Tract Records R.I.P.

Between 2004 and 2008 I had the privilege of putting out some commercial releases with the recently out-of-business indie label Tract Records from Columbus, Ohio. I want to personally thank former label owner Thomas Heath for giving me the opportunity to record and release some music when no one else in the world would give me the time of day. Now, Tract is no more and my releases with them are out-of-print and gone forever. If you were lucky enough to get a physical copy of any of these releases, I suggest that you treat them with care as there are no plans to reissue of any of the albums. all commercial releases will be available soon as high quality digital downloads via this link. As of today, september 07, 2010, MAXIMUM JOY, YON, and LOAF have been made available. the rest comming soon.




YON. full-length
release date 2.26.08
art by gentleman Peter Matthews.

LOAF e.p.
release date 10.31.06
dedicated to the memory of Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour.
art by Tony Roberts

If We Were Trees. 4 way split.
released sometime 2005. Reissued in 2007.
Silk screened cover by Marc Manning.

Songs from El Tope. Full-length.
released 7.31.0. reissued 9.26.06
Art by Thomas Heath

demo two "flowers for all occasions" 1995

We recorded this demo in 94-95 in Lone Grove, Oklahoma at this tiny recording studio that wasn't quite finished whose owner/operator 'Studio' Bill didn't quite know what he was doing. But he was giving us a good deal, or so it seemed. In the words of Burroughs, this guy "didn't know what buttons to push or what happens when you push 'em". Nevertheless, it was fun making the demo. We were young and thought what we were doing was really important. It was an interesting experience working with additional players for the first time. I have lots of wonderful memories of driving people down from Norman for the sessions and all the fun times we had during the weeks it took us to record (like sinking Paco's speed boat for example). In spite of its crappy quality, we shopped it around to some labels, in vain, of course.

track list:
1. ain't she sumpin' (la diabla)
2. i drove the longest nail
3. you are who i am
4. we can take our medicine together
5. pistoltown
6. pick men's head for prey

download here

1991 demo "the symphony"

Tony, Paco, and I started playing music together, really learning together, when we were 11, 12, and 13 years old (we are all a year a part in age) and then we met Forrest a few years later. He was a very skilled player, even as a teen, and we were fortunate to have made his acquaintance. Around '89 We started playing out and some of our first shows were at the student union ballroom in Ada Oklahoma. At one of the shows Todd Walker and one of his buddies got the job of running sound and I guess at the time Todd liked us and said that he and his buddy would be willing to travel to our digs with all the necessary equipment and record us a demo. We said, "hell yeah", and so here you have it, the first demo. We recorded it in 1991 over a weekend at "touch it to" Astro's house in Ardmore, and then mixed it at Todd's place in Norman. This digitized version is from my cassette copy. I don't know where the original reels are.

tracklist:

1. coming of creation
2. symbol
3. angel
4. orchid blue
5. thistledown

download here

gallery thirteen live @ Liberty Drug 17 may 1995

gallery thirteen played a show at the club Liberty Drug on Asp Avenue in Norman, Oklahoma. Playing the slot between new zealand donald's Frank and the Dog Position and Vena Cava, the set list was as follows:

lucretia my reflection

someone to blame

ain't she sumpin' (la diabla)*

i drove the longest nail

smoking baby's brand

we can take our medicine together (the middle is missing)

you are who i am

pistol town

walk through the blood (incomplete, for some reason)

line-up:

derek joe brockett: guitar and singing

chris "paco" johsnon: bass

tony roberts: guitar

forrest m. smith: drums

donald nicholls: clarinet on *

danny mccullough: trumpet on *

memories:

"i don't really even remember playing this show. my head was at the bottom of the bottle. we opened with a sisters of mercy tune and i broke a string straight way. I have written here that danny mccullough played trumpet at the show. i know he was on the studio recording, but i don't hear any trumpet here."- derek















download show here

gallery thirteen live 19 may 1994

your heroes gallery thirteen played a show at the club Liquid Lounge (now the Red Room) on main street in Norman, Oklahoma. Again, back then, vocal duties belonged to the person who wrote the lyrics. Opening for the touring act The Acumen, the set list was as follows:

i drove the longest nail.
carving
you are who i am
fossils of regret*
lead in the head (guitar solo)
golden lasso
purge*
stranger than an empty room
thistledown
fairies wear boots

line-up:
derek joe brockett: guitar and singing
chris "paco" johsnon: bass
tony roberts: guitar and singing on *
forrest m. smith: drums

memories:

"We opened for a band that was out on tour called the Acumen. I remember that they were supposed to stay in the room at the club that night, but they decided to pack up and hit the road. Later we heard of the accident during which their singer perished. i can't remember if he was killed, decapitated, or just maimed, but something serious happened. "- derek

"this recording is from a cassette i made. i remember taking the recording from the club, which i thought at the time to be quite lackluster, and dubbing in this crowd noise from an old Steve Martin record. must have been tony's record. with the crowd racket, it only seemed right that i add a grand guitar solo which was just me doing a bunch of fake royal trux sounding noodling)further extending the illusion of stadium rock. for the cassette there is a cover that i drew and painted (see above photo) and i *may* have actually photo copied and dubbed off several and given them away to some people. I can't really remember. tis too bad the sabbath song was played last. we had rehearsed it and it
sounded pretty good . at so that point, i am sure we were too trashed to play it properly. or maybe i shouldn't speak for the others"- derek

download show here

gallery thirteen live 17 october 1992

Nearly 17 years ago gallery thirteen played a show at the club Rome in Norman, Oklahoma. Back then, vocal duties belonged to the person who wrote the lyrics. Opening for Jon Mooneyham's Three Ring Carcass, the set list was as follows:

thistledown

symbol*

fossils of regret*

coming of creation

no pearl

angel*

lesser man

stranger than an empty room

line-up:

derek joe brockett: guitar and singing

chris "paco" johsnon: bass

tony roberts: guitar and singing on *

forrest m. smith: drums

"this was the show when bab's van caught on fire"- derek

download show here