1 00:00:01,266 --> 00:00:03,834 (tense music) 2 00:00:13,667 --> 00:00:17,667 (screen crackling quietly) 3 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:21,934 - NBA champions. - Yeah. 4 00:00:21,934 --> 00:00:24,667 - '78, '79 season. 5 00:00:24,667 --> 00:00:27,600 Oh wait, different Sonics. 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,734 (rain pattering) (train horn blaring) 7 00:00:34,033 --> 00:00:36,200 - They were before everybody and it was dark, 8 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,900 and there was a meanness to the guitar sound. 9 00:00:39,900 --> 00:00:44,033 (rain pattering) (train horn blaring) 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,166 - Their influence on me 11 00:00:51,166 --> 00:00:54,467 at Soundgarden is profound. 12 00:00:54,467 --> 00:00:58,066 (rain pattering) 13 00:01:02,467 --> 00:01:04,200 - You know, can you make a sound like The Sonics? 14 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:05,800 And I go, "Well, 15 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,600 first of all, you're not The Sonics." (chuckles) 16 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,166 Can you play like The Sonics? 17 00:01:10,166 --> 00:01:14,400 (rain pattering) (train horn blares) 18 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,066 - They were driving it right to the max, 19 00:01:17,066 --> 00:01:19,233 like, right, pinning the meter, you know? 20 00:01:19,233 --> 00:01:22,867 (rain pattering) 21 00:01:24,100 --> 00:01:27,433 - They're rooted in kind of '50s RandB, rock and roll, 22 00:01:27,433 --> 00:01:30,100 but like, as played by a freight train. 23 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:33,734 (rain pattering) (train horn blares) 24 00:01:37,367 --> 00:01:39,500 - Music that just kicked your ass. 25 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:41,033 - They sound fucking dangerous. 26 00:01:41,033 --> 00:01:44,634 (train reverberating) 27 00:01:55,934 --> 00:01:58,600 - [Jordan] I grew up on an island in the northwest. 28 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,734 When I was a kid, my father and I never really connected. 29 00:02:02,533 --> 00:02:06,266 He was, and still is an umpire, so sports were his thing. 30 00:02:08,333 --> 00:02:10,000 See, I didn't give a shit about sports. 31 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:11,533 Movies and music were my thing 32 00:02:11,533 --> 00:02:13,233 and I hated his taste in music. 33 00:02:16,367 --> 00:02:18,000 One day I was in my bedroom 34 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,967 listening to the latest Nirvana record. 35 00:02:19,967 --> 00:02:21,800 I had it cranked. 36 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,433 My dad came walking by and stopped in the doorway. 37 00:02:24,433 --> 00:02:26,000 I thought he was gonna tell me to turn it down, 38 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,433 but instead he said, "If you like this, 39 00:02:29,433 --> 00:02:31,767 you should check out The Sonics." 40 00:02:31,767 --> 00:02:33,934 Who the fuck are The Sonics? 41 00:02:33,934 --> 00:02:36,066 Is he talking about the basketball team? 42 00:02:36,066 --> 00:02:38,967 I just ignored him until he walked away. 43 00:02:38,967 --> 00:02:41,233 Couple days later, I came home from school. 44 00:02:41,233 --> 00:02:43,100 My dad had found an old copy of "Boom," 45 00:02:43,100 --> 00:02:44,800 left it resting against my door. 46 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,734 (sentimental music) 47 00:02:48,734 --> 00:02:50,900 So I went into my room and put it on. 48 00:02:50,900 --> 00:02:53,233 First Song, "Cinderella." 49 00:02:53,233 --> 00:02:57,500 (upbeat rock music) 50 00:03:02,867 --> 00:03:06,100 ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, everybody ♪ 51 00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:08,634 - [Jordan] They instantly became my favorite band. 52 00:03:09,133 --> 00:03:11,667 I was right around the ripe old age of 13 53 00:03:11,667 --> 00:03:13,166 so naturally I thought I knew everything 54 00:03:13,166 --> 00:03:14,934 there was to know about everything, 55 00:03:14,934 --> 00:03:16,967 but this sounded like punk rock. 56 00:03:16,967 --> 00:03:19,734 And historically speaking, these guys were almost 15 years 57 00:03:19,734 --> 00:03:21,400 before the Ramones. 58 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,634 This even predated The Stooges. 59 00:03:23,634 --> 00:03:26,100 Why didn't everyone know about this band? 60 00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:28,266 And of all people, how the hell did my dad 61 00:03:28,266 --> 00:03:30,066 come to know about these guys? 62 00:03:31,233 --> 00:03:33,367 (sentimental music) 63 00:03:33,367 --> 00:03:35,700 I just sat there staring at this album cover, 64 00:03:35,700 --> 00:03:38,567 looking at these five badass dudes. 65 00:03:38,567 --> 00:03:40,200 (sentimental music) 66 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:41,133 Who were they? 67 00:03:42,333 --> 00:03:43,667 And what happened to them? 68 00:03:46,934 --> 00:03:49,300 These questions would stick with me for years. 69 00:03:49,300 --> 00:03:51,133 The Sonics were a total mystery. 70 00:03:52,867 --> 00:03:55,166 That is until in 2008 71 00:03:55,166 --> 00:03:56,967 when one of the most unlikely reunions 72 00:03:56,967 --> 00:03:59,000 in rock and roll history took place. 73 00:04:00,967 --> 00:04:04,400 This event sent me on a 10-year journey of discovery, 74 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,066 finally getting the answers to my questions, 75 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,867 and would lead me to one man in his unending determination 76 00:04:12,867 --> 00:04:14,367 to make The Sonics boom. 77 00:04:18,667 --> 00:04:22,667 But first, let's go back to 1960 where it all began 78 00:04:22,667 --> 00:04:25,800 with these five badass motherfuckers. 79 00:04:27,033 --> 00:04:28,533 Spin. 80 00:04:28,533 --> 00:04:29,867 (upbeat rock music) 81 00:04:29,867 --> 00:04:32,333 ♪ Somebody knows ♪ 82 00:04:32,333 --> 00:04:34,934 ♪ What you have done ♪ 83 00:04:34,934 --> 00:04:37,934 ♪ About you carrying on ♪ 84 00:04:37,934 --> 00:04:40,634 ♪ And having fun ♪ 85 00:04:40,634 --> 00:04:41,767 - [Jordan] Good slate. 86 00:04:41,767 --> 00:04:43,500 ♪ It was so wrong ♪ 87 00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:46,433 ♪ 'Bout you had to play ♪ 88 00:04:46,433 --> 00:04:49,200 ♪ Now you're gonna learn ♪ 89 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,400 ♪ That lying don't pay ♪ 90 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:53,600 ♪ It's too late, it's too late ♪ 91 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,066 ♪ You lied, you lied ♪ 92 00:04:55,066 --> 00:04:56,567 ♪ Now you, now you ♪ 93 00:04:56,567 --> 00:04:57,900 ♪ Will fry, will fry ♪ 94 00:04:57,900 --> 00:04:59,600 ♪ It's better, it's better ♪ 95 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:00,734 ♪ Than hate him, than hate him ♪ 96 00:05:00,734 --> 00:05:02,634 ♪ He's waitin', he's waitin' ♪ 97 00:05:02,634 --> 00:05:04,133 ♪ He's waitin', he's waitin' ♪ 98 00:05:04,133 --> 00:05:07,233 ♪ For you, whoa ♪ 99 00:05:07,233 --> 00:05:09,800 ♪ You stayed up late ♪ 100 00:05:17,767 --> 00:05:20,567 (sirens blaring) 101 00:05:20,934 --> 00:05:24,400 - (chuckles) It was kind of a dirty place in a way. 102 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,900 You know, some people have likened it 103 00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:29,900 to like the Pittsburgh of the northwest, you know? 104 00:05:29,900 --> 00:05:32,734 And it'd be like comparing London 105 00:05:32,734 --> 00:05:34,066 and Liverpool, 106 00:05:36,567 --> 00:05:39,166 a little rougher on the edges. 107 00:05:39,166 --> 00:05:41,533 - Seattle is a big urban city. 108 00:05:41,533 --> 00:05:44,066 Tacoma is a blue collar waterfront town. 109 00:05:44,066 --> 00:05:46,667 All our dads were blue collar guys. 110 00:05:46,667 --> 00:05:48,400 - Especially compared to Seattle, 111 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,100 Seattle there was a certain sophistication to it 112 00:05:51,100 --> 00:05:54,166 that I think Tacoma didn't have, you know. 113 00:05:54,166 --> 00:05:57,433 My parents moved there 1957. 114 00:05:57,433 --> 00:05:59,934 I was 12 from Oklahoma. 115 00:05:59,934 --> 00:06:02,600 Hence, that's why they call me Bobby Joe, 116 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,600 because everybody has two first names (chuckles) 117 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:07,567 in the Midwest. 118 00:06:07,567 --> 00:06:11,300 (lively upbeat music) 119 00:06:16,066 --> 00:06:19,333 - What got me all inspired about playing guitar 120 00:06:19,333 --> 00:06:20,867 was I have an uncle. 121 00:06:20,867 --> 00:06:23,233 He brought a guitar over to my house, 122 00:06:23,233 --> 00:06:26,900 I'm guessing I was maybe eight or 10 years old. 123 00:06:26,900 --> 00:06:30,000 And it was just an acoustic guitar. 124 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,533 Boom chick, boom chick. 125 00:06:31,533 --> 00:06:34,133 I thought that was really cool. 126 00:06:34,133 --> 00:06:37,834 He came back maybe two years later and had an amplifier. 127 00:06:37,834 --> 00:06:40,033 Electric guitar was even cooler. 128 00:06:40,033 --> 00:06:41,634 I mean that was so good. 129 00:06:41,634 --> 00:06:43,834 That's why I started picking out stuff on my own. 130 00:06:43,834 --> 00:06:45,934 - When I was about in the third grade, 131 00:06:45,934 --> 00:06:49,367 a music instrument salesman came to the elementary school. 132 00:06:49,367 --> 00:06:52,967 He looked at me and said, "Oh no, you kind of got 133 00:06:52,967 --> 00:06:54,400 a little overbite. 134 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,233 You need to play the clarinet." 135 00:06:56,233 --> 00:06:58,667 And I played it all the way through school, 136 00:06:58,667 --> 00:07:00,066 all the way through middle school, 137 00:07:00,066 --> 00:07:01,900 all the way through high school. 138 00:07:01,900 --> 00:07:04,667 - Seventh grade, I got a snare drum. 139 00:07:04,667 --> 00:07:08,500 I played in the junior high band. 140 00:07:08,500 --> 00:07:12,066 And guys would come over and jam that I knew, 141 00:07:12,066 --> 00:07:13,700 Gerry Roslie was one. 142 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:15,433 - I played accordion for three years, 143 00:07:15,433 --> 00:07:19,600 and I hated every lesson my parents made me. 144 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:20,834 - [Jordan] Hey, Gerry, who were your favorite singers 145 00:07:20,834 --> 00:07:21,867 at that time? 146 00:07:21,867 --> 00:07:25,433 - Little Richard, of course, played the piano and sang. 147 00:07:25,433 --> 00:07:29,634 Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley because of his energy. 148 00:07:29,634 --> 00:07:32,033 I saw him come out and I heard them girls screaming, 149 00:07:32,033 --> 00:07:33,400 and I just got goosebumps. 150 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:34,900 I'm thinking, what the hell? 151 00:07:34,900 --> 00:07:36,467 These girls going crazy for this guy. 152 00:07:36,467 --> 00:07:38,066 You know what? That's it. 153 00:07:38,066 --> 00:07:39,634 No more accordion. 154 00:07:39,634 --> 00:07:41,700 I'm changing to piano and organ. 155 00:07:41,700 --> 00:07:43,834 ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ 156 00:07:43,834 --> 00:07:46,533 (upbeat music) 157 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,867 - I was a senior in high school 158 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,634 the day that I met Gerry Roslie in the music room, 159 00:07:55,634 --> 00:07:57,467 and he was banging on a piano. 160 00:07:57,467 --> 00:07:59,967 And I thought what he was playing was real cool. 161 00:07:59,967 --> 00:08:01,367 That's rock and roll, you're playing, right? 162 00:08:01,367 --> 00:08:03,200 And he said, "Yeah." Blah, blah, blah, blah. 163 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:04,967 Said, "That's great. 164 00:08:04,967 --> 00:08:06,600 There must be a sax around here someplace." 165 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,567 So I found a sax, I'd never played a sax, 166 00:08:08,567 --> 00:08:11,100 but the reed went on the same way as a clarinet. 167 00:08:11,100 --> 00:08:13,400 So I started playing sax and Gerry was playing piano. 168 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:15,233 And I thought, oh, this is cool 169 00:08:15,233 --> 00:08:18,066 until the music director kicked us both out of the room. 170 00:08:18,066 --> 00:08:20,100 And he said, "Hey, I got a piano over at my house. 171 00:08:20,100 --> 00:08:21,367 You want to come over and play some more?" 172 00:08:21,367 --> 00:08:22,367 I said, "Yeah." 173 00:08:22,367 --> 00:08:24,200 So I took this kid's sax, I didn't even know it was, 174 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,266 went over to Gerry's house and we played 175 00:08:26,266 --> 00:08:28,367 and that's how he and I got started. 176 00:08:28,367 --> 00:08:30,700 - We got to play in my folks' living room. 177 00:08:30,700 --> 00:08:32,834 You know, you said we were always a garage band, 178 00:08:32,834 --> 00:08:35,400 but for once we made it in the house. 179 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,200 - From that moment on, started plotting and scheming 180 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:40,867 and meeting other guys. 181 00:08:40,867 --> 00:08:44,467 And how do we get into a rock and roll band? 182 00:08:44,467 --> 00:08:45,967 - I didn't start playing 183 00:08:45,967 --> 00:08:47,500 until I was a senior in high school, 184 00:08:47,500 --> 00:08:49,467 but I'd been listening to music and all that. 185 00:08:49,467 --> 00:08:52,133 I was aware of the music scene, 186 00:08:52,133 --> 00:08:53,934 what there was in Tacoma. 187 00:08:53,934 --> 00:08:56,600 There was Little Bill and The Bluenotes and The Wailers. 188 00:08:57,100 --> 00:09:00,133 And I used to go see The Wailers all the time. 189 00:09:00,133 --> 00:09:01,567 They were tough. 190 00:09:01,567 --> 00:09:03,066 I mean, they were so cool. 191 00:09:03,066 --> 00:09:05,867 (upbeat music) 192 00:09:24,266 --> 00:09:25,433 - [Jordan] The Fabulous Wailers 193 00:09:25,433 --> 00:09:27,133 were one of the most influential 194 00:09:27,133 --> 00:09:30,433 and successful northwest bands around at that time. 195 00:09:30,433 --> 00:09:33,000 With the success of their nationally charting hit 196 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,634 "Tall Cool One," 197 00:09:34,634 --> 00:09:37,567 the band even appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. 198 00:09:37,567 --> 00:09:40,233 - We all liked The Wailers. 