THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS Interview: The House of Garage (1985)

© Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 1985/2022
mages from the Internet unless indicated
Facebook page is HERE

A few times a year, weather permitting, I would fly up from New York to visit Buffalo Musicians’ Hall of Famer and friend since high school Bernie Kugel, and would pile into the car of record collector extraordinaire, Mad Louie, the Vinyl Junkie’s car, and head over to Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester, to make a pilgrimage to the House of Guitars. Besides the obvious front room of instruments, given the name of the place, the back also had a very disorganized yet quite eclectic new and used recording section. But the main reason to head over was to visit the two members of the Chesterfield Kings, who worked there. Andy Babiuk, who took care of the front with all the instruments (and has written books on the gear used by the Beatles and the Stones, and Kings leader and voice/harp Greg Prevost (he also co-wrote the Stones’ book with Babiuk), who skillfully manages the mess in the back.

Greg is a very interesting and charismatic character, with his omnipresent eyeliner and 2-liter bottle of soda (Tab). He’s also a well-recognized collector of hopelessly obscure garage recordings and old television shows.

When we got there, he would be running all over the store at a customer’s request to fetch a recording, or answering the phone. Between, he’s smiles and laughs, and a bit of gossip. He had been there a long time, and eventually retired some years after this interview took place.

This was originally published in FFanzeen No. 13, dated 1985.

The Chesterfield Kings: The House of Garage (1985)

Without a doubt, the leaders of the new garage/psychedelic scene are the Chesterfield Kings. With their self-titled album and single, “She Told Me Lies” b/w “I’ve Gotta Way With Girls,” on Mirror Records, they’ve shown the world exactly how they think music should be a la mid-‘60s raunch’n’roll.

It is clear who they model their live shows after: the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Chocolate Watchband, circa Riot on Sunset Strip (1967), but their music goes beyond that, into an area of relatively unknown classic cult groups that have been cropping up in dozens of compilation albums on labels such as Voxx/Bomp! and Moxie. The more obscure, the better.

The Kings consist of Doug Meech (drums), Andy Babiuk (bass), Orest Guran (organ/rhythm guitar), Cedrick Cona (lead guitar), and as front man, Greg Prevost (vocals/hot harmonica). The Kings is a band who has opened a whole new chapter in how rock’n’roll could and should be played – no holds barred.

Last summer (1984), while vacationing in Buffalo, I headed over to the House of Guitars (the HOG to friends) in Irondequoit, NY, which is a suburb of Rochester. In this humble record and musical instrument store, run by showman Armand Schoenbroeck, who has a few cult albums under his own belt, works Andy and Greg. I didn’t have much of a chance to say much to Andy, as he works in the business front part of the store, but I did get a chance to talk somewhat with Greg.

On this trek, I dragged along two willing cohorts and record collectors, Bernie Kugel, of the band Mystic Eyes, and Mad Louie, the Vinyl Junkie.

What follows is a brief part of the conversation. Actually, I just turned on the cassette recorder and let Greg, Bernie, and Louie do most of the talking. In between constant phone calls by customers asking about purchasing Bruce Springsteen tickets and great music playing on the PA (supplied by Greg), there was a lot of harmless kidding around at the expense of many (myself included), all in the fun of conversation and admiration. Note that “[laughs]” indicates that we were all laughing at that point.

This is technically not an interview in the true sense of the word, but I like to feel it’s informative enough to hold the reader’s interest, and give some insight to at least a fifth of the band.

FFanzeen: Why don’t you have Armand (Schoenbroeck, Mirror Records) help you produce a (garage) compilation album?
Greg Prevost: I could do it, but –
Bernie Kugel: It must cost a whole lot.
Greg: Not a whole lot. Just make up a thousand.
Bernie: You can save it.
Mad Louie: Yeah, since you just blew $400 on singles a month ago. Plus, you took me out to lunch Saturday, so you’re broke for the next 10 years.

FFanzeen: What would you put on it?
Greg: Mostly Upstate (New York) stuff that nobody’s got.

