The Fleshtones are an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

band from

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States, formed in 1976.

History

1976–1979

The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in

Whitestone, New York Whitestone is a residential neighborhood in the northernmost part of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood proper is located between the East River to the north; College Point and Whitestone Expressway to the west; Flushing and ...

, by Keith Streng (born September 18, 1955, New York City) and Jan Marek Pakulski (born August 23, 1956, Lewiston, Maine), two roommates who discovered that a previous tenant had left behind some instruments in the basement of the house they were renting. Streng, on guitar, and Pakulski, on bass, were soon joined by neighborhood friends Peter Zaremba (born September 16, 1954, Queens, New York), on harmonica, keyboards, and vocals, and Lenny Calderon (born 1956, New York City), on drums. The Fleshtones debuted at

CBGB CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kri ...

on May 19, 1976. Starting in 1978, the group was often joined onstage, as well as on record, by Action Combo, brothers Gordon (alto sax and harmonica) and Brian (tenor sax) Spaeth. Gordon Spaeth (September 21, 1951 – March 8, 2005) became an official band member in 1983. In the late 1970s, The Fleshtones earned a local following and played often in Manhattan at CBGB and

Max's Kansas City Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City, which became a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. It was opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933–1983) in Decembe ...

. Later, they found a favorite venue at Club 57 on St. Mark's Place. The Fleshtones were the first band to be booked or to play at several famous venues, including

Irving Plaza Irving Plaza (known through sponsorship as Irving Plaza, powered by Klipsch and formerly known as the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza) is a ballroom-style music venue located within the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. ...

and

Danceteria Danceteria was a nightclub that operated in New York City from 1979 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. The club operated in various locations over the years, a total of three in New York City and four in the Hamptons. The most famous locati ...

in Manhattan,

Maxwell's Maxwell's, last known as Maxwell's Tavern, was a bar/restaurant and music club in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over several decades the venue attracted a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river. Max ...

in Hoboken, New Jersey, and the original 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. The Fleshtones shared a rehearsal space with

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...

on the Bowery in Manhattan in 1977. The following year, The Fleshtones signed with

Marty Thau Marty Thau (December 7, 1938 – February 13, 2014) was an American rock 'n' roll entrepreneur and music producer. He was best known as the founder of indie punk— new wave label Red Star Records in 1977, and for being the manager of the New York ...

Red Star Records Red Star Records was an independent, U.S. record label founded by former New York Dolls manager, A&R/record producer Marty Thau in 1977, who signed some of the most influential, American punk rock and new wave bands during the 1970s such as Sui ...

, and recorded their first album. In addition, filmmaker/artist M. Henry Jones and the band produced ''Soul City,'' a performance-animation video composed of hand-painted cutouts that is a historic representation of the band and Jones' art form. The Fleshtones' first single, titled "American Beat", was issued on Red Star in 1979.

1980–1989

In 1980, with the Red Star Records album not released (but later issued on cassette on

ROIR ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. Background ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...

, and subsequently on CD and vinyl), the Fleshtones were signed by

Miles Copeland III Miles Axe Copeland III (born May 2, 1944) is an American music and entertainment executive and former manager of The Police. Copeland later managed Sting's musical and acting career. In 1979, Copeland founded the I.R.S. Records label, producin ...

at I.R.S. Records, where they worked with producers

Richard Mazda Richard Mazda (born 5 May 1955) is a record producer, writer, musician, actor and director. Music career Mazda was one of the co-founders of Poole punk/mod band Tours, singing and playing lead guitar. They signed to Virgin Records in 1979 afte ...

and

Richard Gottehrer Richard Gottehrer (born 1940) is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive. In 1997, he co-founded the Orchard with longtime business partner Scott Cohen, an independent music distribution company. His career began as ...

. It was at this time that the band replaced Calderon with drummer Bill Milhizer (born September 21, 1948,

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...

), and appeared in the British punk/new wave film ''

Urgh! A Music War ''Urgh! A Music War'' is a 1982 British concert film featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk bands and artists. Filmed in August to September 1980 it was directed by Derek Burbidge and produced by Michael White and Lynd ...

