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history
Mach 1: 1977-1980
Formed out of U.C. Berkeley around core of students Worth and Super and guitarist Bruce Nicholson, the band played first gig as Top Cat, opening for Television. Still in their teens, made L.A. debut as Blow-Up in December 1977 at Hollywood's legendary Masque; a bill also including the Nerves (with Peter Case), Plugz (later Cruzados) and Fabulons (Suburban Lawns). A one-off deal with Bomp Records resulted in four songs recorded April 1978 including a version of New York Dolls' "Teenage News." Financial troubles for Bomp left these unreleased, but chance meeting in Bomp offices led to joining of Flipside magazine co-founder Pat DiPuccio on guitar.
Still commuting from Berkeley for gigs, the band attracted quick attention, with press spanning from Melody Maker to New York Rocker. Gigging with Berlin and the Plimsouls, as well as harder-edged likes of Dead Kennedys and D.O.A., they managed not to fit neatly into either musical camp of late 70's California scene — too rough for pop, too glittery for hardcore — while preceding Paisley Underground by a couple of years. Recording sessions with Hendrix producer/curator Alan Douglas and Chas Ramirez (Social D.) from this period remain unreleased, but garnered considerable sniffing about from major labels and Blow-Up made its vinyl debut in Summer 1980 on Capitol Records with single "Kicking Up a Fuss," theme song for Robert Downey Sr. film "Up the Academy," backed with blues/dub "On Target." Additional material by the band was included on soundtrack LP alongside lan Hunter and Modern Lovers; however, ill-timed musical differences reared, and the band's line-up shattered.
Still commuting from Berkeley for gigs, the band attracted quick attention, with press spanning from Melody Maker to New York Rocker. Gigging with Berlin and the Plimsouls, as well as harder-edged likes of Dead Kennedys and D.O.A., they managed not to fit neatly into either musical camp of late 70's California scene — too rough for pop, too glittery for hardcore — while preceding Paisley Underground by a couple of years. Recording sessions with Hendrix producer/curator Alan Douglas and Chas Ramirez (Social D.) from this period remain unreleased, but garnered considerable sniffing about from major labels and Blow-Up made its vinyl debut in Summer 1980 on Capitol Records with single "Kicking Up a Fuss," theme song for Robert Downey Sr. film "Up the Academy," backed with blues/dub "On Target." Additional material by the band was included on soundtrack LP alongside lan Hunter and Modern Lovers; however, ill-timed musical differences reared, and the band's line-up shattered.
Mach 2: 1981-1988
Mainstays Worth, Super and DiPuccio elected to continue, adding Oakland (ex-Little Girls) on bass and Al's Bar sound man Cirino on drums; the new Blow-Up quickly became one of L.A.'s most respected bands, a reputation boosted by the 1982 release of a now rare three song flexi-disc and two shows opening for Billy Idol at the Roxy. Similar stint with then commercially hot Scandal brought rave review in L.A. Times; by then the band had achieved solid headliner status at Club Lingerie, Music Machine, and the rest of what passed for the prestige circuit. With 1984 release of Easy Knowledge by Enigma parent company Greenworld, this status was magnified. Heavy college airplay for title cut, as well as widespread critical buzz attracted biz attention, the LP charting on Boston Rock's independent chart.
By now the band had virtually a regular gig opening for visiting dignitaries, playing at the Palace, Whisky and the Roxy with the Replacements, Jim Carroll, Richard Lloyd, Icicle Works, Screaming Blue Messiahs, Zeitgeist (aka Reivers); sharing the bill with locals like Legal Weapon, Thelonious Monster, and the Rave-Ups, while nominated best underground band at the 1987 L.A. Weekly awards. However, the live circuit growing stale with recurrent popularity of crap metal bands, came time for a new tack. Woodshedding with producer/guitarist Steve Hunter (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel) the band forged a new direction, and flirted with a name change to Ultraviolets. The tape caused a stir, but newly theatrical live showcases confused an industry projecting another R.E.M. Splitting with their management, the band disintegrated, forever unable to handle business as well as their art. The original lineup reunited for a one-off gig at Madame Wong's 10th Anniversary Festival.
