This
site is organized by friends and fellows of our dear departed Giorgio
who passed on January 13, 2016. There are many projects we hope to
feature, even though most were unfinished: we know that he would not
have approved of this during his lifetime, as he wanted writing and
video about him to be highly polished, even if he was a diamond in the
rough. Put together by musician Dave Soldier
and filmmakers Jon Sadlier and Beth Lasch, with web design by Detta
Andreana: to add material contact davesoldier43@gmail.com.
Jeff Wootton contributed many new and
beautiful photos from the Zu Festival that he attended as a member of
the "Press". He has also written a book, "Fresh Air, Adventures of a Progressive Music
Radio Format At Kent State University, 1971 - 1981"
WKSU is the radio station owned and operated by Kent State
University, established in 1950, and in the early ‘70’s developed a
Progressive music program titled Fresh Air, and this is its story.
Francis Dumaurier
recently sent in two new photos and a copy of his newsletter, "Oh What A Night" covering a
recent event in memory of Giorgio with high quality photos, direct
access to streaming audio files of radio interviews and music
videos mentioned. Francis has also written a book, "Giorgio
Gomelsky 'For Your Love': The Incredible Life of a Music
Impresario for the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds & Magma".
francisdumaurier.com
Giorgio Sergio Alessando Gomelsky (28
February 1934 – 13 January 2016) was a film maker, impresario, music
manager, songwriter (as Oscar Rasputin) and record producer. He was
born in Georgia, grew up in Switzerland, and later lived in the United
Kingdom and for his last 40 years in a run down townhouse on west 24th
street, where he lived on the top floor and ran the lower three floors
as rehearsal and recording studios and often the ground floor as a
club, sometimes called The Green Door. For a few years he made the
rent by subletting the club once a week as a soft core S&M bar
called Paddles. He constantly initiated new movements in rock, jazz,
hiphop, mentored tons of musicians, artists and photographers, fought
and made up with them, and left unfinished autobiographies, TV
networks, recordings films, and theatrical shows.
He owned the Crawdaddy Club in London and was the original manager for The Rolling Stones, where they became the house band, and he often said the first concert had only 3 people in the audience and they managed to make the audience grow and grow: he introduced them to the Beatles, and was friends with the whole British rock scene, starting with Lonnie Donnegan and including Hendrix, with whom he had a nice dinner the night he overdosed. He hired The Yardbirds as replacement and managed them. He was also their producer from the beginning through 1966. In 1967 to 1969, he founded and ran Marmalade Records (distributed by Polydor), which featured "Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity", The Blossom Toes, and early recordings by Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who became 10cc. He also produced/ tour managed and guided if The Soft Machine, Daevid Allen and Gong, and Magma, and was a major supporter for the Plastic People of the Universe in Prague, and produced a concert at the Kitchen that helped them to become known in the West, which helped to start the Velvet Revolution. Moving to NY around 1977, he put together the influential band Material, and was instrumental for many, including D-Generation, the music series at Tramps and other clubs, and supported artists, politicians, graffitti artists, internet visionarys, and always musicians, indeed anyone trying something new and provocative.
He owned the Crawdaddy Club in London and was the original manager for The Rolling Stones, where they became the house band, and he often said the first concert had only 3 people in the audience and they managed to make the audience grow and grow: he introduced them to the Beatles, and was friends with the whole British rock scene, starting with Lonnie Donnegan and including Hendrix, with whom he had a nice dinner the night he overdosed. He hired The Yardbirds as replacement and managed them. He was also their producer from the beginning through 1966. In 1967 to 1969, he founded and ran Marmalade Records (distributed by Polydor), which featured "Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity", The Blossom Toes, and early recordings by Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who became 10cc. He also produced/ tour managed and guided if The Soft Machine, Daevid Allen and Gong, and Magma, and was a major supporter for the Plastic People of the Universe in Prague, and produced a concert at the Kitchen that helped them to become known in the West, which helped to start the Velvet Revolution. Moving to NY around 1977, he put together the influential band Material, and was instrumental for many, including D-Generation, the music series at Tramps and other clubs, and supported artists, politicians, graffitti artists, internet visionarys, and always musicians, indeed anyone trying something new and provocative.