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{{About|the San Francisco punk rock band|other uses|mutant (disambiguation)}}
{{About|the San Francisco punk rock band|other uses|mutant (disambiguation)}}
{{More footnotes|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Mutants
| name = Mutants
Line 5: Line 6:
| caption =
| caption =
| background = group_or_band
| background = group_or_band
| origin = [[San Francisco, California]], [[United States|USA]]
| origin = [[San Francisco, California]], United States
| genre = [[Punk rock]], [[art punk]], [[New wave music|new wave]]
| genre = [[Punk rock]], [[art punk]], [[New wave music|new wave]]
| years_active = 1977–1986<br />2004–present
| years_active = 1977–1986<br />2004–present
| label = [[415 Records|415]], [[MSI Quality Records|MSI]], [[White Noise Records|White Noise]]
| label = [[415 Records|415]], [[MSI Quality Records|MSI]], [[White Noise Records|White Noise]]
| associated_acts = Brendan Earley (solo career), Scarecrow Rodeo, Frank Hymng, Fever Crash, Puka, O-Type, The Bisonics, Negativland, Mono Pause, Frightwig
| associated_acts = Brendan Earley (solo career), Scarecrow Rodeo, Frank Hymng, Fever Crash, Puka, O-Type, The Bisonics, Negativland, Mono Pause, Frightwig, Connie Champagne (solo career), Third Thursday Band
| current_members = Sally Webster, Sue White, Brendan Earley, John Gullak, Fritz Fox, Dave Carothers, Peter Conheim, Mia Simmans
| current_members = Brendan Earley, Fritz Fox, John Gullak, Dave Carothers, Peter Conheim, Connie Champagne, Mia Simmans, Sue White
| past_members = Paul Fleming, Charley Hagan, Zippy Pinhead, Ken Kearney, Jim Hrabetin, Albert Reda, Marc Weinstein
| past_members = Paul Fleming, Charley Hagan, Zippy Pinhead, Ken Kearney, Jim Hrabetin, Albert Reda, Marc Weinstein, Sally Webster
| website = {{URL|http://www.sfmutants.com}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.sfmutants.com}}
}}
}}


'''The Mutants''' are an important band in the history of [[San Francisco]] [[punk rock]] and [[new wave music]]. They are known for their theatrical performances which often include elaborate props, projections, and comical antics. They are credited with being one of the first "[[Art-punk]]" bands in San Francisco, and were one of the most popular bands of the San Francisco punk scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
'''The Mutants''' are an American band, notable in the history of [[San Francisco]] [[punk rock]] and [[new wave music]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lefebvre |first=Sam |date=September 29, 2023 |title=How San Francisco Punk Reacted to Dianne Feinstein in the 1970s {{!}} KQED |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/13845645/dianne-feinstein-jello-biafra-san-francisco-punk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930010742/https://www.kqed.org/arts/13845645/dianne-feinstein-jello-biafra-san-francisco-punk |archive-date=September 30, 2023 |access-date=May 9, 2024 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}}</ref> They are known for their theatrical performances which often include elaborate props, projections, and comical antics. They are credited with being one of the first "[[Art-punk]]" bands in San Francisco, and were one of the most popular bands of the San Francisco punk scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s.