[Phone interruption]

FFanzeen: Looks like you only have about 5 of these CDs [in the store].
Greg: I know. Now it’s like the big thing.
Bernie: The Index album on CD [laughs].
Louie: Rhino put the Turtles Greatest Hits on CD. It’s got an extra song that isn’t on the album.
Greg: Did you get the thing?
Louie: I don’t want a CD player. I heard the thing and I hate it. It sounds too clear.
Greg: I like those scratches.
Bernie: Yeah, you need them on old records. That’s why when we plug in, we don’t plug in all the way. That’s why there’s so much distortion [laughs]. Makes it sound like a ventilator or a fan, like that Jades of Fort Worth album. It sounds like someone has a radio playing through the amp, or something.
Voice over PA: Got any Springsteen tickets left?
Greg: That’s all I’ve been hearing. I think it’s time for some sounds [puts tape on PA].
Bernie: Is this the Phinx re-issue album, or the original?
Greg: This is the 45 [“My Baby Don’t Care”]. I didn’t get the album.
Bernie: Miriam (Linna) and Billy (Miller, d. 2016) keep writing about them in the magazine (Kicks).
Greg: Oh, that’s pretty good, isn’t it? I like that.
Bernie: “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” We were going through this whole thing – I think I was with you, Robert – all these crappy record in the Salvation Army. There were hundreds, and “Sid Herring! They let him make records after the Gants?” I almost spit up my Coke.
Greg: Somebody should find him. I tried, but no luck.
Louie: Probably in a fishbowl.
Greg: JD (Martignon, of Midnight Records in New York; d. 2016) told me he was puttin’ out a book.
Bernie: Robert saw it. It’s out already.

FFanzeen: It’s all [about garage] compilations. It lists every song on every album.
Greg: That’s not bad.

FFanzeen: But with all the albums being released, it’s outdated as soon as it comes out.
Greg: He’ll probably have to update it every week. “A new issue each week!”
Bernie: Back from the Grave, Vol. 300 this week. [Laughs] High in the Mid-Sixties, Vol. 16: Lake Placid, New York, 1963.
Louie: Vol. 18: Dumbfuck, Iowa. Boy, Greg (Shaw, Bomp! Records; d. 2004) is really putting out those High in the Mid-Sixties stuff.
Greg: I know. Why don’t they just call them Pebbles records anymore?
Louie: I think he wants to be more regional. Like Greg (Shaw) always says, “We have the Northeast, the Mid-East –
Greg: South. I really like “The South.” That was pretty – vague.
Louie: “16 Degrees West of the East.”
Bernie: “New York City, from Fifth Avenue to 125 Street.” [Laughs] Who’s this (on the PA)?
Greg: You don’t know who this is? It’s the Wild Things. “From Santa Claus, Indiana.” [Laughs]
Bernie: The Wild Things. Oh yeah, from the 19th Santa Claus: Early ’63 to January ’64. [Laughs]
Greg: That was good, Bernie. Santa Claus punk records. I’m surprised they don’t do something like that. There’s a lot of punk Christmas songs. ”
Bernie: Christmas Pebbles. [Picking up Hot Ones by theStandells, from the stacks] You get down to this stuff here; you get “99-1/2 Percent Won’t Do,” “Eleanor Rigby,” followed by Soul Drippin’.”
Greg: Then you know you don’t want to buy it.
Bernie: Primo stuff here. [Laughs] I like this Michael (Taylor, Bad Seeds) stuff.
Greg: [Laughs] You really like that?
Louie: Awful. I told you he likes it.
Bernie: “Zilch, Pt. II.” Aw, that’s a great one. [Laughs]
Greg: Oh, it is good. [Laughs]

[Phone interruption]

Bernie: [Holding up a Chocolate Watchband album from Eva Records, whose liner notes Greg wrote.] Oh, good liner notes. How much did you get for this one?
Greg: A free copy of the record.
Bernie: Did they actually do it?
Greg: They actually sent me a copy. It was bent in half, but they sent me one.

FFanzeen: I’m so ignorant on so much of this stuff.
Bernie: Well, Greg’s gonna be opening up a school. He’s gonna have a punk summer camp.
Louie: All you have to do is sit there, eat shit, drink Tab, and watch videos.
Bernie: “This is a bottle of Tab I have from ’66. One of the test bottles. Let’s see how it tastes.” Have you seen the Richard and the Young Lions video yet? 
Greg: Naw. I heard there’s one out.

