The Undertakers were a Garage-Punk-band from Halmstad, Sweden. Members: Belo Olsson (bass), Håkan Biltmark (drums), Jari Välitalo (guitar), Lennart Modig (guitar) and Sylve Borgemo (vocals). This combo played pretty competent ’60s punk (an eerie aspect of said genre) and a bit of rockabilly. There are traces of Cramps and Nomads in here, but little in the way of originality or special verve [SOURCE: MAXIMUMROCKNROLL]
The Meat Puppets weren't the only rock band to emerge from Arizona during the '80s, as proven by the emergence of another act, Tucson's Yard Trauma. Founding members Joe Dodge (guitar, vocals) and Lee Joseph (bass) had previously done time together in a precursor band, Jonny Sevin, before forming Yard Trauma at the end of 1982. Although hardcore punk was taking hold locally at the time, Yard Trauma decided to experiment with such odd sounds as drum machines played through fuzzboxes, shortwave radios, and tape loops merged with poetry read on top of the wall of noise. After doing a few shows as a duo, a real drummer and a keyboard player were added to the lineup in time for a debut single, "Some People" b/w "No Conclusions," as well as a full-length, 'The Red Album', before splitting up in January of 1984 when Joseph relocated to Los Angeles.
But after the album received favorable reviews in the underground press, Dodge and Joseph began having second thoughts. This led to the pair to writing songs by sending demos back and forth in the mail, before they reunited in Phoenix to record a sophomore effort, 'Must Have Been Something I Took'. Dodge then followed Joseph back to Los Angeles, as the duo tried in vain to find a permanent drummer. Although they were unsuccessful (going through numerous skin beaters, including one who was briefly a member of one of G.G. Allin's many bands), Yard Trauma began building a following in Europe solely on the strength of the press attention given to their albums. 1988 saw the release of the band's third album overall, 'Face to Face', which included guest appearances on lead guitar by several other artists, including Brett Gurewitz from Bad Religion. Further albums followed, including 1990's 'Lose Your Head' and 1994's 'Oh My God' (during which time Joseph created and ran the independent label, Dionysus Records), before the duo decided to call it a day. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Bubblegum-Punk band formed by Rudi Protrudi in 1976. Rudi says that this band was heavily influenced by The Monkees, Cryan' Shames, 1910 Fruitgum Company and The Dave Clark Five. It is also Rudi's first band, where he performed as frontman. Rudi wrote or co-wrote the majority of the original material recorded by Tina Peel with then members Deb O'Nair, Jim Nastix and Jackson Plugs. Dave U. Hall (ex-bassist from Birdland with Lester Bangs) replaced Jim Nastix after his tenure with the band. Dave went under the name Rick O'Shea. Soon, they became a popular NYC attraction, often headlining the major clubs of the time (Hurrah, Irving Plaza, Ritz, CBGB), as well as appearing on several television shows, including the cult favorite, "The Uncle Floyd Show". Even though the band was courted by major labels, and enjoyed frequent press, Tina Peel broke up when members Rudi Protrudi and Deb O'Nair went on to form The Fuzztones in 1980. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Hailing from Solna (Sweden), The Shoutless is made up of the following four: Janne Liljekvist (Guitar and vocals); Lasse Gustafsson (Bass and vocals); Doctor Krause (Guitar and vocals) and Matte Rosén (Drums). Their very first 45, called "Insane", had just about everybody in ecstasy, both in Sweden and abroad, from the local "Solna-Sundbybergstidningen" to internationally known mags like "Bucketfull of Brains". A mini-LP followed, where the titletrack "Out Of Reach" is as highly regarded as "Insane". Tracks on various compilations also exists, like the B-side of their first single that ended up on a ROIR garage-cassette sampler. Another track, "Change My Ways" is on a Swedish Nuggets/Pebbles-compilation called 'Real Cool Time'. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
The Stomachmouths were a Swedish garage punk band from Stockholm active in the 1980s. Formed in 1984, they were one of the earliest 'pure' garage bands in the European garage revival of the 1980s. Along with local colleagues The Crimson Shadows they pioneered the notion of a garage punk band that strove for authenticity in replicating the sound and the look of the original '60s inspirators, primarily from the US. The Stomachmouths received immediate international attention with their self-released debut 45, which raised interest on the independent music scenes in England and the US. The band toured extensively in Europe, appearing on German television and receiving major newspaper coverage in Italy. Originally a quartet, Anna Nystrom joined the band in 1985. In 1987, Lars Kjellen and PärStavborg left to form The Livingstones. Jens Lindberg, formerly of The Crimson Shadows and High-Speed V joined as a replacement bass player for the last recordings and European tours. Band leader Stefan Kéry later went on to form the successful independent Xotic Mind/Subliminal Sounds record label. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Los Macana was a garage rock band from Madrid formed in 1985 by Miguel Martín (vocals), Roberto García (guitar), Pedro Arroyo (bass), Emilio Martín (drums), and José M. Jiménez (keyboards). Their songs, mostly composed by Miguel, are full of the power of classic garage rock, magically touched by psychedelia, well finished and evocative.
