Item #39742 AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.
AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.
AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.
AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.
AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.
AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.
AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.

56.

AUDIO RECORDING. A cassette tape recording of Michael Abdul Malik speaking to Bill Levy, recorded on February 11, 1969, probably at the Arts Lab + recording of a 3-way conversation between Malik, Levy and Tod Lloyd.

Total duration 42.03 mins. Original tape professionally repaired and re-engineered, with sound quality digitally enhanced; rehoused in a BASF replacement cassette (original Philips cassette with handwritten note to label also included), and including a transfer to CD.

The first part of the recording (20.11 mins.) consists of Malik telling the story of how a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest after his failure to appear in court on a charge of possession of cannabis, and of how the warrant was withdrawn when it became known that the police had neglected to notify him of the trial date. Malik talks of receiving help from Lord Gifford (senior barrister, anti-apartheid campaigner and co-founder of the North Kensington Neighbourhood Law Centre), the confusion surrounding the whole affair, and the distress caused to his wife, Désirée, and their children by police harrassment and press intrusion, amidst all of which his son (by another woman), Martin, went missing, later collected from Notting Hill police station.

Accompanied by a contemporary typed transcript (9pp.), with edits pencilled by Bill Levy, probably in preparation for publication in International Times (not published), and his handwritten introductory note, which ends with a paraphrased quote from TS Eliot.

The second part (21.52 mins.) is a recording of a 3-way conversation between Michael Abdul Malik, Bill Levy and Tod Lloyd, possibly made shortly after the first part, and probably recorded at Malik’s home in Baring Street, Islington. It begins with Malik making a brief reference to the “Eagles’ fifth issue”, presumably Darcus Howe’s Black Eagle magazine (although as there were only three issues published Malik may have got this wrong; or this cataloguer may have got it wrong), and continues in somewhat disjointed fashion to discuss communication and the power of the press, with Malik stating: “One of the strange things about the black community, they start off by imagining that anything written must be a lie, just have to be a lie, because all things that were written about black people were lies anyway, so complete distrust of all written things are there.” The recording ends with Malik announcing that he had “this American chick who I promised to drop in on”, and needing a cab to take him to Fitzjohn’s Avenue in Hampstead (this may have been the flat he previously shared with Nancy Bacal, who was, in fact, Canadian).

A rare, previously unheard and now restored recording, its first part highlighting (in Bill Levy’s introductory words) Malik’s experience of “the hardships, difficulties and confusion engendered by… police ‘mistakes’ ”. Provenance: Bill Levy.

Together with: two b/w photographs (with original negatives) of Michael Abdul Malik taken by Bill Levy at his flat, 22 Regent's Park Road, London, c. 1968. Recent prints. Each 15.3x10.1cm. Both depict Malik in conversation, wearing a striped top and paisley pattern trousers. Fine.

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