199 00:09:40,233 --> 00:09:42,734 They were local gods to us. 200 00:09:42,734 --> 00:09:45,166 - I felt like standing up and throwing chairs 201 00:09:45,166 --> 00:09:46,367 and screaming and yelling 202 00:09:46,367 --> 00:09:48,867 out of pure, absolute adrenaline rush 203 00:09:48,867 --> 00:09:50,266 listening to The Wailers. 204 00:09:50,266 --> 00:09:52,900 - [Jordan] These guys were local heroes. 205 00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:56,700 The band's lineup consisted of John Greek, Richard Dangel, 206 00:09:56,700 --> 00:10:00,166 Mike Burk, Kent Morrill, and Mark Marush. 207 00:10:00,166 --> 00:10:03,367 And eventually, buck Ormsby would take over on base, 208 00:10:03,367 --> 00:10:04,834 but we'll get to that later. 209 00:10:10,634 --> 00:10:13,667 (upbeat music) 210 00:10:17,166 --> 00:10:20,400 ♪ Well I met a little girl ♪ 211 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,533 ♪ Walking down the street ♪ 212 00:10:23,533 --> 00:10:25,734 ♪ Said what's your name ♪ 213 00:10:25,734 --> 00:10:28,166 - Yeah, now, Larry had a band, 214 00:10:28,166 --> 00:10:33,567 well, he and a kid named Mitch Jaber and Stuart Turner, 215 00:10:33,567 --> 00:10:36,033 and I can't remember the bass player's name, 216 00:10:36,033 --> 00:10:38,133 but he played a big standup bass. 217 00:10:38,133 --> 00:10:41,700 And our drummer had a snare drum, 218 00:10:41,700 --> 00:10:44,266 but he had to rent a high hat to go with it 219 00:10:44,266 --> 00:10:46,000 when we got a gig. 220 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,367 - I don't think Larry knew 221 00:10:47,367 --> 00:10:49,600 that I had been scheming about weaseling 222 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,300 my way into his band. 223 00:10:51,300 --> 00:10:52,900 There wasn't much he could do about it 224 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:54,667 'cause I was bigger than him at the time. 225 00:10:54,667 --> 00:10:57,600 - And suddenly, I think the bass player's name was Larry. 226 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,834 He was out and Andy was in. 227 00:10:59,834 --> 00:11:01,567 - [Jordan] Andy and Larry would call their band 228 00:11:01,567 --> 00:11:02,734 The Sonics. 229 00:11:02,734 --> 00:11:04,133 And aside from the two brothers, 230 00:11:04,133 --> 00:11:07,367 the band was a bit of a revolving door of musicians. 231 00:11:07,367 --> 00:11:09,367 This was all about the change. 232 00:11:09,367 --> 00:11:11,233 ♪ I wanna hold your hand ♪ 233 00:11:11,233 --> 00:11:12,767 ♪ Just a little bit of love ♪ 234 00:11:12,767 --> 00:11:14,367 ♪ I wanna hold your hand ♪ 235 00:11:14,367 --> 00:11:15,867 ♪ Just a little bit of love ♪ 236 00:11:15,867 --> 00:11:17,133 ♪ I wanna hold your hand ♪ 237 00:11:17,133 --> 00:11:21,567 - [Rob] Gerry, Bobby, and I were playing in a little band. 238 00:11:21,567 --> 00:11:23,834 I believe it was called The Imperials. 239 00:11:23,834 --> 00:11:25,867 Over across the way, there was this other little band 240 00:11:25,867 --> 00:11:28,700 playing called The Sonics. 241 00:11:28,700 --> 00:11:30,700 Boy, you know, if we could put the three of us together 242 00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:32,266 with those two guitar playing brothers, 243 00:11:32,266 --> 00:11:34,233 we'd have a pretty serious band. 244 00:11:34,233 --> 00:11:36,233 - [Jordan] While out looking for a new organ player, 245 00:11:36,233 --> 00:11:37,934 The Sonics would stumble across 246 00:11:37,934 --> 00:11:40,467 none other than Mr. Gerry Roslie. 247 00:11:40,467 --> 00:11:43,200 - And it was Andy saying, "Well, a sax player?" 248 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,266 And I say, "Yeah, my friend Rob." 249 00:11:45,266 --> 00:11:49,567 - Gerry said, well, I've got a good friend to play sax, 250 00:11:49,567 --> 00:11:51,200 another good friend that's a killer drummer. 251 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,567 - [Andy] Roslie said, "We'll get ahold of Bob Bennett." 252 00:11:53,567 --> 00:11:55,266 So we did. 253 00:11:55,266 --> 00:11:56,767 - [Bob] You know, when I joined the group, 254 00:11:56,767 --> 00:11:59,233 I played a lot louder than any of the other drum. 255 00:11:59,233 --> 00:12:02,367 I don't remember any other drummers playing as loud as I. 256 00:12:02,367 --> 00:12:05,300 - [Rob] Bob was totally dynamic and breaking heads 257 00:12:05,300 --> 00:12:06,900 and breaking sticks. 258 00:12:06,900 --> 00:12:10,634 - I would break my pedals, the heads. 259 00:12:10,634 --> 00:12:12,266 I broke a lot of stuff. 260 00:12:12,266 --> 00:12:16,300 (upbeat music) 261 00:12:16,300 --> 00:12:18,934 - Gosh, he played so loud 262 00:12:18,934 --> 00:12:21,400 and so aggressively, 263 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,300 I think we all started doing that. 264 00:12:23,300 --> 00:12:26,300 - Here's Bob and he just beat the crap out of his drums. 265 00:12:26,300 --> 00:12:28,967 And I went, well, I like that. (imitates cranking) 266 00:12:28,967 --> 00:12:30,934 I turned my amp up 267 00:12:30,934 --> 00:12:33,600 and next thing you know, we had people pasted to the wall. 268 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,500 - [Bob] If you were standing 15 feet from my bass drum 269 00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:40,667 and it didn't ruffle your shirt when I hit it, 270 00:12:40,667 --> 00:12:43,400 then I wasn't hitting it hard enough. 271 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:45,233 - [Rob] We wanted to play "Little Richard." 272 00:12:45,233 --> 00:12:47,033 We wanted to play "Louie Louie." 273 00:12:47,033 --> 00:12:49,367 We wanted to play anything that rocked. 274 00:12:49,367 --> 00:12:51,967 - [Larry] Next thing I remember is Bob and Gerry 275 00:12:51,967 --> 00:12:54,333 and Rob being there, and everything changed. 276 00:12:54,333 --> 00:12:56,934 - But when the five of us got together, 277 00:12:56,934 --> 00:12:58,967 something magical happened. 278 00:12:58,967 --> 00:13:00,900 - I mean, nothing was the same anymore. 279 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:02,500 We weren't playing a lot of these stuff, 280 00:13:02,500 --> 00:13:05,700 and we weren't playing just instrumentals. 281 00:13:05,700 --> 00:13:09,066 Everything all of a sudden got hard, real hard. 282 00:13:09,066 --> 00:13:11,567 But we all felt like we wanted to play that way. 283 00:13:11,567 --> 00:13:14,400 - [Andy] So anyhow, here's Bob and Gerry 284 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,400 and Rob Lind and myself. 285 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,233 There's the lineup that people know of today. 286 00:13:20,233 --> 00:13:23,333 (rain pattering) 287 00:13:23,333 --> 00:13:25,867 (audience applauding) 288 00:13:25,867 --> 00:13:28,500 (upbeat music) 289 00:13:29,967 --> 00:13:31,967 ♪ Rosalie, Rosalie ♪ 290 00:13:31,967 --> 00:13:35,500 - [Bob] We did "The Witch" down in my parents' basement, 291 00:13:35,500 --> 00:13:38,433 and we would play it at these gig. 292 00:13:38,433 --> 00:13:39,634 And people loved it. 293 00:13:39,634 --> 00:13:41,166 - We came to the awareness 294 00:13:41,166 --> 00:13:43,600 that we needed to do a record, a single. 295 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,734 And that way we could ask for a little bit more money. 296 00:13:46,734 --> 00:13:49,400 I think we're making three or 400 bucks a night. 297 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,367 You know, we thought, "Hey, we can maybe ask for five." 298 00:13:52,367 --> 00:13:55,533 ♪ C'mon and let me take you home ♪ 299 00:13:55,533 --> 00:13:58,567 ♪ Please, please, Rosalie ♪ 300 00:13:58,567 --> 00:14:01,100 ♪ C'mon and let me take you home ♪ 301 00:14:01,100 --> 00:14:03,400 - Buck and Kent Morrill from The Wailers 302 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,400 had this little record company, Etiquette Records. 303 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,033 We were gonna hit on him to see if we could record 304 00:14:09,033 --> 00:14:10,734 with his record company. 305 00:14:10,734 --> 00:14:14,166 (upbeat music) 306 00:14:14,166 --> 00:14:16,266 - [Jordan] That brings us to Buck Ormsby. 307 00:14:17,133 --> 00:14:19,967 Buck, a Tacoma native formed his first band 308 00:14:19,967 --> 00:14:22,266 with his best friend, Bill Englehart, 309 00:14:22,266 --> 00:14:24,433 Little Bill and The Bluenotes. 310 00:14:24,433 --> 00:14:26,500 They were formed in 1955. 311 00:14:26,500 --> 00:14:28,934 Buck was only 14 at the time. 312 00:14:28,934 --> 00:14:30,300 Generally considered to be the first 313 00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:32,300 true garage band in the northwest, 314 00:14:32,300 --> 00:14:34,700 Little Bill and The Bluenotes were also trailblazers 315 00:14:34,700 --> 00:14:37,033 when it came to throwing their own gigs. 316 00:14:37,033 --> 00:14:38,333 Buck was tired of the turnouts 317 00:14:38,333 --> 00:14:40,100 and weak pay from school dances 318 00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:42,166 so he took his band outside city limits, 319 00:14:42,166 --> 00:14:44,166 and they started throwing their own teen dances 320 00:14:44,166 --> 00:14:45,533 and sock hops. 321 00:14:45,533 --> 00:14:48,333 These dances would attract thousands of teens. 322 00:14:48,333 --> 00:14:50,000 And while this would eventually become 323 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:51,700 the industry standard, 324 00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:54,333 Little Bill and The Bluenotes were the first. 325 00:14:54,333 --> 00:14:57,367 ♪ Please, please, Rosalie ♪ 326 00:14:57,367 --> 00:15:00,100 ♪ Thank you for me, go now ♪ 327 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:01,967 - [Jordan] Later in the early '60s, 328 00:15:01,967 --> 00:15:04,100 Buck became the bass player for The Fabulous Wailers. 329 00:15:04,100 --> 00:15:05,834 That's his kickass base 330 00:15:05,834 --> 00:15:08,300 playing on the now legendary Wailers "At The Castle." 331 00:15:09,834 --> 00:15:12,033 Him and Kent Morrill, also from The Wailers, 332 00:15:12,033 --> 00:15:15,567 decided to form their own record label, Etiquette Records. 333 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:18,600 Full two years before The Kingsmen 334 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,066 would release their version, 335 00:15:20,066 --> 00:15:21,233 which would obviously go on to be one 336 00:15:21,233 --> 00:15:22,867 of the biggest hits of the '60s, 337 00:15:22,867 --> 00:15:24,767 Etiquette released The Wailers 338 00:15:24,767 --> 00:15:26,333 featuring Rockin' Robin Roberts 339 00:15:26,333 --> 00:15:29,700 doing their cover of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie." 340 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:32,500 (up-tempo music) 341 00:15:36,500 --> 00:15:37,834 It was a big hit in the northwest 342 00:15:37,834 --> 00:15:39,767 and put Etiquette on the map. 343 00:15:39,767 --> 00:15:43,166 At this point, Buck was in search of the next big thing. 344 00:15:43,166 --> 00:15:46,266 - I felt that The Wailers were getting a little stagnant 345 00:15:46,266 --> 00:15:49,333 and I said, I went, I'm gonna go find a group 346 00:15:49,333 --> 00:15:51,166 that's gonna blow you away. 347 00:15:51,166 --> 00:15:52,800 - So I went to Buck and I said, 348 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:54,233 "Hey, we got this band, blah, blah, blah." 349 00:15:54,233 --> 00:15:56,200 And he said, "Well, I'll come out and listen." 350 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,567 - So anyway, I said, okay, let me hear what you sound like. 351 00:15:58,567 --> 00:16:00,166 You know, let me hear some songs, you know? 352 00:16:00,166 --> 00:16:03,066 And he started playing Wailer's songs. 353 00:16:03,066 --> 00:16:04,734 You guys are playing cover songs. 354 00:16:04,734 --> 00:16:06,767 I mean, do you have any original songs? 355 00:16:06,767 --> 00:16:08,500 - And we were going over a song 356 00:16:08,500 --> 00:16:10,133 that we were writing called "The Witch." 357 00:16:10,133 --> 00:16:12,700 - So it started out and went (vocalizing). 358 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:16,533 That thing and I said, "Hey. 359 00:16:16,533 --> 00:16:18,634 Okay, now this is interesting, you know?" 360 00:16:18,634 --> 00:16:21,300 - Gerry had written this song called "The Witch," 361 00:16:21,300 --> 00:16:24,667 which the way he had originally intended it to be 362 00:16:24,667 --> 00:16:27,834 was a dance song, do the witch. 363 00:16:27,834 --> 00:16:31,133 - [Buck] You know, do the Boston or do the twist 364 00:16:31,133 --> 00:16:33,133 or do the whatever it was. 365 00:16:33,133 --> 00:16:34,634 - Buck goes, "No, no, no, that's stupid." 366 00:16:34,634 --> 00:16:37,367 And he says, "Write some lyrics for it." 367 00:16:37,367 --> 00:16:40,767 (upbeat rock music) 368 00:16:57,333 --> 00:17:02,200 Gerry wrote some lyrics and his long-haired wench 369 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,634 and she'll make you itch. 370 00:17:03,634 --> 00:17:05,266 I go, what the hell. 371 00:17:05,266 --> 00:17:07,066 Can you get away with that, you know, but. 372 00:17:07,066 --> 00:17:09,400 - Yeah, I don't know why. 373 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,734 I just thought, I've always liked that kind of spooky stuff. 374 00:17:13,734 --> 00:17:16,800 (upbeat rock music) 375 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:21,033 ♪ She's gotta long black hair ♪ 376 00:17:21,033 --> 00:17:23,867 ♪ And a big black car ♪ 377 00:17:23,867 --> 00:17:26,567 ♪ I know what you're thinking ♪ 378 00:17:26,567 --> 00:17:29,567 ♪ But you won't get far ♪ 379 00:17:29,567 --> 00:17:31,934 ♪ She's gonna make you itch ♪ 380 00:17:31,934 --> 00:17:33,834 ♪ 'Cause she's the witch ♪ 381 00:17:33,834 --> 00:17:35,834 - We gotta record this. 382 00:17:35,834 --> 00:17:37,367 This is good. 383 00:17:37,367 --> 00:17:39,533 I want you guys to sign with the label. 384 00:17:39,533 --> 00:17:41,133 You know, they were all young 385 00:17:41,133 --> 00:17:42,667 and we had to get the parents and all that but. 386 00:17:42,667 --> 00:17:44,033 - Yeah, we went to some studio. 387 00:17:44,033 --> 00:17:45,166 They had two tracks. 388 00:17:45,166 --> 00:17:48,133 You couldn't do much, but we couldn't do much anyway. 389 00:17:48,133 --> 00:17:50,800 - [Buck] This is where they made ads for local people 390 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,934 like Chevrolet or something, or Joe's Barber Shop. 391 00:17:54,934 --> 00:17:57,200 - Small, funky little place 392 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:58,900 and basically playing live 393 00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:00,567 because there wasn't enough tracks. 394 00:18:00,567 --> 00:18:03,367 - [Buck] Give these guys, you know, some room 395 00:18:03,367 --> 00:18:06,166 because it's gonna be a little bit more raucous. 