''Tarantism'' is the debut album by

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

Tito & Tarantula Tito & Tarantula is an American chicano rock/blues rock band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1992 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Tito Larriva. The band is best known for its songs, "After Dark", "Back to the House That Love Built", "Stra ...

, released in 1997. The album was the first full-length CD that the band ever released, after developing a fan base from performing the songs "After Dark", "Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)", and "Opening Boxes" on the ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' soundtrack as well as the songs "Back to the House (That Love Built)", "Strange Face (of Love)", and "White Train" to the ''Desperado'' soundtrack, both of those films by

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...

, who co-produced the album. Several members of the band were also featured in ''

From Dusk Till Dawn ''From Dusk till Dawn'' is a 1996 American action horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino from a concept and story by Robert Kurtzman. Starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Ernest Liu, and ...

'', playing as the band in the "Titty Twister" bar, performing "After Dark" and "Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)", and are well-remembered for the scene. Music videos were made for "After Dark" and "Back to the House (That Love Built)", using clips from the films mixed with footage of the band performing them. "After Dark" and "Back to the House (That Love Built)" were co-written by

rhythm guitarist In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

Tito Larriva Humberto "Tito" Larriva (born 1953) is a Mexican/American songwriter, singer, musician, and actor. He came to prominence leading The Plugz, one of the earliest Los Angeles punk rock groups. Since the 1990s, his main musical outlet has been the T ...

's former bandmates in the

Cruzados The Cruzados were a 1980s rock band from Los Angeles, California. History The Cruzados were formed in 1983 by the members of The Plugz, featuring members Tito Larriva, Tony Marsico, Steven Hufsteter, Chalo Quintana, The band's self-titled a ...

. "Back to the House (That Love Built)" was written by Larriva with former

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

Tony Marsico Tony Marsico (born Nov.8th, 1957) is an American bassist/composer best known as co-founder of the rock and roll band the Cruzados formed in 1983. (two albums on Arista Records (1985,1987). Prior to Cruzados, Marsico was a member of the Los Angeles p ...

, along with

Charlie Midnight Charlie Midnight (born Charles Kaufman, 1954) is an American songwriter, record producer, and founder of Midnight Production House. He has been nominated for the 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (Writer, " Living in America" by James Brown), ...

and Marsico's wife, Valerie Marsico. "After Dark" was written by Larriva and former

lead guitarist Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featured ...

Steven Hufsteter while they were still in the Cruzados. Hufsteter later joined Tito & Tarantula as a second lead guitarist in 2002, and is currently still in the band. The album also features guest appearances by Marsico and former Cruzados

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

Chalo Quintana.

Track listing

#"After Dark" ( Steven Hufsteter,

) − 3:44 #"Smiling Karen" (Peter Atanasoff, Larriva) − 3:58 #"Slippin' and Slidin'" (Larriva,

Danny Kortchmar Daniel "Danny Kootch" Kortchmar (born April 6, 1946) is an American guitarist, session musician, producer and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, ...

Waddy Wachtel Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Kim Carnes, Randy N ...

) − 3:43 #"Strange Face (of Love)" (Larriva) − 5:38 #"Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)" (Atanasoff, Larriva) − 4:39 #"Back to the House (That Love Built)" (Larriva,

, Valerie Marsico,

) − 4:32 #"Jupiter" (Atanasoff, Larriva) − 6:08 #"Sweet Cycle (of Life)" (Atanasoff, Larriva) − 4:58 #"Flying in My Sleep" (Atanasoff, Larriva) − 3:58 #"Killing Just for Fun" (Atanasoff, Larriva) − 4:38

Personnel

*Peter Atanasoff –

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

–

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

Jennifer Condos Jennifer Condos is an American bass guitarist known primarily for her studio musician, session and concert, live performance work. She has contributed to the recordings and live performances of many well-known artists. Biography Condos was a fo ...

– bass, backing vocals * Lyn Bertles –

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, backing vocals * Nick Vincent –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

, backing vocals

Additional personnel

Mark Goldenberg Mark Goldenberg (born April 10, 1952) is an American guitarist and songwriter, noted for his session work and composition of successful songs for Linda Ronstadt, the Pointer Sisters, and others. Biography Early career Raised in Chicago, Illin ...

on "After Dark" and "Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)" *

Debra Dobkin Debra Dobkin is an American vocalist, percussionist, music producer, and painter. Biography Early history Music and the fine arts have always played important roles in Dobkin's life. She was selected at age 6 for children's scholarship classe ...

on "Jupiter" and "Killing Just for Fun" *

on "Slippin' and Slidin'" * Carlos Quiaco on "Slippin' and Slidin'" * Mike Thompson on "Strange Face (of Love)" * Chalo Quintana on "Strange Face (of Love)" and "Back to the House (That Love Built)" *

on "Strange Face (of Love)" and "Back to the House (That Love Built)" *

on "Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)" *

on "Slippin' and Slidin'" * Adrian Esparza on "Back to the House (That Love Built)"

Production

* Brad Gilderman – mixing on "Smiling Karen", "Jupiter", "Sweet Cycle (of Life)", "Flying in My Sleep" and "Killing Just for Fun", engineer on "Smiling Karen", "Slippin' and Slidin'", "Jupiter", "Flying in My Sleep" and "Killing Just for Fun" * Dave Shiffman – mixing on "Slippin' and Slidin'" *

Thom Panunzio Thom Panunzio is a music producer and engineer. His career began in 1974 at the Record Plant Studios NYC, working with John Lennon. Later, he became a staff engineer at the Record Plant, and later at The Hit Factory. Panunzio worked often with ...

– mixing on "Back to the House (That Love Built)" * Joel Soyfer – mixing on "After Dark", engineer on "Slippin' and Slidin'" and "Back to the House (That Love Built)" *

David Tickle David Tickle (born 6 September 1959) is a British record producer and engineer. As a producer, he is noted for his work with Split Enz, and in Canada, for his mid-1980s work with Red Rider, Platinum Blonde and Gowan. He later produced Joe Cocke ...

– mixing on "Strange Face (of Love)", engineer on "Strange Face (of Love)" *

Julian Mack Julian William Mack (July 19, 1866 – September 5, 1943) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Commerce Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit, ...

– mixing on "Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)", engineer on "Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)" *

– engineer on "After Dark" and "Angry Cockroaches (Cucarachas Enojadas)" *

Lisa Lewis Lisa Lewis is an American poet and professor, born 1956 in Roanoke, Virginia. Biography Lewis is the author of six books of poetry and is the director of the creative writing program at Oklahoma State University. In 2011, she received an Individ ...

– assistant engineer *

Jay Baumgardner Jay Baumgardner is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. He has worked on albums by The Regulators, Seether, Superheist, Ugly Kid Joe, Bush, Helmet, Sevendust, Papa Roach, Endwell, Coal Chamber, Drowning Pool, Godsmack, Three Days Gr ...

– assistant engineer * Paul B. – assistant engineer * Jamie Seyberth – assistant engineer *Ryan Arnold – assistant engineer *Laurent – assistant engineer

Sales

References

{{Authority control 1997 debut albums Tito & Tarantula albums Albums produced by David Tickle