Thursday, September 9, 2021

Songs That Redd Kross Taught Us

For my money, there's no better band than Redd Kross -- on stage or on record. They are tastemakers, pranksters, and fabulous performers and songwriters. Most of the Redd Kross catalog has been reissued on vinyl by Merge and Third Man, and their comeback albums Researching The Blues (2012) and Beyond The Door (2019) are every bit as satisfying as their records from the 80's and 90's.  

Their 1982 debut album Born Innocent is loaded with counter-cultural references, from Charles Manson to Linda Blair and Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls. Their next record, 1984's Teen Babes From Monsanto, was all covers: songs by Kiss, the Stones, the Stooges, Bowie, the Shangri-La's, and a tune from TV's "Bewitched". They were never ashamed to admit that they grew up on The Partridge Family, The Osmonds, "Good Times", "Land Of The Lost", and "Planet Of The Apes".

RK founders Jeff and Steven McDonald starred in three movies: Desperate Teenage Lovedolls (1984), Love Dolls Superstar (1986), and The Spirit of '76 (1990). It's odd that they didn't participate in The Decline Of Western Civilization or The Year Punk Broke, since they were pals with bands featured in both films (as well as filmmaker Dave Markey). A Redd Kross documentary started production in 2019.

Redd Kross has also performed and recorded under several aliases: Revolution 409, The Lovedolls, Ledd Kross, Purple Electricity, and as part of Bill Bartell's all-star collective, the Tater Totz. Steven is currently a Melvin, and a former member of Sparks and OFF! He and Dave Grohl were the rhythm section on the first Tenacious D album. 

"Songs That Redd Kross Taught Us" doesn't include every cover that the band has performed, but it is packed with two hours of girl groups, psychedelia, punk, glam, bubblegum, power pop, metal, and whatever else struck Jeff and Steve as a groovy tune or a good laugh. Hope you dig it!

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21 comments:

  1. jonderSeptember 9, 2021 at 11:07 AM

    SONGS THAT REDD KROSS TAUGHT US (aka The Little Redd Kross Fakebook)

    V1: https://www.mediafire.com/file/td0na6xdmcoqtrq/R3DDKR0%2524%2524_Fakebook_V1.zip/file

    V2: https://www.mediafire.com/file/myd4b6embv1qxe2/R3DDKR0$$+Fakebook+V2.zip/file

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    1. AnonymousJuly 8, 2024 at 11:46 AM

      hey! do you happen to have new links for this?

      Delete
    2. jonderJuly 8, 2024 at 8:51 PM

      Mediafire links sometimes play dead, meaning that you may have to reload them 2-3 times. I just downloaded these again, and the links are still good.

      I don't mind uploading them to another host if that still doesn't work for you, but please give these links another try.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousJuly 9, 2024 at 11:03 AM

      yep, worked with another browser. thank you much!

      Delete
  2. Viacomclosedmedown on youtubeSeptember 9, 2021 at 3:23 PM

    Thanks Jonder! You just taught me plenty regarding an old fave cassette and Bewitched! They are longtime Facebook friends as well.

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    1. jonderSeptember 22, 2021 at 12:08 PM

      Glad I could help. When my wife and I were dating, I played her "Teen Babes From Monsanto" and she immediately sang along with "Blow You A Kiss In The Wind" b/c she knew it from Bewitched.

      Jeff and Steven are fun to follow on Facebook, and the Redd Kross Army is alive and well there too.

      Delete
  3. Crab DevilSeptember 9, 2021 at 3:31 PM

    Thanks!

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  4. StinkySeptember 9, 2021 at 3:49 PM

    This is right up my alley, Jon!

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    1. jonderSeptember 9, 2021 at 5:01 PM

      I figured it would be, since the McDonald Brothers' tastes are as wide-ranging as yours.

      Delete
  5. Scottdammit!September 9, 2021 at 5:18 PM

    Great post, Redd Kross deserves a turn in the spotlight. Now I will have to dig out Ze Malibu Kids cover of "You're So Vain" from the archives and add it to the pot.

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    1. jonderSeptember 10, 2021 at 9:51 AM

      Yes! I forgot that one and "Rhiannon" too. RK was also known to cover "Overture From Tommy" and "Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding" when Gere Fennelly was in the band, as well as the theme from "Good Times". I have a live show where they did "Find It" (another great song from Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls). Maybe a third volume is in order?

