Nam June's first tape


Transcript of the videotape

 

-Peppermint lounge...
-C'est quoi Pepermint lounge?
-C'est là où il a passé la bande
-Et où il est-ce qu'il l'a acheté?
-Sony show room
-C'est où ça
-Madison Avenue
-Tu crois que ça existe encore?
-Je crois oui.
-Et où est-ce qu'il a été après? 110 Mercer street ?
-Non. C'est Peppermint Lounge c'était dans le village, Greenwich village...
-D'accord tu peux me passer le numéro de Nam June ?

......................................................................................

-Hi, this is Roland Baladi, is this Nam June's phone number ?
-That's right
-Is it possible to talk with him?
-No is not here he has already appointments you know,
and he is out.
He went to HolIy Solomon Gallery be has an opening tomorrow and he went to Whitney Museum he has opening on the seventh

-He is very busy
-He is running around
-You are in New York now?
-I am in New York.
I suggest to call him aftor his show.
Maybe on Thursday maybe I can have a chance to join him
in the morning?
-I have no idea you have to call him when he bas time, he is very booked from...
-Hey listen ! You're Shigeko right?
-Yeah
-You remember me?
-Where did I meet you?
-Roland
-Ha
-RoIand Baladi?
We was on a panel together in Montbéliard...
-Montbeliard, that's right. A long time ago.
I have forgotten all this American Center people,
Ha Ha Ha !
Montbeliard was very nice so you're from Montbeliard?

-Excuse me?
-You are from France?'
-Yes. I am from France, and came here for two weeks.
-Two weeks? And what are you, doing?
-I am investigating about Nam June's first tape, he did from Sony Show room to the Peppermint loung. You know about that?
Can you give me any information?
-I don't know, I don't know anything Ha!
So you're here for two weeks who sponsored your trip then?

- GRAND CANAL which is a video association in Paris,
they gave me a camcorder to investigate about this mythical tape Nam June did in the sixties.
So if i have just the chance to talk with him on the phone....
-You have to you have to
-Ok, I suggest to call him the day just after bis show. He has a show where?
-Come to the opening... tomorrow! HolIy Solomon Gallery, you know where Holly Solomon Gallery is located?
-Is it on West Broadway?
-No, I give you address....
-Hallo? I Its up town fifth avenue 0k? 724 Fift avenue and the telephone number: (he Is there maybe is 757 77 77 )
-757 77 77 OK tomorrow Is opening from five to seven
.
-I'll try to be at the openning1 but I don't think openings are good times to talk to artists, I will just say "hello" if meet him.
-Maybe you make an appointment but he's busy from tomorrow to the seventh of November. You know, the seventh is opening of Whitney museum, he bas a big video installation, and three engineers are coming from Asia ... Completely no time...
You will be here for two weeks right?
-Yeah i'll maybe come to the Whitney opening, and the next day will I call him early in the morning.
-That's the best Idea, yeah nice to talk to you !
-To you too, have a nice day Shigeko.

.........................................................................................................

-When did he shoot his first tape., 63, 64?
-Sixty five. But you know, you can't tell, he says sixty five but some people say sixty six

-Did you see it
-Nop!
-Did someone saw it ?
-Yeap
-Who?!
-Who? I Think the best person to ask about that Is...
Russel Connor..

................................................................................

-Yeah ?
-You remember me?
-Tell me your name again?
-My name is Roland Baladi. I am a friend of Don Foresta and we got you once in Bourges to show american videotapes, centuries ago...
-Ah yes! Ha ha ha! It's coming back to me.
-I am interested about the first tape Nam June has ever done, from a taxi cab. And Don told me that you may know best about it.
-He flatters me, am afraid I am really net a scholar of Nam June's work we have been friends and colleagues but it will have to be somebody else to toll you that.
-You don't know anything about the tape he did from a taxi cab after buying a portapack and...
-No.. I don't know if that still exist or not.
It was by the time of the pope's visit..
.
-Was it?
-Yeah. to New York, was it sixty five? Or something like that
-Actually, I am net researching the tape itself, but I like to know what he did exactly, from where to where was his trip so I thought I can get the information from you...

