Fred Cole
Encyclopedia
Fred Cole is the singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Pierced Arrows and formerly Dead Moon
.
, at the Teenbeat Club
, releasing a single called "Ain't Got No Self-Respect." His next single, from 1965, was a promo-only called "Poverty Shack" b/w
"Rover," with a band named Deep Soul Cole.
gained notice in garage rock
circles, and their only single, a 60s punk track called It's Your Time (b/w Little Girl, Teenbeat Club Records), has become a collectors' favorite. The A-side appeared on one of the Nuggets
anthologies. The band was promised an opening slot on a Yardbirds bill at the Fillmore
in San Francisco, but on their arrival found that the venue hadn't heard of them.
Angry at management and fearing the military draft, the band decided to head up to Canada, but ran out of gas in Portland, Oregon. There, they started playing at a club called the Folk Singer, where Toody Conner worked. Cole and Toody soon fell in love and were married in 1967, though The Weeds' manager insisted they keep the marriage secret.
because he also managed The Seeds
and thought the names were too similar, and to fit the current bubblegum
trend (although their 1968 LP on UNI Records (a now-defunct subsidiary of MCA), titled Just Colour, is more a mix of garage rock and the psychedelia of bands such as Love
). The album and its single "You Must Be a Witch" didn't chart, but remain underground favorites. The band also released another single, "Someone I Knew" b/w "Through My Window," played many shows in San Francisco with performers such as Janis Joplin
and The Doors
, and had two tracks on the soundtrack LP to the film Angels from Hell.
The Lollipop Shoppe broke up in 1969, but reappeared as The Weeds with another single in 1971.
band Zipper and released an LP in 1975 on his and Toody's label, Whizeagle.
sounds of the time. They released the "Hot Pistol" single on Whizeagle in 1978, but soon broke up. In an attempt to find a stable lineup, Cole taught Toody to play bass and they formed The Rats
. Their self-titled debut was released in 1980 on Whizeagle. Intermittent Signals followed in 1981, and 1983 saw the release of the third LP, In a Desperate Red. After losing three drummers, and tired of the macho direction the punk scene had taken, Cole disbanded The Rats and began an old-time country
band called Western Front
. They released only two singles, "Orygun" b/w "Clementine" and "Stampede" b/w "Looking Back At Me" in 1985, but they influenced many local punkers to develop an interest in country-rock and rockabilly
.
, in 1986. Drummer Andrew Loomis auditioned for this band, but it didn't work out, so Cole and Toody carried on with a drum machine. In 1987, while returning from Reno (their favorite vacation spot), Cole and Toody decided they wanted to play rock 'n' roll again. They called Andrew Loomis, who was a better fit for this project, and Dead Moon
was born.
Dead Moon's music is a blend of dark '60s garage with punk rock; It was described by Robert Christgau
as sounding "like the 13th Floor Elevators without the clinical dementia". Their early records, In the Graveyard, Unknown Passage, and Defiance, appeared on the band's own Tombstone Records
, named for the music store Cole and Toody operated in Clackamas, Oregon. Cole mastered these records on a mono lathe from the 1950s that had been used for The Kingsmen
's version of "Louie Louie". These releases helped them gain cult followings around the United States and in Europe, especially in Germany, home of their European record label Music Maniac.
In 2004 U.S. documentary filmmaking couple (Jason Summers and Kate Fix) produced Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story which played at independent theaters throughout the United States, New Zealand, and the Melbourne International Film Fest.
Dead Moon
Dead Moon was a United States punk rock band from 1987 to 2006, formed in Portland, Oregon. Fronted by singer/guitarist Fred Cole, the band also included bassist Toody Cole, Fred's wife, and drummer Andrew Loomis. Veterans of Portland's independent rock scene, Dead Moon combined dark and lovelorn...
.
The Lords
In 1964, Cole began his recording career in Las Vegas with his band, The LordsThe Lords
The Lords may refer to:* The Lords , a Dutch ZX Spectrum demogroup* The British House of Lordsin music:* The Lords , a rock band founded in 1959...
, at the Teenbeat Club
Teenbeat Club
The Teenbeat Club in Paradise, Nevada located at 4416 Paradise Road, is believed to be the first U.S. nightclub that catered exclusively to teenagers.-History:...
, releasing a single called "Ain't Got No Self-Respect." His next single, from 1965, was a promo-only called "Poverty Shack" b/w
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
"Rover," with a band named Deep Soul Cole.
The Weeds
In 1966 Cole's band The WeedsThe Lollipop Shoppe
The Lollipop Shoppe were a 1960s psychedelic garage rock band from Portland, Oregon .They were originally known as The Weeds and featured Fred Cole, best known for playing in Dead Moon. He now plays in Pierced Arrows...
gained notice in garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
circles, and their only single, a 60s punk track called It's Your Time (b/w Little Girl, Teenbeat Club Records), has become a collectors' favorite. The A-side appeared on one of the Nuggets
Nuggets
- Music :* Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, a compilation of U.S. psychedelic rock released between 1965 and 1968...
anthologies. The band was promised an opening slot on a Yardbirds bill at the Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
in San Francisco, but on their arrival found that the venue hadn't heard of them.
Angry at management and fearing the military draft, the band decided to head up to Canada, but ran out of gas in Portland, Oregon. There, they started playing at a club called the Folk Singer, where Toody Conner worked. Cole and Toody soon fell in love and were married in 1967, though The Weeds' manager insisted they keep the marriage secret.
