The Sonics are an American

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 Tacoma,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspirations to

the White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums with ...

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals, various instruments), Nancy Whang (synthesizer, keyboards, vocals), Pat Mahoney (dr ...

, and other musical artists. The band performed several early rock standards such as "

Louie, Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and ...

", and "

Skinny Minnie "Skinny Minnie" is a 1958 song co-written and recorded by Bill Haley and his Comets. The song was released as a Decca single which became a Top 40 chart hit in the U.S. Background "Skinny Minnie" was composed by Bill Haley with Milt Gabler, Rusty ...

" as well as original compositions like "Strychnine", "Psycho", and "

The Witch A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft. Witch, WITCH, or variations thereof may also refer to: Animals * Witch (lefteye flounder) (''Arnoglossus scapha''), a Pacific flatfish * Witch (righteye flounder) (''Glyptocephalus cynoglossus''), a Euro ...

". Their catalogue is generally based around simple chord progressions, often performed with a speed and tonal aggression that was novel for the time, making the band a notable influence on later punk rock bands, such as

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

and

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 ...

Biography

1960s

The Sonics were formed in 1960 in Bremerton, Washington by teen-aged guitarist Larry Parypa, with the encouragement of his music-loving parents. The earliest lineup included Parypa, drummer Mitch Jaber, and guitarist Stuart Turner; Parypa's brother Jerry briefly played saxophone, and their mother occasionally filled in on bass at rehearsals. In 1961, Parypa's older brother Andy became the bass player, and Tony Mabin took over as their new saxophone player. When Turner left for the army, Rich Koch (who had previously played with the Wailers) joined as lead guitarist, and Marilyn Lodge became their first singer, the band having been an instrumental combo up to that point. A new drummer, Bill Dean, replaced Jaber. Koch and Lodge left the band in 1963. Local star Ray Michelsen became the band's singer after having sung with several other popular bands on the local scene. Larry began looking for a drummer to replace Dean, who he felt was uncommitted to the band, and found Bob Bennett playing in a band called the Searchers, with keyboardist Gerry Roslie and sax player Rob Lind. Ray Michelsen was looking to leave the band, so the Parypas hired Bennett, Roslie, and Lind, and let their previous saxophonist Mabin go. The well-known lineup was in place, but the Sonics' career did not begin in earnest until 1964, when Gerry Roslie started singing lead vocals. With Roslie as lead singer, the band started playing gigs at local venues such as the Red Carpet, Olympia's Skateland, the Evergreen Ballroom, Perl's (Bremerton), the Spanish Castle Ballroom, and St. Mary's Parish Hall. They soon were scouted by Buck Ormsby, bassist for popular Northwest band the Wailers, and signed to Etiquette Records, the Wailers' own record label. Their first single was "The Witch" (with

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

's "Keep a-Knockin'" as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

) in November 1964. The record was immensely popular with local kids, and went on to become the biggest selling local single in the history of the Northwest despite its radio airplay being restricted because of its bizarre subject matter. Early in 1965 Etiquette released the Sonics' debut LP, ''Here Are The Sonics'', which was produced at Audio Recording in Seattle, Washington with famed Pacific Northwest recording engineer Kearney Barton. It was recorded on a two-track tape recorder, with only one microphone to pick up the entire drum kit. It was here that they began to pioneer some of their infamously reckless recording techniques. A second album, ''Boom'', followed in February 1966. During the recording, the Sonics ripped the soundproofing off the walls at the

country and western A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

-oriented Wiley/Griffith studio in Tacoma to "get a live-er sound." The covers of both albums feature the moody photography of Jini Dellaccio. Their heyday began to come to a close when the band transferred to Jerden Records in late 1966, and headed to Hollywood to record the poorly selling album ''Introducing the Sonics'' with Larry Levine at Gold Star Studios. Although it has been rumoured that Jerden executives pushed the Sonics into a more polished sound, the band itself had decided to follow new influences in modern music, resulting in songs that were quite different from their raucously early recordings. The band, however, was not satisfied with the material on ''Introducing the Sonics'', calling the cleaner, slicker recordings "the worst garbage." The original band fell apart between 1966 and 1968, with members leaving to attend university or join other bands; saxophonist Rob Lind became a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War. Eventually, all of the original members left, with new members continuing on with the name Sonics (later 'Jim Brady and the Sonics') until 1980, although it was a completely different band, at times even incorporating string and horn sections.