396 00:18:06,166 --> 00:18:08,066 - But Buck was our defender 397 00:18:08,066 --> 00:18:12,000 'cause we were blowing out the speakers and vacuum tubes 398 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,867 and walls and everything were being destroyed 399 00:18:13,867 --> 00:18:16,166 because we were in there at full volume. 400 00:18:16,166 --> 00:18:17,834 - [Buck] He started playing 401 00:18:17,834 --> 00:18:19,467 and the guy just got real nervous, you know? 402 00:18:19,467 --> 00:18:21,367 And I said, just kinda calm down, you know? 403 00:18:21,367 --> 00:18:23,600 It'll be okay, you know? 404 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,667 And I mean, these things were going a little bit in the red. 405 00:18:26,667 --> 00:18:28,200 - Just used to looking at VU meters 406 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:29,967 that stay within the white usually. 407 00:18:29,967 --> 00:18:32,066 And this was all peg. 408 00:18:32,066 --> 00:18:33,433 - The guy put a little bit of compression. 409 00:18:33,433 --> 00:18:35,567 I said, I don't want any compression. 410 00:18:35,567 --> 00:18:38,433 I don't want anything to slow this thing down. 411 00:18:38,433 --> 00:18:40,266 I just wanted to rock, you know, 412 00:18:40,266 --> 00:18:42,233 get a little blood coming off the walls. 413 00:18:42,233 --> 00:18:44,033 And the guy was real nervous about it 414 00:18:44,033 --> 00:18:45,634 because Gerry's screaming, 415 00:18:47,533 --> 00:18:49,367 that's what kinda blew him away, I think. 416 00:18:49,367 --> 00:18:50,567 The guy is screaming. 417 00:18:50,567 --> 00:18:52,200 Whoa! Hey, what's this about? 418 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,567 - I just did it because it felt good, you know? 419 00:18:55,567 --> 00:18:57,166 It felt good and I thought, 420 00:18:57,166 --> 00:18:58,500 well, this would be a good place 421 00:18:58,500 --> 00:19:00,333 to jump on a good scream here, you know? 422 00:19:00,333 --> 00:19:02,700 ♪ Whoa ♪ 423 00:19:04,533 --> 00:19:06,667 They called me, "the northwest screamer" 424 00:19:07,700 --> 00:19:09,600 and I thought, gee, what a pat in the back. 425 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:11,600 I've been called nothing but an asshole 426 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:12,967 all my life. (chuckles) 427 00:19:12,967 --> 00:19:15,500 ♪ And do you remember ♪ 428 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:18,400 ♪ That I told you so ♪ 429 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,300 ♪ Gonna do you in ♪ 430 00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:25,700 ♪ 'Cause she's the witch ♪ 431 00:19:25,700 --> 00:19:28,433 (upbeat rock music) 432 00:19:35,066 --> 00:19:36,667 - [Jordan] After they recorded "The Witch," 433 00:19:36,667 --> 00:19:38,700 Buck ran into a bit of a problem. 434 00:19:38,700 --> 00:19:40,300 - Nobody would play the song. 435 00:19:40,300 --> 00:19:42,400 Hey man, it was pretty harsh. (chuckles) 436 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,433 (upbeat music) 437 00:19:51,767 --> 00:19:53,667 - First of all, what I wanted to do with that 438 00:19:53,667 --> 00:19:55,600 was get Pat O'Day interested. 439 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,433 - [Gerry] He was the program director for KJR, 440 00:19:58,433 --> 00:20:00,100 who was the big station here. 441 00:20:00,100 --> 00:20:03,066 But back then, he was the big, big shot. 442 00:20:03,066 --> 00:20:05,133 - Listened to it and he says, "I can't play this." 443 00:20:05,133 --> 00:20:06,900 And I go, "Why?" 444 00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:10,200 - I know that Buck had dropped off a copy weeks before 445 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,033 but I think O'Day used it for a coffee holder. 446 00:20:13,033 --> 00:20:15,900 - And I said, "Pat, if you play this record, it'll be a hit. 447 00:20:15,900 --> 00:20:17,100 I know it will." 448 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:19,000 And he said, "I can't do it." 449 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,567 He says, "I'll tell you what, Buck, 450 00:20:20,567 --> 00:20:22,400 see what you can do with other stations, 451 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,667 some of the B stations, you know?" 452 00:20:24,667 --> 00:20:26,333 So we'd go into whatever station 453 00:20:26,333 --> 00:20:28,367 that we were in the town at that time, 454 00:20:28,367 --> 00:20:31,033 and we would take, I'd take the record in. 455 00:20:31,033 --> 00:20:34,600 - [Rob] It got played on some subsidiary radio station 456 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:37,000 so that the high school kids were starting to hear it. 457 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,166 - [Buck] So, I got charts, took the charts back down, 458 00:20:40,166 --> 00:20:42,166 and I gave, I showed Pat. 459 00:20:42,166 --> 00:20:44,133 So he went over and he heard them 460 00:20:44,133 --> 00:20:45,900 and he said, "I can only play it after 3:00." 461 00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:47,233 And I said, "Great." 462 00:20:47,233 --> 00:20:51,600 - Next thing we know, KJR started to play "The Witch." 463 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,266 And they wouldn't play it any time of the day, 464 00:20:55,266 --> 00:20:58,867 except after 3:00 p.m., after the kids got out of school. 465 00:20:58,867 --> 00:21:02,367 - Because they didn't wanna upset the housewives at home 466 00:21:03,500 --> 00:21:05,467 because they thought it was devil music. 467 00:21:05,467 --> 00:21:06,367 (woman screams) 468 00:21:06,367 --> 00:21:08,634 - I get a phone call from my aunt 469 00:21:08,634 --> 00:21:12,834 and she says, "Have you seen KJR's Fab 50 lists?" 470 00:21:12,834 --> 00:21:15,000 It was in the Seattle PI. 471 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:16,533 And I said, "No." 472 00:21:16,533 --> 00:21:18,233 She said, "Well, you go buy a copy of it." 473 00:21:18,233 --> 00:21:19,600 So I went and bought a copy and well, hell, 474 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,300 "The Witch" debuted at number 26. 475 00:21:21,300 --> 00:21:22,800 - We played it a couple times 476 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,767 and it sold 10,000 copies in like two weeks. 477 00:21:26,767 --> 00:21:28,600 - [Buck] And you'd hear people driving around 478 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:30,767 their hot cars, radio blasting, 479 00:21:30,767 --> 00:21:32,700 and you'd be hearing rock and roll. 480 00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:34,900 And then you'd hear "The Witch" and you'd go, holy. 481 00:21:34,900 --> 00:21:37,367 What, what happened here, you know? 482 00:21:37,367 --> 00:21:40,900 - We got to number two on the top 50, the KJR, 483 00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:43,000 which was the big station, 484 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,300 and number one was Petula Clark's record "Downtown." 485 00:21:46,300 --> 00:21:49,033 When Pat O'Day was writing his book, 486 00:21:49,033 --> 00:21:51,533 he said, "Oh, no, you guys were number one by a long way. 487 00:21:51,533 --> 00:21:54,166 We just couldn't put devil music number one. 488 00:21:54,166 --> 00:21:56,100 So we put you guys number two." 489 00:21:56,100 --> 00:21:58,467 So we found out 35 or 40 years later, 490 00:21:58,467 --> 00:22:00,100 actually we were number one. 491 00:22:02,900 --> 00:22:05,667 (sirens blaring) 492 00:22:14,533 --> 00:22:16,233 - Gee, soon as the record came out, 493 00:22:16,233 --> 00:22:17,934 it started selling so much, 494 00:22:17,934 --> 00:22:19,400 but came to us and said, 495 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,734 "Hey, you gotta write another original 496 00:22:22,734 --> 00:22:24,533 for the flip side of 'The Witch.'" 497 00:22:24,533 --> 00:22:26,166 - [Rob] And Buck said, "Okay, 498 00:22:26,166 --> 00:22:28,300 you guys got our recording session tomorrow." 499 00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:30,233 We went, oh okay, recording session. 500 00:22:30,233 --> 00:22:31,867 - And we were playing at the red carpet, 501 00:22:31,867 --> 00:22:35,133 and we had to record the next morning. 502 00:22:35,133 --> 00:22:36,834 - They didn't rehearse a whole lot. 503 00:22:36,834 --> 00:22:40,900 You know, their writing time was kinda like in the studio, 504 00:22:40,900 --> 00:22:44,133 or maybe a night before or something like that. 505 00:22:44,133 --> 00:22:47,834 - After the gig, everybody, they emptied the place. 506 00:22:47,834 --> 00:22:51,634 And we sat there, in 30 minutes we had the cycle. 507 00:22:51,634 --> 00:22:53,700 - We went to Kearney Barton's 508 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:56,934 and his studio was on Denny Way. 509 00:22:56,934 --> 00:22:58,834 - I said, "Kearney, this is what happened. 510 00:22:58,834 --> 00:23:01,533 When we recorded this other song called 'The Witch.'" 511 00:23:01,533 --> 00:23:03,100 I said, "The guy got real nervous." 512 00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:04,934 I said, "When you hear these guys, 513 00:23:04,934 --> 00:23:08,533 they're gonna blast you out but it's okay." 514 00:23:08,533 --> 00:23:09,900 Kearney got it. 515 00:23:09,900 --> 00:23:11,867 He didn't get nervous about anything. 516 00:23:11,867 --> 00:23:14,266 I mean, when you have a song called "Psycho," you know. 517 00:23:14,266 --> 00:23:16,433 - [Andy] We set up and did everything 518 00:23:16,433 --> 00:23:18,166 basically live, you know? 519 00:23:18,166 --> 00:23:21,967 - Etiquette Records was a real low budget operation. 520 00:23:21,967 --> 00:23:25,467 And so, when you say how many takes? 521 00:23:25,467 --> 00:23:27,634 Basically it was one take. 522 00:23:27,634 --> 00:23:30,934 (upbeat rock music) 523 00:23:34,300 --> 00:23:37,367 - Buck was there prodding everybody, you know? 524 00:23:37,367 --> 00:23:39,033 Do it this way, let them do this. 525 00:23:39,033 --> 00:23:42,433 - We put Rob Lind back in a, 526 00:23:42,433 --> 00:23:45,200 down the hallway into the bathroom 527 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:46,767 so we get this little echo sign. 528 00:23:46,767 --> 00:23:48,667 He said, that's right. That sounds good. 529 00:23:48,667 --> 00:23:50,900 You know, we needed to get this drum sound 530 00:23:50,900 --> 00:23:53,500 because Bob was just a kicker, you know? 531 00:23:53,500 --> 00:23:56,000 I mean, the guy was a real strong drummer. 532 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,934 - So we do it, we lay down the band track 533 00:23:58,934 --> 00:24:01,834 and bang, Buck says, "Okay, great. 534 00:24:01,834 --> 00:24:03,500 Gerry, get in there and sing it." 535 00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:05,233 So Gerry goes in, sings it, 536 00:24:05,233 --> 00:24:06,967 comes out and goes, 537 00:24:06,967 --> 00:24:10,433 "Um, guys, I could probably do a better take on it. 538 00:24:10,433 --> 00:24:12,166 Let me go back in there and do it again." 539 00:24:12,166 --> 00:24:13,934 Buck say, "No, no, no, no, that's great. 540 00:24:13,934 --> 00:24:15,367 Move on. Let's move on." 541 00:24:15,367 --> 00:24:16,433 ♪ Because she's a witch ♪ 542 00:24:16,433 --> 00:24:17,700 - And then you come on. 543 00:24:17,700 --> 00:24:19,567 ♪ Psycho, you're driving me ♪ 544 00:24:19,567 --> 00:24:21,500 I mean, that just got out there, you know what I mean? 545 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:24,100 People go, whoa, I've never heard anything like this before. 546 00:24:26,567 --> 00:24:29,667 ♪ Whoa, baby ♪ 547 00:24:29,667 --> 00:24:33,533 ♪ You're driving me crazy ♪ 548 00:24:33,533 --> 00:24:36,367 ♪ I said baby ♪ 549 00:24:36,367 --> 00:24:38,533 ♪ You're driving me crazy ♪ 550 00:24:38,533 --> 00:24:40,166 - [Jordan] Etiquette Records reissued "The Witch" 551 00:24:40,166 --> 00:24:42,033 with "Psycho" as its B side. 552 00:24:42,033 --> 00:24:45,533 - It was just as big a hit as "The Witch" was. 553 00:24:45,533 --> 00:24:46,967 - [Jordan] With the successful release 554 00:24:46,967 --> 00:24:48,500 of "The Witch" and "Psycho," 555 00:24:48,500 --> 00:24:51,166 the band's popularity started to explode in the northwest. 556 00:24:51,166 --> 00:24:53,000 - Whatever they were working for before 557 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:54,967 as far as money goes, 558 00:24:54,967 --> 00:24:57,233 they started making a lot of money. 559 00:24:57,233 --> 00:24:58,767 - [Jordan] It was at this point that Buck and the band 560 00:24:58,767 --> 00:25:01,266 decided to head back into Kearney Barton's studio. 561 00:25:01,266 --> 00:25:04,367 - [Buck] And I knew from recording that song there 562 00:25:04,367 --> 00:25:06,200 that we were gonna be able to do an album there. 563 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,200 - [Jordan] Only this time to record their first 564 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:09,700 full length album. 565 00:25:09,700 --> 00:25:11,133 - It took us about three or four days 566 00:25:11,133 --> 00:25:12,734 just to get it all done. 567 00:25:12,734 --> 00:25:14,333 - [Jordan] So you record the whole album? 568 00:25:14,333 --> 00:25:16,000 - Yeah. It wasn't done. 569 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:16,900 Yeah. 570 00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:20,000 (upbeat rock music) 571 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:21,533 ♪ Oh ♪ 572 00:25:21,533 --> 00:25:24,333 ♪ Whoa ♪ 573 00:25:24,333 --> 00:25:27,333 (upbeat rock music) 574 00:25:32,066 --> 00:25:34,667 - It had that energy and that power and you're right. 575 00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:36,634 And today it stands out. 576 00:25:36,634 --> 00:25:40,367 (upbeat rock music) 577 00:25:40,367 --> 00:25:43,900 There would be people lined up outside to see these guys, 578 00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:45,900 new fans, you know? 579 00:25:45,900 --> 00:25:48,867 And most of them were like girls who loved them, you know? 580 00:25:48,867 --> 00:25:52,734 - [Rob] Gerry was the champion with the pretty girls. 581 00:25:52,734 --> 00:25:54,800 - Couldn't get enough of looking at them. 582 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:56,667 - Loading the beer into the bathtub, 583 00:25:56,667 --> 00:25:58,567 and then getting ready for 584 00:25:58,567 --> 00:26:01,867 what we hoped to be a climatic night for each one of us. 585 00:26:01,867 --> 00:26:04,000 I'll need to be 17 and be able to do that. 586 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,300 ♪ Baby ♪ 587 00:26:06,300 --> 00:26:10,834 ♪ Oh, you're driving me crazy ♪ 588 00:26:10,834 --> 00:26:14,266 ♪ I'm going out of my head ♪ 589 00:26:14,266 --> 00:26:16,934 ♪ Now I wish I was dead ♪ 590 00:26:16,934 --> 00:26:18,367 ♪ Whoa ♪ 591 00:26:18,367 --> 00:26:19,600 ♪ Psycho ♪ 592 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:20,934 - [Jordan] Pat O'Day took notice 593 00:26:20,934 --> 00:26:22,433 of the band's recent success, 594 00:26:22,433 --> 00:26:25,000 and he started to book The Sonics at his shows. 