I have updated the links for all downloads. These are on the main page. I have also changed the moderation of comments so they don't need approval since I have been so late in checking messages, sorry for any delays, will try to update more regularly and will hopefully add some of my many half finished projects to the site someday. Thanks for all the kind words.
Most of the posts are Vinyl transfers I have done myself (unless noted)- to the best of my knowledge, none of these are currently available on CD and are long since out-of-print. Most are difficult to find and/or very obscure. If anyone has an issue with anything I post, please let me know and I will immediately remove it. All download links can now be found in the upper left corner of the front page.
The Cheeters - Easy To Please Me/You Ain't Breakin' Nobody's Heart 7" (1985)
This 7" is from 1985 is pretty straight ahead 80's AOR, professionally done, notable for being engineered and mixed by Butch Vig (who also
produced their 1988 full length). They also had a 7" single in 1986, all released on Boat Records. Vig also takes credit for tambourines. recorded and Mixed at Smart Studios in Madison, WI.
Produced by William W. Caplinger and The Cheeters
Dr. Dave Dodger - acoustic and Simmons drums, vocals
Tom Cobb - guitar, vocals
Ashley Harrington - vocals, percussion
Pete Moss - bass, vocals
C.J. Summerfield - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Backing vocals on "Easy To Please Me"- Ashley Harrington, Christine Hess, Lynette Marguiles, Kristy Larson
Handclaps by Eddie Reynolds, The Cheeters, Lynette
Keyboards on "Easy To Please Me" - Franz Zermuehlen
The Cheeters (more songs) Dean Richard's Cheeters site
All downloads on main page: http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Download Page
The Rads - Dr. Love/Truly Julie 7" (1982)
Kerry Jackson -lead vocals, guitar, piano,percussion
Gary Wilkes - covals, guitar
Lloyd Moffitt - bass
Del Hopkins - drums, percussion
Buy Kerry's Beat The Meatles:
here
All downloads on main page: http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Norm Norman - Norm Norman Ep (1983)
The only release I believe from Norm Norman/The Norm released in 1983 on High Velocity Records/Rocshire records, this 6 song self-titled Ep featured You're A Zombie which received alternative radio airplay and an MTV video featuring Billy Barty. Produced by Norm Norman and Paul Ratajczak except 5 & 6 by Norm Norman and Ted Vegvari.
Norm Norman - Vocals, Synthesizers, Guitars
Allan Adams - Keyboards, Marimba, Background [1-3]
Larry Bustamante - Lead and Rhythm Guitars [1-4]
Paul Comstock - Drums [1-4]
Chuck Jones - Bass [1-4]
Wendy Joy - Backing Vocals, PR
Dan Hurley - Guitars and Backing Vocals [5-6]
Ted Vegvari - Bass [5-6]
Richie Mortensen - Drums [5-6]
Corky Tanassy - Rhythm Guitar [1]
Front Cover by Cee Farrow
Back cover by Rosie Fitts
All downloads on main page: http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Tao Overstreet - Misunderstood (1993)
From Tempe, Arizona, Tao Overstreet was wildly across the map in musical style. They later went on to become Idols Of Perversity. This is a CD rip.
From Peter Gilstrap and Serene Dominic's Tapes In the Mail from the August 1994 New Times:
Most local bands' idea of "dedication" is finding one group to emulate and then copy it up the wazoo. Tempe's Tao Overstreet chooses the less-traveled road by taking on several different styles--metal, rap, tribal punk--all at once. A&R people hate it when groups hop musical genres as often as Tao does on its Misunderstood CD, but the good news is that the band pulls off everything it sets out to do. Exceptionally well.
Each of the band's three singer-songwriters exhibits a healthy balance of wit and humour. The most hilarious moments belong to Page Davis, who makes insightful observations about "Teenage Plastic Surgery" (Her big nose bothers her like a disease/She wants nostrils like a Pekingese") and what it's like to be a "Has Been." Who can resist this tender tale of a washed-up, fortysomething musician who assures his 18-year-old trollop that he's several years younger than Keith, but many, many years younger than Mick?
