Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Damn Yankees - Sadly Not Bigger Than Life

Its not the best quality, but believe it or not its from a first gen demo tape I've had since the 80's. Maybe that's why they never got a record deal, because their demos sounded like shit and no one could hear how good the songs actually were. The original Damn Yankees featured Sten on vocals, who later left to form the Love Razors. This demo comes from the second lineup, with the bass player (Michael? Anyone?) moving over to lead vocals. Unfortunately there's next to no information on Damn Yankees on the web (except the Nuge's version), and time and medication has blurred my memory too much to remember the other member's names. I think Josh was the drummer. Maybe Jason Nesmith on guitar or bass. How about a little help out there? I know there were other people at those shows at Madame Wong's and the Troubadour, I saw you there. So here it is, without further useless information, the 4 song Damn Yankees demo tape.

Track Listing:
Bigger Than Life
Caroline
Die Laughing
Racing with the Moon

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/5cnywqk3FI8hbyoRucic4yKHIVV33hO9QPawsYKZ6R

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Premonition - Santa Clarita Knows How to Rock - 1980




Premonition were a local Santa Clarita Valley band of the late 70's/early 80's who self-released one single on their own label in 1980 featuring the songs "Glitter Girl" and "So What". Honestly, this thing is so obscure that the only reason I even have it is that the guitar player, Paul Hirschmann, was my guitar teacher from the ages of 10 to 12. I still remember the day he came over for my lesson and excitedly gave me two copies of this single, hot off the presses, and told me they pressed 100 of them. The A-side, their most famous song from their local gigs, was a classic-rock-cum-glam-rocker called "Glitter Girl" while the B-side was Hirschmann's moment to shine on the instrumental jazz-rock-psych riff-a-thon called "So What". This is the true sound of Los Angeles' north valley area circa 1980.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/XbuvFl3PyZYyzRWSQpexoCkQfG6qJagX5VwhlWAeAde

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

SIN - On the Run With No One Following...




As far as I'm concerned, SIN don't get nearly the respect they deserve. Among all the terrible Hollywood bands who couldn't play, SIN were our version of Angel. I hear you screaming "What about White Sister?", to which I reply...they were Giuffria, not Angel. Big Difference. Anyways, SIN released one single in 1983, this beautiful shaped picture disc which should be worth a ton considering the 80's rock crap which passes for "rare" on Ebay these days. But sadly no one cares. Even though SIN had Rik Fox of Steeler fame and looked cool as hell, no one cared then either. It doesn't matter, as one day this record will have its due. After SIN burned out I'm pretty sure they morphed into the horribly-named Jag Wire. And guess what? No one cared.

Tracks:
"On the Run"
"Captured in Time"

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/GMt5pY6GsLBxrXQAGx8Add2TISYIfIHtBpCVTP07BUE

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Razzle's "New Vibe Revolution" - The Fuse is LIT





Years before LIT tripped the light fantastic and became their own worst enemy, they were just a gang of long-haired southern california teens known as Razzle looking for a piece of the action. In 1993 they found it when they self-released a five song CD called "New Vibe Revolution" which I've no doubt got them laid a ton back then. All four members of LIT are present and accounted for here, from brothers A.J. and Jeremy "Allen" to rhythm section Kevin Baldes and "Big" Al Shellen. Then there is fifth member Chadd Anthony, who obviously quit before they became LIT. You think Chadd regrets that decision now? Maybe not now, but in the late 90's when "My Own Worst Enemy" played on MTV like it was on a loop? Yeah, I'm sure he put a gun in his mouth a few times, I just hope he didn't pull the trigger. Anyways, what we have here is a prime example of Hollywood's Sunset Strip scene, even though it came late in the day and grunge had already started to hammer the nails into hair metal's coffin. But "New Vibe Revolution" proves that as late as 1993, the party was still happening in Hollywood.

Track Listing:
I Ain't Your Pal
All American Boy
Summer Job
Jenny's Room
Close My Eyes

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/4wajJ9o1OlklJ8jYfJHRxHlzZqLK8mlVTdcy2yvsxWd

Monday, May 25, 2009

Shire - Hobbit Rockin' Produced by Don Dokken - 1984



Okay, so there really is no "Hobbit Rock" here so to speak, but what the fuck did they expect me to put for a title? They're the band from LA that called their band Shire, which makes no sense. And they're the ones who had Don Dokken produce it. Seriously though, I had this record back in 1984 and remember liking it, but I don't think I full appreciated it at the time. Not that its some kind of lost hair metal masterpiece or anything like that. Far from it. But it is a nice little EP with some catchy tracks including "Do You Know What Its Like?", which probably would've been a hit had Dokken himself recorded it. Plus they look like Girl meets The Babys, which I'll never have a problem with.