==History==
==History==
The Mutants joined together to perform at the San Francisco Poetry Festival in 1977. They quickly became regular performers in the San Francisco punk rock scene, headlining at the [[Mabuhay Gardens]] (aka The Fab Mab), [[The Savoy Tivoli]], [[Berkeley Square (club)|The Berkeley Square]], [[The Deaf Club]], The Temple<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/12/theatre-1839-temple-beautiful-1839.html |title=Theatre 1839 (Temple Beautiful) |work=Jerry Garcia's broken down palaces |publisher=[[Blogspot]]}}</ref> (aka 1839 Geary Street), The [[Old Waldorf]], [[The Warfield]], and other punk clubs. They were also noted for being one of the few pop bands to ever perform live at [[Napa State Hospital]], a [[psychiatric hospital]]. They also opened for such bands as [[The Ramones]], [[Iggy Pop]], [[New Order (band)|New Order]], [[Lene Lovich]], [[The Cramps]] and the [[Talking Heads]]. The Mutants were booked to open for [[Joy Division]]'s first U.S. tour which was canceled due to Ian Curtis' suicide two days before the tour was to begin.
The Mutants joined together to perform at the San Francisco Poetry Festival in 1977. They quickly became regular performers in the San Francisco punk rock scene, headlining at the [[Mabuhay Gardens]] (aka The Fab Mab), [[The Savoy Tivoli]], [[Berkeley Square (club)|The Berkeley Square]], [[The Deaf Club]], The Temple<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/12/theatre-1839-temple-beautiful-1839.html |title=Theatre 1839 (Temple Beautiful) |work=Jerry Garcia's broken down palaces |date=2 December 2012 |publisher=[[Blogspot]]}}</ref> (aka 1839 Geary Street), The [[Old Waldorf]], [[The Warfield]], and other punk clubs. They were also noted for being one of the few pop bands to ever perform live at [[Napa State Hospital]], a [[psychiatric hospital]]. They also opened for such bands as [[The Ramones]], [[Iggy Pop]], [[New Order (band)|New Order]], [[Lene Lovich]], [[The Cramps]] and [[Talking Heads]]. The Mutants were booked to open for [[Joy Division]]'s first U.S. tour which was canceled due to Ian Curtis' suicide two days before the tour was to begin.


Their first extended play single was on [[415 Records]] and included "Insect Lounge", "New Drug" and "The New Dark Ages". Many compilations, such as ''Wave Goodbye'', ''Can You Hear Me: Live From the Deaf Club'' and ''415 Music'' included both live and studio recordings of The Mutants. In 1982, The Mutants' only album, ''Fun Terminal'', was produced with the help of [[Snakefinger]] after the first producer, [[Paul Wexler (producer)|Paul Wexler]], who produced their e. p., left the project and was released on MSI Quality Records.
Their first extended play single was on [[415 Records]] and included "Insect Lounge", "New Drug" and "The New Dark Ages". Many compilations, such as ''Wave Goodbye'', ''Can You Hear Me: Live From the Deaf Club'' and ''415 Music'' included both live and studio recordings of The Mutants. In 1982, The Mutants' only album, ''Fun Terminal'', was produced with the help of [[Snakefinger]] after the first producer, [[Paul Wexler (producer)|Paul Wexler]], who produced their e. p., left the project and was released on MSI Quality Records.


In 1983 the Mutants appeared in Rick Schmidt's independent film, Emerald Cities. Footage of a live performance was interspersed throughout the film, showcasing four songs: New Dark Ages; We Need A New Drug; War Against Girls; Sofa Song.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085484/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd</ref>
In 1983 the Mutants appeared in Rick Schmidt's independent film, Emerald Cities. Footage of a live performance was interspersed throughout the film, showcasing four songs: New Dark Ages; We Need A New Drug; War Against Girls; Sofa Song.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085484/soundtrack|title=Emerald Cities (1983)|accessdate=16 September 2020|website=IMDb.com}}</ref>


Following the release of ''Fun Terminal'', The Mutants embarked on another successful national tour, headlining at major punk venues such as [[CBGBs]] and [[Hurrah (nightclub)|Hurrah]]. However, the stress encountered while recording ''Fun Terminal'', drug abuse, alcoholism, and family commitments changed the scope of the band. By the mid-eighties many of the original musicians left the band. The three vocalists attempted to keep the band going with new musicians, and new songs were written to feature the female vocalists. An EP documenting the later version of the group was recorded in the studio in 1984, but the material has not been commercially released as of this writing.
Following the release of ''Fun Terminal'', The Mutants embarked on another successful national tour, headlining at major punk venues such as [[CBGBs]] and [[Hurrah (nightclub)|Hurrah]]. However, the stress encountered while recording ''Fun Terminal'', drug abuse, alcoholism, and family commitments changed the scope of the band. By the mid-eighties many of the original musicians left the band. The three vocalists attempted to keep the band going with new musicians, and new songs were written to feature the female vocalists. An EP documenting the later version of the group was recorded in the studio in 1984, but the material has not been commercially released as of this writing.


