Jump to content

China White (band): Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Line 31: Line 31:
The group's name was taken from the slang term for [[α-Methylfentanyl|alpha-Methylfentanyl]],{{refn|group=nb|"In 1979, a powerful, synthetic drug called China White appeared in the illicit drug market; this drug was associated with sudden respiratory arrest and death in opioid addicts. After extensive analysis, the US Department of Justice Special Testing and Research Laboratory identified the drug as the fentanyl derivative, [[α-Methylfentanyl|α-methylfentanyl]]."<ref name="MedToxDrugAbuse_p539">Barceloux, Donald G. (2012). ''Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants''. [[John Wiley & Sons]]. ISBN 9780471727606. p. 539.</ref>}}{{refn|group=nb|"China White refers to [[3-Methylfentanyl|3-methyl fentanyl]] and [[α-Methylfentanyl|α-methyl fentanyl]] as well as to a very pure form of white heroin, often from Southeast Asia. Other street names for these drugs include China Girl, Persian White, Egg White, Crocodile, Dragon, 999, and Synthetic Heroin."<ref name="MedToxDrugAbuse_p539">Barceloux, Donald G. (2012). ''Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants''. [[John Wiley & Sons]]. ISBN 9780471727606. p. 539.</ref>}} the same synthetic [[opioid]] that killed [[Darby Crash]] in 1980,<ref name="AmHCBook_p17">[[Steven Blush|Blush, Steven]] (2001). ''[[American Hardcore: A Tribal History]]''. Second ed., 2010. [[Feral House]]. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 17.</ref> and by the [[The Heartbreakers|Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers]]' song "[[Chinese Rocks]]".<ref name="R&RinOC_p72"/>
The group's name was taken from the slang term for [[α-Methylfentanyl|alpha-Methylfentanyl]],{{refn|group=nb|"In 1979, a powerful, synthetic drug called China White appeared in the illicit drug market; this drug was associated with sudden respiratory arrest and death in opioid addicts. After extensive analysis, the US Department of Justice Special Testing and Research Laboratory identified the drug as the fentanyl derivative, [[α-Methylfentanyl|α-methylfentanyl]]."<ref name="MedToxDrugAbuse_p539">Barceloux, Donald G. (2012). ''Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants''. [[John Wiley & Sons]]. ISBN 9780471727606. p. 539.</ref>}}{{refn|group=nb|"China White refers to [[3-Methylfentanyl|3-methyl fentanyl]] and [[α-Methylfentanyl|α-methyl fentanyl]] as well as to a very pure form of white heroin, often from Southeast Asia. Other street names for these drugs include China Girl, Persian White, Egg White, Crocodile, Dragon, 999, and Synthetic Heroin."<ref name="MedToxDrugAbuse_p539">Barceloux, Donald G. (2012). ''Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants''. [[John Wiley & Sons]]. ISBN 9780471727606. p. 539.</ref>}} the same synthetic [[opioid]] that killed [[Darby Crash]] in 1980,<ref name="AmHCBook_p17">[[Steven Blush|Blush, Steven]] (2001). ''[[American Hardcore: A Tribal History]]''. Second ed., 2010. [[Feral House]]. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 17.</ref> and by the [[The Heartbreakers|Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers]]' song "[[Chinese Rocks]]".<ref name="R&RinOC_p72"/>


