Editing TV Party (EP)

{{use mdy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = TV Party
| type       = EP
| artist     = [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]]
| cover      = Black Flag - TV Party cover.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = July 1982
| recorded   = March 1982
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Hardcore punk]]<ref>DeCurtis, 1992. p.1992</ref>}}
| length     = 6:49
| label      = [[SST Records|SST]] (012)
| producer   = {{flatlist|
*Black Flag
*Ed Barton
}}
| prev_title = [[Damaged (Black Flag album)|Damaged]]
| prev_year  = 1981
| next_title = [[Everything Went Black]]
| next_year  = 1982
}}

'''''TV Party''''' is the fourth EP by American band [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]], released in 1982. It was self-produced with Ed Barton and originally released by [[SST Records]] on the [[Single (music)#Types of physical singles|7" vinyl]] format. The title track is a satire of boredom, [[Drinking culture|drinking]] and America's obsession with television; the original version was also released on the band's 1981 debut album, [[Damaged (Black Flag album)|''Damaged'']].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.punknews.org/review/14957/black-flag-tv-party-ep | title=Black Flag - TV Party &#91;EP&#93; | date=January 31, 2017 }}</ref>

==Production==
[[File:Greg-Ginn-Black-Flag-@RobxWallace-ReelNegative.com-WEB-1500px.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Greg Ginn in 2019]]
The song "TV Party" was recorded three times. To promote the [[Damaged (Black Flag album)|''Damaged'']] album in the United States, Unicorn Records had Black Flag enter the studio and re-record the song for the EP in March 1982, with their then-new drummer Emil Johnson.<ref name="255Chick">Chick, 2011. p.255</ref><ref name ="256Chick" /> The EP version features a slower tempo and hand claps. The band again recorded the song at the request of Alex Cox, for his 1984 [[Cult film|cult classic film]] ''[[Repo Man (film)|Repo Man]]'' and the accompanying [[Repo Man (film)#Soundtrack|soundtrack]]. Each version of the song lyrically references different TV shows from the era in which each recording was made.<ref name="allmusic-song-review">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/tv-party-mt0008027967|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|author=Deming, Mark|access-date=April 26, 2013|title=TV Party}}</ref><ref name="allmusic-credits">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tv-party-mw0000309633/credits|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|access-date=April 26, 2013|title=TV Party: Credits}}</ref>

==Style==
"TV Party" is driven by [[Chuck Dukowski]]'s bass line and features [[Henry Rollins]] on lead vocals and bellowed backing vocals from band members.<ref name="allmusic-song-review" /> The song is light in comparison to other songs from the band's ''Damaged'' era.<ref name="255Chick" /> Black Flag guitarist [[Greg Ginn]] has stated that after "Rollins joined the band, we couldn't do songs with a sense of humor anymore; he got into the serious way-out poet thing."<ref name ="257Chick">Chick, 2011. p.257</ref>  Rollins described the song as [[satire]], stating "it's about people who stay inside their house and live in a TV kinda world. And this has a very direct effect on us."<ref name ="256Chick" /> Ginn echoed Rollins's interpretation, stating "It's basically a satire of people watching TV and partying at home, which is a sickness which is very prevalent in LA."<ref name ="256Chick">Chick, 2011. p.256</ref>
[[Glen E. Friedman]] referred to the song as "a parody of certain type of people". Comparing the song to the [[Beastie Boys]]' "[[(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)]]", he stated "They were both parodies that people took too seriously, and even the bands were found taking themselves too seriously after the fact."<ref name="256Chick" />

