The Tokyos over San Diego
(Ray Brandes shares photos and sounds from a short-lived San Diego phenomenon.)
The Tokyos (1978-1979)
Marc DiCarlo (vocals); Tim Hurley (drums); Bruce Stevenson (guitar); Jeffrey Mitzo (bass)
They were exciting times. Bands seemed to be springing up all over San Diego, influenced by the flurry of new British and American punk bands and taking advantage of the infrastructure that had been created by bands like the Zeros, Hitmakers, Penetrators and Injections. According to Joe Piper, San Diego guitarist and archivist extraordinaire, “The Tokyos were the ‘Fresh Young Face’ of 1978. They were the epitome of snotty, DIY aesthetic. Fun and photogenic, they wore their influences on their skinny sleeves with flair and a fair amount of punk attitude.”
Two months after the band was formed, they recorded a six-song EP in a matter of a few hours at Checkfield Studios in San Diego. According to the liner notes, their intent was “to capture the excitement and energy of a young band.” Released in 1979 on Dusty Roads Records, the 10” red vinyl record is the only artifact that remains of this short-lived phenomenon. Piper says the songs, which “all clock in at under two minutes” are “equally informed by 999, X-Ray Spex and the Buzzcocks, as well as the to-be-expected Clash and Sex Pistols.”
The Tokyos later switched guitarists, added a keyboard player and metamorphosed into the Mature Adults. Tim and Marc would also go on to play in Private Sector and the All Bitchin’ All Stud All Stars. In addition, Tim was the publisher of local fanzine International Personalities.
The Tokyos play “Test Tube Baby”: Listen now!
The Tokyos play “Daddy Says I Should Be Rich”: Listen now!
Thanks to Joe Piper for his invaluable assistance, photographs and digital transfer.
— Ray Brandes
Also by Ray Brandes:
- The Hitmakers’ hit that never was
- Sensational: The All Bitchin’ All Stud All Stars and the roots of Country Dick Montana
- The Penetrators: Walking the Beat
- Dream Sequence: The history of the Unknowns
- Let the Good Times Roll: The untold history of the Crawdaddys
- The Zeros: I Don’t Wanna Be a Hero, I Just Wanna Be a Zero
- Lend Me Your Comb: A short history of the Hedgehogs
Tags: Bruce Stevenson, Checkfield Studios, Dusty Roads Records, International Personalities, Jeffrey Mitzo, Joe Piper, Marc DiCarlo, Mature Adults, Ray Brandes, San Diego music, San Diego punk, the Sensational Big M.R. and his All Bitchin’ All Stud All Stars, the Tokyos, Tim Hurley
December 4th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Here’s a link to a Harold Gee photograph of Marc, the lead singer:
December 4th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Mature Adults played out a lot … I’ve been digging through all those flyers from Jason Seibert and Bill Starling, and it seems like they were on every punk bill for a few years there.
Any Tokyos/Mature Adults lurking here? These are great songs!
December 4th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Funny how these “punk” hairstyles on the guys in this 1980 pic are how almost everyone wears their hair nowadays. You could get beaten up just for having a haircut like that back then.
December 4th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
DAVE has a good point. Walking around North Park with hair like “that” was worth an ass-kicking, or as some of our friends found out, (Terry X), a night in jail!!
Great to See Charles and DT from the good old days. I almost got beat up in OB after in dyed my hair blonde: the surfers thought I was Charles!!
Tokyos lead singer is on the cover of the Injections 45!!
December 5th, 2009 at 7:32 am
wh do i keep thinking that mark dicarlo went on to play with a cramps off shoot band maybe BEAST with brian gregory??? anyone else remember this?
December 5th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Gary, I can confirm that.
Not sure if it was BEAST specifically, but the last I’d heard from Marc was that he was going north to partner up with Bryan Gregory.
December 5th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Whew…I thought I was going crazy there…I remember seeing a poster and seeing Marc with Brian Gregory…Joe…I owe you a beer!
December 5th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
We’ve got to get Joe signed up as a regular contributor here. He’s got a tremendous collection of records, posters, flyers, photos, etc. but more importantly he was there at the beginning of the punk movement and has a great memory. He is also one of the nicest guys I know!
December 6th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
You can buy a fresh copy of the Tokyos record for $60 …
December 6th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
60 bucks….sheeeeet!!! Ain’t ‘nuttin!!
December 7th, 2009 at 6:36 am
This might be more in keeping with most folks’ budget:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=70405048&blogId=123162086
It was reissued (in vinyl!) in 2006 and includes some unreleased tracks. I don’t know if they’ve got any copies left, though.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Checkfield Studios? Where the hell was that place? Never heard of it… I do recall Marc and Tim tho, they was cool dudes.
December 14th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Who was in Mature Adults??
December 14th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Marc DiCarlo…of Tokyos…(on Injections 45 cover with face crossed out!)
December 14th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/haroldgee/217904257/
December 14th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Bruce: scroll up to the first comment in this thread.
December 14th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Ha!!!! Thanks Ray!!!
