I've been put up to helping with the music end of a documentary about Detroit. I'm looking for great Detroit bands to interview but also great bands from the past or great songs about the city for the soundtrack. Any suggestions?

....Mutants , Elvis Hitler ( Mutants' Guitar or Bass player played bass with Elvis Hitler FOR A WHILE. His SON played Drums.).

 Sonics Rendezvous Band , Unrelated Segments , Scott Morgan - Rationals , Powertrane , oH , YEAH ,  Sonics Rendezvous Band ..... Pleasure Seekers /Cradle , 3D Invisibles / Volcanoes / Hellbenders..... Ten High , Fortune and Maltese , Bobby Mulrooney / Bootsey X - DARK CARNIVAL , RAMRODS , LOVEMASTERS ............ RERUNS .... SNAKE - OUT/Art Phag / Fuknotz ....  Cyanide , Sillies , Denizens , Mitch Ryder and Detroit , Cub Koda - Brownsville Station , The Points ...... Terry Knight and The Pack / Early Grand Funk , Demolition Dollrods , ? and The Mysterians , BAY - BEH !!!! Hentchmen , Frost , Frijid Pink

JACK SCOTT ,  Johnny Buckett , Andre Williams , Nolan Strong and The Diablos , Funkadelic and Parliament (LSD phase , not the cocaine phase.Not that I advocate ANY of that stuff.) , Nathaniel Mayer , John Lee Hooker , Eddie Kirkland , Amboy Dukes (Pref. With John Drake , but , later stuff , too.) , Gang War (Johnny Thunders and Wayne Kramer - Based in Detroit and New York.) , Underdogs , Mushrooms , Iguanas (Early Iggy.) , Scott Richardson - SRC , Chosen Few (Scott Richardson w/ James Williamson and Ron Asheton - at different times.) , Coldcock , Destroy All Monsters , BRYAN GREGORY (CRAMPS.) ..........

 

Hey , sorry I did'nt see the entries below . You WILL see repeats.

This thread came up again, so I am just going to go ahead and plug the new double DVD set Doggy Days featuring live footage and assorted goodies by The Dogs. Put together by Detroit Jack an expat in Japan on his own Future Now Records:

 

http://www.pacifictionrecords.com/usa/CD/doggydaysDVD.shtml

Marty Shane, Pacifiction Records said:

Glad someone mentioned the Dogs! Great early 70's Detroit rock and they are still around! They appeared at SXSW a few years ago with Wayne Kramer. I carry their tribute album here:

http://www.pacifictionrecords.com/japan/CD/VA_doggystyle.shtml

 

The guy who released this is working on a new Dogs DVD, check Detroit Jack's blog. He might be a source of information:

http://detroitjack.blogspot.com/

Total Kunt said:

The Dogs

I quite enjoy The Go. The first CD is pretty awesome though I think the Jim Diamond engineering gives them a great sound. The drummer of that band kicks ass. Check em out - http://thegodetroit.com/home.htm 

Last I heard Don Was was helping them record a new album. They disappear and then pop up with a new album every once in awhile. Not sure what their story is, but I love em.

I have to agree that Nick & the Jaguars do count as a legendary Detroit band (I also think Pontiac works, if you consider the whole Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor group of bands, then you might as well consider Pontiac or any other location within 50 miles of downtown Detroit).

Did we already mention Tesco Vee's stuff? (Meatmen, Hate Police, Touch n' Go).
Or, John Brennan's stuff (Laughing Hyenas, Negative Approach).
Also, Mike Hard (Godbullies, Thrall, etc. on Amphetamine Reptile).
My buddy is currently touring in The Mike Hard Band, playing the old tunes. Check 'em out.

Does Pontiac, MI count?  If so, then Nick & the Jaguars.  They did the original version of "Ich-i-bon #1" that The Gories ended up covering.  They put out two instro surf singles on MOTOWN of all places (they were the first white band signed to the label). 

 

 

Glad someone mentioned the Dogs! Great early 70's Detroit rock and they are still around! They appeared at SXSW a few years ago with Wayne Kramer. I carry their tribute album here:

http://www.pacifictionrecords.com/japan/CD/VA_doggystyle.shtml

 

The guy who released this is working on a new Dogs DVD, check Detroit Jack's blog. He might be a source of information:

http://detroitjack.blogspot.com/

Total Kunt said:

The Dogs

The Underdogs
Bob Seger
? and The Mysterians
The Woolies
The Rationals
The Wanted
Unrelated Segments
S.R.C.
The Frost
Cinecyde
The Cult Heroes
The 27
Coldcock
The Blades
Gang War
Toby Redd
Negative Approach
Vivo Tempo
Mystery Girls/Junk Monkeys
The Treblemakers
Bootsey X and The Lovemasters
The Trash Brats
Paul K.
Angry Red Planet
The Bushmasters
The Detroit Cobras
Outrageous Cherry
Rocket 455
Johnny Law
The Twistin' Tarantulas
Ten High
Chinese Millionaires
Fortune & Maltese
The Volebeats
The Wildbunch
The Hentchmen
The Go
Waxwings
The Paybacks
The Shanks
The Fondas
The Hard Lessons

Some of these may have already been mentioned...

No problem. This is a huge thread now, so there's lots of info and a ton of bands mentioned. 