'', and released its first EP '' Up-Front.'' Four albums on I.R.S. followed: ''

Roman Gods The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts (see ''interpretatio graeca''), integrating Greek myths, iconography, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including Latin litera ...

'' (1982), ''

Hexbreaker! ''Hexbreaker!'' is an album by The Fleshtones, released in 1983. Production The album was recorded at NYC's Skyline Studios, in March 1983, and was produced by Richard Mazda. All the songs were composed by the band, with the exception of "Burni ...

!'' (1983), and the live ''Speed Connection'' and ''Speed Connection II'' (1985). In 1982, they appeared on

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...

's ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...

'' TV show. In 1984 they re-recorded "American Beat" as part of the soundtrack of the

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

's movie ''

Bachelor Party A bachelor party (in the United States and sometimes in Canada), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia), is a party held/arranged by th ...

''. Despite having a large cult following, the band never achieved commercial success: ''Roman Gods'' debuted at No. 174 on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

’s album chart, the highest position that a Fleshtones release would attain until 2020, when ''Face of the Screaming Werewolf'' debuted at No. 9 on ''Billboard''’s Alternative New Artist Albums Chart, and 2021, when the "Mi Engañaste Bien" single entered the ''Billboard'' Hot Singles Chart at No. 38. Zaremba was the host of '' I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge'' on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

from 1984 to 1987. The I.R.S. Records-produced show featured up and coming underground artists. The program was short-lived but the format prefigured ''120 Minutes''. Zaremba's MC talents surfaced again in the late 1990s at New York City's "Cavestomp" Garage Rock festivals. In the mid-1980s, The Fleshtones regularly played at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A in the East Village, and were instrumental in helping to start

Wigstock Wigstock was an annual outdoor drag festival that began in 1984 in Manhattan's East Village that took place on Labor Day. Continuing, with a few gaps, until 2005, the festival would traditionally act as the unofficial end to the summer for the ...

, the drag queen festival that became a New York City staple. In the late 1980s, The Fleshtones were without major-label support, though they continued to tour America and Europe steadily, including shows opening for

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

and

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

. In 1987, The Fleshtones made an appearance on the final episode of

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

's ''

Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes ''Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes'' is an American talk show hosted by artist Andy Warhol, that aired on MTV from 1985 to 1987. One of the network's earliest series, it featured interviews with up-and-coming musicians such as Courtney Love. Other suc ...

,'' an MTV program, during which they backed up famed English stage actor

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

as he recited

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's Twentieth Sonnet. The Fleshtones recorded the title track to the 1987 camp-horror film ''

I Was a Teenage Zombie ''I Was a Teenage Zombie'' is a 1987 American comedy-horror film.''Variety'' film review; 8 July 1987 Plot The film begins like a 1980s comedy with teens looking to purchase some marijuana but turns into comedy/horror genre when a drug dealer ...

''. They released the albums '' Fleshtones vs. Reality'' (studio) in 1987 and ''Soul Madrid'' (live) in 1989. I.R.S. Records released a best-of compilation, ''Living Legends'', in 1989. In late 1986, Pakulski left the Fleshtones. He was replaced by Robert Burke Warren, who left the band in 1988. Fred Smith of

Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

Andy Shernoff Andy Shernoff (born April 19, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member of The Dictators, one of the original New York punk bands, in which he wrote nearly all of the songs, played bass guitar and k ...

The Dictators The Dictators are an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Critic John Dougan said that they were "one of the finest and most influential proto-punk bands to walk the earth." Origins The band was formed in 1972 by Andy "Ad ...

were interim bass players in the studio and on tour until 1990.

1990–2000

Ken Fox (born February 16, 1961, Toronto, Ontario) joined the Fleshtones on bass in July 1990. Fox had formed Raving Mojos in Toronto and played with

Joan Osborne Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best kn ...

and in

Jason & the Scorchers Jason & the Scorchers, originally Jason & the Nashville Scorchers, are a cowpunk band that formed in 1981 and are led by singer-songwriter Jason Ringenberg. With a sound that combines punk rock and country music, Jason and the Scorchers are not ...