Guitarist Bee Sanders' dead-on Perry Farrell impersonation is another real hoot, and "Strange" is as hooky as Jane's Addiction's best-loved material. But since the Farrell bit appears again several times more throughout the CD, the mimicry is less an homage than it is a hard habit to curb. That he's good enough to fool most listeners is still high praise, indeed. It might take you some time before you can understand Misunderstood, but it's certainly a fun jigsaw to figure out. Easily the most impressive self-produced CD (ditto for the packaging) that's come across the desk this year.
Page Davis - Lead Vocals, Bass
Bee Sanders - Lead and Backing Vocals, Guitar, Percussion, Keyboards
Jimmy Schwenk - Lead and Backing Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Mandolin
Blaster Lead Vocals by Kevin Cline
Produced By Jimmy Schwenk
Co-Produced by Page Davis and Bee Sanders
Exec. Producer - Will Yeaton/Dig Bodhi Records
All downloads on main page: http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
New Download Set-Up
As a major improvement to the blog and an incredible way to simplify things for me, I have added two download links in the upper left hand corner of the home page, you can go to dropbox and download whatever you'd like and I won't have to refresh the links every 30 days. this will allow me to spend some time posting new stuff! Enjoy!
I have also added a donate button as some of you have requested if you wanted to help defray some costs of operating the blog but please don't feel obligated. I am doing this for the love of the music, not to make a living!
I have also added a donate button as some of you have requested if you wanted to help defray some costs of operating the blog but please don't feel obligated. I am doing this for the love of the music, not to make a living!
Updates
Finally have found some time and went through all the messages, so much spam it became overwhelming to keep up. I plan on refreshing all the links very soon, I am looking for a way to do it so I don't have to keep refreshing the links, any suggestions are more than welcome, shoot me an e-mail at azlocal AT gmail. com, I will start checking it again!
New Posts
After a lengthy hiatus, I will begin refreshing many of the links and hopefully have some new posts over the course of the next 30-60 days, time permitting!
The Zarkons - Riders In The Long Black Parade (1985)
Formerly the Alleycats, this is their first LP under the moniker of The Zarkons. A fuzzy sound that is sometimes similar to X, they even cover White Rabbit from Jefferson Airplane. They released one more LP in 1988 after replacing drummer John McCarthy before disbanding.
Oddly, theis LP is titled Riders In The Long Black Parade on the cover yet the LP itself replaces Black with Dark. From Timecoast Communications and Marketed by Enigma Records.
Produced by Randy Stodola
The Band:
John McCarthy - Drums
Randy Stodola - Guitar, Vocals
Dianne Chai - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
The Strand - The Strand (1987)
This 1987 Cassette from Arizona's The Strand, featured local legends Bruce Connole, Damon Doiron and Alan Ross Willey. Connolle and Doiron were also part of legendary Arizona bands featured here previously (Billy Clone & The Same and The Jetzons) as well as many others. This 4 song Power Pop cassette repeated on both sides. It took two source tapes to get a decent digital transfer, thanks to Brent for loaning the cassette to me to digitize.
Videos thanks to Joel Samuel
The Strand Live
Interview with Bruce Connole of The Strand
Postscript:
Local music notes: Suicide Kings’ singer moving to Nashville
By Chris Hansen Orf, Get Out
June 11, 2008
Valley singer/songwriter moving to Nashville
Singer and songwriter Bruce Connole is leaving the Valley for Nashville, Tenn., where Oh Boy Records, the label representing Connole’s band, the Suicide Kings, is based. “I’m making the leap,” says Connole, who — save for a few years when he lived in L.A. in the ’80s — has been a permanent fixture on the Valley music scene since the mid-’70s; he has led such legendary Valley bands as Billy Clone and The Same, The Jetzons and The Strand. “After visiting out there and really getting a feel for the place, I pretty much fell in love with it. There are actually clubs that have live music that aren’t called Applebees and Fat Tuesdays.” Connole, who was once quoted as saying the only way he’d ever leave the Valley again is “in a pine box,” is a gifted country singer and songwriter, and the Valley’s loss will be Nashville’s gain. “It’ll either work out or it won’t,” says Connole. “Either way, I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Ten O'Clock Scholars Video
A bit of a departure for me, but sometimes things fall into your lap and this is one of them. Worthy of a post nonetheless, an extremely rare video has surfaced on youtube, featuring The Ten O'Clock Scholars, which featured founding Gin Blossoms members and Arizona music legend Doug Hopkins as well as Bill Leen.
