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AA & HOSPITALS - LONG BEACH, CA JULY 1960 (2 CDs)
This historically significant recording was made in July of 1960 at the Third International AA convention in Long Beach, California. This 2 CD set is the complete AA and Hospitals Meeting. Besides Bill Wilson each of the speakers represents a type of hospital. Colonel Townes (the son of Charlie Townes who founded Townes Hospital and who was a friend of Bill Wilson) represents PRIVATE - FOR PROFIT hospitals. Sister Ignatia represents CHARITY NON-PROFIT hospitals. Dr Bradley represents GOVERNMENT TAXPAYER SUPPORTED hospitals.
The talks are all very interesting in a general way to members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Colonel Townes talks about Dr Silkworth and Bill Wilson. He also recounts some of the history of Townes Hospital and its treatment of alcoholics and Drug Addicts. He tells some rather funny stories about some of the strange things that happened.
Sister Ignatia gives her talk about how she began working with drunks along with Dr Bob. Without trying, some of the things she says are also hilariously funny. Bill Wilson talks about AA and its relationship to medical science. Dr Bradley talks about treatment of mental patients with Alcoholism at State Hospitals.
Contents – 22 Tracks
Length – 109 Minutes
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AA FOUNDER'S GRAVESIDE SERVICE - AKRON, OH 6-25-76
This is a recording made at Mount Peace Cemetery in Akron, Ohio on June 25th, 1976. It was recorded on Founder’s Day at the gravesite of Doctor Bob and his wife, Anne Ripley Smith. This memorial service was conducted to honor both Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob. This is the entire recording, complete with an excellent talk and songs sung by the choir with organ accompaniment. The service begins with a brief moment of silence and then the serenity prayer. The choir sings a few songs including Amazing Grace. A gentleman speaks briefly then introduces John Parr – the Big Book Story author of “The Professor and the Paradox.” You can tell John feels he owes a lot to AA’s Founder’s as he begins to tell the story of the founding of the fellowship in his slow, southern drawl. He touches on all the memorable points from the early days of AA including the first meeting of the co-founders to the present day. John speaks of the offer that was made to Doctor Bob to build a large monument to his memory right on this grave sight. He tells of how Doctor Bob humbly said “No Thanks,” then points to the gravestone and points out that there is not a single word about Doctor Bob’s involvement with AA. That’s the way he wanted it, and that the monuments to our co-founders are in the hearts of all of AA’s members. As John is talking you can hear the occasional nature sounds, such as birds chirping and dogs barking. It makes you feel like you’re right there. The recording ends with the Lord’s Prayer.
Contents – 6 Tracks
Length - 27 Minutes
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AL D - HUBBARD, OH 4-1-65
Al was a member of the Humble Group in East Cleveland, Ohio. He recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Hubbard, Ohio on April 1st, 1956. Al is a very sincere speaker with a fair heavy Italian accent. He began drinking at age eight. Over the years he had many warnings from people about his drinking problems, but he paid them no attention. He always blamed others for his drinking problems - never himself. Al tells how he went into Rosary Hall in 1956. He was greeted by Sister Ignatia. He was given a drink that knocked him out for 36 hours. Al was in such bad shape at that point that they actually administered Last Rites. He tells about being twelfth stepped by an AA member. Al is a big believer in getting a home group and getting active within that home group.
Contents - 11 Tracks
Length - 54 Minutes
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AL MARINEAU - AUSTIN, TX JUNE 1968
Early California Alcoholics Anonymous member, Al Marineau gave this talk in Austin, Texas in June of 1968. He was a Hollywood musician with a very hearty laugh. Al first came into the “room” of AA on April 17th, 1941. There was only one meeting in Los Angeles at that time. He describes his alcoholic blackouts. Before joining AA, Al had tried taking the, “Cure,” which was a combination of alcohol overdosing and other chemicals administered by professionals. This made him very, very ill. In March of 1941, a fried told him about the Saturday Evening Post article on AA. Al talks a little about the Twelve Steps and what he did to stay sober.
Contents – 16 Tracks
Length – 80 Minutes
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AL MARINEAU - SALINAS, CA 8-30-61
Al, from Hollywood, California delivered this AA talk in Salinas, California on August 30th, 1961. He was a very early AA member on the west coast. Al’s got a very hearty laugh. He worked as a trombone player for a few movie studios for over 40 years. He tells quite a few drinking jokes and stories. At the age of 38 in 1941, Al’s drinking had gotten him into the rooms of AA. He was not initially impressed but was indeed staying sober. Al lightly goes over the AA Steps.
