Forming in Houston during 1978, Really Red were one of the best bands to emerge from the early Texas punk / hardcore scene. However, it’s also true to say that, while they are still held in great esteem by their peers and fans who have discovered their music in subsequent times, they still don’t receive the wider-credit that they rightfully deserve. Featuring vocalist Ronnie ‘U-Ron’ Bond, guitarist Kelly Younger, bass player John Paul Williams and drummer Bob Weber, they formed their own label, CIA Records, to release their first 7” single in 1979, following it with three more singles and two superb albums, as well as releasing records by other contemporary bands such as Mydolls and Culturcide. They played frequently in their hometown as well as in other Texas cities like Austin and San Antonio, also touring across the States several times and even making it as far as Canada, sharing stages with the likes of DOA, Dead Kennedys and Bad Brains.
Eventually splitting-up in 1985, their original records have been reissued in various formats over the years (most recently by Alternative Tentacles) and have kept interest in the band alive, allowing new generations to discover and enjoy their unique sounds. Bob Weber has also reactivated the CIA label to release albums by current artists and, in 2020, also released ‘Teaching You the Fear…Again’, a tribute to Really Red featuring tracks recorded by the likes of Jello Biafra, Mudhoney, The Dicks, The Bellrays and the Hickoids. Following the release of this album, I was able to set-up interviews with Bob Weber and JP. Having seen very few interviews with the band over the years, I was keen to see what I would find out about the band and very happy that I was able to arrange this (cheers, Jim!)
Unfortunately, just as I was getting everything ready to go online, I received a message to inform me that the bands’ guitarist, Kelly Younger, had passed away after a long illness. As such, I’d like to dedicate this interview to Kelly, just to say thanks for the great music and I wish you could have been involved in this conversation too…
First of all, I wondered if all the band members had actually grown-up in Houston?
Bob : I grew up in Clearwater, Florida. The Saturday that I received my university diploma, I drove all night to get to Houston so I could start working on Monday morning at my first real job. That was spring of ’77.
John Paul : Ronnie Bond, Kelly Younger and I grew up in the Houston area for the most part. I think Kelly spent his entire life in Houston although Ronnie was originally a transplant from Canada. I met them during our later teenage years but Ronnie and Kelly knew each other prior to my getting with them. I spent my youth in a military school in San Antonio, an orphanage in Galveston and a boys’ home in La Porte, Texas. I was kicked out of the boys’ home for being too rebellious and ended up in Houston when I was about 17 years old. That was around 1969/1970. I lived in a one room garage apartment with my brother, who hung out with Ronnie. Those were the days of the Love Street Light Circus, the 13th Floor Elevators, Fever Tree and others, playing in little clubs along the Buffalo Bayou. The times were wild back then, with the Viet Nam War raging, Abbie Hoffman rally's, Rene Davis and the Chicago Seven, Black Panthers, LSD, Pot, laws that could put you in prison for 30 years for possession of one joint and lots of great Texas blues and rock music. I didn't agree with a lot of what I saw but I felt lucky at the time that I had a high military draft number and was not forced to go to Viet Nam. I respect the military and the men and women who fought for what they thought was a righteous cause, but my views were always distrustful of politicians and government in general. I felt that it was not about stopping communism but more about geopolitical power grabs by greedy politicians and, as is the case now, creating conflict, pandemics and other distractions in order to avert the public's attention from their own political scandals and blatant thefts of people's freedoms.
How did you first get into music?
Bob : I don’t know, really Dad and Mom loved music and dancing, especially Big Band and swing music, so it was around me as I grew up, although my parents weren’t musicians. Now that I think about it, they encouraged us as children (4 kids born between ’51 and ’60) to enjoy music and to get actively involved. That’s why I tried out for drums in the school band in 1963. After that it was experimentation. They bought a Steinway Baby Grand on impulse, so I started taking piano lessons after school, but I couldn’t keep up with that and stay good at academics, concert band and swing band. So I dropped the piano, although I eventually bought it from them later and still have it today, covered up with a dusty black canvas! By 11th grade I was playing drums in the high school band, the high school stage band, and the Marine Corps League Devil Dogs Drum & Bugle Corps. During the winter season I played percussion instruments in the Clearwater Symphony Orchestra, which was a bit of a mash-up with high school students, part-time musicians trying to keep up their chops, and retirees who enjoyed the mental stimulation… I understand that need now that I am a senior!
Bob : I grew up in Clearwater, Florida. The Saturday that I received my university diploma, I drove all night to get to Houston so I could start working on Monday morning at my first real job. That was spring of ’77.
