Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.metal
Titolo: Daniele!

Mi spieghi bene la faccenda di Imaginos che non ci ho capito un
beneamato?
--
Io.

 beneamato?
In origine doveva essere un album solista.
What is the story behind the recording of the album, *Imaginos*?
================================================================
     The Imaginos story actually pre-dates BOC, and started within the
mind of Sandy Pearlman, who, back in about 1967, wrote a collection of
poems called "The Soft Doctrines of Immaginos" (note the original
spelling of Immaginos).  It was Pearlman's desire that BOC be the
embodiment of the Imaginos concept.  Around that time, two songs were
written around this concept -- "Gil Blanco County" (which would appear
on the Stalk-Forrest Group demo for Elektra), and a Buck Dharma tune
called "Port Jefferson" (interestingly enough, this is the town where
current BOC drummer Bobby Rondinelli was born).  Radio promotion copies
of the first BOC album included an insert which indicated that the song
"Redeemed" was "a short version of the tune that will appear on their
fourth album, an opera, titled, 'The Soft Doctrines of the Imaginos'".
While the band decided against doing the concept, Albert Bouchard began
working on music for it.
     By 1974, the songs "Imaginos", "Astronomy" (which appeared on
*Secret Treaties*), and "The Subhuman" (which also appeared on *Secret
Treaties*, and would later be changed to "Blue Oyster Cult" on the
*Imaginos* album) were written.  At the *Agents Of Fortune* sessions,
Albert demoed "Imaginos".  At the *Spectres* sessions, Joe Bouchard
demoed "In The Presence Of Another World" (which was also worked up by
the band as a candidate for the *Mirrors* album), while Albert Bouchard
demoed "Del Rio's Song", "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", "The Siege And
Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria", and a song
titled, "The Girl That Love Made Blind" -- however, the band was still
not interested in doing the whole project.  Albert continued to write
and demo songs for the project, and by *Cultosaurus Erectus*, really
wanted to see the band do the concept.  After Albert left BOC in 1981,
he began working with Sandy Pearlman on the project, recording all the
basic tracks in 1982.  Albert brought Joe Bouchard, Allen Lanier, and
Buck Dharma to play certain portions of some of the tracks.  By 1984,
the Imaginos work was essentially completed.
     Sandy Pearlman first approached CBS about putting the album
together around 1981, and CBS was initially interested in the project.
According to Eric Bloom, CBS was not happy with the final result (in
which Albert sang much of the lead vocals), and was not interested in
releasing the album unless it was released as a "BOC" album with Eric
Bloom and Buck Dharma singing lead vocals.  In response to concerns over
his own vocals, Albert obtained the services of Joey Cerisano, a veteran
of the New Jersey music scene (who at the time had been in a band known
as Silver Condor) to sing on the tracks.  Joey Cerisano's rendition of
"The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At
Weisseria" was used on the final release of *Imaginos*, while Cerisano
went on himself to become one of the most successful jingle singers in
the United States (he's done jingles for Budweiser, Kentucky Fried
Chicken, and numerous car companies, to name a few of his credits).
     After BOC had broken up in 1986, the idea of the band getting
together to release *Imaginos* was discussed.  Albert, hoping to get the
original line-up back together for the recording (and a subsequent
tour), spent time getting in contact with all the original members of
the band.  Apparently Albert had a difficult time convincing Joe
Bouchard, who was the last of the original 5 members to quit the band,
to do the project.  However, the rest of the band (Eric Bloom, Buck
Dharma, Allen Lanier, Jon Rogers, joined by Ron Riddle on drums) had
reformed as Blue Oyster Cult by the time Joe Bouchard had agreed to do
the project.  In addition, the financial obligations had to be worked
out as Albert wanted to be co-producer of the album, having played such
a large role in the project.
     With the band re-forming in mid-1987 without Albert and Joe
Bouchard, Albert abandoned the *Imaginos* project.  However, Sandy
Pearlman and the band did go forward with the project, re-doing some of
the tracks by early 1988, and releasing *Imaginos* as a BOC album later
that year.  The original 5 members of the band are credited as
performing on the album, along with several other musicians (see album
credits in Discography section).  However, it is not clear how much of a
"BOC" album this is, beyond Eric/Buck's lead vocals, and their hand in
the writing of some of the songs.  According to Albert Bouchard, the
bulk of the instrumentation credits should go to former Ian Hunter
guitarist Tommy Moringiello (guitars), former David Johansen guitarist
Jack Rigg (guitars), and Tommy Mandel (keyboards - uncredited on the
album).  Tommy Zvoncheck later indicated that most of Tommy Mandel's
keyboard parts were replaced by his own on the released version of
*Imaginos*.  In addition, Albert says the following were not credited on
the album:  Jon Rogers (additional lead vocal on "I Am The One You
Warned Me Of"), Phil Grandee (guitar), and a number of individuals
contributing background vocals (Jeff Kawalik, Corky Stasiak, Helen
Wheels, Glen Bell, Peggy Atkins, Casper McCloud - although iis not clear
if these contributions appeared on the released version of *Imaginos*).