[Phone interruption]

FFanzeen: I hear you’re out touring a lot right now.
Greg: I wouldn’t exactly call it a tour. We just do weekend-type things. It’s not worth playing the middle of the week anywhere, ‘cause nobody goes out. Who wants to play for $300 in some hick town?

FFanzeen: It could be worse. Could be like when the Gizmos played at Max’s on a Tuesday and there was no one there. Except for a couple of drunks and me.
Greg: Really? Outrageous.

[Phone interruption]

FFanzeen: Who did this song (on the PA)?
Greg: “The World Ain’t Round It’s Square,” by the Savages. 

FFanzeen: Have you heard the Tryfles do it? 
Greg: The Tryfles? Yeah.

FFanzeen: They’re a fun band.
Greg: Yeah, I saw them once. At the Dive.

FFanzeen: Didn’t I see them open for you at Irving Plaza?
Greg: Was it that night? No, I don’t think so. I think it was the Lyres, the Vipers, Outta Place, then us, then Green on Red. I remember, I was real sick that night. It was horrible. It was the worst night I ever had. We had to cut the set short ‘cause my throat went out. All the way down (to NY) I had this sore throat, or somethin’ like that. All the way down, I’m drinking like two gallons of orange juice. “Maybe my throat’ll get better.” And by the time we got there, it was, like, three in the morning, and my voice was shot. I kept coughin’. It was horrible.

FFanzeen: Everyone there had a good time, though.
Greg: It was okay, but I don’t know. Then that guy was, like, somebody threw somethin’. Then he got beat up by some guy in the front.

FFanzeen: I remember once seeing Iggy (Pop) at the Brooklyn Zoo (club), and right in the middle of the first song, someone thew some ice at him. He stopped the song and said, “Don’t throw that fuckin’ shit at me, man. That ain’t a request, that’s a command.”
Greg: Really?

FFanzeen: Then he started the song from scratch. He was pissed off.
Greg: This (on the PA) is Monoman’s (Jeff Conolly, of the Lyres) favorite record (“What a Girl Can’t Do”).

FFanzeen: Who is it?
Greg: The Hangmen.
Bernie: This is like an oldie to me. It was one of my first records.
Louie: What about this (next song on the PA)?
Bernie: The Swamp Rats? Alright. 
Greg: “Hey Joe,” on CD.
Louie: Know how many versus they could put on one CD? About 30.
Bernie: What’s that ‘70s thing that the Swamp Rats were on?
Greg: Disco Sucks?
Bernie: Not Galacticus [post-Swamp Rats]. No, the other one.
Louie: Yeah, I remember that.
Bernie: Where he does, like, “Somebody Real Famous.” They put, like, some of the songs on an album. It says, “Everything on this album was recorded in a one-track studio in a radio station.”
Greg: They’re real mad about that [fantastic] DJ’s album [pre-Swamp Rat] that Eva (Records) put out. Their manager’s a DJ still, right , and he’s on the radio saying, “Any stores out there carrying this record, we’re gonna smash them all if we come find ‘em,” They’re really mad.
Bernie: What did you think of that Battle of the Garages, Vol. II album?
Greg: There’s some good stuff and some bad stuff.

FFanzeen: I liked it a lot.
Bernie: What did you hate the most about it, besides my song [a cover of the Stoics’ “Enough of What I Need”]?
Greg: I don’t remember. There’s this group called Mystic Eyes on there… 
Bernie: What did you think about that psycho-crap on side two?
Greg: I couldn’t hack some of that stuff. Side one’s pretty good, and side two, there was some stuff...

[Phone interruption]

Louie: Did you sell any copies of this?
Greg: The Lyres album (on Ace of Hearts Records)? Yeah, check your Lyres album. Hold it up to the light. Monoman says if you can see through it, like this purple color, it’s real rare. Mine’s like that.

