The roots of San Diego rock ‘n’ roll
(Here’s a long post, but one that answers a lot of questions about our earliest prehistory … Many thanks to Steve Thorn for writing the following piece exactly 30 years ago and to Mikel Toombs for scanning and sending it to Che Underground: The Blog.)
“This is ‘The History of San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll, Part One: A Sleeping Town Wakes Up’ by Steve Thorn, from Kicks #3,” Mikel writes. “11/1979. Perhaps Steve — I believe he now writes for San Diego Troubadour — can chime in with Part Two.”
“The only thing happening in San Diego County is Eno and closet homosexuality.” — Kim Fowley, quoted in Phonograph Record Magazine.
The above quote from Sunset Strip’s famous rock impresario is one of the many snide remarks that have been hurled at San Diego and its people for years. Fowley’ s comment is not the most famous barb, however; that distinction belongs to satirist Mort Sahl, who once said, “There are only two things to do in San Diego — visit the zoo or join the Navy.”
As a native San Diegan, I’ve beeh buried over the years with comments made by immigrants to the county, telling me that San Diego has shallow musIcal roots, particularly in rock ‘n’ roll. A little research into the city’s musical past, however, reveals this is not the case at all.
1955 — KCBQ Brings Rock To Town
The “Fabulous Fifties” is a decade which has been described by sociologists as the era of the “sleeping generation.” San Diego at the time seemed indicative of the nation as a whole — a sleepy harbor town with nice neighborhoods and a strong alliance with the Navy. For local high school kids, all the joys and traumas of the world were centered on the high school campus.
In 1955, a love affair began between San Diego teenagers and the radio. In that year, KCBQ became the first popular music station in town to incorporate rhythm and blues into the regular programming format. The San Diego kids — like kids all over America — ate it up.
A native San Diego radio personality, Don Howard, recalls the early days of rock music in his home town. Before leaving the airwaves in 1970, Howard was a familiar voice on both rock and middle-of-the-road stations in town.
“Prior to 1955, rhythm and blues was only played on radio stations at a specified time period,” Howard remembers. “It was considered strictly ethnic music then. The records were played by black disc jockeys and their shows were sponsored by black businessmen.
“For example, when I was working at KSDO, we had a black disc jockey named Jimmy Bell whose rhythm and blues show was sponsored by the Heart Of The West, a black nightclub located at the corner of Second and Market in downtown San Diego. KCBQ raised its rock ‘n’ roll banner in December 1955, the month the station was purchased by the Bartell Broadcasting group.
The Bartell brothers (Lee, Gerald, and Mel) were early pioneers of the popular music formats. still widely used in radio today. Their contribution to the broadcasting industry dates back to 1947, when they purchased a small daytime-only station in Milwaukee. By the time the Bartells came out to the West Coast to purchase KCBQ, they already had the reputation of being one of the top independent radio chains in the country.
KCBQ was operating out of the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego at the time of the Bartell purchase. On the first of December, 1955, the station’s new ownership presented “DJ Day.”
“DJ Day” not only brought more rock ‘n’ roll to San Diego radio, but it was also a day five unique radio personalities became known as the “knights of the turntable.” The jocks were Don Howard, Harry “Happy Hare” Martin, Jim O’Leary, Earl McRoberts, and Ralph James (James is now the voice of Orson on Mork and Mindy).
The “knights” worked well together, well enough to pull KCBQ out of last place in the ratings.
“When we first went all-rock ‘n’ roll in late 1955,” Howard recalls, “we were the seventh-ranked station in a town of seven radio stations.
“When the next radio ratings came out in May 1956, we were number one — and stayed number one for five years. It was the longest reign of any radio station in the United States during those days.”
What were the reasons for KCBQ’s big leap in the ratings? One clue was the station’s successful capture of the teenage audience. The other reason was that during the ratings period, a rockabilly cat by the name of Elvis Presley released a single titled “Heartbreak Hotel.” The record was so well received by the local radio audience that The King and his loyal manager, Colonel Tom Parker, came to town for a concert.
Presley’s first San Diego visit would not be out of place in Kenneth Anger’s book, Hollywood Babylon. Don Howard and Harry Martin (Howard, incidentally, was the creator of the Happy Hare nickname for Martin) were behind the stage at the Presley show.
“Right after ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ came out, Elvis was booked into a skating rink and athletic auditorium called Palisades Garden, located on Eighth Avenue in downtown,” Howard says.
10,000 fans — the majority of them females — packed the auditorium. According to Howard, the concert was typical Presley pandemonium. But it was the aftermath of the show that really amazed and shocked him.
“After the concert, the police arrested twelve girls running nude through the halls of the El Cortez Hotel, looking for Elvis. At the auditorium, some girls broke into the bathroom of Elvis’ dressing room and stole the toilet seat. His Cadillac was covered with obscene messages and two sailors were arrested for masturbation during the show from watching the antics of the girls,” Howard recalls.
The city fathers were outraged. The day after the concert, Mayor Charles Dail passed a resolution with the city council that Elvis Presley would never be allowed to perform in San Diego again. Presley would appear again, but not until almost twenty years later. Harry Martin remembers the backstage Presley as being a gentle soul, completely the opposite of the persona Presley possessed on stage.
“My big impression of Elvis when we were waiting for him to come on stage was that while he was a big hero, he was still basically a small-town Southern boy,” Martin says. “He was pacing in his dressing room like a caged animal, but he was very polite.”
With the exception of the occasional big draw like Presley, the majority of San Diego teenagers enjoyed their rock ‘n’ roll in the form of school record hops. The hops also gave local radio personalities the chance to meet listeners face to face.
“In those days, disc jockeys were part of people’s imprints,” Martin says. “Whenever there was a school record hop, we were greeted with hysterical shouts and cheers. We’d bring a stack of records and give out prizes. I loved it — there was always a lot of spirit.”
During his many years on San Diego radio (he quit spinning records in 1974), Martin made his presence known outside the restrictive confines of a broadcast booth. One of his warmest memories of the early days was the time he arranged to have Los Angeles rocker Ritchie Valens perform at the opening of Clairemont High School in 1958.
“I was asked by the principal of the school to put on a show to promote school spirit;” Martin recalls. “I called Ritchie Valens and, in my naivete, I just asked him to come down from Los Angeles and sing in the school yard.
“It was a typical hot September day when he performed for an hour at noon, on hot clay with absolutely no grass around. He was such a loving, generous fellow.”
Valens had two big hits in the charts (“La Bamba”and “Donna”) when he performed at Clairemont High.
“I took him to the airport and thanked him, and within a few months Ritchie was dead,” Martin says. Valens was killed in the Iowa plane crash which also took the lives of Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper in February 1959.