Between the reworking of the songs on *Imaginos*, the improper credits,
and the fact that the band apparently did not want Albert back as their
drummer after the release of *Imaginos*, there were considerable hard
feelings between Albert and BOC/Sandy Pearlman.
     The original *Imaginos* project contained over 90 minutes of music,
and budgets wouldn't allow for the complete package.  The "complete"
Imaginos story spans 200 years from the beginning of the 19 Century to
the end of the 20th.  At the time the album was recorded, two other
parts were anticipated, titled (according to Sandy Pearlman) "Germany
Minus Zero And Counting" and "The Mutant Reformation".  Albert Bouchard
has indicated that possible titles for "Germany Minus Zero And Counting"
were "Half-Life Time", and "Bombs Over Germany".  According to Albert
Bouchard, the following songs were left off of *Imaginos*: "Gil Blanco
County", "The Girl That Love Made Blind", "Blue Oyster Cult Reprise",
"Imaginos Overture", and an a capella reprise of the first verse of
"Magna Of Illusion".  Also, the song "Shadow Of California" (from the
album, *The Revolution By Night*) was originally intended, in one form
or another, to be on the second "Imaginos" album.  It is possible that
"Shadow Of California" was partially re-worked from an Albert Bouchard
song, "Half-Life Time", which contains the lyrics that later appeared as
the spoken intro to the *Club Ninja* song, "When The War Comes".  With
the past problems and current tensions between the various parties
associated the recording of *Imaginos*, it is probably unlikely that the
full Imaginos saga will ever be completed, at least not by BOC.  Albert
Bouchard has released some *Imaginos* material ("Overture" on *Box Of
Hammers*, "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", "Astronomy", and "The Girl
That Love Made Blind" on *Malpractise*), and has expressed interest in
doing more, as his other activities allow.  Sandy Pearlman has been
reportedly working over the past few years on an Imaginos comic book and
multi-media (video game) project, but it is unknown if this project will
ever be finished.
     Bolle Gregmar provided a list of songs which Albert mixed in 1985
in the planned order of the tracks:
    1.  I Am The One You Warned Me Of 2.  Imaginos 3.  Gil Blanco County
    4.  Del Rio's Song 5.  Blue Oyster Cult 6.  Blue Oyster Cult Reprise
    7.  Half-Life Time 8.  Les Invisibles 9.  The Girl That Love Made
    Blind 10. The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's
    Castle At Weisseria 11. In The Presence Of Another World 12.
    Imaginos Overture 13. Astronomy 14. Magna Of Illusion 15. Magna Of
    Illusion Chorale (a capella reprise of the first verse)
     Albert Bouchard provided a list of songs which might be applicable
to the rest of the Imaginos trilogy.  They appear, with his comments, as
follows:
Act One: The Imaginos album we're familiar with. Act Two: Bombs over
Germany Workshop Of The Telescopes The Girl That Love Made Blind * ME
262 The Red And The Black Cities On Flame ** Shadow Of California
Half-Life Time + Veteran Of The Psychic Wars ++ Career Of Evil ++ Act
Three: The Mutant Reformation Take Me Away ++ The Vigil ++ ETI R. U.
Ready 2 Rock Heavy Metal Flaming Telepaths Gil Blanco County *
Redeemed * Left off the original Imaginos album ** "Motor City is
Burning" version -- based somewhat on the MC5 song + Very few have heard
this one ++ Non-Pearlman songs because I never plan to write another
with him and these tunes kind of fit into the story
What is the story told by the album, *Imaginos*?
================================================
     Sandy Pearlman, in an interview with *Kerrang* magazine (September
1988) says, "Basically, it's an interpretation of history - an
explanation for the onset of World War I, or a revelation of the occult
origins of it.  Imaginos is the main character, and is what I call 'an
actor in history'.  He plays different roles in history and was born as
a modified child, modified by an alien influence, and his mission is to
present the human race with the challenge of evil.  The aliens are
playing with our history as if it's a game, and he motivates the game
and presents the choices to the human race.  They react as they will."