John Paul : Ronnie Bond, Kelly Younger and I grew up in the Houston area for the most part. I think Kelly spent his entire life in Houston although Ronnie was originally a transplant from Canada. I met them during our later teenage years but Ronnie and Kelly knew each other prior to my getting with them. I spent my youth in a military school in San Antonio, an orphanage in Galveston and a boys’ home in La Porte, Texas. I was kicked out of the boys’ home for being too rebellious and ended up in Houston when I was about 17 years old. That was around 1969/1970. I lived in a one room garage apartment with my brother, who hung out with Ronnie. Those were the days of the Love Street Light Circus, the 13th Floor Elevators, Fever Tree and others, playing in little clubs along the Buffalo Bayou. The times were wild back then, with the Viet Nam War raging, Abbie Hoffman rally's, Rene Davis and the Chicago Seven, Black Panthers, LSD, Pot, laws that could put you in prison for 30 years for possession of one joint and lots of great Texas blues and rock music. I didn't agree with a lot of what I saw but I felt lucky at the time that I had a high military draft number and was not forced to go to Viet Nam. I respect the military and the men and women who fought for what they thought was a righteous cause, but my views were always distrustful of politicians and government in general. I felt that it was not about stopping communism but more about geopolitical power grabs by greedy politicians and, as is the case now, creating conflict, pandemics and other distractions in order to avert the public's attention from their own political scandals and blatant thefts of people's freedoms.
How did you first get into music?
Bob : I don’t know, really Dad and Mom loved music and dancing, especially Big Band and swing music, so it was around me as I grew up, although my parents weren’t musicians. Now that I think about it, they encouraged us as children (4 kids born between ’51 and ’60) to enjoy music and to get actively involved. That’s why I tried out for drums in the school band in 1963. After that it was experimentation. They bought a Steinway Baby Grand on impulse, so I started taking piano lessons after school, but I couldn’t keep up with that and stay good at academics, concert band and swing band. So I dropped the piano, although I eventually bought it from them later and still have it today, covered up with a dusty black canvas! By 11th grade I was playing drums in the high school band, the high school stage band, and the Marine Corps League Devil Dogs Drum & Bugle Corps. During the winter season I played percussion instruments in the Clearwater Symphony Orchestra, which was a bit of a mash-up with high school students, part-time musicians trying to keep up their chops, and retirees who enjoyed the mental stimulation… I understand that need now that I am a senior!
John Paul ; During the early 1960's while in the boys home, my dearest possession was a small transistor radio that would pick up AM stations playing Roy Orbision, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, all of the "wall of sound" bands that Phil Spector produced, like the Ronette's, the Crystals, Ike and Tina Turner and the Righteous Brothers, just to name a few. I listened to the lyrics that flowed from those talents and wanted to experience life like that. The music made me yearn for the freedom to explore life outside of the confinement I had experienced since I was eight years old. My incarcerated life consisted of working on a farm at the boys’ home, where every day was managed "by the bell". I had a bell to wake up, a bell to do chores, a bell to eat, a bell to do homework, a bell to go to school, bells throughout the school day and a bell to go to bed. After leaving the boys home and arriving in Houston, I quickly realized that I didn't even know how to ride a bus. I had never experienced freedom and didn't really know what to do with it, except that I needed to earn money to survive. I met Ronnie and Kelly through my older brother and my world went from being a farm boy in the country to the insanity of the big city where drugs, violence, working hard, chasing girls and music were the norm. In the mid 60's we were constantly listening to groups like The Kinks, MC5, Stones, Cream, King Crimson, The Who, Pink Floyd and many others. Kelly played guitar and had been in a previous band... My memory is a little sketchy but around 1971, Ronnie, Kelly and I started a band called A Fine Madness. We’d copy bands like the Kinks and other blues songs. I bought a Ventura hollow body bass guitar with nylon strings and taught myself to play by listening to albums, also learning how to tune. My greatest inspirations at the time were Chris Squire and John Entwistle, but I think I was probably a frustrated lead guitar player because I played a lot of runs back then. After earning money working at a grocery store and then at the docks on the Port of Houston, I bought a Gibson Thunderbird bass. I loved that guitar but it was a bit trebly for the sound we wanted and I believe Kelly bought me the Fender Precision that I still have today. In 1976, I saw Bob Marley live in Houston and my view of playing bass was changed forever. I realized that the "bottom end" with a real tight rhythm section was key to great music. No matter who was singing or playing guitar, it was the bass and drums that carried the rhythm. For me, vocals, keyboards, guitars, etc are all icing on the cake but what really gets you is the cake. The rhythm, the beat and the tone of the notes… I still hear music that way now and I'm always listening for the bass when I hear a song
How did you first hear about Punk Rock and what was it that attracted you to it?
Bob : In high school I was in a band called The Bonzoe Toe Band for a short while. It had horns and guitars and was Zappa-inspired, which was punk in a creative sense, getting away from the pop culture. But then I walked into a record store one day after work and met Ronnie Bond. He said that his band were looking for a drummer and invited me to try out. That’s when I first met up with Ronnie, Kelly Younger and John Paul Williams.
Working in a record store and being a rabid consumer of the new and exotic, Ronnie Bond exposed me, J.P. and Kelly to tons of new music. The British scene has been intertwined with American music for centuries and there was a sound exchange going on between the UK and the USA that was constantly evolving. The East Coast and West Coast scenes in America rapidly responded to the new wave, punk and electronic experimentalism, some of which was coming from scenes in Germany, France and even behind the Iron Curtain, although those were a bit more difficult to access. What attracted me to this new music was the energy, the social nature of gatherings and the unexpected consequences. It was also partly the riskiness of getting closer to the edges of acceptable behavior and away from the controls of the conservative powers that had been guiding my life before that time.
