For most artists, sharing their work with the world is part of the process of creation. Even those who feel their audience is irrelevant to their art, they still share. Then there are those who share with no one, those who are generally inhibited or mistrustful of the art world. We usually learn about these people after they pass, when someone discovers their private life while cleaning out their home. Mingering Mike was almost one of those private lives.

Mingering Mike grew up in Washington DC. As an introverted young man influenced by the soul groups of the day, he dreamt of becoming the next James Brown or Marvin Gaye. In place of having real albums to release, Mike started making fake records out of cardboard--something to use as a place marker until he had a real record. Mike's teenage imagination found him producing hit single after hit single, on numerous unreal record labels with a host of other imaginary stars sharing his company.

Throughout the '60s and '70s, Mike drew fake album covers on cardboard for records that didn't exist, by artists that didn't exist, who sang songs that didn't exist. And it didn't stop there. After creating a cover for his imaginary band, Mike would make a cardboard record to fit inside, draw a label for the LP, and carefully slip the cellophane shrink wrap off a real record and place it on his fake record. The Mingering stable includes several different singers (Mingering Mike, Joseph War, The Big "D", Audio Andre, Rambling Ralph), over thirty different record labels (Minger, Fake Records, Decision, Hypnotic, Green and Brown, Sex, Ramit, Mother Goose) and thousands of songs. Mike was meticulous with information, as most of his albums included lists of band members, songwriting credits, publishing information, copyright dates and record label catalog numbers. There was also a healthy cross-pollination of artists and songs, with Joseph War appearing on The Big "D"'s albums, and Audio Andre covering Mingering Mike tunes. Among the records are even a few Greatest Hits collections, some "live" recordings and hundreds of 45 singles. The detail on these fake records is meticulous. Mike would measure a real record to get an average width of how much vinyl real estate a song would occupy, then adjust the amount of fake grooves on his records. Each of his records, labeled with the song titles and times for each side, has corresponding fake vinyl with matching bands for each song. Mike used a glossy paint or nail polish to create the bands between songs on each side of his fake discs.

In addition, Mike penned thousands of poems and lyrics. After finding advertisements and songwriting contests in newspapers, Mike once sent his lyrics away to be put to song with the hopes of possibly winning a record deal and being discovered. When he learned the advertisements were more hoax than hope, Mike began recording the songs himself. With a two-track reel-to-reel tape deck, Mike and his cousin The Big "D" recorded themselves singing at Mike's house, slapping an afro pick against a phone book for rhythm and singing the instrumental parts as well as the vocal parts (since neither of them had any musical training or instruments). The songs were similar to Mike's contemporaries, with a noteworthy nod to James Brown. Mingering Mike was singing to the world from his bedroom. Over the course of a decade, Mike wrote some 4,000 tunes. He worked tirelessly on his album covers; he had a message he wanted to share with the world.

Dubious of the record industry, Mike spent the majority of his teenage years alone, entertaining his fantasies of being a worldwide soul superstar. His first full-length fake album, Sit'tin By the Window, exemplifies this. The closest Mike came to realizing his dream of stardom was performing with his brothers and sisters around D.C. The siblings had a circus-like revue that performed at the Cedar Knolls soldiers' home, St. Elizabeth's psychiatric hospital and the local children's hospital. Mike's older brother, The Incredible Steve-A-Reno, would perform magic tricks while Mike, Mingering Rubber Legs Mike, would dance and sing.

It looked like Mike's fantasy world would be shattered in 1969, when, amidst the Vietnam War, he received a draft letter telling him to report to duty. In despair, unable to sleep the night before he left for boot camp, Mike recorded himself singing "All I Could Do is Cry." This song marks a shift in his catalog. Prior to boot camp, his song topics included love, family, friendship and superstardom, themes one would expect from a teenager. Looking at the material Mike generated after his draft letter, it's easy to see that his heart and mind were heavy with the burdens facing his family and community.

After boot camp, Mike went AWOL. His older brother, who had been drafted a few years before him, had gone AWOL as well. Rumor was out (and history has confirmed) that the companies on the front line in Vietnam were 50% African American. Neither Mike nor his brother wanted to play those odds. Hiding from the military police, unable to get a straight job, Mike pushed further into his imaginary world. His art reflected the new set of troubles that faced his adult life: the war, money, sadness and the growing drug problem in the African-American community. Mike addressed all these issues, privately, through his albums, with titles such as "You Only Know (What They Tell You)," "G.I. Want To Go Home," "Fight When I Say Fight" and his newly created DECISION RECORDS--with it's logo depicting a hand reaching for a microphone on one side and a hand reaching for a machine gun on the other (see also The Two Sides of Mingering Mike). Through it all, Mike maintained his positive outlook and faith in humanity. In the entire catalog, there are only two real bummer albums. Mike's belief in the human spirit and its ability to endure misfortune comes through very clearly in his art.

When President Carter established a program for amnesty for war resisters in 1977, Mike was free to live a regular life and come out of hiding. With his newfound freedom, adult life and a full-time job, Mike had less time for art. The fake albums, reels of recordings and his poetry all went into storage. And there they sat for years, lost to the world. That is, until one cold winter morning in 2002.