Sandy Pearlman also says that the story explains what the "Blue Oyster
Cult" is.  "They are aliens.  When Imaginos is dying on a beach (in the
song 'Blue Oyster Cult'), they announce their presence to him and give
him a choice - side with them or die as a human.  He chooses the former
and realizes he was one of them after all.  In 'Astronomy' he realizes
he is descended from the stars."
     Of course, the above statements leave much left untold, and subject
to interpretation.  Such discussion went on between various individuals
on BOC-L, and this discussion was captured, distilled, and condensed
into a sort of mini-thesis by BOC-L member Bryce "The Subhuman" Baker.
His complete work may be available (either now or soon) in the BOC-L
archives.  An edited version of his work is presented here (note: quotes
that go unreferenced are either from the liner notes or song lyrics):
The Saga of Imaginos begins with the discovery of the New World by the
Spanish.  "Out beyond the Europe's rim the Spaniards met the Indians."
The Indians:  the natives of the New World, the Aztecs, Haitians, and
others.  "To the Spanish, agents of a Catholic Sovereign, the New World
was no place of grace ... anti-genesis, anti-Eden, seat of evil, pit of
darkness ... the priests in the expeditions could imagine no place worse
than this place ... visibly in the thrall of invisible spirits."  These
spirits: Les Invisibles - The Invisible Ones.
It is assumed that the Indians of the New World (in particular, the
Aztecs and the Haitians) worshipped Les Invisibles (which we also assume
to number seven).  Les Invisibles' seat of power is Haiti, "... still a
dream world, seat of Les Invisibles ...", suggesting a connection
between their world and our world.  This is not taken to be a physical
connection (as a portal, for example), but a religious connection, as
The Vatican is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church.
Haitian Voodoo references are indeed present in Imaginos, Baron Samedi
(see the lyrics to 'Les Invisibles') is reportedly the Voodoo lord of
graveyards, and Les Mesteres (also in "Les Invisibles") is reportedly
another name for the Loa, the seven African spirits worshipped in
Voodoo.  Regarding the dance of Don Pedro, ghost-dancing (a group dance
for communication with the dead) plays a large part in Haitian religious
beliefs, and apparently played a similarly large role in Aztec religious
customs; drums seem to have been the instrument of choice (see lyrics in
'Les Invisibles' and 'Del Rio's Song').  As to the identity of Don
Pedro, the emperor Montezuma supposedly had a Spanish-sympathizing son
named Don Pedro who helped rebuild the Mexican capital after its
destruction by the Spanish.  How this could tie in is unclear, and may
simply be a coincidence.
If rich in its evil, the New World was also rich in its gold.  At first,
to the Spaniards, the gold was "no luminous mirror of delight, but
rather, a mirror of blackness."  But as fear turned to greed, in this
gold, this mirror of blackness, "the Spaniards discovered for themselves
an image of self without limit ... the invention of all new things, the
invention of genocide."  Greed overcame fear.  Civilizations were wiped
out (under the guise of religious purification), and Spanish power in
Europe rose, fueled by the gold from the New  World.  "For hundreds of
years, all the gold ... came from the New World ... the seduction of the
Old World by the New World - innocence corrupts experience."
Ultimately, the Spain/Portugal monopoly on the New World was broken by
England, under the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603).  "Her occult
advisor was a Dr. John Dee.  He spoke, he said, with invisible spirits
and in his possession was a magic mirror of black volcanic glass ... it
was fashioned in Mexico."  Dee's associate, Edward Kelly, looked into
the stone, and Dee recorded his visions (this mirror and some of Dee's
other paraphernalia are on display in London in the British Museum). The
interpretation relative to the Imaginos story is that Les Invisibles
somehow made this mirror available to Dee, and information gained from
using it was used in the destruction of Spanish power.  It has been
suggested that this was a form of 'retaliatory strike' at Spain by Les
Invisibles for invading Mexico and eradicating much of the religion
devoted to them.  However, it is seems more likely that this wasn't a
'retaliatory strike' at all, but part of a larger, centuries-spanning
scheme by Les Invisibles to cause strife and bloodshed in Europe,
continuing all the way to World War I, and perhaps beyond.  It should be
noted that in contrast to the relative black mirror of New World gold
mentioned in the first paragraph, here we have the first appearance of
an actual, physical black mirror.