Rosie And The Originals
The majority of rock historians agree that rock ‘n’ roll hit a dry spell between 1960 and 1962. The charts told the story: leather-clad rockers were out, acne-free boys and girls were in.
There are several key reasons why the music retreated from the intensity of Little Richard to the conservatism of Connie Francis — the deaths of Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and Ritchie Valens; Chuck Berry’s bitter court trial; the payola scandal; and, last but not least, Elvis Presley’s military obligation.
The above events provide an insight into why the record charts of the early 1960s were being represented by such major “rock” personalities as Lawrence Welk, Steve Lawrence, and Anita Bryant Artists like Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, Ricky Nelson and Gary “U.S.” Bonds did their best to keep the rock torch lit, their singles being a welcome relief from all the “safe” music being pushed down listeners’ throats.
In 1961, a San Diego group by the name of Rosie and The Originals reached the national Top Ten with an original composition titled “Angel Baby.” Time has not been kind to this song — in all honesty, it is a mediocre recording.
“Angel Baby,” however, is representative of the type of music which was being played on the radio in 1961. Syrupy sentimentality was selling big. The song, which reached number four in the national charts, would be Rosie and The Originals’ only hit. Their story is worth telling, for it is a prime example of the music industry’s most common casualty, the one-hit wonder.
Rosie was one Rosie Hamlin, a South Bay girl who came to San Diego from the Alaskan frontier. A self-taught pianist, Rosie was in the process of writing original tunes when she crossed paths with a local group call The Originals.
The Originals were in need of a lead singer and felt that Rosie could do the job. As the group began recording demo tapes, it turned out that a Rosie Hamlin original composition, ” Angel Baby,” would be the song that would later place the band in the national Top Ten for seven weeks.
The song was recorded in November 1960 but did not enter the charts until early 1961, when the single was released on Highland Records of Los Angeles.
Whatever follow-up success the group had in mind never materialized. Rosie, however, was given the chance to record as a solo artist. In March 1961, she made a record for the Brunswick label after being seen and heard by rhythm and blues great Jackie Wilson. The A-side was titled “Lonely Blue Nights”; it didn’t come close to achieving the success of “Angel Baby.” Another aspect of the Brunswick record contract was that she would be managed by Wilson’s agent, Nat Tarnapool. Considering that Jackie Wilson was voted by Cashbox as the “Entertainer of the Year” for 1960-61, it seemed that Rosie would have continued career advancement under her new management. However, she was never heard of in the Top Forty again.
In the latter part of the 1960s, Rosie and The Originals hit the nightclub circuit, emphasizing to audiences that they were the group which recorded “Angel Baby.” Loyal fans came out to support them but all comeback attempts were futile.
KDEO — The 91 Tiger
KCBQ’s position as the king of San Diego rock received its first serious challenge in the early 1960s. KDEO (pronounced k-dee-o) brought in a group of aggressive young turks who fought a fierce battle of the ratings with KCBQ.
KDEO were the new call letters for KBAB, a station which had been operating out of an office at the Town and Country Hotel since 1955. The Dandy Broadcasting Company purchased the station in 1958, changed the call letters, and began programming a rock ‘n’ roll format.
From the beginning, KDEO emphasized youth. One of the more aggressive young jocks was Sam Riddle, who later became a famous rock television host in Los Angeles and was responsible for the popular Groovy and Boss City teen dance shows. Another early KDEO alumnus remains a familiar face on the 6 p.m. news. Mike Ambrose, Channel Ten’s fearless forecaster of meteorology, recalls his years at KDEO.
“When I first got to the station, we were actually broadcasting in two locations,” Ambrose says. “Forty-nine percent of our broadcast came out of our office at the Electricians’ Union building on Pacific Coast Highway.
“But since our license to broadcast was from the city of El Cajon, fifty-one percent of our broadcasting time came from a transmitter shack in Santee. So here we were — this big powerhouse rock station — broadcasting out of a shack.”
KDEO fortunately found a more comfortable home when it moved its offices into an old Bank of America building in Fletcher Hills in late 1961.
The managers of KDEO realized that if they ever hoped to topple “Q” they would have to allow their disc jockeys to come up with radio shtick as unique as KCBQ’s Happy Hare or “Shadoe” Jackson.
KDEO’s morning man in the early 1960s, Chuck Daugherty, was anything but shy. “Get out of bed, open those windows, and scream, ‘WAKE UP SAN DIEGO BABY!’ ” was Daugherty’s on- the-air motto for years. Mike Ambrose’s Breakfast Club, which followed Daugherty’s morning hysteria, proved to be a hit with the housewives in town.
It was in the evening, however, that KDEO pulled out all stops in the battle for rock ‘n’ roll supremacy. Bill Wade (who later became a “boss jock” with KGB) hosted a show called Bill Wade’s Platter Party. What it really turned out to be was a radio show which captured the spirit of a high school record hop.
“One of our gimmicks on the show was that we had a girl named Dee,” Wade explains, “and she was really a flash on the typewriter. She would hook a phone to her ear and would take literally hundreds of requests, dedications, and bits of gossip.
“That’s what made the show unique — the kids all listened, I doubt if we had much of an adult audience, but we really didn’t care. We just wanted to dominate the teen market at night.”
KDEO enjoyed its reputation as a leading rock force for the five-year period of 1958-1963. In 1964, KGB would make its appearance in the building and in Bill Wade’s words, “That caused the demise for all the other stations in town as far as rock was concerned.”
The Cascades And The Misfits
Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain
Telling me just what a fool I’ve been
I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain
And let me be alone again
The above lyrics are the opening lines to “Rhythm Of The Rain,” one of 1963′s top selling records and a number one record for San Diego’s own Cascades.
The record wasn’t an overnight smash but rather a recording which gained momentum throughout the nation after it received heavy airplay in San Diego.
The original Cascades consisted of John Gummoe, keyboards and vocals; Dave Szabo, piano and saxophone; Dave Stevens, bass; Eddie Preston, guitar; and Dave Wilson, drums.
Eddie Preston currently resides in San Carlos and is actively involved with the local club scene through his current group, Eddie Preston Unlimited. Preston vividly recalls when and where the name Cascades came from.
“We were originally called the Thundernotes, and were fortunate enough to have a manager (Andy Di Martino) who got us a recording contract,” Preston remembers. “We cut pur first record, ‘There’s A Reason,’ and while the record was being pressed, we I were trying to think of another name for the group because the record company felt Thundernotes was rather gloomy.
“The name Cascades was given to us when our recording producer, Eddie DeVorzon, who was washing the dishes and saw a Cascade soap box.”
“‘There’s A Reason” was released on Los Angeles’ Valiant Records, a small label which was distributed by Warner Brothers. While the record achieved some success on the West Coast, its sales were not in the same ballpark as “Rhythm Of The Rain.”
