Thanks so much to Jay Wiseman for the interview! I wrote about the San Diego band The Sleazy Beats many years ago after listening them on the “Pure Spun Sugar”. They had a great song on it and I was very curious! Luckily a few weeks ago Jay got in touch and was happy to answer all my questions! Here is what he told me:
++ Hi Jay! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Still making music?
Yes, very well, thanks for asking!
Yes, I am still making music. I play in a garage-punk-power-pop band called Thee Wylde Oscars based out of Melbourne, Australia since about 2009. My wife and I are also currently working on a project with her as the front.
++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?
My first instrument was trumpet. I played in the early 70’s era; a grade-school area-wide orchestra, then eventually the concert and marching band of my Mar Vista Junior High School near Imperial Beach, CA. I took lessons.
I was pretty mediocre at the trumpet (I actually hated how I played the instrument and never practiced) and quit once I got to High School. Because I had the ability to play pieces on the piano by ear my parents got me a piano instructor. I played for about 5 years until my piano teacher had to quit because he was a drunk. My next teacher was too strict for my liking and so I stopped.
I then picked up the harmonica at 15, because it was cheap and I loved the blues and British R&B like the Yardbirds. I learned by listening to records, and playing along and working it out. I became good enough to join some friends as a harp player in my first real band, The Trebels.
At home my Dad listened to nothing but old school Country. He was originally from Oklahoma, and played the fiddle when he was a kid. Old-timey music, Bluegrass, Honky Tonk, etc. and gospel hymns. I hated the music but as I got older grew to appreciate and love the stuff.
++ Had you been in other bands before The Sleazy Beats? What about the rest of the members? If so, how did all of these bands sound like? Are there any recordings?
All of these bands were from San Diego. My bands were:
– The Trebels (1981-1990), we released a single. A mixture of 60’s Chicano Rock, early Rock and Roll and British Invasion influences.
– The Hoods (1990-1993) released a 12″ record, five 7″ singles, a 5 song EP and various compilations. American and British R&B influences.
– Evil Eyes (1993-1994) released one single. 60’s and 70’s punk influenced.
– Mach Five Overdrive (1994-1998) released two singles. 60’s and 70’s punk influenced.
XAVIER ANAYA was in all my bands except for Evil Eyes.
JOHN CHILSON was in all my bands except for Mach Five Overdrive. He had joined The Loons (1994 to present) at that time. They are primarily psychadelic rock.
HECTOR PENALOSA: The Zeros (1977-present), essential 70’s SF punk; albums and singles.
MIRELLA BELSITO: Diabolik, 1994-1996, 70’s style punk
RACHAEL GORDON: First recording
SANDRA CASTILLO: First recording
++ Where were you from originally?
I am originally from Imperial Beach, CA, the most southwesterly city in the US, in San Diego County next to Tijuana, Mexico – on the beach.
++ How was San Diego at the time of The Sleazy Beats? Were there any bands that you liked? Were there any good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
San Diego at the time had a vibrant Alt rock scene and a 70’s punk resurgence was happening. We dug that vibe and the ’77 punk era for the most part. The Zeros had just reformed and for the most part were our favourite local band.
There was always the Casbah for great live music and a venues opened up and closed fairly quickly. It really wasn’t a great place for and up and coming band to play with any regularity. Most of us were part of the Mod, Garage Punk & Punk that came out of the area in the late 70’s – early 80’s – that was OUR real scene.
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
The whole thing started when Sandra Castillo asked me help her write a song for Phil Spector at a party at my house. She was pen pals with him and wanted to send him a birthday gift; a song. I thought it would be fun to write for somebody other than my band. Rachael, Mirella and Hector were also at the party and wanted in as well.
It was really meant to be throw-away pop, a one-off.
She put together some lyrics in a couple of weeks and came over and I did the music to fit it. It all really took a few hours. I always had bits of musical ideas I didn’t know what to do with and I used some of those.
We got some old and current band mates to fill in the rest of the lineup.
++ Were there any lineup changes?
There were essentially two bands: The recording band and the live act that came out of the recording.
The recording band I mentioned earlier.
The live band was: Mirella, Rachael, Candy Johnson, Anders Stone, Joel Kmak and Gordo.
Rachael really wanted to be a part of a band. Mirella had been in a band called Diabolik that had just broken up and wanted to do something else. Mirella had a friend, Candy Johnson, that like the idea of a 3-front girl group thing as did Anders (jingle writer and ex-Diabolik guitarist, Joel (ex-Hit Makers, Penetrators and current Beat Farmers drummer) and Gordo (who was playing in a few 77-style punk rock groups such as the Spent Idols, in the area) as bassist.
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
I tend to carry around with a hand-held memo recorder to catch stuff that I like coming out of my head (some going back years). If I don’t do this, the songs tend to bounce around my head like a unwanted guest. I’ll listen back from time to time. Sometimes I stumble onto something that is interesting. This was one of those instances. The ascending-descending chorus came out of those memo recordings.
