Flanagan,Harley-Original Cro Mags Demos 1982-1983

Title: Harley Flanagan - The Original Cro-Mags Demos 1982-1983
Year/Genre/Sub-Genre/City: 2018, Hardcore Punk, New York Hardcore, Crossover Punk, New York, New York 9/26
Matrix #: N/A
Condition: VG+ (LM) | Members: Harley F (67' - ) | Producer: Harley Flanagan, Denise Mercedes
Cultural Facts:

1. A Kid in the Downtown Scene: Flanagan had already been playing drums in The Stimulators since age 12, spending his childhood inside New York's punk clubs instead of anything resembling a normal middle-school life. By the time he made these demos, he had already toured, played alongside adults and absorbed the downtown scene firsthand.

2. He Played Everything Himself: These 1982-83 demos were essentially a one-man blueprint for what Cro-Mags would become. Flanagan recorded the drums first without a click track, then had to overdub bass, guitar and vocals while trying to follow his own uneven drum performance.

3. Almost Released in the '80s: The recordings were originally intended for Rat Cage Records, but disagreements over terms involving The Stimulators' management and label owner Dave Parsons stopped the release. The tapes sat unheard officially for decades before finally emerging in 2018 as a document of Cro-Mags before the band had even played its first show.