595 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,500 (upbeat rock music) 596 00:26:30,266 --> 00:26:31,867 - [Rob] Playing in front of 25,000 people 597 00:26:31,867 --> 00:26:35,367 hanging out backstage with The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. 598 00:26:35,367 --> 00:26:37,200 - The Righteous Brothers, 599 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,000 I mean, there's Jay and the Americans. 600 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,500 Oh, I mean, just tons of bands. 601 00:26:41,500 --> 00:26:44,033 (upbeat rock music) 602 00:26:44,033 --> 00:26:48,500 ♪ She's the sharpest one ♪ 603 00:26:48,500 --> 00:26:49,600 ♪ In the whole ♪ 604 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,433 - [Jordan] And with The Shangri-Las? 605 00:26:52,433 --> 00:26:55,634 - (chuckles) Man. 606 00:26:56,734 --> 00:26:59,867 (vehicle sputtering) 607 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,567 - Summertime comes along 608 00:27:02,567 --> 00:27:04,700 and now we're playing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 609 00:27:04,700 --> 00:27:06,233 Friday, Saturday, Sunday night. 610 00:27:06,233 --> 00:27:10,233 Part of that tour was gonna be playing with The Shangri-Las, 611 00:27:10,233 --> 00:27:14,266 and we were asked to learn their songs and would we do so 612 00:27:14,266 --> 00:27:15,734 and then back them up. 613 00:27:15,734 --> 00:27:18,700 Whoever it was gave me a stack of records, 614 00:27:18,700 --> 00:27:21,500 albums of The Shangri-Las. 615 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:22,900 And he says, "Would you guys mind 616 00:27:22,900 --> 00:27:24,800 backing up The Shangri-Las?" 617 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,200 Well, it didn't compute up here. 618 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:28,667 I said, "Oh yeah, okay." 619 00:27:28,667 --> 00:27:30,266 And I took the albums thinking, okay, 620 00:27:30,266 --> 00:27:32,367 we're gonna have to learn a few other tunes. 621 00:27:32,367 --> 00:27:33,433 Well, we never did. 622 00:27:33,433 --> 00:27:34,800 - We didn't even open the albums, 623 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:35,734 we didn't listen to them. 624 00:27:35,734 --> 00:27:36,834 I didn't know how they went. 625 00:27:36,834 --> 00:27:39,100 - [Andy] You know, we carried these albums around 626 00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:41,800 at one motel to the next motel. 627 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,467 - And when we got there and they brought The Shangri-Las, 628 00:27:45,467 --> 00:27:48,567 I mean, I didn't know how to start the song even. 629 00:27:48,567 --> 00:27:51,500 - Don't know them, but, okay. (chuckles) 630 00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:52,533 And we went out. 631 00:27:52,533 --> 00:27:54,367 - So they start playing 632 00:27:54,367 --> 00:27:56,400 and we're taking breaks when there wasn't any break. 633 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:57,900 And they playing through 634 00:27:57,900 --> 00:27:59,300 where there's supposed to be brakes, 635 00:27:59,300 --> 00:28:01,133 probably playing in the wrong key. 636 00:28:01,133 --> 00:28:02,333 It was horrible. 637 00:28:02,333 --> 00:28:04,967 - You know, they started doing the "Leader of the Pack" 638 00:28:04,967 --> 00:28:07,000 and it was all about this motorcycle dude. 639 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,266 And no, Jimmy don't do it. No, no. 640 00:28:10,266 --> 00:28:15,467 Well, Roslie was riding his keyboard like a motorcycle, 641 00:28:16,100 --> 00:28:20,467 and he had a big plastic bottle with three Xs on it. 642 00:28:20,467 --> 00:28:22,800 And when she was going, no, no, no, no, 643 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,700 I was down on my knees by Gerry going, no, no. 644 00:28:25,700 --> 00:28:28,133 And the audience was howling with laughter, 645 00:28:28,133 --> 00:28:29,900 and they didn't know what it was about. 646 00:28:29,900 --> 00:28:31,734 And they turned around and saw making fun of him. 647 00:28:31,734 --> 00:28:33,600 - "Leader of the Pack." 648 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,500 I mean, that thing, it's full of sound effects, you know? 649 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:38,834 Harley Davidson's (imitating motor revving) 650 00:28:38,834 --> 00:28:40,066 in the middle of all this. 651 00:28:40,066 --> 00:28:42,533 I remember we're playing along, 652 00:28:42,533 --> 00:28:44,567 not knowing any of the chords, 653 00:28:44,567 --> 00:28:46,567 and they're struggling to try to get, 654 00:28:46,567 --> 00:28:48,300 I turned around and I said to Bob, I say, 655 00:28:48,300 --> 00:28:51,934 "Bob, whatever you do, no breaks, just keep playing." 656 00:28:51,934 --> 00:28:54,200 - Plus our lack of talent 657 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,000 to play that kinda music in the first place. 658 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,900 We shouldn't have been playing that kind of music. 659 00:28:57,900 --> 00:29:00,900 - When we got through butchering their set, 660 00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:04,634 they said, "Well, we'd like to thank our backup, 661 00:29:04,634 --> 00:29:06,266 the curtains," you know? 662 00:29:06,266 --> 00:29:08,900 Because we just totally screwed up their set. 663 00:29:08,900 --> 00:29:12,166 - These girls just ripped the shit out of us 664 00:29:12,166 --> 00:29:14,200 when it was done. 665 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,667 (slow music) 666 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:19,533 - [Jordan] The band would go in and record 667 00:29:19,533 --> 00:29:21,367 their second album. 668 00:29:21,367 --> 00:29:23,867 While "Boom" was another local hit in the northwest, 669 00:29:23,867 --> 00:29:25,567 it failed to pick up nationally. 670 00:29:27,033 --> 00:29:28,634 The Sonics felt it was time to part ways 671 00:29:28,634 --> 00:29:31,200 with Buck and Etiquette Records. 672 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,667 (slow music) 673 00:29:46,233 --> 00:29:49,100 - I don't know, I think we kinda lost our mojo 674 00:29:49,100 --> 00:29:50,700 at that point, right after. 675 00:29:50,700 --> 00:29:52,266 After Sonics' "Boom" 676 00:29:52,266 --> 00:29:54,767 it felt to me like we'd lost our way. 677 00:29:54,767 --> 00:29:58,333 By then we'd said adios to Etiquette, 678 00:29:58,333 --> 00:30:00,100 went to Jerden Records. 679 00:30:00,100 --> 00:30:02,667 We wound up going down to LA. 680 00:30:02,667 --> 00:30:05,500 I think Gerry kinda composed a few things 681 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:08,967 on the way down that were rough ideas of songs, 682 00:30:08,967 --> 00:30:12,667 hoping that maybe we'd come together in the studio. 683 00:30:12,667 --> 00:30:15,000 Gerry was not a producer. 684 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,600 He paid the bills, 685 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:19,734 forked over the money for the studio time, 686 00:30:19,734 --> 00:30:20,734 that sort of thing. 687 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:24,967 But he didn't really have any guidance capability, 688 00:30:24,967 --> 00:30:27,400 whereas Buck, Buck could hear things 689 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,200 and so yeah, that was a big, that was a problem. 690 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:31,367 It was a mistake. 691 00:30:33,867 --> 00:30:35,300 - [Jordan] The band went down to Los Angeles 692 00:30:35,300 --> 00:30:37,166 to record their follow up to "Boom." 693 00:30:40,233 --> 00:30:42,367 The studio sessions resulted in the album, 694 00:30:42,367 --> 00:30:44,033 Introducing The Sonics. 695 00:30:44,900 --> 00:30:46,333 Upon its release, 696 00:30:46,333 --> 00:30:47,867 the record was considered a massive, 697 00:30:47,867 --> 00:30:49,900 critical, and commercial failure. 698 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,500 (somber music) 699 00:30:55,467 --> 00:30:58,200 - I think we're just getting tired of it maybe. 700 00:30:58,200 --> 00:30:59,533 And we all wanted a change 701 00:30:59,533 --> 00:31:02,133 or just not to play anymore. 702 00:31:03,967 --> 00:31:05,600 - It wasn't fun anymore. 703 00:31:06,934 --> 00:31:10,600 There was too much fighting going on, 704 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,433 not really big fighting, but you know? 705 00:31:14,433 --> 00:31:15,767 It just... 706 00:31:15,767 --> 00:31:18,567 - Typical teenagers, I guess, you know? 707 00:31:18,567 --> 00:31:21,100 I know everything, you guys don't know nothing. 708 00:31:21,100 --> 00:31:24,066 We all thought we knew more than the other guys, you know? 709 00:31:24,900 --> 00:31:27,300 - I'm not sure for what reasons Bob left 710 00:31:27,300 --> 00:31:29,333 for a group called Merrilee and the Turnabouts. 711 00:31:30,634 --> 00:31:33,133 And we got, we changed drummers, 712 00:31:33,133 --> 00:31:35,600 the drummer that was with Merrilee and the Turnabouts 713 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:37,133 was now a Sonics drummer 714 00:31:37,133 --> 00:31:38,834 but he didn't, he was a good drummer, 715 00:31:38,834 --> 00:31:40,500 but didn't play like Bob. 716 00:31:40,500 --> 00:31:45,600 I mean, it didn't feel right to me. 717 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,600 - And the band just didn't smoke 718 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:50,266 like we wanted it to, you know? 719 00:31:50,266 --> 00:31:51,900 - Ultimately Rob and I left 720 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,066 because I went into the Air Force 721 00:31:55,066 --> 00:31:56,433 and he went into the Navy. 722 00:31:56,433 --> 00:32:00,233 - I immediately got drafted and I had been flying the band, 723 00:32:00,233 --> 00:32:01,767 I had a private pilot's license. 724 00:32:01,767 --> 00:32:03,367 So I thought, well, okay, 725 00:32:03,367 --> 00:32:05,934 if I gotta go to Vietnam, I'm gonna be flying something. 726 00:32:05,934 --> 00:32:08,333 So I wound up in naval aviation 727 00:32:08,333 --> 00:32:10,834 and went off to officer candidate's school. 728 00:32:10,834 --> 00:32:14,233 - The last night that we played on together as a band 729 00:32:15,734 --> 00:32:18,667 Gerry was so bummed out, he didn't want to sing 730 00:32:18,667 --> 00:32:20,166 and we did a lot of instrumentals. 731 00:32:20,166 --> 00:32:22,700 We did a bunch of Freddie King songs 732 00:32:22,700 --> 00:32:25,467 and just a bunch of stuff that fill in 733 00:32:25,467 --> 00:32:28,066 because Gerry didn't feel like singing, you know? 734 00:32:28,066 --> 00:32:30,600 And when the gig was over, I said, "Hey Gerry, 735 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,834 I hope you're not gonna do this again tomorrow night." 736 00:32:32,834 --> 00:32:34,567 And he says, "That's it." 737 00:32:34,567 --> 00:32:37,133 And he threw everything and stomped off the stage 738 00:32:37,133 --> 00:32:38,900 and that was the end of Gerry Roslie. 739 00:32:38,900 --> 00:32:43,533 - Yeah, it was over. 740 00:32:43,533 --> 00:32:45,934 (somber music) 741 00:32:45,934 --> 00:32:49,900 - Larry took a job at a large insurance corporation 742 00:32:49,900 --> 00:32:52,700 working in their fraud prevention area. 743 00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:54,634 - I put my guitar away 744 00:32:54,634 --> 00:32:58,033 and virtually, I don't know that I ever touched it again 745 00:32:58,033 --> 00:33:00,266 until the mid '80s. - [Jordan] Wow. 746 00:33:00,266 --> 00:33:02,533 - I had a piece of paper, said I was qualified 747 00:33:02,533 --> 00:33:04,533 to teach history and wood shop. 748 00:33:04,533 --> 00:33:07,467 And I thought, okay, well I'm gonna go do that for a while. 749 00:33:07,467 --> 00:33:11,934 So I did and that turned out to be a 31-year run. 750 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,400 - I started an asphalt paving business. 751 00:33:16,433 --> 00:33:19,300 - Bob ultimately moved to Honolulu 752 00:33:19,300 --> 00:33:21,400 and got into the new car business. 753 00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:25,834 (sentimental music) 754 00:33:26,667 --> 00:33:29,567 - I had a daughter that I raised as a single parent 755 00:33:30,900 --> 00:33:32,300 and I had an acoustic guitar 756 00:33:32,300 --> 00:33:33,867 that was leaning against the wall. 757 00:33:33,867 --> 00:33:35,867 And I hit a cord once in a while and put it down. 758 00:33:35,867 --> 00:33:38,867 But she didn't know anything about what her dad 759 00:33:38,867 --> 00:33:42,300 had done earlier in his life. 760 00:33:42,300 --> 00:33:45,433 (sentimental music) 761 00:33:48,066 --> 00:33:50,100 - And once in a while I'd see Larry 762 00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:51,467 when I'd come through town 763 00:33:51,467 --> 00:33:54,767 but it was just that. 764 00:33:54,767 --> 00:33:57,934 We reached a point where everybody just went that way 765 00:33:57,934 --> 00:33:59,767 but we're still all good friends. 766 00:33:59,767 --> 00:34:02,400 There was no animosity or anything like that. 767 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,900 - I don't know if we'd all like to forget about The Sonics, 768 00:34:05,900 --> 00:34:10,433 but, you know, and move forward, 769 00:34:10,433 --> 00:34:14,667 but I think we all still have a lot 770 00:34:14,667 --> 00:34:17,700 of The Sonics in us, you know? 771 00:34:18,900 --> 00:34:21,100 Because it was a great band 772 00:34:21,100 --> 00:34:23,634 even though we didn't know it at the time. 773 00:34:23,634 --> 00:34:26,700 (sentimental music) 774 00:34:29,133 --> 00:34:30,767 - [Jordan] And that was it. 775 00:34:30,767 --> 00:34:32,166 The end of The Sonics. 776 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000 Everyone moved on and the music was lost in time. 777 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:38,567 Or so they thought. 778 00:34:44,934 --> 00:34:46,500 I'd always heard that The Sonics 779 00:34:46,500 --> 00:34:48,200 had an even bigger following overseas, 780 00:34:49,567 --> 00:34:50,867 especially in England. 781 00:34:52,266 --> 00:34:53,700 (rain pattering faintly) 782 00:34:53,700 --> 00:34:55,000 But how is this possible? 783 00:34:55,900 --> 00:34:57,467 Their music wasn't even distributed 784 00:34:57,467 --> 00:34:58,634 outside of the northwest. 