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The Spoilers (punk rock)
Encyclopedia
The Spoilers were a Southern California
punk rock
/New Wave
band formed in 1978. The Spoilers lineup included Chris Hickey
(guitars, vocals), Mickey Kessler (drums, piano), Dean Stefan (guitars, vocals), and Craig Wisda (bass, vocals).
The Spoilers began in Los Angeles
, California in 1978. The founding members were Chris Hickey, George Padgett and Dean Stefan. Bill Hickey was also considered a semi-member of the band when he was not attending law school at Berkeley.
Their first EP was released in 1978 on White Lunch Records and contained the songs "Has Been" (Dean Stefan), "Battling On" (Chris Hickey), "Boys Night Out" (Dean Stefan) and "The Ugly Nancies" (Chris Hickey). Hickey and Stefan were credited with guitar and Padgett with bass. e the opposite of Boston, Foreigner and all the other “Corporate” bands that American formula radio was embracing.
Hickey and Stefan migrated north to Santa Barbara
, while Padgett stayed south. Hickey enrolled at UCSB
, and the band, under the management of local impresario Stan Bernstein, transitioned from a punk to a "New Wave" band as befitting their image as soft clean-cut suburbanites.
Bernstein put out a second Spoilers opus, “Balloon Water Race,” in 1979 that contained "Focus" (Dean Stefan), "Loose Words" (Chris Hickey), "Mr. X" (Craig Wisda) and "Point Blank" (Bruce Springsteen
).
A 45 single followed in 1980 on White Lunch Records. It featured Stefan’s brazen “Greta,” backed with Hickey’s “Loose Words.” The single was played by both Rodney Bingenheimer
on the world-famous KROQ and Dr Demento on his syndicated show.
Having outgrown the Santa Barbara music scene, the band headed permanently south to Los Angeles. A five-song mini album was recorded with Paul Wexler
producing. The mini album was not released due to contractual haggling with Wexler. Instead, the band jumped ship to record a 1980 single on Elton John
’s record label, Rocket Records
. This single contained Stefan’s “Reckless” backed by a new version of Hickey’s “Battling On.”
Kessler and Wisda left the band in 1981. Hickey and Stefan then recorded a 12-song album, with Steve Verroca (of Link Wray
fame) producing. Studio musicians were utilized for the recordings.
Chris Hickey went on to release three solo albums, co-lead the alt-folk band Show of Hands
with future Beach Boy Randell Kirsch, and lead the alt band Uma. Both bands released CDs on major labels (IRS and MCA Universal, respectively). Dean Stefan released a solo album Trial and Error and wrote much of the soundtrack music to the children’s television series, Rainbow Fish
. These songs were released as a CD on Sony Music.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band formed in 1978. The Spoilers lineup included Chris Hickey
Chris Hickey
Chris Hickey is a professional rugby union coach and the former coach of the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby tournament.-Early coaching career:...
(guitars, vocals), Mickey Kessler (drums, piano), Dean Stefan (guitars, vocals), and Craig Wisda (bass, vocals).
The Spoilers began in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California in 1978. The founding members were Chris Hickey, George Padgett and Dean Stefan. Bill Hickey was also considered a semi-member of the band when he was not attending law school at Berkeley.
Their first EP was released in 1978 on White Lunch Records and contained the songs "Has Been" (Dean Stefan), "Battling On" (Chris Hickey), "Boys Night Out" (Dean Stefan) and "The Ugly Nancies" (Chris Hickey). Hickey and Stefan were credited with guitar and Padgett with bass. e the opposite of Boston, Foreigner and all the other “Corporate” bands that American formula radio was embracing.
Hickey and Stefan migrated north to Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, while Padgett stayed south. Hickey enrolled at UCSB
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, and the band, under the management of local impresario Stan Bernstein, transitioned from a punk to a "New Wave" band as befitting their image as soft clean-cut suburbanites.
Bernstein put out a second Spoilers opus, “Balloon Water Race,” in 1979 that contained "Focus" (Dean Stefan), "Loose Words" (Chris Hickey), "Mr. X" (Craig Wisda) and "Point Blank" (Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
).
A 45 single followed in 1980 on White Lunch Records. It featured Stefan’s brazen “Greta,” backed with Hickey’s “Loose Words.” The single was played by both Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market. His contribution to the music business has been described as important...
on the world-famous KROQ and Dr Demento on his syndicated show.
Having outgrown the Santa Barbara music scene, the band headed permanently south to Los Angeles. A five-song mini album was recorded with Paul Wexler
Paul Wexler
Paul Wexler , was an American character actor. Tall and physically imposing with a long face and deep baritone voice, he specialized in macabre or off-beat roles....
producing. The mini album was not released due to contractual haggling with Wexler. Instead, the band jumped ship to record a 1980 single on Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
’s record label, Rocket Records
Rocket Records
The Rocket Record Company was a record label founded by Elton John, with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Steve Brown among others, in 1972. The name is from the hit, "Rocket Man"...
. This single contained Stefan’s “Reckless” backed by a new version of Hickey’s “Battling On.”
Kessler and Wisda left the band in 1981. Hickey and Stefan then recorded a 12-song album, with Steve Verroca (of Link Wray
Link Wray
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
fame) producing. Studio musicians were utilized for the recordings.
Chris Hickey went on to release three solo albums, co-lead the alt-folk band Show of Hands
Show of Hands
Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots and folk duo comprising singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. In recent years they have been accompanied on tour and in the studio by jazz double-bassist Miranda Sykes.-Origins:...
with future Beach Boy Randell Kirsch, and lead the alt band Uma. Both bands released CDs on major labels (IRS and MCA Universal, respectively). Dean Stefan released a solo album Trial and Error and wrote much of the soundtrack music to the children’s television series, Rainbow Fish
Rainbow Fish
The Rainbow Fish is an award-winning children's book drawn and written by Marcus Pfister, and translated into English by J. Alison James. The book is best known for its morals about the value of being an individual and for the distinctive shiny foil scales of the Rainbow Fish...
. These songs were released as a CD on Sony Music.