. Since Fox joined, the Fleshtones lineup has remained stable. In 1992, the Fleshtones signed with

Ichiban Records Ichiban Records is an American independent record label, founded in 1985 by John Abbey and Nina Easton in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History Wrap Records and Nastymix Records were some of its subsidiary labels. Urgent! Records and Mr. Henr ...

, where they stayed until the label's demise. In the 1990s, the Fleshtones worked with musician-producers Dave Faulkner,

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...

, and

Steve Albini Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...

2001–present

In the 21st century, the Fleshtones collaborated with musician-producers Rick Miller, Jim Diamond,

Lenny Kaye Lenny Kaye (''né'' Kusikoff; born December 27, 1946) is an American guitarist, composer, and writer who is best known as a member of the Patti Smith Group. Early life Kaye was born to Jewish parents in the Washington Heights area of upper Ma ...

, and

Ivan Julian Ivan Julian (born June 26, 1955) is a guitarist, bassist and founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids and Lovelies. He has also performed with the Isley Brothers, The Clash, Matthew Sweet, The Bongos, Richard Barone, and Shriekback. ...

, as well as self-producing work in Paul Johnson's Compactor basement studio in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. The Fleshtones signed with

Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul We ...

in 2003. The Fleshtones were one of the last bands to play at

Windows on the World Windows on the World was a complex of dining, meeting, and entertainment venues on the top floors (106th and 107th) of the North Tower (Building One) of the original World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. It included a restaurant called ...

atop the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

. In 2002, they played at a Night of Remembrance and Hope festival at CBGB. In December of 2003, the Fleshtones played at a CBGB 30th Anniversary show along with

, and in August of the next year, played

Little Steven Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...

's Underground Garage Festival at Randalls Island in New York City with 39 other bands, including

The New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...

, and

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

. In September 2016, the Fleshtones toured China for the first time in the band's career. The tour was organized by Shanghai-based punk band Round Eye.

Book, tribute, feature documentary and reissues

*In 2007, Continuum Books (now Bloomsbury) published ''Sweat: The Story of The Fleshtones, America's Garage Band'', an authorized biography by

Joe Bonomo Joe Bonomo is an American essayist and music writer. Life Bonomo was born and raised in Wheaton, Maryland. He graduated from University of Maryland (BA) and Ohio University (MA and PhD). His books include ''No Place I Would Rather Be: Roger Ang ...

. Camion Blanc released a French-language edition, ''The Fleshtones: Histoire d’un Groupe Garage Américain,'' in 2012. *''Vindicated! A Tribute to The Fleshtones'' was released in 2007 on vinyl by Larsen Records (France) and on CD by Dirty Water Records (UK). The album features 23 international bands (including

Hoodoo Gurus Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner (songwriter, lead singer and guitarist) and later joined by Richard Grossman (bass), Mark Kingsmill (drums), and Brad Shepherd (guitar, vocals, ha ...

, the Nomads with

Handsome Dick Manitoba Richard "Handsome Dick" Manitoba (born Richard Blum; January 29, 1954) is an American punk rock singer and radio personality, best known as the original lead singer of New York City-based band The Dictators and the reunion singer of MC5. Backg ...

the Slickee Boys The Slickee Boys were a Washington, D.C. area punk-psychedelic-garage rock band whose most-remembered lineup consisted of guitarist Marshall Keith, guitarist Kim Kane, singer Mark Noone and drummer Dan Palenski. The group was named after a GI sl ...

, the Woggles, Snax, the Swingin' Neckbreakers,

, the Subway Surfers, the Insomniacs, and others) covering songs spanning the Fleshtones' career. *''Pardon Us For Living, But The Graveyard's Full,'', a feature documentary directed by Geoffray Barbier based on

's biography ''Sweat: The Story of The Fleshtones, America's Garage Band'', was released from Cold Cuts Productions in 2009. *In 2010, the Australian label Raven released a CD compilation of the Fleshtones' I.R.S. Records material entitled ''It's "Super-Rock" Time!: The IRS Years 1980-1985'' and a ''Hexbreaker!'' / ''Speed Connection'' CD.

