Gravedigger Five
Encyclopedia
The Gravedigger Five – often shown as Gravedigger V – was a garage rock
revival band formed in 1984 in San Diego, California
. The band was part of the Paisley Underground
, a musical movement centered around Los Angeles, California
, which referenced 1960s West Coast pop and garage rock. The band's lineup consisted of Leighton Koizumi on vocals and sound effects, Ted Friedman on lead guitar, John Hanrattie on rhythm guitar and backup vocals, Dave "The Animal" Anderson on drums and percussion, and originally Chris Gast, who was replaced on bass and backing vocals by Tom Ward. When the Gravedigger Five broke up, members of the band went on to form The Morlocks
and Manual Scan
.
" backing group The Cryptkicker V.
owner Greg Shaw
, who signed the band to his imprint in January, 1984. The band recorded their first LP the same year, sleeping together in a car in an alley adjacent to the studio while not recording. Their first LP, All Black and Hairy
, was released towards the end of 1984, but even before its release original bassist Chris Gast was ejected from the band as a result of his substance abuse
problems. Shortly after Gast's dismissal the rest of the band fell apart and the group disbanded. The band released its entire catalogue posthumously. Following the breakup of the band, Voxx released the band's first LP, "All Black and Hairy," in 1984.
on backing vocals. Lead singer Koizumi took offense to the mediocre way the album was assembled.
, another Paisley Underground garage rock revival band which continued the Gravedigger Five sound. Dave Anderson and Tom Ward continued on together in the band Manual Scan, and afterwards Anderson went on to perform with The Trebles, The Answers, The Crawdaddies and Skid Roper. The band reunited for one final show in 1999, playing Cave Stomp at New York’s annual garage rockathon. This would be the last time a full reunion would be possible, as bassist Chris Gast died in New York in 2000.
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...
revival band formed in 1984 in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. The band was part of the Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
, a musical movement centered around Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, which referenced 1960s West Coast pop and garage rock. The band's lineup consisted of Leighton Koizumi on vocals and sound effects, Ted Friedman on lead guitar, John Hanrattie on rhythm guitar and backup vocals, Dave "The Animal" Anderson on drums and percussion, and originally Chris Gast, who was replaced on bass and backing vocals by Tom Ward. When the Gravedigger Five broke up, members of the band went on to form The Morlocks
The Morlocks
The Morlocks is an American garage rock band from San Diego, California, which formed in 1984. In its first incarnation, the band consisted of guitarist Tommy Clarke, bassist Jeff Lucas , drummer Mark Mullen, as well as vocalist Leighton Koizumi and guitarist Ted Friedman, former members of the...
and Manual Scan
Manual Scan
Manual Scan was an American mod and power pop group from San Diego, active between 1981–1991.Manual Scan released numerous CDs, LPs and 7-inch singles, in England, Spain and the U.S....
.
History
The members of the Gravedigger Five began playing together around 1983, practicing under the name "The Shamen" in bassist Chris Gast's garage. The group began writing songs together while its members were still teenagers; lead singer Leighton Koizumi was only sixteen years old when the band began to perform. When the band eventually went on to play the Whiskey A Go Go, the band members had to wait outside between sets, as the members were too young to be in the club. The name "The Shamen" was abandoned after the group discovered that the name was already in use by another band, and so after a night of brainstorming, purportedly at a local Bob's Big Boy, the group renamed their band the Gravedigger Five, a take-off on the old "Monster MashMonster Mash
"Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. The song was released as a single on Gary S. Paxton's Garpax Records label in August 1962 along with a full-length LP called The Original Monster Mash, which contained several other monster-themed tunes...
" backing group The Cryptkicker V.
All Black and Hairy
After only a few performances the group caught the interest of Voxx RecordsBomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...
owner Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw was a Los Angeles-based fanzine publisher, music historian and record label owner. He grew up near San Francisco, California.It was as a young teenager that he started writing about rock and roll music...
, who signed the band to his imprint in January, 1984. The band recorded their first LP the same year, sleeping together in a car in an alley adjacent to the studio while not recording. Their first LP, All Black and Hairy
All Black and Hairy
All Black and Hairy is the first and only album by Gravedigger V released in 1984 before the band disbanded.- Track listing :Side A#All Black And Hairy #Tomorrow Is Yesterday #No Good Woman#Do Like Me#Hate...
, was released towards the end of 1984, but even before its release original bassist Chris Gast was ejected from the band as a result of his substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
problems. Shortly after Gast's dismissal the rest of the band fell apart and the group disbanded. The band released its entire catalogue posthumously. Following the breakup of the band, Voxx released the band's first LP, "All Black and Hairy," in 1984.
The Mirror Cracked
In 1987, three years after the breakup of the band, Voxx Records released a second Gravedigger Five LP. Under the title The Mirror Cracked, Voxx packaged a number of unreleased All Black and Hairy session tracks, backed with eight crudely-recorded live tracks recorded in 1984. The Gravedigger Five's second release contained a number of cover songs, including two Stoics songs, "Enough of What I Need" and "Be a Caveman." The LP also contained a version of "No Good Woman," with fellow Paisley Underground alum Paula Pierce of The PandorasThe Pandoras
The Pandoras were an all-female rock and roll band from Los Angeles, California from 1983–1991, who found a following in the Hollywood "Paisley Underground" scene and later adapted a more contemporary Sunset Boulevard, hard rock look and sound. The band ended when, on August 10, 1991 band leader...
on backing vocals. Lead singer Koizumi took offense to the mediocre way the album was assembled.
After the Gravedigger Five
After the Gravedigger Five disbanded, Koizumi and Friedman moved to the Bay Area where they founded The MorlocksThe Morlocks
The Morlocks is an American garage rock band from San Diego, California, which formed in 1984. In its first incarnation, the band consisted of guitarist Tommy Clarke, bassist Jeff Lucas , drummer Mark Mullen, as well as vocalist Leighton Koizumi and guitarist Ted Friedman, former members of the...
, another Paisley Underground garage rock revival band which continued the Gravedigger Five sound. Dave Anderson and Tom Ward continued on together in the band Manual Scan, and afterwards Anderson went on to perform with The Trebles, The Answers, The Crawdaddies and Skid Roper. The band reunited for one final show in 1999, playing Cave Stomp at New York’s annual garage rockathon. This would be the last time a full reunion would be possible, as bassist Chris Gast died in New York in 2000.
Discography
- All Black and HairyAll Black and HairyAll Black and Hairy is the first and only album by Gravedigger V released in 1984 before the band disbanded.- Track listing :Side A#All Black And Hairy #Tomorrow Is Yesterday #No Good Woman#Do Like Me#Hate...
; LP (Voxx, 1984, VXS200.025) - The Mirror Cracked; LP (Voxx, 1987, VXS200.038)
- All Black And Hairy / The Mirror Cracked; (double albumDouble albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, Voxx/Bomp, 1994, vcd2025)