Contents – 16 Tracks
Length – 79 Minutes
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AL SILVERMAN - CLEVELAND, OH 5-9-64
This is an old Alcoholics Anonymous talk by Al Silverman from Newark, New Jersey. It was recorded at the Carter Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio on May 9th, 1964 at the Cleveland 25th Anniversary Dinner. The recording is old but the message and the clarity are great. Al says he began his drinking during Prohibition. Al was a lawyer that represented many taverns in Newark and as a pay off, the taverns delivered 25 cases of beer every week to his apartment. This resulted in Al throwing many drunken parties. After Al tells his whole story and how he came to join AA, he goes over each of the 12 steps.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 66 Minutes
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AN INTIMATE INTERVIEW WITH LOIS WILSON (3 CDS)
This 3-CD set contains more than three hours of rare interviews with Lois Wilson, the wife of Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson. Bill Borchert wrote the movie, My Name is Bill W. He is the interviewer on these recordings. They were recorded prior to the making of that movie. Stored away for many years, these precious recordings are the most in-depth and personal testimonies ever shared by Lois Wilson.
Contents - 39 Total Tracks
Total Length - 3 Hours 16 Minutes
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ANDY E - NILES, OH 5-8-57
Andy, from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Niles, Ohio on May 8th, 1967. He grew up in Chicago and tells how his father had some major problems with alcohol at that time. Andy had his first drink right after enlisting in the marines during World War 2. He consumed a large amount of Southern Comfort and experienced his first blackout as well. Andy drank with that same reckless abandon for the next 17 years. He drank so much while in the military, that his official nickname was, "Alcoholic." Andy got married in 1953. He wound up in Akron, Ohio working for Ford Motor Company as a mechanic. Lots of family problems followed. Andy reached a point where he could not get drunk anymore. He spent a lot of time in St Thomas Hospital. He tells about his first AA meeting in Cuyahoga Falls. Andy didn't know what to expect but he DID know that he was in the right place. After several slips, Andy began attending meetings every single day. Andy says that today he still spends time in St Thomas Hospital, but not as a patient; he talks to the AA newcomers there. He also reads as much AA literature as he can get his hands on. At the end of this recording, Andy gratefully says, "I want to thank you all for helping me stay sober tonight."
Contents - 9 Tracks
Length - 43 Minutes
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ANNE CRAW - 1976
This is an Alcoholics Anonymous talk by Akron area oldtimer, Anne Craw. She was living in Niles, Ohio at the time of this recording and had attained 28 years of sobriety. The location of this recording is not known. Anne says that she was living in Akron, Ohio when AA was born there but she herself was not drinking. She describes how she would avoid this tall, shaky man that was frequently at the lunch counter in the Second National Bank Building where she worked. She assumed that the man had Palsy. Later, when Anne joined AA, she realized that the man at the counter was co-founder, Dr Bob. Anne tells how her drinking progressed over the years and her eventual moment of clarity. She talks about how Dr Bob helped her out immensely when she was new in the program. She also came to know Bill Wilson, Bill Dotson and Ethel Macy very well also. Near the end of this recording Anne tells how the AA program, and more specifically The Serenity Prayer, helped get her through the very rough time when her husband passed away.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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ANNE CRAW - SALEM, OH 11-21-66
Anne, from Niles, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Salem, Ohio on November 21st, 1966. Anne says that she was living in Akron, Ohio when AA was born but she never suspected that she would need their services. Anne began drinking alcoholically when she began to make frequent stops in a cocktail lounge after work. Her husband begged her to drink only at home so that she wouldn’t get into trouble. Anne made a couple of suicide attempts. She began attending AA meetings only to get a few people off her back. Anne finally made a complete surrender. She was the first woman in Warren, Ohio that achieved long-term sobriety. She now believes that continued attendance at AA meetings is the most important thing for her. Anne talks about spending some time with Dr Bob after she got sober. Dr Bob, Bill Wilson and Bill Dotson all gave her a lot of advice and encouragement in her early sobriety.
