The Explosions, Cherry Hill, NJ 1980:
From David Israel, now of Los Angeles: "We were your basic sloppy cover band until high school, when we started writing original stuff. Our stuff was inspired by Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Our specialty was a rock version of "Night on Bald Mountain. " The photo below was from a particular triumph when we forced the band hired to play my bar mitzvah off the stage and did our version of "Brown Sugar." But check out this live track of us in concert, senior year in high school, playing our version of "Los Endos" by Genesis.
Wow. And here's the mission statement:
This is a sonic history of the American pop band. Our goal is to capture data about every band to have been formed by teens with that perfect mixture of big dreams and questionable talent in suburban garages, high school music rooms, and college dorms across America. And to preserve them cryogenically with the very dry ice they once merited, for future generations. Email us here or Send us your story...
Okay, folks, we know you've got similar skeletons in your closets. Get those pictures and old cassette tapes out and send them to these guys NOW!!!
[h/t Maitland McDonagh]
Just yesterday, I listened to all 24 tracks of the Young Nashvillians, a fabulous high school band whose projects, circa 1982, became a 1997 CD. Flawed? Of course. But, wow!
ReplyDeleteJeff Carpenter and Dave Zicarelli made three high school recordings, one per year, circa, 1980. Just as fabulous, and I would say less flawed. Disclosure: I financed remastering of Jeff and Dave's projects and released a CD in 1999 on now defunct Bert Records. (That way, I get to listen to it.)
Later, Jeff and a Young Nashvillian (Jerry Lefkowitz) became heart and soul of Something Fierce, our favorite lesser known band of 1984-1991.
This music is damn endearing and not the same as everything else.
Dood -- you know I need to hear that stuff....
ReplyDeleteAnd did you know that my band played a couple of gigs with the White Animals?
ReplyDeleteThey were friends of mine; I talk to the drummer (who's now a publicist) every couple of years, and Kevin was a great guy.
So, when are you digging out those Weasels tapes????
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping this brings them out of the woodwork.
ReplyDeleteI've got mucho Simels music history in the archives. I got some of the Weasels (The original rock & roll wise guys,) the Hounds (hippies in downtown NYC) and Floor Models (skinny neck tie)!
ReplyDeleteI won't release any without Steve's permission but who knows, Steve are you game?
ROTP(lumber)
Nothing from me. I was a jock, not a wannabe guitar hero during my formative years. But my children are all over it. Nothing better than a 7 year old playing and singing AC/DC. Luckily, the sexual innuendo is going right over his head at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait til he asks me what "she's got the jack" means. :(
Man, I cannot remember the drummers name. His son and my daughter went to preschool together. We had them over for a couple of dinners, I even bought up all the White Animals records we could find and played drop the needle.
ReplyDeleteRay, OK, Ray Crabtree! He was later in the 1969 band. They only played music from a specific year.
Trey
Trey:
ReplyDeleteYou knew the Animals? I'm assuming you went to school down south, then?
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ReplyDeleteHey Steve, I grew up in Chattanooga, went to college in Chapel Hill, and now live in Nashville. I met Ray when our kids were in daycare together.
ReplyDeleteRay is good people, as are his wife and kids.
Trey