They made their recording debut in 1988 on the Romilar-D label with the release of a split EP with Sex Museum entitled ‘Sex Museum Vs. Los Macana’, with one side for each band. The production was handled by Luís Miguel Sánchez and the band itself. It was originally released on vinyl and cassette, but reissued on CD in 1993 by Emi-Odeon.
In 1989, once again sponsored by Romilar-D, they included two tracks on the compilation album released by the label entitled 'Agapo Live. Vol. 1', a live recording that also featured bands such as Los Enemigos, Las Ruedas, Cardiacos, and Sex Museum.
In early May 2011, the Ágapo Flashback Experience was held in Madrid, a party commemorating the 26th anniversary of the opening of that venue. The following bands performed: Los Enemigos, Sex Museum, Las Ruedas, La UVI, Los Coronas, Espasmódicos, Glutamato Ye-Yé, Sex Tattoo, Los Macana, Cañones y Mantequilla, J. Teixi Band, Ana Curra, and Ágapo All Stars. In addition, 'Agapo Live' was reissued in a limited edition on vinyl and CD. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
Brighton 64 formed in Barcelona in the fall of 1981, when Albert and Ricky Gil, brothers of actress Ariadna Gil, heavily influenced by the British mod scene, decided to join forces with several classmates and began rehearsing covers of The Who, The Jam, The Kinks, and Chuck Berry. Quickly embraced by Barcelona mods, they began playing at venues around the city such as Pub Boira and Salón Cibeles, culminating this first stage with an appearance on the TVE program “Musical Express” and a performance at Rock-Ola in Madrid.
Barely a year after forming, the group recorded their first album, the maxi single 'Barcelona Blues', released in April 1983 by the independent label Flor y Nata Records. They presented the album at the Zeleste venue, proving that they had already become a benchmark in the powerful Barcelona independent scene of the 1980s. The following year, they released the single “Deja de tocar a mi chica” (Stop Touching My Girl), and immediately traveled to Rome to perform at a festival and make their debut abroad.
The arrival of drummer Tino Peralbó led to the recording of the mini-LP 'Haz El Amor', released by Producciones Twins. Shortly afterwards, the addition of an old friend of the group, Jordi Fontich, as keyboardist stabilized the lineup, and the multinational EMI signed the group and released the EP 'La Casa De La Bomba' in 1986, which was a huge sales success and received heavy radio and television promotion. The album launch at Studio 54 in Barcelona was a success, and “La Casa De La Bomba” won Radio 3 listeners' award for best song of the year.
The band combined an endless tour with the rushed and problematic recording of the LP 'El Problema Es La Edad' for EMI, which, despite containing great songs was undermined by the record label's lack of confidence, which damaged the musicians' morale. In September 1987, they performed before the largest audience of their career during the Mercè festivities in Barcelona, but internal tensions began to surface and the group ended up giving way to the Gil brothers' next project, Los Brigatones.
In 1994, Brighton 64 held their first reunion in Barcelona (Sala Apolo) and Madrid (Sala Revolver), sharing stage with Los Flechazos, Los Negativos, Scooters, Los Canguros, and Kamenbert to celebrate the compilation album 'Mi Generación'. At the end of 2001, Albert, Ricky, Tino, and Jordi reunited to participate in the Purple Weekend festival in León, and Bip Bip Records released the live album 'Explosión Juvenil'.
In 2003, Ricky Gil published the book "Bola y Cadena" (Milenio), in which he recounts the history of the band, and in 2006 Brighton 64 filled the La Paloma venue in Barcelona to capacity. At all these reunions, there has been a curious communion between the old fans and the new batch of fans who did not have the opportunity to see them live at the time. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
The Rescuers were a band from Madrid band formed in 1986 by Ramón Diez (vocals and guitar), Vicente Murillo (lead guitar), Francisco de la Calle “Patiñu” (bass), Julio de la Cruz (organ and backing vocals), Jesse Romeo (drums), and Gonzalo Grondona “Lagarto” (drums).
The Rescuers emerged in the wake of the Spanish “garage sixties revival”, with bands such Sex Museum from Madrid and Los Negativos from Barcelona.
They won the prestigious Villa de Madrid Demo Contest in 1986, which led to them recording a four-song EP, allowing them to showcase in venues across Madrid and in Guadalajara or Bilbao. Entitled ‘If You Wanna Love Me’, it was released by Penetración Records. After participating in the first edition of the Villa de Bilbao Rock Contest in 1989, The Rescuers' musical adventure came to an end.
Paco de la Calle joined Los Potros and later The Holdens. In 2004, illness forced him to leave the stage for good, until his death. That same year, on December 12th, a tribute concert was held in his memory at the Rock Palace in Madrid, where The Rescuers reunited, sharing the stage with The Holdens and The Pleasure Fuckers, who also reunited to pay tribute to the bassist. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
Sex Museum is a Spanish rock band from Madrid, formed in 1985. Originally the band began among the mod scene of Madrid playing garage rock music. Their first published material is highly influenced by a plethora of genres, for instance soul and R&B as well as several rock genres such as garage and psychedelic. Later on, their music increasingly adopted a more hard rock sound characteristic of the 70s. Through a number of concerts in their homeland and tours through many European countries, they gained a solid underground following not only in Spain but also Germany and Switzerland. They played at several Spanish music festivals like Esparrago Rock, Festimad and Viña Rock as well as international events such as the Beat-O-Mania in Munich, where the band co-lined with acts like Metallica, Sepultura, Backyard Babies, Sonic Youth and Extremoduro among others. In 1994 they were chosen as the opening act for the Spanish tour of Deep Purple. The band has been active for 33 years, having performed thousands of live shows, in addition to releasing 12 studio albums, and many singles. Their latest album 'Musseexum' was released in 2018. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Departamento B formed in Pamplona as a psychobilly instrumental trio in 1987 with Pablo Oroz (guitar), Kike Crespo (bass), and Alfonso Carlos López (drums).
