Genres Punk rock Genre Punk rock | Years active 1977–1982 Associated acts The Eyes | |
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Past members Black RandyDavid BrownBob DeadwylerPat GarrettKK BarrettJoe RamirezTom HughesJoe Nanini Members Black Randy, K. K. Barrett, Pat Garrett, Bod Dead, David Brown Similar The Dils, The Weirdos, The Alley Cats, The Bags, Joe Nanini | ||
Black randy and the metrosquad i slept in an arcade
Black Randy and the Metrosquad was a punk rock and joke band from the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Los Angeles punk scene. They gained notoriety not only for their surreal and smutty sense of humour, but also for their amalgamation of proto-punk, 1970s porn, pop, and avant-garde music.
Contents
Black randy and the metrosquad i slept in an arcade
History
The band formed in Los Angeles in 1977 with Black Randy (born John Morris, January 5, 1952) as frontman, David Brown on keyboards, and other members including Pat Garrett on guitar. However, the band had a rotating line-up, which even included live back-up singers known as the Blackettes which often included Exene Cervenka, Alice Bag, Lorna Doom, Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, and featured several members of The Eyes.
Black Randy's lyrics gave him a reputation for being as witty as he was offensive with songs about porn, Marlon Brando, and Idi Amin. Their first single, "Trouble at the Cup", advocated fighting the police. He also covered James Brown's "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". The band also covered various porn music themes from the 70s.
They released many vinyl singles and cassette tapes from 1977 onwards which were later compiled on an album called, Pass the Dust, I Think I'm Bowie, which had sophisticated and even innovative musical arrangements that had more in common with post-punk than hardcore bands like Black Flag. This album led to the band being the most represented act on Dangerhouse Records, the label established by Brown and Garrett. This was the label's only album release, though this was not due to nepotism, but rather to bands with major-label aspirations worrying that being associated with Black Randy's offensive songs could jeopardize their chances of being signed. The band appeared in Lou Adler's 1981 satirical punk rock film Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, performing "I Slept in an Arcade". Pass the Dust... was reissued in 2004 by Sympathy for the Record Industry, and as a double LP by Vinyl Countdown Records in 2009, including the original album, the Dangerhouse singles, demos, live material, and a Black Randy phone call. Frontier Records reissued the album in 2016 on transparent pink vinyl, including a digital download with the non-LP Dangerhouse singles as bonus tracks, with a limited cassette edition co-released with Burger Records.
The band imploded in mid-1982 when their frontman succumbed to drug and alcohol problems, which were evident in chaotic live shows, where songs were hardly sung and Brown tried, to no avail, to salvage the show. Black Randy died on November 11th, 1988 of complications from AIDS. He was portrayed by Chris Pontius in the film What We Do Is Secret, a biopic of Darby Crash.
Albums
Singles
Various artists compilation appearances
Songs
Loner With a BonerPass the Dust - I Think I'm Bowie · 1980
Trouble at the CupPass the Dust - I Think I'm Bowie · 1980
Say It Loud -- I'm Black and I'm ProudPass the Dust - I Think I'm Bowie · 1980