From Lost Horizons, the definitive Doug Hopkins site:
Ten O'Clock Scholars
Members:
Doug Hopkins (Guitar), Bill Leen (Bass), David McKay (Vocals), Randy Sanders (Drums), Jim Swafford (Guitar & Vocals)
Dates:
1986
Recordings:
Unavailable Demo
The Ten O'Clock Scholars, were the next band to be formed by Hopkins, who started out in Phoenix, for fun. This time with old Psalms members Bill Leen and Jim Swafford back in the fold. However, Hopkin's suddenly said he was going to LA for a recording contract, and simply left. After weeks of partying in LA, without doing what he set out to, Doug returned to Tempe, to find the Ten O'Clock Scholars gone, with David McKay and Randy Sanders having moved to Portland. Not being able to match the line up they had back home, or Doug's song writing ability, David called home, and it wasn't long before Jim, Bill and Doug had moved up to Portland to get the band rolling again.
The newly formed Ten O'Clock Scholars held onto the Hopkins' penned tunes Angels Tonight and Dream With You from Algebra Ranch. Both songs were performed on the TV show Night Zoo in which Doug did a short interview between the songs. A local pizza store owner also put up cash for the band to go into the studio and record both Angels Tonight and Dream With You, although the demo recording was never released.
The Ten O'Clock Scholars saw the basis of what was to become the Gin Blossoms grow further from Algebra Ranch. In addition to Angels Tonight and Dream With You, they performed the same covers that the early Gin Blossoms did, as well as Hopkin's originals "And" and "Blue Eyes Bleeding". ("Blue Eyes Bleeding" was later demoed by the Gin Blossoms). Apparently it was around this time that Doug began working on "Hey Jealousy", and "Found Out About You".
The band dissolved when Doug decided to move back to Tempe.
From Lost Horizons, the definitive Doug Hopkins site:
Ten O'Clock Scholars
Members:
Doug Hopkins (Guitar), Bill Leen (Bass), David McKay (Vocals), Randy Sanders (Drums), Jim Swafford (Guitar & Vocals)
Dates:
1986
Recordings:
Unavailable Demo
The Ten O'Clock Scholars, were the next band to be formed by Hopkins, who started out in Phoenix, for fun. This time with old Psalms members Bill Leen and Jim Swafford back in the fold. However, Hopkin's suddenly said he was going to LA for a recording contract, and simply left. After weeks of partying in LA, without doing what he set out to, Doug returned to Tempe, to find the Ten O'Clock Scholars gone, with David McKay and Randy Sanders having moved to Portland. Not being able to match the line up they had back home, or Doug's song writing ability, David called home, and it wasn't long before Jim, Bill and Doug had moved up to Portland to get the band rolling again.
The newly formed Ten O'Clock Scholars held onto the Hopkins' penned tunes Angels Tonight and Dream With You from Algebra Ranch. Both songs were performed on the TV show Night Zoo in which Doug did a short interview between the songs. A local pizza store owner also put up cash for the band to go into the studio and record both Angels Tonight and Dream With You, although the demo recording was never released.
The Ten O'Clock Scholars saw the basis of what was to become the Gin Blossoms grow further from Algebra Ranch. In addition to Angels Tonight and Dream With You, they performed the same covers that the early Gin Blossoms did, as well as Hopkin's originals "And" and "Blue Eyes Bleeding". ("Blue Eyes Bleeding" was later demoed by the Gin Blossoms). Apparently it was around this time that Doug began working on "Hey Jealousy", and "Found Out About You".
The band dissolved when Doug decided to move back to Tempe.