The Lollipop Shoppe
Another manager required The Weeds to change their name to The Lollipop ShoppeThe Lollipop Shoppe
The Lollipop Shoppe were a 1960s psychedelic garage rock band from Portland, Oregon .They were originally known as The Weeds and featured Fred Cole, best known for playing in Dead Moon. He now plays in Pierced Arrows...
because he also managed The Seeds
The Seeds
The Seeds were an American rock band. The group, whose repertoire spread between garage rock and acid rock, are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.-History:...
and thought the names were too similar, and to fit the current bubblegum
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
trend (although their 1968 LP on UNI Records (a now-defunct subsidiary of MCA), titled Just Colour, is more a mix of garage rock and the psychedelia of bands such as Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
). The album and its single "You Must Be a Witch" didn't chart, but remain underground favorites. The band also released another single, "Someone I Knew" b/w "Through My Window," played many shows in San Francisco with performers such as Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
and The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, and had two tracks on the soundtrack LP to the film Angels from Hell.
The Lollipop Shoppe broke up in 1969, but reappeared as The Weeds with another single in 1971.
Whizeagle and Zipper
Frustrated with the music business and still of draft age, Cole headed for Alaska with Toody and their two young children. They got as far as the Yukon, where they homesteaded for a year. Upon their return, Cole tried unsuccessfully to secure another record deal in Los Angeles. He settled in Portland and opened a musical equipment store called Captain Whizeagle's. Taking his musical career into his own hands, he formed the hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Zipper and released an LP in 1975 on his and Toody's label, Whizeagle.
King Bee, The Rats, Western Front
Cole's next band, King Bee, saw him playing guitar for the first time in addition to singing. A last-minute invitation to open for The Ramones introduced them to the punkPunk 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...
sounds of the time. They released the "Hot Pistol" single on Whizeagle in 1978, but soon broke up. In an attempt to find a stable lineup, Cole taught Toody to play bass and they formed The Rats
The Rats
The Rats were an American garage punk band from Portland, Oregon, formed by Fred Cole from the garage rock band The Lollipop Shoppe. Cole played guitar and sang, his wife Toody played bass and sang, and initially Rod Rat played drums. Their sound was a raw mix of punk rock and garage rock with...
. Their self-titled debut was released in 1980 on Whizeagle. Intermittent Signals followed in 1981, and 1983 saw the release of the third LP, In a Desperate Red. After losing three drummers, and tired of the macho direction the punk scene had taken, Cole disbanded The Rats and began an old-time country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
band called Western Front
Western Front band
Western Front was an American band formed in 1985 in Portland, Oregon that consisted of Fred Cole on vocals and guitar, Kevin Conner on bass, and Jeff Evans on drums. Cole had been in the garage rock band The Lollipop Shoppe and the punk rock band The Rats, among others. Western Front still had...
. They released only two singles, "Orygun" b/w "Clementine" and "Stampede" b/w "Looking Back At Me" in 1985, but they influenced many local punkers to develop an interest in country-rock and rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
.
The Range Rats and Dead Moon
Toody, who had occasionally performed with Western Front and recorded a single with them, rejoined Cole for another country-influenced project, The Range RatsThe Range Rats
In 1986, following the breakup of the Portland, Oregon band Western Front, guitarist/vocalist Fred Cole and his wife Toody formed The Range Rats, which continued Western Front's mix of punk rock and country music. Drummer Andrew Loomis auditioned for The Range Rats but it didn't work out, so Fred...
, in 1986. Drummer Andrew Loomis auditioned for this band, but it didn't work out, so Cole and Toody carried on with a drum machine. In 1987, while returning from Reno (their favorite vacation spot), Cole and Toody decided they wanted to play rock 'n' roll again. They called Andrew Loomis, who was a better fit for this project, and Dead Moon
Dead Moon
Dead Moon was a United States punk rock band from 1987 to 2006, formed in Portland, Oregon. Fronted by singer/guitarist Fred Cole, the band also included bassist Toody Cole, Fred's wife, and drummer Andrew Loomis. Veterans of Portland's independent rock scene, Dead Moon combined dark and lovelorn...
was born.
Dead Moon's music is a blend of dark '60s garage with punk rock; It was described by Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
as sounding "like the 13th Floor Elevators without the clinical dementia". Their early records, In the Graveyard, Unknown Passage, and Defiance, appeared on the band's own Tombstone Records
Tombstone Records
Tombstone Records is an American record label that was founded in 1988 by Fred Cole of Dead Moon in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Toody.The label was named for the musical equipment store they operated at the time...
, named for the music store Cole and Toody operated in Clackamas, Oregon. Cole mastered these records on a mono lathe from the 1950s that had been used for The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
's version of "Louie Louie". These releases helped them gain cult followings around the United States and in Europe, especially in Germany, home of their European record label Music Maniac.
Pierced Arrows and documentary
After releasing "Dead Ahead" and touring Europe, Dead Moon broke up in 2006, and, with a new drummer, Kelly Haliburton, Fred and Toody formed the band Pierced Arrows. Fred and Toody now own the Tombstone General Store in Clackamas, and are building a shopping center nearby.In 2004 U.S. documentary filmmaking couple (Jason Summers and Kate Fix) produced Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story which played at independent theaters throughout the United States, New Zealand, and the Melbourne International Film Fest.
Further reading
- The Trouser Press guide to '90s rock, by Ira A. Robbins, David Sprague. ISBN 0684814374
- Garage rock, by Alessandro Bonini. ISBN 8884403626