THE RUNAWAYS [1978-79]

Text by Barry Geiger / FFanzeen 1978-1979

Introduction and photos by Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2018

Images from the Internet

This article was originally published in FFanzeen, issue #3, dated Fall-Winter 1978-1979. It was written by Barry Geiger.

As I’ve stated before, I’ve had the opportunity to see the Runaways play New York three times: once in its original incarnation at a (mostly) music industry showcase at CBGB, once opening for the Ramones at the Palladium, and then post-Cherie Currie with the B-Girls opening, again at CBGBs. Each show was different, and all were a fun night.

When reading this article, I think it’s important to remember the time period in which it was written, because you’re probably going to cringe a bit at the language (i.e., the female descriptors early in the piece). Still, this is one of the early articles about the band, so I leave it as it stand.

I don’t exactly agree with all of what Barry says, since I find the second album to be pretty damn good (though none can hold a candle to the first), but music is so subjective that I respect what he felt.

The only member of the band I met post-Runaways was Currie, at a Chiller Theatre convention in the early 1990s, and she was an asshole to me. Considering how Right Wing she is now, somehow that makes sense. But that’s not going to stop me from enjoying the music of which she was an important part. – RBF, 2018

During the Summer of 1976, I went to the newsstand to buy the new issue of Creem. When I got home, I read this great review of a new debut album about this group of five foxy teenage girls who call themselves the Runaways. After finishing the article, I said to myself, “This band will never make it. The record company must have paid off the magazine to write something good about these chicks.”

Even though I thought it was all a bunch of bullshit, I was a little curious to hear them. I didn’t want to be closed-minded about them. That night I went to the record store and saw the (self-titled) album on sale for three-and-a-half bucks. It had a nice cover, so I figure, “What the hell.” I bought the record.

When I got home and played the album, I was astounded. These girls were really good! It was like magic. From the first note, I knew that this band was very special.

This group was really talented. Cherie Currie’s singing was pretty good, Lita Ford’s guitar playing was great, Jackie Fox’s bass playing was fantastic, and Sandy West’s drumming was sheer dynamite! Joan Jett seemed like a mediocre guitarist, but her lyrics were outrageous: “I’ll give you something to live for/Have you, grab you till you’re sore.”

“Cheery Bomb” was destined to become a teenage anthem. “American Nights” was sheer poetry, “Blackmail” was two minutes and forty-two seconds of pure ass-kicking rock and roll, and their rendition of Lou Reed’s “Rock and Roll” was a true delight. “Dead End Justice” would have been great if it weren’t for that stupid dialogue between Cherie and Joan in the middle of the song.

For weeks and weeks, I couldn’t get that record off of my turntable. I simply loved it. Then it happened: the Runaways were featured on the cover of Crawdaddy Magazine. I said to myself, “This is it. They are gonna hit it big!”

Well, I was wrong. Their second album, aptly titled Queens of Noise, which was released in early 1977, was a tremendous disappointment. Alright, “I Love Playing with Fire” is a masterpiece, “Born to be Bad” is pretty good, “Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin” is decent, and the title cut is bearable, but the rest of the album is totally uninspiring. I quickly began losing interest in the band. Cheri started to sound too much like Suzi Quatro. The lyrics weren’t as powerful as the ones on the first album; and neither was the music.

They started sounding too commercialized. Steve Tyler of Aerosmith co-wrote one of the songs. Why the hell was he writing for punk bands? I couldn’t believe that the Runaways had sold out. Their songs were bordering with Middle-of-the-Road. “Heartbeat” and “Midnight Music” could have been big AM hits with the right promotion, but they were not rock and roll.

One day that Summer I heard the news: Cherie Currie split from the band. The reason was personal conflicts with Joan Jett. I was shocked. It was impossible for me to imagine the Runaways making it without their lead singer.

