Gary Pig Gold

Biography

Gary Pig Gold (born May 30, 1955 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, author and journalist. His fanzine The Pig Paper was Canada's second independently published music magazine, and among the recording artists he has worked with are Pat Boone, Dave Rave, Endless Summer, Simply Saucer and Shane Faubert. Gold has written many books on popular music and has contributed to dozens of magazines as well as seven books in the multi-genre MusicHound album guide series. AllMusic describes him as "rock music's all-time hardest-working man ... with all apologies to James Brown".

Writing and publishing

Under this nom de plume, Gold began self-publishing the fanzine The Pig Paper in 1973 and distributing it by mail to friends. Visiting London two years later he met Joe Strummer, then leading The 101ers, who encouraged Gold to continue his writing. That winter, he published a mock concert program commemorating an appearance by The Who in Toronto, and in 1977 a similar Pig Paper on The Kinks became the first issue to be made available outside of Canada, when Gold followed the band to a concert and record signing in Buffalo, New York.
The featured interviewee of that Pig Paper was Edgar Breau, whose band Simply Saucer Gold began managing and producing, releasing their first record June 8, 1978 on Pig Records. It was voted Single Of The Week in London's Record Mirror the following month. By then, The Pig Paper was being distributed throughout the U.S. and Europe, offering early in-depth coverage of The Viletones, Ramones, Half Japanese, Elvis Costello and Talking Heads as well as features on such vintage acts as The Hollies and Dave Clark Five.
The Pig Paper has become an important primary source for the documentation of the Toronto punk scene with citations in numerous published works and histories of the punk movement.
Gold is a noted interviewer and music writer, writing for music publications and fanzines like Ear Candy Mag, Indie Journal, and purrmag.
Gold is a writer and contribute to numerous music publications, authoring Visible Ink Press's Music Hound Essential Album Guide series, as well as Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth, Encounters With Bob Dylan, Lost in the Grooves, Paul McCartney: I Saw Him Standing There, TV A-Go-Go, Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond 1977–1981, and The Little Black Book of Music. He is a contributor on publications such as Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed published by Routledge.
His syndicated "Pigshit" column continues to run monthly online, having first appeared in Los Angeles' Flipside (fanzine) in 1979.
He was also a featured interview subject in the Jandek on Corwood documentary film.

Music activities

Immediately after attending a Jan and Dean concert in Toronto during the summer of 1980, Gold relocated to California where he formed The Loved Ones, as well as promoting concerts for local bands such as The Crowd over the next three years. He spent the remainder of the decade back in Canada, first joining the Vancouver-based Fun With Numbers band before touring five years with Endless Summer. In 1989, he returned to the studio, working in Nashville alongside Donald Dunn and Pat Boone, then at Daniel Lanois’ Grant Avenue Studio with Dave Rave DesRoches, the latter sessions resulting in the Valentino's Pirates album, which became the first independently recorded western release to be issued on the Soviet Union's Melodiya record label.
After relocating to New York City with DesRoches to form the Dave Rave Conspiracy alongside Billy Ficca of Television and ex-Washington Squares Lauren Agnelli, Gold co-founded the pioneering alternative-country band The Ghost Rockets, whose maximum rhythm ‘n’ bluegrass cover of the Beach Boys' "In My Room" became a radio "turntable hit" in Europe. Another song, "Marcia Marcia Marcia", written by Gold, Buddy Woodward and David Ribyat for the A Very Brady Sequel movie, appeared instead on the King Records label in New Zealand, to be followed by dozens of other Ghost Rockets releases worldwide.

Activities as a producer

Gold meanwhile produced two albums for Shane Faubert, formerly of The Cheepskates, at Dubway Studios. With Shane, he began the To M’Lou Music label in 1998, releasing the acclaimed debut album of the Los Angeles band The Masticators as well as He's a Rebel: The Gene Pitney Story Retold, which included exclusive recordings by Billy Cowsill, Mick Farren, Gordon Waller and Al Kooper. Gold contributed tracks himself to the Bullseye Records of Canada Men In Plaid Bay City Rollers tribute album as well as singing alongside Jim Carroll for Back to The Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay, and with Andrew Loog Oldham on the 1993 issue of Alex Chilton's Bach's Bottom album.