In 1989 The Mutants had a reunion show at the [[DNA Lounge]] in San Francisco. By this time, most of the band was clean and sober. In 2002, ''Fun Terminal'' was re-released as a CD (mastered from a vinyl LP copy, as the master tapes were lost but have since been recovered) on [[White Noise Records]] and included three additional tracks of live recordings, a 1980 4 song unreleased demo session and the 415 Records-released EP. Interest in the band re-surfaced and The Mutants began once again playing small clubs in San Francisco, such as SOMA Arts, Thee Parkside, Studio Z and [[Cafe du Nord]]. A "Fab Mab Reunion" took place on April 8, 2006 at [[The Fillmore]] and featured performances by The Mutants and several other notable bands from the early San Francisco punk scene. [[Dirk Dirksen]] and Damon Malloy produced a DVD documentary of The Mutants titled ''Mutants: Forensic Report'' which was released in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/382491/The-Mutants-Forensic-Report/dvd |title=Review of Forensic Report, DVD |author=Mark Deming |work=[[New York Times]] |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520001920/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/382491/The-Mutants-Forensic-Report/dvd |archivedate=May 20, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A17AGTWBVJXD3N?sort%5Fby=MostRecentReview |title=Reviews by Johnny Velvet |publisher=[[Amazon.com|Amazon]]}}</ref>
In 1989 The Mutants had a reunion show at the [[DNA Lounge]] in San Francisco. By this time, most of the band was clean and sober. In 2002, ''Fun Terminal'' was re-released as a CD (mastered from a vinyl LP copy, as the master tapes were lost but have since been recovered) on [[White Noise Records]] and included three additional tracks of live recordings, a 1980 4 song unreleased demo session and the 415 Records-released EP. Interest in the band re-surfaced and The Mutants began once again playing small clubs in San Francisco, such as SOMA Arts, Thee Parkside, Studio Z and [[Cafe du Nord]]. A "Fab Mab Reunion" took place on April 8, 2006 at [[The Fillmore]] and featured performances by The Mutants and several other notable bands from the early San Francisco punk scene. [[Dirk Dirksen]] and Damon Malloy produced a DVD documentary of The Mutants titled ''Mutants: Forensic Report'' which was released in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/382491/The-Mutants-Forensic-Report/dvd |title=Review of Forensic Report, DVD |author=Mark Deming |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520001920/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/382491/The-Mutants-Forensic-Report/dvd |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2011 |archivedate=May 20, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A17AGTWBVJXD3N?sort%5Fby=MostRecentReview |title=Reviews by Johnny Velvet |publisher=[[Amazon.com|Amazon]]}}</ref>


==Members==
==Members==
'''Current lineup'''
'''Current lineup'''
* Fritz Fox (aka Freddy Mutant) - vocals
* Fritz Fox (aka Freddy Mutant)&nbsp;—vocals
* Sellier Webster (aka Sally Mutant) - vocals
⚫
* Sue White&nbsp;— vocals
⚫
* Mia Simmans - vocals
* Brendan Earley&nbsp;— lead guitar
* Brendan Earley&nbsp;— lead guitar
* Connie Champagne&nbsp;— vocals
⚫
* Mia Simmans&nbsp;— vocals
* John Gullak&nbsp;— guitar
* John Gullak&nbsp;— guitar
* Peter Conheim&nbsp;— bass
* Peter Conheim&nbsp;— bass
* Dave Carothers&nbsp;— drums
* Dave Carothers&nbsp;— drums
⚫
* Sue White&nbsp;— vocals


==Discography==
==Discography==
Line 49: Line 50:
* ''The Mutants / Impatient Youth 7"'' (Shredder Records, 1988)
* ''The Mutants / Impatient Youth 7"'' (Shredder Records, 1988)
* ''Fun Terminal'' CD (White Noise, 2004)
* ''Fun Terminal'' CD (White Noise, 2004)

