Dirty Looks - "They Got Me Covered"
Staten Island, NY's Dirty Looks deserved so much more than they got. After releasing an inspired power pop/rock album on the infamous Stiff Records, a second release was lost to too much interference from the U.S. label. The label know-it-alls at Epic wanted a more "mainstream" sound and secretivly remixed the album much to the bands dismay. The record only came out in the U.K and the band left the label. After Island Record's Chris Blackwell told the band they should release an album of instrumentals because he didn't like lead singer Patrick Barnes' voice, the band split up. You have to wonder if the same label bozos are working on the latest Fiona Apple record.
You can read the whole Dirty Looks story here.
A CD of both Dirty Looks records plus unreleased demos and rare tracks is sometimes available here.
Go to the download page to get Dirty Looks - "They Got Me Covered"
16 Comments:
All right!! The Dirty Looks were awesome. Whenever I find this album in the dollar bin I pick it up just in case I run into somebody with a record player that likes great American mod style power pop. I never knew a CD had been issued. I'll have to get that record out tonight and dance around the room like the big goon I am.
I was wondering if you ever heard of the Mix? They're another New York state group that put out one record (that I know of) of power pop - the album cover has a guy's bloody hand playing guitar - with one awesome Cheap Trick sounding song - "Lovegram". I've never been able to unearth anything about them really.
wally
This LP rocks - I've had it since release in '79? My fave track is "Let Go" - it's flat-out 'jump around the room and shout' rock!
Take a look around!
These guys were really amazing. I didn't hear music like that anymore. I really don't understand why they hadn't succeeded. Their first LP is asthonishing, pure energy, really better than other famous band of the past. I'm very happy for the reissue of the double CD "Stiff Years".
Dirty Looks was one of my favorite bands, always a good show. I am sorry to hear about Marko, he was a great guy, but he couldn't quit drugs.
I remember hanging out with him in London, not long after his near death experience with the Waterboys, and he was attending 3 NA meetings a day.
I used to work at the Peppermint Lounge, as well as with several bands, and I got to know this fine musician,
Thanks for the info, though I'm sorry to hear it.
Thanks Marko, you were a great musician, and made some of the best "rock and roll faces" on stage.
Wow what great memories.I roomed with Marco on Staten Island and loved hearing the boys practice in my living room. By far the best band i've ever heard. So sad to hear about Marco in the early 80's we were quite good friends. Thanks Marco Peter and patrick for some damn good times and better music.
John M
io ho avuto la fortuna di vederli in concerto a milano(palalido) insieme agli altri membri della stiff records. sono unici
grazie peter, partick e marco
pino
I played with The Tangles, a NJ original pop band. One of our better gigs was the Towpath (later called One Step Beyond). One day I was visiting Diana, our bass player, and Turn in Up was on her turntable. "Wow, what is THAT?" She told me they were playing the Meadowbrook that weekend, and all of us in The Tangles attended (Ronnie on guitar/vocals, Mike our drummer, and Diana and me, Brian). Dirty Looks blew the doors off the place, and made everybody dance their asses off. Imagine my starstruck honor when we opened for them at One Step Beyond. We were CLEARLY the "B" band, but that didn't stop Patrick, Peter and the beloved Marco from sharing their catering with us (they were a signed band, so they got a big cold cut platter & beverages). Peter played the drums so hard, he must have to change skins twice a night. They were so damn gracious and friendly. And they were the best band I ever saw, bar none. Months later, after the breakup of Dirty Looks, I saw Pat Barnes in Ski Barn, trying on skiboots. I was a certified ski instructor at Hunter Mt. at the time, and I muscled in front of the salesman, to assist Pat. "What are you doin' here, man?" I asked, Pat assured me that he was just trying to get squared away with ski boots, and I asked about the band. He didn't want to talk about that. And I think he was recently engaged, with a pretty, red-haired fiance on his arm, there at Ski Barn. I wonder if he realized today how impactful he was, along with Peter and Marco, on so many of our lives. Will NEVER forget Dirty Looks, or the way Pat Barnes slipped into that other world when he performed so intensely, a true artist.
Wow!! I saw them on the "Son of Stiff Tour" documentary shown on the BBC last year and was blown away, their stuff is absolutely incredible! There is an amazing live album available here and for video of them playing live, the only thing I could find was this. They sold me this dvd for £10 which is more than worth it!! If anyone knows of any other video footage please please let me know!!! stuart@splen.co.uk
I LOVE Dirty Looks so much and I wish wish wish that somehow somewhere Pat and Peter would get together and play like Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend still do sometimes..I still have 2 albums that i will NEVER give up and still play them at my parties on full blast...to comments "Who is this...THEY'RE GREAT!!! Can I have a copy???....pls come back to your fans on staten Island...We miss you guys sooo much..."no one compares to YOU"!!!! Redspot people on Facebook still talk all the time bout you!!!
I haven't heard their first album in over twenty years but I still play it in my head all the time. I know all of the lyrics and hooks so well. I just ordered the Stiff reissue CD on ebay. Can't wait! They were great a band I'm sorry that they got screwed over by the biz. I wish that they would release the 2nd & 3rd albums as originally produced on MySpace or something. They can totally have control over their own music now that the music industry has changed so much.
P.S. When that OTHER band called Dirty Looks came out with an album years later, I thought, "This doesn't look like it would be from Dirty Looks, but I'm buying it!" Of course, I should've trusted my instincts when I saw that brush-script logo.
Love these guys, saw them open up for The Ramones @ The Left Bank in Mount Vernon Ny back in the 80's.
Love these guys. Saw them live when they opened up for the Ramones @ the Left Bank in Mount Vernon NY in the 80's....
Loved Dirty Looks! Guitardoz, my band from the mid-80's, based in Berkeley, CA, used to open our show with "Let Go". Possibly the best opener EVER! "12 O'Clock High" was such a great tune and I loved singing it live! Peter influenced my drumming so much and Dirty Looks was the basis for my life long love of the three piece outfit! Peter or Patrick doing any music? I have the first and 2nd albums on vinyl, what a treat to crank them up!
Our band has always been fond of Dirty Looks and as a result have just released a cover of 12 o'clock High. You can stream or download it for free here:
http://soundcloud.com/culturedpop/12-oclock-high
I'm working on videos from my dad's 80s band called the sharks. Took me a while, bit found out this was a cover, and now know it was Dirty Looks..... not sure if I'll use it, but they do a good version, if I do I'll make sure to tag them.
I'm working on videos from my dad's 80s band called the sharks. Took me a while, bit found out this was a cover, and now know it was Dirty Looks..... not sure if I'll use it, but they do a good version, if I do I'll make sure to tag them.
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