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The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Soul Superstar
Princeton Architecture Press
May 2007
On Sale: May 1, 2007
192 pages
ISBN: 156898569X
EAN: 9781568985695
Paperback
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Non-Fiction Memoir
One cold December morning, Dori Hadar DJ by night, criminal
investigator by day was digging through crates of records at
a flea market in Washington, D.C. There he stumbled into the
elaborate world of Mingering Mike a soul superstar of the
1960s and '70s who released an astonishing 50 albums and at
least as many singles in just 10 years. But Hadar had never
heard of him, and he realized why on closer inspection:
every album in the crates was made of cardboard. Each
package was intricately crafted, complete with gatefold
interiors, extensive liner notes, and grooves drawn onto the
"vinyl." Some albums were even covered in shrinkwrap, as if
purchased at actual record stores. The crates contained
nearly 200 LPs and 45s by Mingering Mike, as well as other
artists like Joseph War, the Big "D," and Rambling Ralph, on
labels such as Sex Records, Decision, and Ming/War. There
were also soundtracks to imaginary films, a benefit album
for sickle cell anemia, and a tribute to Bruce Lee. Hadar
put his detective skills to work and soon found himself at
the door of the elusive man responsible for this alternate
universe of funk. Their friendship blossomed and Mike
revealed the story of his life and his many albums, hit
singles, and movie soundtracks. A solitary boy raised by his
brothers, sisters, and cousins, Mike lost himself in a world
of his own imaginary superstardom, basing songs and albums
on his and his family's experiences. Early teenage songs
obsessed with love and heartache soon gave way to social
themes surrounding the turbulent era of civil rights
protests and political upheaval brought even closer to home
when Mike himself went underground dodging the Vietnam War.
In Mingering Mike, Hadar tells the story of a
man and his myth: the kid who dreamed of being a star and
the fantastical "careers" of the artists he created. All of
Mingering Mike's best albums and 45s are presented in full
color, finally bringing to the star the adoring audience he
always imagined he had.
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