One thing leads to another: since I ran my interview with Mike Watt from late-'92 and we talked a lot about the business of music and how his band the Minutemen hooked up with SST Records, I figured I might as well run my interview with Greg Ginn - also from late-'92 - who owns the label and is also the former guitarist with the legendary Black Flag as well as a solo artist.
To what do you attribute the success of SST?
The principle of sticking to the practical, in our overall business, through all of the noise and misconceptions and all of that. We try to stay on our course and do a little bit more every year, and that plan has worked out for us. We've never had any gigantic hits, or anything like that. Perhaps that has helped us because nothing has come easy. We've had to work consistently.
What led you to form SST?
SST was formed to put out the first Black Flag record. Basically, there wasn't anyone else to do it. There weren't very many independent labels putting out rock music other than reissues, and other specialty stuff. I felt that what I was doing with Black Flag was very worthwhile, and I wanted to get it out there. It really just started from scratch: from looking in the phone book for a record pressing plant, pressing records, and then dealing with everything else by just doing it. Black Flag was formed in 1977. We first recorded in 1978.
Did you try to hook up with any of the major labels?
No. That was completely out of the question at the time. People from major labels were afraid to go to Black Flag gigs throughout most of the band's existence. They treated our gigs as something threatening. I'm sure that it probably was. They probably had reasons to be scared. I think that that's how times have changed, in a sense. There aren't enough people who are scaring the kind of people who work in their offices at these companies.
The environment around a band now seems to be viewed with a wink as a marketing tool, like with Gwar. Was it just show biz for you?
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
I once saw Black Flag play in Montreal in
August in the early 80s. The club was soooo hooottttt ("How hot was it?!) Greg Ginn shorted out his guitar because he was sweating buckets.
2 - David
SST is a pretty amazing story. One can only be awed at Ginn's combination of business smarts, energy, courage, and integrity.
For some reason I only ever saw BF at a free 4th of July concert in a park during their "hippy" period (after they'd laudably alienated their little brownshirt army - does anyone remember "Black Flag Kills Ants on Contact?"), though I did see Ginn (I think - mists of time and all that) with Redd Kross, singing the Dolls' "Theres' Gonna be a Showdown" , and doing a 10 minute version of the MC5's "I want you right now" with the mighty Saccharine Trust . Ah, childhood (I also seem to remember seeing him wandering around the line for Scofield at Catalina's, but I don't think he went in, for some reason).
3 - Eric Olsen
it is an amazing story and they sure put out a lot of records - I'm tryig to figure out when they stopped putting out new releases. I guess I should email him.
4 - David
One other comment:
It was just recently that I realized that those classic Raymond Pettibone-illustrated SST catalogs and the albums they advertised (first a few, then dozens, then hundreds), were the product of a food-money operation from out of a van traveling around the country from one anarchic gig to another. This is just mind-boggling to me.
OK, real stuff to do.
5 - Chris Puzak
Eric,
I think SST does release new albums from time to time, but they're usually Greg Ginn projects. SST got a reputation a while back of not being very good about paying royalties, so I think most people would probably be wary of them. And of course, the label didn't exactly give a lot of support to Negativland during the U2 debacle, so that probably helped to sully their name. There's a lot of ugly behind the scenes drama involving the label, but that doesn't change the fact that they did release a ton of good music.
6 - Eric Olsen
Hmm, I would like to hear more about Chris, thanks!
7 - vicky ginn
greg ginn is the name of my dead father he commmited suicide in 1994 and now im 17 trying to find out more on my own seeing that i am adopted. i thought maybe he was in a band but no such luck.
8 - DWulf
I remember seeing Black Flag at the Hungry Brain in Detroit. I remember Henry walking the crowd saying something to the effect of "Last Gig of the Last tour" over and over again.
Can anyone confirm this was indeed there last show.
9 - Eric Olsen
very sorry to hear that Vicky, hope you can find some info and peace of mind - defenders of HST's suicide, take note
what year was this DWulf?
10 - bodytrick
black flag's last show was in may or june 1986 in detroit.
11 - Eric Olsen
thanks for the info! seems like a long time ago
12 - tim pickens
Nice interview! I wish Greg/SST had a news page to keep us informed with what's going on with the label and stuff. Nowone seems to know if they're still releasing records or what...
13 - Gomez D. P.
Greg Ginn is one of the smartest people out there, as evident by his methods behind SST. He's also my inspiration in both hard work and playing guitar. Excellent interview.