Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

tf 14.The LowtU, Octobers. 19M '
FF-4TI IDF
No time like now
for 415 Records
DySaMyHu.
"I'm looking for bands that arc
p«rt of an uLnost mystical world.
Outside of II person, there r.
another creative force. * he* her
)ou cmfl it God or an/thing. For scmcone
to t« able to hook Into that
and for the Inspiration to come into
the penon and hit the person't
cmthc force and to come out in a
wiry that can reach and touch people,
that- to me. b the most Important
thing in music." explains
liowk Klein, president of San
Fnnchco'i 415 Record*, whove
highly selective tUble V artbts
consbts of Translator, Rcnxo
Void, the Red Rocknn and Wire
Train.
Conc-tved »'. a "do-it-yourself
record company" in the late 197th,
Klein and hit partner*.
Christopher Krul. and Butch
Bridges, who has since sold hb
share in the company to Quecnle
Taylor, put out a thrre-vHig,
ir.cn-IncI. EP by The Num as
their first fcray into the record
busineu.
Unlike other record companies,
415 usually works with a band for
about a year before making a commitment
to a long-term contract.
"Some people believe ihjt a nan
and a woman should live together
brf ore thty get married, otherwise
they may get married and find out
that they don't like each other very
much or ft doesn't work very well.
Debon Ijall of Romeo Void li
oot "A CM In Trouble."
That's Ihc Iccling we a< 115 hate
about us and a band." remarks
Klein, whose company is presently
forking closely with tm all-female
bands. Rude CM and The Stirups.
4IS's tdalionshlp with Romeo
Void crentually let! to a distribution
deal. Although the 70.000
ulc> ol the Nerrr Sty Nmr EP
aroused the lateral of **... ati o(
the major record companies."
Klein chose CBS. a corporation he
had thought was cold and loo
business-oriented.
"Much to my surprise. CDS
moit understood what It was that 1
wanted to do. MOM ol the other
record companies were only Interested
In RIHOCO Void, but I
wanted to Icep the teM together.
They laughed >t the Ked Kocken
and called their first album.
Coidrtfon Red. 'garbage/ I
i!dn°> wart to work with people
. V 'JLC C-UU" rr says.
The. fim band to reap the
-o.tdi uf tlus distribution deal
*i\ Trutislator. a tour.man New
W..e band with hca>> psychedelic
and fob tnllucncn. Although they
c-HKiicuted minor success with
the single. "E»erjwr»Tc That I'm
Not" Klein bdlerej lUat they will
ultimately break through because
"... an the good stuff does."
The problem may be that
Translator tends to be a cerebral
band wtih complex concepts and
dopmiticatcd musical ideas.** he
speculates.
. Kkta adds. "Of all the bands I
know, Translator has Uxuronio'
b-Jkl In tnemsdm. They fed that
they're a classic band with lungs
thai everyone can like."
CultarUl/soo(writer Robert
DaruogtDO ol Translator echoa
- Kkin'a andmestts la a recent
KUSF interview. -Bands Eko
:' uiu, win cons frocn a strong
•tociotogical bent are really prc'ty
important right now. Binds
should say »omething meaningful,
something besides 'let's part> till ft
all goes up.*"
Klein, who hoits The Cutting
Edge on KUSF on Sunday nights,
tees the ckne-minded attitude of
mutt radio stations *s the factor
that notl limits 4lS's artists' success.
"Radio programmers are
stupid. They're not concerned with
breaking new ground with real
issues. They play the loweit com*
mon denominator of music for the
luperficial record buyer* who are
only concerned with the bcM." _
Nevertheless. Romeo Void b
presently eipcriendng commercial
success with "A Girl In Trouble 'is
a Temporary Thing)" from
Itntincn. while Wire Train, a
guitar-oriental pep band, attracted
a largely lecnaged follow.
Ing with their debut album. In a
Cumber, whicti features the
songs "Chamber of Helios'* and
Til Do You." Thus far. 415's biggest
hit is "China" by New
Orleans' Red Rockcn. -n
Kldn comments frankly. "TOJ
nave a hit you have to reach those fil
people who follow along i. there U^|
wwDcthinp going on m a big way. ||
They change tbeir opinions easily /I
because their opiniom> are bj-tcd ^ ^ raw i awiM awaa i ••
on stupidlly. I suppose I should be Translator, (left) Stem Barton (with guitar). Robert Caittngton. (upper right) DarfdScheH. and (lower
happy that they don't like ri|hl> Larry Dekker. has a strong belief is what the group booing.
Tramlatur. because if they did of giant corporations only and that The messages of the other bands
that mcani that there is something
Just going to bring back the Cold
the American people didn't want are lest bombastic and politically
wrong with Translator."