A track from the "Ultraviolets" sessions found its way on to the Worth-produced soundtrack CD for the Dennis Hopper film "Flashback," along with new songs from Big Audio Dynamite, Bob Dylan, Flesh for Lulu and classics from R.E.M., Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane. The track "Fatal Attraction" was well received on college radio; even this resulted in a scrap over use of the name with a Midwestern band called The Ultraviolet. The 1992 release of the Groovy Dynamite CD attempts to tie up the primest part of the story. With songs from official releases, the Flashback soundtrack, Ultraviolets sessions and bonus live stuff, it's a fair survey of what they was all about.
Teenage News is the companion release to Groovy Dynamite Heavy Now (1981-1988), and covers the band's early years. It collects demos by the formative Berkeley-based Top Cat lineup; two unreleased songs intended as a single for Bomp, one a version of the New York Dolls' "Teenage News," and the original Dead-End-Kids-on-speed take of "Hanging Out at the 7-Eleven;" live tracks from the Whisky and Mabuhay Gardens; and songs from the Mad Magazine movie Up the Academy, including "Beat the Devil" and the oft-covered cult classic "Kicking Up a Fuss."
By now the band had virtually a regular gig opening for visiting dignitaries, playing at the Palace, Whisky and the Roxy with the Replacements, Jim Carroll, Richard Lloyd, Icicle Works, Screaming Blue Messiahs, Zeitgeist (aka Reivers); sharing the bill with locals like Legal Weapon, Thelonious Monster, and the Rave-Ups, while nominated best underground band at the 1987 L.A. Weekly awards. However, the live circuit growing stale with recurrent popularity of crap metal bands, came time for a new tack. Woodshedding with producer/guitarist Steve Hunter (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel) the band forged a new direction, and flirted with a name change to Ultraviolets. The tape caused a stir, but newly theatrical live showcases confused an industry projecting another R.E.M. Splitting with their management, the band disintegrated, forever unable to handle business as well as their art. The original lineup reunited for a one-off gig at Madame Wong's 10th Anniversary Festival.
A track from the "Ultraviolets" sessions found its way on to the Worth-produced soundtrack CD for the Dennis Hopper film "Flashback," along with new songs from Big Audio Dynamite, Bob Dylan, Flesh for Lulu and classics from R.E.M., Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane. The track "Fatal Attraction" was well received on college radio; even this resulted in a scrap over use of the name with a Midwestern band called The Ultraviolet. The 1992 release of the Groovy Dynamite CD attempts to tie up the primest part of the story. With songs from official releases, the Flashback soundtrack, Ultraviolets sessions and bonus live stuff, it's a fair survey of what they was all about.
Teenage News is the companion release to Groovy Dynamite Heavy Now (1981-1988), and covers the band's early years. It collects demos by the formative Berkeley-based Top Cat lineup; two unreleased songs intended as a single for Bomp, one a version of the New York Dolls' "Teenage News," and the original Dead-End-Kids-on-speed take of "Hanging Out at the 7-Eleven;" live tracks from the Whisky and Mabuhay Gardens; and songs from the Mad Magazine movie Up the Academy, including "Beat the Devil" and the oft-covered cult classic "Kicking Up a Fuss."
Thoughts from Jody about the band's history...
The group came together in Berkeley. The Oakland Tribune called it proto-punk. We called it Top Cat. We did some gigs around campus, and the Mabuhay Gardens. Bruce finagled us a booking at the Masque. So we made our Hollywood debut, December 28, 1977, rechristened Blow-Up. The Screamers thought we were cool, as we had a keyboard and no bass. Actually our bass player didn't show up. We wouldn't cut our hair, so Flipside called us "surf punks," though Bruce was the only one who ever went near the beach. We did the Masque again, then the Starwood, picking up bassist Barry McBride on loan from the Plugz. Kim Fowley or Jonh Ingham turned us onto Greg Shaw and Bomp Records, who signed us to a two single deal. We were whisked into Paramount Studios to cut the A sides. One was an unrecorded Dolls number entitled 'Teenage News', the other our own Dead End Kids-on-speed opus 'Hanging Out at the 7-Eleven' (available on the Teenage News CD). We played the track for Johansen, who was suitably bemused, but did express concern whether we were also hip to one he'd written with Syl called 'Wreckless Crazy', which he planned to record. We lied and said no. Why worry the guy?
