I
just want you to know that "The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy
Carmichael's music shop" is some of the most beautiful music I've ever
listened to in my entire life; it is simply transcendant. My words can
do no justice in describing it. Thank you for that. "Say Brother" (also
by the Stark Reality) beautiful as well. Thanks for that, too.
Aside from "Hoagy Carmichael's music shop" and "Say Brother," were
there any other recordings made by The Stark Reality?
Also, I want you to know that the Stark Reality records go for a lot of
money on eBay, so if you have any extras (and want approx. $500) you
should put them up for auction, if you wish.
I found out about The Stark Reality, I guess, by first being a fan of
Hip-Hop. As I got older, I became more philosophical about the deeper
essence of things--including the music I listened to. I opened up my
musical horizons by listening to the music that Hip-Hop was created (or
I guess..sampled) from... Jazz/Funk/Soul from the mid 60s to the late
70s. And-my god- did the music blow me away.
As
I learned more
about those types of records, I eventually found out from a rap artist
whose show I went to that The Stark Reality LP "was a dope record..not
just to sample from but to listen to, also." So later that week I hit
up eBay and forked over $350 for the unbelievably rare album.
The "Prelude to Say Brother" 45 goes for like $100, so I bought it on a
compilation CD that it was reissued on instead.
The Stark Reality is sought after by the youth, I believe, because it
has that Jazz/Funk/Soul/Rock sound to it that formed the backbone of
Hip-Hop... You guys were Hip-Hop before hip-hop even existed and that
is such a cool thing.
If there are any other Stark Reality records out there aside from the
LP and the 45, I'd love to know about them... the music is just that
damn good. Thanks for that.
Peace,
Chris Hi Monty,
this is Gerald, I'd just like to introduce myself and say 'Hi' and
thanks for the music that you have done. As you may or may not know, I
named one of my record labels after you g. Hello
Mr. Stark,
I couldn't resist dropping you a random note to tell you that I'm glad
Stones Throw are reissuing your music for more people to enjoy. I grew
up in the Boston area and as a child remembered seeing a local TV show
w/ a particularly groovy theme song. (I was too still young to
understand what the actual show was about; probably dismissed it as
just some grown ups talking.)
How surprised was I several years later as a funk, soul & jazz
record collector (and a grown up my damn self) to learn that one of the
45s I'd been long chasing after turned out to be 'Say Brother'--the
theme music to that TV show I once dug as a kid! Today, I can proudly
claim ownership of both that 45 and the wonderful Hoagy Carmichael LP
(my favorite song is "Comrades"), and they still sound great.
Best,
JM, NYC Hi
Mr. Stark. I'm glad I
actually get the chance to write and tell you that the Stark Reality
record is my favorite out of all my records. I knew how rare it was and
I had pretty much given up hope that I would ever find it. But about a
year ago I was fortunate enough to find one for sale and I bought it
for a little under $500. It was worth every penny to me though. To me,
it's the funkiest music ever put on wax! I love fuzzed out stuff and
the way the vibes and the guitar are (not to mention the drums) is
incredible. My Uncle is a jazz musician/music teacher here in the Bay
Area so I showed him the All You Need To Make Music track because I
figured he could appreciate it. Anyhow I just wanted to pay my respects
to you. Thanks a lot for your time Mr. Stark.
Jamie Hi
Monty
Stumbled across your website while trying to find out some background
to the Stark Reality LP which is one of those mythical records most
people have only ever heard "of" and not actually heard.
Anyway, it's great it's finally seeing the light of day again - I
picked up the Stones Throw 45 yesterday and it knocked me out.
I'm sure all those Stones Throw guys have cleaned you out already, but
don't suppose you have a spare original copy of the LP??? I'm quite a
serious collector of 60s and 70s records, but if the answer is NO,
which i'm sure it will be, I should just thank my lucky stars that i'll
be able to buy a brand spanking new copy!!!
All the best with your current musical ventures!
Respect, Andrew Monty
you are the man. You must
have been sampling back in the day too..... sampling fungus and pieces
of paper... cuz you made some trippy stuff.
My buddy found the Stark LP in Springfield IL somehow, and blessed me
with a CD copy. Rawness. So how bout it.. make us some new music please?