Later, they became a sextet, with Alfonso Carlos remaining as original member. The other musicians were Iñaki Fuente (vocals), Alvaro “Teddy” Cuartero (bass), Francisco “Paco” Aguilera (guitar), Jorge Pascual (organ and guitar), and Kike Arizaleta (vocals and backing vocals). Josecho Balda was their road manager.
In this way, they made recordings and demos and participated in several compilations, starting with the song “The Crusher” included in 'The Munster Dance Hall Favorites. Vol. II' (Munster Records, 1988) and their appearance in the fanzine Mamorro compilation 'Mamorro. The Soundtrack 1st. Auth. European Comp' with “Rockaway Beach,” which also featured Cancer Moon, Los Clavos, Los Dins, and El Desván del Macho as national bands.
In 1991, they recorded a four-song EP that they self-released under the management of Munster Records and produced by Dany Ulacia (OK Korral). They included also a track, "El Pequeño Tamborilero", for the compilation released by the German psychobilly label Jungle Noise, ‘Wreckin’. By this point, they had already made a name for themselves on the Spanish alternative scene: all the fanzines related to the genre wrote about them, they had appeared on Tele-Navarra, and even a record label (Max Mix Music) had offered them a deal, which they turned down because it involved a change in style (eliminating distortion, slowing down the rhythm, etc., in short, opening up to the commercial market).
After all this “success", work, military service, and other aspects of daily life led to the dissolution of the band.
In 1995, they reunited and released the compilation cassette 'Memories of a Psychotic Band...', which included various songs recorded at Arion Studios between 1987 and 1991, some of them previously unreleased. It was distributed in Spain by Slap Club and Disco Billy, and internationally by Mental Disorder Records and Raucous Records. With this, they achieved great success once again on the alternative scene, and encouraged by the positive reception of the tape, they decided to get back together in 1996, performing just one show before scheduling conflicts and personal obligations forced them to call it quits once again.
They participated in the soundtracks of the films “Más Carnaza” (1996) and “Mundo Basura” (1998), by Valencian director Sergio Blasco, which premiered at horror film festivals, making them the only Spanish Psychobilly group to participate in gore and horror cinema.
After collaborating with Los Refugiados, in 1998 Alfonso Carlos formed the band Iberia Trash, also psychobilly, together with N. Psycho-Trash fromLos Motosierras.
In addition to the aforementioned, they also participated in other compilations: ‘Spanish Bombs Vol 1’ (Ruta 66, 1991) and ‘Spanish Cats’ (Burning Crew Producciones, 1996). [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
Los Nada formed around 1987 in the Cantabrian municipality of Muriedas, with the lineup of Juanjo “Mr. Snoid” (vocals and guitar), Hendrik Roever ‘Dedu’ (vocals, guitar, and harmonica), Raúl Castañera “Anacleto” (vocals and bass), and Iñaki García “Pajares” (drums and tambourine).
That same year, they recorded their only album, an EP of the same name, at Ibioson Studios in Santander for the Ojo Discos/Rocco Records label. It included the songs “Cariño,” “No Es Mi Estilo,” “Soy Un Camaleón,” and “Hacérmelo Decir.” All the songs were composed by Raúl, except "Cariño", written by Juanjo.
Mon Castellanos is only credited on this album because he had a motorcycle accident shortly before the recording and was replaced by Iñaki, who was then the drummer for Melopea.
The group continued playing until 1988, when Juanjo had to move to the province of Córdoba. The rest of the band then decided to disband Los Nada.
After they broke up, Hendrik continued with his other band, Los Del Tonos. In 1989, Mon Castellanos joined Los Del Tonos, and years later, in the mid-1990s, Iñaki García took over as the band's drummer. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
Los Negativos is a Spanish rock-pop band formed in Barcelona in 1984 by Alfredo Calonge (vocals and guitar), Carles Estrada (vocals and bass), Roberto Grima (guitar), and Valentín Morato (drums). Their music was rooted in the psychedelic pop of the 1960s, with influences such as The Byrds, The Beatles -'Rubber Soul' era-, and other classic American and British psychedelic bands. Although they had fairly modest success, their first LP, 'Piknik Caleidoscópico', became a legendary reference point for fans of this type of music and for mods, until it was reissued by the Mushroom Pillow label on CD (2005) and vinyl (2008). It included 14 tracks ranging from precious pop, with harpsichord, vibraphone, and twelve-string guitar arrangements, to more energetic songs such as “Viaje Al Norte” and “Moscas y Arañas”; the lyrics are full of references to pop culture and psychedelia. Later, in 1987, they released a second album, '18º Sábado Amarillo', more commercially oriented, and a compilation of demos and unreleased live recordings, entitled 'Las Cintas de Thule'.