[[File:Twilight Zone, Alien symbol from Black Leather Jackets.svg|left|thumb|upright=0.60|Alien symbol from ''The Twilight Zone'' episode "Black Leather Jackets".]]According to Sisunik,<ref>Stogref (August 4, 2012). [http://deathburger.doodlekit.com/blog/entry/3364793/china-white-addiction-2- "China White - Addiction .2 !"]. ''deathburger.doodlekit.com''. Retrieved September 3, 2015.</ref> the band's [[logo]]<ref>[http://rymimg.com/lk/f/l/a5aaa95219ab8714e602b3a0e26ec847/4200348.jpg China White, ''LiveCheap CD'', cover art]. ''[[Rate Your Music|rateyourmusic.com]]''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref> was designed inspired by a similar one<ref name="IMDb_TZ-S5E18_Photo">[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4280861184/tt0734557?ref_=tt_ov_i "The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - Black Leather Jackets (31 Jan. 1964)", still frame]. ''[[Internet Movie Database|imdb.com]]''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref><ref name="TZMuseum_TZ-S5E18_Photo">[http://www.twilightzonemuseum.com/show/images/5blackleather.jpg The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - "Black Leather Jackets" (January 31, 1964), still frame]. ''twilightzonemuseum.com''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref> featured in the episode "[[Black Leather Jackets]]",<ref name="IMDb_TZ-S5E18">[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734557/ "The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - Black Leather Jackets (31 Jan. 1964)"]. ''[[Internet Movie Database|imdb.com]]''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref> from the TV series ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', aired on January 31, 1964.{{refn|group=nb|Summary: A motorcycle gang who set up residence in a quiet suburb is really a front for an advanced party of an alien invasion.}}
[[File:Twilight Zone, Alien symbol from Black Leather Jackets.svg|left|thumb|upright=0.60|Alien symbol from ''The Twilight Zone'' episode "Black Leather Jackets".]]According to Sisunik,<ref>Stogref (August 4, 2012). [http://deathburger.doodlekit.com/blog/entry/3364793/china-white-addiction-2- "China White - Addiction .2 !"]. ''deathburger.doodlekit.com''. Retrieved September 3, 2015.</ref> the band's [[logo]]<ref>[http://rymimg.com/lk/f/l/a5aaa95219ab8714e602b3a0e26ec847/4200348.jpg China White, ''LiveCheap CD'', cover art]. ''[[Rate Your Music|rateyourmusic.com]]''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref> was designed inspired by a similar one<ref name="IMDb_TZ-S5E18_Photo">[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4280861184/tt0734557?ref_=tt_ov_i "The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - Black Leather Jackets (31 Jan. 1964)", still frame]. ''[[Internet Movie Database|imdb.com]]''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref><ref name="TZMuseum_TZ-S5E18_Photo">[http://www.twilightzonemuseum.com/show/images/5blackleather.jpg The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - "Black Leather Jackets" (January 31, 1964), still frame]. ''twilightzonemuseum.com''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref> featured in the episode "[[Black Leather Jackets]]",<ref name="IMDb_TZ-S5E18">[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734557/ "The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - Black Leather Jackets (31 Jan. 1964)"]. ''[[Internet Movie Database|imdb.com]]''. Retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref> from the TV series ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', aired on January 31, 1964.{{refn|group=nb|Summary: A motorcycle gang who set up residence in a quiet suburb is really a front for an advanced party of an alien invasion.<ref>[http://sharetv.com/shows/the_twilight_zone_1959/episodes/394134 "The Twilight Zone (1959) » Season 5 - 5x18 Black Leather Jackets"]. ''sharetv.com''. Retrieved November 6, 2015.</ref>}}


After Sisunik quit the band to went on to form Social Task in late 1979,<ref name="TrakMarxArt"/><ref name="SK_SocialTask"/> Marc, who sang backups, and played guitar, switched to lead vocals and left guitar duties to Frank. Vince Mesa also quit in 1980 and was replaced by Frank's elder brother, Joey Ruffino. Along with Rodriguez, this is considered the most relevant and stable China White formation.<ref name="TrakMarxArt"/>
After Sisunik quit the band to went on to form Social Task in late 1979,<ref name="TrakMarxArt"/><ref name="SK_SocialTask"/> Marc, who sang backups, and played guitar, switched to lead vocals and left guitar duties to Frank. Vince Mesa also quit in 1980 and was replaced by Frank's elder brother, Joey Ruffino. Along with Rodriguez, this is considered the most relevant and stable China White formation.<ref name="TrakMarxArt"/>

Revision as of 03:01, 7 November 2015

China White
China White in 1981. From left to right: Frank Ruffino, James Rodriguez, Marc Martin and Joey Ruffino. Photo by Glen E. Friedman
China White in 1981. From left to right: Frank Ruffino, James Rodriguez, Marc Martin and Joey Ruffino. Photo by Glen E. Friedman
Background information
OriginHuntington Beach, California, USA
GenresHardcore punk, punk rock
Years active1979–1985, 1993–1995, 2002–2004, 2013, on hiatus since 2014
LabelsFrontier
Lethal
Malt Soda Recordings
MembersMarc Martin
James Rodriguez
Joey Ruffino
Past membersFrank Ruffino
Scott Sisunik
Richard Katchadoorian
Jeff Porter
Corey Stretz
Spanky
James Lugo
Vince Mesa
Sandy Hancock

