Reviving San Diego's Rock Renaissance
Che Underground New Year’s resolution #1: Get better about tackling our backlog of treasures.
Here’s an assortment of photographs I’m long overdue to post from the collection of Laura S. These 10 photos include mid-’80s shots of Hair Theatre and other nears and dears, followed by Laura’s recollections of the circumstances behind each. Help fill in the blanks!
“I want to write a piece about not being ready to deal with death,” writes our friend Mark Mullen, veteran Morlocks and Wallflowers drummer and all-around good egg. He’s given me generous permission both to quote him and to solicit the support of our age mates, who are learning to face this inevitable with greater frequency every year.
“My grandma died two days ago, and my aunt died a week ago, both to have services Sunday. …. Same day.
“I pretty much shut down and did not deal with it,” Mark writes. “Maybe if I wrote the story and had feedback and other people’s situation to see, maybe I would have dealt with it.
More video from the original Morlocks has emerged on YouTube, including covers of songs by the 13th Floor Elevators, Q65 and the Count Five.
Exhibit A is a video by Eric Predoehl of the Morlocks performing the 13th Floor Elevators’ “You Don’t Know.” According to the post, it’s from an event produced by KFJC Radio and I.B.S. at the Works Gallery in San Jose, Calif., on Nov. 22, 1985:
Here’s another video sequence from the Morlocks’ 1986 performance at the Stone in San Francisco that included the version of “My Friend the Bird” previously aired on Che Underground: The Blog.
“I’m not sure who wrote it,” says drummer Mark Mullen. “All I remember is that it was written for Brother Ed from The Brotherhood of Light. He did our liquid light show, and his biker pals did security.
“‘Two Wheels Go’ was for the bikers, Hells Angels I believe.”
(Morlocks drummer Mark Mullen comes through with the video goods.)
This was a show we did at The Stone on Broadway in San Francisco in 1986 with Jordan Tarlow from the Fuzztones on rhythm guitar. It’s a 23-year-old VHS tape, so no complaining. I believe we did a real wild show somewhere the night before, so this was a little lackluster for The Morlocks.
The Morlocks are really a myth, cult, fantasy and intrigue to a lot of people across the US and around the world. I wish they all could have experienced the many great shows we put on, but that’s not the case. I wish I had excellent video footage of these times for everyone to see. This was a wild, wild time, and not much survived from the era. (I challenge anyone out there to cough up any footage if you have it.)
If you were there, the Che Underground blog is your story, too. We’d love to hear and see your side of it.
Like PBS, we run on donations from viewers like you. This site is built on flyers, photos, audio and video from collectors including Kristen Tobiason, Toby Gibson, Cyndie Jaynes, Kristi Maddocks, Tom Goddard, Jason Seibert, Bruce Haemmerle, Mike McCarthy, Dean Curtis, Mark Mullen, Jeff Lucas, David Klowden, Cole Smithey, Bart Mendoza and Paul Allen. What rock-‘n’-roll treasures are growing crispy in your attic, your basement or your mom’s house?
If you can scan them or digitize them, great! If you need some help, operators are standing by … We’ll find you someone who can. Either way, raise a virtual hand here or drop a line to cheunderground@gmail.com, and we’ll get you started.
“You Mistreat Me” and “The Key” represent two more songs from the Morlocks’ historic show at San Francisco’s Swedish American Hall, recorded by KALX radio on Sept. 28, 1985.
“There were a couple of Swedish shows,” writes Morlocks strategist and MC Jerry Cornelius. “These were promoed by Paul Renna — another million years of tales attached to that name!
‘The first happened right after [guitarist] Ted [Friedman] went up to SFO to join the rest of the band. I was up there for the second — on my first full night after moving up, one month later. The bill was The Sea Hags, Thee Unforgiven and The Morlocks — with light show by The Brotherhood of Light.”
Here’s another piece of the Morlocks’ performance at San Francisco’s Swedish American Hall, captured by KALX radio on Sept. 28, 1985.
This live performance of “One Way Ticket,” which bassist Jeff Lucas has called lead guitarist Tommy Clarke’s “masterpiece,” closed that memorable show.
“I distinctly recall how the song’s signature stuttered rhythm would stick with you: out onto Market St., on the way home, and on for days,” recalls Paul Kaufman. “That was the best Morlocks show I ever saw.”
Just as Canada offered political asylum to Wallflowers artifacts over the past quarter-century, Croatia emerges as the sanctuary for sounds of the original Morlocks.
Drummer Mark Mullen last week received this track fresh from the former Yugoslavia — the first in a completely preserved 13-song show at San Francisco’s Swedish American Hall that was originally broadcast live on KALX. (Could it be this show from Sept. 28, 1985?)
Freshly arrived in town, Jerry Cornelius outdoes himself as MC. “That’s me,” Jerry writes. “Doing the intro in imitation of the Dutch band, Q65 — which the Morlocks worshipped.”
A Morlocks motherlode: Founding bassist Jeff Lucas has opened up his archives to Che Underground: The Blog! His collection of photos, flyers, lyric sheets and other curiosities spans the band’s earliest days in San Diego (summer 1984) to the dissolution of the original lineup three years later.
Here’s a showcase of Jeff’s collection followed by his notes:
![Ted [Friedman]](https://cheunderground.site/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/img089.jpg){kind=link}