[Phone interruption]

Greg: Know what I found out? Did you ever hear of the Storytellers? “Cry With Me.” It’s this great snotty-fuzz record. They’re from Jersey. And all the guys or most of them are Asbury Park, in Springsteen’s group.
Louie: Really?
Greg: Yeah. Rick Noll was tellin’ me.
Bernie: [Singing like Bruce:] “Baby, I was pushin’ too hard.”
Greg: This is the best version of “Maggie’s Farm.” The guitar player is great.
Bernie: Who’s this (on the PA)?
Greg: Defiants.” I like the guitar playing. He plays two notes the whole song. Except it does change. I was a bit disappointed when he did the change. Right here. Then he goes right back into the two notes. Oh, up a step.
Bernie: Do you find that there are a lot more independent records still undiscovered out there?
Greg: Yeah, never ending, really. I keep thinkin’ I heard them all but they’re there. Real great stuff.
Bernie: And you thought you could stop with Nuggets. [Laughs]
Louie: It’s getting to the point where you find stuff repeating on albums.
Greg: Yeah, it’s real bad.
Bernie: It seems the guys putting out the records are getting real desperate.
Greg: Yeah, they are.
Bernie: That’s why you’ve got to get into it here.
Greg: Yeah, I’ll put out 30 volumes to start. [Laughs] Box sets. 10 album boxes.
Bernie: Unreleased Independent Punk…January ’65 through March ’65.

FFanzeen: That’s the first box set. [Laughs]
Bernie: “From Bernie’s basement recording studio. We use just a plastic recorder in the corner.”

FFanzeen: “July 7^th, 7:30 to 9:30.” [Laughs]
Bernie: Yeah, that’s it. [Laughs]
Greg: “Three-hour live tape.”
Bernie: “Rising Storm arriving for rehearsal.” 
Greg: “Hear them drive up in a car.”
Bernie: “You guys ready to play?” Record goes on, that’s it. “Next month, Rising Storm, Vol. II.

FFanzeen: They oughta release a record of the guy in Bill Haley’s band who stands there during the applause at the end, just saying, “Bill Haley” over and over. It’s always the same guy.
Greg: Yeah.

FFanzeen: Probably his brother.
Bernie: Yeah, Alex Haley! [Laughs]

FFanzeen: Why do you think they call it the “Roots of Rock’n’roll”? Sorry, ‘couldn’t resist.
Bernie: Heavy metal [on the PA]?
Greg: The Merlyn Tree. “Look in Your Mirror.” 
Bernie: Where can I find more Stoics records?
Greg: I got a whole lot of them in my basement.
Bernie: Acetates? All unreleased stuff?
Louie: He’s got the master tapes, to hell with the acetates.
Bernie: “Bill Ash [of the Stoics] is in my closet.” And the guy, Rich Marachalla, whoever they put on the record [“Enough of What I Need,” as co-writer]. [Laughs] 
Greg: That Stoics record is pretty rare.

[Phone interruption]

Bernie: What about this record [picks up 45 of Alvin Cash and the Registers, “Twine Time”? 
Bernie: What does it sound like?
Greg: It’s soul, but it’s good. It’s like James Brown. It’s Doug’s favorite album, our drummer -

[Phone interruption]

All things must pass to others, so at this point, so did we.

Greg Prevost and Kings in-store performance,
Virgin Records, Times Square, NY, with Nancy Neon
(ffoto by Robert Barry Francos

The conversation, you may notice, is quite dated. The timeframe was obviously before CDs became the standard, and it was discovered that CDs were actually cheaper to put out than vinyl. Now we all have large CD collections of the even rarer cuts that could not be afforded to put out on LP form. And while we all agree that the feel and sound of vinyl is something we all still cherish, the material available on more cold and harsh CDs and now digital has become more of a boon and less of a curse. This especially became true among rarity collectors with the advent of CD-Rs.

As a side story, after this interview was published in FFanzeen, a friend of Greg, Bernie and Louie’s was riding the subway in Manhattan late one night after a long squawk. Asleep across the seats, he woke up and saw a newspaper on the floor in front of him. “Is that Bernie, Greg and Louie? What they hell are they doing in the paper?” Obviously, he was looking at a discarded copy of FFanzeen. Freaked him right out.

During the summer of 2001, on the way back from a photographic road trip, I made a stop off to see Greg at the HOG. It was the first time I’d been there in a least a decade. The phones were just as busy and the customers just as questioning for material (this time, for rap), but shooting the shit with Greg was as light and fun as always. And I made sure to assure him that there was, indeed, no tape recorder. And the Chesterfield Kings are no more. Greg has gone solo and now goes by Greg “Stackhouse” Prevost, singing Americana blues, and is still releasing music. On CDs. 