Crown Of Thorns - Pictures 12'' and Kingdom Come 12" (1983)
These two 12" were both released in 1983. According to the IRS band site: Crown Of Thorns was one of the forerunners of the "disco/synth" influenced techno sound, albeit with a "punky" edge, that would become all the rage a decade later. They made their first album appearance on the Illegal Records collection The Defiant Pose in 1983 with "Gone Are The Days." Their debut EP followed in the US later that year. In 1984, five more songs appeared in the UK only, in various 12" and 7" combinations: "Kingdom Come", "Guns In The Name Of God", "World Radio", "Diamond Jim" and "No Man's Land". The band's output seems, abruptly, to have ended there. An anticipated debut album never materialized and the band soon faded from memory, reduced to nothing more than an entry on William Orbit's resumé...
IRS Band Page here with more info
Cactus Mouth Informer posted the Kingdom Come 2 song single here
and a different Pictures Ep here
Crown Of Thorns:
Keith Finch (keyboards)
Ty Holden (bass)
Malcolm Mehyer (guitars, vocals)
Phil Snow (drums, percussion)
Steve Soer (vocals, trumpet)
My rips:
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Nova Boys - Death In A Dress (1984)
Arizona's Nova Boys combined Cowpunk and Rockabilly, on this fine 4 song disc. This is the only vinyl release I know of from them. Three originals and a cover of Tobacco Road.Produced by Robin Johnson (Gentlemen After Dark, The Pills). Recorded at Chaton Studios in Scottsdale and released on Positive Change Records.
The Nova Boys:
Tim C - Singer
Chris Kenan - Guitar
Danny Bones - Bass
Al Penzone - Drums
Al Penzone - Drums
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Baxter Robertson - Panorama View Ep (1983)
Baxter Robertson had a minor hit in Silver Strand (People In Motion) from this 1983 RCA release. He went on to release two full LP's (Vanishing Point II and Mere Mortals) but this solid 5 song ep was by far my favorite. He also had a song on the original Karate Kid Soundtrack (Feel The Night), which was co-written by Bill Conti.
Robertson later went on to be in Family Pets and Sofa Lords (among others).
Robertson's daughter plays guitar in The Donna's.
Robertson later went on to be in Family Pets and Sofa Lords (among others).
Robertson's daughter plays guitar in The Donna's.
Produced by Tony Peluso
The Band:
Alan Maggini - Lead Guitar
Jay Bodean - Vocals, Bass
David Adelstein - Synthesizers
Gary Durrett - Drums
Baxter Robertson - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Baxter Robertson's Silver Strand received light airplay on MTV.
Spooner - Every Corner Dance (1982)
This power pop record by Spooner is notable for Doug "Duke" Erikson and Butch Vig who went on to fame in Garbage, and obviously Vig's Producing career.
Comprehensive band page here
This was released on CD in the late 80's as a twofer but has long been out-of print.
Spooner:
Dave Benton - Guitar, Vocals
Doug Erikson - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano on "Cruel School"
Joel Tappero - Bass
Butch Vig - Drums, Vocals
Jeff Walker - Keyboards
Produced by Gary Kiebe and Spooner
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Bootbeast - Carnival 7" and Bootbeast 12" (1990)
By request, Bootbeast (Bootbeast Carnival as they were know on the More Coffee compilation)
Two reviews sum up their sound nicely, which is a gloomy blend of punk, metal and pre-grunge.
From fuzzlogic.com
Bootbeast
carnival 7"
noiseville. 8 / 2 tracks / 1989
feat. ex-Drunks with Guns / Mighty Sphincter members. 500 made, some on gold vinyl. + label flyer.
Experimental (post-)hardcore remotely resembling Die Kreuzen's sound. Strange guitar riffs, vocals are rather sung than screamed. Despite the experimental approach the music is powerful & compact.
The following year, after they released a self-titled cassette tape which New Times writer David Koen (April 1990) accurately describes their sound:
If Anne Rice invited Rush, Vincent Price, and Led Zeppelin over for drinks and rolled this tape to provide some instant atmosphere, no one would complain. Bootbeast is a postmodern, haunted-house cruise through the inner sanctums of art-metal.
