ork-comp

Numero Group releasing punk label Ork Records entire output on new comp feat. Television, Alex Chilton, Feelies & more

by Bill Pearis

Ork Records: New York, New York

In August of 1975, the world’s first punk record label was born. Ork Records: New York, New York is a tale of Terry Ork, a film-obsessed fugitive of Warhol’s Factory set. Ork’s impresario ear would pull damaged, literate new rock music from the pregnant Bowery grime of CBGB, resulting in debut 45s by Television and Richard Hell, as well as landmark recordings by the Feelies and Lester Bangs. It’s a tale of Charles Ball, who’d steer Ork Records through solo exploits by Big Star’s Alex Chilton and the dBs’ Chris Stamey.

For Record Store Day, the Numero Group released the Ork Records Complete Singles box set, lovingly repressing the NYC label’s 7″ output, including early singles from Television (label head Terry Ork was their manager), Richard Hell, Alex Chilton, Chris Stamey and more. There was also what could’ve been The Feelies‘ first single, if it had actually been released at the time, offering up decidedly more punk versions of “Fa Ce La” and “Forces at Work” than would appear on debut album Crazy Rhythms. It’s an amazing “what if” and, for me, it was almost worth the price of the box for that Feelies single alone. The whole thing is pretty great, though.

You can still pick up the Complete Singles box, but for those who don’t like lifting the needle so often, Numero Group will release Ork Records: New York, New York on October 30 which compiles all the singles, plus a whole lot more, on two CDs or four vinyl LPs. All versions include a 190-page book about the label with rarely-seen photographs, liner notes, remembrances and essays, and there’s an edition that comes with a bonus 45 with two unreleased Feelies songs. Full tracklist and and a trailer for the comp (which features that version of Feelies’ “Fa Ce La”) are below. Pre-orders are available now.

Ork Records: New York, New York tracklist
01 TELEVISION Little Johnny Jewel
02 FEELIES Fa Ce La
03 RICHARD HELL (I Belong To The) Blank Generation
04 THE REVELONS The Way (You Tough My Hand)
05 ERASERS I Won’t Give Up
06 ALEX CHILTON All Of The Time
07 CHRIS STAMEY & THE DBS (I Thought) You Wanted To Know
08 PRIX Zero
09 MARBLES Red Lights
10 ALEX CHILTON Take Me Home & Make Me Like It
11 PRIX Girl
12 THE IDOLS Girl That I Love
13 MICK FARREN & THE NEW WAVE Lost Johnny
14 CHEETAH CHROME Still Wanna Die
15 THE IDOLS You
16 THE STUDENT TEACHERS Christmas Weather
17 ERASERS It Was So Funny (The Song That They Sung)
18 RICHARD HELL (I Could Live With You) (In) Another World
19 CHRIS STAMEY The Summer Sun
20 ALEX CHILTON Free Again
21 RICHARD LLOYD (I Thought) You Wanted To Know
22 THE STUDENT TEACHERS Channel 13
23 CHRIS STAMEY Where The Fun Is
24 PRIX Everytime I Close My Eyes
25 FEELIES Forces At Work
26 MARBLES Fire And Smoke
27 THE REVELONS 97 Tears
28 CHEETAH CHROME Take Me Home
29 RICHARD HELL You Gotta Lose
30 CHRIS STAMEY & THE DBS If And When
31 MICK FARREN & THE NEW WAVE Play With Fire
32 RICHARD LLOYD Get Off My Cloud
33 ALEX CHILTON The Singer Not The Song
34 RICHARD LLOYD Connection
35 ALEX CHILTON Summertime Blues
36 MICK FARREN & THE NEW WAVE To Know Him Is To Love Him
37 LINK CROMWELL Crazy Like A Fox
38 LINK CROMWELL Shock Me
39 KENNETH HIGNEY I Wanna Be The King
40 LESTER BANGS Let It Blurt
41 ALEX CHILTON Bangkok
42 PETER HOLSAPPLE Big Black Truck
43 PRIX She Might Look My Way
44 ALEX CHILTON Can’t Seem To Make You Mine
45 PRIX Love You All Day Long
46 ALEX CHILTON Shakin’ The World
47 PRIX Love You Tonight
48 LESTER BANGS Live
49 KENNETH HIGNEY Funky Kinky