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Hello CD of the Month Club

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Hello CD of the Month Club
Founded1993
FounderJohn Flansburgh
Marjorie Galen
Defunct1996
StatusInactive
GenreAlternative rock, alternative country, experimental rock
Country of originUnited States
LocationPalisades, New York

The Hello CD of the Month Club, also known as the Hello Recording Club or simply Hello, was a subscription-only record company that operated from 1993 to 1996. Hello was organised by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants and Marjorie Galen.[1] Members of Hello received monthly issues of CD extended plays, each containing four or five songs by a particular artist. These EPs were exclusive to Hello.[2]

Company history

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John Flansburgh founded the Hello CD of the Month Club with Marjorie Galen in 1993 as a way to provide an outlet for his solo material — Hello issued four Mono Puff releases, as well as two EPs by Flansburgh's bandmate John Linnell — while also providing a platform for both established musicians signed to other labels and new artists. Galen and Flansburgh originally intended Hello to be a standard independent label. However, this was not financially plausible, so Hello adopted a subscription model instead.[3] Although Flansburgh and Galen had to seek out artists for Hello's first year of operation, by 1994, musicians were contacting the label themselves.[1] In its first year, the label faced difficulties with understaffing.[4]

Flansburgh has stated that the purpose of Hello was to produce and distribute music projects cheaply for the artist and the consumer. Hello only produced as many discs as the number of subscribers. It did not achieve outstanding financial success; however, Flansburgh reported that the label was in the black.[1][3] Proceeds from They Might Be Giants' 1985 Demo Tape, an optional addition to 1994 subscriptions, were donated to the People With AIDS Coalition.[5]

The label dissolved after its 1996 subscription year due to a level of demand that the small label could no longer service. Some members did not receive the final 1996 releases till May 1997. For a brief time afterward, the Hello back catalogue was still available for purchase.[6] Over the span of Hello's existence, it issued releases from thirty-four different artists.

Release history

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Hello produced thirty-nine EPs over four years, as well as two promotional samplers, a promotional copy of a full-length Mono Puff album, and one compilation of original material by various artists. Hello also issued a live sampler from They Might Be Giants, and reissued their 1985 Demo Tape on cassette.

1993

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Artist Title Format Type Month Notes
Brian Dewan Brian Dewan CD EP March First release
Nelories The Nelories CD EP April
Flat Old World Flat Old World CD EP May Included bonus cassette
They Might Be Giants 1985 Demo Tape Cassette Demo May Bonus reissue cassette sent with the May EP for an additional $5
Kurt Hoffman's Band of Weeds Kurt Hoffman's Band of Weeds CD EP June
Eugene Chadbourne Eugene Chadbourne CD EP July
The Residents Prelude to "The Teds" CD EP August Later released as part of "Our Poor, Our Tired, Our Huddled Masses"
Hello The Band Hello The Band CD EP September
Duplex Halloween Planet Duplex Halloween Planet CD EP October
Frank Black Frank Black CD EP November
The Minus 5 Hello EP CD EP December

1994

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Artist Title Format Type Month Notes
Various Artists Hello 1993 Sampler CD Promo N/A Included selections from 1993 catalogues
Various Artists A Hello CD of the Month Club Sampler CD Promo N/A Included selections from 1993, 1994, and 1995 catalogues
Portastatic Portastatic CD EP February
Drink Me Five Songs CD EP March
The Jickets The Jickets CD EP April
Peter Stampfel Peter Stampfel CD EP May
John Linnell State Songs CD EP June Later expanded to a full album
Brian Dewan Brian Dewan CD EP September
Spanish Fly Insert Tongue Here CD EP October
Andy Partridge Andy Partridge CD EP November
Chaz and the Motorbikes Chaz and the Motorbikes CD EP December Included bonus CD
They Might Be Giants Live!! New York City 10/14/94 CD Live December Elektra Records promotional CD sent with December EP

1995

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Artist Title Format Type Month Notes
John Flansburgh's Mono Puff John Flansburgh's Mono Puff CD EP March
My Dad is Dead My Dad is Dead CD EP April
Alaska Alaska CD EP May
Spondee Spondee CD EP June
Freedy Johnston Freedy Johnston CD EP July
The Coctails The Coctails CD EP August
Philco Bendyx Philco Bendyx CD EP September
Amy Allison and The Maudlins Amy Allison and The Maudlins CD EP October
Dave Schramm Dave Schramm CD EP November
Various Artists Hello Family Santa Special CD Compilation December Christmas-themed compilation

1996

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Artist Title Format Type Month Notes
The Gothic Archies Looming in the Gloom CD EP March
Will Rigby Will Rigby CD EP April
Mono Puff Unsupervised CD Album May Special advance promo; not commercially available
Soul Coughing Soul Coughing CD EP June
Laura Cantrell Laura Cantrell CD EP July Later reissued independently
John Linnell House of Mayors CD EP August
Hal Sirowitz Hal Sirowitz CD EP September
You Were Spiraling You Were Spiraling CD EP October
Mono Puff The Hal Cragin Years CD EP November
Mono Puff The Steve Calhoon Years CD EP December Final release

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Miller Rosenblum, Trudy. "Shoestring Label Provides an Outlet for Side Projects". Billboard, April 1994. Archived by Google. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
  2. ^ The subscription model is explained in a Hello ad, which is archived here. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
  3. ^ a b "Brain Child of a Giant". Creative Loafing. 6 January 1994.
  4. ^ Flansburgh, John. "Partytime in the Summertime 1993". Summer, 1993 Hello Newsletter. Archived here. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  5. ^ 1985 Demo Tape. They Might Be Giants. Hello Recordings. 1994.
  6. ^ "Mono Puff FAQ", including Hello information. MonoPuff.org Retrieved 2012-11-25.
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