John Paul : When we first got together, there was no such thing as Punk. Punk was a derogatory term when I was a kid and it usually meant fisticuffs, if things went too far! I did relate to the rebellious nature, but I thought of myself as a rocker...not a "punk". The holes in my jeans were from being poor and working on construction jobs and I wasn't into what I considered poseur hair and clothing. I also didn't like the violence we witnessed and we even had to jump into the audience during a show with The Stranglers and 999 due to violent wannabees causing trouble. The song "I Refuse To Sing" is about that type of mindless violence at gigs. For me, the original punk band was The Ramones as they loved to party and played loud and fast. I loved the idea of three minute songs again and those long playing 20 minute sided albums (like Cream) became a thing of the past for me. I loved the idea that kids could rebel and have fun at the same time and The Ramones were a classic, fun band with a rebellious message. Then you had the MC5 that was no holds barred hardcore rock. There were so many facets to the scene back then but I don't know if we ever called ourselves "punk". Other people coined the term and eventually someone (I think in Seattle) termed our music "Cowpunk", as we played with a Texas flag on stage and drank Lone Star beer. We even had a country ditty called ‘Barbecue’ as a homage to our Texas roots. But for me, I just loved playing loud and fast and we tried to master short songs. When bands like the Clash, the Sex Pistols and others came along , the punk movement became a historical genre, but I'm amazed that people still have interest in our efforts. We just played hard, both on and off the stage.
Bob : In high school I was in a band called The Bonzoe Toe Band for a short while. It had horns and guitars and was Zappa-inspired, which was punk in a creative sense, getting away from the pop culture. But then I walked into a record store one day after work and met Ronnie Bond. He said that his band were looking for a drummer and invited me to try out. That’s when I first met up with Ronnie, Kelly Younger and John Paul Williams.
Working in a record store and being a rabid consumer of the new and exotic, Ronnie Bond exposed me, J.P. and Kelly to tons of new music. The British scene has been intertwined with American music for centuries and there was a sound exchange going on between the UK and the USA that was constantly evolving. The East Coast and West Coast scenes in America rapidly responded to the new wave, punk and electronic experimentalism, some of which was coming from scenes in Germany, France and even behind the Iron Curtain, although those were a bit more difficult to access. What attracted me to this new music was the energy, the social nature of gatherings and the unexpected consequences. It was also partly the riskiness of getting closer to the edges of acceptable behavior and away from the controls of the conservative powers that had been guiding my life before that time.
John Paul : When we first got together, there was no such thing as Punk. Punk was a derogatory term when I was a kid and it usually meant fisticuffs, if things went too far! I did relate to the rebellious nature, but I thought of myself as a rocker...not a "punk". The holes in my jeans were from being poor and working on construction jobs and I wasn't into what I considered poseur hair and clothing. I also didn't like the violence we witnessed and we even had to jump into the audience during a show with The Stranglers and 999 due to violent wannabees causing trouble. The song "I Refuse To Sing" is about that type of mindless violence at gigs. For me, the original punk band was The Ramones as they loved to party and played loud and fast. I loved the idea of three minute songs again and those long playing 20 minute sided albums (like Cream) became a thing of the past for me. I loved the idea that kids could rebel and have fun at the same time and The Ramones were a classic, fun band with a rebellious message. Then you had the MC5 that was no holds barred hardcore rock. There were so many facets to the scene back then but I don't know if we ever called ourselves "punk". Other people coined the term and eventually someone (I think in Seattle) termed our music "Cowpunk", as we played with a Texas flag on stage and drank Lone Star beer. We even had a country ditty called ‘Barbecue’ as a homage to our Texas roots. But for me, I just loved playing loud and fast and we tried to master short songs. When bands like the Clash, the Sex Pistols and others came along , the punk movement became a historical genre, but I'm amazed that people still have interest in our efforts. We just played hard, both on and off the stage.
Were you in any other bands before Really Red?
Bob : In Houston, my first step was accepting a neighbor’s invite to try out for a small theater outfit that was getting established in a rundown neighborhood. The director gave me an unpaid job in a 4-piece band as he and his wife were putting on a 10-year anniversary of “Hair on Broadway”. That’s actually where I met my wife-to-be, Katy Phillips - she played Sheila. After that I was in a small jazz combo with some guys including the guitar player from the theatre. But I hadn’t really developed the finesse to play real jazz… and I still haven’t!
John Paul : Really Red was my first and last band, as it were. I still play guitar but I keep my personal life pretty private in Texas. I've played with some people but haven’t performed publicly in a long while. Really Red was like a marriage. It was a commitment. As a three piece band with vocals, it was critical that we were really tight, so we practiced three times a week without fail. We jammed for hours and hours… I was into the Grateful Dead's idea of playing live for hours. Kelly and I would both come up with riffs while jamming and they would turn into songs. Ronnie would eventually come up with some lyrics that he liked… we never had to micromanage his content. Musically, Kelly and I got tired of slow and boring blues riffs and long albums like the Cream. During the 80's I rented an old mortician's warehouse in the Montrose area of Houston where we would practice, practice, drink and practice some more. We liked the energy we produced!