In 1996, two of the original members, Carles Estrada and Valentín Morato, together with Albert Ramírez, reunited to record a new album as Los Negativos, entitled 'Puzzle'.
In 2009, a new album, 'Dandies Entre Basura', was released with the band's classic lineup. After its release, Raúl Costafreda, who had already collaborated as a musician and producer on 'Dandies Entre Basura', joined the group as a new member.
In February 2014, the single from what would be their sixth LP, 'A Tumba Abierta / Turmix', was released.
Sadly, on May 14, 2014, Alfredo Calonge died of a heart attack, just one week after finishing 'Duplexin', a posthumous album that would be released months later, in January 2015. On December 4, 2014, a tribute concert to Alfredo Calonge was held at the Apolo venue in Barcelona, featuring musicians with whom he had collaborated on musical projects and friends from the sixties-mod scene, such as Sex Museum, Brighton 64, Los Bisontes, Bondage, The Canary Sect, Dr. Explosion, The Excitements, Miqui Puig, The Pinkertones, Los Selenitas, and, of course, Los Negativos, who performed songs from the LP 'Piknik Caleidoscópico'.
Currently, the band continues to shape all kinds of projects related to their music under the direction of Geyser, the production company they created in 2014, and they seem ready to continue performing their songs live.
Valentín Morato, their drummer, passed away in the early hours of July 6, 2024. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
The Nativos emerged in the mid-1980s as a supergroup committed to rock and guitar revivalism. Members included Esteban Hirschfeld (Nacha Pop, Gabinete Caligari, Los Rápidos), L.M. García Villalpando "Jimmy" (vocals), Antonio Fidel (Los Rápidos), Santi Agudo (Ciudad Jardín), and Alfonso Lantero (Pistones). Even Josele Santiago (Los Enemigos) ended up playing with them.
They only recorded one EP, 'She Belongs To Me' (Producciones Twins, 1986), with four tracks -three of which are covers- that smacks of sixties guitars from the start, produced by Paul Collins and recorded at the legendary Track studios in Madrid under the supervision of Paco Martín.
They included some tracks on various compilations -“She Belongs to Me” on '¿Dónde Estabas tú en el... 86?' (DRO, 1993) and 'Maxi Pop 7' (Contraseña, 2004)- and the Rockdelux magazine released in June 1986 a flexi disc shared with Johnny Thunders.
With hardly any promotion, the band ended up splitting up shortly afterwards. They left us with a recommended short album, but the important thing was their commitment to rock. At a time when the new wave and pop of the Movida were beginning to show signs of exhaustion, The Nativos were a breath of fresh air and one of the first attempts at a rock revival on the Spanish scene. [SOURCE: LA FONOTECA]
Garage revival from Alagón (Zaragoza) formed by José Antonio Bernal (vocals), Miguel Ángel Bernal (guitar), Óscar Carriedo (guitar), Esteban Manresa (bass), and Miguel Ángel Barceló (drums), Los Furtivos recorded two singles.
The first was in 1988, on the Grabaciones Interferencias imprint -"Dr. Extraño / No Me Puedo Aguantar Mas"-, in a limited edition of 400 copies, which was later expanded to a reissue of 500 more copies. The single was recorded at Kiko's studio in Zaragoza, produced by Jesús López.
The second single appeared in 1989 for Kiko's Records: "Solo Quiero Rock'n'Roll / Bajo Control".
In 2008, Grabaciones en el Mar released a compilation of the group's work entitled "Discos De Oro, Jets Privados & Chicas En Bikini" featuring recordings between 1986 and 1990, including the two singles mentioned above, demo recordings and other tracks from various compilations. The album was presented in Zaragoza at the La Lata de Bombillas venue in December of that same year. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
The Vipers were an obscure '80s band that was transfixed with '60s garage/proto-punk, often drawing comparisons to such similarly styled outfits as The Chesterfield Kings, The Cynics, and The Lyres. Although the band received some favorable press and reviews during their tenure together, The Vipers failed to break through to a larger audience. Over a nine year period (between 1984 and 1993), The Vipers issued such albums as 'Outta the Nest', 'How About Somemore?'and 'Not So Pretty...Not So New, Nest in Peace'. The Vipers' debut was reissued in 2000 via the Cavestomp label, which added several previously unreleased bonus tracks to the mix. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Primates formed in 1984 and cut their teeth in Los Angeles venues such as the Cavern Club, as part of an emerging scene of obsessive fans of the 'Nuggets' / 'Pebbles' compilations, fascinated by 60s garage punk classics. The core of the band consisted of Brett Miller and Ted Edlefsen, sporting brand new Vox guitars, and Erik Bluhm on vocals, accompanied by various drummers, mainly Brian Corrigan but also Eric from Threw the Looking Glass and Gene from The Miracle Workers.