Contents - 12 Tracks
Length - 59 Minutes
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ANNE CRAW - STRONGSVILLE, OH DECEMBER 1959
Ann Craw, an AA oldtimer from Niles, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Strongsville, Ohio AA Group way back in December of 1959. Ann begins this talk by talking about Sister Ignatia. She says that Sister Ignatia knew her family very well and was surprised to find out that Anne had a drinking problem. Anne’s drinking really took off when she and her husband, Art moved to Arizona. Anne didn’t want to be there and she drank a lot in an attempt to be, “happy.” She moved back to the Akron area and went to her first AA meeting only to get her husband off her back. Anne describes the tremendous amount of remorse she felt when she couldn’t even stay in the hospital with her dying sister; she went out drinking for eight hours instead. On April Fool’s Day in 1948 she had her moment of clarity. Shortly after that she began to take AA seriously. She relied on AA co-founder, Dr Bob quite heavily for the first three months of her sobriety; frequently asking him questions. Nice, clear old recording.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 52 Minutes
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ANNE CRAW 1-31-72
This is an Alcoholics Anonymous talk by early AA member, Anne Craw. Anne recorded this talk on January 31st, 1972. She was 24 years sober at the time. In this recording Anne tells her story of drunkenness and eventual recovery. She tells it in a very clear, concise way. She was from the Akron area and had seen Dr Bob several times before he got sober. Before Anne herself ever took a drink of alcohol, she worked at the lunch counter at the Second National Bank in Akron. Dr Bob would frequently stop in but never ordered any food. Anne says he would sit down shaking pretty badly and would usually order Bromo Seltzer, Tomato Juice and Aspirin. At the time Anne was very naïve and believed that this poor man had Palsy. Her boss eventually informed her that Dr Bob was always nursing a “perpetual hangover.” Anne is mentioned on page 34 of the book, “DR BOB AND THE GOOD OLD TIMERS.” Anne was also close friends with Bill Wilson, Sister Ignatia, Bill Dotson and Ethel Macy. This recording is a good piece of AA history.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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AUSTIN RIPLEY - AMARILLO, TX 10-13-56
Austin recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Top-O-Texas Roundup in Amarillo, Texas on October 13, 1956. Austin Ripley was a spiritual mentor of Father Joseph Martin. Father Martin is frequently mentioning Austin in his talks. In this AA talk, Austin pays quite a bit of tribute to the wives of alcoholics and continues on to give a very spiritual talk. He wraps it up by saying, “When our hands are finally in that last cold clasp of death, the only things we shall own are those we have given away.”
Contents - 10 Tracks
Length - 50 Minutes
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AUSTIN RIPLEY - RUIDOSO, NM MAY 1954
Austin Ripley from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Tri State Convention in Ruidoso, New Mexico back in May of 1954. This recording is very clear. Austin was the founder of Guest House the treatment center for alcoholic priests in Lake Orion, Michigan. He also became the sponsor and mentor of well-known AA speaker, Father Joseph Martin. In this talk, Austin speaks about many topics. He talks about attaining victory through surrender. Austin speaks of charity towards our fellow AAs, the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous and the AA way of life. Good talk by an early AA member.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 61 Minutes
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AUSTIN RIPLEY - THE HISTORY OF GUEST HOUSE (2 CDs)
Austin Ripley recorded this speech around the year 1969. Austin, from Colfax, Wisconsin was the sponsor of Father Joseph Martin and the founder of the well-known treatment center for alcoholic priests in Lake Orion, Michigan called Guest House. He tells the entire story of how Guest House came to be. He ran into an enormous amount of difficulties with the Catholic Church, the archbishop, lawyers, etc. After hearing his talk, it’s amazing that the idea of Guest House ever got off the ground in the first place; a very interesting historical recording.
Contents – 13 Total Tracks
Total Length – 126 Minutes
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BARRY LEACH - COLUMBUS, OH 1-3-80
Barry was the author of the Alcoholics Anonymous book called, “Living Sober.” He also did quite a bit of work for the GSO. Barry, from New York City gave this AA talk at the Ohio General Service Convention in Columbus, Ohio on January 3rd, 1980. His first contact with AA was in January of 1945 but it “didn’t take.” Barry had his last drink in 1952 on his way to Bellevue Hospital in New York where he spent some time in a padded cell. One of his closest friends was Marty Mann. Barry also tells of hearing Bill Wilson speak several times. He talks about Lois Wilson with whom he was very close. He served as Lois’ escort when she traveled. Barry was gay, but was very discreet about it, although most friends knew about him and his companion, who preceded him in death.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 60 Minutes
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BERNARD SMITH - LITTLE ROCK, AR 1956
This is a very interesting early recording of Bernard Smith. Bernard was a non-alcoholic chairman of the General Service Board. In this very thorough talk Bernard covers many topics including, The Alcoholic Foundation and some of his personal experiences with Bill Wilson. This is a chance to hear from a man who was there during the earliest days of Alcoholics Anonymous. There are also not many recordings that had been made of Bernard over the years.
Contents – 16 Tracks
Length – 78 Minutes
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BERNARD SMITH - MIAMI, FL 7-4-70
Bernard made this recording at the 1970 Alcoholics International Conference in Miami, Florida. Bernard was the non-alcoholic chairman of the General Service Board. It is believed to be his last recorded talk. At the time of this talk, Bernard was the oldest living trustee. He’s an excellent speaker and the topic of his talk is: Unity & Continuity.
