On a previous visit to Memphis I went to Beale St, Graceland & rode on a riverboat, but I also went to the Wonderbread factory, the Chickasaw Mounds, Orange Mound and cycled all over midtown and downtown. I saw a living, breathing city with its own rhythms & sounds that eventually inspired Memphis 45s.

The 45rpm record, which along with new highways, radio, TV and then a healthy measure of parental & religious concern in the 50’s, guaranteed that ‘Memphis Sounds’ were spread nationally and internationally. This gave form to the first part of the project – a CD with seven three-minute tracks.

The project also included 7 short films, 7 listening posts placed around town, a motion sensor installation, 3000 limited edition give away CDs & the website / gallery.

By recording the everyday sounds of Memphis, offered by Memphians and my own experience I have discovered the city in an idiosyncratic way. The CD & films are not a definitive representation of Memphis merely a reflection of a moment in time and just the beginning.

To contribute to the project visit the media section - here you can download all the original sounds. It is hoped that you will take these sounds and mix them into your own 3 minute track. Return them to me and I will upload to the participant’s gallery.

A.McKeown - Memphis 45s 2005

 

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