China White was an influential hardcore punk band from Huntington Beach, California,[1] famous for their EP Danger Zone and their violent gigs.[2] They were, along with Social Distortion and T.S.O.L., the most preeminent figures of the early Orange County punk scene.[3][4]

The photographer Glen E. Friedman once described the band's sound as:

"Full doses of China White[nb 1] ... send[ing] staggering chills through your veins as you experience this nitro-punk injection."[5]

Biography

The band was founded by guitarist Frank Ruffino in the fall of 1979,[4][6][7] lining up Scott Sisunik on vocals, Marc Martin as second guitarist, James Rodriguez on bass and Richard "Skitchblade" Katchadoorian[nb 2] on drums,[6][7] who was replaced shortly after by Vince Mesa.[1][7]

The group's name was taken from the slang term for alpha-Methylfentanyl,[nb 3][nb 4] the same synthetic opioid that killed Darby Crash in 1980,[9] and by the Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers' song "Chinese Rocks".[1]

Alien symbol from The Twilight Zone episode "Black Leather Jackets".

According to Sisunik,[10] the band's logo[11] was designed inspired by a similar one[12][13] featured in the episode "Black Leather Jackets",[14] from the TV series The Twilight Zone, aired on January 31, 1964.[nb 5]

After Sisunik quit the band to went on to form Social Task in late 1979,[4][7] Marc, who sang backups, and played guitar, switched to lead vocals and left guitar duties to Frank. Vince Mesa also quit in 1980 and was replaced by Frank's elder brother, Joey Ruffino. Along with Rodriguez, this is considered the most relevant and stable China White formation.[4]

After making their mark on both the O.C. and L.A. club circuits, in 1981 China White signed to Frontier Records and released their first EP, Danger Zone with its infamous front cover of a murder scene photographed by Edward Colver in 1981.[1][4][16] They also featured tracks on New Underground Records' compilations Life Is Ugly So Why Not Kill Yourself[nb 6] from 1982, and Life Is Beautiful So Why Not Eat Health Foods[nb 7] from 1983.

In 1984, after Marc, James and Joey quit the band, Frank brought Sisunik back to sing, while Corey Stretz took over on bass and Spanky became the drummer. After a show at the Olympic Auditorium in 1985, they disbanded.

The band resurfaced in 1993, when Frank Ruffino recorded China White's first full-length album, Addiction, with bassist Stretz, Jeff Porter as new singer and James Lugo as new drummer. This formation played some gigs on the West Coast but disbanded a few months after the release of Addiction in 1995.

In 2002, Marc Martin, James Rodriguez and the Ruffino brothers reappeared for a reunion tour. They released two albums on Malt Soda Recordings in 2004: the limited edition Live Cheap CD, with extracts from this and past tours; and Addiction.2, a re-release of their Addiction material plus two new 1997 studio tracks as well as ten live songs from a 2003 show.

In 2009, Frank Ruffino was diagnosed with severe liver problems, a biproduct of years of hard drinking and drug abuse, despite his resolve to get clean and sober after the band's heyday. Under medical treatment since then, by 2013, overwhelmed by cirrhosis and cancer, doctors told the guitarist and his wife, Ella, that his only shot at survival was a liver transplant.[3]

On March 30, 2013, China White classic lineup, along with some major bands in Orange County punk scene like Cadillac Tramps, The Stitches and The Crowd, among others, gathered for a one-off benefit show held at Santa Ana´s The Observatory to raise funds for Ruffino´s medical expenses. Frank was present but too ill to play, Mike Drake from The Outsiders played guitar. Despite these efforts, including an auction, Frank Ruffino died, waiting for a transplant, on June 4, 2013.[3]

Trivia

  • The name of Frank and Joey Ruffino was misspelled Raffino on the Dangerzone EP while Marc Martin was incorrectly referred to as Mark Martin.
  • In Zack Snyder's 2009 adaptation of Watchmen, China White can be seen as graffiti on the wall behind Rorschach in his prison cell during the scene(s) where he is confronted by Big Figure and his cronies.

