8/30/09

DEAD KENNEDYS

DEAD KENNEDYS was an AMERICAN hardcore punk band of the late '70s/early '80s. The band was introduced here in MANILA by Hardcore and Punk Aficionados. The original RJFM with the Late Howlin Dave was the one who played DEAD KENNEDYS first on MANILA's FM DIALS back in the late 70s. My cousin who is now based in the U.S. was an avid RJ fan back then. Though, I personally got to listen to the band only back in 1986 via WXB102's HARDCORE/PUNK radio program called "CAPITAL RADIO"(taken from THE CLASH song) with the song "MTV GET OFF THE AIR". YUP!! That's my ultimate DEAD KENNEDYS favorite and incidentally the most popular DEAD KENNEDYS song for PINOY WAVERS/PUNKS!!


With the recent death of SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY, the last of the brothers of powerful Political KENNEDY clan, last AUGUST 26, 2009 I then remembered the band DEAD KENNEDYS so this blogpost was born. Another death of a famous person this year 2009. SENATOR EDWARD was 77 years old.


DEAD KENNEDYS was formed in San Francisco back in 1978 when EAST BAY RAY placed an AD in a music paper wherein their famous vocalist Eric Reed Boucher more widely known as JELLO BIAFRA responded to the AD and the guys were soon joined by bassist KLAUS FLOURIDE and simply known as 6025. The latter departed in March 1979, while TED was replaced at the very end of 1980 by D.H. PELIGRO. Of course, JELLO BIAFRA is the most controversial band member and is consider as a true HARDCORE ICON. KABAYANS, did you know that after a brief rehearsal period, the VERY FIRST GIG of DEAD KENNEDYS was at MABUHAY GARDENS in July 1978? YUP!! The "Fab Mab" as it was popularly known back then was a Filipino restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach section that served as a home to punk bands for nearly ten years. Wheeew!! MABUHAY ang DEAD KENNEDYS!! MABUHAY ang PINOY!! It wasn't too long before the band really gained some following around San Francisco. According to THE ROUGH GUIDE, DEAD KENNEDYS' when playing LIVE sound could be described as a cross between the Sex Pistols and the Ventures and a combination of theatrics and chaos .

Here are my only DEAD KENNEDYS Materials:


1) GIVE ME CONVENIENCE AND GIVE ME DEATH CD
2) FRANKENCHRIST Cassette Tape


WXB102 played lots of DEAD KENNEDYS song back in 1986-1987 and their three most popular songs here in MANILA that wouldn't escape the memories of every PINOY WAVERS/PUNKS were "MTV GET OFF THE AIR", "I FOUGHT THE LAW", and "TOO DRUNK TO FUCK". The DEAD KENNEDYS song "I Fought the Law" was a cover originally recorded by SONNY CURTIS AND THE CRICKETS (post Buddy Holly) back in 1959. THE CLASH punk version of 1977 is the most popular here in MANILA. Another popular version for PINOY WAVERS/PUNKS was that of H20 which was first played by DZBM POWER 105 back in 1988. This song was famously covered by BOBBY FULLER FOUR back in 1965 which was considered as the most successful version in the music chart which incidentally ranked #175 on ROLLING STONES list of the 500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME. Just as the song became a TOP TEN HIT, Bobby Fuller was found dead in a parked automobile near his home at Los Angeles California. Wheeew!! Another controversial singer death!! The police considered the death as an apparent suicide, but people who knew Bobby personally disagreed on the findings and believed that there was indeed a foul play specifically murder.