Practice was usually held at my garage with liberal amounts of alcohol, pot and speed.
++ What’s the story behind the band’s name?
We were all fans of the Easybeats and thought it was a stupid funny pun.
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
Definitely girl groups for the vocals, like the Shangri-las and even Bananarama. The music of the recording came from a love of Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” era. It’s a combination of Brill Building, The Beach Boys, Spaghetti Western and John Barry (especially with the solo guitar tweedle-thing).
The live act was more of a punk Shangri-las.
++ I know you through a compilation called “Pure Spun Sugar” that was co-released in 1998 by American Pop Project and Candy Floss. I was wondering how did you end up contributing a song to it? And who picked which song to include?
That was all Gary Strickland. Mirella and I were at a show at Spirit Club in San Diego and we saw Gary (who we knew from the Loons and around town) and thought he would get a kick out of this thing we had just recorded. I played him the cassette and gave him a copy. He immediately said it would be something a friend would be interested in. He told us he played it over the phone to the guy from Candy Floss and he wanted it his comp. That’s it. We received some CDs of the comp in the mail and that’s the last we heard.
++ As far as I know this was the only time a song of yours got properly released, am I right? Or are there any other releases by the band?
This was the only proper release I knew of. I’ve heard there was another release from a San Diego label, but it was a surprise to me.
++ What about other recordings? Were there perhaps demo tapes?
Maybe. Anders had a recording studio at his house (for the jingle writing) and Mirella and I seem to remember him doing some recording of the band. He’s kind of hard to get ahold of these days.
++ Was there interest by labels to put your stuff out?
Interest was zero.
++ I really like the song on the comp, “Phil Spector’s Birthday Song”, wondering if you could tell me what inspired this song? What’s the story behind it?
Inspired by all things Phil Spector, Brill Building Pop, the Beach Boys and John Barry.
++ If you were to choose your favorite The Sleazy Beats song, which one would that be and why?
The Birthday Song is the one I remember the most, so that. Another song that I brought forward, was rejected. I ended up recording that about 5 years later with Mirella and my band, The Devil Dolls, called “Still Life (Slow Down)” on an EP.
++ What about gigs? Did you play many?
I never played live with the band. The band carried on without me for about another year and a half. They ended up playing about 7 gigs until their demise.
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
Oh dear. They played the Garage in Los Angeles. LA is pretty jaded, and at this time a girl group was contrary everything that existed at the time. An audience member shouted to the three girls in front, “Can’t you play any instruments?”. Rachael gave the girl the finger and with a glare told the woman to, “shut up, you ugly cow!”.
++ And were there any bad ones?
The worst was the show that never happened. Somehow Rodney Bingenheimer of KROQ in LA heard the song and wanted to band to headline a show of up-and-coming bands he dug. A date was set and on the very day of the show, the bassist Gordo decided he would rather do another gig with another band he was in. A call was made to Rodney and he yelled, “This is the last time I’ll ever have you!” Gordo was kicked out and Rachael’s then husband joined as a bass player. It could have been the start of something, but in the end, it was for naught.
++ When and why did The Sleazy Beats stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
After many false start and the Bingeheimer fiasco, the band broke apart and went other ways.
Not long after Mirella and I moved to Melbourne; Stoney and Candy moved to Sweden; and the band members did their own thing.
Mirella and I started the Devil Dolls in Melbourne, and I was involved in other projects including my current band, Thee Wylde Oscars.
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Rachael started her solo career, did a record and toured and ended up being married to Ace Frehely of KISS. She just is about to release another album; Stoney and Candy started a band Sin Sin 77 eventually moved to Sweden, where he is now a well-respected fine artist. They don’t seem to be playing music lately.
Hector is currently playing in several original bands in San Diego, including the Baja Buggs, a Beatles cover band. He’s always got something going.
Xavier is in a couple of bands in San Diego; The Phantoms and as a guitarist in Andy Rassmussen’s (another SD local, ex-Bomboras bassist) solo project.
John Chilson moved to Portland and plays drums from time-to-time.
Joel Kmak currently plays in San Diego with The Beat Farmers, or their alter ego, The Farmers SD.
Gordo is MIA. I really don’t even know his last name LOL.
++ Did you get much attention from the radio?
None whatsoever.
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
None whatsoever.
++ What about from fanzines?
None whatsoever.
++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
My highlight was writing the song and recording it. It was fun to do…and actually have someone notice it after all these years.
++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?
Physics, model rocketry, Vespa motor scooters.
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m glad someone took pleasure in something I had a hand in. That’s the reason I still do it. I think for most of the members, Rock and Roll was always more of a religion than a business. It’s was about getting the word out. Thanks for the interest once again!
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Listen
The Sleazy Beats – Phil Spector’s Birthday Song