Contents - 11 Tracks
Length - 55 Minutes
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BILL C - WARREN, OH 3-5-67
Bill, from Willoughby, Ohio delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Warren Sunday Breakfast in Warren, Ohio on March 5th, 1967. Bill begins his talk by very vividly describing how he woke up on the morning he hit bottom. The last five years of his drinking had been a blur. He drank bottle, after bottle, after bottle……. Bill somehow managed to call the AA Central Office in Cleveland and spoke with a very knowledgeable alcoholic by the name of Maggie. Maggie knew him better than he knew himself. Bill goes on to tell that his own father drank himself to death. Bill swore that he would never be in that position. Since Bill was a confirmed atheist, he had a problem with prayer after joining up with AA. Bill says two major things have changed in his life after attaining sobriety. He now has the power of choice, and the extreme loneliness that he felt while drinking is gone.
Contents - 12 Tracks
Length - 60 Minutes
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BILL D - BOARDMAN, OH 5-6-67
Bill, from Warren, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Boardman, Ohio on May 6th, 1967. At the time of this recording, Bill had only been in AA for about a year. Bill grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania and had an alcoholic father. The first time Bill got drunk was in school in third grade. People began taunting him by saying, “Like father, like son.” At age 13, Bill’s drinking landed him in reform school. Bill eventually got married, had a few kids, and became a “Drunken Boy Scout Leader.” Bill’s wife finally called AA and within a few hours they were there. Bill was very impressed that two men would go out of there way to help someone that they didn’t even know. After the initial excitement of sobriety wore off, Bill found himself very depressed. The only thing that would ward off the depression was to continue attending meetings. Bill reads a list of the seldom heard, “12 Rewards of AA.”
Contents – 7 Tracks
Length – 35 Minutes
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BILL McSHANE - HUBBARD, OH 2-16-66
Bill McShane from Erie, Pennsylvania recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Hubbard, Ohio on February 16, 1966. Bill tells us that he took his first drink at age 21, just before going into World War 2. He felt that if he was going to defend his country, he was entitled to a drink. Little did he know that first drink was the beginning of 15 years in hell. Bill did a lot of drinking while in the service. He got out of the service and got married. His drinking was progressing this whole time. Bill realized that he seemed to drink the most when things were going RIGHT for him not when they were going WRONG. He began neglecting his family. Bill began his own welding business but lost it due to alcoholism. After that he was pretty much unemployable. He began stealing anything he could get his hands on, just to be able to drink. It was the AA pamphlet, "WHO ME" that got Bill's thinking on track. Bill entered the rooms of AA in Hubbard, Ohio. The group put him to work immediately in the kitchen. He says he now has a very, "Happy Sobriety." Bill does a lot of Twelve Step work. Good, solid AA talk.
Contents - 8 Tracks
Length - 40 Minutes
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BILL O'NEAL 2-27-69
Bill recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk on February 27th, 1969. At the time of this recording, Bill had been sober for 17 years. He tells about growing up and always looking for the Genie in the Lamp. Bill talks about getting drunk for the first time and finally finding his Genie. Beginning at that point, Bill often relied on his “Genie in the Bottle” to get him through some tough times. In two separate drunk driving accidents, Bill lost and eye and his left arm. He kept blaming other people, never himself. He was full of hate and resentment. His Genie eventually told him that HE was now the master and that Bill is his slave. At his lowest point, Bill said a prayer to God asking for help. He finally got the message when someone gave him a copy of Emmet Fox’s Sermon on the Mount. Toward the end, Bill says that when he finally found God, he had found a power greater than his, “Genie in the Bottle.”
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 53 Minutes
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BILL WILSON'S MEMORIAL SERVICE - BATON ROUGE, LA 2-14-71
This recording was made in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on February 14th, 1971, shortly after the death of Bill Wilson. The purpose of this Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was to memorialize the AA Co-Founder. There are many speakers from many different groups on this recording, all from the Baton Rouge area. Each speech is only a few minutes in length. There are many different kinds of talks on this recording. Some eulogize Bill Wilson, some tell the early history of AA, and some tell personal stories. A very interesting recording.
Contents - 15 Tracks
Length - 74 Minutes
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BOB PECK - WARREN, OH 3-3-68
Bob Peck, from Warren, Pennsylvania, recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Warren, Ohio on March 3, 1968. Bob grew up in Andover, Ohio with a strong background in alcoholism. His father was a heavy drinker who always made home brew, even when the family didn't have enough money for food. His father spent a lot of time in jail because of drinking related offenses. Bob had several family members die as a result of alcoholism. Bob joined the military and got into quite a bit of trouble because of his drinking. He was in and out of the military as well as several marriages. Bob was eventually released from the military with a "Bad Conduct" discharge. About this time, Bob became very familiar with the process of drying out in hospitals. He also began experimenting with the AA program. Broken and beaten up, Bob moved back in with his mother who got him well. He gave AA another try and this time something clicked for him. He began to see that the program could indeed work for him. Today, Bob surrounds himself with AA members and goes to a lot of meetings. Good recovery story.