The cool thing is that the list could go on and on if we really wanted to mention all the great bands around here.

Blair said:

My brain must've been flickering when I went past your original post.  Sorry 'bout that.  But glad we agree.

ELECTROMAGS said:

The Sights were one of the first ones mentioned in this thread, for the same reasons you mention.


Blair said:

Nobody's mentioned The Sights?  Seriously?  Eddie Baranek has gone through a number of different lineups, but ALWAYS gets very talented musicians.  AND the songs are great.  And he's a fantastic performer.

My brain must've been flickering when I went past your original post.  Sorry 'bout that.  But glad we agree.

ELECTROMAGS said:

The Sights were one of the first ones mentioned in this thread, for the same reasons you mention.


Blair said:

Nobody's mentioned The Sights?  Seriously?  Eddie Baranek has gone through a number of different lineups, but ALWAYS gets very talented musicians.  AND the songs are great.  And he's a fantastic performer.

The Sights were one of the first ones mentioned in this thread, for the same reasons you mention.

Blair said:

Nobody's mentioned The Sights?  Seriously?  Eddie Baranek has gone through a number of different lineups, but ALWAYS gets very talented musicians.  AND the songs are great.  And he's a fantastic performer.

I'll also second the emotions on The Paybacks, The Dirtbombs, The Detroit Cobras, and so many more.

 

And especially The Gories.  I was lucky enough to see them a bunch in the late 80s into the early 90s (and also went to the Detroit gig in '09, then saw all the NYC area gigs last summer).  They were great back then and are still fantastic now.  Heck, The Gories caused me to start my fanzine back in September, 1990.  I remember sending the first ish - at the time, it was a 4-page newsletter that I was trying to do every couple weeks - off to Peg.  She told me (not quite in these words) to cool it on the stupid pen names and just go straight at it.  And she was right.  (Last year, when I brought it up, she basically said, "I can't believe I said that!  I'm so sorry."  I told her there was no need, 'cuz she was right.  Lucky for me, I've got those early issues hidden away somewhere.  I'll find 'em next time I move.)

Nobody's mentioned The Sights?  Seriously?  Eddie Baranek has gone through a number of different lineups, but ALWAYS gets very talented musicians.  AND the songs are great.  And he's a fantastic performer.

Loved these guys.  "Monkey Bars" was great.  I got to see them in Rochester, NY in the mid-80s sometime.  Damn good show.  Wish I could've gone to the reunion gig a year or two back.

Rev Velveteen Sly said:

Hysteric Narcotics -- one of Dave Feeny's earlier bands [Tempermill Studios.]

Saw this programme a year or so ago. Maybe someone uploaded to net?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/detroit/synopsis/

Only one group comes to mind right know ummmmm

 

THE PLEASURE SEEKERS!!!! all girl garage band, suzie quatro 60's punk band

 

and maybe somebody already mentioned The GORIES

These guys are amazing live, played with em once in detroit. Humanity will Fall like pins is an amazing record. One of my favorite instrumental bands going now for sure. 

pistol*b said:

the amino acids!

The mother fucking AMINO ACIDS!!!!

yeah, that's them. where did they go?

KK Dirty Money said:

The ones that signed to Sub Pop?

ash said:

Big Chief..? perhaps not garage or punk, but definitely from Detroit. and pretty damn good!

Red Red Red is pretty sweet.  It's Ryan from the Piranhas' band.  They got a couple of LPs out on Big Neck.

Ha-ha... not sure.  I think you know far more then I.  But, if I do hear of anything I will give ya a heads up.

Cool, that's what I thought. Are any of the other Dirty's doing anything?

I love that record that Crypt put out by them.

I know Larry passed (my band, ELECTROMAGS, played his memorial show October of 2009 at the Roche in Port Huron), and I used to work with Marc Watt at a restaurant in Ann Arbor back in 2001 (but he was fired pretty quickly, go figure) and he and I were talking about putting a band together, but it never got far. The drummer played in Bantam Rooster, but any word on other stuff any of those guys have done?

Stacy Ann said:

Yep, it is.

KK Dirty Money said:

Hey, the Joe Dirty tunes are my favorites so far, too. 

Is this the same Joe Dirty from the Dirtys (from Port Huron)?

I love that band.

Stacy Ann said:

Looks like you guys have just about everything covered.  Check out www.beehiverecording.com, free downloads. A friend and veteran of the detroit garage rock scene, Steve Nawara, recently started this recording company.  A particular favorite of mine is The Joe Dirty Show.

Yep, it is.

KK Dirty Money said:

Hey, the Joe Dirty tunes are my favorites so far, too. 

Is this the same Joe Dirty from the Dirtys (from Port Huron)?

I love that band.

Stacy Ann said:

Looks like you guys have just about everything covered.  Check out www.beehiverecording.com, free downloads. A friend and veteran of the detroit garage rock scene, Steve Nawara, recently started this recording company.  A particular favorite of mine is The Joe Dirty Show.

Sadly, most of Destroy All Monsters has passed away, but Niagara is still going strong, doing well, and looking great! She was the ultimate punk pinup -- forget Debbie Harry. :-)

Erske Storsvedja said:

The "supergroup" Destroy All Monsters were pretty cool. Featured members from MC5 and The Stooges among others.