Ork Records :: Complete Singles

ork-records-complete-singles-1If there’s a thick wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket come National Record Store Day this year, you could certainly do a lot worse than scooping up this collection of lovingly reproduced 7-inches via the always reliable Numero Group. Ork Records, briefly, was one of the original indie labels, curated by NYC tastemaker Terry Ork. Leading off with epochal debuts from Television and Richard Hell & The Voidoids, the label was on the front lines of the mid-70s CBGB scene.

We may know it as “punk” these days, but the music on this collection is wide ranging, eclectic and adventurous: the rules had yet to be written. So you’ve got the spindly stabs of Television’s “Little Johnny Jewel” bumping up against Chris Stamey’s power pop masterpiece “Summer Sun.” You’ve got Alex Chilton’s ragged-but-right Singer Not The Song EP sharing space with Cheetah Chrome’s nihilistic rants. Of special interest is the previously unreleased Feelies single, with two amped up tunes that would become Crazy Rhythms classics, “Fa Ce La,” and “Forces At Work.”

As might be expected with lavish collectors’ items of this kind, the Ork singles come with a hefty price tag. The good lord willing, there will be a more affordable version of this essential collection released in the near future… words / t wilcox

Richard Hell :: Blank Generation

One thought on “Ork Records :: Complete Singles

  1. It is very difficult to find out exactly what songs by what bands are on this compilation. The Numero website doesn’t seems to have a tracklist & neither does amazon. Is anyone kind enough to add one here?

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