A few weeks later it was announced that Jackie Fox, the bass playing Jewish Princess, had quit the Runaways so that she can study Law. I was sure that this meant the end of the group. Jackie was probably the most talented girl in the group. Her basslines are what made me so intrigued with the first LP. I was really upset when I heard they lost her.

Rumors were that Danielle Fay, bassist of the Zippers, an LA band, would replace Jackie, and Joan would take over as lead vocalist. I started gaining interest in the band again. I had heard the Zippers before and I knew that Fay wasn’t bad. I also knew that Joan was just as good a singer as Cherie (she did sing “I Love Playing with Fire,” the best tune on the second album).

The Danielle Fay rumors were later found to be false. As a replacement for Jackie, the Runaways hired a blonde bombshell by the name of Vicki Blue.

In November, the third album, Waiting for the Night, was released. I found it to be the best thing the band had ever recorded. Vicki wasn’t nearly as adept a musician as Jackie was, but she was adequate. Sandy was terrific, as usual. Joan was a very pleasant surprise. Her voice sounded just perfect: the lyrics were full of emotion. It was great!

  

The most interesting thing about this album, however, is Lita Ford’s devastating guitar riffs. She had evolved from a good guitarist playing for a good group into the driving force behind a great rock and roll band.

Joan had also developed into a fine rhythm guitarist. On the first two albums, her guitar playing wasn’t nearly as important as it was now. On The Runaways album, her major contribution to the group was her songwriting. On the second album she not only wrote the songs, she also sang half of them. On Waiting for the Night, she not only writes and sings the songs, her guitar playing is now an integral part of the sound. She is now the true “leader” of this band.

This album contains some of the hardest driving rock and roll songs the Runaways have ever recorded. “School Days” was custom-made for high school kids and people who know what it’s like to be a teenager in the ‘70s. “You’re Too Possessive” is so full of hate and vengeance that one can’t help but love it. “Thrash Can Murders” is a fantastic song, thanks to Lita’s extraordinary guitar solos. “Wasted” is a New Wave classic (because of its lyrics, not the music).”Don’t Go Away” is the best song on the album. Joan and Lita work great together, exchanging riffs throughout the song. Sandy’s drumming is as superb as ever. It’s also the only number on the album in which Vicki matches Jackie’s excellence on bass.

If the Runaways can continue producing albums like Wafting in the Night and keep away from the kind of dissention that made Queens of Noise such a disaster, they will become a truly super group.

RAMONES: Rock It To Ya!

Text by Barry Geiger, intro by Robert Barry Francos
Interview © 1980; RBF intro and live photo collage © 2010 by FFanzeen
Photo of Colleen Caffiene, of the band Choking Susan, by Bernie (myspace.com/colleencaffiene)
Artwork and video from the Internet


The following interview with the Ramones was originally published in FFanzeen magazine, issue #5, in 1980. It was conducted by Barry Geiger.

Anyone who knows me more than five minutes is aware that I am a Ramones fan. My first show at CBGB’s was Talking Heads opening for the Ramones, on June 20, 1975 (with about 12 others in the audience). I hung out with them at Max’s the night before their first British tour. They were the first band I took photos of in concert, when I got my 35mm camera in 1977, the result of which is in the contact sheet below. I stood on line for five hours to get into the New York premiere of Rock and Roll High School, and sat through it twice (as did Barry, I later found out); and no, they did not drive up in a convertible eating chicken vindaloo. The Ramones deserve all the props they get. Like the interview and answers, with the Ramones, I no need for long comments. That’s simple, and that’s the truth. R.I.P Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee. – RBF, 2010
This interview took place at the Show Place, in Dover, New Jersey.

FFanzeen: Do any of you ever wear earplugs while performing?
Johnny Ramone: Tommy did. That’s why we had to get rid of him.

FF: Why wasn’t It’s Alive! released in America?
Johnny: I don’t know. That’s a tough question, you know… because they released the soundtrack [Rock and Roll High School] here and it wasn’t released in England, so they got the live album.

