SMACK

[mrsleazy]

Started in Helsinki in 1982 under name Lucky Monkeys. First line-up was: Kartsa guitar, Manchuria guitar, Claude vocals and Cheri bass. Later they hired drummer Juki Marjala. In 1984 they changed their name to Smack changed Juki to Kinde and released their debut which also came out in US. After that Rane replaced Kartsa for the second album which in Finland got very popular though internationally debut sold more. Jimi Zero replaced Cheri for 1986 live album Live Desire and in 1987 they recorded Salvation in London. In 1988 they released collection of their EP's called State Of Independence. For Radical they changed producer TT Oksala who had made all the previous ones to finnish rockpop legend Pave Maijanen. Band was having all kind of internal problems at the time and went on a break. In 1989 Claude, Manchuria and Rane decided to move to L.A. to get things going again, Kinde and Jimi refused to come and so they got new drummer Repa. They tried few bass players until hiring ex-Hanoi Rocks Sam Yaffa under name Ulan Bator, they didn't want him to use his real name. They made one EP but it was never released. Claude left back to Finland in 1990 to form The Fishfaces and died in 1996. Kinde has now a semi known band Jimson Weed. Band never got really famous but had some influence on the music scene Guns N Roses has mentioned it as one of their influences as well as Kurt Cobain and Nirvana covered one of their tracks Run Rabbit Run. Smack had by the way covered for example Rolling Stones and Iggy Pop, Iggy has stated that in his opinion Smack's version of Search And Destroy is the best cover made from his music.

More info at: http://www.smack-fishfaces.tk and http://hellsinkivampires.tk

[Carl I.]

Hmmm, Iggy also said that about the Dead Boys version. Iggy just likes giving props to the bands that do his stuff, I would guess.

[mrsleazy]

Dear Carl, maybe you are right that Iggy likes to do so but... if you have the chance just listen to that cover played by Smack and then maybe you will think too that's the best cover of this thousands of times covered track... or at least one of the best...

[Carl I.]

Oh, I do have it. But I also do favor the Dead Boys version. Just my opinion. Stiv is 100x the vocalist that pretty much everybody on this planet is/was.

[mrsleazy]

I love the DEAD BOYS version too!

[Gav Ruadh Hallion]

Great band!
Was lent a whole video tape last year of Finnish TV rock shows and on it was a live gig by them and a studio version of "Paint It Black" (which was awesome!)
RIP Claude (pronounced "Clowder" as is my minimal understanding of the Finnish language))

[mrsleazy]

Claude was his nickname. Not a Finnish name but French. In Finnish is pronounced as "Klowde". His real name was Ilari Peltola.

[glamster7]

Smack - very good band. Have 2 cds by them -On You and Rattlesnake bite.

[mrsleazy]

Those two albums are the best but the "Live Desire" album from 1986 (one of the best lives of any band I have ever listened to) is worth having. The last albums "Salvation" (1987) and "Radical" (1988) can still be found in a Sony Finland release in one cd which also contains a couple of unreleased tracks with Sami Yaffa on bass guitar.

[glamster7]

Thanks for the info Mr sleazy