“Rhythm” was written and sung by group member John Gummoe. The song was recorded in the famous Gold Star studio of Hollywood, the same studio where Phil Spector produced his brilliant “wall of sound” recordings. It was in the sound effects library at Gold Star that the Cascades found the crashing thunderstorm tape which appears at the beginning and end of the song.
“Rhythm” was released three or four months before it hit number one. One of the disc jockeys responsible for its early airplay was Bill Wade, then employed at KDEO. Wade’s description of the record’s climb to the top is filled with a sense of admiration for the hometown kids who made good.
“I felt the record was a hit the first time I heard it. I originally heard them practice the song in a garage before they went to the label and got it recorded,” Wade recalls. “When it came out as a single, I kept playing it regardless of sales and it had no sales at first. It just wasn’t selling.
“But I stayed with it. We started to get requests, so we advanced it on our survey because of the phone and card requests. When it reached number twenty, stores started stocking it in San Diego due to the demand of the local people. From there it gained national popularity, became a million-seller and the number one record in the country.”
Eddie Preston estimates that as of 1979, “Rhythm” has sold nearly four million copies worldwide. The song has been recorded by many artists, the most famous being Gary Lewis and The Playboys.
Preston was in high school when he felt the jolt of having a number one record.
“I was so naive in a lot ot areas,” Preston admits. “Here you are in high school and all of a sudden you have the number one song in the country. A lot of it escapes you —you don’t realize how fortunate you are.”
The Cascades kept up with the times, releasing records for the remainder of the decade. Loyal fans packed the Red Coat Inn in East San Diego and radio stations always played “Rhythm” to advertise an upcoming Cascades gig.
During the same time that the Cascades were being nationally exposed, four young musicians were gaining a local reputation in San Diego. The band was the Misfits and in contrast to the more serene sounds of the Cascades, the Misfits were strictly rock ‘n’ rollers.
For long-time San Diego music buffs, the band is best remembered as the group which featured Bob Mosley, who in the late 1960s was a member of one of San Francisco’s legendary bands, Moby Grape.
The group consisted of Mosley on bass, Eddy Dunn on lead guitar, Earl Steely on rhythm guitar, and Ron Armstrong on drums. Like the Cascades. the band packed the club scene with loyal followers, whether it was performing at the Red Coat Inn or Art’s Roaring Twenties in El Cajon.
The Misfits drew enough publicity to come to the attention of Imperial Records, a West Coast label famous for the million-selling platters of Fats Domino and Rick Nelson. In 1964, the band recorded a single titled “This Little Piggy,” a rhythm-and-blues-flavored tune which was actually a thin disguise of Leiber and stoller’s “I’m a Hog for You.” Nevertheless, the local kids liked the single and the Misfits entered the Top Thirty surveys at KGB, KCBQ, and KDEO.
Marathon practice sessions in a storeroom paid off for the band. The group was managed by swimming pool businessman Bob Herrington, who was responsible for arranging many important dates for the Misfits. What the band accomplished in its three-year existence is amazing — it was the opening band for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and made numerous television appearances, including one on ABC’s “Shindig.”
Bob Mosley would later be the subject of critical adulation for his work with Moby Grape. Herrington recalls Mosley’s reputation as a first class San Diego musician and the Misfits’ guiding light.
“From the earliest days, I could see the drive in Bob. He had so much talent and his control over the band at the time was fantastic. He knew the sound he wanted,” Herrington says.
The Misfits broke up in 1965 when Earl Steely married and preferred staying in San Diego to leading a life on the road. Steely and Mosley had worked as a team and though the band members found a replacement, they soon discovered it just wasn’t the same.
“Bob and Earl were so different in many ways,” Herrington says. “I think that’s why they made a good team — they relied on each other. When Earl left, Bob lost a lot of his enthusiasm.”
In an occupation which can turn men gray before their time, Herrington remembers his days with the Misfits as “a big part of my life. We had so much fun and met so many great people.”
Editor’s note: The History of San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll, a five-part series, will continue in our December issue, focusing on the Spectacles and KGB’s rise to the top of the rock radio market.
Tags: "Kicks" magazine, Art's Roaring Twenties, Bill Wade, Bob Herrington, Bob Mosley, Chuck Daugherty, Dave Stevens, Dave Szabo, Dave Wilson, Don Howard, Earl McRoberts, Earl Steely, Eddie Preston, Eddy Dunn, El Cajon, Elvis Presley, Harry "Happy Hare" Martin, Jim O'Leary, Jimmy Bell, John Gummoe, KCBQ, KDEO, KGB, Mike Ambrose, Mikel Toombs, Palisades Garden, Ralph James, Ritchie Valens, Ron Armstrong, Rosie and the Originals, Rosie Hamlin, San Diego 1950s, San Diego 1960s, San Diego music, Steve Thorn, the Cascades, the Misfits, the Red Coat Inn, Valiant Records
November 24th, 2009 at 8:23 am
>>Rosie was one Rosie Hamlin, a South Bay girl who came to San Diego from the Alaskan frontier. A self-taught pianist, Rosie was in the process of writing original tunes when she crossed paths with a local group call The Originals.
Rosie Hamlin: The Jewel of the ’60s?
BTW, I really want to read the installment with the Spectacles, featuring the future Claude Coma!
November 24th, 2009 at 8:23 am
>>Rosie was one Rosie Hamlin, a South Bay girl who came to San Diego from the Alaskan frontier. A self-taught pianist, Rosie was in the process of writing original tunes when she crossed paths with a local group call The Originals.
Rosie Hamlin: The Jewel of the ’60s?
BTW, I really want to read the installment with the Spectacles, featuring the future Claude Coma!
November 24th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Just so I’m the first to say it: I’m sure people of color were doing a lot more in San Diego than this article covers. (Very intrigued by the stories behind Jimmy Bell and Heart of the West.)
As we know, “rock ‘n’ roll” was a problematic label that disempowered some black artists in the process. Definitely would be curious about their San Diego experience (not to mention the way Mexico shaped pop-music mores locally).
November 24th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Just so I’m the first to say it: I’m sure people of color were doing a lot more in San Diego than this article covers. (Very intrigued by the stories behind Jimmy Bell and Heart of the West.)
As we know, “rock ‘n’ roll” was a problematic label that disempowered some black artists in the process. Definitely would be curious about their San Diego experience (not to mention the way Mexico shaped pop-music mores locally).
November 24th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Here’s the Misfits/Rolling Stones cover photo from that issue of Kicks:
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/misfits/
November 24th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Here’s the Misfits/Rolling Stones cover photo from that issue of Kicks:
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/misfits/
November 24th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
>>Here’s the Misfits/Rolling Stones cover photo from that issue of Kicks:
Mikel: OK, so judging from the photo and article, the Misfits were the first quasi- or authentically badass garage outfit in SD. Can I get a(n eye) witness?
