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Biography
no footnotes|date=April 2008original research|date=April 2008Infobox musical artist | name = Fleshtones| background = group_or_band| origin = Queens , New York , United States|U.S. | genre = Rock and roll , garage rock | years_active = 1976–present| current_members = Keith Streng Peter Zaremba (musician)|Peter Zaremba Bill Milhizer Ken Fox| past_members = Marek Pakulski Lenny Calderon Danny Gilbert Gordon Spaeth Brian Spaeth Mitchell Ames Walter Scezney Robert Burke Warren| label = Red Star Records (1978–80) I.R.S. Records (1980–85) ROIR Ichiban Records (1992–98) Yep Roc Records (2003–present)| website = http://www.fleshtones.org Fleshtones.org The Fleshtones are an United States|American garage rock band from Queens , New York formed in 1976.
History
1976-1979
The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York by Keith Streng (b. September 18, 1955, New York, New York ) and Marek Pakulski (b. August 23, 1956, Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston , Maine ), two roommates who discovered that a previous tenant had left behind some instruments in the basement of the house they were renting. Streng, on guitar, and Pakulski, on bass, were soon joined by neighborhood friends Peter Zaremba (musician)|Peter Zaremba (b. September 16, 1954, Queens , New York ) on harmonica, keyboards, and vocals, and Lenny Calderon (b. 1958, New York ) on drums.
The Fleshtones debuted at CBGB on May 19, 1976. Starting in 1978, the group was often joined onstage, as well as on record, by Action Combo, brothers Gordon (alto sax and harmonica) and Brian (tenor sax) Spaeth. Gordon Spaeth (b. September 21, 1951—d. March 8, 2005) became an official band member in 1983.
In the late 1970s, The Fleshtones earned a local following and played often in Manhattan at CBGB and Max's Kansas City . Later, they found a favorite venue at Club 57 on St. Mark's Place . The Fleshtones were the first band to be booked or to play at several famous venues, including Irving Plaza and Danceteria in Manhattan, Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, and the original 9:30 Club in Washington D.C..
The Fleshtones shared a rehearsal space with The Cramps on the Bowery, Manhattan|Bowery in 1977. The following year, The Fleshtones signed with Marty Thau 's Red Star Records (a roster that included Suicide (band)|Suicide and Real Kids, among others artists), recorded their first album, and with filmmaker/artist M. Henry Jones produced Soul City , a performance-animation video composed of hand-painted cutouts. The Fleshtones' first single "American Beat" was released in 1979 (re-recorded in 1984 as part of the soundtrack of the Tom Hanks' movie Bachelor Party (1984 film)|Bachelor Party .)
1980-1985
In 1980, with the Red Star Records album unreleased (later issued on cassette on ROIR , and subsequently on CD and vinyl), the Fleshtones were signed by Miles Copeland III at I.R.S. Records ( R.E.M. , The Go-Go's ) where they would work with producers Richard Mazda and Richard Gottehrer . The band replaced Calderon with drummer Bill Milhizer (b. September 21, 1948, Troy , New York ), appeared in the British Punk/New Wave concert film Urgh& #33; A Music War , and released its first EP Up-Front . Four discs on I.R.S. followed: Roman Gods (album)|Roman Gods (1982), Hexbreaker! ! (1983), and the live Speed Connection and Speed Connection II (1985). In 1982, they appeared on Dick Clark 's American Bandstand TV show.
Despite having a large cult following, the band never achieved commercial success: Roman Gods debuted at #174 on Billboard (magazine)|Billboard ’s album chart, the highest position that a Fleshtones album has attained.
Zaremba was the host of I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge on MTV from 1984 to 1987. The I.R.S. Records-produced show featured up and coming underground artists. The program was short-lived (airing in a late night time slot didn't help accumulate a wide audience) but the format later revived as 120 Minutes . Zaremba's MC talents surfaced again in the late-1990s at New York City's "Cavestomp" Garage Rock festivals.
In the mid-1980s, The Fleshtones regularly played at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A in the East Village, and were instrumental in helping to start Wigstock , the drag-queen festival that became a New York City staple.
1986-1989
In the late 1980s, The Fleshtones were without major-label support, though they continued to tour America and Europe steadily, including shows opening for Chuck Berry and James Brown . In 1987, The Fleshtones made an appearance on the final episode of Andy Warhol 's '' Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes ,'' an MTV program, during which they backed up famed English stage actor Ian McKellen as he recited William Shakespeare 's Twentieth Sonnet.
The Fleshtones recorded the title track to the 1987 camp-horror film I Was a Teenage Zombie that same year. They released Fleshtones vs. Reality (studio) in 1987 and Soul Madrid (live) in 1989. I.R.S. Records released a best-of compilation, Living Legends , in 1989.
In late 1986, Pakulski left the Fleshtones. He was replaced by Robert Burke Warren, who left the band in 1988. Fred Smith (bassist)|Fred Smith of Television (band)|Television and Andy Shernoff of The Dictators were interim bass players in the studio and on tour until 1990.