Contents - 8 Tracks
Length - 40 Minutes
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BRUCE MANSFIELD - NILES, OH 12-21-67
Bruce Mansfield, a lawyer from Akron, Ohio delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Niles, Ohio on December 21st, 1967. He was sober for 22 years at the time of this recording. He begins his AA talk by speaking of some typical alcoholic behavior; characteristics that are common among drinkers. Bruce then goes on to tell his own story. He says he used to be continually watching the clock on the wall, counting the hours before he could leave his law office and go to the bar. Often while drunk, Bruce made a lot of phone calls, many of them long-distance. His own doctor advised him to go see Dr Bob Smith. Dr Bob spent a few hours with Bruce, sharing his own story of alcoholism and recovery. He did not check into the hospital as Dr Bob had suggested, but he did go to his first AA meeting in October of 1945. Eventually, the Big Book began making sense to him and he felt more and more at home at the meetings.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 73 Minutes
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CARL NASH - CLEVELAND, OH 10-31-67
Carl Nash, from Cleveland, Ohio delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at Rosary Hall in St Vincent’s Charity Hospital – Cleveland, Ohio on October 31st, 1967. Carl had been sober for a little over ten years at the time of this recording. He states that his father died an alcoholic and he swore that he would never drink because of that. Carl’s drinking got him locked up in every precinct in Cleveland. In 1948, Carl tried AA for the first time but only stayed around for about 6 months. His drinking continued through 1957. Carl eventually entered Rosary Hall and was served with divorce papers the same day he got out. Sister Ignatia gave him some tough love advice. Carl talks about the need for an attitude change when you come into AA. He shares some inspirational readings at the end of his talk.
Contents – 8 Tracks
Length – 40 Minutes
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CASMIR LAPINSKI - CLEVELAND, OH
Casmir was an early member of Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland, Ohio. He got sober in 1942. Casmir recorded this talk in the early 1980s at the Westside Morning Group in Cleveland, Ohio. Casmir says that he was a real alcoholic. He was one of the very low-bottom cases common in early AA. He tells how alcoholism progressed within him. He went from a descent respectable husband and employee to a rotten thieving drunken bum. He sank very low. Casmir tells how the AA seed was planted and then what happened some time afterward. He tells of his hospitalization and how he was visited by the AA members of the time. He tells how others helped him in the first months of his sobriety. Casmir talks about maintaining his sobriety, doing the best one can do with the steps and the four absolutes. He says, “We are only human, we can't do them perfectly but we can make a sincere effort.” This is a really talk by a guy with over 40 years of continuous sobriety who was still giving his phone number to newcomers and visiting hospitalized alcoholics. This is a good old timer talk made from an archival source tape from John Hay Library at Brown University.
Contents - 10 Tracks
Length - 48 Minutes
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CHARLES LINDENWOOD - FRANKLIN, PA 5-19-68
Oldtimer, Charles Lindenwood, AKA: The Arkansas Traveler recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Franklin, Pennsylvania on May 19th, 1968. At the time of this recording, Charles was sober for 23 years. In his great southern drawl, Charles tells joke after joke and story after humorous story. Some are very funny, some are kind of corny, but all of them make you smile because of his storytelling style. After about 35 minutes of his homespun humor, Charles begins to tell his own story. Even this will make you laugh. He tells how he woke up very messy after his first drunk; he had passed out in a chicken coop. Charles tells how his wife left him after she had sold everything in the house except for his soggy mattress. He eventually lost his house and his car as well. He tells how he learned to drink Bay Rum, Rubby Dub and Smoke. He had originally tried AA in 1940 but it just didn't work for him. Charles recalls reaching his final bottom in Washington, DC. He was extremely impressed with the way people looked in the rooms of AA. Charles says "I love being in AA and don't plan on going anywhere." Great talk - full of laughs.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length - 65 Minutes
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CHI WALKER - DETROIT, MI 1956
Chi Walker, from Kalamazoo, Michigan recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous message in Detroit, Michigan way back in 1956. We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to it yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 15 Tracks
Length - 72 Minutes
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CHOLLIE P - HUBBARD, OH 4-9-69
Chollie, from Chardon, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Hubbard, Ohio on April 9th, 1969. At the time of this talk, Chollie had been sober for about seven years. Chollie says he wasn’t sober at all for the last six years of his drinking. He had felt so sick every time he woke up he just began drinking again. “I’ve been in jail so many times, it’s pitiful.” Chollie was taken to St Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio for treatment. While there, he was visited by an AA member with 19 years of sobriety. Chollie says that today he’s very grateful to AA and the new friends he has found here.
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 43 Minutes
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CHUCK CHAMBERLAIN - A LOST WEEKEND (6 CDS)
This is a series of meetings for, what is believed to be the first Alcoholics Anonymous retreat ever conducted in southern California. All 6 CDs in this set are talks by Chuck Chamberlain from Laguna Beach, California who served as retreat master for all sessions. Just uncovered for the first time, Chuck discusses his spiritual philosophy at length. Chuck also speaks about his early life and drinking career, topics not extensively covered in his later talks and more famous retreat talks such as A New Pair of Glasses. The retreat took place on March 29th thru 31st in 1963 near Placentia, California.
