1981-1982

(Ray Brandes tells the short tale of an influential San Diego band.)

At the beginning of the summer of 1981, the Ideals (comprising 18-year-old Ray Brandes on lead vocals, 17-year-old Tony Paulerio on lead guitar, 20-year-old Maure Silverman on rhythm guitar, 17-year-old Paul Carsola on drums, and led by 14-year-old prodigy Carl Rusk on bass) were gearing up for a summer of Point Loma keg parties at $50 a performance.

The band, whose short career had reached a pinnacle opening for the Penetrators at Mission Bay High School’s prom, played mostly rockabilly and early rock and roll, with Eddie Cochran’s songs making up about 50 percent of our set list!

At the end of May, with Paul away on a summer vacation, Carl called up the Crawdaddys’ Ron Silva to sit in on drums. Ron knew Carl from years of Skeleton Club shows and had recently seen the Ideals play at the Zebra Club, so he was more than happy to oblige. The gig was to be a massive block party in Crown Point, but it never materialized because the set by the opening band, Stonehenge, resulted in several noise complaints.

Three weeks later, Tony’s vacation prompted another call to Ron, this time to play lead guitar. Ron joined the Ideals at a Point Loma apartment party, and after a few days deliberation asked Carl and me to start a new band with him: the Hedgehogs. I would sing, while Ron would play guitar; Carl, bass; and Paul, drums.

During the days we’d practice for hours on end at 2378 Presidio Drive, while at nights we’d drive around in Carl’s family Suburban, wander the streets of Mission Hills or hang out at Julio’s Mexican Restaurant — all the while clad in black leather vests, skinny ties and Beatle boots. Within two weeks we had mastered the Beatles’ entire Hamburg Star Club song list, and were well on our way to becoming an authentic beat group. Ron was veritable encyclopedia of Beatles trivia, and could play and sing any Beatles song Carl or I would suggest.

Playing and singing with Ron was a pleasure for me. Ron had the best ear of anyone I’d ever met. He’d listen to a song once and immediately be able to play it on guitar. I was in awe of his wealth of knowledge and overjoyed to be able to sing three-part harmonies with him and Carl. Carl, who was a mere 14 years old at the time, was wise and talented well beyond his years. He was already demonstrating the brilliance that would later blossom in the Nashville Ramblers. More than anything else, the two of them were like my brothers, and we spent some of the best months of my youth together.

Two of our biggest supporters were my sister Claudia and her best friend Kristen Schwartz, who designed us a business card, and whose brothers initially provided us with an average of three to four party gigs a month. By July, a cheap four-hour Hedgehog performance was in high demand, and for the next several months we found ourselves playing nearly every week.

In January and February of 1982, the Hedgehogs played a couple of shows at the International Blend (see flyers), but by this time Paul Carsola was growing bored with the Liverpool lifestyle.

After the February show he left the group, vowing to never again play anything but “spy music.” We’d miss Paul’s surf-style drumming immensely — he could also play a Ringo beat like no one else. (He’d go on to join the ersatz Tell-Tale Hearts, Version Two, in the late ’80s.)

Here are the Hedgehogs performing “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You” from that January 20, 1982, International Blend show:

The Hedgehogs play “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You”: Listen now!

Here’s a flyer from March 3, 1982, when the Hedgehogs played a “Be My Friend” benefit with the Roosters and the Hipsters. This must have been the first gig I played on drums because Paul had just left.

The Crawdaddys were once again playing regularly, so only a few more high-profile Hedgehog gigs followed. I played drums — quite badly — at a party at Pat Works’ house and at an International Blend gig in May of 1982, hastily arranged to celebrate the arrival of Mike Stax from England.

Once again I played drums at an Adams Avenue Theater performance at which Mike Stax — who had yet to rejoin the Crawdaddys — sat in on bass (see photograph).

A final performance for the group occurred at a legendary party at Kristen Schwartz’s house in the summer of 1982, after which Jerry Cornelius’ brother pulled a knife on a bullying surfer. Mike again joined us on bass, and Gordon Moss of the Crawdaddys played drums. Here is the Hedgehogs’ version of the Coasters’ “Youngblood” from that party:

The Hedgehogs play “Youngblood”: Listen now!

Few artifacts remain from the Hedgehogs’ heyday, but three songs recorded in January 1982 with primitive technology are presented here for the first time. Using two tape machines, Carl recorded the instrumentation (Ron Silva, guitar; Carl Rusk, bass; Ray Brandes, drums) in the practice room at his house. The vocals were recorded in the bathroom!

The Zombies’ “Leave Me Be” features Ron on lead vocals and Ray on harmonies; “You Shouldn’t Be Sad” features Ray on lead vocals and Carl and Ron on harmonies; and the pièce de résistance: the Walker Brothers’ “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine” with Ron on lead vocals and Carl and Ray on harmonies.

The Hedgehogs play “Leave Me Be”: Listen now!

The Hedgehogs play “You Shouldn’t Be Sad”: Listen now!

The Hedgehogs play “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine”: Listen now!

— Ray Brandes