Sometimes the Tempe band chokes on the songs' own atmosphere. But then sometimes Bootbeast emerges from the fogginess. It's this kind of well-balanced horror movie/rock 'n' roll hybrid that appeals to the doomster in us all.
they released this 4 song self titled 12".
Bootbeast:
Jim Andreas - Vocals
Mike Doskocil - Drums
Jeff O'Rourke - Guitars
Lloyd Whittaker - Bass
Lyrics- Andreas Music Andreas/Doskocil,O'Rourke, Whittaker
Produced by Greg Horn
Engineered by Andy Kern
Recorded at Cereus Recording
Download Bootbeast - Carnival 7"
Download Bootbeast 12"
The Penetrators - Discography (San Diego's The Penetrators (1979-1982)
1982's A Sweet Kiss From Mommy
"We come from San Diego, California for a good time" was a lyric (Cassanova)and a great explanation of The Penetrators. Nothing Town brings back some awesome memories for me and my days listening to 91X.
I have included their first 7" Sensitive Boy and their ep Walk The Beat and their LP A Sweet Kiss From Mommy. There are a couple of songs from some comps I will get to in the future.
This article from the the San Diego Troubadour (Penetrators)sums up their story better than I could ever do:
It’s easy enough to take much of what the local scene has to offer today for granted. Local airplay is a given, at least on the local shows, and the pop machinery is such that there are now literally dozens of local nightspots where a group can perform original music. But in the late seventies, it was a different time indeed. No cable television, no MTV, and VCRs were rare. People now crank out landfill CDs in their bedrooms while once having something immortalized on vinyl was a big deal. Original music, especially anything that wasn’t from the cookie cutter radio mold, was considered radical. The police frowned (heavily) on it at the time, but then so did some of the public. So it was against enormous odds that the Penetrators took hold of the public consciousness.
True enough, when the Penetrators first exploded on the San Diego scene in the late seventies, they were considered by many to be a punk band. Time has shown them to be much more than that. They were precursors to what eventually became known as roots rock, but their sound was actually a unique mix of many different styles. Elements of surf, new wave, sixties garage, R&B, even nascent electronica, all filtered through their music. Just as important, the band were pioneers of the do-it-yourself ethic, inspiring legions of musicians, this one included. They found locations in which to play — from small but essential stages such as those at Abbey Road and the Skeleton Club to the local Lions Club and the Glorietta Bay Recreation Center. A personal highlight was a show at La Jolla Country Day School. If they could set up a P.A. and play, they were there. And they built a huge following, becoming arguably the first stars of the modern day scene.
The core of the band originally centered around the vocals of Gary Heffern, Chris Sullivan’s bass and most important, secret weapon Dan McClain on drums. Original guitarist Scott Harrington departed just prior to the release of their first EP, Untamed Youth, in 1978. He was quickly replaced by Chris Davies, whose staccato surf-inspired guitar attack was the perfect foil for Gary’s over-the-top vocals.
Their first big break was a gig opening for the Ramones at SDSU circa 1978, but it was with their 1979 single “Sensitive Boy”/”Stimulation” that the band truly hit their stride. Adding Jim Call to the band on drone keyboards and sax gave the band a broader palette from which to create. And they were up to the challenge, although in actual time the time between their first and second 7-inch vinyls was mere months, the difference in music was light years — much more confident and driven, pointing toward today’s eclectic modern rock scene.
By the release of 1980’s certifiably classic Walk the Beat EP, the band was on the verge of big time success, even selling out Golden Hall and crucially gaining airplay on influential Los Angeles radio station KROQ. In today’s context, that’s the equivalent of RFTC selling out Qualcomm Stadium, with no radio airplay. Pieces in the local press, as well as the L.A. Times and an infamous cover story in the Reader only added to the legend. The band did receive major label attention, with Capitol among their suitors at one time. The band also shot a series of five videos at A&M studios in Los Angeles for tunes that include “Walk The Beat” and “I’m With the Guys.” The videos remain unreleased, but there is, in fact, a sizeable amount of footage available from both live shows and TV appearances, such as their 1982 two-song set on the Cox Cable TV local music show in 1982.
