CD Presents

CD Presents is a San Francisco-based recording label that specialized in promoting, recording and distributing punk music and alternative music. The label was founded and managed by David Ferguson who established CD Presents as a concert promotion enterprise in 1979. Ferguson had earlier in the 1970s promoted shows for notable theatre performance and pre-punk acts such as The Cockettes, Iggy Pop, and the New York Dolls. As head of CD Presents, Ferguson produced concerts for some of the most influential artists of the punk rock era, including the The Avengers, X, and the the Germs. Most notably, Ferguson and CD Presents produced the Los Angeles and San Francisco legs of Public Image Ltd's first two American tours (1980 and 1982, respectively).Martine, Lord. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/29/WB128674.DTL Ferguson finds unconventional fits him just right] "San Francisco Chronicle", March 29, 2002] Wechsler, Shoshana. "Emperor's New Clothes: Public Image in San Francisco." Damage, Vol. 1, No. 7. July 1980. pp. 8-10]

Ferguson created the studio part of the CD Presents umbrella in 1981. A number of West Coast punk and hardcore bands would record at the studio throughout the 1980s. In 1984, CD Presents released The Offs acclaimed "First Record" album -- an album for which Ferguson commissioned painter Jean Michel Basquiat to design the now-legendary cover. [http://www.nyartsmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=145709&Itemid=721| Basquiat's Rediscovered Punk Art at Art Basel, Miami] "NY Arts", March-April, 2008. Retrieved on April 16, 2008.]

In the 1980s, CD Presents released three volumes of singles recorded by groups on the label's roster. These compilation albums, known as "Rat Music for Rat People", would have a significant influence on a number of punk and post-punk musicians. [Savage, Jon. [http://lostnirvana.info/stat/The_Lost_Interview_With_Kurt_Cobain.html Kurt Cobain: The Lost Interview] 1993 "Guitar World" interview, published posthumously, October 1996.] The CD Presents label signed and promoted Billy Bragg's first two records, "Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy" and "Brewing Up with Billy Bragg". In 1983, the label released a compilation of The Avengers' material popularly known as "The Pink Album". [ [http://www.mp3.com/artist/the-avengers/summary Avengers Summary.] mp3.com]

In the late 1980s, Ferguson turned his focus more to distribution. The distribution division of CD Presents, Buried Treasure Inc., eventually distributed the catalogs for nearly 100 independent record labels, creating a record distribution system that operated independent from that of major record labels.

Either through the label or through its distribution system, CD presents recorded or distributed the music of nearly 3,300 artists, including The Avengers, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag w/Henry Rollins, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Flipper, D.O.A., Butthole Surfers, NOFX, T.S.O.L., Minutemen, and Mojo Nixon. [http://www.bearvalleynews.com/bvn%202032808.htm David Ferguson Joins Subculture Books] "Bear Valley News", March 28, 2008. Retrieved on April 3, 2008.]

Starting in 2004, Ferguson began restoring CD Presents' extensive recording archives at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch with the help of Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Leslie Ann Jones and her assistant, Dann Thompson. The restoration was completed in early 2008.

Discography

CD Presents Discography

*The Avengers — "The Avengers" (1983). Also known as "The Pink Album"
*Billy Bragg — "Life's a Riot (Spy vs. Spy)" (1984)
*Billy Bragg — "Brewing Up with Billy Bragg" (1984)
*D.O.A. — "Bloodied But Unbowed" (1984)
*Lydia Lunch — "Hysterie" (1987)
*Minimal Man — "Safari" (1984)
*Moev — "The Early Years" (1982)
*Norman Salant — "Sax Talk" (1984)
*The Offs — "First Record" (1984)
*Phantom Limbs — "Romance" (1983)
*Phantom Limbs — "Train of Thought" (1985)
*Poison Girls — "Songs of Praise" (1985)
*"Rat Music for Rat People, Vol. 1" (1982)
*"Rat Music for Rat People, Vol. 2" (1984)
*"Rat Music for Rat People, Vol. 3" (1987)
*Savoy Sound — "Wave Goodbye" (1981)
*The Subhumans — "Incorrect Thoughts" (1985)
*Tales of Terror — "Tales of Terror" (1984)
*True West — "Hand of Fate" (1987)
*Twisted Roots — "Twisted Roots" (1986)

ee also

*IFUC
*David Ferguson (impresario)

External links

* [http://www.IFUC.org Institute for Unpopular Culture (IFUC)] -- Outsider-culture nonprofit enterprise founded by David Ferguson
* [http://www.skysound.com/sound_music.html Skywalker Sound]

Notes

Æ