It has to be finding the Cramps and realising there was a huge history behind it all. To a lesser degree the British pyschobilly scene also revealed a large covers catalogue. Seeing these bands live really brought it all into focus and the vibe was really exciting. It was great to feel like you had found something totally different and there were other like minded misfits out there. It's great to find new sounds but its even better to show them to someone else.

That's basically what happened in Dallas....A very good Oldies station actually turned up a few years , later. They played ALL the "Nuggets" hits , as well as "Over , Under , Sideways , Down" , "Call Me Lightning" and even , sometimes "See Emily Play " !!

However, the one  DJ allowed to play Punk , New Wave , etc. , George Gimarc , told me he tried to get a Garage - heavy show on the Oldies station. He told them wanted to play regional hits , like "You're Gonna Miss Me" , "Evol , Not Love" by The Five Americans and "Bad Girl' by Zakary Thaks. Then , he said he wanted to play "Let's Talk About Girls" by The Chocolate Watchband , to which they replied "WHO are The Chocolate Watchband" . He told 'em , this conversation is OVER.
 
Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

We had a similar show in Seattle that was called, for some reason, "Electric Lunch" which from 1982-1986 featured a lot of the harder 60s stuff like you mentioned but also the hard 1965-1967 British songs.  Everything was basic stuff though, but you didn't hear a lot of these songs during the rest of the day.  This was on the rock station.  By 1987, they started to drop all that and play album tracks from late 60s and early 70s albums (rock oriented) and I quit listening to that station.  That host moved to a classic rock station and hosts a Saturday morning show which combines Nuggets, psychedelic rock and British Rock 1964-1968.  It's alright, but it isn't the same magic that it was in the early 80s.

must have been Oblivians - soul food or the Mummies- never been caught.

then the Mighty Caesars came along with 'english punkrock' lp.

well i think fuzztones lysergic emanations got me breathless and my brain rebooted

We had a similar show in Seattle that was called, for some reason, "Electric Lunch" which from 1982-1986 featured a lot of the harder 60s stuff like you mentioned but also the hard 1965-1967 British songs.  Everything was basic stuff though, but you didn't hear a lot of these songs during the rest of the day.  This was on the rock station.  By 1987, they started to drop all that and play album tracks from late 60s and early 70s albums (rock oriented) and I quit listening to that station.  That host moved to a classic rock station and hosts a Saturday morning show which combines Nuggets, psychedelic rock and British Rock 1964-1968.  It's alright, but it isn't the same magic that it was in the early 80s.

For me  , it was hearing "I Had Too Much To Dream" , "Psychotic Reaction" , "Pushin' Too Hard" and, especially , "Talk Talk". The Rock station in Dallas had a lunchtime show called "Psychedelic Brunch" in or around 1980. They'd play those "Nuggets " Punk  hits on that show , when no one else would. I was a Sophmore or a Junior in High School. They would'nt let you leave campus for lunch hour until you were a Senior. But , my Art Teacher was pretty cool , she'd let us have our lunch in art class , and leave us the Hell alone. I knew about those songs , but , that's where I heard them , originally.  This was also around the time I started hearing latter - day Punk for the first time. "Dirty Water" , I did'nt hear til later , and "96 Tears" , believe it or not , took me a while to warm up to , but , when I did , I love(d) it. The fact that Kenny and The Kasuals were playing locally kind of bridges the gap, tho' I never saw them until about 2005. I was surprised to find out how Punk Rock "My Little Red Book" sounded, as I'd read how Love was this band The Doors looked up to (As well they should have.). Somehow , I expected them to sound more sophisticated (Which they did , later.).

yeah , "Surfin' Bird" broke my brain as a wee small lad. But , that was in '75 or '76. Too soon for me to see the relation to Punk.

Edroth said:

When I think about it, the first 'garage' tune that got me onto rock'n'roll in general is Surfin' bird by the thrashmen. I heard it when I was 6 or 7, it was on a k-tel 'silly' songs comp. It was craazzzzy! Still my fav tune of all time! Then, I was a metal head for a looong time. The record that made me sell ALL my metal cd's (200 +) is 'Never been caught' by the Mummies. That record changed my life. period.

I do recall "Billy Don't Be A Hero", and I'm somewhat ashamed to say that it made me sad (as it was supposed to, not sad that a band had recorded it) at the time, and I really liked it.  But this Chicago thing - it's so bad, it's almost brilliant; don't they mention "in the land of the dollar bill"?  Did anyone in the US buy this record?  If so, were they arrested and tried in court for failing to spot the corniest reference to their own country by (a band from) the country that always thinks of itself as massively superior?  Heh heh - in the land of the dollar bill, indeed!