November 24th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
>>Here’s the Misfits/Rolling Stones cover photo from that issue of Kicks:
Mikel: OK, so judging from the photo and article, the Misfits were the first quasi- or authentically badass garage outfit in SD. Can I get a(n eye) witness?
November 24th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I’ve got the Misfits single somewhere--it has Ray Charles’ “Sticks and Stones” on the B-side if my memory serves me correctly. I’d hardly call them badass. I’d say they were definitely British invasion-inspired, probably more Beatles than Stones.
November 24th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I’ve got the Misfits single somewhere--it has Ray Charles’ “Sticks and Stones” on the B-side if my memory serves me correctly. I’d hardly call them badass. I’d say they were definitely British invasion-inspired, probably more Beatles than Stones.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I just found it--it’s actually a song called “Lost Love” on the B-side.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I just found it--it’s actually a song called “Lost Love” on the B-side.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
“Badass” is a term more appropriately applied to the Lyrics, a North County band who had a single called “So What!” that appeared on the Pebbles series. Mike Stax did a feature on them in Ugly Things in one of the early issues.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
“Badass” is a term more appropriately applied to the Lyrics, a North County band who had a single called “So What!” that appeared on the Pebbles series. Mike Stax did a feature on them in Ugly Things in one of the early issues.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
>>I’d hardly call them badass. I’d say they were definitely British invasion-inspired, probably more Beatles than Stones.
Ray: I did throw in that “quasi-” to cover myself!
So who wants to nominate the first truly status quo-challenging local band in SD? That scene around the Elvis gig (naked girls, masturbating sailors) makes it sound like there was enough libido and mischief in town to inspire someone to be musical outlaws … It was a port town, it was a border town, I know there was crazy stuff going on — where did the music push the edges?
November 24th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
>>”Badass” is a term more appropriately applied to the Lyrics, a North County band who had a single called “So What!” that appeared on the Pebbles series. Mike Stax did a feature on them in Ugly Things in one of the early issues.
OK, now we’re getting somewhere!
I would love to hear about the Lyrics.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
>>”Badass” is a term more appropriately applied to the Lyrics, a North County band who had a single called “So What!” that appeared on the Pebbles series. Mike Stax did a feature on them in Ugly Things in one of the early issues.
OK, now we’re getting somewhere!
I would love to hear about the Lyrics.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I note with delight that this conversation is moving in the direction of all great discussions of local music: Who’s the real deal?
We post the Brain Police, who some claim were the coolest thing going in SD ca. ’68 … Dylan’s stepmom was on the scene back then, and she says a band called Creations was really the happening thing.
The Misfits acquire a bit of a historical rep for rockin’ early-’60s SD … But it sounds like the Lyrics had more cred, if even less permanence …
I love stuff like this! There’s probably no center to the onion, finally, but it sure is fun to peel away layers.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I note with delight that this conversation is moving in the direction of all great discussions of local music: Who’s the real deal?
We post the Brain Police, who some claim were the coolest thing going in SD ca. ’68 … Dylan’s stepmom was on the scene back then, and she says a band called Creations was really the happening thing.
The Misfits acquire a bit of a historical rep for rockin’ early-’60s SD … But it sounds like the Lyrics had more cred, if even less permanence …
I love stuff like this! There’s probably no center to the onion, finally, but it sure is fun to peel away layers.
November 24th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Re: Rosie and The Originals
David St. Hubbins: “So, we became The Originals.”
Nigel Tufnel: “Right.”
David: “And, uh, we had to change our name, actually.”
Nigel: “Well, there was another group, in the East End, called The Originals and we had to rename ourselves.”
David: “The New Originals.”
Nigel: “The New Originals.”
David: “Yeah.”
Nigel: “And they became…”
David: “…The Regulars. They changed their name back to The Regulars. And we thought we could go back to The Originals, but what’s the point?”
November 24th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Re: Rosie and The Originals
David St. Hubbins: “So, we became The Originals.”
Nigel Tufnel: “Right.”
David: “And, uh, we had to change our name, actually.”
Nigel: “Well, there was another group, in the East End, called The Originals and we had to rename ourselves.”
David: “The New Originals.”
Nigel: “The New Originals.”
David: “Yeah.”
Nigel: “And they became…”
David: “…The Regulars. They changed their name back to The Regulars. And we thought we could go back to The Originals, but what’s the point?”
November 24th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
From a list of “The Ten Greatest Garage-Rock Songs Of All Time! Ever!!”
“So What!!”
The Lyrics (1965)
Chris Gaylord went out with a rich girl, wasn’t impressed, and wrote a song about it that’s overflowing with visceral loathing and contempt. The rest of the group is just okay, but Gaylord’s performance seethes. Pure teenage overkill, right down to the two exclamation points in the title.
http://weeklywire.com/ww/10-26-98/boston_music_2.html
November 24th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
This is one wild story in itself:
http://www.myspace.com/Thebandthelyrics
November 24th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
This is one wild story in itself:
http://www.myspace.com/Thebandthelyrics
November 24th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I got (possibly borrowed) this record around 1979 from a friend of mine who’s older sibling (Ann) had outgrown it…it hipped me to a lot of ‘oldie’ stuff that quickly became some of my favorite music.
CLICK HERE for a scan of the back cover with groovy portraits of many of the ‘heavy 11-7′ KCBQ DJ’s, including Happy Hare, and a great smattering of hits, including tunes that originated in SD such as Rhythm of the Rain and Wipeout. This record was my first education of the bygone AM era in a time dominated by the FM shtuff now called ‘classic rock’.
Thanks, KCBQ!!! And thanks Ann, whomever and wherever you are..
November 24th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I got (possibly borrowed) this record around 1979 from a friend of mine who’s older sibling (Ann) had outgrown it…it hipped me to a lot of ‘oldie’ stuff that quickly became some of my favorite music.
CLICK HERE for a scan of the back cover with groovy portraits of many of the ‘heavy 11-7′ KCBQ DJ’s, including Happy Hare, and a great smattering of hits, including tunes that originated in SD such as Rhythm of the Rain and Wipeout. This record was my first education of the bygone AM era in a time dominated by the FM shtuff now called ‘classic rock’.
Thanks, KCBQ!!! And thanks Ann, whomever and wherever you are..
November 25th, 2009 at 12:07 am
I’m liking the Lyrics for OG SD punks … Oceanside, huh? What on earth was going on in Oceanside in ’65?
November 25th, 2009 at 12:07 am
I’m liking the Lyrics for OG SD punks … Oceanside, huh? What on earth was going on in Oceanside in ’65?
