Reading at Foster Clough 19-9-76. Pressed Curtains Tape 1

The first of two tapes in Paul Buck's Pressed Curtains series, the second being 'Pressed Curtains: Tape 2/3' by Buck and Ulli McCarthy. In his 'Sleeve Notes etc' to 'Paul Buck's Pressed Curtains Tape Project' (Test Centre, 2015), a boxed set of these and unreleased recordings, Buck explains his tape releases in the context of his magazine 'Curtains': 'Halfway through the 1970s, the notion of performing, whether relating to "performance art" or in terms of the oral tradition of poetry, was another factor that became part of the fabric. I was combining the two courses and exploring the oral in terms of poetry, music, art and ethnic traditions. It seemed natural to extend the boundaries of 'Curtains' into a cassette tape series, even if no sophisticated equipment was available, either at home or nearby.' This reading by Mottram, in Buck and Glenda George's living room, ushered the project into existence. The tape is dated '1976/77'. It was followed by a shared tape of Buck performing 'xxxx7' (part of 'xxxx 1-9', which remains uncollected) and McCarthy (now Freer) reading counter to a loop of Erik Satie's 'Gymnopedies'. Copies of the tapes were made to order from the masters, and Buck handwrote information onto the sleeves and labels. Two other tapes were recorded but never issued, by Bill Griffiths and Pierre Joris, and on the final page of 'bal:le:d curtains' Buck described Allen Fisher and Iain Sinclair as future contributors, although in the end they were never recorded specifically for the series.