1982 also saw the release of the groups only full-length album, A Sweet Kiss From Mommy, which would prove to be their final release. Notably the album added the vocal charms of Joyce Rooks (ex-Dinettes and Trowsers) to the mix. Unfortunately A Sweet Kiss From Mommy didn’t receive the attention it was due, sabotaged by an album sleeve featuring 30 of their friends’ rear ends. Today maybe, but in those days the cover ensured that many people wouldn’t pay attention to the great music inside and, in the end (pun intended), the album couldn’t even be displayed in most shops. And that’s a great shame, as the disc included a wealth of should-have-been classics, from the opening “Standing in Line” to the closing “Jimmy Don’t Do It,” effectively if unintentionally closing their recording career with a song that harkened back to their early days with Scott Harrington.
Sadly, except for a few compilation album appearances and a wealth of unreleased studio material (be sure to look for the classic “5th & Bop” on the 1983 edition of KGB’s Homegrown), that was it for releases and the band dissipated.
What’s interesting to note is that the Penetrators were the eye of a storm, with all sorts of projects emanating from within. Dan McClain published incredible fanzines such as New Hippie and Hobogue as well as running one of the first independent music stores in San Diego, Monty’s Rockers. He also played with R&B legends the Crawdaddys.
Chris Davies performed with the T-Birds at teen dances, recording an unreleased single that made it to the test-pressing stages. And lots more, of course.
McClain, sadly, is no longer with us, but if there was ever a candidate for San Diego Artist of the Century, he is the obvious choice. Everybody knows that he went on to greater fame with the Beat Farmers via many side bands, including Country Dick and the Snuggle Bunnies, and eventually released records on Rhino, Curb, MCA, and Demon. Chris Sullivan formed a few bands, including the Front Four who released a fun single, “Charger Rock,” but it was his work with the Jacks that brought him back to the big stages again, eventually signing to Rounder.
Gary Heffern, currently resides in Portland, continues to write poetry, and has released a number of albums under his own name, one of which also included another local ex-patriate, Eddie Veddar. Chris Davies still gigs around town and has performed alongside Cindy Lee Berryhill and others. Jim Call still deejays around town. Of the two short-time members, Joyce Rooks went on to work for Capitol Records and has added her cello to many projects, including a stint with top L.A. powerpoppers Wednesday Week and David J, most recently seen with Bauhaus. Scott Harrington meanwhile produced the first Manual Scan EP, before brief stints in the Upbeats and a legion of short-lived bands. Even all this is just the tip of the iceberg for the world of the Penetrators.
Hopefully someone will reissue the great music of the Penetrators someday. Other than a pair of compilations, not a note has appeared on CD. Keep an eye out for Shake Some Action Vol. 4 or the 2001 San Diego Music Awards Sampler, which is the only way to find their music other than a visit to the used record store.
Fans of the Penetrators got a huge surprise last year on November 10 when the band reunited for a five-song set at the Casbah as part of a tribute show for the late Dan McCLain. With Joel Kmak ably filling in for McCLain, the band received a hero’s welcome from the sold-out house, so much that the group has decided to do one more performance at the Casbah this month on January 29. The band will do a full set this time out and anticipation is high, but perhaps in the long run even better news is the fact that the group is in the middle of an archive dig with an eye on releasing an anthology.
The San Diego music scene owes a major debt to the Penetrators. It’s safe to say that today things wouldn’t be the same without their music and pioneering shows, as well as for the help they gave to local bands throughout their career: always available with a kind word, a bit of advice, or even an opening spot on one of their shows. January 29 will be a rare opportunity for San Diego music fans. Longtime scenesters will have a chance to relive their glory days one more time while newer music fans will get a chance to see what the fuss was all about, up close and personal. It all adds up to a show that shouldn’t be missed and some terrific music that’s ripe for rediscovery.