 

-I am sorry, if I had the information I would be happy to give it to you, I just don't know. When the pope was visiting New York city, I think Nam June shot the parade, that's the Iegend in any case. I haven't seen the tape. He videotaped the crowd, I don't think he videotaped the pope himself, maybe be did. But he showed that tape in some place In soho. That was the historic thing.
-He shot at the crowd from a taxicab
-I don't know the details...
-Have you called ... There is a curator
at the museum of Modern Art

-Barbara London?
-Barbara London!
-I know her quite well
-I think Barbara will probably have the information or tell you where to find it
-Yes certainly, I will call her.
Thank you so much have a nice day Russell
-Same to you.

..................................................................................................

-How are you ... remember me?
-What is your name'?
-Roland Baladi?
-Ah! très bien, have you been living in Paris ?
-Yes and GRAND CANAL that you may know asked me to investigate
about Nam June's first tape, when the pope was here. Russell Connor said
that you may know more about this tape than himself. Do you recall anything Nam June did in sixty five?
-I know he did a number or things with that early portable camera
-Portapack
-Yeah.
-The legend says that he went to Sony, he bought a Portapack
and he shot everything he saw. What you know about this? I like to investigate about, for GRAND CANAL.
-Well what you should do really is either talk to Nam June or call Electronic Art Intermix if by any chance they have it.
-They don't, I already met them. But I am not interested to see the tape,
I am just looking for information.
-Actually I don't know...
-You was'nt in video in sixty five...
-I was in school You know who would know?.
There is an archivist, her name is Barbara Moore.
Her husband, she and her husband
was very present, and they took photographs.
I give you her number I think she bas an office.

-Can I call her on your behalf?
-OK
-No problem?
-Yeah, good luck.
-Thank you so much, bye bye
-Bye

........................................................................................................

-Hi, you may recall me, we met at Joan Logue's loft,
centurys ago, I was coming from France, we had a nice evening
talking about video.
Back to NY, I am commissioned by a group of video authors
called GRAND CANAL, to investigate about Nam June's first tape.
I just talked to Russell Connor, Barbara London & Moore,
its seems that it's a tape he shot when the pope was visiting, do you recall anything about that?
-Not more than that, I really doubt that this tape exist anymore,
the story is that he bought a portable video and shot footage
while the pope was visiting, the showed the tape at the gallery Bonino...
-Because some people say like Don Foresta, Peppermint Lounge
and Barbara Moore says: "Café a Gogo"...

-"Café au Gogo" sounds better, you have to check,
this is something out of my head, I mean...

- I heard that the minute he bought the portapack he shot all the way
from uptown Sony showroom to downtown, you know anything about it?
-That is something you have to talk with him about
-Sure! Thank you for what ever you recalled, John,
Have a nice day!

.................................................................................................

-Hallo?
-Nam June?
-Yeah
-Hi, this is Roland Baladi a friend from Paris.
-Yeah, yeah guy, I remember you...
-I wanted just to ask you a question about the first tape you did
when you got a Portapack 63 or something. People say that you filmed all the way to downtown, can you give me some information about that?
-Yeah. About the first tape, the great confusion is something called the Portapack and portable tape recorder. I bought the first portable videotape recorder in 65 it needs battery and AC converter you know? I borrowed that AC converter in Canal Street
-Ah you brought it in Canal?
-No. I borrowed the AC converter, and we brought the Portable tape recorder that ts AC operated, you know?
And then in uptown Liberty Music Shop and we put it in that car, Taxi and that day the pope was coming and all traffic was blocked, you know around St
Patrick, so we taxied around the the Park-Madison corner then we brought the taxi down you know, and then shooting...
-And the same day you showed the tape...
-Yeah, at "Café au Gogo"
-Where is that. where was that?
-"Café au Gogo" was a kind of jazz club or a disco, you know. It was located in the west village
-Yeah at that time there was on Monday night Fluxus events
-And the Sony Show Room was next to St Patrick?
- No no! not the Sony show room, Liberty Music Shop, does not exist now; I think Liberty Music Shop used to be at 52nd and Madison Ave, St Patrick church is a famous church, you know, is right vis a vis...
-And about the Café a Gogo which street was it ?
-Caf au Gogo is somewhere in Bleeker street.
-OK, Nam June! There will be no more confusion now, I recorded you so far, is there any problem if I use the tape? I taped the telephone call you don't mind if I use it?
-Yeah, yeah of course, yeah.......
-Thank you have a nice day Nam June

MEDIUM

French subtitles


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