==Release==
The ''TV Party'' EP was released in July 1982.<ref>Chick, 2011. p.401</ref> To promote the EP, a music video of "TV Party" was shot featuring the members of Black Flag and their friends drinking beer and calling out their favorite television shows in front of a television set. Among the members is photographer (and the video's director) [[Glen E. Friedman]].<ref name="256Chick" /> [[Target Video]] also released a home video titled ''TV Party'', in 1983, containing live footage of the group from 1980 and 1982 as well as the video of the title track.<ref>Chick, 2011. p.403</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tv-party-video-mw0001888574|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|access-date=April 26, 2013|title=TV Party [Video]}}</ref>  There have been several variations on the release of the ''TV Party'' EP. They include one released by [[SST Records]], one as a split between SST and Unicorn Records, and another simply by Unicorn.<ref name="popoff">Popoff, 2010. p.136</ref> All three versions have the same track listing. Several different slip covers were also issued.<ref name="popoff" /> A new version of the song "TV Party" later appeared on the soundtrack to the film ''[[Repo Man (film)|Repo Man]]'' (1984). In the film, Emilio Estevez can be heard singing "TV Party".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/song-stories/tv-party-black-flag#ixzz2ld4jF3d0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112051843/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/song-stories/tv-party-black-flag#ixzz2ld4jF3d0|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 12, 2014|access-date=November 24, 2013|magazine=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]|title=TV Party}}</ref> The song also appears on other compilation albums.<ref name="allmusic-song-review" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/repo-man-v40959|work=[[Allmovie]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|title=Repo Man|author=Deming, Mark|access-date=April 26, 2013}}</ref>

==Reception==
The title song of the EP received praise from music critics. Online music database [[AllMusic]] gave a positive review of the song, describing it as "at once cutting and funny, an attack on television-inspired stasis that laughs both at and with its subjects" and "As a dumb anthem, it even beats out the band's cover of "[[Louie Louie]]".<ref name="allmusic-song-review" /> ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' referred to the song as the "greatest ode to the slacker sloth".<ref>{{cite journal |date=May 2001|title=Top 50 Essential Punk Records |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|volume=94 |issue=17 |pages=109 |publisher=SPIN Media LLC |issn=0886-3032 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EdRggHm3lkoC |access-date=26 April 2013}}</ref>

In 1982, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' listed the song "TV Party" as "Recommended" in their "Top Singles" review section.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=1 May 1982 |title=Top Single Pick |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=17 |issue=5 |pages=59 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |issn=0886-3032 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cCQEAAAAMBAJ |access-date=26 April 2013}}</ref> The website [[AllMusic]] would later give the EP a retrospective rating of two and a half stars out of five, stating that "The other tracks are good, but this is a release for collectors or serious fans only."<ref name="allmusic-EP-review">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tv-party-mw0000309633|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|author=True, Chris|access-date=April 26, 2013|title=TV Party}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{tracklist
| headline     = Side A
| all_writing  = [[Greg Ginn]]<ref name="popoff" /><ref name="allmusic-EP-review" />
| total_length = 3:52
| title1  = TV Party
| length1 = 3:52
}}

{{tracklist
| headline     = Side B
| total_length = 2:56
| title1  = I've Got to Run
| length1 = 1:45
| title2  = My Rules
| length2 = 1:11
}}

==Personnel==

'''Black Flag'''     
* [[Henry Rollins]] – lead vocals
* [[Greg Ginn]] – lead guitar, composer
* [[Dez Cadena]] – rhythm guitar, vocals
* [[Chuck Dukowski]] – bass
* Emil Johnson – drums (side 1)
* [[Bill Stevenson (musician)|Bill Stevenson]] – drums (side 2)

'''Production and design'''
* Ed Barton – producer
* Black Flag – producer
* Jeff Stebbins – engineer
* [[Glen E. Friedman]] – photography

== Charts ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (1982)
! scope="col" | Peak<br />position
|-
| [[UK Indie Chart]]<ref>{{cite book |first=Barry |last=Lazell |url=http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/b.htm |title=Indie Hits 1980–1989 |publisher=Cherry Red Books |date=1997 |access-date=September 5, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125710/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/b.htm |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|30
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite book |last=Popoff|first=Martin |title=Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1948–1991 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XUI1R7jJz2YC |access-date=April 26, 2013 |year=2010 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=978-1440216213}}
* {{cite book |last=Chick |first=Stevie |title=Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781604864182 |url-access=registration |access-date=April 26, 2013 |year=2011 |publisher=PM Press |isbn=978-1604865844}}
* {{cite book |editor1=DeCurtis, Anthony |title=The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ubWAht7N7zsC |access-date=April 26, 2013 |year=1992 |publisher=Random House |isbn=0679737286}}

{{Black Flag}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1982 albums]]
[[Category:Black Flag (band) EPs]]
[[Category:SST Records EPs]]