ORAL HISTORY PROJECT MADE POSSIBLE BY SUPPORT FROM PROJECT PARTNERS: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts INTERVIEW SUBJECT: Michael Scroggins Biography: Michael Scroggins was one of the founding members of Single Wing Turquoise Bird, a successful Los Angeles-based psychedelic light show. Scroggins grew up in the Valley and attended Canoga Park High. During the 1960s he began spending time in Topanga Canyon with local artists including Wallace Berman. Videography: 1971 Damage 1972 Lose Yr Jobs 1972 1973 Countdown 1973 Meander 1977 King and Queen 1973 Resolution Michael Scroggins Oral History Transcript/Los Angeles Filmforum Page 1 of 200 1973 Padma 1973 Tucker 1974 Exchange 1974 Dog Plea 1974 For Sam 1974 Corrigan/Lund 1975 Sangsara 1975 Scraps 1977 Rockabye 1979 Drone 1979 Destiny Edit 1980 Recent Li 1982 Nuvudeo 1982 Saturnus Alchimia 1983 Study No. 1 1983 Study No. 9 1983 Study No. 2 1983 Study No. 5 1983 Study No. 6 1983 Study No. 7 1983 Study No. 11 1983 Study No. 13 1983 Study No. 14 1983 Study No. 16 1986 Power Spot 1986 Solaire 1986 California Dream 1989 1921 > 1989 2006 Momentarily (work-in-progress) 2007 what are you looking at? (edit from 1971/1973 recordings) 2009 Adagio for Jon and Helena 2010 Limn 2010 Out of Our Depths (ensemble performance recording, SWTB) 2011 Untitled (ensemble performance recording, SWTB) Performance and Installation Work: 1988 Talos et Koine (live video processing for Michel Redolfi concert, Nice) 1992 Mata Pau (video performance for Michel Redolfi concert, Metz) 1994 Topological Slide (VR installation, Banff) 2009 SWTB reunion (live lightshow performance, Thousand Oaks) 2011 SWTB with Jeffertiti’s Nile (live lightshow and music performance, Thousand Oaks) Tape Contents: Tape 1: Pages 4 - 20 Interview date: March 27, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Tape 2: Pages 21 - 37 Interview date: March 27, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Michael Scroggins Oral History Transcript/Los Angeles Filmforum Page 2 of 200 Tape 3: Pages 38 - 56 Interview date: March 27, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Tape 4: Pages 57 - 75 Interview date: March 27, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Tape 5: Pages 76 - 93 Interview date: March 27, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Tape 6: Pages 94 - 112 Interview date: May 9, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Tape 7: Pages 113- 134 Interview date: May 9, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Tape 8: Pages 135 - 156 Interview date: May 9, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Tape 9: Pages 157 - 200 Interview date: May 9, 2010 Interviewer: Adam Hyman Cameraperson: Kate Brown Transcript Reviewer: Michael Scroggins, Ben Miller Michael Scroggins Oral History Transcript/Los Angeles Filmforum Page 3 of 200 TAPE 1: MICHAEL SCROGGINS [Micheal Scroggins: In correcting and annotating this series of interviews I was surprised to discover how weak my spoken language patterns were. I understood that spoken language has a cadence and flow that differs from written text, however my heavy use of essentially nondescriptive terms like "whole", "pretty interesting", and "stuff” , along with my tendency to replace the traditional word "said" with the "was like" or "goes" of youth culture is not something I was previously aware of --and in fact in the manner of a language snob held in mild disdain. The process of reading and annotating these rambles has been humbling in many ways. I imagine that a fitting title for the transcription might be, sort of a really interesting whole other story. I would like to express my appreciation to Adam Hyman, Kate Brown, LA Filmforum, and The Getty Research Institute for making this process possible. --Michael Scroggins, August 24, 2011] 00:00:45 MICHAEL SCROGGINS Alright. Michael Scroggins. S-C-R-O-G-G-I-N-S. The Michael part is pretty straight forward. M-I-C-H-A-E-L. 00:00:56 ADAM HYMAN You were born? 00:00:56 MICHAEL SCROGGINS I was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Or as they say [MS: in the local dialect], Louisville [MS: Luavull], in 1946 June 4, 1946. And I moved to L.A. when I [was] four. So my parents met there in Kentucky, in Louisville and I was first born. My sister came along two and a-half years later. And