Bob : The building we rehearsed in was abandoned, previously a space where morticians embalmed corpses before funerals and burials! John Paul found it and leased it.
I assume the band-name was a political reference ... was that pretty provocative in Texas at that time?
Bob : It was meant to be provocative. I think Kelly came up with it during a brainstorming session in the rehearsal space. It definitely wasn’t anything to do with communism, but Bill Stein used Mao’s face on the screen-print t-shirt he designed for us. Red for blood. Red for radical... Red was not for Republican since that party went evil beginning with Nixon and his Viet Nam War atrocities and it has only gone more and more evil since then.
John Paul : The name Really Red was never, in my mind, a political reference, although a lot of people believed that, mainly because of Ronnie's lyrics. I was never into Communism or Marxism like some people and for me the band's general attitude was more about rebelling against those who would take our freedoms away. Really Red was a lipstick color on a beautiful woman and I remember likening it to bloodshot eyes after a night of heavy drinking and listening to George Jones and Merle Haggard! I think the lipstick version is the more accurate remembrance of where the name actually came from, although other bandmates might remember something different. The names we considered at the time had really nothing to do with anything like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Who, Kinks etc. It was just a simple two-word name that would evoke a response
Bob : In Houston, my first step was accepting a neighbor’s invite to try out for a small theater outfit that was getting established in a rundown neighborhood. The director gave me an unpaid job in a 4-piece band as he and his wife were putting on a 10-year anniversary of “Hair on Broadway”. That’s actually where I met my wife-to-be, Katy Phillips - she played Sheila. After that I was in a small jazz combo with some guys including the guitar player from the theatre. But I hadn’t really developed the finesse to play real jazz… and I still haven’t!
John Paul : Really Red was my first and last band, as it were. I still play guitar but I keep my personal life pretty private in Texas. I've played with some people but haven’t performed publicly in a long while. Really Red was like a marriage. It was a commitment. As a three piece band with vocals, it was critical that we were really tight, so we practiced three times a week without fail. We jammed for hours and hours… I was into the Grateful Dead's idea of playing live for hours. Kelly and I would both come up with riffs while jamming and they would turn into songs. Ronnie would eventually come up with some lyrics that he liked… we never had to micromanage his content. Musically, Kelly and I got tired of slow and boring blues riffs and long albums like the Cream. During the 80's I rented an old mortician's warehouse in the Montrose area of Houston where we would practice, practice, drink and practice some more. We liked the energy we produced!
Bob : The building we rehearsed in was abandoned, previously a space where morticians embalmed corpses before funerals and burials! John Paul found it and leased it.
I assume the band-name was a political reference ... was that pretty provocative in Texas at that time?
Bob : It was meant to be provocative. I think Kelly came up with it during a brainstorming session in the rehearsal space. It definitely wasn’t anything to do with communism, but Bill Stein used Mao’s face on the screen-print t-shirt he designed for us. Red for blood. Red for radical... Red was not for Republican since that party went evil beginning with Nixon and his Viet Nam War atrocities and it has only gone more and more evil since then.
John Paul : The name Really Red was never, in my mind, a political reference, although a lot of people believed that, mainly because of Ronnie's lyrics. I was never into Communism or Marxism like some people and for me the band's general attitude was more about rebelling against those who would take our freedoms away. Really Red was a lipstick color on a beautiful woman and I remember likening it to bloodshot eyes after a night of heavy drinking and listening to George Jones and Merle Haggard! I think the lipstick version is the more accurate remembrance of where the name actually came from, although other bandmates might remember something different. The names we considered at the time had really nothing to do with anything like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Who, Kinks etc. It was just a simple two-word name that would evoke a response
Was there much of a local scene in Houston when you first started playing live?
Bob : No. The Houston Police Department’s record of murders was a catalyst. A band called Legionnaire’s Disease began playing pop-up shows anywhere they could snag a date, while they lived out of a storage warehouse in Montrose. AK-47 started and became a powerful force in the scene, while The Ruse (Gary Yokie) Spermwhale (a Montrose mailman with a nice collection of guitars and effects) and Bevatron (Allison Fisher’s early experiments) got involved very soon after, along with Mydolls (a C.I.A. Record label group). Henry Wild Dog was at many of the shows and started his rag soon after. Plus there was a whole parallel revolution in the art world at the same time with Bill Stein, Mel Chin, Sharon Kopriva, and many more.
