'We're pain, we're steel, a plot of knives, we're Transmaniacon MC'
Sandy Pearlman's introduction to most, the opening track on the self titled Blue Oyster Cult debut, recorded in the November of 1971 and unleashed On January 16th 1972. A Dark, brooding tale of Altamont, it was the perfect way to kick off the black and white period for Blue Oyster Cult. Sandy had known them long before this moment, from back in the days of Stony Brook College when he penned a collection of poems 'Imaginos'.
Looking for some musicians to put them to song, he christened them Soft White Underbelly. Along with Murray Krugman, he produced, managed and steered the band through the next 18 years until the mid 1990's. The body of work is outstanding, plus he produced other artists including Pavlov's Dog, Dictators, The Clash, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shakin' Street and Dream Syndicate. But Blue Oyster Cult were his muse.
Sharpening his pen with Crawdaddy magazine, his lyrical contribution alone lit up 6 of the tracks on Blue Oyster Cult, from the biker drug anthem Before The Kiss a Redcap to the prototype stadium Heavy Metal stomp of Cities on Flame with Rock And Roll. As the black and white period rolled on, Tyranny And Mutation continued the collaboration, with half of the album featuring Pearlman lyrics and collaboration while he and Krugman continued their exemplary production duties.
By the time we get to 1974 and Secret Treaties the spell is ovrwhelming and the result mesmerising. The darker more intense tracks that brought each side to their climax - Dominance And Submission/ME 262 and Flaming Telepaths/Astronomy - have Sandy's prints all over them. The band were at one with his direction as he's often credited, his vision. The biker rebel edge got them to record and release the Pearlman/Krugman produced Mars Bonfire anthem Born To Be Wild, coupled with the Patti Smith/Albert Bouchard collaboration Career Of Evil.
Sandy turned his attention to Pavlovs Dog, producing their Pampered menial debut for CBS before turning his attention back to BOC. The Gothic majesty of On Your Feet Of On Your Knees was next, a double live album, unusual and groundbreaking at the time with a perfect tongue in cheek sleeve and an incendiary track list drawn from seven multi track recorded shows throughout 1974. The success of OYFOOYK gave them the space, the rest bite, to take a breath and step back. The resultant Agents Of Fortune was a more thoughtful yet still intense collection of individual songs, and while Sandy is only annotated to have contributed to one track - E T I - his production and overall influence is palpable.
Similarly, his work on Spectres was largely in production and influence, overseeing the burgeoning multi-platinum monster he'd helped shape and create. By now Sandy had produced a second Pavlov's Dog LP and no less than three Dictators albums. As Blue Oyster Cult explored within harmony, disharmony and sublimation he pursued his taste for loud, street and humourous Rock 'n' Roll.
Another BOC live set, Some Enchanted Evening, although not the double set originally planned, cemented their place in the Hard Rock Hierarchy, even including a brilliant nod to their English fan base and roots with a stunning cover of We Gotta Get Outta This Place. After that, although he continued to manage the band (and briefly Black Sabbath at this point), production duties went elsewhere for BOC, and Sandy took up an invitation to produce The Clash's Give 'Em Enough Rope for CBS.
He returned for the final CBS releases ETLive, Revolution By Night and Club Ninja, even of commercial sales and critical acclaim were slipping away. Finally, the Imaginos project saw a release, although not as Sandy or Albert Bouchard had envisioned. It closed the door on the CBS years for Blue Oyster Cult.
Sandy Pearlman carried on his vision over the coming years, moving into academia and lecturing as much as production, but he will always be remembered for his poetry, his tilt on the world and his vision that helped steer Blue Oyster Cult into the stratosphere. It would not have been the same without him.
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