FF: How’s the live album selling in Europe?
Johnny: O.K. Good. In the twenties.

FF: Why did it take so long for Rock and Roll High School to come out in New York?
Johnny: You gotta ask the movie company. They don’t give us a straight answer. It shoulda come to New York first. It still (hadn’t) opened in Los Angeles (by then). [Several weeks after its New York debut last summer, it opened at 18 theaters in L.A. – Ed.]

FF: How’s the response been
Johnny: Real good. Everyone likes it. Did you go to the theater on 8th Street? [8th Street Playhouse.]

FF: Yeah, I saw the first two shows.
Johnny: On Friday?

FF: Yeah. I thought it was the best rock’n’roll movie since Rock Around the Clock. What was it like, working with (producer) Roger Corman?
Johnny: We never met him.

FF: How were you chosen for the film?
Johnny: They contacted us and came to New York so see us play. We played Hurrahs, August (1978), and we got chosen. I think we work the cheapest.

FF: Was “I Want You Around” written specifically for the movie?
Johnny: Yeah. So was “Rock and Roll High School.”

FF: How does a Ramones song get written?
Johnny: All different ways. Sometimes you write music, sometimes you write words, sometimes you just have an idea of something to write about.

FF: You all contribute equally, right?
Johnny: Yeah, pretty much. We all contribute.

FF: Joey, is it true that you took voice lessons before recording Road to Ruin?
Joey Ramone: I didn’t take voice lessons; I took breath control.
Johnny: A long time ago.
Joey: Yeah, a long, long time ago.
Johnny: Just so he wouldn’t get hoarse with all the touring

FF: Why wasn’t “Babysitter” ever put on an album?
Johnny: We just never did it. I don’t know, people always wanna hear it.
Joey: What?
Johnny: “Babysitter.”
Joey: Oh.

FF: How do you think End of the Century sounds, compared to the other (albums)?
Johnny: A lot different.

FF: In what ways?
Johnny: Can’t describe it. We just did things I never heard done on record.

FF: There’s an electric piano on a few cuts. Was that your idea or Phil Spector’s?
Johnny: We were figuring on doing it.

FF: Who plays it?
Johnny: Barry Goldberg [ex-Electric Flag, KGB, Steve Miller, etc. – Ed.]
Joey: He does a lot of session work
Johnny: He fit right in.

FF: Did Tommy quit working with you altogether, or will he be doing something with you in the near future?
Johnny: Nothing’s planned.
Joey: Maybe we’ll have two drummers like in the Bangladesh concert, ya know?

FF: Do you think this album is more important? Do you see it as a possible turning point?
Johnny: We hope so. I think everyone’s gonna like it. It’s real powerful and it’s real rock’n’roll.

FF: Would you say it’s more polished than the previous records?
Johnny: It’s different. I don’t know… but it’s real powerful, though. We haven’t gone soft.

FF: How many drummers did you audition before you decided on Marky?
Johnny: Just Mark. We already picked Mark, but one other kid made a long trip to New York to audition, so we tried him out because we owed it to him for making the long trip. But we had Mark already.

FF: Marky, how do you compare your role in the Ramones with that of the Voidoids?
Marky Ramone: I couldn’t take all that intellectuality of the Voidoids. I fit in better here.

FF: How did you get together with the Paley Brothers for “Come On Let’s Go”?
Johnny: Seymour (Stein) wanted an old favorite recorded. Joey was in the hospital… resting. We were in California and the Paley’s were in California, and he asked us to do it. He gave us the money to do it, and you can’t turn down money.
Joey: He waved the money in Dee Dee’s face…
Johnny: Dee Dee’ll never turn down a buck.

FF: Was “I Don’t Wanna Get Involved With You” basically the same song as “I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You”?
Johnny: Yeah. They were different songs, but pretty much the same song.