1990-2002
Ken Fox (b. February 16, 1961, Toronto , Canada ) joined the Fleshtones on bass in 1990. Fox had formed Raving Mojos in Toronto and also played with Joan Osborne and in Jason & the Scorchers . Since Fox joined, the Fleshtones lineup has remained stable.
In 1992 the Fleshtones signed with Ichiban Records , where they stayed until the label's demise, releasing Powerstance (1992), Beautiful Light (1994), Laboratory of Sound (1995), and More Than Skin Deep (1998).
The Fleshtones were one of the last bands to play at Windows on the World atop the World Trade Center ; they played http://garage.brinkster.net/wtc.htm a show there five weeks before the 9/11 attacks, and in 2002 played at a Night of Remembrance and Hope festival at CBGB.
2003 to present
In December 2003 The Fleshtones played at a CBGB 30th Anniversary show along with The Dictators , and in August 2004 played Little Steven 's Underground Garage Festival at Randalls Island in New York City with 39 other bands, including The New York Dolls , Iggy Pop , The Strokes , and Bo Diddley .
In the 1990s, 2000s (decade), and 2010s (decade), in addition to self-producing in Paul Johnson's Compactor basement studio in Brooklyn, New York, The Fleshtones worked with musician-producers Dave Faulkner (musician)|Dave Faulkner , Peter Buck , Steve Albini , Rick Miller, Jim Diamond (music producer)|Jim Diamond , Lenny Kaye , and Ivan Julian .
In 2003, The Fleshtones signed with Yep Roc Records , which has released Do You Swing? (2003), Beachhead (2005), Take A Good Look (2008), Stocking Stuffer (2008), and Brooklyn Sound Solution (2011).
Book, Tribute, Feature Documentary, and Reissues
In 2007, Continuum Books published '' http://www.continuumbooks.com/Books/detail.aspx? ReturnURL=/Search/default.aspx& CountryID=2& ImprintID=2& BookID=130883 Sweat: The Story of The Fleshtones, America's Garage Band , an authorized biography by Joe Bonomo . Camion Blanc released a French-language edition, The Fleshtones: Histoire d’un Groupe Garage Américain, in 2012.
Vindicated& #33; A Tribute to The Fleshtones was released in 2007 on vinyl by http://www.larsen.asso.fr/ Larsen Records (France) and on CD by http://www.dirtywaterrecords.co.uk Dirty Water Records (UK). The album features 23 international bands (including Hoodoo Gurus , the Nomads with Handsome Dick Manitoba , the Slickee Boys , the Woggles , Snax , the Swingin' Neckbreakers, Richard Mazda , the Subway Surfers, the Insomniacs, and others) covering songs spanning the Fleshtones' career.
A feature documentary directed by Geoffray Barbier, http://www.us.imdb.com/title/tt1270781/ Pardon Us For Living, But The Graveyard Is Full, was released from http://www.coldcutsproductions.com/ Cold Cuts Productions in 2009.
In 2010, the Australian label Raven released a CD compilation of the Fleshtones' I.R.S. Records material entitled ''It's "Super-Rock" Time!: The IRS Years 1980-85 and a Hexbreaker! / Speed Connection'' CD. Raven plans future re-releases of the Fleshtones' catalog.
Members
Keith Streng—guitar & vocals (1976–present)
Peter Zaremba—lead vocals, harmonica & organ (1976–present)
Bill Milhizer—drums & vocals (1980–present)
Ken Fox—bass & vocals (1990–present)
Former members
Marek Pakulski—bass, vocals (1976–1979, 1979–1986)
Lenny Calderon—drums, vocals (1976–1979)
Danny Gilbert—guitar (1976)
Gordon Spaeth—sax, harmonica, organ, vocals (1978–1988; died 2005)
Brian Spaeth—sax (1978–1981)
Mitchell Ames—guitar (1979)
Walter Scezney—bass (1979)
Robert Burke Warren—bass, vocals (1986–1988)
Session/Touring
Clem Burke -drums (1979)
Fred Smith (bassist)|Fred Smith —bass, vocals (1988–1989)
Andy Shernoff —bass, vocals (1989–1990)
Horn players
Gregory D Grinnell—trumpet (1986)
Ken Fradley—trumpet (1988)
Mark McGowan—trumpet (1988–1990)
Steve Greenfield—sax (1988–1992)
Joe Loposky—trumpet (1990–1994)
Markus Arike—sax (1992–1994)
Selected discography
Albums
Roman Gods (album)|Roman Gods LP/cassette (I.R.S.) 1982 + CD limited (Eur. I.R.S.) 1990
Blast Off! cassette ( ROIR ) 1982 + CD (ROIR) 1990 + CD (ROIR/Fr. Danceteria) 1993 + CD (Red Star) 1997 + LP (Sp. Munster) 2001 + LP ( Get Hip Records ) 2002
Hexbreaker! LP/cassette (I.R.S.) 1983
Speed Connection LP (Fr. I.R.S.) 1985
Speed Connection II: The Final Chapter LP/cassette (I.R.S.) 1985 + download (I.R.S.) 2010
Fleshtones vs. Reality LP/cassette/CD (Emergo) 1987
American Beat b/w Critical List 7" (Red Star) 1979
Up-Front EP (I.R.S.) 1980