==Films==
*''The Mutants at Napa State'' (dir. Joe Target Rees, 1978)<ref name="roxie">{{cite web|title=The Cramps & The Mutants: The Napa State Tapes|url=https://roxie.com/film/the-cramps-the-mutants-the-napa-state-tapes/|website=[[Roxie Theater]]|access-date=October 22, 2023}}</ref>
*''We Were There to Be There'' (dir. Mike Plante and Jason Willis, 2021)<ref name="roxie"/>
*''The Cramps and the Mutants: The Napa State Tapes'' (2023)<ref name="grass">{{cite web|title=The Cramps and the Mutants: The Napa State Tapes|url=https://grasshopperfilm.com/film/the-cramps-and-the-mutants-the-napa-state-tapes/|website=Grasshopper Films|access-date=October 22, 2023}}</ref>
*''Mutants: Opposite World'' (2023)<ref name="grass"/>


==References==
==References==
;Footnotes
'''Footnotes'''
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

;Other
'''Works cited'''
{{Refbegin}}
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.sfmutants.com/1978.html |title=Cramps / Mutants, Napa State Hospital |author=[[Howie Klein]] |work=New York Rocker |date=July–August 1978 |publisher=SF Mutants.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.sfmutants.com/1978.html |title=Cramps / Mutants, Napa State Hospital |author=Howie Klein |author-link=Howie Klein |work=New York Rocker |date=July–August 1978 |publisher=SF Mutants.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.sfmutants.com/1979.html |title=Moo Moo Mutants |author=Connie Chung |work=New York Rocker |date=September 1979 |publisher=SF Mutants.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.sfmutants.com/1979.html |title=Moo Moo Mutants |author=Connie Chung |work=New York Rocker |date=September 1979 |publisher=SF Mutants.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.sfmutants.com/BAM.html |title=Courting Chaos with The Mutants |author=Suzanne Stefanac |work=BAM |date=December 15, 1982 |publisher=SF Mutants.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.sfmutants.com/BAM.html |title=Courting Chaos with The Mutants |author=Suzanne Stefanac |work=BAM |date=December 15, 1982 |publisher=SF Mutants.com}}
* {{cite journal |url=http://www.o-art.org/history/77-83/Gullak/JGullak.html |title=John Gullak interview |work=UnSound |issue=5 |year=1984 |publisher=O-Art.org}}
* {{cite journal |url=http://www.o-art.org/history/77-83/Gullak/JGullak.html |title=John Gullak interview |journal=UnSound |issue=5 |year=1984 |publisher=O-Art.org}}
{{Refend}}
{{Refend}}


Latest revision as of 09:00, 4 November 2024

This article is about the San Francisco punk rock band. For other uses, see mutant (disambiguation).
Mutants
OriginSan Francisco, California, United States
GenresPunk rock, art punk, new wave
Years active1977–1986
2004–present
Labels415, MSI, White Noise
MembersBrendan Earley, Fritz Fox, John Gullak, Dave Carothers, Peter Conheim, Connie Champagne, Mia Simmans, Sue White
Past membersPaul Fleming, Charley Hagan, Zippy Pinhead, Ken Kearney, Jim Hrabetin, Albert Reda, Marc Weinstein, Sally Webster
Websitewww.sfmutants.com

The Mutants are an American band, notable in the history of San Francisco punk rock and new wave music.[1] They are known for their theatrical performances which often include elaborate props, projections, and comical antics. They are credited with being one of the first "Art-punk" bands in San Francisco, and were one of the most popular bands of the San Francisco punk scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

History

[edit]

The Mutants joined together to perform at the San Francisco Poetry Festival in 1977. They quickly became regular performers in the San Francisco punk rock scene, headlining at the Mabuhay Gardens (aka The Fab Mab), The Savoy Tivoli, The Berkeley Square, The Deaf Club, The Temple[2] (aka 1839 Geary Street), The Old Waldorf, The Warfield, and other punk clubs. They were also noted for being one of the few pop bands to ever perform live at Napa State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital. They also opened for such bands as The Ramones, Iggy Pop, New Order, Lene Lovich, The Cramps and Talking Heads. The Mutants were booked to open for Joy Division's first U.S. tour which was canceled due to Ian Curtis' suicide two days before the tour was to begin.

