St. Mark's Sounds is a record store mainstay in the East Village of Manhattan.

The Beastie Boys used to hang out here and listen to records in their hardcore days. They sold their first EP here, Polly Wog Stew, and MCA was reported confused that the 7" would continually sell out each week. Mojo (of "Egg Raid on Mojo") also liked to shop here.

When Licensed to Ill dropped, record store employee Binky Phillips recalled that they listened to it nonstop.

Ad-Rock wrote lyrics to "Paul Revere" on the steps outside of St. Mark's Sound.

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Although Ad-Rock likes to rock the Stuyvesant P.E. T-shirt, the only Beastie to attend Stuyvesant was Kate Schellenbach (original drummer during their hardcore days).

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In the basement of this address, Dave Ratcage (a.k.a. Dave Parsons) ran Rat Cage Records, a popular record store/hang-out for the hardcore scene in the early 80's. The editor of Mouth Of The Rat 'zine and a NY contributor to MRR, Dave would keep the shop open until 4 in the morning for the kids.

In August of 1981, Dave went to the see the Beastie Boys first show. He approached the Beasties about recording, they were enthusiastic, and he arranged for them to record at Studio 171-A for their first release, the Polly Wog Stew EP on Ratcage Records.

Later, he released the Beastie Boys Cooky Puss 12" on Ratcage Records. This was a departure from the hardcore punk sound for the B-Boys; it was an experimental hip-hop(ish) release that was a crank call over a series of beats. The track started to get played in discos, and the Beasties had something of a hit on their hands...

A transexual, Dave later became Donna, moved to Europe, and died of cancer in 2003.

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On August 5th, 1981, the Beastie Boys played their first show in guitarist John Berry's loft. It was Adam Yauch's 17th birthday.

It was at this party that Dave Parsons of the Rat Cage record store said that he wanted to start recording bands, and asked the Beastie Boys if they were interested. They said yes, and the Polly Wog Stew EP was the result.

The name BEASTIE is actually an acronym: Boys Entering Anarchistic States Toward Internal Excellence.

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From 1991 to 1992, the Beastie Boys recorded Check Your Head at G-Son Studios in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. With Mario Caldato, Jr. as co-producer, the album marked the Beasties return to instrumentation. This progression is illustrated with the cover shot of the album (by Glen E. Friedman) that shows the Beastie Boys sitting on the curb with their instrument cases.

The location became the Los Angeles headquarters for Grand Royal Records, the Beastie Boys' subsidiary of Capitol records.

In 2006, the location was put up for sale on craigslist.

Glendale Boulevard Boulevard
Glendale Boulevard Is Where I'm At-
"Do It", Ill Communication, Beastie Boys

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