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THE ARCHIVES

Recorded by Bill Schachter aka "Bicycle Bill" on quarter-inch tape, between 1963 and 1985... with a few seconds from 2020.

Sit back and listen to the music.

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ABOUT / TIME

The music on this album was recorded by Bill Schachter aka "Bicycle Bill" on quarter-inch tape in Pittsburgh, PA.

For reference, Bill was born on March 5th, 1953.

Magnetic tape degrades over time, and Bill’s tapes sat in a box for decades, until they were digitized in 2020... which is why the audio sounds the way it does. GRANDMA’S PURPLE HAIR was recorded in 1963. The INTRO, BUSTED, CASEY JONES, and DOUBLE SHOT OF MY BABY’S LOVE were recorded in 1971, not long after Bill’s motorcycle accident. BREAK MY MIND and TRANSISTORIZED – DEMAGNETIZED BABY were recorded in 1973. UNCLE EL (THE COMPLEX MAN), MR. JAGGS, ALL THE WAY BUZZA, and BRUNO were recorded sometime in the early 1970’s. SAD LOVE STORIES was recorded sometime in the early 1980’s. THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC was recorded in 1985, in the social hall at Mt. Pisgah Presbyterian Church, as the final song in a solo live performance for an audience of older folks — a group known as the "Clipper Club". The reel of tape ended just before the last chorus was over... which is why Bill re-recorded the tail ending of this song, in the basement of his home in Bethlehem, PA, in order to complete the recording of this album — on November 13th, 2020.

Bill passed away on January 17th, 2021.

THE ARCHIVES album was released digitally on January 17th, 2023.

Sit back and listen to the music.

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CREDITS

Vocals, guitar, harmonica, recorder, and trumpet by Bill Schachter.

Electric guitar on BREAK MY MIND by Al Moss.

Backing vocals on CASEY JONES by George Skiles.

Guitar and shared vocals on DOUBLE SHOT OF MY BABY’S LOVE by George Skiles.

Shared vocals on GRANDMA'S PURPLE HAIR by Ray King.

All music and words were composed by Bill Schachter, with the exception of:
- BUSTED by Harlan Howard
- BREAK MY MIND by John D. Loudermilk
- CASEY JONES by Eddie Newton (music) and T. Lawrence Seibert (words)
- DOUBLE SHOT OF MY BABY’S LOVE by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter
- GRANDMA’S PURPLE HAIR was an improv collaboration with Ray King
- THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC (traditional) by Julia Ward Howe (words)

Photos by Al Moss.

Mastered by Brian Schachter.

© 2023 Bill Schachter.

Grandma's Purple Hair

Bill Schachter (1953–2021) also known as Bicycle Bill, Dollar Bill, Binomial Bill, Bike, Common Bill, Brother Bill, Citizen Bill, Chilly Billy, Bike Bill, Wild Bill, Badass Bill, Bible Bill, Segue Sam, Bituminous Bill, Billy, and Glitch was an American musician, singer & songwriter.