| THE STANDELLS |
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Page 1 of 2  The Standells snarled their way up the charts in 1966 with the enduring smash hit “Dirty Water.” The primitive crudeness that oozes out of “Dirty Water” established it as one of the very first punk, garage classics. But even though the swaggering bravado of Dickie Dodd’s vocals along with the bluesy and raunchy arrangement make this a favorite among punks and garage bands currently in action, “Dirty Water” serves as a remembrance of the teenage attitude that baby boomers lived through in the mid-sixties. There have been various misconceptions about the Standells. Because of a line in “Dirty Water” about Boston being their home, many fans believed the group was from Boston. But the band was actually from Los Angeles, forming in 1962 with Larry Tamblyn (brother of actor Russ Tamblyn), Tony Valentino, Gary Lane, and Gary Leeds. Also, the Standells did not start out as a hard-edged Rolling Stones-influenced group, which is obviously how they are remembered. They began as a relatively clean-cut cover band playing the hits of the day in local L.A. clubs. Even though the Standells were popular in Los Angeles rock clubs in the early sixties, the group had very little recording success in the beginning. They were about to record a live album at one of their local spots, P.J.’s, when drummer Gary Leeds quit (going on to form the Walker Brothers). Enter former Mouseketeer, Dickie Dodd! Dodd had been playing the drums for a few years, even performing with fellow drummer-Mouseketeer Cubby on The Mickey Mouse Club. After he was let go from the Mouseketeers, he continued to perform--as a dancer in “Bye, Bye Birdie” with Giselle MacKenzie in Las Vegas, in local bands The Bel-Airs and Eddie & The Showmen, and in the back-up band for Jackie DeShannon. DeShannon had told him about The Standells and when he went down to P.J.’s to audition, he was hired on the spot. The live album was recorded, though sales did not exactly go through the roof.  However, their popularity at local night spots soared and the band developed a rabid following. With Dodd having acquired some great showmanship with years of stage experience and Tamblyn being from an acting family, it was no big surprise that Hollywood would call. The Standells were tapped to play a rock band (!) in the 1964 movie “Get Yourself A College Girl” with the Animals, the Dave Clark Five, and Nancy Sinatra. That led to an appearance on American Bandstand. But still the group could not produce any hits! Though it didn’t seem to matter--1965 was a big year for them anyway! They began to be featured on various television shows as the “generic” rock band. They appeared as “The Love Bugs” on “The Bing Crosby Show”, a house band on “Ben Casey”, and as themselves in “The Munsters”. They were also heard on the soundtracks of the motion pictures “Zebra in the Kitchen” (Jay North) and “When the Boys Meet the Girls” (Connie Francis). This led to appearances on Shindig, Shebang, Shivaree, Hollywood A-Go-Go, and more American Bandstand. The rock band, who didn’t have any hits, was one of the most televised bands around, singing cover tunes, like “Bony Maronie,” “Louie, Louie,” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” |