As if to provide some karmic yin to “Survive the Jungle”‘s yang, Dave Fleminger just scored a pristine white-vinyl copy of the Mystic Super-Seven Sampler #2, a 1984 release featuring “Paradise on 4th Avenue,” the Phase Two Wallflowers’ homage to San Diego’s Studio 517 and its avatar, Steve Epeneter.
This exquisite single has been crisply digitized into easily digestible MP3 format for Che Underground’s delectation — bon apetit!
“I considered ‘Paradise on 4th Ave’ to be the anthem of the second Wallflowers (like ‘Funland’ was to the first line-up),” writes Dave Rinck, the immortal front man for both deathless incarnations.
“This was recorded by James at The Lab in San Diego in 1985 for the Mystic EP. The line-up is: David Rinck (vocals), Paul Howland (bass), Todd Lahman (guitar), Armando (alto sax), Arturo Reyes (drums).”
Listening to ‘Paradise’ it becomes painful(ly) obvious that we were heavily influenced by ELO.
I love this. Rather than Elo, it conjures up for me a hip West Coast answer to Richard Hell.
Thanks Paul.Thats quite a compliment. Actually the ELO comparison is just me trying to be cute. Its funny because its Paul Howland who really opened my eyes to Robert Quinns’s guitar playing. I can recall us sitting in Paul’s bedroom listening to the record ‘Blank Generation’ and looking at each other like ‘Did you just hear what I heard?!’ It would be some amazing fractured lead or riff from Robert Quinn. We would just start busting up afterwords and play the thing over and over again. What made it more entertaining was to see the picture Robert Quinn on the back of the record , he was the antithesis of rock and roll, a balding older guy who could be your dad or the family dentist.Pure genius.
Todd: Did you meet the Wallflowers through Sam Wilson and the other Poway Dogs, or were they your own independent discovery?
That’s all a little foggy to me. but I do recall Dave and Paul asking if I was Interested in being in the Wallflowers at some party. Who’s party or how I ended up at said party, I have no idea.Someone told them that I played guitar. I do recall Dave being very persuasive even after telling him that I wasn’t that great. Dave could talk you in to going up to a cop and punching him in the stomach. “Ah come on man don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine.” I thought these guys are really hard up for somebody or they know something that I don’t! Paul was a great teacher. Really patient and methodical and Dave always very encouraging.
Ok here’s the deal. Paul and I did indeed meet Todd at a party, and it was at Sammy’s house, so though Sammy was living in like La Mesa or something then, there was indeed a Poway connection. By that time, the Rock’n Dogs and the Wallflowers had decided to team up on gigging, and we were playing together a lot.
I think when we met Todd he was brokenhearted about a girl or something, and so we thought was a perfect guy to be in the band.
Hey thanks Dave that makes sense. That would be a likely scenario, the girl or something.