 

RBF’s Eclectic Excitement Playlist – November 2022

RBF’s Eclectic Excitement Playlist – November 2022

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2022
Images from the Internet

Here is my limited monthly column of some relatively cult music, be it due to initial limited release, or just having fallen out of the mainstream eye. These will be of a multitude of genres, from punk to folk, to just out there.

The songs are listed alphabetically by first letter of the artist or group, and not in a “ratings” order. Art is subjective, so I hope you like these as much as I enjoy them.

Note: There is no advertising on this page, so I will not be making anything off the work of others.

 

Amy Rigby
“Dancing with Joey Ramone”
Signature Sounds
This song is amazing, as Amy tells I am assuming is a true story about her dancing with you-know-who at a club. There are so many great songs  mentioned within the song, that I actually wrote a blog about it in 2011.

  

Angela Easterling
“I Feel Like Drinking”
Angelaeasterling.com
I had my period in the late ‘70s where I was infatuated with country. I have always liked Americana for as long as I can remember, and Angela walks that fine line between the two. The whole album from which this originates, Earning Her Wings, is great song after great song.

Carrie Newcomer
“Five Years On”
Rounder Records
I had the opportunity to see Carrie perform in New York a few years ago, and she was as engaging as she is in this on-the-fence relationship song. I have been in this position so I can relate. Despite the noise beginning, when the starts proper, it is quite compelling.

Firebug
“End of the World”
Buddha Belt Records
I first became aware of this song when I heard the EP on which it was featured (in both a short and longer version). Jules Shapiro’s vocals are quite unique in this soft rocker. I understand they have a new record out. At some point, I’ll have to check it out.

Mad Agnes
“Dancing Man”
madagnes.com
This singer-songwriter trio consists of Margo Hennebach, Mark Saunders, and fronting the vocals on this song (as they all have their own repertoire), Adrienne Jones. This upbeat number is a personal view of Jones’ personality, as seen by herself and others. It’s quite catchy.

Mary Lou Lord
“His Indie World”
Kill Rock Stars Records
Part of the nascent Riot Girrrl scene in Seattle before moving to the Boston area, Mary Lou wrote or sang many pieces about her ex-lover Kurt and his new flame, Courtney. This one is a lovely one about being attracted to someone who is into independent music. Nearly all these bands mentioned went on to some level of fame. I interviewed her when her first EP was released, for Oculus Magazine. 

Oral Fuentes Reggae Band
“One Stop”
oralfuentes.com
To be honest, pure reggae is repetitious to me, perhaps because I do not imbibe so I lose the groove. Oral’s band, though, mixes different types of reggae, ska and Belizean riddims to make a sound that I can relate to, which is good because he's an ex-neighbor and friend of mine, who I had the chance to interview a while back. We actually met over the back fence. 

She Wolves
“Hundred Bucks”
Poptown Records
In their two incarnations, this power punk/rock trio were so much fun. This is one of their earlier, punkier songs, with Donna She Wolf’s guitar and vocals smashing, the Tony Mann on drums smashing, and bassist and vocalist Laura Sativa just, well, smashing. I wrote an article about them as my very first blog. 

Star and Dagger
“Your Momma Was a Grifter”
333 Records
Donna She Wolf transformed into Dava She Wolf, and joined this down and dirty, bluesy rock collective with a smoky edge. The song reminds me a bit of “House of the Rising Sun” in attitude, and the video, based on Russ Meyer’s Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) is sheer perfection with Dava nailing her Tura Satana vibe.

Tamara Hey
“Right This Minute”
Tamaramusic.com
To give you some idea, I went to see a singer-songwriter at the Rockwood, and after her show, Tamara came on. We figured we would stay for a song or two to see what she was like, and ended up staying the whole set, and getting a CD to boot. Tamara’s songs are not typical love-spoon-June types, but deeper meanings of relationships, including, sexual identity, loss, and passion.

THE RATTLERS Strike! (1981)

© Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 1981/2022
Images from the Internet unless indicated

The New York trio, The Rattlers (1979-88), were known more for family connections than the band, which was a shame. I saw them play a number of times, and between the high kicks were some kick-ass tunes. They rose from the ashes of Birdland, which included Lester Bangs on vocals. I saw Birdland open for the Ramones once at My Father’s Place, in Roslyn, New York. When they clipped their Bangs, they became The Rattlers.

