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Off Beat
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An unlikely Oak Bay legacy from the "Summer of Love"
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All copyright images courtesy of the publisher
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Off Beat (Tune'n' Trend) covers (1967)
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Off Beat was published during the Summer of Love (1967). Its first issue predates the regional Georgia Straight and the international Rolling Stone, making it one of the first teen music/lifestyle newspapers in America and, who knows, perhaps the world. That's quite a distinction, especially considering it was published from a basement studio in Oak Bay — hardly the epicentre of pop culture.
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| Off Beat was a pioneer in independent print publishing. The timing was right. Instant transfer lettering and the IBM Selectric typewriter helped free print publishing from the tyranny of room-size linotype machines and molten lead. These simple desktop tools gave a voice to anyone with something to say. | |
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This was the real beginning
of desktop publishing. |
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| This was the real beginning of desktop publishing. Instant transfer lettering and the IBM Selectric typewriter did for print publishing what computers and the internet would do for electronic publishing thirty years down the road. | |
| Off Beat editor/publisher, Gary Wilcox, recalls: | |
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| Off Beat focussed on Victoria's fledgling pop music scene. Suddenly, young local musicians found themselves in the news. Often as not, Off Beat "created" the news simply by covering specific events. Promoters sought Off Beat's endorsement. Its content was cited and reprinted in other Victoria media. | |
| Of no less import, the talents of many local writers, artists and photographers — Don Crocker, Helga Bo, Bill Pick, Kent Chauvin, Ron Lowe, Brad Williams, Gil Harris, Geoff Murray, Dave Taylor, Bob Tapp, Tom Gore, Martin Springett, Ron Spence (aka Nigel Ramsbottom, Victoria's very own Sgt. Pepper), Dave Shelton, Lawrence Russell, Don Hitchcock, Hanne Hunaus — were recognized and first published in Off Beat. | |
| The publication was also an agent of change on several fronts. It was a driving force behind the planning and promotion of Victoria's then-biggest musical event — The Centennial Battle of the Bands — that involved eighteen local music groups over three weeks of competition. Off Beat also crusaded tirelessly, albeit unsuccessfully, for a pop music radio station in Victoria. | |
| The mid-1960s was a time of cultural change. Rock 'n' Roll wasn't yet accepted by the establishment, as much of the music was critical of entrenched thinking. One large department store in Vancouver wouldn't sell copies of Off Beat because it "contained articles about hippies." | |
| It was a hard sell. You had to be there. | |
| Off Beat was revolutionary, but not "anti establishment." It was simply dedicated to a segment of society that was usually overlooked — teenagers. A new market, a new culture, was coming of age. | |
| Off Beat was sold throughout British Columbia and across Canada by individuals and small shops. One shop in Montreal had a standing order for 300 copies. Group managers and talent agencies across the country constantly requested publicity. Writers in the States wanted to contribute. Off Beat put the national spotlight on Victoria's pop music scene. | |
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| Victoria has been traditionally known as a retirement destination. There's a delightful definition of the city that states: "Victoria is the place where old people go — to visit their parents." | |
| Off Beat did its darndest to nudge the pendulum in the other direction — by recognizing and celebrating Victoria's youth. |
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PHOTOGRAPHS
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the basement studio . . .
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"Cut and paste"
with scissors and rubber cement |
Editor/Publisher, Gary Wilcox
at primitive layout table |
Typesetting on
the IBM Selectric typewriter |
visit Gary's rock history website today, at:
www.onlinerootsofrock.com
move and hold cursor over image to see slideshow of photo shoot
(photos by Off Beat photographer, Dave Shelton)
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Gil [Doc] Harris
applies instant lettering to Off Beat artist, Martin Springett |
Nigel Ramsbottom,
Victoria's very own Sgt Pepper |
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visit Martin, today, at: www.martinspringett.com www.wixletree.com www.thegolemgraphicnovel.com www.joustingwithjesters.com |
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ARTIFACTS
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SAMPLE PAGES and ARTICLES
Click on image to view enlargement
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Do you have any artifacts related to Off Beat?
MAGAZINE or NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, ETC
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RECOLLECTIONS
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Recollections may be abridged for length and/or clarity
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SUBMISSIONS
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Do you have any
photos, artifacts or recollections of Off Beat? |
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You can email us, with attachments if available |
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OR
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You can use the Online Submission Form, below
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Thank You!
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