Series: New Television
Program: New Television
Episode: 601
Date: 1989-01-01
Subject: Rock music; Interviews; New York (N.Y.)
People: Atlas, Charles; Barton, Jopey; Berne, Tim; Bert, Bob; Branca, Glenn; Cale, John; Carr, Tim; Cosloy, Gerard; Cresser, Mark; Donohue, David; Edson, Richard; Epstein, Ted; Evelev, Yale; Finley, Karen; Fricke, David; Goese, Mimi; Gordon, Kim; Graham, Dan; Kaye, Lenny; Krazmer, Mark; Lindsay, Arto; Lunch, Lydia; Marclay, Christian; Mark C.; Moore, Thurston; Mori, Ikue; O'Keefe, Karen; Peacock, Adam; Ranaldo, Lee; Reid, Vernon; Rockwell, John; Rowe, Hahn; Ryan, Bill; Scherer, Peter; Shelley, Steve; Shioi, Luli; Sommer, Tim; Stirner, Janet; Suzuki, Hitomi; Tiers, Wharton; Vasconcelos, Nana; Vatcher, Michael; Wheeler, David; Willner, Hal; Zorn, John

Clip Description
In this documentary-style work, critics, artists, and musicians are interviewed about the New York music scene and its many influences. Early on, the "talking head" interviewees are juxtaposed with images that illustrate the concept of a "New York sound" -- street scenes, construction workers, a Salvation Army band, and a host of street performers. Composer and performer John Zorn and rock band Sonic Youth are featured in detail. Zorn discusses his relationship with film and cartoons, Ornette Coleman, Tonco music (an Asian trio form), Mickey Spillane, and the composition of his work "Spillane." Frequent Zorn collaborator Arto Lindsay is seen in a recording session with his band, Ambitious Lovers. Another band, Hugo Largo, is shown performing at the Central Park bandshell. Zorn's Ornette Coleman cover band, Spy vs. Spy, is shown in performance at the Knitting Factory. Sonic Youth talks with former Velvet Underground member John Cale. They also have a roundtable discussion with their first drummer (who has since been replaced), Bob Bert. Sonic Youth is shown in a variety of situations. Band member Lee Ranaldo goes to a tarot card reader. The band performs outdoors on what appears to be a train platform. A clip of the "Death Valley ‘69" video is included. Sonic Youth's Madonna "tribute" band, Ciccone Youth, appears in a video clip. While many issues are covered, "Put Blood in the Music" keeps returning to the question of a "New York sound." David Donahue is credited with conceiving and developing the work, which is approximately an hour and 14 minutes long. Produced by James Morris. Directed by Charles Atlas.

Program Description
This episode of "New Television" features two works by Charles Atlas - "Put Blood in the Music" and "From an Island Summer."

In "Put Blood in the Music," Charles Atlas presents a documentary-style work where critics, artists, and musicians are interviewed about the New York music scene and its many influences.

In "From an Island Summer" Karole Armitage and two other dancers perform her upbeat movements in two distinct locations - Coney Island and Times Square, New York.

Series Description
The New Television Workshop originated at WGBH, a public broadcasting station in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1974 to support the creation and development of experimental video art. This experimental programming included dance, drama, music, performance and visual arts on video and film. As early as 1968, WGBH was committed to the development of video art through residency programs, with artists such as Nam June Paik, and the "Rockefeller Artists-in-Television" project. Many of these early works (pre-1974) were broadcast both locally and nationally.

As an umbrella for arts related programming, the Workshop included "Artist's Showcase, " "Frames of Reference, " "Dance for Camera, " "Poetry Breaks," and "New Television," as well as acquired arts programming. Individual works were created for "Visions," a series produced by WNET (New York), and "Alive From Off Center," a series produced by KTCA (St. Paul - Minneapolis). The Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund was co-founded by the Workshop and Boston's Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) in the 1980's, to commission works by video artists. In 1993 the Workshop ceased production at WGBH.

See also: http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/NTW/FA/TITLES/Put93.HTML