I should start reviewing past posts I guess!!
January 19th, 2010 at 1:58 am
I got to say this is really awesome guys. Marc is my uncle and knowing that he’s still kicking around in the memories of some folks who saw him play back in the day is really cool. And just to confirm, yeah he was in Beast. If there are any more pics or maybe a cool story about Marc please email me at n.b.smaira@gmail.com, it would mean a lot. Cheers
February 16th, 2010 at 1:31 am
How cool to see this cover and hear this music after all these years. I was only about 7 years old when this album came out I remember the night they took the photos for the album cover in my grandmothers living room. Marc is my uncle and he would have loved to see this posting. Thank you for the great pictures and music it brings back so many really good memories…
Elisa
February 16th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Nick and Elisa,
Thanks for joining us here. From your comments, it’s hard to tell if Marc is still with us or not. If he is, what is he up to nowadays?
February 16th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
This has been so amazing to hear all of these stories and memories you have about Marc. Marc passed away about 5 years ago so it had been really neat to read all of these blogs. Please if anyone has any pictures’s or stories we would love to hear more.
Thank you,
Melissa Errico
February 16th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
I’m so very sorry to learn that Marc is gone.
February 16th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Marc was an inspiration for alot of the bands out of San Diego in the late 70’s early 80’s. I loved seeing the Tokyos and Marc singing, Mother said I should be a priest Mother said I should be a priest Mother said I should be a priest cause she liked God, Father said I should be a man, Father said I should be a man, Father said I should be a man, I’ll do what I can. I have not heard that song in 30 years, and I probably got the words wrong, but I can hear Marc singing them in my head now. I know he is leading the choir in Heaven. God is loving it.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
I just saw the link for the song on the top of this, I was right I did have the words wrong!
February 17th, 2010 at 9:16 am
I remember Marc fondly as a very gentle soul and hope his passing was smooth for his family…regards.
heff
February 19th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
It was very hard for our family, but like we all know he is in a much better place. It was funny you sang that song (Mother said I should have been a priest) that was one of my favorite songs as well. Thank you for all of your responses it has been really neat to hear what everyone has to say.
Melissa
Marc’s Niece
February 19th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
He was well respected by all.
February 19th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Marc was a very important person in the early SD scene. He is on the cover of the Injections 45. He also appears a few times in Harold Gees Photosteam on Flickr? I believe. Marc was at all the shows and at all the parties…very cool guy. Very sorry to hear about this loss.
Bruce Injection
April 6th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Jeff Mitzo is my husband, and I’ve never gotten to hear the infamous red vinyl album because we no longer have a turntable. I can’t wait for him to see this so he can relive his 15 minutes of fame.
April 7th, 2010 at 7:34 am
junkgirl – I’d be glad to send you & Jeff my digital transfer.
April 8th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
That would be great. I had Jeff listen to the two songs posted here last night. He is was bummed they aren’t the originals, and are way over-produced. Ever the minimalist he is. It’s all about the original red vinyl.
April 8th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
>>He is was bummed they aren’t the originals, and are way over-produced.
Freakin’ Phil Spector, man …
April 8th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Junkgirl – Well, someone’s confused so it must be me.
But here is the actual red vinyl disc that I ripped to digital.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4503752609_7484838bf8_b.jpg
I only applied some very minimal sonic “cleaning” and in no way did I alter the original sound with eq, compression, etc.
What you hear is the raw, unadulterated original vinyl.
April 9th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Thanks Joe, that was awesome of you. It’s entirely possible too much fun back in the day has distorted his memory. But,from here on out I’ll let him speak for himself, should he wish to jump into the conversation. I’m just happy to finally get to hear it.
April 10th, 2010 at 12:40 am
Hey Junkgirl & Jeff. I understand the “too much fun” fuzzy memory thing completely.
Anyway, if you like, contact Matt via the email address shown on the “About” page.
I think he’d oblige us by forwarding it on to me and I can mail you a disc.
April 10th, 2010 at 9:09 am
>>Anyway, if you like, contact Matt via the email address shown on the “About” page.
I think he’d oblige us by forwarding it on to me and I can mail you a disc.
It would be my pleasure! That e-mail address, btw, is cheunderground@gmail.com
April 10th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
I am sorry to hear of Marc’s passing. I played keyboards in the Mature Adults with Jeff, Marc, and Suzie Mitchell and Tim on drums. I loved that band. Marc was a true original, and very ahead of his time. Fond memories…….
April 12th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Actually it was Private Sector- not the Mature Adults that I played in. That was the next endeavor by Marc & gang…..
April 13th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Sue,
When I worked at Guitar Trader in the very early 80’s, there was a Tokyos sticker on one of the support posts. Tokyos had been crossed out, and Private Sector written below, also crossed out, with Mature Adults written below that. For some reason it always stuck in my mind.
April 13th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Sue,
Be sure to check out the Unknowns biography here. Your brief stint with the Unknowns is covered.
I’ve also been in contact with Doriot, and she’s promised to write the Dinettes story for us!