Their first extended play single was on 415 Records and included "Insect Lounge", "New Drug" and "The New Dark Ages". Many compilations, such as Wave Goodbye, Can You Hear Me: Live From the Deaf Club and 415 Music included both live and studio recordings of The Mutants. In 1982, The Mutants' only album, Fun Terminal, was produced with the help of Snakefinger after the first producer, Paul Wexler, who produced their e. p., left the project and was released on MSI Quality Records.

In 1983 the Mutants appeared in Rick Schmidt's independent film, Emerald Cities. Footage of a live performance was interspersed throughout the film, showcasing four songs: New Dark Ages; We Need A New Drug; War Against Girls; Sofa Song.[3]

Following the release of Fun Terminal, The Mutants embarked on another successful national tour, headlining at major punk venues such as CBGBs and Hurrah. However, the stress encountered while recording Fun Terminal, drug abuse, alcoholism, and family commitments changed the scope of the band. By the mid-eighties many of the original musicians left the band. The three vocalists attempted to keep the band going with new musicians, and new songs were written to feature the female vocalists. An EP documenting the later version of the group was recorded in the studio in 1984, but the material has not been commercially released as of this writing.

In 1989 The Mutants had a reunion show at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco. By this time, most of the band was clean and sober. In 2002, Fun Terminal was re-released as a CD (mastered from a vinyl LP copy, as the master tapes were lost but have since been recovered) on White Noise Records and included three additional tracks of live recordings, a 1980 4 song unreleased demo session and the 415 Records-released EP. Interest in the band re-surfaced and The Mutants began once again playing small clubs in San Francisco, such as SOMA Arts, Thee Parkside, Studio Z and Cafe du Nord. A "Fab Mab Reunion" took place on April 8, 2006 at The Fillmore and featured performances by The Mutants and several other notable bands from the early San Francisco punk scene. Dirk Dirksen and Damon Malloy produced a DVD documentary of The Mutants titled Mutants: Forensic Report which was released in 2007.[4][5]

Members

[edit]

Current lineup

  • Fritz Fox (aka Freddy Mutant) —vocals
  • Brendan Earley — lead guitar
  • Connie Champagne — vocals
  • Mia Simmans — vocals
  • John Gullak — guitar
  • Peter Conheim — bass
  • Dave Carothers — drums
  • Sue White — vocals

Discography

[edit]
  • New Dark Ages / New Drug / Insect Lounge 7" (415 Records, 1980)
  • 415 Music (415 Records (compilation), 1980)
  • Can You Hear Me? Live From the Deaf Club (compilation) (Walking Dead, 1980)
  • The Mutants / Half-Japanese flexi-disc (Take It! Magazine, 1981)
  • Savoy Sound — Wave Goodbye (compilation) (Go! Records, 1981)
  • Live at the Savoy, 1981 (compilation) (CD Presents - BOOTLEG RELEASE, 2010?)
  • Fun Terminal LP (Mutiny Shadow, 1981)
  • The Mutants / Impatient Youth 7" (Shredder Records, 1988)
  • Fun Terminal CD (White Noise, 2004)

Films

[edit]
  • The Mutants at Napa State (dir. Joe Target Rees, 1978)[6]
  • We Were There to Be There (dir. Mike Plante and Jason Willis, 2021)[6]
  • The Cramps and the Mutants: The Napa State Tapes (2023)[7]
  • Mutants: Opposite World (2023)[7]

References

[edit]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Lefebvre, Sam (September 29, 2023). "How San Francisco Punk Reacted to Dianne Feinstein in the 1970s | KQED". www.kqed.org. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "Theatre 1839 (Temple Beautiful)". Jerry Garcia's broken down palaces. Blogspot. 2 December 2012.
  3. ^ "Emerald Cities (1983)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  4. ^ Mark Deming (2011). "Review of Forensic Report, DVD". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011.
  5. ^ "Reviews by Johnny Velvet". Amazon.
  6. ^ a b "The Cramps & The Mutants: The Napa State Tapes". Roxie Theater. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "The Cramps and the Mutants: The Napa State Tapes". Grasshopper Films. Retrieved October 22, 2023.

Works cited

[edit]
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