This interview was published in FFanzeen, No 7, dated 1981.

The Rattlers Strike!

Why is the New York press ignoring The Rattlers, one of the outstanding bands on the East Coast today?

Nearly all their press clippings are due to their appearing with famous relatives or from out-of-town papers. Matty Quick, the band’s drummer and driving force of this power trio, explains it this way: “We’re so far underground. We don’t have any records except that one disc [“On the Beach” b/w “Livin’ Alone, released in 1980 on Ratso Records – RBF, 1981]. We don’t have any singles out there for them to buy, so it’s really hard. It’s hard to fill a club. When kids don’t have an opportunity to hear your records over the radio, they’re not going to come out. You go to a club and there’s two-three hundred kids instead of a thousand, you know, it’s sort of like a vicious circle. You gotta have vinyl to get to them. It’s not that we do so bad with our audiences, it’s just that they don’t know who we are yet.”

“And that’s because we don’t get much press,” guitarist Mitch Leigh picks up, “which brings us back to the original problem – why don’t we get press? We stayed in Chicago and we got press. We got press in Boston. And we got minor press in New York City, like The Villager. Where can be get press in New York other than The Village Voice and New York Rocker? The New York press hasn’t written about us in a year.” Matty claims that “The Voice wrote about us when we broke up Birdland [two years earlier – RBF, 1981]. We were the “band that broke up.” And it was only to kiss Lester’s ass.”

The lack of a record is what seems to be hurting The Rattlers the most right now, but “the press is really discouraging any form of building here in New York,” states the ever-moving Mitch, with his graceful spread-eagled jumps in the air on stage, and high kicks that bring his feel level with his head. “God, you gotta ask yourself, ‘What the fuck is going on?’ These papers aren’t writing about us. Then people won’t come to see you. I wouldn’t expect a paper like The New York Post to write on us. I’d expect an underground paper to, because we’re an underground band.”

Mitch/Mickey Leigh
(ffoto by Robert Barry Francos)

But what press they’ve gotten has been favorable. They’ve had their picture in People, and been briefly mentioned in The New York Post, The New York Daily News, and Billboard, but that was due to relatives rather than themselves. They were almost completely ignored, sort of a “Here’s so-and-so. Oh, and those guys are The Rattlers. Now more on so-and-so.” Not the sort of thunderous types they could use to push their career.

The lesser-known papers have written about The Rattlers, as Chicago’s Prairie Sun (by excellent rock’n’roll writer Moira McCormick) and Boston’s What’s New, but they have focused on their performances or their records, and have written nothing on the personal side of the group. Matty said, “Boston is really incredible the way they support the bands up there. And in Chicago, all the major press, like The Village Voice (equivalent) of Chicago, liked this band we played with. They were one of the ‘good bands in Chicago.’ They sucked. They were like the Knack.” Mitch pitched in, “But still, they got support. Local support. We go to Boston, and they play our tapes on the radio. They play our record on FM stations.”

“WBCN [Boston] was the first major radio station to play our record,” chimed in Dave Merrill, who leaps in the air come close to rivaling Mitch’s, but whose bass playing is hardly rivaled by anyone. Matty finished the point by commenting that, “The reason they don’t give us more airplay is because we’re not a Boston band, and they like to help their bands. Like, when they can slip us in, they do, but they always try to slip in a hometown band. The attitude is, like, ‘Let’s promote our own’.”

With all this lack of local publicity, you would think that the audience would not be there. Wrong. The audience is there and vocal in their own way. “Dancing is the best reaction you can get,” Matty claims. “In New York, you get the least amount of dancing. We go to some towns, and all of a sudden the whole floor is full of people dancing. That, to me, is the biggest turn-on, when they’re out there having that kind of fun, rather than just watching. In New York, everybody just stands there. Whatever the reason, they’re afraid to react. They don’t react, whatever the situation is. Dancing really gets me off. I think we do best when people dance.” Here, that tends to be a problem because, as Mitch puts it, “In New York, they’re the coolest. Everybody is too cool to dance or show any kind of emotion, bad or good.”