November 25th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Thanks for that Myspace link, Mr. Toombs. All of the Lyrics singles are there, and they range from typical American garage punk style to East LA low-rider soul. Check out this clip of the band playing on TV6′s “Dance Time” in 1967. The Lyrics were: Bill Garcia , Dan Garcia , Craig Carll , and Danny Reyes. That’s Craig Carl, one of the band’s writers, on lead vocals.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Thanks for that Myspace link, Mr. Toombs. All of the Lyrics singles are there, and they range from typical American garage punk style to East LA low-rider soul. Check out this clip of the band playing on TV6′s “Dance Time” in 1967. The Lyrics were: Bill Garcia , Dan Garcia , Craig Carll , and Danny Reyes. That’s Craig Carl, one of the band’s writers, on lead vocals.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Does anyone know anything about TV8′s “Dance Party”? I’m impressed by their American Bandstand style integration, too. Can anyone spot his or her grandparents?
November 25th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Does anyone know anything about TV8′s “Dance Party”? I’m impressed by their American Bandstand style integration, too. Can anyone spot his or her grandparents?
November 25th, 2009 at 1:55 am
You got an electric typewriter so you don’t have to work a lot
And all I can say to you about that is, SO WHAT
© Raymond Clearwater [formerly Chris Gaylord]
November 25th, 2009 at 1:55 am
You got an electric typewriter so you don’t have to work a lot
And all I can say to you about that is, SO WHAT
© Raymond Clearwater [formerly Chris Gaylord]
November 25th, 2009 at 7:36 am
>>The Lyrics were: Bill Garcia , Dan Garcia , Craig Carll , and Danny Reyes.
Viz. my earlier speculation on what the Hispanic kids were up to!
The video says they were playing the Oceanside Community Center with the Survivors and the Band from U.N.C.L.E. I love the name of that second band.
November 25th, 2009 at 7:36 am
>>The Lyrics were: Bill Garcia , Dan Garcia , Craig Carll , and Danny Reyes.
Viz. my earlier speculation on what the Hispanic kids were up to!
The video says they were playing the Oceanside Community Center with the Survivors and the Band from U.N.C.L.E. I love the name of that second band.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
[From Ron Armstrong of The Misfits]
Re: 1st badass garage band.
Let me correct one thing first. Bob Mosley didn’t play bass guitar until a year or so later when he was no longer in the Misfits. So the lineup was; Bob Mosley, lead singer and rhythm guitar, Earl Steely harmony singer and bass guitar, Eddie Dunn on lead guitar, and me on drums. We, the Misfits, were the first rock band to bust into the established larger club scene, The Red Coat Inn…within a bowling alley on University Ave. a couple of miles [I think he means blocks] or so East of 54th St. They served dinner and featured a jazz band. We started playing there on Monday nights only and packed the club. We learned that we brought more bodies in on that one night then the other band did on the entire weekend. They gave us one more night and we did the same. Then, they got rid of the jazz band, hired us, The Misfits, 6 nights a week. They took out the large plush booths and added smaller tables and chairs to accomidate more people.
But, before the Misfits [there] was Joel Scott Hill & The Strangers with Willie Kellogg on drums, who also taught me how to play drums, rockin the Red Garter in Ocean Beach, which was a smaller club. There were other rock n’ roll bands also playing in a few beer joints also. Soon after we broke ground into the larger club scene, the doors opened for other bands to do the same. The Quad Room in Clairmont, also a larger club within a bowling alley hired The Outcasts, featuring Gary Puckett lead singer and lead guitar, Bob Brown lead singer and bass, Willie Kellogg on drums.
…I was also the drummer for Jamul, which began in 1969, http://www.ronarmstrong.net/html/phostor.html as shown on my website.
Best Wishes,
Ron
November 25th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
[From Ron Armstrong of The Misfits]
Re: 1st badass garage band.
Let me correct one thing first. Bob Mosley didn’t play bass guitar until a year or so later when he was no longer in the Misfits. So the lineup was; Bob Mosley, lead singer and rhythm guitar, Earl Steely harmony singer and bass guitar, Eddie Dunn on lead guitar, and me on drums. We, the Misfits, were the first rock band to bust into the established larger club scene, The Red Coat Inn…within a bowling alley on University Ave. a couple of miles [I think he means blocks] or so East of 54th St. They served dinner and featured a jazz band. We started playing there on Monday nights only and packed the club. We learned that we brought more bodies in on that one night then the other band did on the entire weekend. They gave us one more night and we did the same. Then, they got rid of the jazz band, hired us, The Misfits, 6 nights a week. They took out the large plush booths and added smaller tables and chairs to accomidate more people.
But, before the Misfits [there] was Joel Scott Hill & The Strangers with Willie Kellogg on drums, who also taught me how to play drums, rockin the Red Garter in Ocean Beach, which was a smaller club. There were other rock n’ roll bands also playing in a few beer joints also. Soon after we broke ground into the larger club scene, the doors opened for other bands to do the same. The Quad Room in Clairmont, also a larger club within a bowling alley hired The Outcasts, featuring Gary Puckett lead singer and lead guitar, Bob Brown lead singer and bass, Willie Kellogg on drums.
…I was also the drummer for Jamul, which began in 1969, http://www.ronarmstrong.net/html/phostor.html as shown on my website.
Best Wishes,
Ron
November 25th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
[From William Kellogg, drummer for Joel Scott Hill and the Strangers. Priceless. And check out the link!]
YEAH!…..Good work Ron!…It’s amazing!…..one would never know that we even grew up in San Diego!,….we were Rock and Roll before Rock and Roll was Born!
I saw Joel Hill at Belmonte Park in Mission Beach, sittin on the wall by the Plunge [swimming Pool]…..in Levi’s with a flat top acoustic guitar, lookin like what became the look of a Rock and Roll Star…way before anyone else in San Diego!…..
Then almost 10 years later I end up playin drums behind him in the greatest hardest hitting band in San Diego!……South East San Diego had the Baddest R&B Bands, But Linda Vista had the Baddest Rock & Roll Bands,…Hill Billys, playin Country,R&B, Drinkin Whiskey, and dukin it out with the customers!…SHIT!…..We went to HollyWood twice!…in 1961 we were so fuckin Good that ELVIS sent his boys out to check us out! Joel, Harold, and Lamarr went and played touch foot ball with them!….I stayed at the Apt. and read a book!…..HELL….I didn’t want nothing to do with those Red Necks!….
BUT!….we were too Hip for Holly Wood in 1961,…it was the last of the Beatnick Era!…. The Night Club Darlings thought that they themselves were the Hippest,…but their time had passed!…THEY WERE SQUARE,… BUT DIDN’T KNOW IT!…They thought JIMMY REED music was Country music!,…..that’s how Square they were!……[we played at a Mafia club called "The Tail Spin"]….It was WILD and WOOLY,…Elvis had a cousin who was married to a NYMPHO Mananiac who owned a Licquor Store!,….and his buddy was a guy named JET POWERS!……who sang demos to Pitch tunes for different Artist etc….He became a Big Star in England!,…”P- J- PROBEY….”but thats another story!…..