'We Are The Primates' (1986) remains the only released recording by these four fans of 60s R&B and garage rock. Originally released on Greg Shaw's Voxx label (a division of Bomp! focused on garage and psychedelia) and produced by Shaw himself, this valuable musical document captures the essence of the garage revival scene in the 1980s. [SOURCE: MUNSTER RECORDS]
The New York neo psych-rock band The Headless Horsemen, known for their garage revival sound, emerged in the late 1980s with members of The Fuzztones and The Tryfles. The core members of the band included Elan Portnoy on guitar and vocals, Chris Such (or Chris Cush) on guitar and maracas, David "Ari" Turetsky on drums, and Peter Stuart on bass. The band live shows included a performance in Madrid, Spain, in 1989, which was broadcast on local TV.
The Richies play straight ahead pop-punk with a delicious German flavour. Their music is characterized by uncompromising fast, loud and distorted guitar and correspondingly bass and drums, combined with ear worm catchy melodies. They came together probably in 1987 or 1988, they do not know themselves exactly. Based on their preference for bands like the Ramones and The Beach Boys, they had to find each other and probably did so at Duisburg's legendary chip shop, Peter Pomm, in the beautiful Duisburg-Marxloh. With their characteristic humour they produce unique songs with ear worm catchy melodies with a warm fuzzy edge. With sweet love ballads, surf and summer sensibilities and always ready to put the foot on the accelerator. They are smooth in the studio and crazy as fuck on stage.
After a few concerts, they released their first single "Fish Licence" in 1989 , followed by four albums (LPs / CDs) on We Bite Records and various sampler contributions and split singles until 1996. With numerous tours with famous bands in renowned countries worldwide, they captured the hearts of a worldwide audience. The band was put on hold in 1996 or 1997, then only because the Richies just got tired of all the bullshit. A few years later, 2012, they had been sorted out again.
The Richies do not care do go down in history as great instrumentalists, but as a great band. Their songs are sometimes playful, sometimes a little sick, sometimes peculiar, and sometimes hard to understand but always with a certain twinkle in the eye. With their unique way, the Richies created a vital branch on the proud family tree of Rock’n’Roll. [SOURCE: RICHIES.EU]
Robert Gordon was among the first of the rockabilly revivalists to emerge in the 1970s, and one of the only ones singing the praises of Elvis Presley's primal early work while the King was still alive. Gordon went on to a long career championing the first rock & roll era with a strong, flexible voice that was ideal for the vocal dramatics of rockabilly, and a sense of style that suited the mood as well as the sound of vintage rock. He teamed up with a number of gifted guitarists who helped him make his music sound as authentic as his singing, among them Link Wray, Chris Spedding, and Danny Gatton. Gordon's early work captured him at his most passionate and energetic, especially 1978's 'Fresh Fish Special' and 1979's 'Rock Billy Boogie', while 1981's 'Are You Gonna Be the One' found him embracing a more mature and diverse approach and 2007's 'It's Now or Never', a tribute to Presley, was a latter-day triumph. Gordon returned in 2020 with 'Rockabilly for Life', whose many guests included members of The Blasters, The Stooges, and The Go-Go's.
Robert Gordon was born in Bethesda, Maryland on March 29, 1947. When Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" became a smash hit in 1956, it made a tremendous impression on young Gordon, and he became a passionate fan of Presley, Gene Vincent, Jack Scott, Eddie Cochran, and other heroes of the first salvo of rock. As the '50s gave way to the '60s, Gordon developed a taste for soul and R&B as well as rock, but he made no secret of the fact the British Invasion didn't impress him much. He discovered he liked to sing, and made his first appearance on stage when he was 15, performing at a summer camp talent show with his brother. He sang in a number of local bands, including The Confidentials and The Newports, but neither went much further than playing school dances and teen clubs. Later in the decade, he joined the National Guard to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam, and he got married when he was 19, fathering two children.
In 1970, Gordon relocated to New York City, where he opened a clothing store but had little time for music. A few years later, that changed when Gordon and his wife divorced and he began checking out a new rock & roll scene that was incubating at a Bowery club called CBGB. Gordon appreciated the energy of bands like the Ramones and Blondie, and he became a figure on the early N.Y.C. punk scene, joining a band called Tuff Darts. As punk attracted attention in the music press, Tuff Darts became rising stars, and three songs by the band would appear on 1976's 'Live at CBGB', a sampler of bands who played the club. However, Gordon would leave Tuff Darts before they could make an album when producer Richard Gottehrer heard them do a cover of Presley's "One Night" and suggested Gordon make a rock & roll album.
Gordon and Gottehrer approached legendary guitarist Link Wray about joining them for the recording sessions, and Wray, impressed with his authentic rockabilly sound, signed on. Private Stock Records, who had signed just Blondie, struck a deal with Gordon, and his first album, 'Robert Gordon with Link Wray', appeared in 1977. Gordon's retro sound and style generated a buzz, and when Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, the interest in his early hits gave the public a greater taste for the sort of music Gordon championed, and "Red Hot" from the album picked up some radio play. Private Stock brought out Gordon and Wray's second LP, 'Fresh Fish Special' (named for the unflattering prison haircut inflicted on Elvis in "Jailhouse Rock") in 1978, which included a version of Bruce Springsteen's then-unrecorded "Fire." It generated enough attention that RCA Victor Records, Elvis' label, added Gordon to their roster after Private Stock went bankrupt.