Members

*Keith Streng — guitar & vocals (1976–present) *Peter Zaremba — lead vocals, harmonica & organ (1976–present) *Bill Milhizer — drums & vocals (1980–present) *Ken Fox — bass & vocals (1990–present) Former members *Jan Marek Pakulski — bass, vocals (1976–79, 1979–86) *Lenny Calderon — drums, vocals (1976–79) *Danny Gilbert — guitar (1976) *Gordon Spaeth — sax, harmonica, organ, vocals (1978–88) (d. 2005) *Mitchell Ames — guitar (1979) *Walter Scezney — bass (1979) *Robert Burke Warren — bass, vocals (1986–88) Session/Touring *

Clem Burke Clement Burke (born Clement Anthony Bozewski; November 24, 1954) is an American musician who is best known as the drummer for the band Blondie from 1975, shortly after the band formed, throughout the band's entire career. He also played drums f ...

– drums (1979) * Fred Smith — bass, vocals (1988–89) *

— bass, vocals (1989–90) Horn players *Brian Spaeth — sax (1978–81) *Gregory D Grinnell — trumpet (1986) *Ken Fradley — trumpet (1988) *Mark McGowan — trumpet (1988–90) *Steve Greenfield — sax (1988–92) *Joe Loposky — trumpet (1990–94) *Markus Arike — sax (1992–94) Timeline ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:120 top:0 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/2016 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1976 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1976 Colors = id:v value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:bv value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:g value:green legend:Guitar id:b value:blue legend:Bass id:k value:purple legend:Organ id:w value:gray(0.5) legend:Wind_instruments id:d value:orange legend:Drums id:alb value:black legend:Studio_Albums id:bar value:gray(0.9) LineData = layer:back at:01/07/1982 color:alb at:06/30/1982 color:alb at:06/07/1983 color:alb at:03/13/1987 color:alb at:06/30/1989 color:alb at:06/30/1992 color:alb at:06/30/1994 color:alb at:10/01/1995 color:alb at:10/22/1996 color:alb at:06/17/1997 color:alb at:01/13/1998 color:alb at:06/14/1999 color:alb at:07/22/2000 color:alb at:06/30/2003 color:alb at:08/09/2005 color:alb at:01/22/2008 color:alb at:10/14/2008 color:alb at:03/15/2011 color:alb at:02/10/2014 color:alb at:06/30/2016 color:alb BackgroundColors = bars:bar PlotData = width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(12,–4) bar:Peter Zaremba from:start till:end color:w width:7 bar:Peter Zaremba from:start till:end color:k width:3 bar:Peter Zaremba from:start till:end color:v bar:Keith Streng from:start till:end color:bv width:3 bar:Keith Streng from:start till:end color:g bar:Danny Gilbert from:04/01/1976 till:06/30/1976 color:g bar:Mitchell Ames from:07/01/1979 till:08/31/1979 color:g bar:Jan Marek Pakulski from:start till:06/30/1979 color:bv width:3 bar:Jan Marek Pakulski from:start till:06/30/1979 color:b bar:Jan Marek Pakulski from:09/01/1979 till:08/31/1986 color:bv width:3 bar:Jan Marek Pakulski from:09/01/1979 till:08/31/1986 color:b bar:Walter Scezney from:07/01/1979 till:08/31/1979 color:b bar:Robert Burke Warren from:09/01/1986 till:06/30/1988 color:bv width:3 bar:Robert Burke Warren from:09/01/1986 till:06/30/1988 color:b bar:Ken Fox from:07/01/1990 till:end color:bv width:3 bar:Ken Fox from:07/01/1990 till:end color:b bar:Lenny Calderon from:start till:12/31/1979 color:bv width:3 bar:Lenny Calderon from:start till:12/31/1979 color:d bar:Bill Milhizer from:01/01/1980 till:end color:bv width:3 bar:Bill Milhizer from:01/01/1980 till:end color:d bar:Gordon Spaeth from:01/01/1978 till:12/31/1988 color:bv width:3 bar:Gordon Spaeth from:01/01/1978 till:12/31/1988 color:k width:7 bar:Gordon Spaeth from:01/01/1978 till:12/31/1988 color:w

