Nip Drivers
Encyclopedia
The Nip Drivers were an American punk rock
band formed in 1982 in Torrance, California
. The band was the brainchild of lead singer Mike Webber, and for a time included guitarist Kurt Schellenbach, Janus Jones on bass, and Nick Passiglia on drums, though the lineup at any given time was fluid. They played fast hardcore punk, often infused with humor and a total lack of political correctness. In addition to their own compositions, they recorded sometimes improbable covers of pop hits such as Olivia Newton John’s “Have You Never Been Mellow
” and Sweet
’s “Fox on the Run”. The latter is heard on the soundtrack of the 1984 film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls.
After a period of inactivity, Webber emerged with an all new line-up in the 1990s. In 2000, the '80s LPs were reissued on CD. Webber died in November 2006.
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...
band formed in 1982 in Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
. The band was the brainchild of lead singer Mike Webber, and for a time included guitarist Kurt Schellenbach, Janus Jones on bass, and Nick Passiglia on drums, though the lineup at any given time was fluid. They played fast hardcore punk, often infused with humor and a total lack of political correctness. In addition to their own compositions, they recorded sometimes improbable covers of pop hits such as Olivia Newton John’s “Have You Never Been Mellow
Have You Never Been Mellow (song)
"Have You Never Been Mellow" is a popular song written by John Farrar and recorded by Olivia Newton-John as the title track for her album of the same name.-History and release:...
” and Sweet
Sweet (band)
Sweet was a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.Sweet was formed in 1968 and achieved their first...
’s “Fox on the Run”. The latter is heard on the soundtrack of the 1984 film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls.
After a period of inactivity, Webber emerged with an all new line-up in the 1990s. In 2000, the '80s LPs were reissued on CD. Webber died in November 2006.
Discography
- Destroy Whitey (12" EP, 1984, New Alliance RecordsNew Alliance RecordsNew Alliance Records was the record label founded by The Minutemen's D. Boon and Mike Watt and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich after the example of Black Flag's SST Records...
) - Oh Blessed Freak Show (LP, 1985, Bemisbrain/EnigmaEnigma RecordsEnigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
) - Nip Drivers (7” EP, 1990, No Reality—this is sometimes referred to as the ‘’Pretty Face’’ EP)
- Dirt My Hole (7” EP, 1995, Fearless)
- Destroy Whitey/Oh Blessed Freak Show (CD reissue, 2000, Taang! Records)
Compilation appearances
- Party or Go Home (1983, Mystic RecordsMystic RecordsMystic Records is a record label and music production company that was based in Hollywood CA one block south of Hollywood and Vine and later moved to Oceanside, California...
)- Includes "Tang"
- Desperate Teenage LovedollsDesperate Teenage Lovedolls (soundtrack)Desperate Teenage Lovedolls: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is an album of music from the film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls. The soundtrack was originally released on Gasatanka Records in 1984, re-issued by SST Records in 1987 and re-released again in an expanded edition on CD by Sympathy For...
(1984, Enigma)- Includes "Fox on the Run"
- When Men were Men... and Sheep were Scared (1985, Bemisbrain)
- Includes “Rio” and “E.Y.O.B.”