Circle Jerks

Circle Jerks is a group of founded Punk hardcore in 1979 with Hermosa Beach in California by the singer of Black Flag, Keith Morris, and the future guitarist of Bad Religion, Greg Hetson. They belonged to the punks groups which dominated the scene of L.A. at the beginning of the years 1980.
The group separated and reformed twice. The first separation occurred after the exit of VI in 1987, Hetson deciding to devote itself to Bad Religion. It were reformed in 1994 and left the album Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities the year according to, which was followed of a round. After that the group separated once again because Hetson was always implied in Bad Religion, but they reformed in 2001. The group is always in activity depuis.
To date, the Circle jerks left six albums studio, a compilation, an album live and a DVD. Their last album studio, Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities , left in 1995, is the only album which they recorded after their first separation of 1987. However, a new album would be in preparation, whose coming out date remains inconnue.
Many current punks groups assert the influence of the Circle Jerks , such as Anti-Flag, Dropkick Murphys, Good Riddance, NOFX, The Offspring and Pennywise.

History

First years (1979-1982)

The singer Keith Morris was an original member of Black Flag, which it had founded with Greg Ginn. He left Black Flag in 1979 to form the Circle Jerks with the guitarist Greg Hetson, the bass player Roger Rogerson (a traditional guitarist of formation) and the beater Lucky Lehrer.
Their first album, Group Sex , left in 1980, contains 14 pieces for one total duration 15 minutes, of which certain pieces written by Morris when he was still member of Black Flag, and a piece of Hetson from which the front and the solo of guitar characterize already its style to come. The same year, Circle Jerks was one of the punks groups immortalized in the documentary one of Penelope Spheeris, The Decline off Western Civilization ; versions live of five pieces of Group Sex are included in B.O film.
In 1981, the group records their second album, Wild in the Streets , of which the piece title is a resumption of a tube of Garland Jeffreys. Their recording company of then, Faulty Products , ceased existing a few months after the exit of the disc. They recovered the rights of Wild in the Streets but the original stereo recordings were lost, and the group had remixer the multitrack recordings at the time of the republication CD of the album in 1988.

Last years (1983-1988)

They record their third album, Golden Shower off Hits , in 1983. The piece title is in fact pot-rotted one of six resumptions of artists as various as The Association, The Carpenters and Tammy Wynette associated so as to create a history: a couple falls in love, the girl fall pregnant by accident and they marry in haste, then end up divorcing. Another piece of the album, “Coup d'etat”, is reproduced on B.O of one of first films of Alex Cox, Repo Man , and groups it made an appearance in a scene there where they play an acoustic version of “When The Shits Hits The Fan”.
Shortly after the exit of Repo Man , Rogerson and Lehrer leave the group. They are replaced respectively by Zander Schloss (which appear also in Repo Man ) and Keith Clark. They record then Wonderful which leaves in 1985, then VI in 1987. One of the pieces of VI , " Coil Kills" , was an ordering of Alex cox for B.O of the film Sid and Nancy . One can hear it with the whole beginning of the film.
Chris Poland, after being itself made transfered of Megadeth, rejoinit briefly the Circle Jerks as a bass player, substitute Zander Schloss who had left the group.

Hiatus (1989-1993)

The Circle Jerks separate in 1989 following the departure from Hetson which wishes to be devoted to Bad Religion. An album live, Gig , recorded during their last round, leave in 1992.
During the hiatus, Hetson continuous to play with Bad Religion, Schloss plays of the guitar and of low here and there, Clark stops the music and made Morris of the odd jobs, encounters health issues and releases himself from his dependence to drugs and alcohol.

Reformation (1994-1996)

In 1994, the Circle Jerks are reformed with the line-up time of Wonderful . It leave the album Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities in 1995, which remains to date the last album studio recorded by the group.

Discography

Group Sex (1980)
Wild in the Streets (1982)
Golden delicious Shower off Hits (1983)
Wonderful (1985)
VI (1987)
Gig (1991) live
Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities (1995)

Line Up

Current members:

Song: Keith Morris
Guitar: Greg Hetson
low Guitar: Zander Schloss
Battery: Kevin Fitzgerald

Former members:

Roger Rogerson (1979-1983) (deceased)
Earl Liberty (1983-1984)
Lucky Lehrer (1979-1983)
Chuck Cookies (1983-1984)
Keith Clark (1984-1996)

References

Bonds

Official site
Profile myspace

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