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The Fleshtones

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Fleshtones
OriginQueens, New York, U.S.
GenresRock and roll, Garage rock, frat rock
Years active1976–present
LabelsRed Star Records(1978–80)
I.R.S. Records (1980–85)
ROIR
Ichiban Records(1992–98)
Yep Roc Records(2003–present)
MembersKeith Streng
Peter Zaremba
Bill Milhizer
Ken Fox
Past membersJan Marek Pakulski
Lenny Calderon
Danny Gilbert
Gordon Spaeth
Mitchell Ames
Walter Scezney
Robert Burke Warren

The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York formed in 1976.

History

1976–79

The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York by Keith Streng (born September 18, 1955, New York, New York) and Jan Marek Pakulski (b. August 23, 1956, 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 (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 in 1977. The following year, The Fleshtones signed with Marty Thau's Red Star Records (the label's roster included Suicide and Boston's beloved The Real Kids, among others artists), and recorded their first album. In addition, filmmaker/artist M. Henry Jones and the band produced Soul City, a performance-animation video composed of hand-painted cutouts that is a historic representation of the band and Jones' unique art form. It was during the recording of this first album that the band invited engineer Mitchell Ames to join them on guitar following an impromptu guitar moment and some vocalization in the studio. The new sound of a second guitar coincided with a notable burst in popularity in New York City and some new songs that included "Girl From Baltimore," and ultimately launched The Fleshtones into an I.R.S. Records deal. The band's' first single, "American Beat" was originally recorded during the Red Star sessions, but was not released until re-recorded in 1984 as part of the soundtrack of the Tom Hanks' movie Bachelor Party.

1980–85

Tickets for the Fleshtones concerts at the Gibus club in Paris, March 1985, where the Speed Connection album was recorded

In 1980, with the Red Star Records album not released (but 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. It was at this time that the band replaced Calderon with drummer Bill Milhizer (born September 21, 1948, Troy, New York), and appeared in the British Punk/New Wave concert film Urgh! A Music War, and released its first EP Up-Front. Four albums on I.R.S. followed: 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 No. 174 on 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.

1986–89

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 the albums 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 of Television and Andy Shernoff of The Dictators were interim bass players in the studio and on tour until 1990.

1990–2002

Ken Fox (born February 16, 1961, Toronto, Canada) joined the Fleshtones on bass in July 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 the albums 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 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–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, and 2010s, in addition to self-producing in Paul Johnson's Compactor basement studio in Brooklyn, New York, The Fleshtones worked with musician-producers Dave Faulkner, Peter Buck, Steve Albini, Rick Miller, Jim Diamond, Lenny Kaye, and Ivan Julian.

In 2003, The Fleshtones signed with Yep Roc Records, which has released the albums Do You Swing? (2003), Beachhead (2005), Take A Good Look (2008), Stocking Stuffer (2008), Brooklyn Sound Solution (2011), and Wheel Of Talent (2014), as well as the EP Quatro X Quatro (2012).

Book, Tribute, Feature Documentary, and Reissues

Members

  • Keith Streng — guitar & vocals
  • Peter Zaremba — lead vocals, harmonica & organ
  • Bill Milhizer — drums & vocals (1980–present)
  • Ken Fox — bass & vocals (1990–present)

Former members

  • Jan Marek Pakulski — bass, vocals (1976–79, 1979–86)
  • Lenny Calderon — drums, vocals (1976–79)
  • Danny Gilbert — guitar (1976)
  • Gordon Spaeth — sax, harmonica, organ, vocals (1978–88)
  • Mitchell Ames — guitar (1979)
  • Walter Scezney — bass (1979)
  • Robert Burke Warren — bass, vocals (1986–88)

Session/Touring

Horn players

  • Brian Spaeth — sax (1978–81)
  • Gregory D Grinnell — trumpet (1986)
  • Ken Fradley — trumpet (1988)
  • Mark McGowan — trumpet (1988–90)
  • Steve Greenfield — sax (1988–92)
  • Joe Loposky — trumpet (1990–94)
  • Markus Arike — sax (1992–94)