“We do like the guys in the front who bounce on the tables when we finish (at Max’s Kansas City),” Matty defends. “We like them.”

Dave Merrill
(ffoto by Robert Barry Francos)

And so, the tale continues. And what of their management, FBI [Frontier Booking International, run by Ian Copeland, brother of The Police’s Stuart – RBF, 1981]? Mitch explains, “We’re not very high on their priority list right now.”

So, it’s back to the problem of press, or lack of it. But what of the papers here in town, such as the one’s they mentioned? “You wouldn’t think that papers like that would have so much sway in the biggest city in the fuckin’ world. They dismiss us. Is it something to be ashamed of that we want to make records for people? They put us down because of that,” complains Matty.

Mitch goes on to say, “They don’t like us at all. They said that we can’t sing, and we have no good songs. They didn’t say that in their paper, but that’s what they said to somebody who called up and said, ‘How come you don’t write about The Rattlers?’ That’s what they tell people over the phone.” Dave concludes, “They have shit taste, anyway.”

But the gigs go on, and The Rattlers build in popularity. Having such little press, however, means they get “stuck” at a lot of gigs, such as when they opened for David Johansen at the Fast Lane in New Jersey. Their total take for the night was $50. But they look at it almost humorously, as Mitch explains that, “We got to see a bunch of slugs outside the dressing room. There was an alley right by the dressing room.” Matty added, “It was the highlight of the night. We peed on them to see if the salt content of our urine would dissolve them, but all they did was steam and crawl away.” But Dave retorted, “You would be steamin’ too, if somebody pissed on you.”

With their word-of-mouth popularity spreading, it’s only a matter of time now before the band breaks the New York press. They have toured with a few big groups and have a possible upcoming tour with 999. Only time will tell when the headlines read, “The Rattlers.”

After some changes in the line-up, the band members would move on. Mitch [aka Mickey] would be in bands like STOP, Sibling Rivalry and Harry Slash, but it would be his autobiography, I Slept With Joey Ramone that would put him into the press. Dave would move on to more experimental, electronic music for a while, including being in a band that played on one of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethons in the 1980s. Recently, he has been with a straight-ahead rock’n’roll band called HEAP. As for what happened to Matty, I’m not sure.

RBF’s Eclectic Excitement Playlist – October 2022

RBF’s Eclectic Excitement Playlist – October 2022

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2022
Images from the Internet

Here is my limited monthly column of some relatively cult music, be it due to initial limited release, or just having fallen out of the mainstream eye. These will be of a multitude of genres, from punk to folk, to just out there.

The songs are listed alphabetically by first letter of the artist or group, and not in a “ratings” order. Art is subjective, so I hope you like these as much as I enjoy them.

Note: There is no advertising on this page, so I will not be making anything off the work of others.

Babes in Toyland
“Bruise Violet”
WMG
Part of Seattle’s Riot Girrrl scene, they were overshadowed (as was everyone else) by Hole, though I thought this group was more interesting. The song is about the Kat Bjelland (vox) and Courtney Love rivalry. I always felt the Riot Girrrl movement was more interesting than the testosterone-fueled concurrent grunge sound. I’m glad I was able to see them live at CBGB.

Get Wet
“Morton Street”
Boardwalk / Columbia Records
Sherri Beachfront has an amazingly powerful voice, and for a brief moment of time, it was recognized on a major scale, with a relative hit single of “Lonely” and a cover of “Where the Boys Are.” The music is pure pop with Zecca’s keyboard soaring. I interviewed them at the time, just as their album was released. There is a lot of good music with a bend toward the theatrical on the album, but this song always felt the strongest, if not mainstream radio friendly. This is the live version from a show at the Ritz where I was also in attendance.

HER and Kings County
“My Backyard”
WMG
Mixing country, rock and a tad of rap, HER hails from Brooklyn, but has since moved to Nashville to be closer to the source. She has a good voice for both country and rock, and has a new album. Not to be confused with current rapper H.E.R.

Lizzie Borden and the Axes
“Out of Touch”
Never Found Guilty Records
I first heard this Boston pop ditty on a local indie music channel (“V66”) in BossTown. They were pretty popular on their own turf, but I find this very infectious melody keep popping up in my head all these years later.

