Recent news and rumors about Mr. Burroughs

Well, this is totally out of date but I really haven't heard much in ages. Bill Laswell has a recent project or two using some Burroughs material. Seems like WSB's been keeping a low profile in 1995...

August 1994: Burroughs goes commercial

Burroughs shocks his hardcore anti-corporate fans by doing a Nike commercial. Although Burroughs never mentions Nike and is not seen wearing any Nike shoes some fans are in an uproar over what they consider a sell-out. Others take it less seriously and are amused to see Bill Burroughs on tv in any context.

Doug Grant posted this:

'Well, I do think that many here are making a bigger deal about this whole situation than WSB ever imagined. While visiting William this weekend, I informed him of the discussion over the Nike commercial and when queried as to what the subject of the discussions were, I replied that they were questioning the reasons why he would do such a commercial. He laughed hysterically and then said "Don't you know, the money!"

'My impression was that he suckered them for big cash and could give a rat's ass what anyone else thinks about it. But that is my impression only. I basically let the subject drop to move on to more exciting conversation.'

The music for this Nike ad uses a backing track titled "The Things That I Used to Do" by G-Love and Special Sauce from their self-titled release. Burroughs does not appear on the release by G-Love and Special Sauce; this was just used as a music bed for the commercial with no direct collaboration between Burroughs and the band.

The new (as of summer 1994) Anton Fier _Dreamspeed_ album appears to open with a sample of Burroughs, presumably from all the stuff that Laswell has lying around.

Bill Laswell is planning a new recording project with Burroughs, featuring text from an upcoming volume of dream journals. Laswell's not too crazy about recent recordings where the music just lies there behind (or over) Burrough's voice; on "Seven Souls" he tried to work with the pitch & phrasing of the voice. The new project is intended as a musical interaction/improvisation, not "Burroughs With Strings/Grunge/Whatever." The musicians for this project will be Laswell and Ornette Coleman.

New York Times, May 21, 1994

Jon Pareles reviews a May 19, 1994 poetry reading by Beat figures Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure, William Burroughs and others at Town Hall in New York City. The reading was connected with "The Beat Generation," a conference at New York University.

WSB has contributed to an upcoming Coil album.

(supposedly... I heard this back in late 1993. Anyone know if it was ever released?

INTERFERENCE is a current (and as-yet unreleased) musical project that Keith LeBlanc is involved in. Others involved include Doug Wimbish and Skip McDonald, and Tim Simenon (from Bomb the Bass). At least one track features WSB sound bytes.

(this news was from summer 1993? Did anyone hear anything about this since?)

Los Angeles Times, Oct 16, 1993

Author William Burroughs in 1993 has recorded an album of readings from his works, set to music by the rap group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. The popularity of Burroughs' readings is briefly discussed.

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