Track Listing:
Do You Know What Its Like?
All Alone
By My Side No More
Thinking of You
Hold On

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/itwDn16rDs1X1HVilPY7rf7fsgS2fM3rzD1arv9zBOl

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Rozzi Lane - The Original Big Bang Babiez




What can be said about Rozzi Lane that hasn't been said a hundred times over? Oh, that's right, nothing's been said about them since 1988 when they released the "Big Bang Babiez" single on their own cleverly-named Big Bang Records. I kid them, but only because I've always loved this record, which at the time was more "pop" than "metal", unlike many of their Sunset Strip contemporaries. And I can only imagine the shit they must've gotten looking like they did in their actual hometown of Upland, California. What else? Let's see. Guitarist Mikey Marquee later went on to play in a great LA band called Extra Fancy, featuring one Brian Grillo on vocals. Before Extra Fancy Grillo fronted Lock Up, who also featured a pre-RATM Tom Morello on guitar. Okay, now I'm just boring myself. Here's the single, "Betty Angel"/"Beauty's Only Skin Deep":

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/cnDcDTF0AtH7It6a63g0FvyhfARFO7JPslfVaNPjz1T

Friday, March 13, 2009

Candy Live at Wong's West - April 5th, 1987


The last days of Candy, with Gilby on lead vocals and Ryan Roxie on lead guitar, captured live at Madame Wong's West in Los Angeles on April 5th, 1987. You know the rest of the story, that's why you're here in the first place. Enjoy my teenage years as much as I did.

Set List
Intro ("I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow, played over the PA, and only kept in to preserve the experience of seeing Candy live)
You Can't Always Get What You Want/Dance America
Everyday is Saturday Night
Red, White & Blue
Turn It Up Loud
Goodbye Goodtimes
You Only Go Around Once
M.O.N.E.Y.
Sound of a Broken Heart (cuts out at very end, my tape ran out and I had to turn it over, which is why...)
Thunder (beginning is cut, see above)
American Kix
Cat Scratch Fever/Whatever Happened to Fun
Fox on the Run

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/aaCMbRUKsFHBlo9dE8E89kDxYs7X8RblX1rLo4f1eXR

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Whatever happened to the second Candy record..? Part 2


Three more demos from the never-realized second Candy record, transferred from an original demo tape.

Track Listing:
Dance America
M.O.N.E.Y. (Spells Love)
The Sound of a Broken Heart

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/SZa1xQJEWJ05ThqXzznAc3U0EQuItnZwPWGaR4Y98lE

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Candy Meets Run DMC - September 29th, 1985


If you were fortunate enough to grow up in or around Los Angeles in the 80's, you probably remember the LA Street Scene. Once a year, downtown LA would transform into a giant street fair, with about 30 stages set up and bands playing all day long and into the night. I was lucky enough to go to the last few years of it, until the final year when my friend and I got caught in the "Great White" Riot (but that's another story) that essentially put an end to what was a great tradition. I remember watching Jane's addiction and Gene Loves Jezebel play under the afternoon sun, making Jane's seem much less dangerous and Gene much less mysterious. I remember being sixteen and sitting on the grass watching Mary Poppinz try to be Motley Crue, with Kery Doll and his band sitting next to me doing hilarious commentary throughout the set. But mostly I remember the first time I went to Street Scene and saw Candy for the first time "Whatever Happened to Fun" had recently come out, the late afternoon crowd was relatively hostile, and it had just been announced that special guests Run DMC would perform after Candy. Now this was 1985 mind you, and the mainstream Street Scene crowd were far more familiar with the Kings of Rock then they were with Kids in the City. Cue the hostility. Luckily for you, I was a little bootlegging asshole back then and took my tiny tape recorder to many of the shows I went to. But it really wasn't about bootlegging at all, it was because most of the local bands didn't have records out and wouldn't sell their demos to you, so the only way I could listen to the songs whenever I wanted was to tape the shows. So here's the scene...a sixteen year old kid who loves glam rock and power-pop is standing in the middle of a street in downtown LA, afternoon is fading to dusk as Candy step on stage about 30 feet from me. I hit "record" and over two decades later you get to experience something you never thought you'd get to hear....Candy live in LA, literally right in the middle of the 80's. This is for the ten of us out there who loved the band. As for the quality, its far from perfect, and if you have a problem with it....well, fuck you. You're just damn lucky this document exists in the first place and that I took my own valuable time to give it to you.

Candy Live @ Los Angeles Street Scene - 09/29/1985
Set List:
Soundcheck
Weekend Boy
Kids in the City
Turn It Up Loud
Electric Nights
American Kix
First Time
Whatever Happened to Fun

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/IuTv7woZ4RzqoWTKAijVGbuX6Xx0GrSoM5ggOd3aKhg

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Whatever Happened to Candy...?



Somewhere between Candy and Electric Angels & Kill for Thrills lie the great lost Candy months. After Kyle Vincent, but before the split, Candy gave it one more go with Gilby Clarke moving to lead vocals and Ryan Roxie coming in on guitar. But the next record deal never came and all we were left with were some rough home demos of what would've been the second Candy record.
As with the Candy record, the Gilby demos featured classic Jonathan Daniel lyrics wrapped around some of the catchiest melodies put to tape. And there are even a few Gilby originals in there as well, which show how good a songwriter he is in his own right. The real jewel here for Candy fans is the early version of "True Love & Other Fairy Tales", which ended up on the Electric Angels record as a wonderful, string-laden ballad, but here it gets the power-pop treatment. Also, hidden in the lyrics of one of the songs is the future band name for some of the guys...can you find it? Leave me a comment if you did! Now, for possibly the first time on the internet, taken from an original first generation demo tape, here are one set of Candy demos for the second record....

Track Listing:
True Love & Other Fairy Tales
Johnny Was an Angel
Thunder
Red, White & Blue
My Favorite Star
You Only Go Around Once
Goodbye Goodtimes
Everyday is Saturday Night

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/Z9e9iAUJ3tuHRbKbre0CCX99L4H9xGVZch7Np2CDrxB