785 00:35:00,133 --> 00:35:02,867 (airplane rumbling) 786 00:35:02,867 --> 00:35:04,467 I flew to London to find out. 787 00:35:04,467 --> 00:35:07,834 (upbeat rock music) 788 00:35:10,367 --> 00:35:14,500 ♪ Whoa, have love ♪ 789 00:35:14,500 --> 00:35:17,667 ♪ Whoa, baby I will travel ♪ 790 00:35:17,667 --> 00:35:21,433 ♪ Uh-huh, uh-huh, have love ♪ 791 00:35:21,433 --> 00:35:25,967 ♪ Whoa, baby I will travel ♪ 792 00:35:25,967 --> 00:35:29,066 ♪ I said if you need loving then ♪ 793 00:35:29,066 --> 00:35:32,934 ♪ Mm, hmm, I'll travel ♪ 794 00:35:32,934 --> 00:35:36,834 ♪ Yeah, I'll travel from main to Mexico ♪ 795 00:35:36,834 --> 00:35:38,166 ♪ Just to find a little girl ♪ 796 00:35:38,166 --> 00:35:39,900 - [Jordan] Along the way I met up with my buddy 797 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:44,166 Yvan Serrano, AKA DJ Healer Selecta. 798 00:35:44,166 --> 00:35:47,000 Yvan's a well-known DJ in the area, 799 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,634 specializing in all things punk and garage. 800 00:35:50,667 --> 00:35:54,066 He took me through Camden to introduce me to some friends. 801 00:35:54,066 --> 00:35:55,600 ♪ Or sail, yeah, yeah ♪ 802 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:57,967 ♪ Have love ♪ 803 00:35:57,967 --> 00:36:02,100 ♪ Whoa baby, I will travel ♪ 804 00:36:02,100 --> 00:36:05,133 - [Jordan] The crazy thing was I kept seeing Sonic shit. 805 00:36:05,133 --> 00:36:06,467 It was everywhere. 806 00:36:06,467 --> 00:36:08,567 ♪ I'll travel ♪ 807 00:36:08,567 --> 00:36:10,400 ♪ Whoa ♪ 808 00:36:11,834 --> 00:36:14,233 - [Jordan] Yvan introduced me to Bruce Brand. 809 00:36:14,233 --> 00:36:16,567 He's played drums in about a million different bands, 810 00:36:16,567 --> 00:36:19,867 most notably with Billy Childish in The Headcoats. 811 00:36:19,867 --> 00:36:21,500 - Yeah, they made it all right 812 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:24,066 to go (imitating drum thumping) 813 00:36:24,066 --> 00:36:26,667 which I've never considered doing before I heard The Sonics. 814 00:36:26,667 --> 00:36:28,533 - Yeah. - I thought yeah, 815 00:36:28,533 --> 00:36:30,700 The Sonics influence was heavy, 816 00:36:30,700 --> 00:36:32,166 heavy on The Headcoats. 817 00:36:33,133 --> 00:36:35,934 - Yvan kept telling me about this garage rock compilation 818 00:36:35,934 --> 00:36:37,634 from the mid '80s. 819 00:36:37,634 --> 00:36:40,000 He said it was ground zero for The Sonics in London. 820 00:36:41,634 --> 00:36:43,066 So he took me to the local record store 821 00:36:43,066 --> 00:36:44,367 to show me this thing. 822 00:36:46,033 --> 00:36:47,967 - Yeah, this compilation man. 823 00:36:47,967 --> 00:36:51,333 Rockabilly Psychosis was made by band 824 00:36:51,333 --> 00:36:53,400 and Big Beat records in the UK. 825 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:56,233 - So this is really how The Sonics were discovered 826 00:36:56,233 --> 00:36:57,367 in Europe. 827 00:36:57,367 --> 00:37:00,800 - In Europe on the garage 828 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,734 and rockabilly and psychobilly scene. 829 00:37:03,734 --> 00:37:06,133 - Yeah. - That's that compilation. 830 00:37:06,133 --> 00:37:09,200 But because of that compilation, many people like myself 831 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,433 and a full generation discovered The Sonics. 832 00:37:12,433 --> 00:37:15,967 - [Jordan] It was at this time that we ran into Danny Dawkins. 833 00:37:15,967 --> 00:37:17,667 Between shifts at this shop, 834 00:37:17,667 --> 00:37:20,834 Danny's also in a kickass band called the Caezars. 835 00:37:20,834 --> 00:37:23,900 When I told him what we were up to, he jumped right in. 836 00:37:23,900 --> 00:37:25,266 - Basically they're the sort of band 837 00:37:25,266 --> 00:37:26,800 that got me into music. 838 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:29,567 Although my dad sort of made compilation tapes 839 00:37:29,567 --> 00:37:32,200 for when he was driving round in his car 840 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,600 and he had this one particular tape with "Strychnine" on it. 841 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:39,367 And when I was about eight or nine years old, 842 00:37:39,367 --> 00:37:41,200 like, he played these tapes over and over 843 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:42,734 while we were traveling places. 844 00:37:42,734 --> 00:37:44,367 And every time we got back in the car, 845 00:37:44,367 --> 00:37:46,900 I used to always ask, "Is the tape with 'Strychnine' on?" 846 00:37:46,900 --> 00:37:48,700 So, even from that young age 847 00:37:48,700 --> 00:37:51,000 it sort of got its claws in me. 848 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,667 And they've had an impact on 849 00:37:52,667 --> 00:37:53,967 all of my musical tastes. 850 00:37:53,967 --> 00:37:55,600 You know, they were the one band 851 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,033 that sort of turned me on to music really. 852 00:37:57,033 --> 00:37:58,834 So, if it wasn't for them, 853 00:37:58,834 --> 00:38:01,734 you know, I probably wouldn't put grease in my hair. 854 00:38:01,734 --> 00:38:03,600 I wouldn't listen to the music that I do, 855 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:05,133 and I definitely wouldn't work here. 856 00:38:05,133 --> 00:38:07,934 'Cause they sort of started the whole thing off on me. 857 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:10,600 - [Jordan] Yvan called up a couple guys 858 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,467 he wanted me to meet, PJ and Paul. 859 00:38:13,467 --> 00:38:15,767 They own Dirty Water Records. 860 00:38:15,767 --> 00:38:18,000 These guys have basically devoted their entire lives 861 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:21,367 to getting garage and punk rock out to the masses. 862 00:38:21,367 --> 00:38:22,734 - First had a record with Sonic 863 00:38:22,734 --> 00:38:25,533 when I was maybe 14 years old. 864 00:38:25,533 --> 00:38:27,834 - Which was how many years ago? - That was a long time ago. 865 00:38:27,834 --> 00:38:28,967 Yeah. Long, long time ago. 866 00:38:28,967 --> 00:38:31,033 - [Jordan] So, when you first heard The Sonics, 867 00:38:31,033 --> 00:38:32,867 was it like on a compilation? - It was, yeah. 868 00:38:32,867 --> 00:38:34,033 - [Jordan] Okay, do you know 869 00:38:34,033 --> 00:38:35,834 which compilation that was? 870 00:38:35,834 --> 00:38:38,300 - It was called "Rockabilly Psychosis 871 00:38:38,300 --> 00:38:40,734 and the Garage Disease." 872 00:38:40,734 --> 00:38:42,333 - [Jordan] So that was really the one album 873 00:38:42,333 --> 00:38:43,600 that kind brought The Sonics over here, right? 874 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:44,767 That was kinda the first? 875 00:38:44,767 --> 00:38:45,934 - I think it exposed them to people 876 00:38:45,934 --> 00:38:47,100 for the first time really, yeah. 877 00:38:47,100 --> 00:38:49,767 - The first time I had ever heard of them 878 00:38:49,767 --> 00:38:52,300 I was at a gig in Boston, that's where I'm from originally, 879 00:38:52,300 --> 00:38:53,934 and there's a band called Lyres, 880 00:38:53,934 --> 00:38:55,734 which is a well-known garage revival band. 881 00:38:55,734 --> 00:38:58,700 And their third to last song was just incredible. 882 00:38:58,700 --> 00:39:00,433 I mean, I couldn't believe how great it was. 883 00:39:00,433 --> 00:39:02,867 And I went to talk to the guitar player, Danny, after the gig. 884 00:39:02,867 --> 00:39:04,266 I said, "Danny, what was that third to last song? 885 00:39:04,266 --> 00:39:06,300 It was amazing." He said, "How did it go?" 886 00:39:06,300 --> 00:39:07,834 And it was actually "The Witch" by The Sonics. 887 00:39:07,834 --> 00:39:09,867 And I went, (vocalizing). 888 00:39:09,867 --> 00:39:11,900 He goes, "Dude, they all go da, da, da." 889 00:39:11,900 --> 00:39:13,033 (group laughing) 890 00:39:13,033 --> 00:39:14,500 And there was no internet at the time, 891 00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:16,100 and I couldn't find any songs records at all. 892 00:39:16,100 --> 00:39:17,333 It took me years. 893 00:39:17,333 --> 00:39:18,834 - Whereas if you listen to The Sonics, 894 00:39:18,834 --> 00:39:21,000 some of those guitar sounds 895 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,233 just shredding through the speakers 896 00:39:23,233 --> 00:39:24,634 like no one else ever did at the time. 897 00:39:24,634 --> 00:39:26,133 I mean, you listen to The Beatles 898 00:39:26,133 --> 00:39:28,066 singing "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" 899 00:39:28,066 --> 00:39:30,400 and then stick on any Sonics records you like next to it. 900 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:31,800 I mean, come on. 901 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:34,133 - I think about the songs as well like they define 902 00:39:34,133 --> 00:39:36,433 and defy the '60s. 903 00:39:36,433 --> 00:39:39,066 So if you listen to the song, it sounds like a '60s band 904 00:39:39,066 --> 00:39:41,500 but it also sounds like a fresh new band today. 905 00:39:41,500 --> 00:39:43,033 And kids are gonna listen to it in a thousand years 906 00:39:43,033 --> 00:39:44,900 there's no question about it. 907 00:39:44,900 --> 00:39:47,900 It's not lost any of its power. Never will. 908 00:39:47,900 --> 00:39:51,533 - Where do you think that they sit, like historically? 909 00:39:51,533 --> 00:39:53,166 Or where do you think they should sit, I guess. 910 00:39:53,166 --> 00:39:54,300 - They should sit (clears throat) 911 00:39:54,300 --> 00:39:55,634 much higher than they do. 912 00:39:55,634 --> 00:39:57,266 I mean, everyone I know that knows The Sonics 913 00:39:57,266 --> 00:39:58,834 thinks that they're were most influential 914 00:39:58,834 --> 00:40:00,433 and important bands that it's ever been. 915 00:40:00,433 --> 00:40:02,967 But it was a long time ago. Yeah. 916 00:40:02,967 --> 00:40:05,166 But anyone who likes rock and roll 917 00:40:05,166 --> 00:40:07,066 and doesn't know who The Sonics are, 918 00:40:07,066 --> 00:40:08,467 they don't know what they're talking about. 919 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:10,734 - [Jordan] It was clear the band 920 00:40:10,734 --> 00:40:12,300 had a big following over here. 921 00:40:12,300 --> 00:40:14,133 But I still couldn't see how. 922 00:40:14,133 --> 00:40:18,133 How did this little northwest secret band 923 00:40:18,133 --> 00:40:19,934 become so popular overseas? 924 00:40:24,266 --> 00:40:27,166 (match crackling) 925 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,467 (upbeat rock music) 926 00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:39,667 ♪ Some folks like water ♪ 927 00:40:39,667 --> 00:40:43,467 ♪ Some folks like wine ♪ 928 00:40:43,467 --> 00:40:46,834 ♪ But I like the taste ♪ 929 00:40:46,834 --> 00:40:50,233 ♪ Of straight strychnine, hey, hey ♪ 930 00:40:50,233 --> 00:40:53,233 ♪ You may think it's funny ♪ 931 00:40:53,233 --> 00:40:55,100 ♪ That I like this stuff ♪ 932 00:40:55,100 --> 00:40:57,533 - Being a teenager in the mid '70s 933 00:40:57,533 --> 00:41:02,867 there was not really any definitive library 934 00:41:02,867 --> 00:41:05,834 you could go to to find out what was cool music 935 00:41:05,834 --> 00:41:07,066 and listen to and stuff. 936 00:41:07,066 --> 00:41:09,100 - That there was no internet then. 937 00:41:09,100 --> 00:41:10,700 So in order for me to learn about something, 938 00:41:10,700 --> 00:41:13,567 it really was reading, reading magazines, 939 00:41:13,567 --> 00:41:15,133 or hearing it from classmates. 940 00:41:15,133 --> 00:41:17,367 And most people didn't really like punk rock. 941 00:41:17,367 --> 00:41:19,133 You're kind of ostracized, you know? 942 00:41:19,133 --> 00:41:22,166 You weren't Utopia or the Grateful Dead, 943 00:41:22,166 --> 00:41:24,834 - [Kurt] You know, I just remember having the, 944 00:41:24,834 --> 00:41:27,433 it must have been like a slightly later edition 945 00:41:27,433 --> 00:41:31,166 of the Etiquette 45 of "The Witch" and "Psycho" 946 00:41:31,166 --> 00:41:32,767 on the same 45. 947 00:41:32,767 --> 00:41:35,233 - Each of us had a jukebox, me and Anne. 948 00:41:35,233 --> 00:41:38,300 And we staged dances in our homes. 949 00:41:38,300 --> 00:41:40,133 So, The Sonics were in heavy rotation 950 00:41:40,133 --> 00:41:42,467 even for us in the '70s 951 00:41:42,467 --> 00:41:45,900 'cause that's really fine dance music. 952 00:41:45,900 --> 00:41:46,867 You can't not dance. 953 00:41:49,700 --> 00:41:52,967 ♪ If you listen to what I say ♪ 954 00:41:52,967 --> 00:41:57,166 - They really had such a rock and roll influence on us 955 00:41:57,166 --> 00:42:02,500 because they weren't RandB, they weren't jazz musicians. 956 00:42:02,500 --> 00:42:06,000 They were definitely rock and roll musicians. 957 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:10,500 It started a whole kind of a rock movement 958 00:42:10,500 --> 00:42:11,800 I think in Seattle 959 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:15,400 - It's got just screaming soul vocals 960 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:17,033 and pummeling music. 961 00:42:17,033 --> 00:42:19,567 And it's like, wow, what more do you want 962 00:42:19,567 --> 00:42:21,867 as a 15-year-old kid, you know? 963 00:42:21,867 --> 00:42:25,033 ♪ Hey, whoa, strychnine ♪ 964 00:42:25,033 --> 00:42:28,433 ♪ Hey, hey, strychnine ♪ 965 00:42:28,433 --> 00:42:31,667 ♪ Hey, hey, strychnine ♪ 966 00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:34,166 - It was the kind of thing that would've been shared 967 00:42:34,166 --> 00:42:38,800 by your buddy's cool big brother, you know? 968 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:41,400 - It was all very, very mysterious. 969 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,767 You know, there was not even any photos of The Sonics 970 00:42:43,767 --> 00:42:45,634 you could look at. 971 00:42:45,634 --> 00:42:47,333 There was the two record covers, 972 00:42:47,333 --> 00:42:50,133 there was not any magazines you could look at 973 00:42:50,133 --> 00:42:52,433 and the two record covers, you couldn't even 974 00:42:52,433 --> 00:42:54,266 see any detail in it. 975 00:42:54,266 --> 00:42:57,500 The first album has that kind of dark green 976 00:42:57,500 --> 00:42:59,433 and you'd look at it, it's like, 977 00:42:59,433 --> 00:43:01,233 whoa, those guys look like 978 00:43:01,233 --> 00:43:03,066 they're the toughest guys of all time. 979 00:43:03,066 --> 00:43:04,567 They're in the alley 980 00:43:04,567 --> 00:43:05,767 and you know they're just carrying knives 981 00:43:05,767 --> 00:43:08,400 and ready to jump you. 982 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:12,033 And they're so tough that just listen to that sound. 983 00:43:13,166 --> 00:43:15,667 - [Jordan] Slowly, The Sonics became cult legends 984 00:43:15,667 --> 00:43:17,000 throughout the northwest. 