Later career

In 2008, Gold began work at John Huelbig's Backroom Studios in Wallington, New Jersey, writing, performing and producing with such artists as Mark Johnson, Chris Butler, Dave Rave and Frank Lee Sprague.

Production credits

"She's A Dog" / "I Can Change My Mind" – Simply Saucer, 1978, 2018
Valentino's Pirates – Dave Rave Conspiracy (aka Dave Rave Group), 1990, 2001, 2019
San Blass – Shane Faubert, 1993
Three Octave Fantastic Hexagram – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1994
Squirrelboy Blue – Shane Faubert, 1997
Unsound, Volume Two: Guitars! – various artists, 1999
Homework # 2: U.S. D.I.Y.- Punk and Punkwave Singles R to U – Simply Saucer, 2000
Driving In The Rain 3AM: Songs to Get Lost With – Dave Rave Group, 2002
He's A Rebel: The Gene Pitney Story Retold – various artists, 2002
Cyborgs Revisited – Simply Saucer, 2003
"Pumpkin" – Richard Cross, 2026

Appears on

"Johnny Kool" / "Wouldn't It Be Nice" – Endless Summer, 1986
"That Summer Feeling" / "Wouldn't It Be Nice" – Endless Summer, 1988
"Fools’ Hall Of Fame" – Pat Boone, 1989
Kalkara – Shane Faubert, 1990
Amazing Grace – The Wretches, 1990
A One Act Play With V-8 Engines – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1992
Bach's Bottom – Alex Chilton, 1993
"Christmas" / "Steeplechase" – The Rooks, 1993
Cowboy Flowers Sessions – Agnelli and Rave, 1995
"Roses To You" / "Marcia Marcia Marcia" – The Ghost Rockets, 1996
"Weight Of The World" / "Do It All Over" – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1996
Confetti! – Agnelli and Rave, 1997
Bootlegs – The Ghost Rockets, 1998
Spatula Ranch Sessions, Volume One – The Ghost Rockets, 1998
Encore Echoes – The Rooks, 2000
D. T. Delinquent – Jack Pedler, 2003
Lost and Found – Jeremy (Morris), 2004
Anthology, Vol.s 1 and 2 – Dave Rave, 2006
Modern Silence – Casper & The Cookies, 2009
NBT-4-CNP – The Next Big Thing, 2009
Live With What You Know – Dave Rave, 2010
Complete Masticators! – The Masticators, 2013
Best – Mick Hargreaves, 2013
A Little Messed Up In Rock & Roll – Dave Rave, 2017