Greg Shaw decided he wanted both tracks on the first single, and follow it with '(It Isn't)1965', a song we hadn't decided to let him have. We were at the Bomp office when we met Pat DiPuccio (aka Pooch from Flipside). He played us some tapes of his guitar playing. We reckoned he sounded a bit like Bill Pitcock IV from Dwight Twilley Band, and invited him to join. Heretofore we'd had nothing but raves from Flipside. After Pooch came on they were snippy. 1978 saw gigs at the Whisky, Starwood, Troubadour, Mme Wong's, and a couple of chaotic trips up North. One set from the Fab Mab, broadcast on KALX-FM, can be found on the official bootleg Radio Free Berkeley. Bomp had cash flow problems, and the single stayed in the can. The lineup solidified with Dave Harrington on bass and Art Arroyo on drums. We recorded some with Alan Douglas producing, and some with Chas Ramirez, who did the early Social D stuff. A previously unreleased version of 'Local Hero' is included here. So, upon reflection, is the Thin Lizzy like twin guitar solo ironic? What about the singer's leather pants? These are questions for the ages. A top exec at Chrysalis UK, who'd signed Generation X, wanted to sign us, leading to a six month merry-go-round that ended badly.
We'd knocked together an "anthem of teen rebellion" called 'Kicking Up a Fuss' for the film Up the Academy. The mercurial Jack Nitzsche agreed to produce, and booked us into RCA Studio B, where the Stones cut 'Satisfaction' with him on piano. We planned four songs toward a Blow-Up album for Polydor, who'd proposed one in lieu of a soundtrack. Our friend, the musical prodigy Winter Lazerus, had an engineering gig at a studio. We went in with him to cut a demo of 'Fuss' for Jack, who'd declined to short-list our 'Just Like Anne Boleyn', because the harpsichord sounded "too Stones." So we laid down a version of that, a la 'Beast of Burden', with phased guitars, to change his mind. Somehow, Jack saw through our ruse. By the sessions, Jack had plead guilty to "rape by instrumentality" (Carrie Snodgress and a gun). But hey, he was on the wagon now and we had a good start. Day Two brought a case of Heineken and a visit from Joni Mitchell. By nightfall, Jack spilled beer into the $70,000 Trident console and wanted to replace the band with the Wrecking Crew. I demurred. This guy produced the Germs! The film's director Robert Downey Sr., who had hired Jack to begin with, came down and suggested I fire him. So we did the rest with the engineer while Jack got paid. He did give us some good ideas for 'Fuss' and the (admittedly) Clash-inflected 'Beat the Devil'. Dig the sound of those Mesa Boogie amps - talk about the Stones! The movie studio balked at not having a regular soundtrack so Shep Gordon, who'd made the Polydor deal, switched it to Capitol. The single and OST were released, buoyed by the efforts of promo man (and alleged mobster) Joe Isgro. Capitol requested more demos toward an album. Shep's partner Steve Wax said no, we'd play new songs for them live, so we spent six months locked in a rehearsal room. Bruce drifted away musically, becoming enamored of AC/DC. When the Capitol option expired, he split and formed a cover band with Art and the bass player.
Our people made a production deal with Pasha Records, who assigned Devin Payne (Phil & the Frantics) to produce three sides, which became the Local Hero EP. 'Souvenir' is included here, hopefully bringing with it the spirit of Guy Stevens. We started to gig again. Highlights are on the official bootleg series. Ed Cirino took the drum stool. We continued to record and assembled an album for Greenworld, lauded by Mikal Gilmore and Robert Christgau. We got college and alt-radio airplay for title track 'Easy Knowledge'. The LP included a much revamped 'Hanging Out at the 7-Eleven', and our wink to New York street rock, 'We're So Cool'. I wrote 'There's a War Going On' with Devin for his next album. Pooch, Christian and I joined his crack group of sessioneers, including our friend Steve Hunter, to record it. Pat's solo sounds a bit 'Torn & Frayed". We chose to keep it for ourselves.