John Paul : There was always a great music scene in Houston. Some of the great blues players of all time were from our area. Lightnin’ Hopkins, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughn and countless others who played and toured from Texas and I believe the term psychedelic was first used on a 13th Floor Elevators album in 1966. Remembering some of these brings back many memories of good and sometimes scary times. I was also a part of the Houston Urban Animal Scene, a group of people who would roller skate through town and hang out in bars and party. There wasn't much interest in our type of music when we first started so I always said we were "punk" before it was cool. At some point, clubs such as The Island opened up and we were a regular band there. We played local bars and then started touring around, but there has always been great music in Houston. We played a small part in its musical history and I'm proud of that. An interesting memory among many was the wrap-party for the movie ‘Paris,Texas’ starring Nastassja Kinski. The party was up on a second floor bar and we were booked to play, but as I was running across the street with my bass, I tripped and broke my ankle. I managed to limp up to the bar and then started drinking margaritas and pouring the ice into my boot. I think I must have done ten of those things and probably played a horrible gig, but I did it! And then I had a cast on my leg for the next six weeks!
You released your records on your own label, CIA records. Was that out of necessity or something you particularly wanted to do?
Bob : Yes, and yes. It was how D.I.Y. bands got started. Isn’t that how everyone gets started?
John Paul : The CIA idea (Completely Ignorant Adults) was born out of necessity, as bands did not have the ease of digital recording at the time. We all had to earn money to record on 32 track tape and press vinyl. There wasn't any real money in playing back then, so we did it for the experience and love of the music. Since we couldn't even hope to get signed by anybody, the idea of producing our own stuff became the simplest and most cost effective way to get it out there. As with many things in retrospect, it looks like we were pretty smart, but I would say it was the only way to get our recordings done. Incidentally, Bob still manages CIA Records and has taken it on as his special project.
Bob : No. The Houston Police Department’s record of murders was a catalyst. A band called Legionnaire’s Disease began playing pop-up shows anywhere they could snag a date, while they lived out of a storage warehouse in Montrose. AK-47 started and became a powerful force in the scene, while The Ruse (Gary Yokie) Spermwhale (a Montrose mailman with a nice collection of guitars and effects) and Bevatron (Allison Fisher’s early experiments) got involved very soon after, along with Mydolls (a C.I.A. Record label group). Henry Wild Dog was at many of the shows and started his rag soon after. Plus there was a whole parallel revolution in the art world at the same time with Bill Stein, Mel Chin, Sharon Kopriva, and many more.
John Paul : There was always a great music scene in Houston. Some of the great blues players of all time were from our area. Lightnin’ Hopkins, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughn and countless others who played and toured from Texas and I believe the term psychedelic was first used on a 13th Floor Elevators album in 1966. Remembering some of these brings back many memories of good and sometimes scary times. I was also a part of the Houston Urban Animal Scene, a group of people who would roller skate through town and hang out in bars and party. There wasn't much interest in our type of music when we first started so I always said we were "punk" before it was cool. At some point, clubs such as The Island opened up and we were a regular band there. We played local bars and then started touring around, but there has always been great music in Houston. We played a small part in its musical history and I'm proud of that. An interesting memory among many was the wrap-party for the movie ‘Paris,Texas’ starring Nastassja Kinski. The party was up on a second floor bar and we were booked to play, but as I was running across the street with my bass, I tripped and broke my ankle. I managed to limp up to the bar and then started drinking margaritas and pouring the ice into my boot. I think I must have done ten of those things and probably played a horrible gig, but I did it! And then I had a cast on my leg for the next six weeks!
You released your records on your own label, CIA records. Was that out of necessity or something you particularly wanted to do?
Bob : Yes, and yes. It was how D.I.Y. bands got started. Isn’t that how everyone gets started?
John Paul : The CIA idea (Completely Ignorant Adults) was born out of necessity, as bands did not have the ease of digital recording at the time. We all had to earn money to record on 32 track tape and press vinyl. There wasn't any real money in playing back then, so we did it for the experience and love of the music. Since we couldn't even hope to get signed by anybody, the idea of producing our own stuff became the simplest and most cost effective way to get it out there. As with many things in retrospect, it looks like we were pretty smart, but I would say it was the only way to get our recordings done. Incidentally, Bob still manages CIA Records and has taken it on as his special project.
The band toured throughout the States and Canada. How easy (or difficult) was that to organize? Were there any other bands who were particularly helpful?
Bob : Not easy, but Ronnie had lots of contacts through his record store. We met to practice and write new songs three nights a week and we mingled with other musicians at live events. Plus I spent my free time writing letters and making phone calls. But we didn’t really tour extensively. Other than our Houston/ Austin/ San Antonio weekend road trips, we only went on a cross country tour once a year. I traded in my first car for a used Econoline 12-passenger van and we put a lot of miles on it!
John Paul : We enjoyed the tours we did… We would press 45's and send them off to college radio stations. In turn, we would get playlists back and then know who the DJ was that liked our music. From there, we would design our tours and know whose floor we could sleep on… There were no fancy hotels on our tours! Every dime was valuable to us for making our own records, paying for gas etc. I especially enjoyed playing with DOA and the Dead Kennedy's because I thought we made a great show. One time, we were scheduled to play at UC Davis, California, but we stopped in Reno, Nevada and got really drunk. We overslept and drove like hell to make the gig. I thought it was going to be a small club somewhere in the college area but it turned out to be a large outside venue with students everywhere. I remember how sick some of the band members were and only more alcohol got us through that gig but it turned out OK I guess. You pay the price for fun sometimes. Lessons learned the hard way! We really enjoyed cruising through the wine country in California and we would stop at wineries to get free samples until we were drunk as skunks. There are a couple of pictures out there that bear proof of how crazy we were. Bottom line is we had a lot of fun but also learned a lot of lessons along the way. We played large shows and small gigs but always worked hard to put on a good show and some of our best shows were in front of the smallest crowds.