Compilation albums

Baloney Sandwich – The Loved Ones, The Know Goods, 1990
1990 Volume 5 – Dave Rave Group, 1991
22 Original Hits, 22 Original Stars – Dave Rave Conspiracy, Lauren Agnelli, 1991
U.S. Rock ‘n’ Roll Anthology Volume 1 – Dave Rave, 1991
The 8th Wonder – Martin and the E-Chords, 1991
More Hits, More Stars – Dave Rave Conspiracy, Coyote Shivers, 1992
Reaction, Volume One – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1992
Rock My Child – Lauren Agnelli, 1993
Back To The Streets: Celebrating The Music of Don Covay, 1993
Impact Music, Volume 2 – Dave Rave Conspiracy, 1994
Powerplay – The Ghost Rockets, 1995
Total Fun – The Ghost Rockets, 1996
Hit The Hay, Volume 2 – The Ghost Rockets, 1996
Never Been To Nashville – The Ghost Rockets, 1996
Astral Weeks – The Ghost Rockets, 1996
Pop! Productions 1987-1997 – The Ghost Rockets, 1997
A Pig Pop Sampler – The Ghost Rockets, Shane Faubert, 1997
Edges From The Postcard – The Ghost Rockets, 1997
Fireworks – The Ghost Rockets, 1997
Twangfest 1997 – The Ghost Rockets, 1997
The Ghost Rockets, Astral Weeks – The Ghost Rockets, 1997
Unsound, Volume One: Pop! – Gary and the Portastudio, 1998
Edges From The Postcard 2 – The Ghost Rockets, 1998
Essentials – The Ghost Rockets, 1999
This Note's For You Too! A Tribute to Neil Young – Shane Faubert, 1999
Postcards From The Other Side – The Ghost Rockets, 1999
A Tribute to The Left Banke: Shadows Breaking Over Our Heads – Shane Faubert, 1999
Men In Plaid: A Tribute to The Bay City Rollers – Gary and the Grip Weeds, 2000
Full Circle: A Tribute to Gene Clark – The Ghost Rockets, 2000
Burnt Marshmallows and Teeny Bikinis – Gary and the Masticators, 2000
International Pop Overthrow Vol. 3 – Shane Faubert, 2000
Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes – Shane Faubert, 2001
Dropped On The Head, Volume 1 – Gary Pig Gold, 2001
Uno-A-Go-Go! – Gary Pig Gold, 2002
Under the Covers at Hawthorne High Vol. 9 – The Ghost Rockets, 2004
This is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio, Volume 1 – Gary Pig Gold and Shane Faubert, 2005
The Blog Gems, Volume Three (1976-1999) – Gary and the Masticators, 2006
Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 2 – Gary Pig Gold, 2006
Sweet Relief – The Next Big Thing, Ghost Rockets, Dave Rave Group, 2007
ValleyView Christmas Compilation 2007 – Gary Pig Gold, 2007
Tributes Or Not Tributes – Gary and the Grip Weeds, 2008
Raiders Of The Lost Hook Vol. 2 – Dave Rave Group, 2008
The Mockeers: Then and Now – Gary Pig Gold and his Loved Ones, 2008
ValleyView Christmas Compilation 2008 – Gary Gold and his Orchestra, 2008
That's Truckdrivin' – Gary Pig Gold, 2009
Winter Holidays with Little Pocket – Gary Pig Gold, 2009
Not Quite Yet (Wives Alive @5) – The Faubert Gold, 2010
International Email Audio Art Project Volume 2 – Gary Pig Gold, 2010
Mongrel Zine Volume Nine CD Comp – Gary Pig Gold, 2010
What We Do On Our Holidays – Gary Pig Gold, 2010
Best Of Mongrel Zine #1-3 Compilation – Gary Pig Gold, 2011
Pop Garden Radio Presents: The Rock On The Road Tour, Season 2 – The Next Big Thing, 2011
Legacy: A Tribute To Rick Nelson, Volume 1 – Gary Pig Gold, 2013
Get Yer Fa La La's Out: A Bullseye Christmas Vol. III – Gary Pig Gold, 2013
It Was 50 Years Ago Today: A Tribute to The Beatles, Volume 2 – Little Sisters, 2014
Heavy Metalloid Music – The Loved Ones, 2016

Liner Notes

More Hits, More Stars – Rick Harper, Mark William Johnson, 1992
Astral Weeks – The Ghost Rockets, 1996
Unsound, Volume One: Pop!, 1998
Unsound, Volume Two: Guitars!, 1999
Burnt Marshmallows and Teeny Bikinis, 2000
232 Days On The Road – Adam Marsland, 2002
Cyborgs Revisited – Simply Saucer, 2003
Mad Kingdom – Robin Stanley, 2004
Magic City Music: Ft. Lauderdale 1981-1986 – Breathers, 2004
Lost And Found – Jeremy (Morris), 2004
Remember – The Cheepskates, 2004
Jam On Jeremy: A Tribute To Jeremy Morris, 2005
Down In A Mirror: A Second Tribute To Jandek, 2005
7th Floor Christmas – Erich Overhultz, 2005
The New Sell Out, 2012
Saucerland – Simply Saucer, 2016
Valentino's Pirates – Dave Rave Conspiracy (aka Dave Rave Group), 2019

Selected articles

The Blacklisted Journalist
In Music We Trust
New York Waste
Medleyville Archived 2009-10-12 at the Wayback Machine
Go Metric
The Rock and Roll Report
PopDiggers