then they moved out to L.A. when I was 4. My dad had a friend from the Air Force. My dad was in the Air Force but he was in cadets and then got washed out because his heart was-- there was some question about his heart which turned out later not to have anything-- not to be a real problem at all. But, you know, it was a question. So he ended up with the all girls and ended up choosing my mom. They were quite a glamorous couple. Anyway, my father had a friend in the Air Force, Jack Narz who was working in the entertainment industry. He was an announcer for Bob Crosby and did some [other] stuff [MS: later, including hosting quiz shows]. Michael Scroggins Oral History Transcript/Los Angeles Filmforum Page 4 of 200 00:01:49 MICHAEL SCROGGINS (CONTINUED) So my dad came out to visit and said “Oh I got to be out here,” and managed to make it. My first impression of Los Angeles at 4 years old was that we came in at night and we came into the lobby of the old LAX and-- it was piston plane era, right. There was a potted palm and I looked at it and said, “Dad! You said there was palm trees and sand. This is just dirt!” I was very disillusioned, you know. But we ended up living at the beach -- Manhattan Beach, in the northern section “El Porto” -- on this old sand dune, so I got LOTS of sand. 00:02:23 ADAM HYMAN Tell me the names of everybody in your family. 00:02:26 MICHAEL SCROGGINS My father is William, or Bill. William G. Scroggins. My mother was Patricia Ann Staples, became-- Or Patricia Ann Jones, and then became Patricia Scroggins. And my Cindy, [laughs] my sister is Cindy, Cindy Scroggins or Cynthia Jeanne. And that's it. I mean that's the nuclear family. 00:02:49 ADAM HYMAN Okay. And then, so what did your father, what your parents get into when they were, had come to Los Angeles? 00:02:55 MICHAEL SCROGGINS My father was working for American Airlines. He took his Air Force experience-- because he was washed out, he didn't go through pilot training which is what he was in line for. Jack Narz did become -- I think -- a pilot. But, he got the GI Bill and was able to get a civic aeronautics-- a civil license to fly. But then my mom really didn't think it was safe enough and they really couldn't afford it. He went to work for American Airlines at the very lowest rung and kind of worked his way up to [MS: a top spot in] the company. He ended up a sales executive in Manhattan right toward the end. My dad worked there. My mother became a secretary. She had been an actress in, doing the leads in high school, and had a scholarship to the University of Indiana and I think one other university. And her stepfather said, no, girls don't go to college. Wouldn't let her go off to college. 00:03:43 MICHAEL SCROGGINS (CONTINUED) So she ended up then becoming a secretary at a radio station. And then out in L.A. worked in aerospace as an executive secretary. So. [technical] 00:04:12 ADAM HYMAN Okay. So what, before college what schools did you go to? Michael Scroggins Oral History Transcript/Los Angeles Filmforum Page 5 of 200 00:04:21 MICHAEL SCROGGINS When I first-- When we were living in the South Bay, I went to a school called Center Street School, which I don't remember at all. I think that was in El Segundo. Then they built a new school called Imperial Street School. I remember going there. What I do remember, and we'll come back to this I think, but some of my earliest art experiences were around that time. Somewhere between kindergarten and the 2nd grade. I'm thinking it was 1st or 2nd grade. 00:04:46 ADAM HYMAN So, you go ahead and do that. 00:04:47 MICHAEL SCROGGINS So that's where I went to grade school. And then we moved out to the San Fernando Valley. My father said, don't you want a grassy lawn instead of these sand dunes. And I was like, “Yeah! That'd be fun! I can play in the grass!” Not realizing I was going to have to mow the grass and that was the whole other story. We moved out then to Van Nuys which was this sort of 50's suburbs. And so for the-- I did the 3rd through 6th grade at Cohasset Street School, then went on to junior and high school. We can come back to those I guess, but I'll just mention them now, just to get it out of the way. I went to Cohasset Street School, which it turns out my wife also attended, but many years later, 'cause she was born in 1969.