Can You Hear Me?

Re-uploaded 03/12/2014. Enjoy, NØ.

Various - Can You Hear Me? Music from the Deaf Club, Optional Music OPT LP001, 1980.

decryption code in comments

This record has only three tracks per side, one track for each band. I did not separate the tracks nor the songs in each track but simply included Side 1 & Side 2. I have included the back cover graphic that lists the song titles. If you want it cut up into individual song, DIY.

The Deaf Club was a notable music venue located on Valencia Street in San Francisco which remained open for an 18 month period. Its main attraction was punk music. The name comes from the fact the building it was in originally was the San Francisco Club of the Deaf.

Robert Hanrahan, manager of the The Offs, discovered the club, & was able to rent it on a nightly basis.

The first show as the Deaf Club was on 9 December 1978 & featured the Offs, The Mutants & On The Rag. Over 100 bands such as Northern California's The Zeros, Crime, The Dils, Flipper & Southern California's The Bags, Alleycats, The Germs, X & Dinettes played during the clubs short history.

Given the unique nature of the venue & it's location in the Mission District near 16th Street & the Roxie Theater, it was enthusiastically supported by the punk & arts community, visited by film greats like John Waters & occasionally challenged by the officials of the San Francisco noise abatement patrol, the police, fire department, health department & the alcohol/beverage control until it closed.

The house DJs were Enrico Chandoha who worked on the editorial staff of the early Thrasher Magazine; Jack Fan (an Offs road manager & chef at the Zuni); BBC celebrity Johnnie Walker; & Robert Hanrahan.

About such venues, Brendan Earley of The Mutants comments:
"The earthiness, I guess, of playing places like the Deaf Club seemed to have a lot more energy to them. You know the crowd that started coming to this music in '77, it was maybe a peak of their scene, or the scene at that time. They were not normal kinds of clubs, they weren't places like the Stone, or even the Mabuhay, really. They were neat places to play; often good audiences, & good energy going on."

The four partners in Walking Dead Records developed a live compilation project that resulted in this album, released by Optional Record distribution of Berkeley, CA on the Walking Dead label: Can You Hear Me? Music From the Deaf Club. It was recorded on a mobile 8 track by Jim Keylor (also of Army Street Studios), DJ'ed by Johnnie Walker , produced by Robert Hanrahan who also managed & booked the Club, & coordinated by Peter Worrall. The photos selected for the album were taken by Sue Brisk, the album art was by Diana Miami (aka Diana Stumbo) & the liner notes were written by V. Vale of RE/Search/Search & Destroy. It was recorded live at the club during early 1979 & is a testament to the authentic underground punk & "new wave" scene during that period in San Francisco's music history.

The album features performances by first & second generation San Francisco Punk bands like:

* Dead Kennedys with "Police Truck", "Short Songs" & "Straight A's". This was the last performance of the DK's rhythm guitarist 6025 & also features Ted on drums, who was replaced by DH Peligro at the very end of 1980. Raymond Pepperell, Jr., better known as East Bay Ray of the Dead Kennedy's used the original eight track safety masters from this live recording to release their recent 2004 "live at the Deaf Club" CD.

* KGB- "Dying in the USA" & "Picture Frame Seduction"

* Offs - "Hundred Dollar Limo", "Die Babylon", "I've Got the Handle" (Offs were: Don Vinil, Billy Hawk, Bob Roberts now of Spotlight Tattoo in Los Angeles, Bob Steeler & Denny Boredom who also played with Hot Tuna)

* The Mutants' "Tribute to Russ Meyer" & "Monster of Love"

* Pink Section - "Jane Blank", Francine's List" & "Been In The Basement 30 Years"

* Tuxedo Moon - "19th Nervous Breakdown" - courtesy of The Rolling Stones & "Heaven" from the film Eraserhead

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The Dead Kennedys ... no need to say more.

1. DEAD KENNEDYS "Police Truck"
2. DEAD KENNEDYS "Short Songs"
3. DEAD KENNEDYS "Straight A's"