re singing poets - when Don Fryer and I were recording the poetry (sorry I don't have it available yet) - I attempted to re-create the music for the ghoul - Clark used a sort of medieval sounding tune for the ghoul responses - never thought about putting it on a reel-reel at the time - but I think I came pretty close - if someone would show me how, I would extract that one piece from the master and post it on here - in spite of all, I am at heart a 3x5 alphabetized card scholar and much of this stuff eludes me - I have never posted a photo for example - just don't know how, and all explanations have made assumptions about my computer knowledge that are incorrect - ah,well - maybe I'll find a guru who has the patience to sit down with me and show me how to do it. I would love for you all the hear that piece.

Calonlan, that sounds fascinating. In the absence of a guru, there are probably companies which would do the transfer for you, but they are likely not cheap, unfortunately.

I didn't realise it, but there are actually some pieces read by CAS up on this very site:

[www.eldritchdark.com]

Scrolling down, several of the pieces are read by him, wonderful to hear.

Martinus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Actually HPL's singing voice was a pleasant
> baritone, I read somewhere.

Move over, Louis Armstrong...H. P. "Satchmo" Lovecraft!

Gavin Callaghan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Draugen Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > Sadly no recordings of HPL, as far as I know.
>
> HPL did make some recordings of himself singing popular tunes. He later destroyed the cylinders, however.

R. H. Barlow had an idea of recording HPL when the latter was in Florida, but like many of his projects it didn't go very far, unfortunately -- I think this may be mentioned in the Selected Letters of CAS. Then again, perhaps we are better off this way. Martin mentions "baritone", but this is what Sonia said (and she should have known):

"Howard's voice was clear and resonant when he read. It became this and high-pitched in conversation, somewhat falsetto. His singing voice, though not strong, was very sweet." (Lovecraft Remembered, p. 255)

On the other hand, Wilfred B. Talman has commented on Lovecraft's "lackluster voice" (LR 219-20): "His voice had that flat and slightly nasal quality that is sometimes stereotyped as a New England characteristic."

I would guess, however, that for readings HPL would have modified his voice somewhat, as people do. More than one memoir has pointed out how he read out his own stories, although the exact references elude me (Eddy and Long would be good starting points).

The recordings by Clark are interesting, but don't catch the real flavor of sitting about with a glass of Loomis Burgundy and water, and reciting back and forth - Clark's terror regarding machines and electronic stuff is well-known, and I hear that in the recordings (am I too close, am I loud enough, should I speak slower, Heeeelp! would be the experience in a recording session).

calonlan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The recordings by Clark are interesting, but don't
> catch the real flavor of sitting about with a
> glass of Loomis Burgundy and water, and reciting
> back and forth - Clark's terror regarding machines
> and electronic stuff is well-known, and I hear
> that in the recordings (am I too close, am I loud
> enough, should I speak slower, Heeeelp! would be
> the experience in a recording sessions

Wow!! That sounds sorrowful and hilarious. Guess it goes to show you our literary heroes are as human as us despite the pedestal we unconsciously place them on. Too bad audio and visual equipment were not as enhanced as they are today. It would be a treat to see Clark seated on a stone-adorned in Roman or Greek attire- in a hidden grove reciting poetry or beautifully crafted cosmic stories to young ears. And maybe his fright of technology could be added as bonus material-bloopers or behind the scenes.

Was Clark philosophical when drunk? Or funny? How did he act? Under the influence of jack and coke-my signature drink- I become more philosophical than I usual am in my day to day life. By the way Dr. Farmer, what was Clark's favorite drink? I know he had many.

walrus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gavin Callaghan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Draugen Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > > Sadly no recordings of HPL, as far as I know.
> >
> > HPL did make some recordings of himself singing
> popular tunes. He later destroyed the cylinders,
> however.
>
> R. H. Barlow had an idea of recording HPL when the
> latter was in Florida, but like many of his
> projects it didn't go very far, unfortunately -- I
> think this may be mentioned in the Selected
> Letters of CAS. Then again, perhaps we are better
> off this way. Martin mentions "baritone", but this
> is what Sonia said (and she should have known):
>
> "Howard's voice was clear and resonant when he
> read. It became this and high-pitched in
> conversation, somewhat falsetto. His singing
> voice, though not strong, was very sweet."
> (Lovecraft Remembered, p. 255)
>
> On the other hand, Wilfred B. Talman has commented
> on Lovecraft's "lackluster voice" (LR 219-20):
> "His voice had that flat and slightly nasal
> quality that is sometimes stereotyped as a New
> England characteristic."
>
> I would guess, however, that for readings HPL
> would have modified his voice somewhat, as people
> do. More than one memoir has pointed out how he
> read out his own stories, although the exact
> references elude me (Eddy and Long would be good
> starting points).

Barlow did have the opportunity to record Lovecraft's voice indeed. I have a photocopied letter from the University of Berkly where he informs Clark about this, asking if he wants in. Perhaps neither Lovecraft-fearing machines as much as he did- or Clark would have agreed to Barlow's plans anyway. So possibly Barlow's knack for never following through on things might not have been the reason. I wonder if Clark ever replied to Barlow's request.

The word "drunk" does not apply to Clark at any point in my contact with him - "rosy glow" would be better - Clark was an intense "listener", and when he spoke, his thoughts were always germane, and insightful, propelling the conversation forward, or returning it to a more useful track - all conversations about poetry and literature are (or should be) by definition "philosophical" - the meaning of life, or in the Greek "to love wisdom" (philosphia) , or the more pointed German, "way of looking at the world" (weltanschauung) are the essence of the topic - but with poetry, the issue is not only what a Poem means, but as significantly, "how" does it mean it?