FF: Dee Dee, is it true that both you and Johnny played guitar when the group first started out?
Dee Dee Ramone: For a day or two.

FF: Who played lead?
Johnny: Neither of us. We just strummed away.

FF: Who were some of your boyhood idols?
Johnny: Mickey Mantle.

FF: Joey?
Joey: What?
Johnny: Who’s your boyhood idol?
Joey: My what?
Johnny: Boy-hood i-dol.
Joey: I don’t think I had one.

FF: How old are all of you?
Johnny: 26 or 27.

FF: Who’s the best band that ever opened for you?
Joey: This band that’s playing right now [Minx, a Jersey band – Ed.]. They’re the best group I ever heard.
Johnny: Talking Heads opened for us. David Johansen opened for us…
Dee Dee: Tom Petty.
Johnny: Between them somewhere. Blondie opened for us, but they don’t rate.

FF: Would you ever consider selling out like Blondie and recording a disco song?
Johnny: No, that’s disgusting!

FF: Who’s the best group you ever opened for?
Johnny: We haven’t opened for many people; Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath.
Dee Dee: Flamin’ Groovies.
Joey: Foreigner.
Johnny: We opened for Tot, but they don’t rate either.
Dee Dee: Eddie Money.
Joey: Yeah, I like Eddie Money.

[Colleen Caffiene (of the Detroit band Choking Susan), and her great Ramones tattoo on her elbow; photo by Bernie]

FF: What did you listen to when the band was first starting out?
Johnny: The Dolls, Slade, T. Rex, Stooges, Gary Glitter…

FF: How would you describe the Ramones to someone who never heard them before?
Joey: It’d be tough. I’d tell ‘em to come down and see us. We’re… exciting. I’d tell ‘em we crank it out; we kick.

FF: How would you compare a New Jersey audience with a New York audience?
Joey: They’re really good in Jersey.

FF: How many days a week are you performing?
Joey: We have one day a week off… one day to go to the dentist.
Johnny: When we’re on tour, we play five nights a week. When we’re home, four or five times a week.

FF: Will you be touring again soon?
Joey: We’re going to England.

FF: How do you like the British audience?
Joey: The kids are great; the country…
Johnny: As long as they don’t spit.

FF: How well have you been doing on the charts in England? How many of your records have been in, say, the Top 10?
Johnny: Top 10? None. Top 20, a lot of them. Most of them are in the Top 40.

FF: What was your best selling American single?
Johnny: “Sheena.” Best-selling English one, too, I think.

FF: One last question: How long do you wanna keep playing rock’n’roll?
Johnny: Not too long.
Joey: Make a quick million and then get out.

DICTATORS Can Sing!!: Two early pieces on the DFFD band

Part I text by Todd Abramson; Part II text by Barry Geiger; with new intro by Robert Barry Francos
Live images by RBF; album covers from the Internet
Article © 1977; interview © 1980; RBF intro © 2010, all by FFanzeen

[Handsome Dick Manitoba, Ross the Boss Funicello]Here is a two-for-one deal. FFanzeen published two pieces on the Dictators, the first in issue #3 in 1977 by Todd Abramson (who went on to publish his own fanzine, Young Fast and Scientific, and now co-owns the legendary Hoboken showcase Maxwell’s. The second is an interview at the Bottom Line by Barry Geiger, from issue #6 in 1980.

I was introduced to the Dictators by Bernie Kugel, first in vinyl, and then in person, when we saw them play at CBGB’s in 1975 (before Handsome Dick Manitoba was officially the lead singer). Over the years, I saw them a number of times, and they never, ever failed me, including the Bottom Line show where I almost killed Handsome Dick (see my previous blog from January 12, 2009). When a younger friend came over to my place duing the early ‘80s, I played him the first Dictators release, Go Girl Crazy, to which he was not impressed. I told him to give it time, and put it to a cassette. Before long, he was a huge fan, and bought all their albums (and quite generously bought me their last one). Indeed, I believe in their fan club slogan, DFFD (Dictators Forever Forever Dictators). – RBF, 2010

Part I: Dictators Can Sing!!
By Todd Abramson; FFanzeen #3, 1977

So I got a frantic call from a Dictators maniac (like myself) saying they were gonna be playing at CBGB’s unannounced the following Saturday. Wow! Of course, I’m gonna go. So, in the middle of the week, I make a phone call to one of the ‘Tators themselves and he says sure, come on down, we’ll be playing at one, now leave me alone. I’m watching the Ali fight (or words to that effect). Great!