1980's Walk The Beat Ep
1979's Stimulation/Sensitive Boy 7"
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
"We come from San Diego, California for a good time" was a lyric (Cassanova)and a great explanation of The Penetrators. Nothing Town brings back some awesome memories for me and my days listening to 91X.
I have included their first 7" Sensitive Boy and their ep Walk The Beat and their LP A Sweet Kiss From Mommy. There are a couple of songs from some comps I will get to in the future.
This article from the the San Diego Troubadour (Penetrators)sums up their story better than I could ever do:
It’s easy enough to take much of what the local scene has to offer today for granted. Local airplay is a given, at least on the local shows, and the pop machinery is such that there are now literally dozens of local nightspots where a group can perform original music. But in the late seventies, it was a different time indeed. No cable television, no MTV, and VCRs were rare. People now crank out landfill CDs in their bedrooms while once having something immortalized on vinyl was a big deal. Original music, especially anything that wasn’t from the cookie cutter radio mold, was considered radical. The police frowned (heavily) on it at the time, but then so did some of the public. So it was against enormous odds that the Penetrators took hold of the public consciousness.
True enough, when the Penetrators first exploded on the San Diego scene in the late seventies, they were considered by many to be a punk band. Time has shown them to be much more than that. They were precursors to what eventually became known as roots rock, but their sound was actually a unique mix of many different styles. Elements of surf, new wave, sixties garage, R&B, even nascent electronica, all filtered through their music. Just as important, the band were pioneers of the do-it-yourself ethic, inspiring legions of musicians, this one included. They found locations in which to play — from small but essential stages such as those at Abbey Road and the Skeleton Club to the local Lions Club and the Glorietta Bay Recreation Center. A personal highlight was a show at La Jolla Country Day School. If they could set up a P.A. and play, they were there. And they built a huge following, becoming arguably the first stars of the modern day scene.
The core of the band originally centered around the vocals of Gary Heffern, Chris Sullivan’s bass and most important, secret weapon Dan McClain on drums. Original guitarist Scott Harrington departed just prior to the release of their first EP, Untamed Youth, in 1978. He was quickly replaced by Chris Davies, whose staccato surf-inspired guitar attack was the perfect foil for Gary’s over-the-top vocals.
Their first big break was a gig opening for the Ramones at SDSU circa 1978, but it was with their 1979 single “Sensitive Boy”/”Stimulation” that the band truly hit their stride. Adding Jim Call to the band on drone keyboards and sax gave the band a broader palette from which to create. And they were up to the challenge, although in actual time the time between their first and second 7-inch vinyls was mere months, the difference in music was light years — much more confident and driven, pointing toward today’s eclectic modern rock scene.
By the release of 1980’s certifiably classic Walk the Beat EP, the band was on the verge of big time success, even selling out Golden Hall and crucially gaining airplay on influential Los Angeles radio station KROQ. In today’s context, that’s the equivalent of RFTC selling out Qualcomm Stadium, with no radio airplay. Pieces in the local press, as well as the L.A. Times and an infamous cover story in the Reader only added to the legend. The band did receive major label attention, with Capitol among their suitors at one time. The band also shot a series of five videos at A&M studios in Los Angeles for tunes that include “Walk The Beat” and “I’m With the Guys.” The videos remain unreleased, but there is, in fact, a sizeable amount of footage available from both live shows and TV appearances, such as their 1982 two-song set on the Cox Cable TV local music show in 1982.
1982 also saw the release of the groups only full-length album, A Sweet Kiss From Mommy, which would prove to be their final release. Notably the album added the vocal charms of Joyce Rooks (ex-Dinettes and Trowsers) to the mix. Unfortunately A Sweet Kiss From Mommy didn’t receive the attention it was due, sabotaged by an album sleeve featuring 30 of their friends’ rear ends. Today maybe, but in those days the cover ensured that many people wouldn’t pay attention to the great music inside and, in the end (pun intended), the album couldn’t even be displayed in most shops. And that’s a great shame, as the disc included a wealth of should-have-been classics, from the opening “Standing in Line” to the closing “Jimmy Don’t Do It,” effectively if unintentionally closing their recording career with a song that harkened back to their early days with Scott Harrington.