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  6. JeremySeptember 9, 2021 at 10:43 PM

    So cool, thx for putting this together. These covers comps are always a blast

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    1. jonderSeptember 10, 2021 at 9:43 AM

      Thanks! I'm a big fan of compilations like "Songs --- Taught Us" and "--- Heard Them Here First". I did one for Tav Falco's Panther Burns a couple years ago. If you haven't already seen it, check it out here:

      https://jonderblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Tav%20Falco

      Delete
    2. JeremySeptember 12, 2021 at 8:54 AM

      All the comps you mentioned, yours included, are great to have. Why is that cool performers cover the best tracks?? The Quick Pretty Please Me is so amazing in original. Thx again

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    3. jonderSeptember 22, 2021 at 12:14 PM

      You're welcome! Steven Hufsteter is an amazing guitarist. I think I read somewhere that The Dickies were inspired by The Quick to form a band? The Dickies' version of "Pretty Please Me" is great too. I included The Quick's version of "It Won't Be Long" (rather than The Beatles' original) because the Redd Kross cover is based on The Quick's arrangement. Redd Kross still regularly performs "Pretty Please Me" (and "It Won't Be Long"). RK's lead guitarist Jason Shapiro (formerly of Celebrity Skin) is quite a shredder too.

      Delete
  7. MrDaveSeptember 22, 2021 at 9:52 AM

    HELL YEAH!!! This was my "scene" in high school! I went to pretty much every gig they played from 82-84! So much fun!! They definitely had a great taste in covers and a pop-culture sensibility that resonated deeply with us Gen-Xers! So funny that I just saw Linda Blair on someone's playlist on the IoF and then came over here and found this. So you already know of my rabid fandom for Red Cross(!). Seeing them with the Nip Drivers and The Disposals was definitely memorable. I still have my copy of the Flipside with them on the cover somewhere. Also, "Tatum Tot & The Fried Vegetables" is one of the greatest songs ever written -- like the come-up to "Before They Make Me Run"'s come-down. THANKSS!!

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    1. jonderSeptember 22, 2021 at 12:00 PM

      I am super stoked (as Jeff or Steve might say) to know that you are a fan, and very jealous that you got to see them back then (and the Nip Drivers!) My first RK show was also the only time I visited 688, the first punk club in Atlanta. It was 1984, I was 18, and Teen Babes had recently been released.

      When RK came back to ATL a few years ago to promote the Teen Babes reissue, Steven told the audience that Atlanta had actually been the first show on that '84 tour. He essentially said that due to their own youthful incompetence, they were late leaving CA and missed the shows they had booked in TX and elsewhere on their way across the US. It was the only time I got to see them during their original run. I believe their US tour for Researching The Blues also opened in Atlanta.

      There's a book called The Show I'll Never Forget: 50 Writers Relive Their Most Memorable Concertgoing Experience. In my favorite chapter, A.C. Newman writes about seeing Redd Kross. It's a great story.

      There's also a lot of RK and Lovedolls stuff in this book, and it's marked down to $20! You might even be in it, MrDave!

      https://www.bazillionpoints.com/books/we-got-power-hardcore-punk-scenes-from-1980s-southern-california-by-david-markey-and-jordan-schwartz/

      Delete
  8. MrDaveSeptember 22, 2021 at 10:06 AM

    (I probably assume too much of the average reader to think they have also memorized the lyrics to that track off the '82 Sudden Death comp on Smoke Seven records so to explain the joke, the chorus is:
    Where do you go where you haven't ever gone
    What do you do that's never been done
    Why even walk
    When you can run

    So that's the youthful enthusiasm that is age's "I will walk before they make me run" resignation

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    1. jonderSeptember 22, 2021 at 11:47 AM

      Yup yup yup, I love that song and that compilation LP. Still have it, as well as my Smoke 7 pressing of Born Innocent. Never thought about the two songs together, but you're right -- they are like bookends! And both are great songs.

      Delete
    2. jonderSeptember 23, 2021 at 8:08 AM

      PS - IDK if this blog has any "average readers". I know the correct term these days is "differently abled" but (voice choking with emotion) THEY'RE ALL SPECIAL TO ME...

      Delete
  9. jonderOctober 6, 2023 at 8:06 PM

    (I accidentally deleted this recent comment from Waylon:)

    "One time in downtown New York in 1990 their first song was an instrumental version of The Sounds of Silence. Victor was on drums. Jeff was in a plaid suit. It started slow and then went into a head banging metal jam. It was amazing.

    "Also I would add to this list That Summer Feeling and Who Loves the Sun. The real show stopper from all those old concerts was the theme song to Good Times, mentioned above and on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3VVLpT2Vmc

    ReplyDelete

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