In the early 1800's, (perhaps in the month of August) Les Invisibles
cause the birth of a 'modified' child - Imaginos - in New Hampshire. His
powers include the ability to see the future to some degree ("singing
songs nobody knew and stories left undone") and to change his shape
("actually this Buzzardo was Imaginos in disguise").  Ignorant of his
future role and billing himself as somewhat of an adventurer, he travels
North America (at least Vermont and Texas) before winding up in New
Orleans in 1829.  Still acting as an "adventurer", he heads up an
"expedition", sailing the Mississippi south towards Mexico.  Realizing
that there may be more of a reason behind his powers than he previously
believed, and perhaps having visions or some other drive, he has goals
for the expedition he isn't telling his crew.  He is heading south to
the Yucatan, to a place "just between the verse and me" where he will
find something "lost, last and luminous, scored to sky yet never found".
Somewhere along the trip, the boat is shipwrecked near land.  As
Imaginos lies on the shore, seriously injured and dying, his friends,
the survivors of the shipwreck, leave him alone to die "on a shore where
oyster beds seem plush as down".  The morning tide washes in and he
drowns.  As can be seen here, Imaginos' ability to see into the future
is limited to some degree, or he would have been able to foretell of his
upcoming shipwreck.
This shipwreck, however, was no accident.  As he drowns, Les Invisibles
come to Imaginos and show him everything:  "the Invisible [Ones] visible
at last and manifest; no mere hints or traces".  Knowing who and what he
is and the role carved for him in future events, he agrees to become the
Invisible Ones' agent on earth; he becomes one of the "Blue Oyster
Cult", the servants of Les Invisibles.  Les Invisibles, acting through
the "oyster boys" (some kind of fish-like creature) resurrect Imaginos
from the dead.  He is now their agent, "unleashed to forge a new
destiny; he is Imaginos called Desdinova."
After the shipwreck, it is clearly stated in the liner notes that
Imaginos dies.  The song "Blue Oyster Cult" contains a bit about "The
Dream of Luxor", which is an Egyptian reference to rebirth:  "Luxor,
site of the southern Temple of Amun, built essentially by Amenophis III
and Ramesses II.  The image of Amun from the temple at Karnak spent the
flood season here ... at Luxor, Amun took the form of Min, a mummiform,
ithyphallic fertility god ... fertility gods in Egyptian religion were
associated with rebirth and immortality." (Jean Lansford)
"We understand, and so do I" and "One deal is what we made" from "Blue
Oyster Cult", taken along with the liner notes for "Astronomy" point to
the "all is made clear" inference (and also to the 'I didn't know what
the hell's going on with me' inference mentioned above).  It isn't
really very clear just who or what the Oyster Boys are, just that they
somehow are connected with The Invisible Ones.
The next songs in the cycle are mainly descriptive, rather than playing
out the story.  "I Am the One You Warned Me Of" - Imaginos, reborn,
fully aware of who and what he is.  "Fresh from zones of moisture":  on
that "shore where oyster beds seemed plush as down" to a drowning young
Imaginos.  We almost get a sense of 'excitement' from this song.  Albert
Bouchard had an interesting comment on the song and the lyric "and
afterwards the meat":  "This song was influenced by "Memo from Turner"
and was supposed to be about Imaginos getting down and lascivious."
"In the Presence of Another World" - Imaginos, the earthly agent of Les
Invisibles, still aware of his former self, but now so much more, and
forebodings of the evil to come.  "The Siege and Investiture of Baron
Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" - the continuation of Les
Invisibles' influence on earth - earlier, through corruption by gold,
now through corruption by technology.
The liner notes have a lot to say on the reborn Imaginos:
     "This then is Imaginos of whom it will be said, between what he can
realize and what he can imagine, there is to be nothing and no distance.
His will be the perfect sight. 'Behind closed eyes realize your sight.'
Through the powers of perfect vision and Imaginos, vested in him by Les
Invisibles, he will bring the world to a rendezvous with its own
destiny, to change the world's course, to -write- history, to tilt the
axis of destiny - Imaginos becomes the world's greatest actor, a
transcendent role player, an actor in history."
It can only be assumed that between his rebirth (~1829) and the next
song in the story (Magna of Illusion, ~1892), Imaginos is somehow living
up to this role, involving himself in key events that will lead up to
the grand conclusion.