After reissuing his first two albums, RCA brought out 'Rock Billy Boogie' in early 1979; by this time, Wray had dropped out of the band, and British sessionman Chris Spedding took over lead guitar duties. The album fared better than his Private Stock releases, but was something short of a hit, and his second RCA LP, 1980's 'Bad Boy', generated more press than sales. Midway through recording his next LP, the label pressured Gordon to scrap the material and start over with a different producer and backing band, and 1981's 'Are You Gonna Be the One' was a more diverse set with R&B and country flavors along with the expected rockabilly, and was produced by Gordon, Lance Quinn, and Scott Litt, with Danny Gatton playing lead guitar. It became Gordon's best-selling album, and Gatton's stellar instrumental work made him an underground guitar hero; a live recording of Gatton backing Gordon on the "Are You Gonna Be the One" tour circulated among fans and pickers before it was released publicly under the title 'The Humbler'. Not long after the release of the album, Gordon was approached to contribute music to the soundtrack of a low-budget movie about a biker gang set in the '50s, "The Loveless". He ended up also playing a supporting role in the film, which starred a young Willem Dafoe and was the first directorial effort from Kathryn Bigelow, who went on to helm "The Hurt Locker" and "Zero Dark Thirty".
While 'Are You Gonna Be the One' boosted Gordon's audience, he and RCA had a falling out over the budget for his next album, and on the advice of his manager, he cut ties with the label; they closed out his contract with a best-of album, 1982's 'Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die'. A new record deal was not forthcoming, and Gordon stuck to live work for over a decade. In 1989, a concert album, 'Live at Lone Star', was issued by the French New Rose label. The album was released without Gordon's participation or consent, and he responded by working with New Rose to assemble and bring out 1991's 'Greetings from New York', featuring live tracks from his years with Chris Spedding. (These were the first two of a long series of live albums that would appear regularly over the next three decades.) 1994's 'All for the Love of Rock 'N' Roll' featured new songs along with material that dated back to his days with Tuff Darts, and featured their guitarist, Jeff Salen, alongside Spedding and Gatton. The German Bear Family label delivered the 1995 collection 'Red Hot 1977-1981', an overview of his Private Stock/RCA era, and in 1998 they brought out 'Lost Album Plus', a set of rarities including the sessions that were scrapped in favor of 'Are You Gonna Be the One'. 1997's 'Robert Gordon' was a studio set focused on early rock and country material, and 2004's 'Satisfied Mind' was a similar effort that featured Eddie Angel on guitar. 2007's 'It's Now or Never' saw Gordon reunite with Chris Spedding to record 15 songs originally made famous by his hero Elvis Presley. After a recording layoff of 13 years, Gordon came back in 2020 with 'Rockabilly for Life', which included guest appearances from Chris Spedding, Dave Alvin, James Williamson (of Iggy and the Stooges), Clem Burke (of Blondie), Kathy Valentine (of The Go-Go's), and many more. Robert Gordon had been in treatment for acute myeloid leukemia in the last years of his life; he died on October 18, 2022 at the age of 75. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Initially making his name as a prominent scenester during the heady days of the early-'70s New York punk club scene, Wayne County later gained additional renown as rock's first prominent transsexual performer, billing herself as Jayne County following her return to the U.S. from Berlin in 1980. Born Wayne Rogers in Dallas, Georgia (near Atlanta) sometime in 1947, Wayne County assumed his stage name for a production of the Jackie Curtis play "Femme Fatale". County acted in several Andy Warhol-associated theater pieces and from there became the regular DJ at the legendary club Max's Kansas City. Starting in 1972, County performed (in drag) at the club as well, eventually writing and recording a celebratory theme song titled "Max's Kansas City" in 1976 with a backing group called The Back Street Boys. However, County found it difficult to find American labels interested in his trashy, campy, New York Dolls-influenced brand of rock & roll, so he relocated to London just as that city's punk movement was beginning to gather momentum.
County found a home on the Safari label with a new band, The Electric Chairs, and issued his debut album -also called 'The Electric Chairs'- in 1978. Further albums included 'Storm the Gates of Heaven' and 'Things Your Mother Never Told You', both from 1979; afterwards, County retired to Berlin and emerged as Jayne County, returning to North America in 1980. A 1981 live album, 'Rock 'n' Roll Resurrection', was the first billed to Jayne County, and found her fronting a mostly new version of The Electric Chairs.
County was quiet for a while as a recording artist, returning only in 1986 with a self-produced album called 'Private Oyster' (a similar, unauthorized version was later issued under the title 'Amerikan Cleopatra'; in 2017, the two albums were reissued in a two-fer edition). Periodic releases followed in the '90s, some featuring new songs, some featuring reworked versions of past material. In 1996, County published her autobiography, "Man Enough to Be a Woman"; in 1999, she issued a newly recorded version of her song "Fuck Off," retitled "Fuck Off 2000." 2002's 'Wash Me in the Blood of Rock & Roll' was a live album that featured a duet between County and Handsome Dick Manitoba of The Dictators. 2006's 'Wayne County at the Trucks' featured material from a 1974 recording project that was long believed to be lost. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Often dismissed during their existence as a crass marketing gimmick, The Runaways have grown in stature over the years as the first all-female band to make an impression playing loud, straight-up, guitar-driven rock & roll. Since all of the members were teenagers (some were still learning to play when they debuted), the band's music was frequently raw and amateurish, but it neatly combined heavy metal and junkshop glam with the newly emerging sound of punk rock. Promoter and manager Kim Fowley's insistence on a sleazy jailbait image for the group made it easy for the press to dismiss them as nothing but a tasteless adolescent fantasy. But in the end, the Runaways' sound and attitude paved the way for female artists to crank up the volume on their guitars and rock as hard as the boys with the rebel-girl manifesto "Cherry Bomb" and the albums 'The Runaways' and 'Queens of Noise'.