Big Meaty Hi
Monty,
i find it incredible that, from listening to a couple of 7's that we're
sat in amongst the general run-of-the-mill funk reissues box, a whole
new world of sound has dawned on me... i have to say that "shooting
stars", in perticular has such an amazing vibe that you can almost see
the colours of the music(!).... how do you feel when people say your
music is "quirky", "freaky" etc?
You are a true inspiration to us all!
Much love
B
Frome, Somerset
England That
Stark Reality site is
amazing. Photos of music and people, text on new and old Stark info,
Email praise, and the best is the email from Peter Adarkwah where his
opening line is "I have a feeling you will be a difficult person to
deal with by the nature of your emails." All praise from left coast for
this site! Keep up the good work and for once I am not talking shit....
jtoro74 monty,
y'all covered about
every base with that record. truly original music, good educational
material, the funkameter damn near exploded, and the cover art is off
the charts. i have been too lazy, but always felt like stealing some of
the kids drawing off a there and making tshirts with just one of the
kids on the front and back. the art was so tough. i never fully
understood the electric socket picture though?!?!?
oh yeah, also my favorite comraderie lyrics: "jack has my compass and i
have my knife, jack swore and i swore, best friends for life!" whats
your homie jack doing these days? which lil thug has the knife now?????
philahobo Mr.
Stark,
I'm pleased you like the review, although I must say; I was simply
trying to convey what I felt when listening to your music. I'm one of
your newest and greatest fans, and it is an absolute honor to reply to
your e-mail. You've made a South African kid the happiest in the world
right now!
Much love and respect,
Vukile Simelane it's
pretty damn great - i was
kind of dubious about this at first, only having heard the other music
samples (which are the least killa traxxx on the album) and "junkman's
song." and then i woke up with "junkman's song" going through my head,
downloaded the album and went out and bought it yesterday - just the
right blend of funk, rock and jazz for my tastes, and the surrealist
kiddy-music quality just pushes it over the top. i can't imagine how
many people who saw the WGBH show they recorded this stuff for were
permanently damaged by that fuzzed-out vibraphone.
-- your null fame Monty,
Your music inspired me
in so many ways. Most recently in an art project I just did showing my
obsession over finding it. I turned the whole class onto it!!!! It was
great to see the typical art school students who listen to mostly Steve
Riech, John Cage and Terry Riley grooving to the almighty Stark.
troubleman Hi
Monty
Just received the 8x10 glossy you sent me and my little girl, man you
dudes looked sharp back in the day and I'm sure you still do (Lookin
good in wax poetics) Thank you for taking the time and energy to e-mail
and send the photo its very kind of you and is much appreciated. Are
there plans to re-release any more material ? and are you enjoying your
second wind of success. How about a Madlib/Monty Stark project.....
just a suggestion. Anyway I hope you are well and thanks again.
Best Wishes
Will Mr.
Stark,
All I can say is that I am eternally grateful to the Stones Throw team
for opening up my eyes to 'your' genius. I feel electrified, when I hip
my mates to your music. I'm forever preachin the 'Stark Reality'
gospel.......I'd love to hear what you are playin these days.......
Regards,
VS I
gotta say, I'm just totally
impressed by
your stuff. I got some clips of the Jukebox 45s when it came out and
'Rocket Ship' was one of my favorites from that.. I just remembered it
recently and found the whole cd had been rereleased... lucky thing too,
I probably would have ended up dropping a rent check on the original LP
if it hadnt been :).
I got some of the mp3s you have up on iuma too, I'm really digging it
all, have you been working as a professional musician all these years?
proswell Subject:
Phil
This message is for Phil. If someone who is reading and is not Phil
Morrison, hi, how are you? Could you please make sure this e-mail gets
to Phil? I'd really appreciate it.
Phil, my name is Jesse Krakow, and I'm a bassist/composer/Chapman Stick
player living in NYC, and I recently heard "Now" by Stark Reality and
was absolutely FLOORED by your magnificent bass-playing. First off,
your tone is amazing, rubbery-yet woody, bouncy yet sturdy, like a big
piece of tape being stretched across the galaxy. Is that a Fender, one
that is fretless, or an upright? Or is it just
a regular bass? Whatever it is, the way you play it is one of the
greatest and coolest bass tones I've ever heard.