1892, Imaginos, now in the role of an old sea captain:
     "Out beyond the Europe's rim and further by far, beyond the sphere
of light, into a place where darkness is omnipotent and never from
hungry.  In Mayaland in the Yucatan he will discover an unheard-of
temple or pyramid.  At the core of the pyramid, with only one way in and
no way out, is a chamber of jade, curiously sculpted with impossible
angles, itself surrounding something hardly there, a new germ, made from
'pieces of the perfect black.'
[jumping down a paragraph in the notes...]
     "In the chamber of jade is a mirror carved of blackest obsidian,
black volcanic glass, tempered with blood: 'the sugar of sacrifice.'
Obviously a magic mirror, it is nothing less than the Magna of Illusion:
the last song in the cycle.  In it Imaginos, now playing the of an old
English sea captain in the 1890's, takes the mirror from Mexico (which
is nowhere) to Europe.  He takes it by crime and blood from the jungle
to give to his granddaughter on her birthday.  It sits in her family's
attic in misty Cornwall for ten years or more.  Poisoning Europe ..."
[moving back up a paragraph in the notes...]
     "When thrust in vivo into Europe's all too fertile soil, this new
germ will - having grown ever more powerful and mature, having in fact
become an organism - beam ridding voices direct to the brains of the
(European) multitudes.  The voices call in hunger for absolute darkness
and absolute light.  They are ready.  We are ready.  It is ready"
[moving back down...]
     "And then World War I breaks out.  A disease with a long
incubation."
Some random general reflections:
1.  If you follow the story, it is obvious that the songs on the album
are in the wrong order.  There is, however, this 'random access history'
disclaimer.  It has been speculated that the record company screwed up
the order of the songs and the random access bit was added afterwards.
That is completely unsubstantiated, and probably not true, but who
knows?  In the liner notes, an order is listed, but my interpretation of
the real order (substantiated by Albert Bouchard) is:
Les Invisibles Imaginos Del Rio's Song Blue Oyster Cult Astronomy I Am
The One You Warned Me Of      } these two could flip flop In The
Presence Of Another World   } The Siege And Investiture . . . Magna Of
Illusion
2.  An issue that has not been explored is the origin or the location of
Les Invisibles. From the liner notes and overall feel of the album, you
get the impression of another, mystical world, beyond our time and
space, and that is how the story has been interpreted above.  But to
throw in a wrench, I quote Albert Bouchard in Morning Final #10:
     "Basically, what it is that this guy comes down from a spaceship,
and he lands in New Hampshire.  I don't know if he has a son or not, but
there's a young Immaginos (note:  "Immaginos" was Albert's intended
spelling) that is hatched from the spaceship in New Hampshire.  He
drifts down towards Texas.  When he's in Texas he discovers that he has
all sorts of powers that regular people don't have.  I guess that he's
probably not completely aware that he's an extra-terrestrial."
Note that his interview was in 1982 (and done for some metal magazine,
it was never published), a lot could have changed in the time between
the interview and when the final version(s?) of the story was settled
on.  But if you look at some of the lyrics out of context, we have:
"the rhyme of the star clock"                   [Les Invisibles] this
"starry wisdom"                            [I Am The One ...] how even
"space can modulate"                   [In The Presence ...] the milky
"way abyss inclines" the buried city in the stars" from the glare of
"stars, the starry wisdom"    [The Siege And ...]
Again, the above quotes are -completely- out of context and are meant
just to provide a (weak) counterview to the mystical, almost religious
viewpoint.  Also, a mystical location and an outerspace location are by
no means mutually exclusive.  But, to tighten that wrench:
"and don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent" [Astronomy]
"Astronomy...a star!"                           [Astronomy] approached
"the sun, in August"                 [Imaginos]
Sirius: The Dog Star, a star of the constellation Canis Major, the
brightest star in the heavens.  Used for navigational purposes because
it usually remains fixed in the sky.  The Dog Days ... the period of in
late summer (between early July and late August) when Sirius rises and
sets with the sun.
And according to Dr. Paul Mather:
     "Okay, here's another Sirius connection.  I remember R.A. Wilson
making much about the connection between the "Dog Days" and Sirius.
There is a "primitive" African tribe - the Dogon tribe - who, it seems,
accurately detected the companion to Sirius and mapped its relationship
to Sirius.  This companion is invisible to the naked eye, and can only
be detected by x-rays (I seem to recall).  The tribe detected its
presence long before modern radio astronomy."
The plot thickens ...
     "The Dogon tribe worship a half-man, half-fish god, who is said to
come from the companion star, and who is said to have come down to
Earth."
