella, who currently runs Gearhead Records. At any given time there were about a dozen people working for the label and the recording studio.

They’re all coming back out soon! Be patient! But for right now, E-bay is the place.

Yes. We owned our own studio. We also rented it out and some interesting bands did recordings there, including R.E.M., Chris Isaak, Billy Bragg, and Metallica.

My favorite for vinyl was Bill Smith Custom Records in El Segundo, California. Often we would have our covers printed in Canada at several different companies. (If you want further details I can get back to you with the company names.)

Previously Released Materials
Avengers – The Avengers (1983)
Subhumans – Incorrect Thoughts (1985)
Tales of Terror – Tales of Terror (1984)
The Offs – First Record (1984)
Rat Music for Rat People, Vols. I – III (compilation including D.O.A., Flipper, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, Crucifix, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Avengers, Tales of Terror, T.S.O.L., Dils, Butthole Surfers, Big Boys, Personality Crisis, Minutemen, J.F.A., Fang, M.D.C., Dicks, D.R.I., White Lie, D.I., Corrosion of Conformity, Doggie Style, Raw Power, Attitude, Naked Raygun, Verbal Abuse, Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper, White Flag, Sacrilege, Adrenaline O.D., Frontline, and Adolescents) (1982-1987)

Unreleased Materials
Avengers – Live at the Winterland (legendary concert with the Sex Pistols, 1978)
Avengers – Unreleased (1979)
Bad Brains – Live at the Fillmore (1982)
Black Flag with Henry Rollins – Live at the Fillmore, two nights (1982)
Circle Jerks – Live at the Fillmore (1982)
Crucifix – Unreleased (1982)
D.O.A. – Live at the Fillmore (1982)
Mutants – EP (1981)
Sea Hags – Live and in-studio, produced by Kirk Hammett of Metallica (1984)
Rat Music for Rat People, Vol. IV, including NOFX
Tribute to the Avengers (various artists)

Planned Box Sets
Avengers I – III
Live Punk at the Fillmore
Rat Music for Rat People, Vols. I – IV

Previously Released Non-Punk Materials
Minimal Man – Safari (1984)
Moev – rotting Geraniums (EP) (1982)
Moev – Zimmerkampf (1982)
Norman Salant – Sax Talk (1984)
Phantom Limbs – Train of Thought (1985)
Savoy Sound – Wave Goodbye (compilation, including Tuxedo Moon and Charles McMahon, among others) (1981)
True West – Hand of Fate (1987)
Twisted Roots – Twisted Roots (1986)

Unreleased Non-Punk Materials
Tuxedo Moon – Live at the Savoy Tivoli (1981)

My most favorite was the Avengers and probably Rat Music Volume 1 as a close second. The worst record I ever put out, let me think, it was an awful big hair band called Crawl Away Machine.

I think I already pretty much covered future plans. Currently I primarily run the Institute For Unpopular Culture. Here are some web sites to check out:
www.ifuc.org
www.artfreedomay.org