The hilltop retreat was planned for AA men desiring to improve their spiritual awareness by practicing the principles of the Alcoholics Anonymous program. The meetings were held both indoors in the lodge, and outdoors in the open under a large brush arbor. In the outdoor meetings, you will hear the constant singing of birds, the shrill call of the peacock, and the crowing of the rooster. Chuck got sober at age 43 and had been sober for 17 years at the time of this recording. Among the many, many topics Chuck discusses are his spiritual experience and how he got the term, "A New Pair of Glasses" from Father Ed Dowling. We have edited this entire recording into five-minute long tracks for easy navigation.
Contents - 88 Total Tracks
Total Length - 7 Hours 14 Minutes
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CHUCK CHAMBERLAIN - AMARILLO, TX 10-18-59
We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to this yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 11 Tracks
Length - 71 Minutes
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CHUCK CHAMBERLAIN - AMARILLO, TX 8-15-66
Chuck Chamberlain from Laguna Beach, California recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Texas Roundup in Amarillo, Texas on August 15th, 1966. At the time, Chuck had been sober for 21 years. Chuck shares a lot of his AA wisdom on this recording. He does a little quoting from the Big Book. Overall, this is a nice, solid AA lead from a great AA speaker. Toward the end, Chuck does a great telling of the story of the Prodigal Son.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length - 65 Minutes
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CHUCK CHAMBERLAIN - BLACKSTONE, VA 4-27-63 (2 CDs)
Chuck Chamberlain of Laguna Beach, CA is the man that recorded the famous AA Talk known as “A NEW PAIR OF GLASSES.” This talk was recorded at Blackstone Retreat in Virginia on April 27th, 1963. This recording contains a very good recovery messages by this Alcoholics Anonymous pioneer.
Contents – 23 Tracks
Length – 104 Minutes
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CHUCK CHAMBERLAIN - NEW YORK, NY 4-26-53
As far as we know, this is the first recording of an Alcoholics Anonymous talk by the great speaker, Chuck Chamberlain. It was recorded at the Tudor Group in New York City on April 26th, 1953. Even way back then, Chuck had a great way of delivering a message. On this recording, Chuck says that he enjoys stating that he’s an alcoholic because it reminds him of how he failed in the Business of Living. He talks about the fact that he knew he had a problem in the last ten years of his drinking; his solution was to correct it on his own. Chuck talks about crossing that invisible line. He was so impressed at his very first AA meeting that he immediately began going to a meeting every night. Chuck says that he came to AA strictly to find sobriety but realized that he acquired much, much more than that. He’s an excellent “salesman” for the AA program.
Contents – 5 Tracks
Length – 25 Minutes
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CHUCK CHAMBERLAIN - THE DAY BILL WILSON DIED
On this recording, well known AA old timer, Chuck Chamberlain eulogizes Bill Wilson shortly after Bill’s death. This talk was recorded in New York in February of 1971. Chuck also gives a history of how Alcoholics Anonymous began and recalls a few personal stories about him and Bill Wilson.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 53 Minutes
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CLEM LANE - LITTLE ROCK, AR 8-7-55
Clem Lane, from Chicago, Illinois recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Little Rock, Arkansas way back on August 7th, 1955. This recording is not Clem’s own story of drinking and recovery, but a recording of how Alcoholics Anonymous works for people with a drinking problem. He opens his talk with a short story about resentment. He talks about the Serenity Prayer and how it relates to those in AA. Clem says that a good definition of serenity is the ability to put God between us and our troubles. He also briefly covers the steps and how important it is to live our lives twenty four hours at a time.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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CLIFF WALKER - BERKELEY, CA 10-20-63
Early West Coast AA pioneer, Cliff Walker delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Berkeley, California on October 20th, 1963. Cliff is introduced as being a member of the original AA group in Los Angeles. By 1939, Cliff says he was totally at the end of his rope; Alcohol had finally gotten the better of him. He tells about attending his first meeting. Cliff strongly objected to the steps and the God idea as well. After attending a few more meetings, he went out on one hell of a bender. He tells an interesting story about traveling to Phoenix, Arizona and getting some advice from a fellow early AA member by the name of Gordon. Shortly thereafter, Cliff returned to Los Angeles and the AA meetings with a real gusto. He shares some great information on how he got past some real issues with making amends. A great, historical AA talk.