The World Has Changed b/w All Around The World 7" (I.R.S.) 1981
Roman Gods Dance Remix b/w Ride Your Pony + Chinese Kitchen 12" (I.R.S.) 1982
American Beat ‘84 + Hall of Fame b/w Mean Ole’ Lonesome Train + Super Hexbreaker 12” EP (Fr. I.R.S.) 1984
Armed And Dangerous b/w Let It Rip + Electric Mouse 7" (UK Big Beat) 1991
Take A Walk With The Fleshtones b/w One Of Us 7" (Naked Language) 1994
Gentleman's Twist b/w Red Sunset + Gentleman's Twist (w/ Alan Vega ) 7" (Eur. Epitaph) 1998
Jetset Fleshtones b/w Les Temps Dira 7" (Yep Roc) 2007
Bite Of My Soul b/w Remember The Ramones 7" (Yep Roc) 2011
I Can't Hide b/w B-Side 7" (Yep Roc) 2011
Compilations
The Fleshtones: Living Legends Series CD (I.R.S.) 1989
Angry Years 1984-1986 CD (Sp. Imposible) 1994 + CD (Amsterdamned) 1997
''It's "Super-Rock" Time!: The IRS Years 1980-85 CD (Aus. Raven) 2010
Hexbreaker! / Speed Connection CD (Aus. Raven) 2010
Roman Gods / Up-Front / Speed Connection II CD (Aus. Raven) 2011
Compilation (various artists)
Marty Thau Presents 2 X 5 ( Red Star Records ) 1980 + 2005
Start Swimming ( Stiff Records ) 1981
Bachelor Party (OST I.R.S.) 1984 + ( Superfecta Records ) 2003
I Was a Teenage Zombie (OST Columbia Records ) 1987
Time Bomb: Fleshtones Present The Big Bang Theory ( Skyclad Records ) 1988
New York Rockers: Manhattan’s Original Rock Underground ( ROIR ) 1989
Shangri-La: A Tribute to The Kinks ( Imaginary Records ) 1989
Turban Renewal: A Tribute to Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs ( Norton Records ) 1994
Dictators Forever Forever Dictators: A Tribute to The Dictators, Vol. 1 ( Roto Records ) 1996
Super Bad @ 65: A Tribute to James Brown ( Zero Hour Records|Zero Hour ) 1998
Guitar Ace: Tribute to Link Wray ( Musick Recordings ) 2003
Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976-1995 ( Rhino Records|Rhino ) 2005
''Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents: The Coolest Songs In The World Vol. 3 ( Wicked Cool Records ) 2007
So Indie It Hurts: Roir Rocks Volume Two ( ROIR ) 2010
Video / DVD
"Right Side Of A Good Thing," The Beast of I.R.S. Video Vol. 1 VHS (I.R.S. Home Video) 1984
"F-f-fascination," Back In The Day: Live At Hurrah’s New York City DVD (WEA) 2006
The Fleshtones: Brooklyn à Paris& #33; Live at La Maroquinerie DVD (Big Enough) 2006
The Fleshtones—Live At The Hurrah Club DVD (Cherry Red) 2008
Side projects
Fleshtones side projects have included Peter Zaremba's Love Delegation, and Streng's bands Full Time Men (which featured Peter Buck ) and The Master Plan (with Andy Shernoff ).
Further reading
http://www.modteepee.webspace.virginmedia.com/index.html The Fleshtones Archive (articles, reviews, interviews, and commentary from 1977 to 2005)
Official website
http://www.fleshtones.org/ The Fleshtones Hall of Fame
External links
http://www.myspace.com/fleshtones The Fleshtones on MySpace
http://www.rockerzine.com/index.php/2011/11/marty-thau-presents-the-fleshtones/ "Marty Thau Presents: The Fleshtones" from Rocker Magazine - Essay about discovering the band and their lasting impact by the man who put out their first single and album in the late 70's
http://www.coldcutsproductions.com/fleshtones.html Trailer for Pardon Us For Living But The Graveyard Is Full, feature documentary
http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php? artistId=232 Yep Roc Records (The Fleshtones' label)
http://www.wellroundedradio.net/thefleshtones/ Audio interview with Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones on the release of 2008's Take a Good Look& #33; on Well-Rounded Radio
http://www.richardmazda.com/ Richard Mazda site
http://www.efeeme.com/43576/the-fleshtones-la-eterna-juventud/ Interview in spanish magazine Efe Eme by Eduardo Tébar
References
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4277|pure_url=yes The Fleshtones at http://www.AllMusic.com AllMusic
http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php? a=fleshtones The Fleshtones at http://www.trouserpress.com/index.php Trouser Press
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Fleshtones%2C+The The Fleshtones at http://www.discogs.com Discogs
DEFAULTSORT:Fleshtones, The Category:American rock music groups Category:Garage punk Category:Garage rock groups Category:I.R.S. Records artists Category:Reachout International Records recording artists Category:Musical groups established in 1976 Category:Musical quartets Category:Jangle pop groups
