Not So Legendary

My first job in New York was producing a syndicated radio show for college stations (it was snappily called Music View) and while it didn’t pay much, I could use the studio as all I wanted on nights and weekends. Studio is a kind word. Though it was 1995 and fully in the age of ProTools, we had a one-inch tape 8-track from 1980 or so and not in the greatest condition, and I was cutting up interviews on a reel-to-reel with a razorblade. Nonetheless, as someone who had only messed around on a cassette four track, this was the real deal. And we had good microphones.

Armed with a Gibson ES-325 and a Roland PMA-5 providing everything else, I recorded a handful of songs in 1997, using the band name My Legendary Girlfriend. (I was into Pulp at the time.) The idea was to release a 7″ single, but it never happened. And then the only copy I had of them — the original DAT I mixed the songs to — went missing about six years ago and never thought I’d hear them again. But it turns out my friend Jason had the DAT and he mailed it to me recently. I borrowed a DAT machine and took a listen. I didn’t cringe…much.

So here they are, all recorded in 1997. With a drum machine and synth bass, I embraced the ‘Eighties-ness of it all — which is fine, I love all that stuff. The musical cribbing is rather shameless. In fact it’s entirely intentional. See how many references you can spot!

Now in easy BandCamp streaming:

• My Legendary Girlfriend – “Mix Tapes for Girls”
Featuring some singing that drifts into Vegas-style a couple times — yikes! This was actually covered by the Behoovers… whose frontman is my old boss.

• My Legendary Girlfriend – “Test Tube Babies”
I could’ve been The Postal Service if only I’d known how to actually use the equipment. My mom’s favorite.

• My Legendary Girlfriend – “Ten Minutes More”
A veritable ode to 1986. In retrospect, I shoulda worked in “I Melt With You” at the end too.

A couple years after recording these, I discovered there was a Scottish band using the name My Legendary Girlfriend, and they actually played live and had (have) a website. So I changed my moniker to Snowpants. But the other MLG has since broken up (and never known in the US), so I’m claiming back the name. For this post at least.

It’s amazing how much the lyrics have dated: mixtapes, prepaid phone cards… the far-off year of 2002. A lot has changed in the last ten years.