Around this time, Wilson "fell right into" playing lounge music on the side, just as his father had. Gary Wilson went to Albert Grossman's Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York in 1976, a well-known recording studio that has played host to sessions by Bob Dylan, R.E.M., Patti Smith, The Rolling Stones and many other notable acts. There, Wilson recorded versions of "6.4 = Make Out", "Chromium Bitch", "Groovy Girls", and "I Want To Lose Control". He eventually decided that he would prefer to record at his familiar home studio and finished recording "You Think You Really Know Me", his first album, in his parents' basement. On this recording, Wilson sometimes played solo and was other times accompanied by a backing band, The Blind Dates. He pressed, distributed, funded and released the album himself. Wilson pressed 300 copies in 1977 and a further 300 copies in 1979 (he now claims that he only has two original copies left in his personal possession from these pressings). In 1991, Cry Baby Records re-released the album, pressing about 1000 copies. His 1970s concert performances were cited as bizarre and outrageous, a "show that included cellophane, duct tape, bed sheets, fake blood, flour, and milk." So outlandish were the shows that often they would have their electricity cut in attempts to get them to leave the stage. After receiving a small amount of radio play, Wilson decided to try and pursue landing a record deal and moved west to California in 1978. There he recorded three singles, "In the Midnight Hour/When I Spoke of Love" (1978), "Forgotten Lovers E.P." (1979) and "Invasion of Privacy" (1980). Although he did have some supporters (receiving fanmail during the period from the band The Residents), viable commercial success did not find Wilson. After a 1981 American tour, he retired from the experimental music scene and dropped off the public radar. Wilson then lapsed into obscurity until around 1996, when Beck was heard citing him as an influence in concerts, at award ceremonies, and on his album, "Odelay". Beck also namechecked the musician in his hit single "Where It's At": "Passin' the dutchie from coast to coast/like my man Gary Wilson rocks the most." Around the same time, he was cited by the people behind Sub Pop Records as a major influence on their company. In the early 2000s, Motel Records began a search to find the reclusive musician, but were unsuccessful (even after hiring a private detective).