| Influences | The Ballad of Bob Bert's Bewitched
In 1985, I quit this lil' combo called Sonic Youth. Why? This is a question I am frequently asked. No big story here. After years of sleeping on cat-pissed soaked floors around the world, I wanted to try other things. Thereafter, Sonic Youth were back in London giving an interview to the Melody Maker. When they asked him what I was up to, Thurston Moore made up a story that me and our friend Susanne Sasic (who at the time was their merch girl, later to become their lighting director, and from there moved on to work with Nirvana, Stereolab, Beck, Tom Waits, REM and many more) had a new band called Bewitched. Via Paul Smith's Blast First Records, who Sonic Youth hooked up with through their friend and partner in crime, Lydia Lunch, offered to put out a record. Being influenced by ground-breaking music like Einsturzende Neubauten, Big Stick (their 7" 'Drag Racing' was the shit) and the Butthole Surfers, I entered Wharton Tiers' Fun City studio with Susanne on vocals/screams/moans, Dave Rick (Phantom Tollbooth, King Missile, Wide Right) on guitars, Mark Cunningham (Mars, Don King) on trumpets, my marimba, drums and recorded the 12" 'Chocolate Frenzy' and the no wave, Afro-beat inspired 'Swamp Shoot.' Paul Smith wanted to hear it remixed. I enlisted J.G. Thirlwell (Foetus) and Roli Mosimann (Swans), who at the time had a project called Wiseblood. Paul decided against releasing it, so I released it myself on Shove Records the label of Pussy Galore, the band I had just joined that put out their first single, Feel Good About Your Body and an EP called Groovy Hate Fuck.
The first live performance of Bewitched happened a year or so later at Maxwell's for a benefit for Impulse magazine. I recorded a 15 minute eclectic, wall of noise & jumblin' thunderous beats tracks at Fun City and enlisted Sue Hanel (an early Swans guitarist) and with a few drums and showering the audience and club in a rainbow of cereal.
The next few years were spent with Pussy Galore. Around '89 or so, I started jamming with some Maxwell's buddies, Chris Ward on bass and Jim Fu on guitar. I was offered a show opening for Spaceman 3 at Maxwell's so we decided to turn Bewitched into a "real band" to do the show. Someone had to be the singer/frontman, so I alternated between drums, gong and singing to a drum machine and tape loops. Chris brought in his friend Dave P on turntables (to eliminate the tapes) and I dubbed him DJ 'Cream Of Wheat'. Spaceman 3 didn't get into the country so our first show ended up being at Maxwell's with STP, (all girl supergroup featuring Julie Cafritz from Pussy Galore and Sally Barry from the Honeymoon Killers and future Bewitched drummer).
Soon after when I was working at the record store, Pier Platters and I met Terry Tolkin (who worked at Rough Trade at the time and later Elektra, where he signed Luna, Afghan Whigs and others) and who offered to put out our album on his label No.6. We went back to Wharton's Fun City and recorded our first album Brain Eraser. With really cool artwork by legendary cartoonist, Kaz, Brain Eraser was released in 1990.
When Sonic Youth signed to Geffen and released their album Goo, they took Bewitched and STP on tour, which was your only opportunity to see me singing at Roseland Ballroom in NYC. After touring the east coast we got bumped off the rest of the tour for some band called Nirvana that would never amount to anything. We did a bunch of shows with the Jesus Lizard, the newly formed the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and a host of others. We recorded a single for No.6 called '409' backed with 'Junket's Theme.' Shortly after Jim Fu quit the band he was replaced by Art Reinitz. We recorded a second album called Harshing My Mellow with Steve Albini. Did a bout of tourin' 'round the USA. Our deejay split, so we enlisted Sally Barry to play drums. We pretty much turned into a regular rock band, which was the last thing I wanted to happen. We did a six-week tour of the USA and Canada and when we returned the band disbanded.
That was the end of Bewitched, as a live act. In 1992, Sub Pop offered to release a Bewitched 7'' for their Single of the Month series. Donna Croughn of the band, Tiny Lights offered her talent on violin/bass/vocals and together we recorded 'Hey White Homey' and 'Troll Doll' with Wharton Tiers. Later I was asked by an Italian Industrial rock band called Meathead to do a split single. I was being asked to play with the Chrome Cranks at this time, so I had them back me on a song left over from the last lineup of Bewitched called 'Making Out With Satan.'
- Bob Bert
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