You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story

This is a troubling series of events; a documentary on a lost cult musician found in San Diego working the midnight shift at a porn shop and playing keyboard on the side in a cocktail jazz band. So, what to make of this exactly? It is known that Beck mentions the great Gary by first and last name on his epic Pop Dance number “Where It’s At”. Well, that’s nice; and good old Gary has had his bizarre 1977 epic “You Think You Really Know Me?” spun on college radio for lo these many years now. How super is that? Anyhow, to explain Gary’s sound; one need look at a sort of progressive Funk approach…maybe something like The Ohio Players? It’s really hard to say for certain, since Mr. Wilson’s approach is so individualistic. Surely, there’s a rampant Disco beat in nearly all of his tunes; and let it be said that Gary is a wonderful multi-instrumentalist…perhaps keyboard in particular.

In this documentary; the hipster folks at the now defunct Motel Records locate Gary from one of his old band mates, to be precise; Gary is written a letter. Motel Records puts out a re-release of the classic “You Think You Really Know Me?” and a nice little rarities collection as well called “Forgotten Lovers”. Since then, some chap named Peanut Butter Wolf put out an album of new material by Mr. Wilson in 2004 called “Mary Had Brown Hair”, in which Gary is re-united with some of his former band mates from his original mind-boggling lineups from the ‘70’s heyday; referred to as Gary Wilson and The Blind Dates. Lyrically, Gary tackles the topic of love in an intense yet innocent manner. He has limited range as a vocalist, but makes the most of it; it could be argued that he is almost a Soul vocalist of some sort, albeit one with a bizarre fetish for covering his body in flour and wrapping tape around his face and being photographed with mannequins.

Okay, so the documentary itself is almost like watching home-movies. Gary’s friends still on the East Coast talk about the good old days, footage is shown of some rather peculiar films they made during the Gerald Ford Administration, and of which Mr. Wilson is always decked out in a fancy suit and a groovy pair of sunglasses…basically just looking smooth. The issue is not with this interesting and obsessive music that presents a singular vision of a true musical talent, and Gary’s story is one that really needs to be told. So what is the issue? Perhaps it is the sloppy direction, poor editing, and even bad audio at times in the various interview segments. It is not quite the labor of love that it should be, although Mr. Wilson is reportedly pleased with the film.

Ultimately, it is interesting to see a man in his 50’s travel by train from San Diego to New York due to a fear of flying and re-unite with his father in the home in which he grew and made his 1977 masterpiece at the age of 23 or so. He even has a big sell-out performance with his former band mates and the end is rather happy, if uneventful. But this is a part of the greater world of cult bands, of which one is born in a basement, bedroom, or garage every minute. Little sense can be made of this world of music, to get downright philosophical about it all.

And so, if you really want to know about Gary; it’s in the music and the soon to be released “Lisa Wants To Talk To You”. More information can be found at the following: www.sixpointfour.com

Bloody cult bands trouble me (sometimes).

Disco, John Cage, Gary Wilson

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