This account was later shown to the bogus result of the tribe mixing
modern astronomy with their mythology, or something like that [from
FoFP].  But it was still widespread and certainly available to influence
a young Sandy Pearlman ...
 
In any event, as mentioned above, "outer space" and "beyond time and
space" are certainly not mutually exclusive.
3.  A few other BOC songs (not from *Imaginos*) have, either by title or
lyric, a similar sort of feel to them:  Harvester of Eyes, Flaming
Telepaths, Stairway to the Stars, Workshop of the Telescopes ("by those
who see with their eyes closed, they'll know me by my black telescope",
"the power that was undine"), ME-262 ("watch me in mirrors", and
"Captain Von Ondine" - see discussion below on the term, "undine").
     Another BOC fan has speculated that there may be a relationship
between the line "Dance the Don Pedro", and the hallucinogenic cactus
San Pedro.  A definition of the cactus reads as follows:
San Pedro.  A common ornamental cactus which is still widely available
for landscaping from local nurseries, particularly in desert states.
Known to the natives as the sacred cactus of the four winds.  This plant
is native to the western slopes of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and
Ecuador where it can grow to over 5 meters.  Used traditionally in
divination, diagnosis of disease, finding lost or stolen property, and
to possess another person's soul.  A form of the original San Pedro
religion still survives to this day, around Huacanada, Peru.
     Aside from the speculation that the cactus was perhaps part of the
Imaginos story, the definition of "sacred cactus of the four winds"
suggests a possible connection to the four winds bar in "Astronomy".
     There are some speculations as to how the song, "Workshop Of The
Telescopes" fits into the Imaginos story.  It is possible that the line
"Sees through the charms of Doctors and their wives" refers to Dr. John
Dee and his associate Ed Kelly mentioned previously.  Dr. Dee believed
that Kelly was in touch with cosmic forces, and Kelly was presumably
using this belief to get Dr. Dee to allow him to sleep with his wife.
"Salamander Drake" may refer to a fire-breathing dragon:  salamander - a
mythical animal having the power to endure fire without harm, an
elemental being in theory of Paracelsus inhabiting fire; drake - dragon.
Note:  There may be more to this, as the BOC lyric book capitalizes the
words "Salamander" and "Drake", implying perhaps a proper name rather
than a thing.  Perhaps "Drake" actually refers to Sir Francis Drake,
who, under approval of England's Elizabeth I, raided Spanish ships
bringing gold from Mexico (this ties in with some of the concepts of
*Imaginos* -- European conflict originating from the New World).
"Undine" (also mentioned in the song) is, according to the Swiss-born
alchemist and physician Paracelsus, a water-spirit that can obtain a
human soul by bearing a child to a human husband.  This may also refer
to "Captain Von Ondine" in the song, "ME-262" (perhaps Captain Von
Ondine is the child born of a water spirit - this also appears to tie in
with some of the concepts of *Imaginos*).
     A further note about the term "Ondine".  There is a rare brain
disorder known as "Ondine's Curse" where the victim can not breathe
involuntarily.  Ondine refers to a nymph of Greek mythology who offended
the gods.  As punishment, she was sentenced to think about every breath.
She could never sleep, for sleep would mean not thinking about
breathing, and she would die.
     Finally, the term "Ondine" may have simply come from a club in New
York called "Ondine's".  A 1967 issue of *Crawdaddy* magazine mentioned
a concert by The Doors there.
     From all of this discussion, it appears that the inspiration for
the story of *Imaginos* appears to come from various sources.  Another
possible source may be Jean Ray's 1965 collection of short stories
entitled *Ghouls in my Grave*.  One of the stories is entitled "The
Black Mirror", and contains the following 2 paragraphs which suggest
that perhaps Sandy Pearlman had read it:
"In 1842 the collection of curios formed at Strawberry Hill by Horace
Walpole was sold at auction.  Among the singular objects contained in it
was the famous black mirror of Dr. John Dee, physician, surgeon, and
astrologer of Queen Elizabeth I.  It was a piece of beautifully black
coal, perfectly polished and carved into an oval shape, with a handle of
brown ivory.  It had formerly been in the collection of the Earls of
Peterborough, bearing this description: 'Black stone by means of which
Dr. Dee called forth spirits.'"
and
"Yes, but Edward Kelley, the sinister pirate who clung to poor Dee like
a shadow, used the mirror for discovering hidden treasures and for
committing his mysterious crimes."