Bob : Not easy, but Ronnie had lots of contacts through his record store. We met to practice and write new songs three nights a week and we mingled with other musicians at live events. Plus I spent my free time writing letters and making phone calls. But we didn’t really tour extensively. Other than our Houston/ Austin/ San Antonio weekend road trips, we only went on a cross country tour once a year. I traded in my first car for a used Econoline 12-passenger van and we put a lot of miles on it!
John Paul : We enjoyed the tours we did… We would press 45's and send them off to college radio stations. In turn, we would get playlists back and then know who the DJ was that liked our music. From there, we would design our tours and know whose floor we could sleep on… There were no fancy hotels on our tours! Every dime was valuable to us for making our own records, paying for gas etc. I especially enjoyed playing with DOA and the Dead Kennedy's because I thought we made a great show. One time, we were scheduled to play at UC Davis, California, but we stopped in Reno, Nevada and got really drunk. We overslept and drove like hell to make the gig. I thought it was going to be a small club somewhere in the college area but it turned out to be a large outside venue with students everywhere. I remember how sick some of the band members were and only more alcohol got us through that gig but it turned out OK I guess. You pay the price for fun sometimes. Lessons learned the hard way! We really enjoyed cruising through the wine country in California and we would stop at wineries to get free samples until we were drunk as skunks. There are a couple of pictures out there that bear proof of how crazy we were. Bottom line is we had a lot of fun but also learned a lot of lessons along the way. We played large shows and small gigs but always worked hard to put on a good show and some of our best shows were in front of the smallest crowds.
I've read that you played some shows while avant-garde films were projected onto a backdrop. How did that idea develop and do you think it worked well?
Bob : Mingle Brothers parties in Montrose. Wavelength. The film scene was integral since Ralph McKay was our first designated road manager. His job as film director at the Museum of Fine Arts introduced us to doozies and then we found Kurt Kren living in his car in Austin. McKay must have been involved in helping us get him relocated to Houston where he ended up working as a security guard at the MFA.
John Paul : I also remember playing a gig with SPK where they threw cow guts all over the place. It was pretty outrageous but shock was what they were all about. I remember Kelly was pissed that cow guts were all over his amp. Let's say it worked well for them but not my cup of tea.
Although Really Red were very much a part of the Punk / Hardcore scene of the early Eighties, a lot of your music was actually quite experimental and unafraid to explore different sounds. How well did that go down with audiences at the time?
Bob : That depended on how drunk we were and how stoned they were at the time. Oh yeah, and the sound system. It was a party scene. But the experimentation resulted from exposure to lots of out-of-town bands (including Brits) at Fitzgerald’s, the Texas Opry House, Numbers (a gay disco) Spit and Rudyard’s British Pub on Waugh. We also played art houses like Studio One, the Orange Show, and the Lawndale Annex. Ralph got us in to see films at the Museum of Fine Arts where Kurt Kren worked.
John Paul : Really Red had a very solid following because we were honest in our approach. We were influenced by a lot of bands like the Red Crayola and 13th Floor Elevators as well as the more established and famous bands of the time. We worked hard to be a tight knit band with a message. We knew so many people that were clones of other bands but we wanted our own sound. The way we got there was by spending a lot of time playing and coming up with riffs. After so many hours, you tend to experiment with the sounds and have no fear of putting it out there. We never knew whether people would like it or not. We played our entire set without stopping and that kept the energy high.
Although you toured across America and Canada, you never made it over to Europe... was that something you would have liked to do back then?
Bob : Shit, yeah!
John Paul : It would have been great to tour Europe back then, but we just didn't have the money to get that set up. I feel we would have made it there eventually and I think that Texas music has always been well received in Europe…
Bob : Mingle Brothers parties in Montrose. Wavelength. The film scene was integral since Ralph McKay was our first designated road manager. His job as film director at the Museum of Fine Arts introduced us to doozies and then we found Kurt Kren living in his car in Austin. McKay must have been involved in helping us get him relocated to Houston where he ended up working as a security guard at the MFA.
John Paul : I also remember playing a gig with SPK where they threw cow guts all over the place. It was pretty outrageous but shock was what they were all about. I remember Kelly was pissed that cow guts were all over his amp. Let's say it worked well for them but not my cup of tea.
Although Really Red were very much a part of the Punk / Hardcore scene of the early Eighties, a lot of your music was actually quite experimental and unafraid to explore different sounds. How well did that go down with audiences at the time?
