Mingering Mike - an IMAGINARY record collection?!
Secret_Chimp
915 Posts
Okay, so I hit the flea market last Thursday in the freezing cold and came upon this dope soundtrack collection - Melinda, Sweetback's Badass Song, The Marketts Play Batman, Mannix, More Mission Impossbile, etc.., when I came upon this box of... fake records!!
That's right- about 35 or 40 hand-drawn and hand-painted album covers made between 1969 and 1976, some complete with fake cardboard records inside them. Apparently some guy who called himself "Mingering Mike" put together all of these albums as if he were the musician.. the covers are complete with hand-drawn barcodes, track listings, lyrics, drawings of the band(s), and in some cases, liner notes. He did soul and funk albums and blaxploitation soundtracks (for movies that never existed), and even a christmas album!
Now, I wouldn't say that it's the artwork is what's so cool about these things (though some of em are pretty cool in their own way)- it's the mystery of it all! Who is Mingering Mike? Was he a musician here in DC who actually played out in clubs? Or was he some kooky guy who sat at home and fantasized about being a soul star? Whoever he was, I'm intrigued.
There's definitely a theme among some of them regarding heroine and drugs.. some of the liner notes and lyrics are very personal (and moving) accounts of friends he's lost to drugs, etc. The records are kind of like a diary, I guess you could say, due to their personal nature. I feel kind of weird posting pictures of them on here, but I thought you guys might appreciate them. Needless to say I bought all of em (and all of the soundtracks!), as I knew that I'd never come across anything like this again.
Here's a long shot: anyone happen to know Mingering Mike? This stuff came out of an abandoned/forfeited storage unit here in DC, they probably mean a lot to the guy.. I guess he could be sick, down and out, in jail, or worse.
Anyways, here's a sampling of some of my favorites- I'll post some more photos if there's any interest (check out the photo with the quote from James Brown at the very bottom!).
That's right- about 35 or 40 hand-drawn and hand-painted album covers made between 1969 and 1976, some complete with fake cardboard records inside them. Apparently some guy who called himself "Mingering Mike" put together all of these albums as if he were the musician.. the covers are complete with hand-drawn barcodes, track listings, lyrics, drawings of the band(s), and in some cases, liner notes. He did soul and funk albums and blaxploitation soundtracks (for movies that never existed), and even a christmas album!
Now, I wouldn't say that it's the artwork is what's so cool about these things (though some of em are pretty cool in their own way)- it's the mystery of it all! Who is Mingering Mike? Was he a musician here in DC who actually played out in clubs? Or was he some kooky guy who sat at home and fantasized about being a soul star? Whoever he was, I'm intrigued.
There's definitely a theme among some of them regarding heroine and drugs.. some of the liner notes and lyrics are very personal (and moving) accounts of friends he's lost to drugs, etc. The records are kind of like a diary, I guess you could say, due to their personal nature. I feel kind of weird posting pictures of them on here, but I thought you guys might appreciate them. Needless to say I bought all of em (and all of the soundtracks!), as I knew that I'd never come across anything like this again.
Here's a long shot: anyone happen to know Mingering Mike? This stuff came out of an abandoned/forfeited storage unit here in DC, they probably mean a lot to the guy.. I guess he could be sick, down and out, in jail, or worse.
Anyways, here's a sampling of some of my favorites- I'll post some more photos if there's any interest (check out the photo with the quote from James Brown at the very bottom!).
Comments
Big up Chimp for showing some humanity when it comes to records unlike most people out here...
Post more - these are incredible.
But it's weird.. isn't "minger" UK slang for an ugly girl or a generally ugly, unpleasant and/or stanky person?
This is really interesting...
nice find, and serious props for having the prescence of mind to actually snap them up...because in the heat of the chase many of us would have let those go only to think later "oh, shit, those were pretty great...why did I pass?"
So I guess now all us DC folks should be on the look out for any other Mingering Mike pieces...and ask around if anyone has any info. I am just amazed by the detail- I mean drawing ONE fake sleeve is dedication, but coming up with themes, titles, credits and LINER NOTES? that's a dude who is seriously into what he's doing. And I think we have all seen where someone has lost the sleeve and attempted to replicate the original sleeve, but this is another dimension completely.
that would be really thorough if you found mingering mike. maybe you should ask around in some older record stores. but if they came out a storage unit, theres a strong chance that the covers arent foremost on mikes mind right now. i hope he's doing ok, cause thats a dude with some heart.
Wait a minute, I didn't mean that. I am jealous of other peoples finds.
a very important find...i want to somehow "sample" that artwork. can mpc's read jpegs?
I agree, you should definitely do some asking around about this cat. There is a great story behind this, I promise you.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZY!
I'm going back right now to get that shit!
--Oliver
gotdamn that imaginary DJ made my day....
dude, whats rilly dude?
fucking MINGERING MIKE!
dude brought THEE ALIEN out of hiding to challah about this man...
chimp for real thats the find of the decade - i am not kidding - HOLLER!!!
i need to know more asap... my mind has been officially blown.
dude, i been rationing these very last posts by i could NOT HOLD THIS IN.
"PEOPLE... HOLD ON" (in a major way!)
you in DC? im on the way holmes. the snow just might tie me up, but ill be there by saturday. think im lying when im not? CHALLAH!!!
okay, back to the hiding/formulating/transforming/wilding/(staying warm)/g.e.t.t.i.n.g.r.e.a.d.y.f.o.r.t.h.e.u.b.e.r.b.l.a.s.t.o.f.f.f.i.n.a.l.p.o.s.t.s.o.n.s.o.u.l.s.t.r.u.t.a.s.A.I.
stay tuned
7 down
3 to go
whats really good?
(mingering mike!)
I second that. This is honestly one of the best threads I've seen on here. Thanks for sharing.
-hot rod ost
all this talk about putting them in a gallery.. would art folks be into this or is only cool to us records nerds?? second (or third the magazine jump off)
Yeah, I think you're right, but I also recognize as a term regarding (cover your ears, Marco) meat processing. One of my dad's uncles used to work at a slaughterhouse in Pittsburgh, and I distinctly remember him mentioning a guy who either was a minger or worked the minger--can't remember if "minger" referred to the guy or to the machine. But anyway, maybe Mike worked at a packing house or something. Does much of that industry go on in or around DC?
Whatever the case, though, I'll add my voice to the chorus, Chimp: those are some pretty effin' remarkable artifacts. Like you said, they obviously represent a lot of Mike's time and effort, and you get many many extra points for your impulse to reunite them with their creator. That shit will definitely come back to you.
seriously though, you unearthed something very cool.
Start making phone calls.
For some reason it reminds of me of Chicago artist Henry Darger.
Oliver is right. Your top priority now is to track down Mingering Mike. Find out what locker these came out of and secure the original owner's telephone number at any cost. Who knows what you'll find.
Too bad there is no original music to go with them. But who knows what you'll find if you keep digging. If a person went to such great lengths to make album covers, there is almost near certainty that they did some kind of recording. It may never have been pressed, but tapes must have existed.