John Battles said:

YOU'RE JUST NOW HEARING IT? Boy , I feel old.....It's one of those 70'S HITS I'M KINDA NUMB TO , NOW....Paper Lace actually had a few sorta Glam hits in Europe , like "The Black Eyed Boys". But , they commited the big blunder at the very beginning of "The Night Chicago Died"    -   "...My daddy was a cop , on the East Side of Chicago..." . The East Side of Chicago is Lake Michigan !!!! We can also thank Paper Lace for the original version of "Billy , Don't Be a Hero" , which was'nt a hit in The US.  When Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods' version was a hit , here , I thought , "Is that a girl singing?" , even moreso when their lesser , follow - up hit , "Who Do You Think You Are?" came out ..... Jello loves 'em.
Pete Sottrel said:

"The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace. Please, if you don't know this song, do not ever listen to it."

Of course, I have now listened to it.  Can I ever be the person I was five minutes ago, before my soul was stained with the musical spew that constitutes this song? Why, why, why did I not follow the clear advice in the OP?

It is.....The ultimate demoralization for me was when I was DJing at this dive bar on New Years' Eve . Only the "Regulars" showed up , none of the younger people who later turned the place into Punk Central. The owner asked me to take five ,so the regulars could play the jukebox. You guessed it , "Hotel California", the LIVE version , yet, think I heard it three times that night.
Ghislaine said:

Hotel Cal is the worse...AAAARRRRGGG!

YOU'RE JUST NOW HEARING IT? Boy , I feel old.....It's one of those 70'S HITS I'M KINDA NUMB TO , NOW....Paper Lace actually had a few sorta Glam hits in Europe , like "The Black Eyed Boys". But , they commited the big blunder at the very beginning of "The Night Chicago Died"    -   "...My daddy was a cop , on the East Side of Chicago..." . The East Side of Chicago is Lake Michigan !!!! We can also thank Paper Lace for the original version of "Billy , Don't Be a Hero" , which was'nt a hit in The US.  When Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods' version was a hit , here , I thought , "Is that a girl singing?" , even moreso when their lesser , follow - up hit , "Who Do You Think You Are?" came out ..... Jello loves 'em.
Pete Sottrel said:

"The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace. Please, if you don't know this song, do not ever listen to it."

Of course, I have now listened to it.  Can I ever be the person I was five minutes ago, before my soul was stained with the musical spew that constitutes this song? Why, why, why did I not follow the clear advice in the OP?

the complete discography of Eminem,

bwaaaaaaaaargh!

"The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace. Please, if you don't know this song, do not ever listen to it."

Of course, I have now listened to it.  Can I ever be the person I was five minutes ago, before my soul was stained with the musical spew that constitutes this song? Why, why, why did I not follow the clear advice in the OP?

Madonna covered "American Pie"? Thank Christ that escaped my radar.

BUT ! I'D LIKE TO SEE MADONNA COVERED IN AMERICAN PIE.....THEN I'D SAY "RELEASE THE RED ANTS !!!!!".

Pete Sottrel said:

Aww, c'mon!  Great comments, but the world would be a much poorer place without those three.  The Charlene and Sarstedt numbers provide great (and hilarious) insight into the megalamaniac workings of the songwriter's tortured artistic soul, while American Pie is, um, er, just totally ace (must be, otherwise Madonna would never have covered it, would she?).

Ms Springolator said:

I've Never Been to Me - Charlene. Personally I really wish she'd never been to a recording studio.

American Pie - Don McLean. If all was right with the world, he would have drove his Chevy to the levy, accelerated off the edge and then sunk to the bottom of some fathomless depth of water, where neither he nor his horrendous song would be heard again.

Where Do You Go to My Lovely - Peter Sarstedt. The song makes me vomit, and that's comment enough.

Hotel Cal is the worse...AAAARRRRGGG!

Sounds amazing and they're hitting Santander on Sunday. 

Can't wait!!!

So, has anyone found the light in the darkness of insanity on this topic yet, or are you all, like me, just perplexed and at a standstill?

After stumbling into Witch's first album and then wizard, I've been pretty hooked on the stuff. The awesome riffs and atmospheric sounds remind me of some genre of hard rock after Sabbath, but before whatever inspired most of modern metal. I'm definitely checking out the bands you guys listed!

I think Fritz Krieg is a pretty good name. Better than Rik Mayall , anyway.

Actually , Stiv (Or Steven) Bators was his real name. He shortened it to "Bator" , possibly for legal reasons. Adny Shernoff , Stu-Boy King , and Ross"The Boss" Funicello are good ones , too. Lot of talk about The Damned - there was also Algy Ward , Lu , and even Lemmy (Who played in the short - lived Damned offshoot , The Doomed.). Best Ramones name - Elvis Ramone (Clem Burke.). THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF DR. FEELGOOD CHANGED THEIR NAMES , BECAUSE THEIR REAL FIRST NAMES WERE ALL "JOHN". Wayne Kramer and Rob Tyner are/were not their real names.
 
