More Halloween Music
The Comateens formed in 1980 in New York City. They played bouncy dance rock rooted in chintzy '60s Farfisa organ pop and spooky horror-movie soundtrack music. They first gained recognition in 1979 with a self-produced single that featured a stripped-down version of Bowie's "TVC 15" which they re-recorded for their first LP in 1981 on the Cachalot label. The album became an underground favorite and contained this remake of “The Munsters Theme". They released two more LPs – 1983's Pictures on a String and 1984's Deal With It. The Comateens gained a large following in Europe but despite being signed to Mercury Records remained a cult band in the U.S. and split up in 1985. The Comateens were Ramona Jan - guitar, Nik North -bass, vocals, and later Lyn Byrd - synthesizer, vocals and Oliver North -guitar, vocals.
Sadly Oliver North died in 1987. Nic North and Lyn Byrd continued to work together and recorded an album for French Virgin under the name of West & Byrd in 1988.
A hard-to-find best of complation CD called "One By One" was released in 1991.
"The Munsters Theme" is also available on Rhino's Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Halloween CD.
Go to the download page to get the Comateens - "The Munsters Theme" mp3 here
4 Comments:
Thank you for posting this Comateens track, but why not the infinitely superior "Cool Chick"? Another creepy tune!
Also, lets set a few things straight, the version of TVC15 was released on a flexi recorded by Ramona Jan's other band DIZZY & THE ROMILARS. Ramona left(?!) the Comateens before they recorded their debut album.
The first single (by Comateens - released '79) was DANGERZONE/COOL CHICK, released on their own Teenmaster Records.
Ramona (incidently, the "Sweet Ramona" of Ramones song fame!) later produced the CLASSIC "Drive My Car" EP for teenage sensations NASTYFACTS. See: http://fretman.com/nastyfacts/index.html for more info on them.
Nastyfacts 'reformed' last year for a new EP, available here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/nastyfacts
The EP includes a song, "I Want What I Haven't Got", originally intended for the Ramones.
that you grunch?
The Comateens played in Baltimore Maryland several times at the infamous Marble Bar at the Congress Hotel. Lyn Nic and Oliver always knew they were in Baltimore when they saw me in attendance. I've got so much of their vinyl and was playing it recently. Other cool songs; Ice Machine, Get Off My Case and Late Night City. Thanx, Andrew
Well, was watching Beavis and Butthead and they played a bit of Comateens' The Last Mistake.
Isn't that Denzel Washington in the video??
Drop me a line if you know. I'm curious.
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