I GOT BORED!….from all of the Crazyness!…And QUIT!…Shit!, I’m going back to San Diego where it’s nice and Peaceful,….SAYS ME!……and Micky Dolenz, later of the MONKEYS was a little Kid who was in a TV series called the “Circus Boy”,…he lived down stairs from us! and his Parents thought Joel, Harold, and Lamarr were crazy Hoodlums, especially after ELVIS’S cousin [Shuggie]…and P-J- PROBY [jet powers] started hanging out with us!….
SO I CUT OUT!…Then everything fell apart!….and we lost contact for a couple of years! Then we got together at the Red Garter,……that’s when you and Mosley came into our lives! as the MISFITS!….Did you like that run down of a time and space in HollyWood?…HA!
WILLIE…aka Madhu Balu……YUK! YUK!….
http://edtweb23dev366.edthosting.com/dblake/trippinwithwillie/index.html
November 25th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Mikel: I’m really digging this. These guys sound like serious rock-’n'-roll business!
November 25th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Mikel: I’m really digging this. These guys sound like serious rock-’n'-roll business!
November 25th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Thanks for the new links, Mikel! The Willie Kellog has a ton of great stuff, including the story of the Stones concert at Balboa Stadium in 1964, from a 1998 Reader article by Randy Hoffman. Keep ‘em coming!
November 25th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Thanks for the new links, Mikel! The Willie Kellog has a ton of great stuff, including the story of the Stones concert at Balboa Stadium in 1964, from a 1998 Reader article by Randy Hoffman. Keep ‘em coming!
November 25th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
The Lyrics myspace page is a goldmine of photos and stories--I was there an hour and a half last night!
Here’s a brief summary of the band’s trajectory: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=414890207&albumID=606475&imageID=4655402#a=606475&i=3874566
Chris Gaylord was a member for a short period of time, but he introduced the band to the Stones sound they are ultimately remembered for.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
The Lyrics myspace page is a goldmine of photos and stories--I was there an hour and a half last night!
Here’s a brief summary of the band’s trajectory: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=414890207&albumID=606475&imageID=4655402#a=606475&i=3874566
Chris Gaylord was a member for a short period of time, but he introduced the band to the Stones sound they are ultimately remembered for.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Here’s Chris Gaylord’s take on the Lyrics, with song samples for those who haven’t heard the “So What!” single:
http://www.raymondclearwater.com/early.html
November 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Here’s Chris Gaylord’s take on the Lyrics, with song samples for those who haven’t heard the “So What!” single:
http://www.raymondclearwater.com/early.html
November 25th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
>>Here’s Chris Gaylord’s take on the Lyrics
(Back row) Mike Allen, Chris Gaylord, Craig Carll, Danny Garcia, Steve Khaler
(Front row) Billy Garcia, Gary Neves
I love these guys.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
>>Here’s Chris Gaylord’s take on the Lyrics
(Back row) Mike Allen, Chris Gaylord, Craig Carll, Danny Garcia, Steve Khaler
(Front row) Billy Garcia, Gary Neves
I love these guys.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Oh, and I wanna learn more about Joel Scott Hill, who the Reader article on the Misfits indicates is the McCartney/Starr hybrid-looking gentleman at the lower left of this photo:
Per the article, this shot was taken Nov. 1, 1964, when the Misfits were among the local bands who opened for the Rolling Stones at Balboa Park Bowl.
“A backstage photo of the Stones mingling with various locals features (top row from left) Ron Armstrong, Bill Wyman, Keith Richards, Earl Steely, Mick Jagger, Joey Page, Charlie Watts, and Bob Mosley; (bottom row from left) Joel Scott Hill, an unidentified photographer, Harold Kirby, and Eddy Dunn. Misfits members depicted are drummer Armstrong, rhythm guitarist Steely, bassist Mosley, and lead guitarist Dunn. Hill and Kirby were with the local Joel Scott Band. Page was an area singer, and the photo was taken by Misfits manager (and swimming pool salesman) Bob Herrington.”
November 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Oh, and I wanna learn more about Joel Scott Hill, who the Reader article on the Misfits indicates is the McCartney/Starr hybrid-looking gentleman at the lower left of this photo:
Per the article, this shot was taken Nov. 1, 1964, when the Misfits were among the local bands who opened for the Rolling Stones at Balboa Park Bowl.
“A backstage photo of the Stones mingling with various locals features (top row from left) Ron Armstrong, Bill Wyman, Keith Richards, Earl Steely, Mick Jagger, Joey Page, Charlie Watts, and Bob Mosley; (bottom row from left) Joel Scott Hill, an unidentified photographer, Harold Kirby, and Eddy Dunn. Misfits members depicted are drummer Armstrong, rhythm guitarist Steely, bassist Mosley, and lead guitarist Dunn. Hill and Kirby were with the local Joel Scott Band. Page was an area singer, and the photo was taken by Misfits manager (and swimming pool salesman) Bob Herrington.”
November 25th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I had that Jamul album!!!! I am digging the shit outta these guys…man, talk about ‘tude…Elvis? too cool…also I know that chris sullivan was a big pj proby fan….love it. Also, fyi…I tried to get on your sympathy for the 70′s but everytime I go on there my computer shuts down I think it must be because of all the links for video’s this is just a guess…but is there anything you can do about that or am i the only person this happens to…just a question.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I had that Jamul album!!!! I am digging the shit outta these guys…man, talk about ‘tude…Elvis? too cool…also I know that chris sullivan was a big pj proby fan….love it. Also, fyi…I tried to get on your sympathy for the 70′s but everytime I go on there my computer shuts down I think it must be because of all the links for video’s this is just a guess…but is there anything you can do about that or am i the only person this happens to…just a question.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
>>Also, fyi…I tried to get on your sympathy for the 70’s but everytime I go on there my computer shuts down I think it must be because of all the links for video’s this is just a guess
Heff: It’s possible — these pages do get pretty heavy when we’re loading up on multimedia! Try these big threads and see if you have the same problem:
Me and my monkey: Guilty pleasures
Memories of the Injections
What system are you running? We can take this offline and try to get you cranking.
Anybody else having problems loading chock-full-o’-posts threads?
BTW, Heff: I want to know what local guys you dug the most when you were a precocious San Diegan hipster. Any 14-year-old who tried to get into that Velvet Underground Hippodrome gig (per Ray’s Penetrators bio knew what was up!
