Giorno Poetry Systems

American label set up in 1972 by the poet John Giorno. Mostly credited on releases as Giorno Poetry Systems Records, Giorno Poetry Systems tapes and Giorno Poetry Systems video. The earliest releases were exclusively poetry collections of the "Dial-A-Poets" (John Giorno, William S Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Allen Ginsberg, John Cage etc.): "In 1961 I was a young poet who hung out with young artists like Andy Warhol, Bob Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, as well as with members of the Judson Dance Theatre. The use of modern mass media and technologies by these artists made me realize that poetry was 75 years behind painting and sculpture, dance and music. And I thought, if they can do it, why can't I do it for poetry. Why not try to connect with an audience using all the entertainments of ordinary life: television, the telephone, record albums, etc? It was the poet's job to invent new venues and make fresh contact with the audience. This inspiration gave rise to Giorno Poetry Systems" John Giorno