Discography

Albums

  • Blast Off! [recorded in 1978] (1982) (ROIR) cassette + CD (ROIR) 1990 + CD (ROIR/Fr. Danceteria) 1993 + CD (Red Star) 1997 + LP (Sp. Munster) 2001 + LP (Get Hip Records) 2002
  • Roman Gods (1982) [LP/cassette (I.R.S.) 1982 + CD [limited] (Eur. I.R.S.) 1990]
  • Hexbreaker! (1983) [LP/cassette (I.R.S.)]
  • Speed Connection: Live In Paris 85 (1985) LP (Fr. I.R.S.)
  • Speed Connection II - The Final Chapter (Live In Paris 85) (1985) LP/cassette (I.R.S.) 1985 + download (I.R.S.) 2010
  • Fleshtones vs. Reality (1987) [LP/cassette/CD (Emergo)]
  • Soul Madrid (1989) LP (Sp. Imposible)
  • Powerstance! (1991) [CD/LP/cassette (Aus. Trafalgar) 1991 + CD/LP/cassette (UK Big Beat ) 1991 + CD (Naked Language/Ichiban) 1992 + download (Ichiban) 2006]
  • Beautiful Light (1993) [(Naked Language/Ichiban also Forever Fleshtones - Gr. Hitch Hyke)]
  • Laboratory of Sound (1995) [CD (Ichiban International) 1995 + LP (Gr. Hitch Hyke) 1996 + download (Ichiban) 2006]
  • Hitsburg USA! (1996) [LP (Telstar) + CD (Sp. Imposible) also Fleshtones Favorites CD (Flesh)]
  • More Than Skin Deep (1997) [CD (Ichiban International) 1997 + LP (Telstar) 1997 + CD/LP (Eur. Epitaph) 1999 + download (Ichiban) 2006]
  • Hitsburg Revisited (1999) [CD (Telstar) + CD/LP (Eur. Epitaph)]
  • Solid Gold Sound (2001) [CD/LP (Blood Red) + CD (Fr. Fantastika) + download (Blood Red) 2009]
  • Do You Swing? (2003) [CD/LP (YepRoc)]
  • Beachhead (2005) [CD/LP (YepRoc) 2005 + LP (It. Nicotine)]
  • Take A Good Look (2008) [CD/LP (YepRoc)]
  • Stocking Stuffer (2008) [CD/LP (YepRoc)]
  • Brooklyn Sound Solution (2011) [CD/LP (YepRoc) with Lenny Kaye]
  • Wheel Of Talent (2014) [CD/LP (YepRoc)]

singles

  • American Beat b/w Critical List (1979) - 7" (Red Star)
  • The Girl From Baltimore (1980)
  • The World Has Changed b/w All Around The World (1981) - 7" (I.R.S.)
  • Roman Gods [Dance Remix] b/w Ride Your Pony + Chinese Kitchen (1982) - 12" (I.R.S.)
  • Shadow-Line (1982)
  • American Beat '84 b/w Hall Of Fame (1984) - 7" (I.R.S.)
  • Armed And Dangerous b/w Let It Rip + Electric Mouse (1991) - 7" (UK Big Beat)
  • Beautiful Light ["Big Mix"] + Treat Me Like A Man + Mushroom Cloud (1994) - CD (Naked Language)
  • Take A Walk With The Fleshtones b/w One Of Us (1994) - 7" (Naked Language)
  • Gentleman's Twist b/w Red Sunset + Gentleman's Twist (featuring Alan Vega) (1998) - 7" (Eur. Epitaph)
  • Jetset Fleshtones b/w Les Temps Dira (2007) - 7" (YepRoc)
  • Bite Of My Soul b/w Remember The Ramones (2011) - 7" (YepRoc)
  • I Can't Hide b/w B-Side (2011) - 7" (YepRoc)
  • For A Smile (featuring Mary Huff) b/w Everywhere Is Nowhere (featuring Mary Huff) (2013) - 7" (YepRoc)
  • Available b/w Let's Live (2013) 7" - (YepRoc)
  • Gotta Get Away b/w 2000 Light Years From Home (Los Straitjackets) (2015) - 7" (Norton)
  • I Surrender! b/w Dominique Laboubee (2015) - 7" (YepRoc)
  • The End Of My Neighborhood b/w Cardboard Casanova (2016) - 7" (YepRoc)
  • The Band Drinks For Free b/w Love My Lover (2016) - 7" (YepRoc)

EPs

  • Up-Front (I.R.S.) 1980
  • American Beat ‘84 (Fr. I.R.S.) 1984
  • Los Fleshtones: Quatro x Quatro (Yep Roc) 2012

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

Appearances

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! Live at La Maroquinerie DVD (Big Enough) 2006
  • The Fleshtones—Live At The Hurrah Club DVD (Cherry Red) 2008
  • Pardon Us For Living, But The Graveyard Is Full (Cold Cut Productions) 2009

Side projects

  • Peter Zaremba's Love Delegation
  • Full Time Men (Streng's side band which featured Peter Buck)
  • The Tall Lonesome Pines (Pakulski's side band with George Gilmore)
  • The Master Plan (Streng's side band with Milhizer, Paul Johnson, and Andy Shernoff)
  • The Split Squad (Streng's side band with Clem Burke, Eddie Munoz, Michael Giblin, and Josh Kantor).

Further reading

References

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