Bob : That depended on how drunk we were and how stoned they were at the time. Oh yeah, and the sound system. It was a party scene. But the experimentation resulted from exposure to lots of out-of-town bands (including Brits) at Fitzgerald’s, the Texas Opry House, Numbers (a gay disco) Spit and Rudyard’s British Pub on Waugh. We also played art houses like Studio One, the Orange Show, and the Lawndale Annex. Ralph got us in to see films at the Museum of Fine Arts where Kurt Kren worked.
John Paul : Really Red had a very solid following because we were honest in our approach. We were influenced by a lot of bands like the Red Crayola and 13th Floor Elevators as well as the more established and famous bands of the time. We worked hard to be a tight knit band with a message. We knew so many people that were clones of other bands but we wanted our own sound. The way we got there was by spending a lot of time playing and coming up with riffs. After so many hours, you tend to experiment with the sounds and have no fear of putting it out there. We never knew whether people would like it or not. We played our entire set without stopping and that kept the energy high.
Although you toured across America and Canada, you never made it over to Europe... was that something you would have liked to do back then?
Bob : Shit, yeah!
John Paul : It would have been great to tour Europe back then, but we just didn't have the money to get that set up. I feel we would have made it there eventually and I think that Texas music has always been well received in Europe…
The band eventually split-up in 1985... were there any particular reasons for this or did you all feel that you'd taken it as far as it could go?
Bob : There was a reason and underlying issues…a sleeping dog.
John Paul : Really Red's demise came way too early as far as I'm concerned, but we can't control everything in life. I think we could have taken the experiment a lot further had circumstances been different. There were resentments from that period but you have to let those go and move on with your life. Life's way too short to carry anger. The band played a great last gig at The Island in Houston and I think we could have gone on for a long time had things been different. There may still be some bitterness as the root cause of the band splitting up, but not from me. You can't control the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others and suffice it to say, it was true love that brought down the band. It was meant to be and I'm happy how things turned out for those involved. After this amount of time, there is no question that it was supposed to be.
A previously unreleased track, your version of 'Downtown', appeared on a compilation EP ('Rather See You Dead') in 1996... Where did that recording come from and how did its' release come about?
Bob : Hah! That was on HOTBOX Review, put out by Ed Rudy, a close friend of mine from Houston who has lived in Bangkok for more than a quarter century. He’s a powerhouse. I just mentioned that to someone the other night. Another guitarist was in the group when I joined it, but he was more dance and pop-oriented than the rest of us. I don’t remember who came up with ‘Downtown’ as a song suggestion, but we worked on it and recorded it at MRS Studios on Richmond (it’s long gone now). But after Curtis left, we decided to focus on original songs, with just a few rare exceptions. ‘Downtown’ was catchy but not really our style.
John Paul : We were playing around with the idea of turning pop songs into hard and fast rock. ‘Downtown’ was Petula Clark's big hit (first UK woman to have a gold single in the US) and the music and lyrics were really catchy. It worked well with the beefed up bass, guitar and drums, and it was fun to play. It was around the time of ‘Modern Needs’ which I still think was the single that could have been the biggest hit for Really Red.
CIA records released the 'Tribute to Really Red' album in 2020. Were you pleased with the way it came out and the wide range of artists who became involved?
BW: Heck, yeah!
John Paul : The Tribute to Really Red album is an amazing piece of work. I was fortunate enough to make it to Houston, San Antonio and Austin to see other guys play our songs. The bands were so good and it's humbling to know that people care enough about our music to play it and honor the band. We were an honest, hard working group of guys that went together as a band of brothers, playing songs and fulfilling a dream. It didn't involve money or fame but we brought music and messages that many still relate to.
Bob : There was a reason and underlying issues…a sleeping dog.
John Paul : Really Red's demise came way too early as far as I'm concerned, but we can't control everything in life. I think we could have taken the experiment a lot further had circumstances been different. There were resentments from that period but you have to let those go and move on with your life. Life's way too short to carry anger. The band played a great last gig at The Island in Houston and I think we could have gone on for a long time had things been different. There may still be some bitterness as the root cause of the band splitting up, but not from me. You can't control the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others and suffice it to say, it was true love that brought down the band. It was meant to be and I'm happy how things turned out for those involved. After this amount of time, there is no question that it was supposed to be.
A previously unreleased track, your version of 'Downtown', appeared on a compilation EP ('Rather See You Dead') in 1996... Where did that recording come from and how did its' release come about?
Bob : Hah! That was on HOTBOX Review, put out by Ed Rudy, a close friend of mine from Houston who has lived in Bangkok for more than a quarter century. He’s a powerhouse. I just mentioned that to someone the other night. Another guitarist was in the group when I joined it, but he was more dance and pop-oriented than the rest of us. I don’t remember who came up with ‘Downtown’ as a song suggestion, but we worked on it and recorded it at MRS Studios on Richmond (it’s long gone now). But after Curtis left, we decided to focus on original songs, with just a few rare exceptions. ‘Downtown’ was catchy but not really our style.
