Flipper and Subterranean Records

Flipper’s Will Shatter was apparently from the nearby rural enclave of Gilroy, the Garlic Capital of the

World. Hence the Housecoat Project song “Just A Guy From Gilroy” about a lovable guy who would sell his mother to get some dope to sell to get some drugs and thinks he’s one of the Rolling Stones.

Will died of self-inflicted causes on Dec. 9, 1987. I found this old picture of Lil Mike holding a newspaper that reads, “The Last Days of Will Shatter.” I asked him what he remembers about that day. Here’s Mike: “I actually learned of Will’s death earlier via the doper grapevine before the article, but remember being surprised it warranted a front page headline in S.F.’s Sunday paper. I used to answer Flipper’s fan mail atSubterranean Records and Will would stroll in some mornings, and offer me a Bartles & James wine cooler, which I would politely decline. He was less interested in cheering up the misfit kids from Poland and Iowa that would write in, than potentially procuring a few royalty advances from label honcho Steve Tupper. I recall he’d occasionally discreetly pilfer some records from the bins up front of the store on his way out, and Steve would just shrug. That was nothing I suppose compared to band mate Bruce Loose, who got caught breaking into the label through the ceiling one morning while stealing the band’s 16-track studio master tapes to sell to Rick Rubin.”

They say Leonard Cohen was there at the On Broadway for Will’s memorial service and read a poem.

Photo after the jump.

White Night, Big City

This flyer was created and distributed by Lesbians Against Police Violence and The Stonewall Coalition in summer 1979 in the aftermath of the White Night Riots; likely drawn by Emily Siegel they say.

White Night, Big City, White Night

He held his arms out open wide

He had enemies on every side

A little man in a fit of rage

shot him down to make him pay Yes, he held his arms out open wide