November 25th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
>>Also, fyi…I tried to get on your sympathy for the 70’s but everytime I go on there my computer shuts down I think it must be because of all the links for video’s this is just a guess
Heff: It’s possible — these pages do get pretty heavy when we’re loading up on multimedia! Try these big threads and see if you have the same problem:
Me and my monkey: Guilty pleasures
Memories of the Injections
What system are you running? We can take this offline and try to get you cranking.
Anybody else having problems loading chock-full-o’-posts threads?
BTW, Heff: I want to know what local guys you dug the most when you were a precocious San Diegan hipster. Any 14-year-old who tried to get into that Velvet Underground Hippodrome gig (per Ray’s Penetrators bio knew what was up!
November 25th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Joel Scott Hill went on to join Canned Heat and the Flying Burrito Brothers (!). Here’s his MySpace page (his personal site seems to have disappeared):
http://www.myspace.com/joelscotthill
November 25th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Joel Scott Hill went on to join Canned Heat and the Flying Burrito Brothers (!). Here’s his MySpace page (his personal site seems to have disappeared):
http://www.myspace.com/joelscotthill
November 26th, 2009 at 1:17 am
More Joel Scott Hill.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:17 am
More Joel Scott Hill.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Wasn’t Jamul also on one of the Homegrown albums? I also recall a Reader article about the band from back in the day --
November 26th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Wasn’t Jamul also on one of the Homegrown albums? I also recall a Reader article about the band from back in the day --
November 26th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Hey Mikel/Che -- will you be posting more of that Kicks History of SD RnR? I have a few of subsequent parts among the nine or ten Kicks issues I still have, but I don’t have the whole series. Also found a shortlived local metal zine called Loud and Clear (late 1984), as well as Happening Magazine (1987) -
November 26th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Hey Mikel/Che -- will you be posting more of that Kicks History of SD RnR? I have a few of subsequent parts among the nine or ten Kicks issues I still have, but I don’t have the whole series. Also found a shortlived local metal zine called Loud and Clear (late 1984), as well as Happening Magazine (1987) -
November 26th, 2009 at 11:50 am
J: I’m waiting to see if anyone has Part 2 before I post Parts 3-5. And, yes, Jamul’s “Sunrise Over Jamul” (this was back when all the Homegrown cuts had a local theme, “Gypsies From Bonsall” and all that) is a Homegrown classic.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:50 am
J: I’m waiting to see if anyone has Part 2 before I post Parts 3-5. And, yes, Jamul’s “Sunrise Over Jamul” (this was back when all the Homegrown cuts had a local theme, “Gypsies From Bonsall” and all that) is a Homegrown classic.
November 26th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I have Part 2 in the December 1979 ish -- covers Boss Radio, the Spectacles, the Other Four, James Pagni Productions, Sandy and the Accents/Classics, teen clubs and teen TV shows, etc. I’ll scan and send if you let me know the best email to send to. Same ish has a photo feature “The Ramones Go Ape at the San Diego Zoo,” something we covered in the Reader awhile back as well — thanks for transcribing this stuff to put online! Steve Thorn did a great job on the History articles, and Kicks was a great mag. Just looking at the ads for long-gone concert venues is quite the 8-track flashback —
November 27th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
[Again from Ron Armstrong of '60s band The Misfits]
Re: the early San Diego rock n’ roll scene, as far as I know, I’m the only one who is still rockin’, in fact just beginning to happen and, as my one sheet explains [see link to his Web site below], my CD should be out by Feb. 2010. I’ve got world class players who helped me out, also listed on my One Sheet. The lady who reps me, Liz Redwing, is helping me line up a publicity campaign. I plan out to be playing live with a young band by Mar. 10. Check out my links below if you’d like. You can hear songs posted on MySpace.
http://www.myspace.com/ronarmstrongmusic
http://www.ronarmstrong.net/
November 27th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
[Again from Ron Armstrong of '60s band The Misfits]
Re: the early San Diego rock n’ roll scene, as far as I know, I’m the only one who is still rockin’, in fact just beginning to happen and, as my one sheet explains [see link to his Web site below], my CD should be out by Feb. 2010. I’ve got world class players who helped me out, also listed on my One Sheet. The lady who reps me, Liz Redwing, is helping me line up a publicity campaign. I plan out to be playing live with a young band by Mar. 10. Check out my links below if you’d like. You can hear songs posted on MySpace.
http://www.myspace.com/ronarmstrongmusic
http://www.ronarmstrong.net/
November 27th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
>>as far as I know, I’m the only one who is still rockin’
Raymond Clearwater (fka Chris Gaylord of the Lyrics) responded to me very graciously and seems interested in telling some stories.
Both he and Joel Scott Hill also appear to have continued to pursue their respective musical careers.
Maybe we can get all these guys together for a reunion show! Those Rolling Stones fellas can open.
November 27th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
>>as far as I know, I’m the only one who is still rockin’
Raymond Clearwater (fka Chris Gaylord of the Lyrics) responded to me very graciously and seems interested in telling some stories.
Both he and Joel Scott Hill also appear to have continued to pursue their respective musical careers.
Maybe we can get all these guys together for a reunion show! Those Rolling Stones fellas can open.
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Fascinating story, would love to hear more!
Flem: I’ve had that KCBQ comp LP since I was a kid of around 10 years old. Still have it too!
My parents played top 40 AM radio in our Spring Valley (later La Mesa) house through the 60s (especially after the Beatles invaded), so I was exposed to great AM radio. I got myself a Radio Shack transistor radio in the late 60s and carried it everywhere. I remember hearing “Happy Hare” and all the jocks.
Picked up a 45 by Joel Hill at a garage sale back in the 70s. I used to go to garage sales a lot as a kid, as well as flea markets and Encore records on El Cajon Blvd. The A-side is good (“Little Lover”) but the backside is a crazy rockabilly with lots of reverb on the vocal and a great guitar solo called “I Thought It Over”. Also have a good instrumental 45 of “Hill Stomp” by The Strangers (w/ Joel Hill) that I picked up at a flea market.
I never knew he was from San Diego until I read this.
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Fascinating story, would love to hear more!
Flem: I’ve had that KCBQ comp LP since I was a kid of around 10 years old. Still have it too!
My parents played top 40 AM radio in our Spring Valley (later La Mesa) house through the 60s (especially after the Beatles invaded), so I was exposed to great AM radio. I got myself a Radio Shack transistor radio in the late 60s and carried it everywhere. I remember hearing “Happy Hare” and all the jocks.
Picked up a 45 by Joel Hill at a garage sale back in the 70s. I used to go to garage sales a lot as a kid, as well as flea markets and Encore records on El Cajon Blvd. The A-side is good (“Little Lover”) but the backside is a crazy rockabilly with lots of reverb on the vocal and a great guitar solo called “I Thought It Over”. Also have a good instrumental 45 of “Hill Stomp” by The Strangers (w/ Joel Hill) that I picked up at a flea market.