Discography

  • Danger Zone - 7" EP (Frontier Records), 1981.
  • Addiction - CD studio album (Lethal Records), 1995.
  • Live Cheap CD - CD live album (Malt Soda Recordings), 2004.
Compilation appearances
  • "Criminal" on Life is Ugly So Why Not Kill Yourself - (New Underground Records), 1982.
  • "Solid State" on Life is Ugly So Why Not Kill Yourself - (New Underground Records), 1982.
  • "Danger Zone" (alternate version of "Dangerzone") on Life Is Beautiful So Why Not Eat Health Foods - (New Underground Records), 1983.

Members

  • Marc Martin - Vocals
  • James Rodriguez - Bass
  • Joey Ruffino - Drums

Former members

  • Frank Ruffino - Guitar
  • Scott Sisunik - Vocals
  • Richard Katchadoorian - Drums
  • Jeff Porter - Vocals
  • Corey Stretz - Bass
  • Spanky - Drums
  • James Lugo - Drums
  • Vince Mesa - Drums
  • Sandy Hancock - Drums
  • Steve Mohr - Bass

Notes

  1. ^ A pun on band's name, which was taken from the slang term for alpha-Methylfentanyl, a synthetic drug similar to heroin.
  2. ^ January 18, 1964 - October 10, 1981
  3. ^ "In 1979, a powerful, synthetic drug called China White appeared in the illicit drug market; this drug was associated with sudden respiratory arrest and death in opioid addicts. After extensive analysis, the US Department of Justice Special Testing and Research Laboratory identified the drug as the fentanyl derivative, α-methylfentanyl."[8]
  4. ^ "China White refers to 3-methyl fentanyl and α-methyl fentanyl as well as to a very pure form of white heroin, often from Southeast Asia. Other street names for these drugs include China Girl, Persian White, Egg White, Crocodile, Dragon, 999, and Synthetic Heroin."[8]
  5. ^ Summary: A motorcycle gang who set up residence in a quiet suburb is really a front for an advanced party of an alien invasion.[15]
  6. ^ New Underground #NU-11
  7. ^ New Underground #NU-44

References

  1. ^ a b c d Epting, Chris (2014). Rock 'n' Roll in Orange County: Music, Madness and Memories. The History Press. ISBN 9781626196094. p. 72.
  2. ^ Jackson, Nate (March 28, 2013). "OC Punk Community Launches a Benefit Concert to Help China White Guitarist Frank Ruffino". blogs.ocweekly.com. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Epting, Chris (2014). Rock 'n' Roll in Orange County: Music, Madness and Memories. The History Press. ISBN 9781626196094. p. 73.
  4. ^ a b c d e Sheklian, Brian (April 2007). "Sun, Sand, and Safety Pins: The Sensationalistic Saga of Punk Rock in Surf City". trakmarx.com. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  5. ^ Friedman, Glen E. (April 10, 1982). "Hardcore Holocaust: L.A. Punk Report". Sounds.
  6. ^ a b "Social Task". artifixrecords.com. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d Barrie, George. Social Task biography. stereokiller.com. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Barceloux, Donald G. (2012). Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780471727606. p. 539.
  9. ^ Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 17.
  10. ^ Stogref (August 4, 2012). "China White - Addiction .2 !". deathburger.doodlekit.com. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  11. ^ China White, LiveCheap CD, cover art. rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  12. ^ "The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - Black Leather Jackets (31 Jan. 1964)", still frame. imdb.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  13. ^ The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - "Black Leather Jackets" (January 31, 1964), still frame. twilightzonemuseum.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  14. ^ "The Twilight Zone: Season 5, Episode 18 - Black Leather Jackets (31 Jan. 1964)". imdb.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  15. ^ "The Twilight Zone (1959) » Season 5 - 5x18 Black Leather Jackets". sharetv.com. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  16. ^ Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 107.
  • Epting, Chris (2014). Rock 'n' Roll in Orange County: Music, Madness and Memories. The History Press. ISBN 9781626196094.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=China_White_(band)&oldid=689428912"