Chuck Plotkin wanted us for a label imprint he was negotiating with RCA. We set up recording in his studio, but while he stayed in his office with a fifth of Stoli, some engineers (and musicians) were freebasing between takes. Not me, but I was distracted enough by the Nellcote-style scene, which was going 24-7, that I couldn't hear the mixes right. On 'You're So Dangerous', the recently-joined Spyder Mittleman complained his sax sounded like a kazoo. So we grabbed up the tapes and repaired to Rock Steady with studio ace Mike Carnevale. Mike got good mixes out of 'Dangerous' and 'Reckless Hearts', and we cut a reworked version of 'Tell It to the Judge' we had been opening with live. Unfortunately, Chuck's deal with RCA went south. I'd known the terrific Steve Hunter since he worked on The Rose. He wanted a crack at producing us, with his mentor Bob Ezrin serving as exec. This was to be a new sound, so we thought up a new name: Ultraviolets. The tapes were well received, but a live showcase didn't bring any solid offers. So we broke up. 'Fatal Attraction' was released on the soundtrack for Flashback. A live reunion of the '79 lineup aside (available on official bootleg There's the Door), it's been only a series of reissues since, which conclude with Boom! Drop the mic. That's All Folks...
The group came together in Berkeley. The Oakland Tribune called it proto-punk. We called it Top Cat. We did some gigs around campus, and the Mabuhay Gardens. Bruce finagled us a booking at the Masque. So we made our Hollywood debut, December 28, 1977, rechristened Blow-Up. The Screamers thought we were cool, as we had a keyboard and no bass. Actually our bass player didn't show up. We wouldn't cut our hair, so Flipside called us "surf punks," though Bruce was the only one who ever went near the beach. We did the Masque again, then the Starwood, picking up bassist Barry McBride on loan from the Plugz. Kim Fowley or Jonh Ingham turned us onto Greg Shaw and Bomp Records, who signed us to a two single deal. We were whisked into Paramount Studios to cut the A sides. One was an unrecorded Dolls number entitled 'Teenage News', the other our own Dead End Kids-on-speed opus 'Hanging Out at the 7-Eleven' (available on the Teenage News CD). We played the track for Johansen, who was suitably bemused, but did express concern whether we were also hip to one he'd written with Syl called 'Wreckless Crazy', which he planned to record. We lied and said no. Why worry the guy?
Greg Shaw decided he wanted both tracks on the first single, and follow it with '(It Isn't)1965', a song we hadn't decided to let him have. We were at the Bomp office when we met Pat DiPuccio (aka Pooch from Flipside). He played us some tapes of his guitar playing. We reckoned he sounded a bit like Bill Pitcock IV from Dwight Twilley Band, and invited him to join. Heretofore we'd had nothing but raves from Flipside. After Pooch came on they were snippy. 1978 saw gigs at the Whisky, Starwood, Troubadour, Mme Wong's, and a couple of chaotic trips up North. One set from the Fab Mab, broadcast on KALX-FM, can be found on the official bootleg Radio Free Berkeley. Bomp had cash flow problems, and the single stayed in the can. The lineup solidified with Dave Harrington on bass and Art Arroyo on drums. We recorded some with Alan Douglas producing, and some with Chas Ramirez, who did the early Social D stuff. A previously unreleased version of 'Local Hero' is included here. So, upon reflection, is the Thin Lizzy like twin guitar solo ironic? What about the singer's leather pants? These are questions for the ages. A top exec at Chrysalis UK, who'd signed Generation X, wanted to sign us, leading to a six month merry-go-round that ended badly.
