OVER THE EDGE.
What is Over the Edge? Over The Edge broadcasts live from KPFA fm in Berkeley, California every Thursday night at midnight. O.T.E. normally runs 3 hours weekly, but becomes a 5 hour show on the fifth Thursday, (if there is one) of the month. O.T.E. is not on the first Thursday of each month. These are the mysteries of non-commercial scheduling. KPFA is commercial free and listener supported (Virtually no corporate underwriting). KPFA is the flagship (original) station in the Pacifica Network- WBAI in N.Y.C., KPFK in L.A., KPFT in Houston, and WPFW in Washington, D.C. O.T.E has appeared on KPFA without interruption since 1981.
Negativland continues to put out various edited versions of Over The Edge broadcasts as commercial releases available in record stores and through our mailorder service (Negativmailorderland). These commercial releases are highly edited versions of what O.T.E. is actually like as a continuous live radio mix. Listeners to those edited releases, and others, may wonder what this show sounds like when you tune in to the whole thing here in the Bay Area. So find out! Negativland will make cassette dubs of complete O.T.E. broadcasts and mail them directly to you. It's almost like living here!
You will receive real-time dubs on high quality cassettes. (two 90's for 3 hour shows, three 100's for 5 hour shows). Every O.T.E. broadcast is based around a different concept or theme. We continue to scour our 13 year history for the best of O.T.E. Unfortunately, many of our earlier programs (up to about '86) only exist in fragmented excerpts.
A note of caution: These complete broadcasts are unedited, just as they happened, with all the brilliance and glitches involved in spontaneous, improvised, on-air mixes such as these. (They are also interesting for this reason, and will give you a new insight into seat-of-the-pants broadcasting)
Only some of the shows have involved the entire Negativland group. Beyond these, there are many broadcasts which are solo efforts by Negativland member, Don Joyce. Don is the official FCC license holder and responsible for filling the radio slot each week. Some shows also involve others outside our group who participate semi-regularly. Although duds do occur, we wont send you one. All in all, if you like Negativland, you will like any of these shows, no matter who is involved. They all maintain the "Negativ" touch based on our live mix techniques and show constants like "receptacle programming" which is undelayed and unscreened live phone access to our mix as it's happening. (You too, can call at 510-848 4425).
Pricing and Ordering Information
Our prices may seem high for cassettes but here is our thinking. First, we need the money. Second, we want this to be worth the time and effort (and tied up studio equipment) to continue this offer of custom taping without burning out. Third, our prices are not so high when you consider the amount of time you are getting, (compared to the 74 minute max time limit on CD's for instance), and the fact that this material is completely unavailable otherwise. You be the judge.
O.T.E. PRICES Three hour show $20.00 (Slightly incomplete shows) $15.00 Five hour show $25.00 (Slightly incomplete shows) $20.00
(most tapes require either Dolby B or C noise reduction on your playback equipment)
Order by show title.
Send check or money order made out to Don Joyce, and mail to:
O.T.E. Tapes 497 43rd St. Oakland, Ca. 94609
Over the Edge Shows Now Available
(All "Solo" shows are one-man mixes by Don Joyce) _________________________________________________________________
I'M NOT SURE (Nov. '85) Negativland
Dick Goodbody hosts a taping of his TV commercial trivia quiz show, "I'm Not Sure", before a "live" audience in the Timberledge Ballroom. Contestants are callers. The rules are excruciatingly elaborate. The weatherman entertains with one of his first versions of "Happy the Harmonica". Lots of quiz, lots of applause, and a few "behind the scenes" scenes. (Earliest "complete" air check still in existence, though not quite a complete show - this was before auto-reverse recorders.) Two 90 cassettes. No N.R. $15.00
_________________________________________________________________
FAKE STONE AGE MAGAZINE OF TALK (May '86) Fake Stone Age, Mrs. Flemming, Stoney Burk, Don.
With Chernoble in the headlines, Jeff, Molly, and friends bring you feature after improvised feature on topical talk topics. Articles include "Terrorists Are People Too", "Fast Talk", "Celebrity Rumerists", "Paint Talk" with Crosley Bendix, "Mrs. Fleming's Cook Book", "Meltdown", "The Quantum Mechanic", "Judge Right", "Spring Launch", "Eco-watch", and "Secret Weapons" with General Bladebare. How silly can you get? Sure, scripting could have helped, but that just wouldn't have been edgy enough. (Ends 1/4 into side 4.) Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B $15.00
_________________________________________________________________
THE J BRIGADE (July "86) Negativland
Pastor Dick rides the roller coaster of irreverent and satanic callers as he attempts another program on faith alone. Christian news, Christian weather, and Christian music from the J Brigade. The Bible Quiz, Big Brotherhood Companions, Mormans exposed, an inspirational song for children almost sung by Ralph Vivian Lust, stories for young people, and the Family Hour. The Weatherman is in an unusually bad mood and quits the group. (Ends 2/3 into side 4) Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B. $15.00
_________________________________________________________________
THE WHEELS OF FORTUNE (June '87) Solo.