The genesis of The Runaways can be traced to a 1975 Alice Cooper party, where Fowley met teenage lyricist Kari Krome. Fowley was impressed with Krome's streetwise perspective and set about putting together a female band. Krome's friend, guitarist Joan Jett (born Joan Larkin), had been forming a band of her own with drummer Sandy West (born Sandy Pesavento), and Fowley quickly had a trio on his hands. However, it soon became apparent that Krome was not much of a singer, and she was replaced by vocalist Michael "Micki" Steele (born Sue Thomas), who also began learning the bass. As a trio, this lineup recorded a demo titled "Born to Be Bad" in late 1975; shortly thereafter, guitarist Lita Ford successfully auditioned through a trade-paper ad, and Steele left the group (she would later join The Bangles). Cherie Currie became the new lead vocalist, and after an extremely brief stint with a bass player known only as Peggy (which lasted just a few weeks), the band settled on Jackie Fox (born Jacqueline Fuchs), who switched to bass from guitar in order to join the band.
Thus constituted as an entirely teenaged quintet, it didn't take long for the Runaways to score a record deal; Currie's stage wardrobe (lingerie) and Fowley's well-established contacts made sure of that. After signing with Mercury in February 1976, the band began recording their self-titled debut album, which was released just a few months later. However, it was not greeted well. Fowley was preceded by his reputation for overhyping gimmicky acts, and the sheer number of roles he played in guiding the Runaways' career made him appear a manipulative, Svengali-like figure. Moreover, regardless of whether or not the Runaways were simply a cheap exploitation act (an endlessly debatable question), the entire concept of the band -teenage girls playing their own instruments and singing frankly and enthusiastically about sex, booze, and life on the streets- was simply too discomforting for much of America. Fowley's extensive involvement (some called it near-total control) made it easy for journalists and radio programmers to dismiss the group out of hand as a male-concocted sham; it was also a convenient way to ignore the myriad cultural buttons the Runaways were pushing.
Despite a wave of publicity on Fowley's part, The Runaways just barely scraped the bottom of the charts in the early fall of 1976, around the same time the band played their first gig at the legendary New York punk club CBGB's. The second Runaways album, 'Queens of Noise', was released in early 1977 and fared little better on the charts than its predecessor, thanks to radio's continued reluctance to program the group's music. However, when the Runaways mounted a tour of Japan in June of that year, they were greeted with sold-out arena gigs and rabidly enthusiastic audiences who didn't consider them a joke ("Cherry Bomb" had, in fact, topped the Japanese charts). A concert record, 'Live in Japan', was culled from the tour, but wasn't released in the U.S.
Despite this taste of success, relationships between some of the group members had begun to fray, thanks partly to substance abuse problems and partly to unconcerned negligence on the management's part. Upon their return to Los Angeles in July 1977, Jackie Fox departed the group; a story circulated that she had attempted suicide on the Japanese tour, though it was later discredited. Before the year was out, Currie too had left, spurred in part by consistent disagreements with Fowley. Jett took over as lead vocalist, and new bassist Vicki Blue was hired for the group's third album. 'Waitin' for the Night' was released at the end of the year, and failed to even hit the U.S. charts. By this point, Fowley had lost interest in the band, and quit as manager early the next year. Jett's unofficial leadership role within the group became more serious, but unfortunately, musical differences were beginning to arise (Jett's punk and glam rock influences clashed with West and Ford's love of straight-up hard rock and heavy metal). One more album, 'And Now...The Runaways', appeared toward the end of 1978, but it was released only in the group's core markets of Europe and Japan (it later appeared in America with a different running order under the title 'Little Lost Girls'). Blue quit the band after their New Year's gig and was replaced by Laurie McAllister, but to no avail; Jett left the group in April 1979, and the Runaways officially disbanded not long after.