Discography

Albums

*''

'' (1982) P/cassette_(I.R.S.)_1982_+_CD_[limited(Eur._I.R.S.)_1990.html" ;"title="imited.html" ;"title="P/cassette (I.R.S.) 1982 + CD [limited">P/cassette (I.R.S.) 1982 + CD [limited(Eur. I.R.S.) 1990">imited.html" ;"title="P/cassette (I.R.S.) 1982 + CD [limited">P/cassette (I.R.S.) 1982 + CD [limited(Eur. I.R.S.) 1990/small> *''Blast Off!'' [recorded in 1978] (1982) (ROIR) cassette + CD (ROIR) 1990 + CD (ROIR/Fr. Danceteria) 1993 + CD (Red Star) 1997 + LP (Sp. Munster) 2001 + LP (Get Hip Records) 2002 *''

'' (1983) P/cassette (I.R.S.)/small> *''Speed Connection: Live In Paris 85'' (1985) LP (Fr. I.R.S.) *'' Speed Connection II - The Final Chapter (Live In Paris 85)'' (1985) LP/cassette (I.R.S.) 1985 + download (I.R.S.) 2010 *'' Fleshtones vs. Reality'' (1987) P/cassette/CD (Emergo)/small> *''Soul Madrid'' (1989) LP (Sp. ) *''Powerstance!'' (1991) D/LP/cassette (Aus. Trafalgar) 1991 + CD/LP/cassette (UK Big Beat ) 1991 + CD (Naked Language/Ichiban) 1992 + download (Ichiban) 2006/small> *'' Beautiful Light'' (1994) Naked Language/Ichiban also ''Forever Fleshtones'' - Gr. Hitch Hyke)/small> *''Laboratory of Sound'' (1995) D (Ichiban International) 1995 + LP (Gr. Hitch Hyke) 1996 + download (Ichiban) 2006/small> *''Hitsburg USA!'' (1996)

Telstar Records Telstar Records was a British record label that operated from 1982 to 2004. Background Telstar was founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,00Telstar RecordsIt was launched as a specialist compilation mar ...

) + CD (Sp. ) also ''Fleshtones Favorites'' CD (Flesh)] *''More Than Skin Deep'' (1997) [CD (Ichiban International) 1997 + LP (Telstar) 1997 + CD/LP (Eur. Epitaph) 1999 + download (Ichiban) 2006] *''Hitsburg Revisited'' (1999) D (Telstar) + CD/LP (Eur. Epitaph)/small> *''Solid Gold Sound'' (2001) D/LP (Blood Red) + CD (Fr. Fantastika) + download (Blood Red) 2009/small> *''Do You Swing?'' (2003) D/LP (YepRoc)/small> *''Beachhead'' (2005) D/LP (YepRoc) 2005 + LP (It. Nicotine)/small> *''Take A Good Look'' (2008) D/LP (YepRoc)/small> *''Stocking Stuffer'' (2008) D/LP (YepRoc)/small> *''Brooklyn Sound Solution'' with

(2011) D/LP (YepRoc)/small> *''Wheel Of Talent'' (2014) D/LP (YepRoc)/small> *''The Band Drinks For Free'' (2016) D/LP (YepRoc)/small> *''Live at Yep Roc 15: The Fleshtones'' (2020) igital (YepRoc)/small> *''Face Of The Screaming Werewolf'' (2020) D/LP (YepRoc)/small>

