THE BINGS . . . THE BINGS!
THE BINGS . . . THE BINGS!
THE BINGS . . . THE BINGS!
Please Please Please
And then there were Bings!
The Bings BLog
PuNk, BoMp & BinGs (Part 1)
Welcome to the first Bings' Blog! This month, The Bings' rhythm guitarist, singer, and songwriter,
Dave Chrenko shares a piece of Rock 'n' Roll History 1976-1979: "The Punk Years".
PuNk RoCk'S "GABBA GABBA HEY!" DaY
The Ramones 1st album, "RAMONES", released April 23, 1976
The first modern Punk era began on April 23, 1976, when a ragtag band roared out of CBGB in New York City's Bowery with an album that completely defied convention. It was stripped down, no frills, high-octane Rock 'n' Roll in the tradition of the Sonics, the MC5, Iggy & The Stooges, and the New York Dolls. It was Garage - only moreso, and it was Punk - only moreso.
I read about them in New York Rocker, and sensed this was one album I MUST hear. Don't remember if it was Licorice Pizza, or Moby Disc - but, I found The Ramones LP on sale with a cardboard display in the store window. I took it home, put it on the turntable, dropped the needle down on the shiny black vinyl, and waited . . . . .
Not sure what I expected, but The Ramones really knocked me for a loop. The guitars were so raw and blistering, and the vocals so DIY, I didn't know quite what to make of it. I knew it had to be "great" - but wasn't sure why.
We Put The BOMP!
August 1978: Having been an avid reader of Greg Shaw's Bomp! Magazine since 1974, and a customer of the Bomp! record outlet store, I was now a member of the Bomp! Records label and Magazine team.
A few days before I was to start work I dropped in to get my work schedule. The radio was on in the office, when suddenly, an urgent bulletin broke the news. Elvis Presley was dead. We just stood there stunned. It was August 16, 1978. Within the week, every Elvis record in America had been snapped up by his fans.
Life at Bomp! was an amazing experience. We were a major force in an emerging music scene known as Punk. While New York City had The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Talking Heads, and a number of other pioneering underground bands - the REAL scene in America was in Los Angeles and Orange County.
We had The Weirdos, The Nerves, X, Black Flag, Fear, The Last, The Zeros, The Blasters, The Screamers, The Dickies. Punk clubs were springing up everywhere! There was also a Punk explosion in London: Among the early Punk bands across the pond were The Sex Pistols,
The Clash, Joe Jackson, Generation X, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Jam, and Elvis Costello.
Future "Bing" Dave Chrenko in the Bomp! window display, and record outlet/office on Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood. (December 1978)
When Punk and New wave bands came to Hollywood to perform in the many Punk-oriented nightclubs, they would inevitably make their way to Bomp! During the day, we never knew who would show up, from The Ramones to The Dickies to The Bags.
In the evening, Nikki & The Corvettes were using our office as a rehearsal studio.
Then, there were the in-store appearances. We hosted autograph parties for Blondie, Nick Gilder, Dead Boys, Talking Heads, and my personal favorite, England's Eddie & The Hot Rods. More than our usual autograph party, Eddie & The Hot Rods pulled a flatbed truck into the alley behind Bomp! and performed a fantastic live show.
Due to a delay at a similar show at Tower Records, Hollwood parking lot - The Rods showed up about 3 hours late. It was now getting dark, and there were no stage lights, as nobody planned on starting at 6pm. Ever the creative thinker, I pulled my 1959 Dodge Seneca to the left front of the stage and hit the high beams. They lit the whole "stage" - and the band went on.
Two highlights of the show: Performing an energized "Do Anything You Wanna Do", and jamming with their Island Records'
A&R man, Spencer Davis on his 1967 hit, "Gimme Some Lovin' ". Here are a few of the promo flyers I created for Bomp!
I'll be returning to Bomp! and the 1970s-'80s Punk-New Wave scene in future entries of the Bings Blog. The plan is to have each Bing contribute - and have a new entry every two weeks - or as the inspiration strikes. 'Til then, "Gabba Gabba Hey!" and a mighty "Cowabunga!" from California.
~ Dave Chrenko for The Bings Blog