Joe McQ and Charlie P met in 1973, they instantly discovered their mutual fascinations with AA's basic textbook, Alcoholics Anonymous commonly called "The Big Book". They would frequently meet to discuss The Big Book, often driving 225 miles to meet in each other's homes.
In 1977, some AA members met in a Tulsa, Oklahoma hotel room for a discussion on The Big Book. One member asked Joe and Charlie to come to his home group to present a program on The Big Book. A taping of that presentation was made and called "The Big Book Study". Through the circulation of these audio tapes throughout the Fellowship, Joe and Charlie received invitations to present the Study at AA conventions, roundups and special events.
At the AA International Convention in New Orleans in 1980, Wesley P, organized a lunch for 1,500 AA members from all over the world and gave away 100 Joe & Charlie tape sets as door prizes. Invitations exploded, and within a couple of years Joe & Charlie were presenting about 36 seminars a year worldwide. These seminars struck a deep chord within the AA members. This is a later recording from around 1999 and the audio quality is quite good.