Singles

*American Beat b/w Critical List (1979) - 7" (Red Star) *The Girl from Baltimore b/w Feel the Heat (1980) - 7" (I.R.S.) *The World Has Changed b/w All Around the World (1981) - 7" (I.R.S.) *Roman Gods ance Remixb/w Ride Your Pony + Chinese Kitchen (1982) - 12" (I.R.S.) *Shadow-Line b/w All Around the World (1982) - 7" (I.R.S.) *American Beat '84 b/w Hall of Fame (1984) - 7" (I.R.S.) *Armed and Dangerous b/w Let It Rip + Electric Mouse (1991) - 7" (UK Big Beat) *Beautiful Light Big Mix"+ Treat Me Like a Man + Mushroom Cloud (1994) - CD (Naked Language) *Take a Walk with The Fleshtones b/w One of Us (1994) - 7" (Naked Language) *Gentleman's Twist b/w Red Sunset + Gentleman's Twist (featuring

Alan Vega Boruch Alan Bermowitz (June 23, 1938 – July 16, 2016), known professionally as Alan Vega, was an American vocalist and visual artist, primarily known for his work with the electronic protopunk duo Suicide. Life and career Boruch Alan Berm ...

) (1998) - 7" (Eur. Epitaph) *Jetset Fleshtones b/w Les Temps Dira (2007) - 7" (YepRoc) *Bite of My Soul b/w Remember The Ramones (2011) - 7" (YepRoc) *I Can't Hide b/w B-Side (2011) - 7" (YepRoc) *For a Smile (featuring Mary Huff) b/w Everywhere Is Nowhere (featuring Mary Huff) (2013) - 7" (YepRoc) *Available b/w Let's Live (2013) 7" - (YepRoc) *Gotta Get Away b/w 2000 Light Years from Home (Los Straitjackets) (2015) - 7" (Norton) *I Surrender! b/w Dominique Laboubee (2015) - 7" (YepRoc) *The End of My Neighborhood b/w Cardboard Casanova (2016) - 7" (YepRoc) *The Band Drinks for Free b/w Love My Lover (2016) - 7" (YepRoc) *Ama Como Un Hombre b/w Ama Mas (2016) - 7" (YepRoc) *Layin' Pipe b/w Lady Nightshade (2019) - 7" (YepRoc) *Lost on Xandu b/w ‘Lost on Xandu (Version) with

(2019) - 7" (YepRoc) *Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (Milton DeLugg & The Little Eskimos) b/w Hooray for Santa Claus (2020) - 7" (Modern Harmonic) *Mi Engañaste Bien b/w Decimos Yeah! (2021) - 7" (YepRoc)

EPs

*'' Up-Front'' (I.R.S.) 1980 *American Beat ‘84 (Fr. I.R.S.) 1984 *''Los Fleshtones: Quatro x Quatro'' (Yep Roc) 2012

Compilations

*''The Fleshtones: Living Legends Series'' CD (I.R.S.) 1989 *''Angry Years 1984–1986'' CD (Sp. Imposible) 1994 + CD (Amsterdamned) 1997 *''It's "Super-Rock" Time!: The IRS Years 1980–85'' CD (Aus. Raven) 2010 *''Hexbreaker!'' / ''Speed Connection'' CD (Aus. Raven) 2010 *''Roman Gods'' / ''Up-Front'' / ''Speed Connection II'' CD (Aus. Raven) 2011 *''Budget Buster: Just the Hits!'' CD/LP (YepRoc) 2017

Compilation appearances

*''Marty Thau Presents 2 X 5'' (

) 1980 + 2005 * ''Start Swimming'' (

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...

) 1981 *''Bachelor Party'' (OST I.R.S.) 1984 + ( Superfecta Records) 2003 *''

688 __NOTOC__ Year 688 ( DCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 688 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...

Presents (688 Records) 1986 *''

'' (OST

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

) 1987 *''Time Bomb: Fleshtones Present the Big Bang Theory'' ( Skyclad Records) 1988 *''New York Rockers: Manhattan’s Original Rock Underground'' (

) 1989 *''Shangri-La: A Tribute to The Kinks'' (

Imaginary Records Imaginary Records was an independent record label based in Heywood, Greater Manchester, England, which specialised mainly in indie rock and post-punk. It was started in 1985 by Alan Duffy, known for his lyrical contributions to Porcupine Tree's f ...