Reformations

The original Sonics reunited briefly in 1972 for a live show at Seattle's Paramount Theater, with the recording of this show released as ''Live Fanz Only'' by Etiquette. In 1980, a new Sonics fronted by Gerry Roslie recorded the album ''Sinderella'', which featured versions of the original band's material. The emergence of punk rock in the late '70s and grunge in the '90s led to new interest in the Sonics, and much of their material was re-released by labels in the US and Europe. Larry and Andy Parypa continued performing with various bands in the Northwest, while Roslie, Lind, and Bennett pursued careers outside of music. A further surge of interest in the Sonics was sparked by the use of their hard-rocking version of Richard Berry's "

Have Love, Will Travel "Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry. While the song may have been recorded before the end of 1959, the correct release date appears to be January, 1960. The title is based on a popular television/radi ...

" in a 2004 Land Rover TV ad. Their music was further impressed upon younger generations through a movement known as The Beat Army, an online music forum based on Facebook which is operated by author and music producer Paul Collins. In 2007, the Sonics reunited again, this time for the Cavestomp garage rock festival in Brooklyn (November 2–4, 2007). The line up featured original members Gerry Roslie on vocals and keyboards, Larry Parypa on guitar, and Rob Lind on tenor sax, with Ricky Lynn Johnson (of the Wailers) on drums and Don Wilhelm (of the

Daily Flash The Daily Flash are an American folk rock and psychedelic bandMike Stax, liner notes, '' Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968'' (1998 CD), p. 63. founded in 1965, active until 1968 and reformed in 2002.Nick War ...

) on bass and vocals. In 2008, the Sonics recorded a live session for

Mark Lamarr Mark Lamarr (born Mark Jones, 7 January 1967) is an English comedian, writer, radio DJ, and television presenter. He was a team captain on '' Shooting Stars'' from 1995 to 1997, and hosted ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' from 1996 to 2005. Early li ...

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

show ''God's Jukebox'' on March 22. They played their first ever shows in London on Friday March 21 and Sunday March 23; later that year, "Have Love, Will Travel" was prominently featured on the soundtrack of

Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr. Ritchie left school at age 15 and wor ...

's hit film ''

RocknRolla ''RocknRolla'' is a 2008 action crime film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandiwe Newton, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Toby Kebbell, Jeremy Piven, and Chris ...

''. Since then, they have played the Primavera Festival in Barcelona, followed by Bilbao, then the Sjock Festival in Belgium, Norway, and the Azkena Rock Festival in Vitoria in the Basque Country. Their first show in their home region since their last Seattle reunion in 1972 was on

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

31 October 2008 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, where they were introduced and joined onstage for several songs by

Steven Van Zandt 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 ...

. Kent Morrill (front man of the Wailers) made a surprise appearance to help sing his signature song "Dirty Robber". Bob Bennett was also present to sit in on drums albeit only for a few songs and only while Ricky Lynn Johnson played in unison. In 2009 Freddie Dennis, formerly of Freddie and the Screamers, the Kingsmen, and the Liverpool 5, took Wilhelm's place as bassist and vocalist. The following year they released ''8'', an EP featuring both live cuts and four new songs produced by Larry Parypa and

Jack Endino Jack Endino (born Michael M. Giacondino; 1964) is an American producer and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands including Mudhon ...

at Sound House Recording in Seattle. For the recording Andy Parypa came back on bass. In 2012 Johnson was replaced by drummer

Dusty Watson Dustin "Dusty" Watson is an American drummer who has played in a number of notable bands, as well as backed up famous solo artists. Earning a scholarship to Stan Kenton Band Clinics and joining the Musicians Union at age 17 allowed Dusty to beco ...

, who has played with Slacktone, Agent Orange, Dick Dale, the Surfaris, Davie Allan and the Arrows, Lita Ford, the Supersuckers, The Boss Martians, Fur Dixon, Jon and the Nightriders, and others. The Sonics headlined the fifth annual

Muddy Roots Muddy Roots is an American music festival held in Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S. It began in 2010 as an annualfestival at the June Bug Boogie Ranch in Cookeville, Tennessee. The music festival included camping, vendors, a car show, and a pin-up pa ...