985 00:43:17,834 --> 00:43:20,133 The guys in the band had no idea. 986 00:43:20,133 --> 00:43:23,200 ♪ There's a guy in town who gets all the chicks ♪ 987 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:26,433 ♪ From what I hear this dude he ain't no hick ♪ 988 00:43:26,433 --> 00:43:27,367 ♪ He's big and tuff ♪ 989 00:43:27,367 --> 00:43:29,133 - [Jordan] While their music was starting to inspire 990 00:43:29,133 --> 00:43:30,867 the next generation of musicians, 991 00:43:30,867 --> 00:43:34,400 they all became pretty, well, normal. 992 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:36,467 ♪ Dig him 'cause he plays it so cool ♪ 993 00:43:36,467 --> 00:43:40,567 ♪ He's the hustler, yeah ♪ 994 00:43:40,567 --> 00:43:43,300 ♪ He's got a car that's never been shot down ♪ 995 00:43:43,300 --> 00:43:44,467 - [Jordan] Do you remember the first time 996 00:43:44,467 --> 00:43:45,734 you heard The Sonics? 997 00:43:45,734 --> 00:43:48,533 - I don't. I mean, it probably, 998 00:43:48,533 --> 00:43:50,367 it would have to be in the late '70s 999 00:43:50,367 --> 00:43:54,767 or something when I was becoming aware of music 1000 00:43:54,767 --> 00:43:56,233 that was northwest-oriented. 1001 00:43:56,233 --> 00:43:59,233 All around here, including Heart, Sonics, Hendricks, 1002 00:43:59,233 --> 00:44:01,200 all, there's band called The Heats. 1003 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:02,800 A lot of local bands that have come out here 1004 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:05,166 around the late '70s, early '80s. 1005 00:44:05,166 --> 00:44:06,934 - I mean, when I first started 1006 00:44:06,934 --> 00:44:09,166 kind of trying to figure out like that I might sing, 1007 00:44:09,166 --> 00:44:11,500 Gerry Roslie was definitely like 1008 00:44:11,500 --> 00:44:16,834 one of the people that I was emulating or trying to. 1009 00:44:16,834 --> 00:44:18,166 You know, I think he's much more 1010 00:44:18,166 --> 00:44:20,600 soulful than I am. (chuckles) 1011 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:23,900 but his voice is just amazing. 1012 00:44:23,900 --> 00:44:26,367 - The voice is mean, it's a growl. 1013 00:44:26,367 --> 00:44:29,400 It's aggressive, it's fun, it's wild. 1014 00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:33,266 It's wild and chaotic, which is an element of rock 1015 00:44:33,266 --> 00:44:36,400 that is often left aside. 1016 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:40,166 - [Kurt] The Seattle music scene of my era, 1017 00:44:40,834 --> 00:44:44,367 it was just like something that everybody knew. 1018 00:44:44,367 --> 00:44:46,200 Everybody had those records. 1019 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:49,100 They were all scratched up and trashed 1020 00:44:49,100 --> 00:44:50,600 and played 10 million times. 1021 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:53,767 - I remember like rock parties, 1022 00:44:53,767 --> 00:44:56,900 but like punk and metal parties would happen. 1023 00:44:56,900 --> 00:45:00,400 And I remember hearing "The Witch" a lot back then, 1024 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:03,934 and there was a couple of scenes of music that were going on. 1025 00:45:03,934 --> 00:45:06,433 I was kind of in more of the metal scene in Seattle, 1026 00:45:06,433 --> 00:45:08,600 and there was the punk scene that was Green River. 1027 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:10,033 And then there wasn't a ton of us 1028 00:45:10,033 --> 00:45:12,166 so we'd all go to each other's parties 1029 00:45:12,166 --> 00:45:15,533 and play some 45 Grave and then some Motorhead, 1030 00:45:15,533 --> 00:45:17,066 everybody could agree on, and then. 1031 00:45:17,066 --> 00:45:20,533 - Stooges or they'd play Sabbath or you'd hear Black Flag, 1032 00:45:21,467 --> 00:45:22,667 or The Sonics, 1033 00:45:22,667 --> 00:45:24,667 - You know, it'd be all, 1034 00:45:24,667 --> 00:45:26,634 it'd be part of the party scene, I guess. 1035 00:45:26,634 --> 00:45:28,734 I don't know how, of Seattle in the early '80s. 1036 00:45:28,734 --> 00:45:31,200 - Like a band would play in the basement of the house 1037 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:33,800 then afterward, like, it would be like a kegger style, 1038 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:35,367 like someone would bring a keg 1039 00:45:35,367 --> 00:45:37,066 and someone would be just playing records 1040 00:45:37,066 --> 00:45:39,667 and it would turn into this huge dance party. 1041 00:45:39,667 --> 00:45:41,467 It was super fun and like, it was always some, 1042 00:45:41,467 --> 00:45:44,333 at some point during the night, 1043 00:45:44,333 --> 00:45:45,367 The Sonics would come on. 1044 00:45:47,767 --> 00:45:52,734 ♪ When you walk through the door ♪ 1045 00:45:52,734 --> 00:45:58,233 ♪ Hold your head up high ♪ 1046 00:45:58,233 --> 00:46:01,533 ♪ And don't afraid of the dark world ♪ 1047 00:46:01,533 --> 00:46:03,467 ♪ I say don't, don't ♪ 1048 00:46:03,467 --> 00:46:05,834 ♪ Don't, don't be afraid ♪ 1049 00:46:05,834 --> 00:46:07,333 ♪ Don't, don't ♪ 1050 00:46:07,333 --> 00:46:09,734 ♪ Don't, don't be afraid ♪ 1051 00:46:09,734 --> 00:46:13,700 - And I didn't really start hearing about them a lot 1052 00:46:13,700 --> 00:46:17,667 until I became a recording engineer in the middle '80s. 1053 00:46:17,667 --> 00:46:19,433 And I started running into bands 1054 00:46:19,433 --> 00:46:21,667 who were talking about them a lot, 1055 00:46:22,767 --> 00:46:24,433 like Gas Huffer and Mud Honey. 1056 00:46:24,433 --> 00:46:27,033 And the guys from the Mono Men. 1057 00:46:27,033 --> 00:46:30,233 And a lot of bands I ended up working with 1058 00:46:30,233 --> 00:46:32,100 who would say, "Hey, you know, 1059 00:46:32,100 --> 00:46:33,700 get us that Sonics drum sound." 1060 00:46:33,700 --> 00:46:35,266 I go, "Sonics drum sound? 1061 00:46:35,266 --> 00:46:37,066 What are you talking about?" 1062 00:46:37,066 --> 00:46:40,000 And I have to go find these records and go, okay. 1063 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,000 - They were rocking, they were aggressive. 1064 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:44,533 They're mean, it was a... huge drums. 1065 00:46:44,533 --> 00:46:46,367 - And it sounds dangerous. 1066 00:46:46,367 --> 00:46:47,967 That's what I think about it. 1067 00:46:47,967 --> 00:46:50,400 The Sonics, they sound fucking dangerous. 1068 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:53,634 And that's what's awesome about rock and roll 1069 00:46:53,634 --> 00:46:56,667 is when you feel like you're doing something wrong 1070 00:46:56,667 --> 00:47:00,333 or you might, something bad might happen, but it's great. 1071 00:47:00,333 --> 00:47:04,400 - Later on when guys like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden 1072 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:07,834 and they broke through the '80s 1073 00:47:07,834 --> 00:47:11,133 kind of layer cake, overproduced, 1074 00:47:11,133 --> 00:47:15,066 MTV, artifice type sound, 1075 00:47:15,066 --> 00:47:17,266 and got back to the sound of The Sonics. 1076 00:47:17,266 --> 00:47:20,734 (up-tempo rock music) 1077 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:35,200 ♪ I feel bad ♪ 1078 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:39,533 - [Nancy] It was like, it busted back into 1079 00:47:39,533 --> 00:47:42,233 something that The Sonics had started, I thought. 1080 00:47:42,233 --> 00:47:45,100 - We as a band in the '90s 1081 00:47:45,100 --> 00:47:49,066 going around doing interviews as the presidents 1082 00:47:49,066 --> 00:47:52,100 were constantly asked about Seattle and the scene, 1083 00:47:52,100 --> 00:47:54,200 because, you know, that package, 1084 00:47:54,200 --> 00:47:57,467 that unit of grunge in Seattle was being sold 1085 00:47:57,467 --> 00:47:59,734 as a thing to the masses. 1086 00:47:59,734 --> 00:48:02,600 And we constantly defended the, 1087 00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:06,433 what we thought was the real kinda core attitude of Seattle, 1088 00:48:06,433 --> 00:48:10,500 which is Party Rock, the Kingsmen, the Wailers, 1089 00:48:10,500 --> 00:48:13,200 The Sonics, the Young Fresh Fellows, 1090 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:14,967 Paul Revere and The Raiders. 1091 00:48:14,967 --> 00:48:18,133 We kept saying, like, there's a rich history 1092 00:48:18,133 --> 00:48:19,700 of that kind of vibe, 1093 00:48:19,700 --> 00:48:23,433 that kinda like small band, garage band, 1094 00:48:23,433 --> 00:48:27,500 and even angling towards joyful party time. 1095 00:48:27,500 --> 00:48:30,734 And grunge be, although amazing and great 1096 00:48:30,734 --> 00:48:32,767 and incredible creative spurt 1097 00:48:32,767 --> 00:48:37,800 is a bit of a anomaly to me, to us. 1098 00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:39,600 And we used to kinda say like, okay, 1099 00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:41,567 if you wanted to learn about Seattle, go backwards. 1100 00:48:41,567 --> 00:48:45,033 (up-tempo rock music) 1101 00:48:49,700 --> 00:48:51,567 - I was lucky enough to like tour 1102 00:48:51,567 --> 00:48:53,400 with the remaining members of the MC5. 1103 00:48:53,400 --> 00:48:55,200 And so, I like asked those guys 1104 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:56,734 if they were familiar with Sonics. 1105 00:48:56,734 --> 00:48:58,700 They'd never heard of them at the time. 1106 00:48:58,700 --> 00:49:02,266 Like it just didn't make it outside of the northwest. 1107 00:49:02,266 --> 00:49:04,600 - We look back on them now as this legendary band, 1108 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:07,233 but really at the time, they were kind of 1109 00:49:07,233 --> 00:49:09,734 a northwest secret in a lot of ways. 1110 00:49:09,734 --> 00:49:11,734 You know, people up here knew about them, 1111 00:49:11,734 --> 00:49:15,967 but in Florida or New York or whatever, who knows? 1112 00:49:15,967 --> 00:49:19,233 - Over the years I heard these comments from 1113 00:49:19,233 --> 00:49:23,033 some of the early English bands 1114 00:49:23,033 --> 00:49:26,500 that started to spread the word. 1115 00:49:26,500 --> 00:49:29,200 It's good that musicians hear it, 1116 00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:32,567 but what we need to do is get the fans 1117 00:49:32,567 --> 00:49:34,033 and the public to hear it. 1118 00:49:34,033 --> 00:49:37,800 (melancholic music) 1119 00:49:44,467 --> 00:49:47,333 At the end of The Wailers is, 1120 00:49:47,333 --> 00:49:51,500 that was my key band and for performing. 1121 00:49:51,500 --> 00:49:56,200 And that kind of did the same thing in the end of the '60s. 1122 00:49:56,967 --> 00:50:00,367 Same as Sonics, it got a little bit dry here. 1123 00:50:00,367 --> 00:50:01,867 So I moved up to Seattle 1124 00:50:03,033 --> 00:50:06,400 and I formed another band with my friend Ned. 1125 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:07,934 It was called Junior Cadillac, 1126 00:50:07,934 --> 00:50:09,433 but it was a really good band. 1127 00:50:09,433 --> 00:50:12,367 It was made up of players from the group 1128 00:50:12,367 --> 00:50:14,867 called The Frantic and Wailers. 1129 00:50:15,634 --> 00:50:18,300 (melancholic music) 1130 00:50:21,767 --> 00:50:23,800 - [Jordan] After a successful 13-year round 1131 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:26,166 of playing bass with Junior Cadillac, 1132 00:50:26,166 --> 00:50:28,667 Buck decided it was time to move on. 1133 00:50:28,667 --> 00:50:31,300 (melancholic music) 1134 00:50:31,300 --> 00:50:33,300 - It was just always bugged me, you know, 1135 00:50:33,300 --> 00:50:36,300 because I kept thinking about Sonics' music. 1136 00:50:36,300 --> 00:50:39,800 Particularly in my heart or whatever in my gut, 1137 00:50:39,800 --> 00:50:41,800 I said, man, you know, 1138 00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:44,033 people gotta hear what we did. 1139 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:48,000 And I said, I'd really like to 1140 00:50:49,934 --> 00:50:52,367 you know, start the label again 1141 00:50:52,367 --> 00:50:55,533 and reissue those albums 1142 00:50:55,533 --> 00:50:58,000 because I thought people never got a chance 1143 00:50:58,000 --> 00:50:59,500 to hear these things. 1144 00:50:59,500 --> 00:51:03,166 And I reactivated the label in 1985 1145 00:51:03,166 --> 00:51:05,200 and I reissued those albums, 1146 00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:07,934 including several other albums that we had. 1147 00:51:09,300 --> 00:51:10,634 - [Jordan] The locally reissued album 1148 00:51:10,634 --> 00:51:12,634 sold much better than expected. 1149 00:51:12,634 --> 00:51:15,100 Buck started to realize that his hunch was right. 1150 00:51:15,100 --> 00:51:17,567 The Sonics had developed a serious underground 1151 00:51:17,567 --> 00:51:19,467 cult following in the northwest. 1152 00:51:21,100 --> 00:51:23,767 He felt it was finally time to get this music out 1153 00:51:23,767 --> 00:51:25,100 and into the world. 1154 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:27,400 - I started going to Europe 1155 00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:29,567 and it was a convention over there, 1156 00:51:29,567 --> 00:51:31,767 big music convention in France. 1157 00:51:32,867 --> 00:51:34,734 I would take big suitcases 1158 00:51:36,233 --> 00:51:41,367 of packed with vinyl records of my reissues. (chuckles) 1159 00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:44,367 I didn't, and this was the first time 1160 00:51:44,367 --> 00:51:45,967 I'd been to this actual convention, 1161 00:51:45,967 --> 00:51:50,367 and I gave away vinyl records 1162 00:51:50,367 --> 00:51:55,266 to other major labels, independent labels, 1163 00:51:55,266 --> 00:51:57,300 to anybody that I could give them to 1164 00:51:57,300 --> 00:51:59,233 that I thought would be somebody 1165 00:51:59,233 --> 00:52:00,900 that would be able to, promoters, 1166 00:52:00,900 --> 00:52:02,467 did the same thing with promoters. 1167 00:52:02,467 --> 00:52:03,867 There were promoters there. 1168 00:52:03,867 --> 00:52:05,266 Then the next year I did the same thing 1169 00:52:05,266 --> 00:52:06,767 and I just kept hauling them out there. 1170 00:52:06,767 --> 00:52:08,634 And I'd always meet new people 1171 00:52:08,634 --> 00:52:11,934 and meet people from different countries 1172 00:52:11,934 --> 00:52:14,000 and give them the records. 1173 00:52:14,000 --> 00:52:16,166 - [Jordan] Year after year, Buck would take suitcases 1174 00:52:16,166 --> 00:52:18,800 filled with Sonics records over to Europe, 1175 00:52:18,800 --> 00:52:20,667 handing them out to anyone, 1176 00:52:20,667 --> 00:52:22,700 literally anyone he thought might understand 1177 00:52:22,700 --> 00:52:24,333 how great these guys were. 1178 00:52:24,333 --> 00:52:27,266 Anyone he felt might help get the word out. 1179 00:52:28,333 --> 00:52:30,934 - So I went over there for five, six years 1180 00:52:30,934 --> 00:52:32,667 and did the same thing. 