) 1989 *''Turban Renewal: A Tribute to Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs'' (

Norton Records Norton Records, is an independent record label founded by musicians Miriam Linna and Billy Miller in 1986. The label concentrates on rock, rockabilly, primitive music, punk, garage rock and early rhythm and blues.Roto Records) 1996 *''Super Bad @ 65: A Tribute to James Brown'' ( Zero Hour) 1998 *''Guitar Ace: Tribute to Link Wray'' ( Musick Recordings) 2003 *'' Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976-1995'' (

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

) 2005 *''Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents: The Coolest Songs In The World Vol. 3'' (

Wicked Cool Records Renegade Nation is a music and entertainment company founded by Steven Van Zandt in 1999. The company focuses on artist management, production, live events, and distribution. It is also the parent company of Van Zandt's independent record label ...

) 2007 *''So Indie It Hurts: Roir Rocks Volume Two'' (

) 2010 *''Mondo Zombie Boogaloo'' (

YepRoc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...

) 2013

Videos / DVDs

*"Right Side of a Good Thing," ''The Beast of I.R.S. Video Vol. 1'' VHS (I.R.S. Home Video) 1984 *"F-f-fascination," ''Back in the Day: Live at Hurrah's New York City'' DVD (WEA) 2006 *''The Fleshtones: Brooklyn à Paris! Live at La Maroquinerie'' DVD (Big Enough) 2006 *''The Fleshtones—Live at the Hurrah Club'' DVD (Cherry Red) 2008 * ''Pardon Us for Living, but The Graveyard Is Full ''(Cold Cut Productions) 2009

Side projects

* Peter Zaremba's Love Delegation * Full Time Men (Streng's side band which featured

) * The Tall Lonesome Pines (Pakulski's side band with George Gilmore) * The Master Plan (Streng's side band with Milhizer, Paul Johnson, and

) * The Split Squad (Streng's side band with

, Eddie Munoz, Michael Giblin, and

Josh Kantor Joshua Kantor (born November 3, 1972) is the organist for Boston Red Sox home games at Fenway Park and plays keyboards and organ for the bands Jim's Big Ego, the Split Squad, and the Baseball Project. Early life Kantor grew up in Athens, Georgi ...

). * Strengsbrew (Streng's Sweden-based side band with Robert Erikson of

The Hellacopters The Hellacopters are a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson (vocals and guitar), Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar), Kenny Håkansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). Andersson (sometimes known as Nick R ...

, Jim Heneghan of The Solution, and Måns P. Månsson of The Maggots)

References

External links

''"Marty Thau Presents: The Fleshtones"'' from Rocker Magazine - Essay about discovering the band and their lasting impact by the man who put out their first single and album in the late 70's
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060320185937/http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=232 Yep Roc Records(The Fleshtones' label)
Nicotine RecordsAudio interview with Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones on the release of 2008's Take a Good Look! on Well-Rounded RadioRichard Mazda siteInterview in spanish magazine ''Efe Eme'' by Eduardo Tébar
*

The Fleshtones The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York, United States, formed in 1976. History 1976–1979 The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York, by Keith Streng (born September 18, 1955, New York City) an ...

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AllMusicThe Fleshtones
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Trouser PressThe Fleshtones
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Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleshtones, The Garage punk groups Garage rock groups from New York (state) Ichiban Records artists I.R.S. Records artists ROIR artists Musical groups established in 1976 Musical groups from Queens, New York Musical quartets 1976 establishments in New York City Telstar Records (U.S. label) artists Yep Roc Records artists

History

1976–1979

1980–1989

1990–2000

2001–present

Book, tribute, feature documentary and reissues

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles

EPs

Compilations

Compilation appearances

Videos / DVDs

Side projects

References

Further reading

External links