|
the slickee boys
 |
|||
|
Some bands were not meant to be « tagged », they’d rather go for their own style even if it belongs to some kind of tradition. This is a brave path to choose, but it doesn’t help when you face the rules of the music business, a world in which you need to find the right recipe to reach the top of the charts in order to survive. It doesn’t matter if what you do is good or not, Rock is now a market, not an art. The Slickee Boys are the perfect example of that fact. They couldn’t choose a single spot on the map of pop and/or punk, they landed in the middle, somewhere. They were called psychedelic by some who couldn’t find better. Sadly they never found faithful followers outside of their home town, Washington, D.C.. And after some fifteen years of activity, with a strong discography, they gave up. Their albums had brought so much to those who heard them. Hard to find, two of them are here reissued : Fashionably Late the third studio one, first released in April 1988, and Live At Last, recorded live during their one and only French tour. This was the Slickee Boys’ best era according to their fans. The story started in 1975, when Marshall Keith and Kim Kane met. The former had the habit to do home recordings on a 6-track, playing all the instruments. Kim was impressed. Being an ace draftsman and prankster, he stole one of his new friend’s tape, had a record pressed and drew the artwork for the sleeve before giving the result to Marshall. The idea was to convince him to put together a band. That band was the Slickee Boys, born in the Spring of ’76. The two buddies were joined by three members of the Lone Oak, a local rhythm & blues group : Martha Hull (vocals), Chris Round (drums) and Andy Von Brand (bass). They soon played their first show, followed by their first 45, self produced like a few of their following ones. The influences are mostly sixties, from Vince Taylor as they cover his "Brand New Cadillac" to the Yardbirds and the garage rock. In the mid seventies, this style found its fans being both original and in the air. Philippe Garnier wrote in the French monthly Rock & Folk : « It’s the kind of record that makes you dream, that gives you the craving to meet the freaks that created this artifact… » Their fame was starting to grow outside of the D.C. borders, and they managed to play the mythical Max Kansas City in New York. But inspirations much too stranded in the past wasn’t popular among everybody, and early in ’77, Von Brand and Round left. Howard Wuelfing and Dan Paleski joined. New members were followed by a slightly new sound and new songs, including some surf music, and even a Talking Heads cover on their second 45, "The Girl Want To Be With The Girls". And a revolution was happening, a revolution called punk rock. The Slickee Boys could’ve been part of this new wave of music easily, as much as bands like the Real Kids, Pere Ubu or the Fleshtones that remained true to their sounds while being accepted by the new scene, but they went through rough time while the craziness was invading the clubs and showrooms. Nothing was happening for them, no offers from record label, and even worst, Howard Wuelfing and Martha Hull left, bringing the band close to its death. To “re-boost” the gang, a new record was brought into the picture, with two new volunteers drafted via an ad, Emery Olexa and Mark Noone. On the EP, three original songs and only one cover. The new material ("Gotta Tell Me Why", "Forbidden Alliance", "Golden Love") still had roots in the rock of the past. This is no Oldies But Goodies ! Their madness belong to the present. Just look at them ! You swear it’s just a bunch of loonies escaped from the Nut Farm. Multi-colored shirts, suit vest and tennis shoes, some with long hair, some with short, no group logic whatsoever… An instinctive delirium tough to deliver on vinyl but quite an experience according to the lucky ones who witnessed them live. In the early 80’s, the Slickee Boys were at the peak, specially with the addition of a new bass player, John Chumbris. Their many gigs were sold out. A UK Tour was even planned, opening for the Revillos. Unfortunately, it never materialized. Nevertheless, the good news was they were signed by the Twin Tone label, home of some Replacements and Soul Asylum records. Finally ! A first LP, Cybernetic Dream, was issued in April 1984 in the US of A, Germany, and France under the New Rose banner. Escaping from the past tags, the Slickee Boys delivered a smart pop full of humor thanks to Mark Noone songwriting talent. Their roots are still there, somewhere, but not as obviously as before. The few garage, psychedelic or surf moments are just here to remind us where they came from. It was quickly followed by two other albums, Uh, Oh… Breaks and Fashionably Late, with more of a fun spirit and the kind of melodies that stick inside your head. A bit pop and a bit punk, with a clear devotion to the Chocolate Watchband, though not just a copy in any way. They were not interested in being assimilated to the then current wave of neo-sixties bands that were all the rage. The French audience was about to witness that as Marshall Keith, Kim Kane and their crew finally crossed the Atlantic Ocean for a Euro Tour including a bunch of shows in France in May 1988. It was the May 21st show at the Ubu in Rennes that became their LP Live at Last. The highlight was the ace "This Party Sucks". Sadly, what could’ve been another boost for the band career was the beginning of the end. After that tour, Kim Kane decided it was over, maybe because again he didn’t want to do what everybody expected. His next project was Date Bait while most of the others tried their luck at a solo career that usually didn’t go far. Though the band is officially no more, the Slickee Boys have a yearly reunion for more fun and action. So if you’re near Washington, D.C. during any December, don’t miss them !
|
