The Slickee Boys

The Slickee Boys
Classic line-up circa 1985. From left: John Chumbris, Dan Palenski, Mark Noone (seated), Kim Kane, Marshall Keith.
Background information
Origin	Washington, D.C., USA
Genres	Punk Garage Rock Psychedelic New Wave Rock
Years active	1975–1991; (more-or-less-annual reunion shows continue to the present)
Labels	Dacoit (US) Giant (US) Limp (US) Line (Germany) New Rose (France) Twin/Tone (US)
Members
John Chumbris : Bass guitar Giles Cook : Drums John Hansen : Rhythm guitar Martha Hull : Lead vocals Kim Kane : Rhythm guitar Thomas Kane : Bass guitar Marshall Keith : Lead guitar, keyboards Mike Maxwell : Bass guitar Mark Noone : Lead vocals Emery Olexa : Bass guitar Dan Palenski : Drums Chris Rounds : Drums Andy von Brand : Bass guitar Howard Wuelfling : Bass guitar

The Slickee Boys were a Washington, D.C. area punk-psychedelic-garage rock band whose most-remembered lineup consisted of guitarist Marshall Keith, guitarist Kim Kane, singer Mark Noone, and drummer Dan Palenski. The band has become a legend in the D.C. punk community.^{[citation needed]} They were known for their wild costumes and graphics.

History

The band was founded in the mid-1970s by guitarists Kim Kane and Marshall Keith, with Kane as principal songwriter, and featured Martha Hull on vocals. The band released its first EP, "Hot and Cool", in 1976 — an event documented by members of the new wave community as the third DIY new wave record ever recorded.^{[citation needed]}

In 1978 Mark Noone replaced Hull as the singer, with the band benefitting from Noone's showmanship as well as his songwriting. In 1983, a music video for their song "When I Go to the Beach" placed second in MTV's Basement Tapes competition. This resulted in the video being shown regularly as well as garnering the band the distinction of being first from the D.C. area to get airplay on the then-new video channel.^{[citation needed]}

In 1988 after a short European Tour, founding member Kim Kane departed to focus on his band Date Bait. The band soldiered on with long-time roadie, John Hansen, taking over on rhythm guitar until they called it quits in 1991.

They hold the record for the most performances at DC's 930 Club - 81 shows.^{[citation needed]}

Roadie, soundman, and guitarist John Hansen died on Friday, September 17, 2010, at the age of 47. His sister reported that he had committed suicide.

Other work

In the mid 80's The Slickee Boys formed their "alter ego" rock-a-billy band, The Wanktones. At some venues, including the now-defunct DC club The Wax Museum, The Wanktones "opened" for The Slickee Boys. On their only album released as The Wanktones, "Have a Ball Y'All", The members are listed under the following pseudonyms: Del Marva, Bo Link, Mo Sloe, Ersel Wank, Floyd Glen Bernie, and Elmer Preslee.

Awards

Over the years, they've won a number of awards ("Wammies") from the Washington Area Music Association.

• 1985 – Record (Single/EP) of the Year, "When I Go to the Beach"
• 1985 – Video of the Year, "When I Go to the Beach"
• 1986 – Rock/Pop Artist/Group of the Year
• 2002 – Rock Recording of the Year, Somewhat of an Anthology

In addition, in 1989 the band was inducted into the WAMA Hall of Fame

Reunion shows

Starting shortly after the break-up, reunion shows have taken place most years (as recently as July 3, 2011 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC) usually the week between Christmas and New Years, with one show each in Baltimore and D.C. Frequently the line-up changes during the course of the show, with band members taking turns playing on different songs.

December, 2006; from left: Kim Kane, Mark Noone, Marshall Keith

In popular culture

In 1987 the retro-surf film Back to the Beach (with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello) used the song "When I Go to the Beach" during the bar scene with Bob Denver. It is not included in the soundtrack released on CBS Records.

Discography

7" vinyl

• Hot and Cool - EP, Dacoit, 1976
• Mersey, Mersey Me - EP, Limp, 1978
• 3rd EP - EP, Limp, 1979
• "The Brain That Refused to Die" - single, Dacoit, 1980
• "Here to Stay" - single, Dacoit, 1981
• "When I Go to the Beach" - single, Dacoit, 1983
• "When I Go to the Beach" - single, Twin/Tone, 1983
• "When I Go to the Beach" - single, New Rose, 1984
• "Your Autumn Eyes" - single, New Rose, 1987
• 10th Anniversary EP - EP, Dacoit/D.S.I., 1987
• "This Party Sucks" - single, New Rose, 1988
• "Long Way to Go" - single, Dacoit, 1995

Full-length albums

• Separated Vegetables, 1977
• Here to Stay, 1982
• Cybernetic Dreams of Pi, 1983
• Uh Oh… No Breaks!, 1985
• Fashionably Late, 1988
• Live at Last, 1989
• Somewhat of an Anthology, 2002
• A Postcard from the Day CD, 2006

Compilation albums

• 30 Seconds Over D.C. - LP, Limp, 1978 - Attitude
• The Best of Limp (…Rest of Limp) - LP, Limp, 1980
• Battle of the Garages - LP, Voxx, 1981
• Battle of the Garages - LP, Line, 1981
• Newlines Vol.2 - LP, Line, 1981
• Connected - LP, Limp, 1981 - Disconnected and Can't Believe
• Han-O-Disc - LP, D.I.Y., 1982
• The Rebel Kind - LP, Sounds Interesting (United States), 1983
• The Rebel Kind - LP, Lolita (France), 1983
• Hi-Muck - CS, 1983 - interview and Nagasaki Neuter (live)
• The Train to Disaster - LP, Bonafide, 1983
• The Train to Disaster - LP, L.S.D., 1983
• Midnight Christmas Mess Again - LP, Midnight, 1986
• Play New Rose for Me - 2xLP, New Rose, 1986
• Laserock'n'rollparty Vol.1 - CD, New Rose, 1987
• Every Day Is a Holly Day - 2x10", CD, New Rose, 1988
• Every Day Is a Holly Day - CD, Giant, 1988
• Laserock'n'rollparty Vol.2 - CD, New Rose, 1989
• New Rose Story - 4xCD, Last Call, 2000
• Stories of the Dogs - Songs for Dominique - 2xCD, Lollipop, 2006 - Death Lane
• Counter Culture 1976 - CD, Rough Trade, 2007 - Psychodaisies
• Vindicated! A Tribute To The Fleshtones - CD, Dirty Water Records/LP, Larsen, 2007

Other

• "Long Way to Go" - 6" flexidisc, Gorilla Beat, 1982

Bill list

Other bands that played on the same bill as the Slickee Boys:

• Asleep at the Wheel
• Bad Brains
• Barrance Whitfield and the Savages
• Black Market Baby
• The Blasters
• Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
• Cramps
• Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
• Kinks
• Madness
• Marginal Man
• Marti Jones & Don Dixon
• Minor Threat
• Missing Persons
• Nighthawks
• NRBQ
• Otis Blackwell
• Pete Seeger
• Plasmatics
• Pretenders
• Ramones
• Razz
• Replacements
• Revillos
• Stray Cats
• Squeeze
• Switchblade
• Tex Rubinowitz and the Bad Boys
• U2
• Ventures

External links

• music videos for "When I Go to the Beach" and "Gotta Tell Me Why"