Music Festival over Labor Day weekend in 2014. That same year, Muddy Roots Recordings published the previously unreleased song, "Bad Betty," on a 7" record (split with Mudhoney) for Record Store Day. On January 21, 2015 the band announced they would be releasing a new album, their first in over 40 years, entitled '' This Is The Sonics''. The album was released via their own imprint, Revox on March 31. The band also announced a tour to support the new album. On May 2, 2016 an announcement was posted by Rob Lind on the band's Facebook site that Gerry Roslie and Larry Parypa would no longer be continuing as touring members of the band although they will still be involved in recording and Larry will occasionally be playing live with the band. Their positions are being filled on a touring basis by Jake Cavaliere of the Lords of Altamont on keyboards and Evan Foster of the Boss Martians on guitar.

Influence

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

said in an interview with

Nardwuar the Human Serviette John Ruskin (born July 5, 1968), better known as Nardwuar, or Nardwuar the Human Serviette, is a Canadian interviewer and musician from Vancouver, British Columbia.Doug Ward, "Trudeau rolled by Human Serviette", ''Vancouver Sun'', November 17, 1 ...

CITR-FM CiTR-FM, is a Canadian FM radio station based out of the University of British Columbia's Student Union Building in the University Endowment Lands, just west of the city limits of Vancouver, British Columbia. Its transmitter is also located o ...

, discussing drum sounds, "I, I have to admit...The Sonics recorded very, very cheaply on a two track you know, and they just used one microphone over the drums, and they got the most amazing drum sound I've ever heard. Still to this day, it's still my favorite drum sound. It sounds like he's hitting harder than anyone I've ever known."

The White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums with ...

named The Sonics as one of the bands that influenced them the most, calling them "the epitome of '60s punk" and claiming they were "harder than

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

, and punk long before punk".

name-checked The Sonics, among other bands, in their debut single

Losing My Edge "Losing My Edge" is the debut single by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as a 12-inch single in July 2002, through DFA Records. It was later featured on the CD version of their eponymous debut studio album. "Losing My Edge" pea ...

. Nicholaus Arson of

the Hives The Hives are a Swedish rock band that rose to prominence in the early 2000s during the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the album ''Veni Vidi Vicious'', containing the single "Hate to Say I Told You So". T ...

cites The Sonics' version of "Have Love, Will Travel" as a favorite. The German country band

the BossHoss The BossHoss is a German band from Berlin, founded in 2004. They originally started with country and western style cover versions of famous pop, rock and hip hop songs, for example "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, "Toxic" by Britney Spears and " Hey Ya! ...

named themselves after the Sonics song ''Boss Hoss''. A 1993

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

entitled ''Here Ain't The Sonics'' was released on

PopLlama Records PopLlama Records is an independent record label founded by record producer Conrad Uno in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. After making several of his own demos in his basement studio, Uno would produce The Young Fresh Fellows' debut album ''The Fab ...

, featuring contributions from

Mono Men The Mono Men were an American garage punk band, based in Bellingham, Washington. Their sound contained elements of grunge (distortion-heavy guitars, sneering vocals), but the Mono Men filtered these through a mimicry of 1960s Washington proto-p ...

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Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...

the Cynics The Cynics are an American garage rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band, at the time consisting of guitarist Gregg Kostelich, drummer Bill Von Hagen, vocalist Michael Kastelic who joined in 1985, bass player Steve Magee, and keyboa ...

Mojo Nixon Mojo Nixon (born Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr.; August 2, 1957) is an American musician and actor best known for his humorous, irreverent Novelty song "Elvis Is Everywhere" which was an alternative staple on MTV. His style can generally be defined ...

and

the Original Sins The Original Sins were a garage rock band that formed in 1987 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The group were known for combining the musical stylings of punk rock, psychedelic rock, and even pop music with their songs. The band released a total of ...

Band members

The classic Sonics lineup, as recorded on ''

Here Are The Sonics ''Here Are The Sonics'' (stylized as !!!Here Are The Sonics!!!) is the debut album by American garage rock band the Sonics, released in March 1965. The album features the original songs "The Witch" (a minor regional hit), "Psycho", "Boss Hoss" a ...

'' and ''

Boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfi ...

'': *Rob Lind —

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

, vocals,

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 ...

*Gerry Roslie — organ,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

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 ...

*Andy Parypa —

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

*Larry Parypa —

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 ...

, vocals *Bob Bennett —

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 ...