Naturally, I assumed he meant one in the morning. However, I called Miriam Linna (aforementioned Dictators fanatic) who told me Manitoba told her it’s gonna be one in the afternoon. Fantastic! A matinee performance of my fave band.

So I’m in N.Y. by noon. After listening to a few records, our motley crew heads down to CBGB’s. Hmmm, that’s strange – nobody else here? So we were laughed at and told it was at night. Well, it’s better than nothing at all.

So, eventually night comes along (as I knew it would) and it finds us listening to WCBS-FM’s usually great Saturday Night Sock Hop. Great it was that night. I’ll never forget the way they played “Surf City” and “C’mon Everybody” back-to-back. Or, “I’m so Young,” by the Students, a Billy Miller request.

Pretty soon it gets to 11 o’clock or so, and excitement is building among our gathering. So what else to do but start blasting and dancing to my all-time favorite LP, the Dictators Go Girl Crazy. Stupendous! Uh, weekend.

And the time comes and our procession heads down to the hole in the wall known as CBGB’s. Some of us paid, some didn’t (I did. Ouch!).

The Senders soon go on and play an interesting set of R’n’B-influenced rock. The highlight was a fab version of “I’m a Hog For You,” a Leiber-Stoller classic. They also did a fine version of Jimmy Reed’s “Bright Lights Big City” and a non-descript (I don’t know what it really means but it looks good, eh?) “Yakety Yak.”

Dictators are spotted, with shorter hair, Hawaiian shirts, finger fungus, and other such things. Talking w/ Adny Shernoff earlier he told me they were gonna do “Slow Death,” so I was excited as hell. Plus Mark “The Animal” Mendoza was no longer a member of the band, so Adny would be playing bass again.

Here they come… walking to the stage… get the funniest looks from, oh enuff of that. Handsome Dick dedicated the show to “his champion” Muhammad Ali. Back to Africa! Anyway, the Dictators start playing a new song destined to be on their third long-playing opus, Bloodbrothers.

Well, from the third song on, that night the Dictators were the best band I’ve ever witnessed in my life. Unbelievable! I had just seen them a month or so before at CBGB’s Theatre. To be fair, everything about the place and what happened with the groups before the ‘Tators were on was dreadful, but while the ‘Tators were definitely good, they just didn’t move me. Which was a shame. They even did stuff like “Cars and Girls,” but the magic wasn’t there.

But this night was something different entirely. It was more than magic, I can’t even explain it. Adny had told me that these were the “best, loudest, fastest, teenagiest” songs he’d ever written and yes, the new LP would be even better than the first LP. But that was just too far out, I mean, I thought how could ANYTHING be better than the first LP (that made a man outta me, by the way)? But it’s fucking true! Just check out some of these new songs. One’s called “Let’s Twist,” which you can tell how great it is by the title, but it’s even greater than that! Another song, “Minnesota Strip,” is even greater!!!

And yes, they did do “Slow Death.” And if the Flamin’ Groovies could do it better, then everybody else might as well stop making music. I mean I don’t think any band could ever be better than the ‘Tators that night. They did “Search and Destroy” great, but I sorta wish they’d drop it. I mean, let’s face it, it’s a great song and nobody’s gonna top the original.