The DEAD KENNEDYS wrote and recorded a different version of I FOUGHT THE LAW as a comment on DAN WHITE'S 1978 murder of San Francisco MAYOR GEORGE MOSCONE and City Supervisor HARVEY MILK, and Dan White's subsequent use of the so-called TWINKLE DEFENSE to influence the court to convict him of the lesser charge of MANSLAUGHTER wherein the song lyrics was adjusted from Dan White's perspective, replacing the line "I fought the law and the law won" with "I fought the law and I won". Hmmmmp!! Very intense change of lyrics indeed!! You fought the law, then you won? How grave can you get? There were other DEAD KENNEDYS songs that made it on the night shift XB playlist like "HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA" and "KILL THE POOR". Wow!! Talking about song titles. He He He!! With the release of FRANKENCHRIST back in 1985, the band ran into a controversy due to the LP's accompanying poster, "Penis Landscape," by Swiss artist H. R. Giger. For ANDY LEWIS' DEAD KENNEDYS Biography, he considers the band rocked as tight as ever, with Ray's voodoo/surf guitar, Flouride's thumping bass and Peligro's skin bashing providing the perfect "sturm und drang" for Biafra's words.

Just to spice up my Blogpost I also included here some facts about the REAL KENNEDYS.


THE REAL DEAD KENNEDYS
Bobby, Ted, John, and Joseph

THE KENNEDYS made their first ever appearance in AMERICAN HISTORY in the form of businessman/politician Patrick Joseph Kennedy.

Lt. Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr. : The eldest of nine children died during World War II on August 12, 1944 when his airplane crashed over Suffolk, United Kingdom.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy: The U.S. 35th President who was assassinated three years into his term that took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in DALLAS TEXAS at 12:30 p.m .

Senator Robert F. Kennedy: U.S. Senator from New York and Democratic presidential candidate back in 1968 when he was assassinated.

Senator Edward Kennedy: He was one of the most influential and longest-serving senators in U.S. history. He had brain cancer, which was diagnosed back in May 2008. He just passed away last August 26, 2009.

JFK Jr.

John F. Kennedy, Jr.: Son of the Late President John F. Kennedy was killed in a plane crash along with his wife and sister in law on July 16, 1999.

This made Rumors that there was indeed a so-called curse in the KENNEDY FAMILY.

I decided to make my DEAD KENNEDYS "Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death" CD available for DOWNLOADING for you guys to have a copy. So if you're interested feel free to download it here in my blog. I really don't know why "MTV Get Off The Air" was not included in this DEAD KENNEDYS compilation. Don't you worry I included a VINYL RIP of the song as bonus track.


DEAD KENNEDYS
"Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death" CD
TRACKLIST

1. Police Truck
2. Too Drunk To Fuck
3. California Uber Alles
4. The Man With The Dogs
5. Insight
6. Life Sentence

7. A Child and His Lawnmower
8. Holiday in Cambodia
9. I Fought the Law
10. Saturday Night Holocaust
11. Pull My Strings
12. Short Songs
13. Straight A's
14. Kinky Sex Makes the World Go 'Round

15. Prey, The
16. Night of the Living Rednecks
17. Buzzbomb From Pasadena

18 DSR Bonus Track "MTV GET OFF THE AIR"

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CD:


PASSWORD: http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/

I also uploaded two of my FAVORITE DEAD KENNEDYS songs for you to listen to in this blogpost.

LISTEN HERE "MTV GET OFF THE AIR"



LISTEN HERE "I FOUGHT THE LAW"




So what's new about DEAD KENNEDYS? Well according to their official website, the band recently performed last JUNE 2009 at the HARMONY FESTIVAL. Well, I hope you guys liked my Blogpost Tribute for both DEAD KENNEDYS and the real Political Clan of THE KENNEDYS. THANKS AGAIN for dropping by!!

They Are The
DEAD KENNEDYS!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You've done a great job here! I never saw the Dead Kennedys live but spent a lot of my youth listening to it. I'm working on a new Website about the Dead Kennedys and you will find videos, wallpapers,lyrics, logos, pictures, ring tones and eventually guitar tabs. It's still in construction but thank you to give us some feedback!

DrStirringRhod said...

THANKS Christian for appreciating my blogpost!! :-)