Current touring lineup: *Rob Lind —

, vocals,

—

*Freddie Dennis —

, vocals *

Jake Cavaliere Jake Cavaliere (born Jacob Cavaliere, April 5, 1972, in Downey, California) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, producer and tattoo artist. He is best known for being the frontman and lead vocalist for Southern California rock and roll ban ...

—

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, vocals *Evan Foster —

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

Bennett and Andy Parypa, unable to travel, were replaced by Watson and Dennis. In 2016 it was announced that Roslie and Larry Parypa would no longer tour with the band. They were replaced by Cavaliere and Foster. Saxophonist Lind is the sole original member in the touring band.

Discography

Studio albums

*''

'' (Etiquette Records, 1965) *''

'' (Etiquette, 1966) *''Introducing the Sonics'' (Jerden, 1967) *''Sinderella'' (Bomp, 1980) *''This is the Sonics'' (Revox, 2015) #21 Billboard Heatseekers; #25 Billboard Tastemakers

Compilations and live albums

*''Merry Christmas'' (Various Artists album, Etiquette, 1966) *''Explosives'' (Buckshot, 1973) *''The Sonics'' (SRT, 1978) *''Fire and Ice'' (First American, 1983; re-released as ''Fire & Ice: Lost Tapes Vols. 1 & 2'' in 1996) *''Full Force!'' (Line, 1984; re-released as ''Full Force! The Best of The Sonics'' in 1987) *''The Ultimate Sonics'' (Etiquette, 1991) *''Maintaining My Cool'' (Jerden, Munster Records, 1991) *''Psycho-Sonic'' (Big Beat, 1993) *''This Is... The Savage Young Sonics'' (Norton, 2001) *''The Jerden Years 1966-69'' (Munster, 2004) *''Busy Body!!! Live in Tacoma 1964'' (Live, Norton, 2007) *''The Sonics Live at Easy Street'' Record Store Day Release (Re:VOX & Easy Street Records 2016)

Singles

"/"Keep A-Knockin'" (Etiquette, 1964) *"The Witch"/"Psycho" (Etiquette, 1965) *"Psycho"/"Keep A-Knockin'" (Etiquette, 1965) *"Boss Hoss"/"The Hustler" (Etiquette, 1965) *"Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark"/"Shot Down" (Etiquette, 1965) *The Sonics' "Don't Believe In Christmas"/The Wailers' "Christmas Spirit" (Etiquette, 1965) *"Cinderella"/"Louie Louie" (Etiquette, 1965) *"You Got Your Head On Backwards"/"Love Light" (Jerden, 1966) *"Like No Other Man"/"Love Light" (Jerden, 1966) *"The Witch"/"Like No Other Man" (Jerden, 1966) *"Psycho"/"Maintaining My Cool" (Jerden, 1966) *"Love-itis"/"You're In Love" (Jerden, 1967) *"Lost Love"/"Any Way The Wind Blows" (Piccadilly, 1967) *"Any Way The Wind Blows"/"Lost Love" (UNI, 1967) *"Dirty Old Man"/"Bama Lama Bama Loo" (Burdette, 1975) *"The Witch"/"Bama Lama Bama Loo" (Great Northwest, 1979) *"The Witch"/"Keep A-Knockin'" (Norton, 1998) *"Psycho"/"Have Love Will Travel" (Norton, 1998) *"Cinderella"/"He's Waitin'" (Norton, 1998) *"Boss Hoss"/"The Hustler" (Norton, 1998) *"Strychnine"/"Shot Down" (Norton, 1998) *The Sonics' "Louie Louie"/The Wailers' "Louie Louie" (Norton, 1998) *"Don't Believe In Christmas"/"Santa Claus" (Norton, 1998) *"Bad Betty"/"I Like It Small" udhoney(Muddy Roots, 2014)

EPs

*''Live Fanz Only '' (Live at Seattle's Paramount Theater, 1972) (Etiquette, 1986) *''8'' (The Sonics Record Co./Re:Vox, 2010, 2011 on Re:Vox)

References

External links

The Sonics The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, Tacoma, Washington (state), Washington that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on Punk rock, punk and Garage rock, garage music worl ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Sonics licensing
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sonics, The Garage rock groups from Washington (state) Musical groups from Tacoma, Washington Musical groups established in 1960 Norton Records artists Protopunk groups Musical groups disestablished in 1968 Musical groups reestablished in 2008 Garage punk groups 1960 establishments in Washington (state)