John Paul : We were playing around with the idea of turning pop songs into hard and fast rock. ‘Downtown’ was Petula Clark's big hit (first UK woman to have a gold single in the US) and the music and lyrics were really catchy. It worked well with the beefed up bass, guitar and drums, and it was fun to play. It was around the time of ‘Modern Needs’ which I still think was the single that could have been the biggest hit for Really Red.
CIA records released the 'Tribute to Really Red' album in 2020. Were you pleased with the way it came out and the wide range of artists who became involved?
BW: Heck, yeah!
John Paul : The Tribute to Really Red album is an amazing piece of work. I was fortunate enough to make it to Houston, San Antonio and Austin to see other guys play our songs. The bands were so good and it's humbling to know that people care enough about our music to play it and honor the band. We were an honest, hard working group of guys that went together as a band of brothers, playing songs and fulfilling a dream. It didn't involve money or fame but we brought music and messages that many still relate to.
Do you have any particular favourites amongst the many new versions of your original songs?
Bob : That’s a hard question to answer. Darwin’s Finches version of 'Entertainment' is dark and powerful. Hammel On Trial shocked me with his i-phone version of 'Teaching You The Fear'. The Hickoids nailed 'Starvation Dance' in a studio in Barcelona, Spain while they were on tour in Europe… There might be a video out there. Mudhoney were powerful, but when long lost amigo Wade Driver’s group 50 Million did 'Youth Culture For Sale' shortly after he had a stroke, I was floored.
Looking back, it's nearly four decades since Really Red broke up. Are you surprised that there is still considerable interest in what you were doing back then?
Bob : Yes. We were small fish compared to the groups that worked at it for decades… that’s why Dave Dictor of MDC is one of my heroes!
John Paul : When the time came for it to end, I think we were all sad about, it but circumstances did not allow the band to continue. Some things are beyond one's control, if I could put it that way. Really Red is one of those groups whose time was short but had a strong impact. We did not wear out our welcome and ended at the top of our game. Some situations can't be controlled by the periphery, but I would hope that people reading these words will use the power of their own will and work towards the goals that matter to them because the world is heading into dangerous times. All political parties are corrupt. Don't believe anything you hear. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Freedom is a right that is yours and you can control what goes into your body. I stand with Johnny Rotten, Van Morrison, Kid Rock, Eric Clapton and many others.
Punk rock was, for me, an avenue for rebelling against tyranny in all forms although now it seems that many simply follow what the government says. Don't be fooled by what other people tell you! If the government says "trust me, I'm here to help", run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. Don't believe what you read and hear in the press. Media, politicians and 'science' are all bough and paid for. Follow the money and stick by your own conscience. Life is short and precious, so protect yourself and those you love.Don't be afraid to stand up to mandates. Stay free and believe in yourself.
Create your world and don't be afraid because the future is up to you now. As George Washington said, "“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”
Bob : That’s a hard question to answer. Darwin’s Finches version of 'Entertainment' is dark and powerful. Hammel On Trial shocked me with his i-phone version of 'Teaching You The Fear'. The Hickoids nailed 'Starvation Dance' in a studio in Barcelona, Spain while they were on tour in Europe… There might be a video out there. Mudhoney were powerful, but when long lost amigo Wade Driver’s group 50 Million did 'Youth Culture For Sale' shortly after he had a stroke, I was floored.
Looking back, it's nearly four decades since Really Red broke up. Are you surprised that there is still considerable interest in what you were doing back then?
Bob : Yes. We were small fish compared to the groups that worked at it for decades… that’s why Dave Dictor of MDC is one of my heroes!
John Paul : When the time came for it to end, I think we were all sad about, it but circumstances did not allow the band to continue. Some things are beyond one's control, if I could put it that way. Really Red is one of those groups whose time was short but had a strong impact. We did not wear out our welcome and ended at the top of our game. Some situations can't be controlled by the periphery, but I would hope that people reading these words will use the power of their own will and work towards the goals that matter to them because the world is heading into dangerous times. All political parties are corrupt. Don't believe anything you hear. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Freedom is a right that is yours and you can control what goes into your body. I stand with Johnny Rotten, Van Morrison, Kid Rock, Eric Clapton and many others.
Punk rock was, for me, an avenue for rebelling against tyranny in all forms although now it seems that many simply follow what the government says. Don't be fooled by what other people tell you! If the government says "trust me, I'm here to help", run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. Don't believe what you read and hear in the press. Media, politicians and 'science' are all bough and paid for. Follow the money and stick by your own conscience. Life is short and precious, so protect yourself and those you love.Don't be afraid to stand up to mandates. Stay free and believe in yourself.
Create your world and don't be afraid because the future is up to you now. As George Washington said, "“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”
If you have never heard Really Red’s music before now, I hope this interview will encourage you to do so. As I mentioned above, Alternative Tentacles have made most of their back catalogue available, so they should be relatively easy to track down. I’m sure your efforts will be well-rewarded :
alternativetentacles.com/artists/really-red/
ciarecords2.bandcamp.com/
www.cia-records.com/
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100037248972337
alternativetentacles.com/artists/really-red/
ciarecords2.bandcamp.com/
www.cia-records.com/
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100037248972337