W«r again. I remember that whole
m be commiting aggression in men than lY.il of the Red period when t was a little kid. and
Making money i\ not Ilic stan- Central America, but were being Rockers.
it was scary. Ou day we thoughl
dard by which Klein aivcwe* the decehed by the right wing govern- According to Klein. Translator
t hi
p
ment. Itui ihc* knew rait'o^nttcm • »nu to uy that there arc people
*o*j]dn*i mind making a * t of would never pity * *ong like thai, in rock and roll who think it's im-
money." he says, "but my judg- and they didn't. So the Red portant for men and women to
roent of success Is very personal. It Rockers gave them a hit song. have l caring relationship, not one
has to do with helping to prevent 'China.' That way. if (he Lids who bated on men bcalinj; and abusing
important messages, t care about buy singes turn mtr the record, *amcn. They refused to use a
that more than anything else." they'll hear a *on£ that stations model in the 'Unalone' %ideowho
**! waul people to listen to the like KFRC would never pUy." would show a lot of cleavage.
records and change tivir ciinJ Schizophrenic Ckut, the Red Translator thinks that it's not
about some prfconcci* -(', notion. Rockcn' new album, features worth it to get the idea behind the John Griffith of the KM
Ma)bc lhe>*tl realise that their •mother paulonatc outcry against song across to a larger audience if Rockers ipeaki with the "Voice
whole idea about the relationship fascism. "Freedom Row." Lead it must be done in a sexbt way."
between men and ur own h wrons; tocalbt/guitarist John Griffith Translator's anti*nuclear an- the Cuban missile crbh would be
maybe their whole idea o. viewing and drummer Jim Reilly. an them. "Sleeping Snakes." and its the end of the world. I don't want
people ol different races b wrong; Irhhmon. w.*oic it right after driving refrain of "Stop thb to go through that again, and 1
ma) be their whele idea about par- British sotd.cn killed Kcilly's miulle building" expresses the don't want anyone else to go
ticipation in sucicty atid govern- younger brother while he was band's anxieties. **You can't just through that again."
ment b wrong.** Kldn declares. walking two six-year-olds home sit there and party like it's 1959."
Dcbora lyall feeb that ho.»oty b
He continues, "If 1 could go from the post of flcr in Qclfatt. says Darlington, "because you're
the key to Romeo Void's message.
even further than that and actually
have people agree with what b
"Even though I'm in a
right and oppose what U wrong
cotnmcicial business. mus*£. I
then I feel that I've really been suc-
don't think culture should be based
cessful. 1 do believe that there b
on selling stuff." she comments.
right and wrong. I really do believe
Wirr Train's popularity in Teen
that Adolph Hitler was wrong, and
Beat and on MTV has given the
I really do believe Hut Phyllis
hand a glamorous imrge that lead
Sctufy b wrong. H one person
CUtUrist Kurt Herr believes
Ustrtn to a Romeo Void record
dbtom "... the truj reality of my
and says. This record ready
bond."
means tomething and it shows me
Herr explains, "Wire Train b
that Ptntlh SchaTly n a fascist dog
tntng lo relate to people on a per*
and a mean and %iclous person. I
sonal loci; »c don't get into
realize that I should never tbtcn to
politics. E^enlhinp stems from a
all that hatred that she b saying.*
person's heart. You start with
then I .'eel that 415 has been wic-
yourvaf. then yw see out. Many
restful. |f 100 people feel that way
people don't have tbe skills to
then 111 feel very, very successful,"
touch tnolher human being. y*t
"What would make me happiest
they arc trying to reach something
of all Is if enough of the people
that b fir be>ond that."
Mho bought the Kcd Kocken*
•China' turned over tbe Ungic to
hear *Vor*e of Ameilca' and with
their friends and family make sure
Wire Trrnin. (nockwbe from upper left) Kerin Hunter. Anders Rund-
that fa*cbti aren't elected into bUd. Kurt Herr, and Fedcrtco CD-Sol*, relates to people on a per-
gorernmen. in America and make sonallcvd.
sure that people like Ronald
Reagan and that crew that he has
rvnatB«t around with him don't get FREES!
into office again and eel into a
position to do tnc terrible things
at the
they've been doing," Klein say*.
"The Red Rockcn felt "strongly SUB CENTER Andorra, Cecrri*}\
that tbe American government was
putting sooKthlo? over on the Get a free small coke
Grace P.,Hint,
American people with its policies
with any order If you
Penny, Jeffery,
in Cestru America: tfab was two
Christina,Gary,]
yout ago, before tbe newspapen
bring In this ad!
Stanley, Alex, '
•ad orwjone knew about it. The 820 ULLOA STREET
band felt that American govern-
San Francisco
ment was representing the iaterat
Phone: (415) 564-1455
if i
choose H
Waller j
Wahl
dcleatcj
Ronald(
formal p
fromc
AltK.il
Presidenl
margi*.
14.8% i
ther
poll by.' I
W4I.7, ,
Mon!|
Ferraro/
ed lo I
many of I
Mcnda 1 .']
Mondak)
them.
The o:
hindinf-l
tkmal A
balance
nxetints
possible!
E>en
clearly R i
stwhmst]
on the I
Sludcnb I
dale'i K|
raised :
defidl50.
undecvlc:
Balanced
drifirnl I.
12.9%. sn
Senior I
ledsatei
bccauKvi
chance lor
lunlor
"Riafan
tertsudi.
There is i
arsenal ol |
when i
destroy
o»er.**
. Some |
diiinld
race. An
mcntnl.
dale are
miseanc
to bclir
them, bu
back on t
1.) Wh]
thrl
2.) IIJ
hil