Killed By Death (albums)
Encyclopedia
Killed By Death is a series of bootleg
albums compiling rare punk rock
songs primarily from the late 1970s and early 80s. The first four of these compilations, (Killed By Death #1-#4), were issued in 1989 by the Swedish label Redrum Records and featured tracks by obscure North American and European punk groups, as well as a few more well-known acts such as The Wipers, Zero Boys
, Subhumans
and the Beastie Boys
.
had codified the term "punk
" in reference to a genre of music with his compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968. The album highlighted minor 1960s hits by groups like The Standells
, The Seeds
, The Count Five and Electric Prunes mixed with similar-sounding tracks by lesser-known bands. Kaye's original Nuggets compilation sparked a wave of similar records, notably the Pebbles series of LPs, that sought to unearth rare music from the 1960s. Crypt Records
followed up with even rarer and rawer 60s punk rock recordings on its Back from the Grave albums released during the mid-1980s, as did many other small labels the world over.
Meanwhile a new generation of musicians had picked up on this music and, unlike their 1960s rolemodels, were conscienciously self-describing their music as "punk rock." For many, this went hand-in-hand with a do-it-yourself aesthetic of recording one's own music and releasing one's own records, resulting in low budget productions and limited pressings. Not long after their release, the records were rare and as sought-after as many vinyl releases from punk's progenitors of the 1960s. Taking a cue from Nuggets, Pebbles and (especially) Back from the Grave, Killed By Death filled a niche for those desiring to hear this music for the first time.
Many volumes of Killed By Death were limited to as few as 500 copies, resulting in these compilations of hard-to-find records becoming collectors' items in and of themselves. Many volumes of Killed By Death resembled mixtape
s of assorted singles from people's personal collections seemingly with no particular rhyme or reason connecting them. Other volumes focused on bands from particular countries, such as France
, Spain
, Italy
, The Netherlands and Canada
. Several Killed By Death covers boasted "All American punk, no foreign junk," while others homed in on punk rock from specific a U.S. state, such as punk singles from Florida
or demo tapes by California
n punk bands.
In the early 2000s an American enthusiast of Scottish
punk and DIY music issued three CDs compiling tracks from rare Scottish singles under the name Kilt By Death.
, The Sonics
, Steppenwolf
, Velvet Underground and The Stooges
. Killed By Death #11 boasted tracks by 10 utterly unheard-of punk acts such as Sexy Fits, Curly Fries and Grumpy Winos, complete with cover art from the bands' original singles shoddily pasted (as was tradition on all Killed By Death releases) on the cover. However, only one of these groups was real—the then contemporary Frothy Shakes from Nashville, Tennessee
—and all the music on the record was theirs. There were also several spin-off albums that borrowed the recognizable "Killed by" moniker and logo but replaced "Death" with another signifier. The ultra-rare (200 copies) Killed by Dentistry featured many tracks that appeared on previous Killed By Death collections. It came in a blood-spattered sleeve and is rumored to have been put out by an actual dentist
.
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
albums compiling rare punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
songs primarily from the late 1970s and early 80s. The first four of these compilations, (Killed By Death #1-#4), were issued in 1989 by the Swedish label Redrum Records and featured tracks by obscure North American and European punk groups, as well as a few more well-known acts such as The Wipers, Zero Boys
Zero Boys
The Zero Boys are a hardcore punk quartet from Indianapolis, Indiana fronted by Paul Mahern. Other members include bassist David "Tufty" Clough, drummer Mark Cutsinger and guitarist Vess Ruhtenberg....
, Subhumans
Subhumans
Subhumans may refer to:* Subhumans , featuring singer Dick Lucas*Subhumans , featuring singer Wimpy Roy and bass player Gerry Hannah...
and the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
.
Origins
In the early 1970s, musician Lenny KayeLenny Kaye
Lenny Kaye is an American guitarist, composer and writer who is best known as a member of the Patti Smith Group.- Early life :...
had codified the term "punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
" in reference to a genre of music with his compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968. The album highlighted minor 1960s hits by groups like The Standells
The Standells
The Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...
, The Seeds
The Seeds
The Seeds were an American rock band. The group, whose repertoire spread between garage rock and acid rock, are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.-History:...
