Here is the email exchange and how I got in touch with Bert Taken, the guitar player with Prima Volta:
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From: Dan Coogan
Subject: Prima Volta
Date: October 22, 2003 9:35:23 PM MST
To:
feedback@allmediaguide.com
Reply-To: Dan Coogan
I've been searching the internet for some information on a band called Prima Volta -- seems there is little information available on the web and they are not listed in the
http://www.allmusic.com web site.
The only real information I found on this Dutch band are these couple
pages, but they are not in english.
http://www.popinstituut.nl/bez/bz11115.htm and this page:
http://www.popinstituut.nl/bez/bz10325.htm
I emailed Gert Verbeek the the web site
http://www.popinstituut.nl about
translating the pages and here was his response:
At the moment we have a limited service of translating text in English. Translations can be found on
http://www.hollandrocks.com. As far as we know Mmwops is the only album Prima Volta released. There is no cd-version of the album. Their guitar player Bert Taken is still very active in music. He plays in de band Black Market Audio (
http://www.blackmarketaudio.com). Maybe Bert (AKA Prof. Wah!) can give you more information about Prima Volta. You can reach him at
postmaster@blackmarketaudio.com.
With kind regard,
Gert Verbeek
http://www.popinstituut.nl
It would be nice to have some additional info on the web about this band and their great album Mmwops.
best,
Dan
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So then I wrote to Bert Taken:
From: Dan Coogan
To: <postmaster@blackmarketaudio.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 6:53 AM
Subject: Prima Volta
Hi Bert,
I've discovered Prima Volta through the internet radio station Audioparagon.com.
I love the 5 songs in the playlist :
Allright Allright, Fiction, Headline News, Out in the Street, Show the World
-- in fact I think they are brilliant songs. I wondered if there are any plans to release Mmwops on cd at any point.
I emailed Gert Verbeek last year about the couple of pages on the popinstituut.nl web site as the are not in english, but also am not having any luck finding info on the internet about Prima Volta and the album Mmwops. It would be nice if there was a dedicated page to the band somewhere.
Thanks for the great music and I'll listen to the music on the Jukebox page to hear more of your recent work -- looking forward to hearing it.
http://www.blackmarketaudio.com/bmamusic.htm
best,
Dan Coogan
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From:
postmaster@blackmarketaudio.com
Subject: Re: Prima Volta
Date: October 23, 2003 8:08:51 AM MST
To: Dan Coogan
Hi Dan
What a surprise.......
Prima Volta's music has only been released on one vinyl-lp and never on cd
(and I think will never be...).
I recently digitalized the 1985-MMWOPS-album for the former bandmembers, as
a surprise/memory.
I can send you the cd - for free - just mail me your adress.
bye
Bert
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From: Dan Coogan
Subject: Re: Prima Volta
Date: October 23, 2003 4:42:08 PM MST
To:
postmaster@blackmarketaudio.com
Reply-To: Dan Coogan
Bert you're awesome, thank you so much. I can't wait to hear the entire album. Headline News is my favorite of the 5 that I've heard so, but I think they are all really amazing.
Thanks again.
best,
Dan
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Bert sent the CD with artwork as well, and I got to finally hear the remaining 5 songs on the album.
Frankly I think the 5 mp3s that Steven Brown was nice enough to send me (after I begged and begged, and also traded him 5 Frazier Chorus videos that he transfered to dvd) sound better than the cd Bert sent, but it was extremely nice of Bert to send them and I am grateful to have found music that I truely love.