PUNKNET 77 - Dead Boys

Text: Jukka Junttila

A huge Iggy Pop fan Stiv Bators from Cleveland met Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz in summer 1975 . Cheetah and Johnny had a band called Rocket from the Tombs together with David Thomas and Peter Laughner (both played later in Pere Ubu). With Cheetah (guitar, vocals) and Blitz (drums) Bators (vocals) formed Frankenstein. There were two more Frankensteins: Jimmy Zero (guitar, vocals) and Jeff Magnum (bass). Frankenstein did play only 4 gigs in Cleveland before moving to New York and changing their name to the Dead Boys.
Dead Boys started to hand around - and play - at CBGB's and soon they meat people from Sire Records and did get signed to Sire. At that time Dead Boys was known as really wild live-act and there were often violence in their gigs - after one gig Johnny Blitz was stabbed and was nearly get killed. Dead Boys sound like punk in UK (for example the Damned) than any other band in States. They did record two LP, get some minor hits (like Sonic Reducer) and broke up in 1979. After that they have done several re-union gigs and some of those have been recorded and released.
After Dead Boys Stiv Bators did have a short solo-career, did play in Wanderers and after that had some success with Lords of the New Church. Other members of the Dead Boys haven't done anything remarkable after Dead Boys.

Discography:

** LP ** Young, Loud & Snotty (Sire 9103.329; later also as CD Sire 9 26981-2) -77
- also as Philips 6370815 NL + Philips RJ 7332 Japan -77
- later also as CD Sire 9 26981-2
Sonic Reducer / Down in Flames (Sire SRE-1004) -77
- also as Sire 6078609 UK, 1977 Sonic Reducer // Little Girl / Down in Flames (UK; 12" maxi; Phonogram 6078-609) -77
Tell Me / Not Anymore, Ain't Nothin' to Do (Sire SRE-1029)
** LP ** We Have Come For Your Children (Sire SRK-6054) -78
** LP ** The Night of the Living Dead Boys (Bomp BLP-4017) -81
- also as Lolita 5013 FR, 1981
- later also as CD Bomp BCD 4017
All the Way Down / The Nights Are So Long (12" maxi; Relativity 88561-8165-1) -87
** LP ** Return of the Living Dead Boys (live CBGB's July 22nd 1977) (Revenge MIG-4) -88
Search and Destroy (live) / Calling On You (live) (Revenge SS-2) -88
** 2LP ** Liver than You'll Ever be (live at the Ritz NY 26 dec 1987) (Perfect Beat PB-004) -88
** LP ** Stiv Bators and His Evil Boys Live at the Limelight (jan. 1988) (Perfect Beat PB-005) -88
** LP ** Twistin on the devil´s fork (Bacchus BA-1121)
** LP ** Younger Louder & Snottyer (Necrophilia Records NECRO-1) -89
The Dead Boys (Frankenstein) Eve Of The Dead Boys (3 song maxi; (Hell Yeah Records HELL-37) -95
** CD ** All this & more (compilation; Bomp 4066)

Most important tracks on compilations:

New Wave: Sonic Reducer (uusi mixaus) and All This and More (Vertigo 6300.902) -78
New Wave Rock'n'Roll Sampler: Sonic Reducer and All This and More (promo; 33 rpm double-EP; Sire) -78
Experoments in Destiny: 3rd Generation History (2LP; Bomp BLP-4016/2) -80
Machine Turns You Up: ??? (Sire)
Just Say Yesterday (Vol. VI of Just Say Yes): Caught with the Meat in Your Mouth (Sire/Warner Bros. 9 26954-2) -92
DiY 5: Blank Generation - The New York Scene (1975-78): Sonic Reducer (Rhino Records R2 71175) -93
Sounds of the Seventies (No. 30): Punk and New Wave: Sonic Reducer (Time-Life Music/Warner Special Products SOD-30/OPCD-2689) -93

Dead Boys links:

Dead Boys - Bomb Records
Dead Boys - by Eddy
Dead Boys - johnnymoped.free-online
Dead Boys - Moonchicken
Dead Boys - The Punk Corner

[ Main | Company | Bands | Archives | FAQ | Mailorder | Cataloque | Coming |
Links | Friends | E-directory | Technical | News | Suomeksi | PunkNet77 | Demos ]