Secondly, your playing is astounding. Your solo on "Rollercoaster....."
is like some kind of whacked out field trip to an undefined existence,
dropping you off in the same exact place you started out in, just now
with a different perspective. Incredible. Your playing is so FUN, which
is such a rare thing for good bass players. It sounds like you have the
biggest smile on your face. I have this theory on vibrato: Iit can be
the classiest thing in the world (as exemplified by someone like Tony
Levin) or it can be the happiest (almost goofiest) thing in the world.
You make it both,and you make it your own. Bravo.
And lastly, the music is just great. It just is. The playfulness y'all
exuded, while not dumbing down the music or the aesthetic of the
project, is just glorious. In a way it's freer than most free jazz.
That is to say, there is form, sometimes implied, sometimes strict,
there are changes, and there are not, and yet everyone is melodic and
free to develop their own individual counter-melodies and tonal
clusters.
I can't tell you how much I dig this music, and especially your
playing. Both are big inspirations to me and to many of the musicians I
play with.
If you want to know more about me or you just wanna talk, I'd love to
rap with you a bit and pick your brain for a few seconds at a time.
Feel free to write back anytime as it would be an honor to strike up a
correspondence with you.
Until then, or if then, I wish you the best. Take care of yourself.
Half rest. Repeat.
-Jesse Krakow Monty,
I just took a poll on your site on
the question if you should make new music. YES!!! I discovered The
Stark Reality through Stones Throw/Now Again and picked up the "NOW"
2lp. I sent an email to Egon telling him how amazing the music was and
thanked him for the release. Now I thank you, the music is filled with
so much magic, it took me to other realities. It stretched my
imagination. I couldn't stop smiling while I was listening to it. Me
and my brother must have listened to the whole album all night over and
over again. I would love to see you guys play live or even a solo
performance, just you and the vibes. I noticed you said that you use a
keyboard now which is just as good but it would be so beautiful to see
you play with just the vibes and your voice. I'm still hunting for the
1969 album Now Again Records released but I'm having a hard time
finding it and I
would like to find it in person and not over the web, it takes the fun
out of searching.I can easily go to a web site and order it but I want
to walk into a record store and get that excited feeling i get when i
find an album I've been looking for. I went to the L.A. Carnival record
release party and the Now Again Merch table didn't have the 1969 lp. I
was very disappointed but never the
less, the hunt goes on. What are you up to these days? Still
playing/recording music? Please contact me if you ever decide to put
together a live performance. Gracias.
-Michael Monty,
I've been meaning to drop you a line just to say hey. I am constantly
amazed by the caliber of the music reissued by Stones Throw, and I have
to say that the Stark Reality release was by far the best. You guys
were far ahead of the time, and the music is such great controlled
chaos that it kills me everytime I listen.
Your humble fan,
Eric monty,
I just want to let you know just how much I've enjoyed your music. I am
a special ed teacher in brooklyn, ny. I teach emotionally disturbed 4th
and 5th graders. part of what I do is use music in the curriculum to
teach math, english composition and , well, just for fun. two of my
favorite lessons to teach are sequencing, (we use a
drum machine and I teach them to program beats.) teaching them the
basics of music has always been a bit of a struggle as I have no
formal training myself. voila, "all you need to make music" thank you,
thank you, thank you!
peace b Monty--
The other day I brought your "NOW" lp over to my buddy's house- he's
got a baby boy a little under two years old who had just woken up from
a nap and when he heard "rocket ship" in particular he couldn't contain
himself- wiggling, jumping to the beat....couldn't stop smiling!!
Noah Never
Let Me Go
had to put dude on blast real quick, because that piece reeeeally had
me on the L.
ASKE.PGH.CITYLIGHTS
My favourite moment [of the
101
DVD] was watching the archive
footage of Monty Stark and the boys.. So amazing. Monty's vibes playing
is far out and watching it made me appreciate Stark Reality even more.
And the interview Egon did with Stark... good vibes.
anon This
is bonkers! I'm listening
to "Summer Song - Mamie Lee, vocal" right now. Damn. I need to get me
one those ARP 2500 analog synthesizers.
returnofthemega a
song for dwight to check
...after hearing lines like "requesting slow jams at the dj booth" and
the way you piece together & appreciate them yearning slow @$$
vocal arrangements & all that, i just wanted you to take a
gander
at this song here, everytime this joint pops, i lose the argyle off my
socks.
Summer
Song
is it me , or is that one of the best things that ever rolled into your
ear? anyone?
hayce. Orbis Quintus Thanks,
Monty!
