The Mystery of Mingering Mike
February 11, 2015 10:29 AM Subscribe
Hader was a true soul aficionado, with an encyclopaedic knowledge and 10,000 records at home. Which is why he was so amazed to discover 38 albums by a soul singer he had never heard of. His name was Mingering Mike. Hader stared at the record covers. He read the liner notes. There was Mingering Mike’s 1968’s debut, Sit’tin by the Window. The cover art was a painting of a young man in a green T-shirt, good-looking, serious. The comedian Jack Benny had written the liner notes, calling him “a bright and intelligent young man with a great, exciting future awaiting him”.Jon Ronson looks at the story of Mingering Mike (SLGrauniad), a long-lost soul singer whose records were found at a flea market in 2003, but who turned out to not actually have existed.
Mingering Mike is now the subject of an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Neat. I never knew about "Grauniad." Lots of fun stuff on the Google for that one.
posted by nevercalm at 10:50 AM on February 11, 2015
posted by nevercalm at 10:50 AM on February 11, 2015
It turned out to not actually have existed!
posted by XMLicious at 10:57 AM on February 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by XMLicious at 10:57 AM on February 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Thanks for posting this ... it's been great fun following the Mingering Mike saga on Metafilter over the years (2004, 2005, and 2007).
posted by orthicon halo at 10:58 AM on February 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by orthicon halo at 10:58 AM on February 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
What a great story. Thank you for posting it.
Although, David Byrne doesn't have enough money that he can't make that record and let Mike keep the rights? C'mon man. That's a bad look.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:06 AM on February 11, 2015 [8 favorites]
Although, David Byrne doesn't have enough money that he can't make that record and let Mike keep the rights? C'mon man. That's a bad look.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:06 AM on February 11, 2015 [8 favorites]
I love that the guy created a parallel storyline for himself where he was a rock star, and yet it inevitably and constantly commented on his real life. It's a really fascinating story anyway, and, if Mingering Mike is ever comfortable sharing more of his story, I expect it will add even more depth to it.
Jon Ronson is the right journalist for this story. Good choice there.
posted by maxsparber at 11:08 AM on February 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
Jon Ronson is the right journalist for this story. Good choice there.
posted by maxsparber at 11:08 AM on February 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
Things that actually don't exist are always the coolest things. Mermaids, Santa Claus, Season 4 of Deadwood.
posted by thelonius at 11:11 AM on February 11, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 11:11 AM on February 11, 2015 [8 favorites]
Jason Cherkis' 2008 article "The Return of the Magnificent Mingering" is worth reading if MM and crate digging appeal to you:
From 1968 through 1977 Mike produced a massive catalog of singles and albums: burners, ballads, novelties, message songs, breakup songs, faux operas, kung fu movie scores. For decades, none of these records ever made it much farther than an apartment shelf.
But secrets have a way of being discovered. In 2003, Mike missed some payments on a storage unit that housed his albums and reel-to-reel recordings. The storage company—without notifying Mike—auctioned off his stuff. His possessions ended up at a flea market outside RFK Stadium.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:11 AM on February 11, 2015 [4 favorites]
From 1968 through 1977 Mike produced a massive catalog of singles and albums: burners, ballads, novelties, message songs, breakup songs, faux operas, kung fu movie scores. For decades, none of these records ever made it much farther than an apartment shelf.
But secrets have a way of being discovered. In 2003, Mike missed some payments on a storage unit that housed his albums and reel-to-reel recordings. The storage company—without notifying Mike—auctioned off his stuff. His possessions ended up at a flea market outside RFK Stadium.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:11 AM on February 11, 2015 [4 favorites]
At least the time-worn question is finally answered: did he have to, did he have to let it minger?
...I'll get me coat
posted by delfin at 11:56 AM on February 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
...I'll get me coat
posted by delfin at 11:56 AM on February 11, 2015 [7 favorites]
This is wonderful. I have a shelf full of cassettes from when I was a kid by my fictional rock duo (mostly sub-poor quality song parodies) and read this thinking "this would have been my dream when I was 14 - that somebody found stuff I made and loved it." I'm so excited that this has worked out in a reasonably satisfying way for "Mike."
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:24 PM on February 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:24 PM on February 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
Malingering Mike is how my eyes read "mingering"
posted by discopolo at 12:39 PM on February 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by discopolo at 12:39 PM on February 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's very satisfying to know the fuller version of this story. Really well written, and some lines have some punch, which I won't cut and paste so as not to spoil anyone's first read. "Mike" has a fascinating mind, no doubt.
The Minger Player plays his cassette recordings.
posted by Miko at 12:50 PM on February 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Minger Player plays his cassette recordings.
posted by Miko at 12:50 PM on February 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Worst Channing Tatum sequel ever.
posted by leotrotsky at 12:56 PM on February 11, 2015
posted by leotrotsky at 12:56 PM on February 11, 2015
David Byrne is a fartquiche.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 2:30 PM on February 11, 2015
posted by Joseph Gurl at 2:30 PM on February 11, 2015
The story of Mingering Mike puts me in mind of someone I know who fits the description of a deeply shy gentleman whose job entails "custodial work he does at an office building down the street." Mike is not my colleague, the photos and his age rule that out. But it makes me reflect on the rich private lives that all of our acquaintances have, that would surely amaze us if we only knew.
I commend the professional judgement of the staff of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, in deciding that this body of work is a worthy addition to a collection that already includes such works as The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly.
I wonder, though, about the rights associated with the visual art and the recordings. I see no mention of the administration of Mike's copyright. I hope that the artist can benefit from the currently increasing recognition of his work, if he so desires.
posted by Morrigan at 4:19 PM on February 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
I commend the professional judgement of the staff of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, in deciding that this body of work is a worthy addition to a collection that already includes such works as The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly.
I wonder, though, about the rights associated with the visual art and the recordings. I see no mention of the administration of Mike's copyright. I hope that the artist can benefit from the currently increasing recognition of his work, if he so desires.
posted by Morrigan at 4:19 PM on February 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Beware of the Blog posted an mp3 of There's Nothing Wrong With You a while back. It's actually pretty great. Amazing story.
posted by batfish at 4:27 PM on February 11, 2015
posted by batfish at 4:27 PM on February 11, 2015
....and I am right now planning a 5-hours-each-way trip to DC to check this out. So amazing.
posted by the bricabrac man at 7:52 PM on February 11, 2015
posted by the bricabrac man at 7:52 PM on February 11, 2015
The story of Mingering Mike puts me in mind of someone I know who fits the description of a deeply shy gentleman whose job entails "custodial work he does at an office building down the street." Mike is not my colleague, the photos and his age rule that out. But it makes me reflect on the rich private lives that all of our acquaintances have, that would surely amaze us if we only knew.
The Smithsonian's American Art Museum hosts more startling evidence of this, from another DC "outsider artist" - janitor and visionary James Hampton's "The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly".
posted by ryanshepard at 10:10 AM on February 12, 2015
The Smithsonian's American Art Museum hosts more startling evidence of this, from another DC "outsider artist" - janitor and visionary James Hampton's "The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly".
posted by ryanshepard at 10:10 AM on February 12, 2015
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posted by nadawi at 10:45 AM on February 11, 2015