1181 00:52:32,667 --> 00:52:35,433 Just give, just gave them away. 1182 00:52:35,433 --> 00:52:37,000 - [Jordan] It was around this time that Buck would license 1183 00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:39,333 the song "Psycho" for a garage rock compilation 1184 00:52:39,333 --> 00:52:41,734 that was to be released only in Europe. 1185 00:52:41,734 --> 00:52:44,400 Rockabilly Psychosis and the Garage Disease 1186 00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:46,433 ended up being a big hit all over Europe 1187 00:52:46,433 --> 00:52:48,567 and outside of the northwest, 1188 00:52:48,567 --> 00:52:50,533 this would be most people's introduction to the band. 1189 00:52:50,533 --> 00:52:54,066 - In France was right across from the Louvre 1190 00:52:54,066 --> 00:52:55,867 in the old entrance to the Louvre. 1191 00:52:55,867 --> 00:52:58,233 And I went into this one record store, 1192 00:52:58,233 --> 00:53:00,233 and I look at it all the, 1193 00:53:00,233 --> 00:53:04,133 he had record covers all over his walls. 1194 00:53:04,133 --> 00:53:06,166 And the first, when I walked in the door, 1195 00:53:06,166 --> 00:53:08,600 the first one I saw was Sonics' "Boom." 1196 00:53:09,133 --> 00:53:13,667 I mean, he had hundreds of them all over his store. 1197 00:53:13,667 --> 00:53:15,533 And the first one was Sonics' "Boom." 1198 00:53:15,533 --> 00:53:18,066 I saw it up there and went, whoa, okay. 1199 00:53:18,066 --> 00:53:20,567 One of those guys got my records. 1200 00:53:20,567 --> 00:53:22,066 Someone showed it to them, 1201 00:53:22,066 --> 00:53:23,834 somebody played it for them. 1202 00:53:23,834 --> 00:53:25,233 They got it from somewhere. 1203 00:53:26,467 --> 00:53:27,600 - [Jordan] Because of this release 1204 00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:28,600 and all the records 1205 00:53:28,600 --> 00:53:30,266 that Buck had been bringing over by hand, 1206 00:53:30,266 --> 00:53:32,200 people's interest in this mysterious group 1207 00:53:32,200 --> 00:53:34,667 from the northwest started to grow. 1208 00:53:34,667 --> 00:53:37,667 With zero information about the band available, 1209 00:53:37,667 --> 00:53:41,233 The Sonics became this unicorn of the punk scene. 1210 00:53:41,233 --> 00:53:42,967 Who were these guys? 1211 00:53:42,967 --> 00:53:45,634 How did this amazing music stay hidden for so long? 1212 00:53:46,667 --> 00:53:48,233 Well, all around the world, 1213 00:53:48,233 --> 00:53:50,533 The Sonics' popularity continued to grow. 1214 00:53:50,533 --> 00:53:53,834 The guys in the band still had no idea. 1215 00:53:54,634 --> 00:53:57,233 - Buck actually, if it had not been for Buck, 1216 00:53:57,233 --> 00:53:59,166 we would, nobody would remember us. 1217 00:53:59,166 --> 00:54:00,767 I mean, there would be some people, 1218 00:54:00,767 --> 00:54:02,934 but I mean, the band would not be on the map. 1219 00:54:02,934 --> 00:54:05,934 Buck Ormsby from Etiquette Records went to Europe 1220 00:54:05,934 --> 00:54:10,967 and came back with articles and magazines and stuff 1221 00:54:10,967 --> 00:54:13,400 that were talking about The Sonics. 1222 00:54:14,767 --> 00:54:16,400 And he says he had talked 1223 00:54:16,400 --> 00:54:19,734 to lots of promoters who'd be interested 1224 00:54:19,734 --> 00:54:22,700 in having The Sonics go to Europe and tour. 1225 00:54:22,700 --> 00:54:24,834 I just didn't believe him. 1226 00:54:24,834 --> 00:54:26,867 I just wrote it off as, yeah, right. 1227 00:54:26,867 --> 00:54:29,800 - Buck had lined up all these places 1228 00:54:29,800 --> 00:54:31,667 for his play in Europe, you know? 1229 00:54:33,767 --> 00:54:37,033 But at the time, we couldn't get anybody on the same page. 1230 00:54:37,033 --> 00:54:39,000 I think at that particular time, 1231 00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:41,667 I was for it but Gerry was not. 1232 00:54:41,667 --> 00:54:43,467 And from time to time though, 1233 00:54:43,467 --> 00:54:45,600 Gerry would call me on the phone 1234 00:54:45,600 --> 00:54:47,300 and I remember one time saying, 1235 00:54:47,300 --> 00:54:50,734 "Well, we ought just leave sleeping dogs lie," 1236 00:54:50,734 --> 00:54:53,467 (chuckles) or something stupid like that. 1237 00:54:53,467 --> 00:54:56,433 ♪ Hey, little girl ♪ 1238 00:54:56,433 --> 00:54:59,767 ♪ I play a guitar ♪ 1239 00:54:59,767 --> 00:55:01,567 ♪ I even drive ♪ 1240 00:55:01,567 --> 00:55:03,567 - [Jordan] In 1998, Buck licensed "Here Are the Sonics" 1241 00:55:03,567 --> 00:55:05,567 and "Boom" to Norton Records. 1242 00:55:05,567 --> 00:55:07,400 For the first time in 40 years, 1243 00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:10,867 The Sonics records were finally distributed nationally. 1244 00:55:10,867 --> 00:55:13,433 - If today The Sonics are getting the recognition 1245 00:55:13,433 --> 00:55:15,634 for something that we did 40 years ago, 1246 00:55:15,634 --> 00:55:17,667 it was like lighting the fuse 1247 00:55:17,667 --> 00:55:20,967 and it just took a slow burn to get to there. 1248 00:55:20,967 --> 00:55:25,800 - It was probably in the '90s 1249 00:55:25,800 --> 00:55:28,600 when it was like, geez, you know? 1250 00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:34,934 It was a lot of people that know who The Sonics were. 1251 00:55:34,934 --> 00:55:38,667 - It was so shocking because, 1252 00:55:38,667 --> 00:55:40,500 and people were telling me, 1253 00:55:40,500 --> 00:55:42,433 "Hey, did you know there's a magazine in California, 1254 00:55:42,433 --> 00:55:45,000 it's got you guys, naming the guys' band in it?" 1255 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:46,734 I says, "No." 1256 00:55:46,734 --> 00:55:49,667 I hear little bits and pieces of stuff. 1257 00:55:49,667 --> 00:55:53,533 - I didn't know too many musicians in Honolulu, 1258 00:55:53,533 --> 00:55:55,600 but when I did and they found out 1259 00:55:55,600 --> 00:55:57,200 that I was from The Sonics, 1260 00:55:57,200 --> 00:55:59,000 they'd go, "Oh yeah, Sonics." 1261 00:55:59,700 --> 00:56:02,900 And I'm going, "How do you know about The Sonics," you know? 1262 00:56:02,900 --> 00:56:07,967 - I was getting glossy magazines, 1263 00:56:07,967 --> 00:56:09,767 teen-oriented magazines, 1264 00:56:09,767 --> 00:56:12,400 and I couldn't read Italian or German or anything 1265 00:56:12,400 --> 00:56:14,266 but here I recognized my picture 1266 00:56:14,266 --> 00:56:16,600 and I knew the word Sonics when I saw it. 1267 00:56:16,600 --> 00:56:20,233 I could tell that this is a big deal over there. 1268 00:56:20,233 --> 00:56:21,567 - [Jordan] While the band's newfound fame 1269 00:56:21,567 --> 00:56:23,200 continued to grow, 1270 00:56:23,200 --> 00:56:25,066 the reunion offers kept coming in. 1271 00:56:26,333 --> 00:56:29,900 - It actually started in about 2005, 1272 00:56:29,900 --> 00:56:31,800 a New York promoter called Larry 1273 00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:33,400 and said, "Hey, I want you guys 1274 00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:35,800 to come headline this Cavestomp Festival." 1275 00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:38,033 And Larry said, "Well, we don't play. 1276 00:56:38,033 --> 00:56:39,634 There's no way we can do that." 1277 00:56:39,634 --> 00:56:42,367 - He kept asking us a lot. 1278 00:56:43,133 --> 00:56:45,000 He'd say, "You guys wanna play for us?" 1279 00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:47,433 And we said, "No. 1280 00:56:47,433 --> 00:56:49,767 We haven't played in 40 years." 1281 00:56:49,767 --> 00:56:51,734 - I didn't even realize when they were telling, 1282 00:56:51,734 --> 00:56:54,033 "Oh, we're gonna try to get back together and everything." 1283 00:56:54,033 --> 00:56:57,200 I'm going, yeah, yeah, you know? 1284 00:56:57,200 --> 00:56:58,767 - That year came and went. 1285 00:56:58,767 --> 00:57:02,266 2006, he came back and Larry said same thing. 1286 00:57:03,166 --> 00:57:04,767 We don't play. 1287 00:57:04,767 --> 00:57:06,867 You know, Rob's an airline pilot. 1288 00:57:07,767 --> 00:57:08,734 I work in an office. 1289 00:57:08,734 --> 00:57:09,900 We don't do that. 1290 00:57:09,900 --> 00:57:11,133 - That he wouldn't give up. 1291 00:57:11,133 --> 00:57:13,000 Finally, he started saying, 1292 00:57:13,000 --> 00:57:14,867 "Okay, I'll give you this amount. 1293 00:57:14,867 --> 00:57:16,700 I'll give you this amount of money." 1294 00:57:18,934 --> 00:57:20,834 And he kept saying, "I'll give you this amount of money. 1295 00:57:20,834 --> 00:57:22,033 I'll pay for your hotels. 1296 00:57:22,033 --> 00:57:23,367 I'll do all this stuff." 1297 00:57:23,367 --> 00:57:26,266 And we're thinking, geez, this guy really likes us. 1298 00:57:26,266 --> 00:57:28,900 - And then Larry and Gerry and I started talking 1299 00:57:28,900 --> 00:57:30,634 and we said, "Well, you know, it might be kind of fun. 1300 00:57:30,634 --> 00:57:32,567 Maybe we ought to do it." 1301 00:57:32,567 --> 00:57:34,600 So we all converged in Seattle, 1302 00:57:34,600 --> 00:57:37,533 Andy, Bob, Gerry, Larry, and me, 1303 00:57:37,533 --> 00:57:39,600 and we rehearsed for a couple of days 1304 00:57:39,600 --> 00:57:41,133 and we talked about it. 1305 00:57:41,133 --> 00:57:42,900 Andy was very negative 1306 00:57:42,900 --> 00:57:45,567 in terms that he just didn't wanna travel. 1307 00:57:45,567 --> 00:57:47,166 He didn't wanna travel. 1308 00:57:47,166 --> 00:57:49,700 - I mean, I didn't have any real objection. 1309 00:57:49,700 --> 00:57:52,467 I didn't have any bad taste in my mouth for him. 1310 00:57:52,467 --> 00:57:54,233 I just didn't feel like doing it 1311 00:57:54,233 --> 00:57:56,834 and I didn't feel like I was particularly invited to do it. 1312 00:57:56,834 --> 00:58:01,200 And I think that, so it just didn't feel right for me 1313 00:58:01,200 --> 00:58:02,767 to interject myself into it. 1314 00:58:02,767 --> 00:58:06,767 - And Bobby Joe, he lives in Honolulu, 1315 00:58:06,767 --> 00:58:09,600 and the commute back and forth was too much. 1316 00:58:09,600 --> 00:58:12,266 - I just couldn't do it even though I wanted to 1317 00:58:12,266 --> 00:58:14,934 and I kept saying, yes, I want to, 1318 00:58:15,734 --> 00:58:18,233 but I knew that I wouldn't be able to. 1319 00:58:19,033 --> 00:58:22,567 And I think after a while they knew it too. 1320 00:58:22,567 --> 00:58:24,600 - So, the three of us, Gerry, Larry, and I, 1321 00:58:24,600 --> 00:58:27,100 rehearsed for a year, probably. 1322 00:58:27,100 --> 00:58:28,700 I'd fly up to Seattle 1323 00:58:28,700 --> 00:58:30,567 and we'd get together for a couple days 1324 00:58:30,567 --> 00:58:32,266 and we were just learning 1325 00:58:32,266 --> 00:58:35,066 how to relearn our instruments again. 1326 00:58:35,066 --> 00:58:37,133 Larry hadn't played a guitar in 35 years. 1327 00:58:37,133 --> 00:58:40,567 I hadn't touched the sax, and Gerry hadn't sung. 1328 00:58:40,567 --> 00:58:43,266 And so, he was working on building his pipes up. 1329 00:58:43,266 --> 00:58:45,467 Larry and I were working on playing our instruments 1330 00:58:45,467 --> 00:58:47,266 and getting back into shape. 1331 00:58:47,266 --> 00:58:48,634 Finally, he said, "You know, I think 1332 00:58:48,634 --> 00:58:50,600 we might be able to pull that off." 1333 00:58:50,600 --> 00:58:54,100 - And so beginning of 2007, this promoter call Larry again, 1334 00:58:54,100 --> 00:58:55,667 and Larry said, "Well, tell you what, 1335 00:58:55,667 --> 00:58:57,266 we're rehearsing a little bit." 1336 00:58:57,266 --> 00:58:58,700 The guy got all excited, "All right, great." 1337 00:58:58,700 --> 00:59:00,266 When do you wanna do it? 1338 00:59:00,266 --> 00:59:01,433 And Larry said, "No, no, no, no, hold on. 1339 00:59:01,433 --> 00:59:02,700 I'll tell you when we're ready." 1340 00:59:02,700 --> 00:59:05,433 - But when we learned that we could actually play, 1341 00:59:08,166 --> 00:59:09,734 I was pretty excited about it. 1342 00:59:09,734 --> 00:59:12,500 - We took it down, I think about a month. 1343 00:59:12,500 --> 00:59:14,166 This promoter was going nuts. 1344 00:59:14,166 --> 00:59:16,033 "Are you guys coming? Are you guys coming?" 1345 00:59:16,033 --> 00:59:17,533 And we kept saying, "Well, hold on, we can't tell you." 1346 00:59:17,533 --> 00:59:20,567 - We finally said, "Okay, we'll do it." 1347 00:59:20,567 --> 00:59:22,300 - [Jordan] For the first time in 40 years, 1348 00:59:22,300 --> 00:59:24,934 The Sonics would reunite and play a show. 1349 00:59:25,700 --> 00:59:29,800 - [Host] This is The Sonics! 1350 00:59:31,133 --> 00:59:34,433 (upbeat rock music) 1351 00:59:43,233 --> 00:59:44,767 ♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪ 1352 00:59:44,767 --> 00:59:46,767 - So they got us behind the curtain and everything 1353 00:59:46,767 --> 00:59:48,500 and we thought, oh god, here it goes. 1354 00:59:48,500 --> 00:59:50,900 - Here's an insurance dude and an airline pilot 1355 00:59:50,900 --> 00:59:53,033 up there playing rock and roll to a full house. 1356 00:59:53,033 --> 00:59:56,734 - It was jam-packed. 1357 00:59:56,734 --> 00:59:58,533 I mean, it was an amazing concert. 1358 00:59:58,533 --> 01:00:00,500 It was the first time they wanted me to go back 1359 01:00:00,500 --> 01:00:03,567 because they thought maybe I could work with a sound person 1360 01:00:03,567 --> 01:00:05,533 to get their sound or whatever. 1361 01:00:05,533 --> 01:00:08,600 - Zoop, they pull the curtains and we all, oh god. 1362 01:00:08,600 --> 01:00:10,800 And here the people we looked out there, 1363 01:00:10,800 --> 01:00:12,533 I'm not kidding you, it looked like it did 1364 01:00:12,533 --> 01:00:14,834 when we quit 40 years ago. 1365 01:00:14,834 --> 01:00:16,934 They were all the same age. 1366 01:00:16,934 --> 01:00:20,967 They were all like 18, 19, 20-year-old, 17-year-old. 1367 01:00:20,967 --> 01:00:22,967 It was just this deja vu all over again. 1368 01:00:22,967 --> 01:00:24,767 - People came from all over the world. 1369 01:00:24,767 --> 01:00:27,900 I mean, there was people that came from 1370 01:00:27,900 --> 01:00:30,600 Norway, London, France. 1371 01:00:30,600 --> 01:00:33,567 - We played the Friday night show, which was sold out, 1372 01:00:33,567 --> 01:00:37,100 and we played the Saturday night show, which was sold out. 1373 01:00:37,100 --> 01:00:39,066 - So we kept going into it 1374 01:00:39,066 --> 01:00:41,700 and pretty soon they were out diving off the stage, oops. 1375 01:00:41,700 --> 01:00:43,834 And doing a mosh pit. 1376 01:00:43,834 --> 01:00:44,834 And everything was out. 1377 01:00:44,834 --> 01:00:46,867 We're in. (chuckles) 1378 01:00:46,867 --> 01:00:49,200 They liked us no matter how old we are. 1379 01:00:50,000 --> 01:00:51,367 - Yeah, I was still suspicious 1380 01:00:51,367 --> 01:00:53,033 but when I saw the reaction 1381 01:00:53,033 --> 01:00:55,300 I went whoa, man, was I wrong. 1382 01:00:55,300 --> 01:00:57,066 - People asking for autographs, 1383 01:00:57,066 --> 01:01:01,066 we haven't gotten that since the '60s of course. 