The Pandoras
“Stop Pretending”
Rhino Records
The band is better known for “Hot Generation,” but I like this cold-hearted attack so much more. They were commonly crossing over between garage and rock, until the death of lead singer Paula Peirce. Although they were a California band, I saw them play once at Irving Plaza, in New York.

Patsy Montana and the Prairie Ramblers
“I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart”
Melotone Records
It’s funny that this should be here, because at one time this was such a major hit, it is the very first record disc (78) by a woman to ever to sell a million copies, way back in 1935. It’s definitely the yodel that makes the song, but I love the lyrics, as well as Patsy’s voice. Lyrically, a sweet other-side to Doris Day’s “Button’s and Bows.”

The Planet Smashers
“Fabrication”
Stomp Records
I actually know very little about this ska punk band from Montreal, but their intensity is striking, and the social statement of the song also attracts me. Should be right up there with The Specials, rather than the more amusing-toned Madness. The drive in this song is what helps propel the message.

The Slickee Boys
“Ya Gotta Tell Me Why”
Dacoit Records
Man, not only were the Slickee Boys a great band out of the DC area, like the Fleshtones, they were even more so live. Luckily, I saw them more than once at CBGB. They are better known for “Heart On” and their cover of “Glendora,” but the beat and excitement of this song keep me coming back.

The Speedies
“Let Me Take Your Photo”
Golden Disc Records
Like the Jag’s “Back of My Hand,” there was a time when this power pop song was all over the clubs. Not surprising, though, because it has an extremely catchy chorus. Happily, I saw them open for The Tourists (who would change their name to the Eurythmics) at the Bottom Line, in New York.

The Vipers
“Cheated and Lied”
Passport Records / Jem Records
When the garage revival was at its height during the early-to-mid-‘80s, one of the regulars on the scene were this garage pop band, led by Jon Weiss, who later helped organize the CaveStomp! series of shows. I interviewed them when their Outta the Nest LP was released. Their “Nothing’s From Today” is better known, but I like this one even more.

The Rat-Taled Dream

 Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2022
Images from the Internet unless indicated

A Rat-Taled Dream
In the dream, it is the present time, and despite the fact that the club The Rathskeller (aka The Rat) in Boston is long gone, I went to see a show with Kandy Kabot, who lived in the city for a number of years. I had been to the club numerous times between 1980 and 1985, so I was a bit familiar with it. However, the map does not match the territory in my dream.

As we approached the club, the front of it was lined with people waiting to get in, and there were windows on the front that went longer than the club’s entrance could fit in reality. We looked inside and there was a big room with marble floors, as people lined up.

Inside, at the head of the line, was a fortune teller reading tarots, who had to be paid in order to get into the club, above the cost to get in. I am not a believer in mysticism, especially having dated the assistant of a professional psychic during the early 1980s, so I was trying to figure another way into the club. When I got back to the glass doors, Kandy was gone, I looked in and she was on line to the fortune teller.

The Secret Service
(ffoto by Robert Barry Francos)

Somehow, I got into the place in a roundabout way, avoiding the seer and, for the moment, since the doorman was not there, I got in without paying. I went backstage and ran into the opening group (didn’t catch the name), which were a bunch of young guys who were in good spirits and friendly, and I hung out with them for a while, getting along well. They reminded me of the Long Island band The Secret Service, who I had seen at The Dive Bar in New York City in real life in the 1990s.

Naturally, I had my camera with me, but questioned whether it would work since I have not used it in a long time, and was unsure of the batteries.

I heard someone speaking behind me, and it was well known Boston musician Al Quint who I do not know personally, but with whom I am Facebook friends. In dream logic, however, I had seen him play before, in the 1980s. I turned around and said hello, and he said, “I know you! You took that picture of me onstage that I really liked.” I was impressed he remembered me.

The Dogmatics at The Rat
(ffoto by Robert Barry Francos)

We walked down a long corridor together and talked generally, until we got to the main room, where he took off to get ready. And instead of the lovely dive bar that the Rat actually was, in the midst of the dream, it was a large room with rows of folding chairs with a dais in front with four or five tables. The place was crowded, and in about the fourth row sat the opening band, who called me, saying they had saved me a seat. As I shuffled through the row to their enthusiastic waving me over, I woke up.