Sadly, except for a few compilation album appearances and a wealth of unreleased studio material (be sure to look for the classic “5th & Bop” on the 1983 edition of KGB’s Homegrown), that was it for releases and the band dissipated.
What’s interesting to note is that the Penetrators were the eye of a storm, with all sorts of projects emanating from within. Dan McClain published incredible fanzines such as New Hippie and Hobogue as well as running one of the first independent music stores in San Diego, Monty’s Rockers. He also played with R&B legends the Crawdaddys.
Chris Davies performed with the T-Birds at teen dances, recording an unreleased single that made it to the test-pressing stages. And lots more, of course.
McClain, sadly, is no longer with us, but if there was ever a candidate for San Diego Artist of the Century, he is the obvious choice. Everybody knows that he went on to greater fame with the Beat Farmers via many side bands, including Country Dick and the Snuggle Bunnies, and eventually released records on Rhino, Curb, MCA, and Demon. Chris Sullivan formed a few bands, including the Front Four who released a fun single, “Charger Rock,” but it was his work with the Jacks that brought him back to the big stages again, eventually signing to Rounder.
Gary Heffern, currently resides in Portland, continues to write poetry, and has released a number of albums under his own name, one of which also included another local ex-patriate, Eddie Veddar. Chris Davies still gigs around town and has performed alongside Cindy Lee Berryhill and others. Jim Call still deejays around town. Of the two short-time members, Joyce Rooks went on to work for Capitol Records and has added her cello to many projects, including a stint with top L.A. powerpoppers Wednesday Week and David J, most recently seen with Bauhaus. Scott Harrington meanwhile produced the first Manual Scan EP, before brief stints in the Upbeats and a legion of short-lived bands. Even all this is just the tip of the iceberg for the world of the Penetrators.
Hopefully someone will reissue the great music of the Penetrators someday. Other than a pair of compilations, not a note has appeared on CD. Keep an eye out for Shake Some Action Vol. 4 or the 2001 San Diego Music Awards Sampler, which is the only way to find their music other than a visit to the used record store.
Fans of the Penetrators got a huge surprise last year on November 10 when the band reunited for a five-song set at the Casbah as part of a tribute show for the late Dan McCLain. With Joel Kmak ably filling in for McCLain, the band received a hero’s welcome from the sold-out house, so much that the group has decided to do one more performance at the Casbah this month on January 29. The band will do a full set this time out and anticipation is high, but perhaps in the long run even better news is the fact that the group is in the middle of an archive dig with an eye on releasing an anthology.
The San Diego music scene owes a major debt to the Penetrators. It’s safe to say that today things wouldn’t be the same without their music and pioneering shows, as well as for the help they gave to local bands throughout their career: always available with a kind word, a bit of advice, or even an opening spot on one of their shows. January 29 will be a rare opportunity for San Diego music fans. Longtime scenesters will have a chance to relive their glory days one more time while newer music fans will get a chance to see what the fuss was all about, up close and personal. It all adds up to a show that shouldn’t be missed and some terrific music that’s ripe for rediscovery.
1980's Walk The Beat Ep
1979's Stimulation/Sensitive Boy 7"
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
Cook The Books - Piggie In The Middle Eight/ Gone To Black 12" (1982)
By request, Cook The Book's debut 12" single, recorded , according to wikipedia, in response to the widespread British Riots in 1981.
Hailing from Liverpool, England, they later changed their name to Cook Da Books and released an LP in 1983.
The B-side is an instrumental with many songs combined including the theme from Hawaii Five-O, Batman and Piggie In The Middle Of Eight.
More Info
Band Members:
Owen Moran - Vocals, Bass
Peter Deary - Vocals, Guitar
Tony Prescott - Keyboards
John Legget - Drums, Percussion
Downloads all available on main page : http://azlocal.blogspot.com/
March - All Arizona CD's
March will feature some of my favorite out-of-print, mostly independent releases, of local Arizona artists. Most of these are from the 90's.
Enjoy!
PJ
Enjoy!
PJ
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