Currie released a solo album in 1978 titled 'Beauty's Only Skin Deep', and then teamed up with her twin sister Marie for 1980's 'Messin' with the Boys'. Jackie Fox went to law school and became an attorney. Meanwhile, West and Ford formed a short-lived outfit of their own, after which Ford went solo and scored several hits as a pop-metal artist during the '80s. An even better indicator that there was more to the Runaways' music than met the eye was the success of Joan Jett's solo career. Jett formed her own band and record label, landed an enormous number one smash with 1982's "I Love Rock n' Roll," and continued to produce albums of tough hard rock into the 21st century. The heavily feminist riot grrrl punk movement claimed Jett as a major inspiration, prompting a re-examination of the Runaways' output divorced from Kim Fowley's marketing tactics. Rumors of a full-band reunion surfaced periodically but never resulted in an actual gig, although the release of a summertime biopic in 2010 -one that starred Kristen Stewart as Jett and Dakota Fanning as Currie- helped rejuvenate interest in the band. In 2023, the British label Cherry Red issued 'Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin 1976-1978', a five-disc box set that combined all four Runaways studio albums and the 'Live in Japan' set, along with an extensively illustrated booklet. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Crazyhead formed in Leicester, England, in 1986, and were signed to the fledgling Food label. Their first two releases saw quick independent chart success, ‘(What Gives You The Idea That) You’re So Amazing Baby?’ and ‘Baby Turpentine’ both reaching number 2. In common with Gaye Bikers On Acid, Bomb Party and Pop Will Eat Itself, the group was linked with the media-fuelled ‘biker’ or ‘grebo’ rock genre. By the time of their third single, ‘Time Has Taken Its Toll On You’, and the debut album in 1988, their career was in decline, despite later minor national chart success in 1989 with the 'Have Love, Will Travel' EP and "Like Princes Do" on the 'Food Christmas EP 1989'. Enjoying ludicrous names such as Vom, Superfast Blind Dick, Ian ‘Anderson Pork Beast’ (vocals) and stranger still, Kevin, they were dropped from Food in 1989. Their second album, produced by Pat Collier, found them housed on Black records. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Stukas debuted in 1977 with a sound that fell halfway between the emerging powerpop and the fast fading pub rock on their "Klean Living Kids" single on Chiswick. It was more of the same on the follow-up, "I Like Sport" EP, this time on Sonet Records. Neither record is said to have captured the energy of their live sound, though this song "Motorbike", from their third, must surely be pretty damn close. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
D. Clinton Thompson is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter from Springfield, Missouri. D. Clinton were also key member of The Skeletons and also the core of The Morells. Between all the related side projects, D. Clinton and cohorts have released literally dozens of great discs beginning in 1977. In addition tho their own music as The Skeletons, you might want to check out their work backing Rudy Grayzell, Syd Straw, Clarence Brewer, Robbie Fulks and others. Of late, D. Clinton' bassist Lou Whitney teamed up with The Bottle Rockets for the tribute album 'Songs Of Sam'. But the coolest thing is that in 2000, Springfields's Downtown High School commissioned a mural of the areas music stars for one of their walls, and there in the right corner, big as life, are The Skeletons.
2 Timers were an American new wave rock group who formed in New York in late 1977. By early 1978 the group had relocated to London, England. The line-up in March 1978 was: John Warnick (vocals), George Fury (bass), Johnny Jones (rhythm guitar), Audie Willert (lead guitar) and Jim Morrison (drums, former member of Tuff Darts). Notably, their "Now That I've Lost My Baby" single was produced by ex-Gong member Mike Howlett (OMD, Sting, Revillos, etc.), and that's probably why it also sounds very British and of it's era. They self released a second single, "Living For The Week End" in 1979, but that was it for these guys.
The Action were based in Ohio between 1979-82, and featured Mike Purkisher on guitar and vocals (and brother of Lux Interior of The Cramps), Brent Warren on bass and Cliff Bryant on drums. "Get Back To Me" (1978) was the first of three singles, all on the same RadioGram label, followed by 1979's "Radio Music" and 1981's "She's Got My heart", all with the trio patented harmonies ans sense of melody intact. In the late 90's Mike gigged with a band called 3-D, and even spent time as live sound engineer for the only Beatles tribute band officially sanctioned by Apple Records, 1964. Meanwhile Brett and Billy Sullivan have also written songs for numerous artists including Dave Edmunds. More importantly, Brent and Mike backed former RaspeberrieScott McCarl on his 1997 album 'Play On', bringing it all full circle.
Formed in 1983 by Thrills guitarist Johnny Angel and Outlets bassist Whitey with Jeff Erna, The Blackjacks were determined to be nothing like the twin scourges of that year, cheesy British synth-pop and poseur "Roots Americana" from former New Wave fops turned Hank Williams freaks.
They succeeded and were likely the first of the glam/sleaze/psuedo Stones-Dolls bands of the American stripe, augmented by their former roadie and Nikki Sixx look-alike Rafe Mabry who would become the band's frontman mid-career.
Brought to Homestead Records in 1984, the band released one classic EP titled 'Basic Blackjacks', launching the label that would offer acts including Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Big Black, Nick Cave, The Dogmatics and La Peste. The Blackjacks would later release a full length LP titled 'Dressed in Black' for Throbbing Lobster Records. The track "Dressed In Black" was a massive college and alternative radio hit in the Winter of 1985.
The band performed as a top draw throughout the Boston and NYC club circuit including a pinnacle career moment, performing as the opening act for the touring group The Clash.
Despite massive North East success, they disbanded in the late 80's. Johnny started The Broken Promise, Housewives on Prozac and Army of Bozos in Los Angeles, Whitey joined The Nor'Easters, Jeff Erna co-founded the world famous Dropkick Murphys and The Street Dogs and Rafe Mabry also moved to Los Angeles and joined Black Cherry. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