So it was a night I’ll never forget. The ‘Tators themselves couldn’t believe it. The Handsome One said he was tired after the second song. No, not ‘cause he’s a wimp (how dare anyone even think that) but ‘cause all the songs were so fucking fast. Not mindless fast like the Ramones (who I really like but are no Dictators) or someone, but teenage, cars, girls, surfin’ beer, high school, McDonald’s Cheeseburgers fast. Go Manitoba, Go! ‘Cause that night and hopefully forever onward, the Dictators were the masters of the teenage race and everything it stood for.
[Scott Kempner, HD Manitoba, Ross the Boss]Part II: The Last Big Thing: The Very Last Dictators Interview
By Barry Geiger; FFanzeen #6, 1980

It seemed as though the rock press had decided to ignore the Dictator’s break-up as much as possible. Sure, all the magazines had managed to squeeze in a paragraph or so, reporting on the split, but nobody had given the Dictators the proper requiem they so greatly deserved. They were not just another rock’n’roll band – they were the ultimate rock’n’roll band.

Their 1975 album, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy, was classic rock’n’roll. It’s follow-up, 1977’s Manifest Destiny, though more sedated that Go Girl Crazy, was nevertheless a fine effort. 1978’s Bloodbrothers could have been the ‘Tators breakthrough album had Elektra/Asylum given it the proper promotion. Unfortunately, the record company lost interest and the Dictators soon found themselves without a label.

The Dictators were really frustrated. Lead songwriter, bassist and sometimes keyboard player Adny Shernoff decided that the wanted to sing his own songs, so Handsome Dick Manitoba was asked to leave. Just prior to their release from Asylum, drummer Richie Teeter left the band; he was quickly replace by Mel Anderson, formerly of Long Island’s Twister Sister (in which ex-Dictator bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza is now a member). Lead guitarist Ross “The Boss” Funicello later quit to join Shakin’ Street, a heavy-metal band. And what then of rhythm guitarist Scott “Top Ten” Kempner?

The ‘Tators played one of their last shows on October 20, 1978, at New York City’s Bottom Line, where this interview took place. All five ‘Tators were present at one time or another, as were Adny’s parents. For what it’s worth, here it is – unbeknownst at the time – the last Dictators interview:

