Long ago, back in the dark ages of the Internet—say around 1997 or so—I put together a little tribute to one of my favorite record labels, Planet Pimp Records. Planet Pimp was a small label out of San Francisco that specialized in garage rock bands, but each release had a novelty edge to it, much to the chagrin of many a record buyer (and The Car Thieves). For example, at the height of the retro-surf craze in the mid-nineties, they released a 45 by the band The Phantom Surfers. This was one of the best known surf bands of that era, but their release on Planet Pimp consisted mostly of audience banter and a prank phone call. At the most there was about five seconds of actual surf music. Brilliant!
Throughout the twenty-five or so releases, there was a consistent irreverence and flat-out weirdness that really struck a chord with me. This was the early home of Neil Hamburger, and if you get his sense of humor you would also love much of what Planet Pimp churned out. The humor was pervasive not only in the recorded output of the label, but the packaging and marketing. With each subsequent release, you were introduced to the various characters—both real and made up—that comprised the Planet Pimp universe. First and foremost was the president of Planet Pimp Records, Sven-Erik Geddes.
As the nineties came to an end, for reasons unknown to me, Planet Pimp stopped putting out records. I was never able to find the last two Planet Pimp releases (if you’ve got a copy of Neil Hamburger’s Tribute to Princess Di or Sounds of the International Airport Restrooms that you are willing to part with, please contact me!). I don’t know whatever happened to President Sven-Erik Geddes. The closest I’ve come to finding out was an interview with Neil Hamburger in which he says, ” Mr. Geddes has retired from the music business to concentrate on matters closer to his heart. That’s a nice way of putting it.”
Whatever the reasons for its demise, the archeological/vinyl record remains; and I’m here to keep the virtual record of this fantastic moment in recorded music alive as well. I have given the old site a new, more comprehensive coat of pixel paint, gotten rid of the lame frame-based layout, and added tons of scans and samples. I plan to keep updating it with more stuff when I get the time or when readers contribute something worthwhile. So without further ado, here is Robert Gomez’s Unofficial Tribute to Planet Pimp Records!