Contents - 12 Tracks
Length - 57 Minutes
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CLIFF WALKER - EL PASO, TX 2-26-67
Cliff, from Whittier, California was a very early member of Alcoholics Anonymous in the Los Angeles area. He gave this talk in El Paso, Texas on February 26th, 1967. At the time that this recording was made, Cliff had 26 ½ years of continued sobriety. His wife, Dorothy was the one that actually found AA for Cliff in early 1940. Cliff went to his very first AA meeting in 1940 at the Cecil Hotel on skid row in Los Angeles. He tells how Mort Joseph opened that meeting at 10:30 PM with a reading of the twelve steps. Cliff gives a very vivid description of how he hit bottom. He said that Bill Wilson used to refer to his home group in Los Angeles as the Godless Group. The group had so few members back then that they couldn’t afford to scare anyone off with a lot of talk about God. This is a great talk by a very early west coat AA member.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 74 Minutes
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CORA LOUISE BELFORD - BLACKSTONE, VA 3-15-64
Cora Louise, from Leland, Mississippi delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Blackstone, Virginia on March 15th, 1964. Cora Louise attended her first AA meeting six years prior to this recording. During her drinking years, Cora Louise always believed she drank “because” her life was unmanageable, and not the other way around. She says she had to go into AA with a broken will because she never learned how to “bend” her will; it was always all or nothing with her. When she first entered AA she was scared as hell. Cora sums up her talk by stating how grateful she is to AA for saving her life.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 51 Minutes
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DANNY KURCHEV
Danny was an early AA member from Akron, Ohio. He is referred to as Danny K in the book, “Dr Bob and the Good Oldtimers.” In this undated Alcoholics Anonymous talk Danny says that he was born in Akron and that his father was a minister. He had a physical handicap that he was very sensitive about and began using alcohol as an escape. Danny never drew a sober breath from age 17 until he got sober many years later in the early 1940s. One day he woke up in St Thomas Hospital in Akron strapped to a bed and shaking off the effects of paraldehyde. Later, after relapsing and waking up in City Hospital in Akron, Sister Ignatia contacted him and told him to get himself back into AA. Because of its age, the quality of this recording is not perfect. It’s about a seven out of ten.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 54 Minutes
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DEWEY SPIES - CLEVELAND, OH 10-29-59
Dewey was one of the first 100 members of AA in the Cleveland area. Dewey recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Cleveland, Ohio on October 29th, 1959. Dewey tells his story and talks about early AA.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 51 Minutes
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DEWEY SPIES 1-17-69
Dewey, from San Mateo, California recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk on January 17th, 1969. He was one of the very early AA members in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Dewey went all through high school without ever tasting alcohol. He studied to be a priest for about a year before realizing that the church was not for him. He ended up working in the steel industry and that's where he began his drinking career. Dewey lost that job and many others due to drinking. He lost all his money in the 1929 stock market crash. One day Dewey woke up in a sanitarium in the Cleveland area. He was twelfth stepped there by an AA member. AA was very small at the time. He tells about some advice given to him by Dr Bob. Dewey also speaks quite a bit about the power of prayer. He tells how rewarding it was for him to take his first twelfth step call; that's when he finally felt like a certified member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dewey is a big believer in the AA newcomer getting some type of job within his home group, no matter how small. "You've got to feel that you're a part of this thing."
Contents - 11 Tracks
Length - 54 Minutes
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DICK BREEN - LOUISVILLE, KY 2-21-60
Dick Breen, a very powerful and dynamic speaker from Jackson, Mississippi recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 9th Annual Kentucky AA Conference in Louisville, Kentucky on February 21st, 1960. This is an old talk but the clarity is really great. Dick says that he’s the oldest of five children and nobody else is an alcoholic. His father was in the liquor business, so being Irish and having access to liquor is “A Wonderful Opportunity for a Budding Alcoholic.” He says he began his drinking rather late in life, at about age eight. At his worst point, Dick was down to 125 pounds, malnourished and had Beriberi. He tells how he walked into an AA Club on August 30th, 1941 and from that point on his life was changed. Dick’s date of sobriety is September 1st, 1941. He says that he needs AA more today than he did when he first entered the rooms. A nice, powerful lead from a guy that been around since the early days of the program.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 56 Minutes
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DICK POUTNEY - CLEVELAND, OH 11-8-84