Dickie Diamond hosts a no-loser game for receptacle callers. Contestants punch the category button on their phone, the wheel is spun, and they win whatever it stops on. Categories are limited to ice cream, cars, and dates with rock stars. This innovative but never before tried format ends in technical chaos, and the show launches itself into space. There, we hear many parts of "Electric Life", an early 80's studio piece made mostly out of OTE from that period. The Weatherman and his family discuss mold on their food while, on the intercom, the captain of their space shuttle announces docking with "The star", a huge cubic Earth colony in space which has become the last refuge for Earthers after nuclear destruction. Also more about the culture of media jamming on The Star with tapes of Fake Stone Age and King's House, preparing a post-nuclear tribute to C. Elliot Friday, soundtrack bits from Buckaroo Banzai, "Cancer Queen" by Tomasso Landolfi, and Big Bang physics. (Ends 3/4 into side 4.) Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B $15.00
_________________________________________________________________
FAKE STONE AGE ARCHEOLOGY (Sept. '87) Fake Stone Age
Comprised of Helen Holt, Tom Patrick, Molly Thomas, and Jeff Stoll, Fake Stone Age did O.T.E. shows for years. This show was occasioned by their demise as a group, and consists of a rather dense mix of excerpts from many of their past shows along with live interaction, although you wont be able to tell the live from the Memorex. Pure surrealism and spontaneous id. Lots of guests, lots of chaos, lots of years. Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B. $20.00
_________________________________________________________________
BAD ADVICE (June '88) Helen Holt, a couple friends, Mark, and Don. A group of human specialists give advice on any subject to callers. Naturally, the most popular subject is sex, (nothing else seems to be even a distant second) all mixed up with moaning, Mr. Noisy, How To Speak Hip, Mr. Rogers and other assorted media advisory bites. "The Weatherman got laid" rumor lures some calls from The Weatherman, and all this talking sometimes becomes complicated enough to break up into left and right channel discussion groups. Teetering on the edge of FCC titillation, this whole spontaneous exchange never veers far from that most popular subject. (Ends 1/2 into side 4.) Two 90 cassettes. Dolby MORE OTE III
ARE YOU ELVIS? (Sept. '88) Stephen Ronan, Bonny Baldwin, and Don.
Legendary Rock & Roll disk jockey, Jumpin' Jack Jackson, and Elvis conspiracy scholar, Reverend Quif Fetchet, co-host this search for Elvis as we pay tribute to the corpse and his music. At the height of the year's sighting flap, we invite The King to call in and verify his existence on our special voice-print analyzer phone. Lots of hoaxers give this a try, but they're easily eliminated. Callers play a big part in our attempt to resurrect the king of the Rock & Roll death cults, as Quiff recounts his detailed research into why Elvis is certainly alive. With an overall emphasis on "the early years", various media features on current sightings are remixed, along with Elvis interviews and contemporaries reminiscing while almost solid Elvis music backs everything up in sometimes twisted ways. A good chunk of an early studio production about Eldorado Pismo's first record is played (From The History Of Rock & Roll with Jumpin Jack Jackson), Elvis prophecy, Satan's role, an illegitimate daughter shows up, and a whole lot of itching like a man on a fuzzy tree. Elvis calls, calls back, and back again...Then Mr. Friday calls with the news that Dion is alive and we change the show to "Are You Dion?" Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B $20.00
_________________________________________________________________
YOU NAME IT (Oct. '88) King's House
Comprised of Rob Wortman, Arne Ryason, and Brook Hinton, King's House also mixed on O.T.E. shows for years. For this one, we got tired of coming up with themes and settled for random selection. Among other things, we cover radio announcing, jamming, Dodger philosophy, statistics about American excess, and phone fidelity instructions by the Weatherman (who also calls in all night). With lots of receptacle programming and lots of our regular callers, this night of spontaneous live mixing is a good example of many others like it. Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B. $20.00
_________________________________________________________________
THE YEAR IN REVIEW (Dec. '88) Ronald Redball and Mr. Chemistry Homework
All the participants on O.T.E over the years began as a listeners and callers, and these two kids are no exception. On this show they present a year-end reprise of the whole year's programming, with clips, comments, and a listener poll of favorites, all of which adds up to a 3 hour view of everything you missed in 1988. Live events and tapes of passed shows are being mixed at times, but you can almost sense what this typically untypical year was like. Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B. $20.00
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE ARE WE NOW? (June '89) Solo
A survey of Negativland interviews and early live performances, all revolving around an interview-by-satellite we did with NPR's "Weekend Edition" about the "Helter Stupid" album. Throughout the show you hear the raw interview and, finally, how they edited it for broadcast, plus other interviews, rare tapes of the Weatherman on stage, and examples from our "teletours" phone tour concerts. Lots of Negativland info with a strong focus on media and how we have approached it. Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B. $20.00
_________________________________________________________________
CHINA (July '89) Don with Rob Wortman
A show with a purpose. Just days after the suppression of the democracy movement in China, we attempt to get the number for the informant line in China which was being used by the Chinese government for citizens to inform on their democratically inclined neighbors. Finally, with the help of a listener link, we succeed, sort of, and call to deposit our programming. Also a mix of "1984", brainwashing, and topical Chinese stuff. Phone hopping with a vengeance. (Ends 1/2 into side 4.) Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B. $15.00
_________________________________________________________________
GUNS! (July '89) Solo.
Inspired by the completion of a 26 minute piece called "Guns!" commissioned by New American Radio, from which the 16 minute Negativland EP "Guns" was later drawn. The entire 26 minute piece is played at the end of the show and almost all of it got recorded, including everything that does not appear on the "Guns!" EP. The rest of the time is filled with all the guns that didn't get fired in the studio piece. The President of the N.R.A. speaks as I shoot out the studio clock with a .22 revolver and famous music is peppered with captured gunfire. Fictional stuff by, for, about, and against our most pressing example of mass production spiraling out of control. Sometimes whimsical, poignant, or just drifting through an earscape of targets, we are never far from a song about guns. A few callers get shot. (Ends 1/2 into side 4.) Two 90 cassettes. Dolby B $15.00