We'd knocked together an "anthem of teen rebellion" called 'Kicking Up a Fuss' for the film Up the Academy. The mercurial Jack Nitzsche agreed to produce, and booked us into RCA Studio B, where the Stones cut 'Satisfaction' with him on piano. We planned four songs toward a Blow-Up album for Polydor, who'd proposed one in lieu of a soundtrack. Our friend, the musical prodigy Winter Lazerus, had an engineering gig at a studio. We went in with him to cut a demo of 'Fuss' for Jack, who'd declined to short-list our 'Just Like Anne Boleyn', because the harpsichord sounded "too Stones." So we laid down a version of that, a la 'Beast of Burden', with phased guitars, to change his mind. Somehow, Jack saw through our ruse. By the sessions, Jack had plead guilty to "rape by instrumentality" (Carrie Snodgress and a gun). But hey, he was on the wagon now and we had a good start. Day Two brought a case of Heineken and a visit from Joni Mitchell. By nightfall, Jack spilled beer into the $70,000 Trident console and wanted to replace the band with the Wrecking Crew. I demurred. This guy produced the Germs! The film's director Robert Downey Sr., who had hired Jack to begin with, came down and suggested I fire him. So we did the rest with the engineer while Jack got paid. He did give us some good ideas for 'Fuss' and the (admittedly) Clash-inflected 'Beat the Devil'. Dig the sound of those Mesa Boogie amps - talk about the Stones! The movie studio balked at not having a regular soundtrack so Shep Gordon, who'd made the Polydor deal, switched it to Capitol. The single and OST were released, buoyed by the efforts of promo man (and alleged mobster) Joe Isgro. Capitol requested more demos toward an album. Shep's partner Steve Wax said no, we'd play new songs for them live, so we spent six months locked in a rehearsal room. Bruce drifted away musically, becoming enamored of AC/DC. When the Capitol option expired, he split and formed a cover band with Art and the bass player.
Our people made a production deal with Pasha Records, who assigned Devin Payne (Phil & the Frantics) to produce three sides, which became the Local Hero EP. 'Souvenir' is included here, hopefully bringing with it the spirit of Guy Stevens. We started to gig again. Highlights are on the official bootleg series. Ed Cirino took the drum stool. We continued to record and assembled an album for Greenworld, lauded by Mikal Gilmore and Robert Christgau. We got college and alt-radio airplay for title track 'Easy Knowledge'. The LP included a much revamped 'Hanging Out at the 7-Eleven', and our wink to New York street rock, 'We're So Cool'. I wrote 'There's a War Going On' with Devin for his next album. Pooch, Christian and I joined his crack group of sessioneers, including our friend Steve Hunter, to record it. Pat's solo sounds a bit 'Torn & Frayed". We chose to keep it for ourselves.
Chuck Plotkin wanted us for a label imprint he was negotiating with RCA. We set up recording in his studio, but while he stayed in his office with a fifth of Stoli, some engineers (and musicians) were freebasing between takes. Not me, but I was distracted enough by the Nellcote-style scene, which was going 24-7, that I couldn't hear the mixes right. On 'You're So Dangerous', the recently-joined Spyder Mittleman complained his sax sounded like a kazoo. So we grabbed up the tapes and repaired to Rock Steady with studio ace Mike Carnevale. Mike got good mixes out of 'Dangerous' and 'Reckless Hearts', and we cut a reworked version of 'Tell It to the Judge' we had been opening with live. Unfortunately, Chuck's deal with RCA went south. I'd known the terrific Steve Hunter since he worked on The Rose. He wanted a crack at producing us, with his mentor Bob Ezrin serving as exec. This was to be a new sound, so we thought up a new name: Ultraviolets. The tapes were well received, but a live showcase didn't bring any solid offers. So we broke up. 'Fatal Attraction' was released on the soundtrack for Flashback. A live reunion of the '79 lineup aside (available on official bootleg There's the Door), it's been only a series of reissues since, which conclude with Boom! Drop the mic. That's All Folks...
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Best Known Lineup (1977-1980)
Jody Taylor Worth: vocals Bruce Nicholson: guitar Pat DiPuccio; guitar Christian Super: keyboards David Harrington: bass Art Arroyo: drums |
Best Known Lineup (1981-1987)
Jody Taylor Worth: vocals, guitar Pat DiPuccio: guitar Christian Super: keyboards Greg Oakland: bass Ed Cirino: Drums |
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