Dollar Bin
Incredible,
the original Monty
Stark,... Ive been a vinyl junkie for several years
now, finding your record would be the ultimate
fix for me, my homeboy found this years ago before the internet, I
remember we was hearing that record back then, it was mindblowing, the
electric vibes, wow... anyway Ive
been dreaming about finding the original ever since...
About the sampling (music in general) or recreating, I gotta say Im all
for it,...yeah I knows that money rules the world and all that, but
music has allways been an inspiration between musicians, people
influencing each other and
I quess thats just part of musics evolution, part of the building
blocks....you just influenced BEP and music continues to evolve...
Its allways good to get payed, no doubt, but being sampled is a kind of
unmaterialistic recognition that will make your music live on
forever...(guess thats pretty kool too...)
Congrats on making one hell of a dopeass record !
peace- upskiboo
Khalil: "What
do you think, is this something for us to play with or not?"
Ki-Ki: "It's GOT to be for us... look at the drawings on it! It's
definitely for kids, not grown ups."
Khalil: "Cool!"
That's right, y'all.... World Of Beats is down with the legendary Monty
Stark! STILL FRESH in 2006, suckers! "Jack swore and I swore... friends
for life.... see you tomorrowwww".... what they know bout dat? "The
first seven letters of the alphabet is all you need... to make
music.... A-B-C-D-E-F-GEEEEEE"... oh baby!!! Kiki and Khalil's favorite
schitt to listen to in the Lex RX. Friends for life, mayne!
Here's
a little fan art. By
Joshua De Leon oOOOPS,
MAYBE i WON'T SAMPLE
THAT RIGHT NOW. iTS FORTUNATE FOR US ALL THAT sTONES tHROW IS PUTTIN
YOU CATS BACK IN ROTATION WHERE YOU BELONG QUITE PROPER LIKE. sO
WHO DO WE PAY NOW FOR SAMPLES? eVER HEARD YOUR BAND PITCHED DOWN ABOUT
SIX AND HALF OCTAVES, CHOPPED AND BACKWARDS. bRILLIANT. tIMELESS,
EXPANSIVE TUNES. tHANKS FOR THE INFLUENCES, pEACE. -- SURR3AL1S
a
message of thanks and praise
to all who deserve it!!!
i don't know how you found my space on myspace but i love yo shit man
keep keepin on. stones throw is an inspiration for all that love what
they do. hopefully your inspiration combined with everyone that still
cares someday will use music to transcend the generational, societal,
racial, and economic barriers that prevent us all from working toward
the common goal we know as harmony. both literally
and figuratively. sooner or later you have to do it for the love or the
money. don't let money become that love!!!
if this means anything to you send it to someone
who shares the feeling
i will keep doing my part
peace
hoodrich jones
Monty
Stark/Stark Reality,
this is some of the best music I've ever heard period. We need more of
this stuff readily available! Thanks!
Science O'Mega
hrhiphop.com
i
have fallen in love with a
lot of music here on this site after listening to it all evening, but
where can i purchase them? and on which albums?
anon
When
I first looked at your
lp I said to myself "hey this is from stones throw 101 so I gotta get
it". I put on my headphones and I was saying to myself "this is too out
there for me but for some reason i feel the need to purchase it". I
went home, dimmed the lights put the lp in the record player and I will
say that I have never felt so relaxed when listening to an album. You
have made me the happiest 15 year old in canada monty stark. Thank you.
I
just want you to know that "The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy
Carmichael's music shop" is some of the most beautiful music I've ever
listened to in my entire life; it is simply transcendant. My words can
do no justice in describing it. Thank you for that. "Say Brother" (also
by the Stark Reality) beautiful as well. Thanks for that, too.
As
I learned more
about those types of records, I eventually found out from a rap artist
whose show I went to that The Stark Reality LP "was a dope record..not
just to sample from but to listen to, also." So later that week I hit
up eBay and forked over $350 for the unbelievably rare album.
Hi Monty,
this is Gerald, I'd just like to introduce myself and say 'Hi' and
thanks for the music that you have done. As you may or may not know, I
named one of my record labels after you 
My favourite moment [of the
101
DVD] was watching the archive
footage of Monty Stark and the boys.. So amazing. Monty's vibes playing
is far out and watching it made me appreciate Stark Reality even more.
And the interview Egon did with Stark... good vibes. 