1384 01:01:01,066 --> 01:01:03,634 ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Cinderella ♪ 1385 01:01:03,634 --> 01:01:06,767 (upbeat rock music) 1386 01:01:10,100 --> 01:01:11,767 - [Jordan] The two reunion shows at Cavestomp 1387 01:01:11,767 --> 01:01:13,533 were a huge success. 1388 01:01:13,533 --> 01:01:15,700 Offers came flooding in from Europe. 1389 01:01:15,700 --> 01:01:18,033 - For us in The Sonics in the northwest, 1390 01:01:18,033 --> 01:01:20,634 we thought going on tour meant going to Spokane. 1391 01:01:20,634 --> 01:01:22,333 We'd never been to Europe, you know? 1392 01:01:22,333 --> 01:01:24,734 - [Jordan] In 2008, The Sonics Tour Europe 1393 01:01:24,734 --> 01:01:28,133 for the very first time, selling out every show. 1394 01:01:28,133 --> 01:01:30,100 Shortly after, they decided it was time 1395 01:01:30,100 --> 01:01:31,600 to play a hometown gig. 1396 01:01:31,600 --> 01:01:34,600 Halloween night at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. 1397 01:01:34,600 --> 01:01:37,600 It was around this time when I caught wind of the reunion. 1398 01:01:37,600 --> 01:01:40,400 I immediately called my dad and told him about the show. 1399 01:01:40,400 --> 01:01:43,800 We grabbed tickets and I flew up from LA for the gig. 1400 01:01:43,800 --> 01:01:45,200 This would be the first concert 1401 01:01:45,200 --> 01:01:46,867 my dad and I would go to together, 1402 01:01:46,867 --> 01:01:47,900 but not the last. 1403 01:01:48,433 --> 01:01:50,934 Over the next eight years, the band played 1404 01:01:50,934 --> 01:01:53,100 to sold out crowds all over the world. 1405 01:01:53,100 --> 01:01:55,567 This little regional band from the '60s, 1406 01:01:55,567 --> 01:01:58,166 this little cult band from Tacoma, Washington 1407 01:01:58,166 --> 01:02:02,367 after 40 years we're finally out touring the world. 1408 01:02:02,367 --> 01:02:05,467 They were no longer just a northwest secret. 1409 01:02:05,467 --> 01:02:08,533 - We got to tour and see the world and play again. 1410 01:02:08,533 --> 01:02:11,200 - Every place that we played was jam packed, you know? 1411 01:02:11,200 --> 01:02:13,600 - [Gerry] England, France, Spain, Italy, Greece. 1412 01:02:13,600 --> 01:02:15,767 - [Rob] Stockholm and Oslo, Berlin, 1413 01:02:15,767 --> 01:02:19,133 Madrid, Seville. 1414 01:02:19,133 --> 01:02:22,600 All kinds of those, all the way down to Athens. 1415 01:02:22,600 --> 01:02:24,433 - [Larry] And I'd have people come up and say, 1416 01:02:24,433 --> 01:02:26,266 "Yeah, my dad said I've gotta come here 1417 01:02:26,266 --> 01:02:29,600 because he used to hear you guys when he was a kid." 1418 01:02:29,600 --> 01:02:32,800 - Went down, played all the major cities in Australia. 1419 01:02:32,800 --> 01:02:36,900 - Yeah, I don't think we lost a whole lot of that power 1420 01:02:36,900 --> 01:02:40,200 or that being in your face, you know? 1421 01:02:40,200 --> 01:02:43,033 - I still to this day, I look back and I say, 1422 01:02:43,033 --> 01:02:44,634 how could that happen? 1423 01:02:44,634 --> 01:02:47,800 ♪ Cinderella ♪ 1424 01:02:47,800 --> 01:02:50,900 (upbeat rock music) 1425 01:02:57,600 --> 01:02:59,900 - You know, just seeing all those young people 1426 01:02:59,900 --> 01:03:03,433 coming in and going, "Wow, this is The Sonics." 1427 01:03:03,433 --> 01:03:05,333 Never thought I'd see it. 1428 01:03:05,333 --> 01:03:07,467 - [Jordan] The reunion lineup would eventually solidify 1429 01:03:07,467 --> 01:03:10,567 with legendary SoCal drummer, Dusty Watson 1430 01:03:10,567 --> 01:03:14,133 and stepping in on bass, another northwest music icon, 1431 01:03:14,133 --> 01:03:15,634 Freddie Dennis. 1432 01:03:17,834 --> 01:03:21,100 ♪ You knew it was wrong ♪ 1433 01:03:21,100 --> 01:03:23,667 ♪ 'Bout you had to play ♪ 1434 01:03:23,667 --> 01:03:24,900 ♪ Now you're gonna learn ♪ 1435 01:03:24,900 --> 01:03:26,467 - [Jordan] After touring nonstop 1436 01:03:26,467 --> 01:03:28,233 for eight consecutive years, 1437 01:03:28,233 --> 01:03:30,400 the band finally decided to record a new album. 1438 01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:33,433 It'd be their first, in almost 50 years. 1439 01:03:33,433 --> 01:03:36,433 They enlisted garage rock aficionado, Jim Diamond, 1440 01:03:36,433 --> 01:03:37,934 to produce the album. 1441 01:03:37,934 --> 01:03:41,166 (upbeat rock music) 1442 01:03:59,200 --> 01:04:01,834 ♪ Bad Betty on a Bonneville, yeah ♪ 1443 01:04:01,834 --> 01:04:04,934 ♪ She looks fast when she's sittin' still ♪ 1444 01:04:04,934 --> 01:04:06,900 ♪ High boots and looks to kill ♪ 1445 01:04:06,900 --> 01:04:08,133 - [Jordan] To celebrate the release of their new album, 1446 01:04:08,133 --> 01:04:10,066 The Sonics booked a hometown show in Seattle 1447 01:04:10,066 --> 01:04:11,400 at the Moore Theater. 1448 01:04:11,400 --> 01:04:14,100 ♪ Yeah, go Bad Betty ♪ 1449 01:04:14,100 --> 01:04:15,834 ♪ Woo, go Bad Betty ♪ 1450 01:04:15,834 --> 01:04:19,934 ♪ Cause we're gonna rock and roll tonight ♪ 1451 01:04:19,934 --> 01:04:22,634 ♪ Oh, Bad Betty on a Bonneville ♪ 1452 01:04:22,634 --> 01:04:25,266 ♪ I can tell you she crashed her daddy's Coupe de'ville ♪ 1453 01:04:25,266 --> 01:04:28,300 ♪ Hopped like a tick on a whole brick steel ♪ 1454 01:04:28,300 --> 01:04:30,133 ♪ She's Betty on a Bonne' ♪ 1455 01:04:30,133 --> 01:04:32,400 ♪ Yeah, Bad Betty ♪ 1456 01:04:32,400 --> 01:04:34,700 ♪ Woo, go Bad Betty ♪ 1457 01:04:34,700 --> 01:04:39,700 ♪ Yeah, go Bad Betty, gonna rock and roll all night ♪ 1458 01:04:53,700 --> 01:04:56,166 (crowd chattering) 1459 01:05:00,066 --> 01:05:03,166 (sentimental music) 1460 01:05:23,900 --> 01:05:25,934 - I never ever thought I would see The Sonics 1461 01:05:25,934 --> 01:05:27,700 for a long, long time. 1462 01:05:27,700 --> 01:05:29,500 It just seemed out of the realm of possibility. 1463 01:05:30,967 --> 01:05:32,967 I remember there was like just this huge 1464 01:05:32,967 --> 01:05:36,300 sort of sense of anticipation like The Sonics were playing. 1465 01:05:36,300 --> 01:05:38,533 The crowd was amped 1466 01:05:40,100 --> 01:05:42,634 We were amped, like insanely stoked 1467 01:05:42,634 --> 01:05:44,834 to be playing with The Sonics. 1468 01:05:44,834 --> 01:05:47,900 (sentimental music) 1469 01:05:57,367 --> 01:06:00,900 All my life I've sort of focused on like The Sonics, 1470 01:06:00,900 --> 01:06:03,166 The Stooges, The Scientists, 1471 01:06:03,166 --> 01:06:06,767 and eventually we played with all of these amazing bands 1472 01:06:06,767 --> 01:06:13,133 that I've loved since I was like in my early 20s, 1473 01:06:13,133 --> 01:06:16,066 and I feel like I'm one of the luckiest people out there. 1474 01:06:16,066 --> 01:06:19,133 (sentimental music) 1475 01:06:21,200 --> 01:06:23,800 Describing music or art or something 1476 01:06:23,800 --> 01:06:27,100 is like, it's just you have to experience it, you know? 1477 01:06:27,100 --> 01:06:30,000 (sentimental music) 1478 01:06:34,667 --> 01:06:38,800 (audience clapping and cheering) 1479 01:06:54,634 --> 01:06:57,300 - [Crowd] Sonics, Sonics, Sonics. 1480 01:06:57,300 --> 01:06:59,233 Sonics, Sonics, Sonics. 1481 01:07:00,667 --> 01:07:02,166 Sonics, Sonics, Sonics. 1482 01:07:03,000 --> 01:07:06,634 (sentimental music) 1483 01:07:06,634 --> 01:07:09,834 (upbeat rock music) 1484 01:07:13,333 --> 01:07:18,634 ♪ Baby, you're driving me crazy ♪ 1485 01:07:19,900 --> 01:07:25,200 ♪ I said baby, you're driving me crazy ♪ 1486 01:07:27,266 --> 01:07:29,500 ♪ The way you turn me on ♪ 1487 01:07:29,500 --> 01:07:31,700 - I had that feeling. 1488 01:07:31,700 --> 01:07:35,467 I mean, it was really rock and roll and it was hard. 1489 01:07:36,333 --> 01:07:38,033 It really did feel good. 1490 01:07:38,033 --> 01:07:40,533 One of the few shows that felt really good. 1491 01:07:41,533 --> 01:07:43,834 ♪ Psycho ♪ 1492 01:07:45,800 --> 01:07:49,934 (muffled upbeat rock music) 1493 01:07:49,934 --> 01:07:53,066 (sentimental music) 1494 01:08:31,634 --> 01:08:33,634 - It was out of body. Yeah. 1495 01:08:33,634 --> 01:08:35,934 I think that's what rock and roll is good for. 1496 01:08:35,934 --> 01:08:38,567 Like, if you're doing it right, you should leave your body, 1497 01:08:38,567 --> 01:08:42,800 you should kind of exalt and kind of come alive. 1498 01:08:42,800 --> 01:08:45,033 There's this theory about rock and roll, right? 1499 01:08:45,033 --> 01:08:46,967 There's the body and the mind. 1500 01:08:46,967 --> 01:08:49,100 Get to a point where if you keep playing, 1501 01:08:49,100 --> 01:08:50,834 you'll lose consciousness. 1502 01:08:50,834 --> 01:08:52,433 If you lose consciousness, you can't keep playing. 1503 01:08:52,433 --> 01:08:54,033 You know what I mean? 1504 01:08:54,033 --> 01:08:56,000 Like, you get to a point where you lose yourself 1505 01:08:56,000 --> 01:08:59,567 and you become just like atoms and energy. 1506 01:08:59,567 --> 01:09:01,467 That's the crossroads. 1507 01:09:01,467 --> 01:09:03,800 So when I played with The Sonics, I got to the crossroads. 1508 01:09:03,800 --> 01:09:05,700 It's just like a completely all enveloping 1509 01:09:05,700 --> 01:09:08,266 time disappeared, you know? 1510 01:09:08,266 --> 01:09:12,500 I was inside of something that I had admired and loved 1511 01:09:12,500 --> 01:09:15,066 and it was a real honor. 1512 01:09:16,166 --> 01:09:20,266 (audience clapping and cheering) 1513 01:09:27,433 --> 01:09:30,300 - [Audience] Sonics, Sonics, Sonics. 1514 01:09:30,300 --> 01:09:32,266 Sonics, Sonics, Sonics. 1515 01:09:33,266 --> 01:09:35,233 Sonics, Sonics, Sonics. 1516 01:09:36,233 --> 01:09:38,200 Sonics, Sonics, Sonics. 1517 01:09:39,166 --> 01:09:42,200 (sentimental music) 1518 01:09:53,934 --> 01:09:57,066 (sentimental music) 1519 01:10:52,100 --> 01:10:55,166 (crowd chattering) 1520 01:11:05,634 --> 01:11:08,734 (sentimental music) 1521 01:11:13,634 --> 01:11:16,000 - What the band means to me. 1522 01:11:19,166 --> 01:11:21,734 You're never too old to rock and roll. 1523 01:11:21,734 --> 01:11:24,767 (crowd chattering) 1524 01:11:31,967 --> 01:11:33,700 - Thank you so much. 1525 01:11:34,533 --> 01:11:37,433 (crowd chattering) 1526 01:11:40,667 --> 01:11:44,000 (sentimental music) 1527 01:12:14,967 --> 01:12:16,900 - Long before Ramones, long before, 1528 01:12:16,900 --> 01:12:18,734 you know, Ramones are supposed to be 1529 01:12:19,400 --> 01:12:22,166 the first punk band. 1530 01:12:22,166 --> 01:12:24,900 I just, no. 1531 01:12:24,900 --> 01:12:27,367 No, we got you beat, you know? (chuckles) 1532 01:12:27,367 --> 01:12:28,634 And the Sex Pistols, 1533 01:12:28,634 --> 01:12:30,400 nah, we got you beat. 1534 01:12:30,400 --> 01:12:32,900 Today the fuse just keeps going, 1535 01:12:32,900 --> 01:12:34,967 it just keeps getting bigger, you know? 1536 01:12:34,967 --> 01:12:37,500 The Sonics have made it. 1537 01:12:37,500 --> 01:12:39,433 They're there, you know? 1538 01:12:39,433 --> 01:12:42,500 (sentimental music) 1539 01:12:44,133 --> 01:12:46,600 - [Jordan] The Sonics are my favorite band 1540 01:12:46,600 --> 01:12:48,000 and if it weren't for them, 1541 01:12:48,000 --> 01:12:49,433 I'm not sure my father and I 1542 01:12:49,433 --> 01:12:51,400 would have the relationship that we do today. 1543 01:12:53,100 --> 01:12:56,233 After going to that first reunion show in 2008, 1544 01:12:56,233 --> 01:12:59,233 we made a pact to go to at least one rock show a year. 1545 01:13:00,200 --> 01:13:02,166 Since then, we've knocked some pretty big names 1546 01:13:02,166 --> 01:13:03,834 off our concert bucket list. 1547 01:13:05,000 --> 01:13:07,233 That's us last summer at a Metallica show. 1548 01:13:08,734 --> 01:13:10,033 It was awesome. 1549 01:13:11,700 --> 01:13:14,233 We're two completely different people, 1550 01:13:14,233 --> 01:13:16,800 but our love for this band brought us together 1551 01:13:16,800 --> 01:13:20,266 and today he's one of my best friends. 1552 01:13:20,266 --> 01:13:23,500 (sentimental music) 1553 01:13:24,133 --> 01:13:25,834 That's the thing about music. 1554 01:13:26,634 --> 01:13:27,967 It brings people together. 1555 01:13:29,433 --> 01:13:31,934 It has the ability to change people's lives. 1556 01:13:34,634 --> 01:13:37,400 And sometimes it can even change the world. 1557 01:13:40,433 --> 01:13:43,767 Are The Sonics one of the most important bands of all time? 1558 01:13:43,767 --> 01:13:46,867 Do they belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? 1559 01:13:46,867 --> 01:13:47,700 Probably. 1560 01:13:48,500 --> 01:13:50,967 But to be honest, who gives a shit? 1561 01:13:50,967 --> 01:13:53,634 The one thing I can say for sure is this. 1562 01:13:53,634 --> 01:13:55,900 When these five guys got together, 1563 01:13:56,867 --> 01:13:58,200 they fuckin' rocked. 1564 01:13:58,200 --> 01:14:01,600 (upbeat rock music) 1565 01:14:18,467 --> 01:14:21,233 ♪ Say there's a girl ♪ 1566 01:14:21,233 --> 01:14:24,100 ♪ Who's new in town ♪ 1567 01:14:24,100 --> 01:14:26,900 ♪ Well you better watch out now ♪ 1568 01:14:26,900 --> 01:14:29,700 ♪ Or she'll put you down ♪ 1569 01:14:29,700 --> 01:14:32,700 ♪ 'Cause she's an evil chick ♪ 1570 01:14:32,700 --> 01:14:37,967 ♪ Say she's the witch ♪ 1571 01:14:38,834 --> 01:14:41,533 ♪ She got long black hair ♪ 1572 01:14:41,533 --> 01:14:44,333 ♪ And a big black car ♪ 1573 01:14:44,333 --> 01:14:47,133 ♪ I know what you're thinking ♪ 1574 01:14:47,133 --> 01:14:49,967 ♪ But you won't get far ♪ 1575 01:14:49,967 --> 01:14:52,967 ♪ She gonna make you itch ♪ 1576 01:14:52,967 --> 01:14:56,667 ♪ 'Cause she's the witch ♪ 1577 01:14:56,667 --> 01:14:59,967 ♪ Well, she walks around late at night ♪ 1578 01:14:59,967 --> 01:15:02,967 ♪ Most other people sleeping tight ♪ 1579 01:15:02,967 --> 01:15:05,500 ♪ If you hear her knocking on your door ♪ 1580 01:15:05,500 --> 01:15:08,900 ♪ You better sneak away ♪ 1581 01:15:08,900 --> 01:15:13,700 ♪ Oh baby, oh no ♪ 1582 01:15:13,700 --> 01:15:16,667 ♪ Now you know the score ♪ 1583 01:15:16,667 --> 01:15:19,533 ♪ 'Cause I set you straight ♪ 1584 01:15:19,533 --> 01:15:22,367 ♪ But you better be careful ♪ 1585 01:15:22,367 --> 01:15:25,300 ♪ Before it's too late ♪ 1586 01:15:25,300 --> 01:15:28,300 ♪ She gonna make you itch ♪ 1587 01:15:28,300 --> 01:15:31,166 ♪ 'Cause she's the witch ♪ 1588 01:15:31,166 --> 01:15:34,300 (upbeat rock music) 1589 01:15:50,166 --> 01:15:53,066 ♪ She walks around late at night ♪ 1590 01:15:53,066 --> 01:15:56,033 ♪ When most other people sleeping tight ♪ 1591 01:15:56,033 --> 01:15:58,667 ♪ If you hear her knocking on your door ♪ 1592 01:15:58,667 --> 01:16:03,700 ♪ You better stay awake ♪ 1593 01:16:06,867 --> 01:16:09,834 ♪ Well you know you will ♪ 1594 01:16:09,834 --> 01:16:12,800 ♪ Say don't you know ♪ 1595 01:16:12,800 --> 01:16:15,767 ♪ And do you remember ♪ 1596 01:16:15,767 --> 01:16:18,667 ♪ That I told you so ♪ 1597 01:16:18,667 --> 01:16:21,600 ♪ Gonna do you in ♪ 1598 01:16:21,600 --> 01:16:24,634 ♪ 'Cause she's the witch ♪ 1599 01:16:24,634 --> 01:16:27,634 ♪ Ah hoo ♪ 1600 01:16:27,634 --> 01:16:29,767 ♪ Ah hoo ♪ 1601 01:16:34,600 --> 01:16:37,400 (rain pattering)