, The Count Five and Electric Prunes mixed with similar-sounding tracks by lesser-known bands. Kaye's original Nuggets compilation sparked a wave of similar records, notably the Pebbles series of LPs, that sought to unearth rare music from the 1960s. Crypt Records
Crypt Records
Crypt Records is a Hamburg-based record label and record store founded by Tim Warren. The label is perhaps best known for issuing the eight-volume Back From The Grave Series of garage rock compilations, although its reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk,...
followed up with even rarer and rawer 60s punk rock recordings on its Back from the Grave albums released during the mid-1980s, as did many other small labels the world over.
Meanwhile a new generation of musicians had picked up on this music and, unlike their 1960s rolemodels, were conscienciously self-describing their music as "punk rock." For many, this went hand-in-hand with a do-it-yourself aesthetic of recording one's own music and releasing one's own records, resulting in low budget productions and limited pressings. Not long after their release, the records were rare and as sought-after as many vinyl releases from punk's progenitors of the 1960s. Taking a cue from Nuggets, Pebbles and (especially) Back from the Grave, Killed By Death filled a niche for those desiring to hear this music for the first time.
Releases
After the 1989 release of Redrum Records' first four volumes of Killed By Death, a fifth and sixth Killed By Death emerged in 1993, issued by an Australian record collector. Over 30 subsequent volumes of Killed By Death were released during the 1990s, all assembled by various anonymous compilers and released independently of one another. This resulted in the records' diversion from any strict numbering system as no one could predict where and when a particular volume of Killed By Death would hit the streets.Many volumes of Killed By Death were limited to as few as 500 copies, resulting in these compilations of hard-to-find records becoming collectors' items in and of themselves. Many volumes of Killed By Death resembled mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
s of assorted singles from people's personal collections seemingly with no particular rhyme or reason connecting them. Other volumes focused on bands from particular countries, such as France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, The Netherlands and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Several Killed By Death covers boasted "All American punk, no foreign junk," while others homed in on punk rock from specific a U.S. state, such as punk singles from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
or demo tapes by California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n punk bands.
In the early 2000s an American enthusiast of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
punk and DIY music issued three CDs compiling tracks from rare Scottish singles under the name Kilt By Death.
"Fake" volumes
With no regulation of these releases, some volumes of Killed By Death were purported to be of low quality or dubious origin. All the music on Killed By Death #16 is purported to be traceable back to a man named Mike Lucas covering 60s bands such as The KingsmenThe Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
, The Sonics
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, originating from the early and mid-1960s. Among The Sonics' contemporaries were The Kingsmen, The Wailers, The Dynamics, The Regents, and Paul Revere & the Raiders...
, Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
, Velvet Underground and The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
. Killed By Death #11 boasted tracks by 10 utterly unheard-of punk acts such as Sexy Fits, Curly Fries and Grumpy Winos, complete with cover art from the bands' original singles shoddily pasted (as was tradition on all Killed By Death releases) on the cover. However, only one of these groups was real—the then contemporary Frothy Shakes from Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
—and all the music on the record was theirs. There were also several spin-off albums that borrowed the recognizable "Killed by" moniker and logo but replaced "Death" with another signifier. The ultra-rare (200 copies) Killed by Dentistry featured many tracks that appeared on previous Killed By Death collections. It came in a blood-spattered sleeve and is rumored to have been put out by an actual dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
.
1989
- Killed By Death #1 (Redrum Records, Sweden)
- Killed By Death #2 (Redrum Records, Sweden)
- Killed By Death #3 (Redrum Records, Sweden)
- Killed By Death #4 (Redrum Records, Sweden)
1993
- Killed By Death #5 (Australia)
- Killed By Death #6 (Australia)
- Killed By Death #7
- Killed By Death #13
1996
- Killed By Death #10
- Killed By Death #11 (The Frothy Shakes)
- Killed By Death #12
- Killed By Death #16 (Mike Lucas)
- Killed By Death #26
- Killed By Death #77
1997
- Killed By Death #17
- Killed By Death #69
- Killed By Death #100
- Killed By Death #200
- Killed By Death #201
1998
- Killed By Death #14
- Killed By Death #15½
- Killed By Death #18
- Killed By Death #19
- Killed By Death #40
- Killed By Death #41
- Killed By Death #666
- Killed By Death Volume 1/D.I.Y
- Killed By Death #F.U. 2
- Killed By Epitaph/I'm Sure We're Gonna Make It
- Killed by Florida
1999
- Killed By Death #20
- Killed By Death #22
- Killed By Death #24
- Killed By Death #202
- Killed By Death #999
2000
- Killed By Death #33
- Killed By Death #1234
- Killed By Death #007
- Killed by Dentistry