Dori Hadar, a record collector, was pawing through stacks of stuff in a Washington, DC flea market when he stumbled upon Mike's fake records, which had been dumped by the storage company after a few missed payments. Confused by their artificiality but intrigued by their ingenuity, Dori knew he had found something, he just didn't know what. He bought everything and brought it home for further inspection. With the help of Frank Beylotte, a fellow record collector, and the Soulstrut internet record forum, Dori realized this collection was, at worst, something to take seriously. At best, he hoped to find Mingering Mike and gain a better understanding of the artist.

As luck would have it, in addition to being an avid record collector, Dori works as a criminal investigator in DC, so finding Mike wasn't all that difficult. After a shaky start--Mike thought Dori and Frank were bill collectors from the storage company--Dori set out to help Mike realize his dream of releasing his art to the world. After combing through the collection and cataloging the pieces, Dori started interviewing Mike and his family members. Sadly, some albums were water damaged, and others lost completely, but Dori and Frank managed to salvage the majority of Mike's creations. With a Mingering blessing, Dori set out to tell the world about all things Mingering. Acting as a liaison to Mike, Dori negotiated articles in newspapers and magazines, curated shows in art galleries and wrote a book that contains beautiful reproductions of all the Mingering Mike covers and assorted ephemera. Also, Vanguard Squad is releasing the very first Mingering Mike record. But first, to dispel the "crazy loner" mystique....

Often when I am telling people about Mingering Mike they stop me and ask, "So, is he a total crazy shut-in or what?" Perhaps it would make for better press if it was true, but the reality is that Mike is simply shy. A man of few words, humble, and extraordinarily creative, Mike kept his art to himself. He's not pushy or arrogant, and when he does talk about his art, it's usually with a tone of surprise that anyone would be interested after all these years. Comparisons to Henry Darger, Daniel Johnston, Jandek or other "outsider" artists are only half-right. Mike shares the same obscurity as his fellow outsiders, but his work isn't driven by eccentricity, novelty or psychosis. It seems to me that Mike shares more similarities with a religious man than a soul superstar. He's aged very well, appears fit and healthy, and Dori has even confessed to me that he doesn't like to swear in front of Mike, as, "it just seems wrong."

If men cannot always make history have a meaning, they can always act so that their own lives have one. This is how Mike has lived, an exemplary life, quiet and personal. His art is a result of his healthy imagination, but to label it simply "outsider" (or worse yet, "weird") is to do it a terrible disservice. The catalyst and necessity of his work must be understood as it existed even before it was expressed as art. The work is the result of his introversion, his surroundings and his fantasy. Mike's art is the result of his extraordinary way of looking at the world. Hopefully, those of you that come for something "weird" will stay because of the conviction and content of the work. Mike's sincerity is far more outstanding than his eccentricity.

Pouring through someone's art is often the equivalent of pouring through his life. Such is the case with Mike. While "Mingering Mike" is just a pseudonym ("Mingering" is a word Mike made up while on the highway, combining mingling and merging), the character is built from the mind of the man. While Mike (the man) is surprised and flattered by all the attention that Mingering Mike (the character) is receiving, he's made it clear that he values his anonymity. Who can blame him? The commoditization of art can be an ugly business, often leaving the artist burned. Mike enjoys the unique perspective of being an artist who watched as some of his heroes got put through the process. Now, older and wiser, he's grateful for the appreciation and has a healthy skepticism. To this end, Dori (who quit his straight job for two years to, one might say, "minger full time"), and everyone else involved, has respected Mike's wish to remain anonymous. Mike has been known to make an appearance at special events honoring him, but he does so usually in disguise.

Now, about Mike's songs.... It is with great honor that Vanguard Squad announces the release of Mingering Mike's first "real" record. Billing themselves as The Freedom Stompers, Mike and his cousin The Big "D" recorded "There's Nothing Wrong With You Baby (parts 1 & 2)" on a reel-to-reel recorder in Mike's bedroom. The song is a tender appeal to a young woman, encouraging her to be unique and stay in school despite the jeers and ridicule of her peers. While the tapes laid dormant for 38 years, neither time nor the changing world could make the song less engaging. Mike's unique way of looking at life, his endearing optimism and his ear for sweet soul are all apparent on this record.

In 1969, the standard medium for most music, and especially soul, was the 45 rpm seven-inch single. Mike designed the record--with its picture sleeve, its classic two-part format and labels--to be released as a 45. We realize that things are different today, with the advent of digital downloads and portable mp3 players, but in keeping with Mike's dream, we released it exactly as he intended it [go to the Store for more]. The songs come packaged in a picture sleeve with custom full-color labels, both designed by Mike. The limited edition record contains an insert with a special message from Mike, each hand-numbered.

Both Mike and Dori are working hard, and there are many things in the works, keep checking back here, as well as the Mingering Mike website, to keep up to date.

Peace & Power To All Man Kind,
--Bambouche of the Vanguard Squad