Details

ARC-0036

collection

Bomp! Records Collection

1944-2007, undated

42.22 (Linear feet)

The Bomp! Records Collection roughly spans the years 1944 to 2007, with some undated material and the bulk of the material dated between 1960 and 1995. It consists of audiovisual materials, periodicals, the personal and business papers of Greg Shaw, Shaw's "Scene" files, manuscript drafts, promotional material, and ephemera. The audiovisual materials consist mainly of bootleg concert and album recordings on audiocassette. There are also several 1/4-inch reel tapes. The periodicals contain zines and single issues of commercial magazines. The papers consist of correspondence, clippings, and other personal- and business-related files kept by Greg Shaw. The Bomp! Records Collection will be useful to researchers interested in the indie underground culture during the 1970s and 1980s in the United States, and the origins and evolution of punk rock. The zines are of particular note as a record of fan documentation and general counterculture from the 1960s to the 1990s. The newspapers will be of interest to researchers studying 1960s youth culture.

Greg Shaw came of age in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco during the late 1960s. With the help of his wife, Suzy Shaw, and their mimeograph machine, Shaw became one of the most influential rock music zine publishers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974 he started the Bomp! Records label, which sought to highlight the best in underground garage rock, punk, and neo-psychedelia of the day.

1949: Greg Shaw is born in San Francisco, California.

1966: Starts publishing first zine, <title render="italic">Mojo Navigator</title>.

1970: Begins publishing <title render="italic">Who Put the Bomp</title> (later <title render="italic">Bomp! Magazine</title>).

1974: Releases first single, "You Tore Me Down," by the Flamin' Groovies on the Bomp! Records label.

1975-1976: Begins working as Flamin' Groovies manager, accompanying them on tour.

1979: <title render="italic">Bomp! Magazine</title> ceases publication.

1994: Releases <title render="italic">Destination Bomp!</title>, a 20-year retrospective of the label's greatest hits.

2004 October 19: Dies of heart failure at age 55.

Accruals are interfiled in the collection.

Citation: [Identification of item], Bomp! Records Collection, Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Acquisition Note: The Bomp! Records Collection was received by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. as a gift from Bomp! Records on December 30, 2006. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. transferred the collection to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. on March 31, 2011. A second gift was received by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., as a gift from Suzy Shaw on June 21, 2011.

Processing Information: Processed by Christine Borne, Project Archivist. Completed on February 22, 2011. Descriptive sources and standards used to create this finding aid: DACS and local processing manual.

Language Note: Collection is primarily in English; materials in French, German, Spanish, Finnish, Dutch, and Japanese are indicated at the file level in Series II: Subseries 2. They are not indicated in Series II: Subseries 1. Researchers interested in identifying foreign language zines in this collection should allow extra time for browsing.

Separated Materials: Periodicals have been transferred to the library collection. Please search for the "Bomp! Records Collection" in the library catalog for a list of donated titles. If you are unable to find what you are looking for, consult the Library and Archives staff to ensure these materials are available.

Collection is open for research. Patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights statement on the Researcher Registration form before using this collection. The condition of some of these materials has not yet been determined for playback purposes. Some of the audiovisual materials in the collection are on defunct media formats and, therefore, are RESTRICTED. Access copies of these materials may have to be created prior to use. Consult the Library and Archives staff in advance of your visit to ensure access to these materials is available.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. owns right, title, and interest in the works of authorship embodied in the materials in this collection. The transfer of Donor's literary and other property rights does not include works of other individuals and organizations contained in the gift. For more information, please consult the staff of the Library and Archives.