Angry Samoans
Hopefully today’s mail will include the Rodney Bingenheimer documentary The Mayor of the Sunset Strip. I really don’t know why I’ve waited as long to get it as I have. I spent the mid ’80’s living in Orange County, and experienced one of the those life altering moments when I tuned into Rodney on The Roq for the first time. If I recall correctly, I believe it was the Germs “My Tunnel” which served as my official introduction to the wonderful sounds of punk rock. I was sold.
20 years later and now I can’t help but think of the Angry Samoans when I think about Rodney. At this point I’m sure most of you know all about the infamous Samoans and their special brand of hostility - their 1982 LP Back From Samoa is a study in anti-social behavior - a classic. And I’m sure you already are aware of what was really one of the great punk rock feuds of all time - The Angry Samoans versus Rodney Bingenheimer. As I know it the Samoans started it all with “Get off the Air”, a track that went right for the jugular, brutally savaging Bingenheimer. the DJ responded by threatening legal action and reputedly getting the band blackballed from LA’s clubs. Legend has it that the band released a four song EP under the name of the Queer Pills in order to garner airplay on Bingenheimer’s show. But according to guitarist Gregg Turner:
We never HAD to release anything as the Queer Pills- it was a goof, really. Back From Samoa was taking forever to finish for any number of reasons….we rushed a quick out-take package (7″ EP) that we called the Queer Pills. Mainly because it wasn’t finished product and we didn’t want to jump the gun on relasing the record. But then the mouth of hell opened once more: someone at the pressing tells Rodney to watch out for the Queer Pills ‘cos it’s really the Angry Samoans in disguise - I think he had actually played it on his show once or twice without knowing it!!
So here’s the Queer Pills 7″. Rough outtakes from the Back To Samoa sessions - 3 of ‘em made it onto the record, with “Time To Fuck” missing the cut.
Angry Samoans - You Stupid Jerk.mp3
Angry Samoans - Time to Fuck.mp3
Angry Samoans - The Todd Killings.mp3
Angry Samoans - They Saved Hitler’s Cock.mp3
And just for good measure, here’s their tribute from Inside My Brain
Angry Samoans - Get Off The Air.mp3
and while we’re naming names why not include the band’s take on the state of LA Punk circa 1981:
Angry Samoans - Posh Boy’s Cock.mp3
Notes:
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I just broke out Back From Samoa the other day after years of inactivity and started wondering what the rough cuts on Queer Pills sounded like. What a sweet coincidence, now I know. I’m not sure but I don’t think it has ever been officially reissued.
Also before Back From Somoa came out they released two tracks on fanzine flexi that included Flipper and Dead Kennedys. I forgot the other song but there was a great outtake of Steaknife (not PB’s Cock) that the fanzine hilarously bleeped!! When I bought there first album, me and my buddies thought they were serious. It was this flexi and Queer Pills that set us straight. Use to see ‘em with Jeff Dahl singing.
The Angry Samoans are too awesome. I saw them at Trenton City Gardens and really loved them. At the time I couldn’t figure out why the hell they had three guitarists for such simple songs.
haha - wait until you see the Rodney doc. Very thought-provoking about the realities of L.A./Hollywood rock and roll where everyone uses everyone and gets used themselves. Saddest part is when his “girlfriend” shows her true colors on camera and his parents are caught hiding all evidence of him in their house.
just like to say i love this blog. thanks for all the good and obscure stuff you post. cheers. T
I worked the “Back from Samoa” recording when I was at City Recorders in Hollywood. As I remember it - their producer came in with a band member (Gregg maybe? It was a long time ago…) - to redo some bass tracks on “Gas Chamber” and a couple others. The producer (and I have NO idea who THAT was) played the parts himself and they went away - not completely satisfied with the results - as I recall. I don’t know if they were keep for the final recording.
So, how weird is this? I worked for a time with one of their girlfriends (don’t ask me who’s - the drummer’s I think) - selling the paper for the LA Times as a telemarketer. ($84 dollar worth of money saving coupons every Thursday!) She started telling us about this band her boyfriend was in - The Angry Samoans - and about six months later - I was recording them. Kinda cosmic!
As for Rodney - my band the Xpanding Canz - did a promo for his show that was killer. I don’t know if he ever used it. Later, I traded my (1981?) Grammy ticket to Rodney for playing for a cover version of “Pretty Woman” I did with a band called the Sweaty Pups (payola! payola!). We had a “chick singer” and Rodney kinda leered at the lesbian aspect of it (which - oddly enough - had never occurred to us.) The ‘Pups line-up featured Johnny B Frank of (Josie Cotton’s) “Johnny Are You Queer” Fame and Phil Miller who played with P-Funk for a time. Rodney was good as his word and he did play it on “Rodney on the ROQ” - and I ended up missing the infamous “Rick James Grammies” because of it. Was it worth it? I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
I’ll just add - our Traffic Manager at City Recorders - was a good friend of Eddie Van Halen (he was a groomsman Ed’s wedding to Valerie B.) He asked for a copy of our Roy Orbison cover - even though he’d never had even a remote interest in our crappy-ass little band before. About six or seven months later - Van Halen dropped their version of the song. Coincidence? You decide.
Back From Samoa is my favorite punk record. It’s funny, these rough cuts don’t sound much rougher than the album. What exactly constitutes a “rough cut” in the realm of 80’s punk, anyway? But anyway, I’d never heard “Time to Fuck,” and I hadn’t heard “Posh Boy’s Cock” in years (I had heard it long ago on some compilation–also had their cover of “Pictures of Matchstick Men,” which was pretty great), so thanks for posting.
‘Mad Doctor Matt’… there’s someone I’d wanna know.
I’m pretty sure you guys have it already, but I also have a version of Time To Fuck with an extra 2 minutes, briefing the whole A.S. vs. Rodney thing. It was a guy from KPFK (I’m assuming), but I’m unsure about anything past that. If you want a copy, email me at stevyn (att) gmail (dott) com. Thanks.
Fishes,
narco.
Just a quality take on The Samoans…
Greetings from the UK