MikeL said:

Johnny Thunders, Iggy Pop, Stiv Bators, Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Richard Hell, Handsome Dick Manitoba, all of the Ramones.

OH , YEAH ,THEN , THERE'S POPE  ,  AND JIM NABORS (BUT , THOSE ARE THEIR REAL NAMES !).

John Battles said:

Other Dallas Punk Psuedonyms : Barry Kooda , Matt Spleen , Joe Christ , Platinum Paul , Johnny Chaos , K.Y. , Ann Atomic , Buck Naked , Bosco , Chit Cherie , Rockabilly Rob , Cap'n Brewkid (Of the original Shitty Beatles.) , Daze , Art Marvel , Homer Henderson , oh....there's others. BTW , not all these people fell under the banner of "Punk" , especially Buck Naked.
 
Play Pinball! Records said:

Mike/Mite Vomit
Bobby Soxx

I thought it was even funnier , when I first saw his picture , in 1977 , it read " Dave "Transyl" Vanian.". For years , adopting a psuedonym was not an option when joining The Cramps. I did'nt even think Bryan Gregory was his real name ! Now ,I've forgotten if it was , or not. Julien Griensnatch , apparently , was her real name.....but that was just too good.
 
BonzoB said:

Dave Vanian always makes me smile, along with Chuck Wagon, and another vote for Kid Congo Powers way past cool!

Other Dallas Punk Psuedonyms : Barry Kooda , Matt Spleen , Joe Christ , Platinum Paul , Johnny Chaos , K.Y. , Ann Atomic , Buck Naked , Bosco , Chit Cherie , Rockabilly Rob , Cap'n Brewkid (Of the original Shitty Beatles.) , Daze , Art Marvel , Homer Henderson , oh....there's others. BTW , not all these people fell under the banner of "Punk" , especially Buck Naked.
 
Play Pinball! Records said:

Mike/Mite Vomit
Bobby Soxx

Not to be anal retentive or nuthin' , but Elvis Hitler was the band's name. I forget the singer /Guitarists' name. Dean , or something.

Flamin Cowbells said:

Elvis Hitler
Dr Scatology(early Dwarves)
Handsome Dick Manitoba(Dictators)
Monoman(Lyres)

I LIKE "Live at The Okeh Club" , but mainly for the stage raps . I just like the "Live Paris " Boot, because there's NO Soul sensibilities , NO SENSE OF CONTROL WHATSOEVER !!!!!

IT's arguably wilder than the original Specialty sides....

THE BAND (AMAZINGLY , THE WALKER BROS.' backing band , The Quotations. Not Status Quo , BTW.)  is Ramones - tuff , Ramones fast , and Richard is screamin' his big ol' HEAD off. iT WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS TOO LATE FOR ALAN FREED TO SAY IT , BUT....THIS...IS ROCK'N'ROLL !!!!!!!

Speaking of the TRUE Mr. Rock'n'Roll , if you liked those Blue Caps Freed sides (And who would'nt?), look for Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps "Big D archives". It's got some ace live stuff with The Blue Caps." Smell of Female" is my favorite official Cramps live product ,it's only an EP. tHERE'S NOT A DAMN THING WRONG WITH "Rockinreelininaucklandnewzealand" , BUT , SURE , i'D LIKE TO SEE SOME GOOD LIVE STUFF SEE A LEGIT RELEASE , OTHERWISE. The "Live CBGB '78" on Medicine is terriffic , but , it was a limited release....I'm hard - pressed to name my favorite bootleg . Probably Hot Club , Pittsburg , 1978 (?) , Voodoo Idols '81 (Only known live version of "Fever" and Lux's only reported flirtation with politics on a whackjob "She Said") , Live Club 81 , NY , 1979 , Live Tut's Chicago (Two'fer , on cassette only. The Chicago show is rare in that it had Julien Griensnatch onGuitar. The Club 81 show was recently released on a very nice 2 LP  set.), Indianapolis , 81 (?) - THE AUDIENCE IS REALLY INTO IT ON THIS ONE....HUMAN FLY - LISTED AS 1981 , WITH A FEW SONGS FROM THE SECOND LP , BUT IT STILL SOUNDS LIKE BRYAN GREGORY TO ME , I DUNNO......THE VENUE , ITALY. RARE "LOUIE LOUIE"AND "Hurricane Fighter Plane".

I like Slade Alive! , but , not as much as most people. So many covers. They were'nt out of that bag , yet , doing current cover songs....And they had'nt hit on Jane ,Crazee , Noize , ETC. There's some live CDs of 72 -3 shows that KILL !