Dick is an AA old-timer from Cleveland, Ohio. Dick got sober way back in 1955. When he recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Cleveland, he had just shy of thirty years of sobriety. Dick grew up in Cleveland and had his first drink when he joined the merchant marines. He drank for five years and was one of the few people who ever got thrown out of the merchant marines. Years later, back in Cleveland, his drinking had gotten so bad that all of the bartenders banned him from drinking in their taverns. Dick eventually entered Rosary Hall. He tells some humorous stories about how Sister Ignatia finally broke through to him. Dick says he’ll always remember how Sister Ignatia hugged him on Rosary Hall “graduation day,” and then made some comment about like, “He’s never gonna make it.” Dick tells about the time when his home group members had to pitch in and buy him some decent clothes so he could meet the visiting Bill and Lois Wilson. He says the most important day of his life was when he heard an AA speaker say, “I have never seen anyone get drunk if they had gotten down on their knees that morning and asked God to keep them sober, just for today.” This is a good, solid AA talk from and early Cleveland member.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 71 Minutes
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DICK POUTNEY - SAGAMORE HILLS, OH 2-25-79
Dick gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Golden Link Group in Sagamore Hills, Ohio on February 25th, 1979. He was sober for 24 years at the time of this recording. Dick grew up on the west side of Cleveland. He began his drinking after joining the Merchant Marines. He drank while in the Merchant Marines from 1943 to 1948 and was thrown out at that time. Dick lived on skid row in New York City for over two years. He talks about going into Rosary Hall and being tapered off of whisky. He tells how sister Ignatia gave him several doses of Tough Love.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 59 Minutes
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DON CASINI - LEAVITTSBURG, OH 3-30-68
Don, from Cleveland, Ohio delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk on March 30th, 1968 in Leavittsburg, Ohio. Don tells about getting married in 1942, but it was during an alcoholic blackout and he has no recollection, to this day, who he married. At one time, Don lived on the west coast and hung out with the Dead End Kids, several of whom have died from alcoholism since. Don went into Rosary Hall in Cleveland and was put under the care of Sister Ignatia. He was yellow and bloated. Sister Ignatia told him that if he made it through the night, it would be a miracle. She immediately called a priest. Don stayed for nearly three months. He grew very close to Sister Ignatia and talks about her quite a bit. Don along with Bill Wilson, were pall bearers at her funeral. He asks that people keep Sister Ignatia in their prayers since tomorrow will be the second anniversary of her passing away.
Contents - 10 Tracks
Length - 50 Minutes
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DR EM JELLINEK 10-29-57
This is a very unique recording. Unfortunately it is not a very clear recording. Elvin Morton Jellinek (1890-1963), was nicknamed, “Bunky” by Bill Wilson. He was a biostatistician, physiologist, and an alcoholism researcher. We’re including here in our collection because it’s the only recorded talk that we know of that Dr Jellinek made. This recording would be only for the die-hard AA history fan. He’s a little difficult to understand at times, partly because of his accent but mostly because of the condition of the recording.
Contents -16 Tracks
Length – 78 Minutes
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DR HARRY TIEBOUT - LONG BEACH, CA 7-1960
This is a recording by Bill Wilson’s psychiatrist, Doctor Harry Tiebout. Dr Tiebout treated Bill for many years. In the mid-nineteen-forties, Bill went into a deep fit of chronic clinical depression that lasted for more than eleven years. Back in 1939, Dr Tiebout had Ms. Marty Mann (author of the Big Book chapter "Women Suffer Too) as a patient, when a multilith copy of the A.A. book Alcoholics Anonymous came into his hands. He gave it to Marty to read, and she was converted. Dr. Tiebout was the first psychiatrist to put his stamp of approval on the A.A. Twelve-Step program of treating alcoholism, and he had nothing but praise for the Twelve Steps as a treatment program for alcoholism. He was chairman of the National Council on Alcoholism in 1950, and served on the Board of Trustees for Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. from 1957 to 1966. On this CD, Dr Tiebout speaks in depth about Humility and Ego. He felt that the spiritual awakening is nothing short of miraculous whether it takes place suddenly or slowly. He tells us that sobriety must me worked for; it will not be handed to us on a silver platter. He presents the formula: Hitting Bottom plus Surrender equals Personality Change. Dr Tiebout states that the Ego can be a very dangerous thing and it is no accident that people in his profession are also known as “Head Shrinkers.” Bill Wilson is also present at this talk. He speaks for a few minutes after Dr Tiebout is finished. He speaks of Dr Tiebout’s dedication to the program. He also speaks about Dr Silkworth.
Contents - 10 Tracks
Length - 50 Minutes
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DR HARRY TIEBOUT - ST LOUIS, MO 7-5-55
This recording was made at the 2nd International Alcoholics Anonymous Convention in St Louis, Missouri on July 5th, 1955. Dr Tiebout begins his talk by saying that he joined AA by proxy because one of his patients became a member of the New York group back in 1939. He says that this was a very exciting time in AA. A lot of things were happening in AA including an AA member going on the Gabriel Heatter radio show. He says he learned quite a bit from his AA patients back then. One patient explained the phenomenon of surrender to him that really hit home. He had told Dr Tiebout that an alcoholic can go through crisis after crisis, but until you make a surrender, your life will not turn around. Another patient, in reference to his ego getting out of control again, said he believed he was suffering from, “Halotosis.” Surrender is the main topic of this great speech by Dr Harry Tiebout.
Contents – 5 Tracks
Length – 23 Minutes
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