The Rediscovery of “Making Dedication” by First Person
In late 1989, Portland’s Q105 radio station aired a new music hour hosted by DJ Inessa Anderson. During one of these midnight sessions, a listener named Robi Knepp recorded a captivating post-punk track that resonated with the sounds of Joy Division. Despite his efforts, Robi couldn’t identify the song or its artist. In 2017, he shared the recording on Facebook, hoping the online community could help solve the mystery.
The enigmatic track, referred to as “Personal,” intrigued music enthusiasts worldwide. Various bands, including Nero’s Rome and The Wild Swans, were suggested as potential artists, but these leads proved unfruitful. The song’s origin remained elusive until November 2021, when a breakthrough occurred. Music historian SP Clarke, based in Portland, received the track from a Discord user named MarkTrail. Recognizing its potential significance, Clarke shared it with several local musicians. One of them, guitarist Stu Carpenter, immediately identified the song as “Making Dedication” by his former band, First Person.
First Person, a short-lived post-punk band from Portland, had recorded “Making Dedication” in 1989. The band members—Mark Johnson, Collin Colebank, Stu Carpenter, and Jordan Rzad—had since moved on to different endeavors. Upon rediscovering their work, bassist Jordan Rzad uploaded the original performance video to YouTube in early November 2021. This upload led to the song’s identification and renewed interest in the band’s music.
Following the song’s reemergence, the members of First Person reconnected. Drummer Collin Colebank located the master tapes, including a high-quality recording of “Making Dedication.” By early 2022, the band released this track along with other previously unreleased songs on various streaming platforms, allowing both old fans and new listeners to experience their music.
The journey of “Making Dedication” from an unidentified radio recording to a celebrated piece of Portland’s musical history underscores the enduring impact of music and the dedication of those who seek to preserve it.
Listen to the original performance of “Making Dedication” by First Person: https://www.youtube.com/embed/zEFhJcNAkEc
A link to First Person’s show list can be found at Concert Archives
Source: Lostwave’s Finest Wiki https://lostwaves-finest.fandom.com/wiki/Personal
A band that was often suggested was Nero’s Rome, and when James Angell was asked about the song, he simply replied with a thumbs up, but with no other info. However, when another band member was asked, they confirmed that it was not Nero’s Rome, and they had never heard the song before.
Another often suggested band was Wild Swans, but the singer of the band, Paul Simpson, confirmed that it wasn’t from them.
The song was reposted by the Slicing up eyeballs Facebook page, but this provided no new leads.
First Person 