Flower
retired
Wiki Link
The Standells In Person At P.J.'s. 1964
Dirty Water 1966
Why Pick On Me Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White 1966
The Hot Ones! 1967
Try It 1967
Riot on Sunset Strip (sound track from the movie of the same name) 1967
Rarities 1984
LIve and Out of Sight (The Standells in Person at P.J.'s with two bonus songs) 1966, 1990
Ban This! (1999 live recordings) 2000
The Live Ones (1967 live recordings) 2001
The Standells are a 1960s garage rock band from Los Angeles, California.
History
The band was formed in 1962 by guitarist Tony Valentino and organist Larry Tamblyn. After the addition of vocalist and drummer Dick Dodd and bassist Gary Lane, The Standells' had their first hit single with "Dirty Water," which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 11, 1966.
Other popular tracks included "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" (later covered by Washington, D.C. hardcore band Minor Threat, Swedish garage band The Nomads and The Cramps in there live sets around 1982), "Why Pick On Me," "Riot On Sunset Strip," and "Try It."
Earlier in the 1960s, Dick Dodd was the original drummer for The Bel-Airs, known for the hit surf rock song "Mr. Moto". Dodd is also a former Mouseketeer. Larry Tamblyn is the brother of actor Russ Tamblyn and uncle of Amber Tamblyn, star of Joan of Arcadia. Lowell George, who would go on to play with Little Feat, briefly played guitar in The Standells prior to their breakup in 1968. Gary Walker, later of The Walker Brothers, was also a member of the band.
Prior to their success on the Capitol Records label Tower, in 1964 they signed with Liberty in 1964 and issued three singles and an album, The Standells In Person At P.J.'s. The following year, they recorded one single for Linda Records (crediting Larry Tamblyn & The Standells), and by 1965 they had signed with Vee Jay for two singles. They also released one single on MGM that year. Stylistically, the band was mostly a live covers band with some California surf material.
It was not until they signed with Capitol Records (Tower) and utilised record producer Ed Cobb that the garage/punk style crept in. When they signed to Capitol, their first single on Tower was "Dirty Water", which became a hit, although it took some time for the single to break nationally. Subsequently, Liberty issued one single from the Liberty album and put it out on their Sunset label (one of the few singles issued on Sunset).
The group appeared in several low budget films in the 1960s, including Get Yourself a College Girl and Riot on Sunset Strip. The Standells also made an appearance on the television sitcom The Munsters in the episode "Far Out Munster," wherein the band performed "Come On and Ringo" and a version of The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand."
Despite the references to Boston and the Charles River in "Dirty Water," The Standells are not from Massachusetts. Nevertheless, "Dirty Water" is still played after every home victory won by the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, and Northeastern Huskies hockey games. The song was written by the band's producer, Ed Cobb, who hailed from New England, and the Boston and Charles River references are reportedly based on an experience of Cobb and his girlfriend with a mugger in the mid 1960s.
In 1999, the original band members got together for a live show at the Cavestomp festival, and their performance was subsequently released as an album called Ban This!
The band continues to play shows occasionally, having performed at the second game of the 2004 World Series as well as the first game of the 2007 American League Division Series at Fenway Park. The Standells are also scheduled to play in London, England, on June 19, 2010
Last edited by a moderator:
