Interview: The Standells Rise Above “Dirty Water” with “Bump”
The Standells formed in Los Angeles, CA circa 1962 and from their humble beginnings as a “garage rock band” have been considered by many to be the inspiration for bands such as the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. Recently they have reunited for their first new studio album and nationwide tour in over four decades and will be making stops in Bordentown and Long Branch, NJ.
“Bump,” the groups latest release began as a concept approximately five years ago of one of the original founders and front men; keyboardist/vocalist Larry Tamblyn. “In 2009 I approached John Fleck and Mark Adrian,” explainedTamblyn to me recently. “We sat down and I told them I wanted to make a new record and that I had a goal; this is what I want to do. I told them that I don’t want to relive our past, I wanted something new. We were all in agreement and began the writing process and started recording in 2011.”
An unfortunate health issue arose for Tamblyn and the project was delayed as he received treatment for cancer. “I came down with prostate cancer; it delayed everything while I underwent a prostatectomy and we finally completed it in 2013. We accomplished what I wanted; we have the Standells sound of yesterday and today. In order to do that we built our own studio in the garage, which is another reason why it took some time but it allowed for a lot of creativity in an unfettered environment. There was a guitar in the corner and objects here or there; it was a very relaxed atmosphere and not a pristine environment like in a recording studio so to speak. This really enhanced the creativity and the experience; I’m the producer so I’ve got my personal indulgence there but it’s great when you hear (XM Radio DJ) Cousin Brucie and the like say that it bridges the gap between the old and the new. I feel that a lot of groups have made that mistake by trying to create a totally different sound.”
Over the years, the band has gone through multiple personnel changes with various members joining and rejoining seemingly at will; however, this current line up has Tamblyn very excited. “John Fleck, although not an original member, he came on board and has been a major creative force since 1967 after “Dirty Water” but has written great classics like “…Sunset Strip” and Mark; Mark Adrian is probably one of the best guitarists I’ve ever played with. We put him through the wringer with the audition process and he really stepped up and learned everything; he’s a great guy and a great guitarist. Greg Burnham is our drummer, he’s very solid and a big contributor in every way; he’s not just a side man.”
Looking back, Tamblyn has mixed feelings on music, writing and the events of today as opposed to when the band first formed. When asked if 1962 seemed that long ago, he laughed and said, “No; well, it does and it doesn’t. As a person, I’m different now more so than I was back then. I’ve aged and with that comes knowledge and wisdom. Writing? It’s, I think as long as it works, it has to come from an organic place, if it does, it works; if you force it, it doesn’t work. Early on there wasn’t much to go on for incentive, well until the later ’60′s but there’s lots to go on today. “Mr. One Percent” is a comedic approach, “All About The Money” is a bit more serious; both about why the wealthiest pay the least. I wanted to address this; I guess we’re all inspired by something. Music today though, well, there’s positive and negative in today’s music. I’m not into electronica even though I do orchestra scores on synthesizer; it’s just not my style. I do think that music is turning back to yesterday; performers are performing again. There’s not so much just standing on stage and lip syncing or faking it. I love Bruno Mars, I think he’s great and the man performs; he’s also a fantastic drummer. Yeah, so I think its on it’s way back.”
Springsteen, Aerosmith, U2 and countless others have all covered Standells material; something which makes Tamblyn and the rest of the band rather proud. “I’m actually honored,” he stated as he seemed very genuine in his response. “Any time somebody covers our material, be it a known or an unknown, it’s an honor. Youtube is full of unknowns doing our songs and bands like the Ramones and the Stooges; never in my wildest mind would I expected us to inspire these bands.”
“Dirty Water,” the band’s most notable recording has been named one of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock ‘N’ Roll” by the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame. The popular tune has recently been adopted by the city of Boston, MA and its major sports teams; The Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics all play it post game after a victory. The Red Sox adopted it as their “unofficial anthem” in the 1990′s, even having the band appear at game 2 of the 2004 World Series and sing the national anthem at game 1 of the 2007 American League Division Series in Fenway Park. Tamblyn is humbled by all of the attention and accolades that the song has brought. “Well again, it’s an honor, it really is. When you think about all of the songs that have been written over time; 500 songs is a pretty narrow category. We never had any idea that “Dirty Water” would be such a hit; I mean we recorded it in a garage for goodness sake. Having it adopted by Boston and the Red Sox; it’s really something. “Recently we were flown in to do a show to raise funds for the Boston Marathon victims; again, it was a real honor to do so. For some reason people love it and to be able to bring calm to people after the bombing; that was worth more than everything. The funny thing about that song is, none of us had ever even been to Boston when we wrote it. The song was written about the seedier side of Boston and the Charles River, which was one of the most polluted water ways in the country. Later on it was part of a campaign to clean up the Charles River and it helped. The effort really thrived and now the Charles is one of the nicest.”
The Standells will be performing two shows in NJ on May 2 and 3. The first at The Open Arts Stage on Rte 130 South in Bordentown, NJ and the second at The Brighton Bar on Brighton Ave in Long Branch. “We’re looking forward to both,” said Tamblyn. “The Bordentown show is a neat event and Randy Now (Former City Gardens booking agent and current promoter of the show) is a really neat guy. That store of his, The Man Cave, very nice thing he’s got going on over there.”
Don’t miss a chance to see The Standells, a band which has withstood the test of time, been on countless TV and movie screens, recorded many notable tunes and influenced generations of music and musicians. After the Long Branch show, they head up to the Boston area, then Connecticut and New Hampshire before turning toward upstate New York and the Mid-West.
To find out more about The Standells, please go to www.standells-official.com. Please be sure to also check out www.mancavenj.com and www.facebook.com/openartsstage .