Teds - The Eighties Are Over...

A1. It's My Crisis


A2. Telly Surviellance


B1. Modern Guy


B2. Digital Doris


TEDS (Phoenix, AZ)
The Eighties Are Over EP
Placebo (PLA 201), 1981

Greg Hynes and Bob Peterson began playing together in 1978 in a project called Détente. The band later became the Teds, which started out as a four piece. They practiced at their second guitarist, Slim Corless’ house. But Slim had a meltdown one day and kicked the guys out. So Mark Bycroft, who had hung out and listened to them practice, approached Bob and told him that he could play guitar. Mark, who they coined Bekins because he worked for Bekins movers, solidified their new three piece line-up in 1980.

Drawing influenced from the Stones, Beatles, Talking Heads, Devo, Clash and Sex Pistols, they were looking for a modern take on the early British invasion of the 60’s, as well as the rockabilly sound of the 50’s. They started gigging regularly, playing halls, vacant churches, VFW’s, condemned buildings and bars such as Friar Tucks, Mason Jar, Star System and Mad Garden. They built a small but loyal following while sharing the stage with fellow Phoenix-area bands like Blue Shoes, The Feederz, Meat Puppets, JFA, and Sun City Girls. They also opened up shows for touring acts like the Blasters, The Waitresses, and The Alley Cats.

By the summer of 1980, they were ready to go in the studio to record. So they flew out to LA to lay down tracks with their manager Tony’s brother, Eddy Beram, who was a drummer that toured with the Everly Brothers. Eddy recorded and mixed eight songs in one day, then the guys picked out four of them to be released on their EP.

At the time, there were no labels in Phoenix putting out records. So Greg, Mark and Tony formed Placebo Records in order to put out the Teds EP. 500 copies of The Eighties Are Over were pressed with the first 50 being hand numbered and signed by all members. Having no connection to national distributors and receiving little press besides local reviews, most of the copies were sold locally.

By 1983, Greg had started Mighty Sphincter. He intended on keeping both bands going but Bob wasn’t agreeable to it, so the Teds broke up. Meanwhile, Placebo Records was blossoming because there was such a vibrant music scene in Phoenix. Besides a series of compilation LPs that showcased local talent, individual records were released by JFA, Sun City Girls, Conflict (US), and of course, Mighty Sphincter, amongst many others. The label stayed active through the late 80s.

Greg now works for the United Transportation Union and is a railroad safety expert. Mark went on to be a rocket scientist (seriously). Bob unfortunately passed away about 10 years ago.

Blue Shoes - Someone Like You

A1. Someone Like You


A2. Hey


B. Better


BLUE SHOES (Phoenix, AZ)
Someone Like You EP
Living Room (37559), 1980

Husband and wife duo DR Wilke and Peggy Murphy spent their nights as a hotel lounge act in the late 70s. After hearing the The Ramones and Pezband, they decided they wanted to do original material. So they put out a "want" ad in the New Times and auditioned musicians. Once they had Troy Janzen, Richard Dye, and Jim Allen in place, the band was coined Blue Shoes.

They started gigging around the Tempe/Phoenix area regularly and ventured into Tucson, Yuma, Flagstaff, and other parts of Arizona as well. Their set consisted of originals that conveyed a positive message of love and happiness, while incorporating covers of their favorite songs by Cheap Trick, The Cars, Police, etc. The band built a strong local following and received some regional airplay. They even earned their way onto bills opening for the Ramones, Vapors and Talking Heads. Their biggest outing was at the Mesa Amphitheater where they took the stage in front of 3,000 people supporting Ian Hunter.

The band did a lot of recording and released four records in their three year tenure. The first was a mini LP called "Put On Blue Shoes," which contained six originals and a Beatles cover. On it is a ballad called "Better" that's in the vein of the Raspberries/Badfinger. The song was recently featured in an episode of the TV show Bones. "Put On Blue Shoes" saw two pressings of 500 copies each and they also shopped it around on cassette.

After the LP, they released the EP featured here. The song "Someone Like You" is the standout track. It encompasses everything perfect about the power pop genre. The production is absolutely stellar with crystal clear instrumentation, perfect guitar tones, snappy drums, and the harmonies are spot-on with a chorus that is mesmerizing. The track was included on volume six of the Teenline series. "Hey" shares the A-Side and is a worthy contender which doesn't have as instant appeal, but grows nicely with repeat listens. The B-Side contains the song "Better" that was featured on their previous release.

The follow-up to "Someone Like You" was another EP that had two re-recorded songs from their earlier LP, "Disco Bucks" and "Tonight," as well as a cover of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman." The final Blue Shoes release was a single with "Startin' The Day With A Song" and "Kerry." Both records were on the Living Room label.

Jim, who played in a punk band called The Consumers before joining Blue Shoes, left the band several months later because he was getting burned out playing bars and not feeling camaraderie with a scene heavily induced with drugs. Not being able to find a suitable replacement, the band eventually added electronic drums in his place and continued on as a four piece, changing the name to Red Alert. As things continued to dissipate, Peggy and DR found themselves playing as a duo again, this time calling themselves The Last Word.

Different forms of Blue Shoes emerged in the early 90s playing many of the old songs until Peggy and DR eventually parted ways. A CD compilation called "The Best Of Blue Shoes" was recently released on the Fervor Records label, but mysteriously leaves off "Someone Like You." A follow up CD called "Beyond The Best" is scheduled for an April 2011 release and will feature material that was never before released.



The video below was filmed in their home town in 1980.