I never knew he was from San Diego until I read this.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I love the song “Angel Baby” by Rosie and the Originals, a true lowrider classic….
I always want to know more about San Diego music history, when ever I ask people whom hung out in the day, the talk about Iron Butterfly @ The Spirit club, I do not think they get much resepct do to the fact the are a one hit wonder, but they are a pretty good band, there first record is pretty good, the song “Unconscious Power” is great.
Also Gary Puckket had a band I think called “The Outcasts” and they had a good tune a garage punk stomper, tune name eacapes me know.
Would love to know what was up in the pre punk 70′s any proto punk glam bands?
December 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I love the song “Angel Baby” by Rosie and the Originals, a true lowrider classic….
I always want to know more about San Diego music history, when ever I ask people whom hung out in the day, the talk about Iron Butterfly @ The Spirit club, I do not think they get much resepct do to the fact the are a one hit wonder, but they are a pretty good band, there first record is pretty good, the song “Unconscious Power” is great.
Also Gary Puckket had a band I think called “The Outcasts” and they had a good tune a garage punk stomper, tune name eacapes me know.
Would love to know what was up in the pre punk 70′s any proto punk glam bands?
December 7th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Christopher Gaylord, now Raymond Clearwater, of The Lyrics:
“As for why I was so angry in my songs – I really don’t know. I wrote both of those songs to (or at) a girl I was going with at the time. Her family had a very nice home and two refrigerators and all kinds of things that I had never seen and I was dirt poor and came from a very low income environment. Raised by my grandmother on a small ranch in Cardiff, CA. I was pretty much of a punk. I certainly had my share of trouble in High School, was in Juvenile Hall for a bit, and I guess you might say I had somewhat of a BAD ATTITUDE – at any rate, if you add that up with the fact that I was attempting to be a Rolling Stone kind of guy, in conjunction with a Bob Dylan kind of guy, you get anger and resentment.”
Read more: http://expo67-cavestones.blogspot.com/2008/12/lyrics-magic-mushroom-interview-with.html
December 7th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Christopher Gaylord, now Raymond Clearwater, of The Lyrics:
“As for why I was so angry in my songs – I really don’t know. I wrote both of those songs to (or at) a girl I was going with at the time. Her family had a very nice home and two refrigerators and all kinds of things that I had never seen and I was dirt poor and came from a very low income environment. Raised by my grandmother on a small ranch in Cardiff, CA. I was pretty much of a punk. I certainly had my share of trouble in High School, was in Juvenile Hall for a bit, and I guess you might say I had somewhat of a BAD ATTITUDE – at any rate, if you add that up with the fact that I was attempting to be a Rolling Stone kind of guy, in conjunction with a Bob Dylan kind of guy, you get anger and resentment.”
Read more: http://expo67-cavestones.blogspot.com/2008/12/lyrics-magic-mushroom-interview-with.html
December 12th, 2009 at 5:02 am
The only thing I can find out about The Misfits’ music is a listing of two singles on a site dedicated to the horror punk Misfits: http://www.misfitscentral.com/bands/other-misfits.php
December 12th, 2009 at 5:02 am
The only thing I can find out about The Misfits’ music is a listing of two singles on a site dedicated to the horror punk Misfits: http://www.misfitscentral.com/bands/other-misfits.php
December 12th, 2009 at 9:13 am
>>The only thing I can find out about The Misfits’ music is a listing of two singles on a site dedicated to the horror punk Misfits:
Paul Allen: Did you try narrowing your search, like this?
+misfits +”ron armstrong”
December 12th, 2009 at 9:13 am
>>The only thing I can find out about The Misfits’ music is a listing of two singles on a site dedicated to the horror punk Misfits:
Paul Allen: Did you try narrowing your search, like this?
+misfits +”ron armstrong”
December 13th, 2009 at 4:22 am
misfits+san diego
December 13th, 2009 at 4:22 am
misfits+san diego
March 31st, 2010 at 11:52 am
Really enjoying this! I was born in 1953, but my sister was 9 1/2 years older, so I literally grew up on this radio/music. I remember being 3 and my mom atarted putting me to bed for a nap with my sister’s transister radio. A few months later, I got my revenge, waking my parents about 4 a.m. belting out “Wake Up Little Susie” as only a 3 1/2 year old can.
Thanks for the memories; they continue to prove to me that my own memories were not false. I was a Radio KDEO gal.
March 31st, 2010 at 11:52 am
Really enjoying this! I was born in 1953, but my sister was 9 1/2 years older, so I literally grew up on this radio/music. I remember being 3 and my mom atarted putting me to bed for a nap with my sister’s transister radio. A few months later, I got my revenge, waking my parents about 4 a.m. belting out “Wake Up Little Susie” as only a 3 1/2 year old can.
Thanks for the memories; they continue to prove to me that my own memories were not false. I was a Radio KDEO gal.
June 2nd, 2010 at 1:15 am
Hello everyone--in particular, Mikel!
Thank you for all the feedback and constructive criticism. It was a remarkable exercise in digging around and looking for clues. I had no Ugly Things for inspiration when I was doing the five-part series, simply because I don’t think it existed at that time. I followed the leads of Greg Shaw and Ken Barnes of the remarkable Who Put the Bomp! ‘zine, a publication of which I was a proud subscriber.
But I’ll tell you what--if it had not been for the indefatigable Gary Rachac, I would had been driving into many brick walls. His leads led to other leads. We could have spent five more years on research!
Having a blast these days writing for the Troubadour. Please visit at http://www.sandiegotroubadour.com I am also a college history instructor--and I have Ray Brandes’ dad to thank for that!!
Steve Thorn
Fabulous Normal Heights
June 2nd, 2010 at 1:15 am
Hello everyone--in particular, Mikel!
Thank you for all the feedback and constructive criticism. It was a remarkable exercise in digging around and looking for clues. I had no Ugly Things for inspiration when I was doing the five-part series, simply because I don’t think it existed at that time. I followed the leads of Greg Shaw and Ken Barnes of the remarkable Who Put the Bomp! ‘zine, a publication of which I was a proud subscriber.
But I’ll tell you what--if it had not been for the indefatigable Gary Rachac, I would had been driving into many brick walls. His leads led to other leads. We could have spent five more years on research!
Having a blast these days writing for the Troubadour. Please visit at http://www.sandiegotroubadour.com I am also a college history instructor--and I have Ray Brandes’ dad to thank for that!!
Steve Thorn
Fabulous Normal Heights
June 4th, 2013 at 1:14 pm
Does anyone have an mp3 of the Misfits’ “This Little Piggy”? I’d love to have it.