FFanzeen: How did it feel playing the Bottom Line tonight?
Scott “Top Ten” Kempner: No so great. I’d rather play CBGB’s. No, it was alright. It was fun; it was good.
FF: Mel, how does it feel to be a Dictator?
Mel Anderson: Terrific.
Scott: Ha! You sure you don’t want to think about that for a while?
Mel: I’ve given it some thought – and I don’t have anywhere else to go, so…
FF: Why’d you leave Asylum?
Scott: They were basically not doing anything for the band. They stopped working on the Dictators about a month after Manifest Destiny came out; it was a big charade after that. I guess if the record had more play on the radio, they would have gotten something started without too much work. It was a situation where nobody in the company, outside of the publicity department, understood the band or knew anything about breaking in an act that wasn’t like Linda Ronstadt or the Eagles or Queen – something you’ve heard a million times before. They thought they couldn’t do anything with us and so we didn’t want to have anything to do with them.
FF: How did you feel about the way Bloodbrothers came out?
Scott: It was pretty much the other extreme – from overproduced to underproduced – neither of them necessarily in a bad sense, but there was an elaborate production on Manifest Destiny, and Bloodbrothers was intentionally done “live in the studio.” It sounds like a well-done demo. We just set up and played.
FF: Do you consider Manifest Destiny a sell-out after Go Girl Crazy?
Scott: It was a definite reaction to failing. Go Girl Crazy was like the product of years and years of ambition and ideas and something we all wanted to do. At the time, we thought we were making the greatest, newest, the most different rock’n’roll album – the rock’n’roll album every kid wanted; they didn’t.
FF: How has Bloodbrothers been doing, sales-wise, compared to the other two albums?
Scott: Better. Better, but not great. It doesn’t’ get much airplay. Now that the record company isn’t interested, I’m sure it’ll get even less.
FF: Why did Richie Teeter leave the band?
Scott: He broke his legs and we had to shoot him [laughs].
FF: No, seriously.
Adny Shernoff: He didn’t want to be in the group, so we said, “Get out of here.”
Scott: He no longer wanted to do it. He had too many commitments. He had two commitments and he was too involved in the other commitment. The two worlds couldn’t meet … He made a choice between the two and that was it. [Rumor has it that the other “commitment” was his wife who told him he had to choose between traveling with the band or staying with her – Ed.]
FF: How many drummers did you audition before you found Mel?
Adny: One
Scott: I saw Mel play in his old band, Twisted Sister. He used to wear this big rainbow-colored afro wig and he used to twirl his sticks and all these cool things. Fred Heller, Mott the Hoople’s manager after Ian Hunter quit, wanted the band Mott to do “Sleeping With the TV On” [From the album Manifest Destiny], so me and Adny, and this other guy from Queens and Mel made this demo in a friend’s basement. Mel called Adny while Teeter was telling us he was leaving and asked if we knew any bands who needed a drummer and we said, “It just so happens we do.”
FF: Dick, I think you mentioned in Trouser Press that the title Bloodbrothers came from the Richard Price novel.
Handsome Dick Manitoba (HD): Indirectly, juxtapositioning, yes.
FF: Have you seen the movie yet?
HD: No, I haven’t.
Scott: I did... I didn’t like it as much as the book.
[Adny Shernoff] FF: Adny…
HD: Adny, here comes the hard question.
FF: How do your parents feel about the Dictators?
Adny: Ask ‘em.
FF: Mr. and Mrs. Shernoff?
Adny: [Imitating his father] “Well, at first we really didn’t think he was gonna do it, but now we have a lot more confidence. We’re glad he stuck to it” [laughs].
Mr. Shernoff: I’m glad he’s putting words in my mouth.
Mrs. Shernoff: He’s making me eat my words.
HD: Why? He’s still poor!
FF: Did any of the Dictators ever graduate from college?
HD: I did…not.
Scott: Mel, did you? No? No graduates here.
FF: Dick, who’s your favorite pro wrestler?
HD: Jimmy Valiant, Freddie Blassie, the Sheik, Killer Kowalski…
Scott: The Valiant Brothers together. They’re a team
[Exit Adny’s parents]
FF: Scott, I liked your Springsteen review in New Wave Rock [magazine].
Scott: Thanks. I feel like a 14-year-old kid when I listen to Bruce. Clarence is coming tomorrow night. [Clarence Clemons jammed wit the band on “What It Is” the next night. Tish and Snooky Bellomo of Manic Panic Clothing Store – ex-Sic F*cks/Pinups – sang back-up on the same song both nights – BG]
FF: What other bands on the scene right now do you like?
Scott: The Ramones. I love the Ramones – my favorite group. The Dead Boys, The Cramps…
FF: What unsigned bands?
Scott: The Cramps, Shrapnel, The Dictators..
Mel: There’s a good band called Moonbeam. I think they are really good.
FF: What kind of music do you like?
Mel: Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix, Mott the Hoople, Bev Beven, and Electric Light Orchestra, the Move … I like everything. I like Frank Sinatra… the Wailers.

It was around this time when Handsome Dick left the dressing room to go to CBGB’s (the Police were playing). Adny was outside talking to his parents. Ross was with his girlfriend somewhere., I found myself in the dressing room with Scott and Mel, so we called it quits.

1980 Note by RBF: Good News: The Dictators have, since this article was written, gotten back together after a two-year break. The “Last Big Thing” is now Next in Line again. FFanzeen wishes to personally welcome back these top contenders to the ring, just when they were needed. Move over, here comes some gen-u-ine rock’n’roll!

[Master Race Rock, from their first album, Go Girl Crazy]