Frankie Venon [aka Frank Kerr] (vocals)
Gord Lewis (guitar)
Steve Marshall [aka Steve Mahon] (bass)
Nick Stipinitz (drums)
Jack Pedler (drums; replaced Stipinitz)
David Bendeth (guitar; replaced Lewis temporarily in 1981)
Dave Rave [aka Dave Desroches] (guitar, vocals; replaced Venom)
Blair "Mojo" Martin (drums; temporary)
Mark Lockerbie (drums; replaced Pedler)
Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, the band took its namesake from a Flaming Groovies song title. The self-proclaimed kings of teenage beer drinking parties, Teenage Head, maintain a reputation as one of Canada's greatest live bands who just couldn't get their energy to translate onto record.
Their self-titled debut, which was poorly recorded, distributed and released by InterGlobal Music, failed to stir any attention and the record company soon folded. But the band's frenetic live shows, which drew capacity crowds everywhere they played, and the moderate radio exposure of two singles "Top Down" and "Picture My Face", raised eyebrows at Attic Records.
Their follow-up, produced by David Bowie alumnus Stacy Heydon, was 'Frantic City' which spawned two hit singles -- "Let's Shake" and "Somethin' On My Mind" -- eventually making the album a gold seller for Attic Records. The album became a battle cry for beer swilling, cottage hopping college students across Canada.
Their third album, and second for Attic, was a repeat of their patented 2 minute George Thorogood-On-Speed vendettas called 'Some Kinda Fun' which extended the plethora of puking and passing out tunes such as "Let's Go To Hawaii" and "Teenage Beer Drinking Party".
A riot on June 2, 1980 during their performance at Toronto's Ontario Place Forum made front page news across the country and prompted Ontario Place management to ban 'rock acts' permanently. Following this incident, guitarist Gord Lewis was seriously injured in a car accident and David Bendeth took over guitar duties.
The industry pricked up its ears once more thinking they'd missed an untapped market -- unbridled teenage angst. MCA picked up the band's option and attempted to market the group as a nifty College pub-rock act and had the band water down their next record -- a 5 song EP called 'Tornado' -- with rockabilly jangly guitar ditties produced by Bendeth. To really put the band in its place, the US arm of MCA refused to release the record unless the band changed its name from Teenage Head to Teenage HEADS so as to not offend Tipper Gore's PMRC minions.
A live album, 'Endless Party' was released in 1984 on Ready Records but the band could no longer get arrested. Frankie Venom was living the subject matter of all his songs and was quickly replaced by Dave "Rave" Desroches (The Shakers), an old friend from Hamilton who had been called into duty at many stages during the band's career. Teenage Head would record several independent releases with Rave before he split for his own successful solo career with The Dave Rave Conspiracy and later Rave & Agnelli.
The original version of Teenage Head, with Mark Lockerbie on drums, has continued touring and recording to this day. In 2003 the band recorded a new 'best of' package with surviving Ramones drummer Marky Ramone.
The band's debut album, with it's original production mix, was re-issued on Sonic Unyon Records.
with notes from Rob Frost and Mark White.
Singles
as TEENAGE HEAD
1978 Picture My Face/Tearin' Me Apart (IGM/Epic/CBS) E4-8273
1978 Top Down (New Version)/Kissin' The Carpet (IGM/Epic/CBS) E4-8337
1980 Somethin' On My Mind/Let's Shake (Attic) AT-220
1980 Let's Shake (New Version)/I Wanna Love You (Live) (Attic) AT-229
1982 Some Kinda Fun/Teenage Beer Drinkin' Party (Attic) AT-249
1982 Let's Go To Hawaii/Don't Toy With Me (MCA) AT-271
1984 Top Down (New Version)/Picture My Face (Live) (Ready) SR-451
1985 Frantic Romantic/Get Down (Warpt/Ahed) RC-21
1986 Frantic Romantic/I Can't Pretend (Warpt)
1988 Everybody Needs Somebody/Little Girl Don't You Understand (Fringe) FPS-1784
as TEENAGE HEADS
1983 Tornado/Luv For Sale (MCA) MCA-52220
1983 Blood Boogie (remixed)/(I'm Just) Too True (MCA) MCA-52265
Albums
1979 Teenage Head (IGM/Epic) PEC-90534
1980 Frantic City (Attic) LAT-1081
1981 Teenage Head [remixed album re-issue] (Goon Island/OPM) JJ-3255
1982 Some Kinda Fun (Attic) LAT-1124
1984 Endless Party [Live] (Ready) LR-046
1986 Trouble In The Jungle (Warpt/Ahed)
1987 Can't Stop Shakin'[3 song 12"] (Warpt/Ahed) 1957
1988 Electric Guitar (Fringe) FPL-3064
1990 Frantic City/Some Kinda Fun [2-fer-1 CD re-issue] (Attic)
1996 Teenage Head [remixed album CD re-issue] (OPM/EMI)
1998 Head Disorder (Loud Rock)
2006 Teenage Head [original album mix CD re-issue] (Sonic Unyon)
as TEENAGE HEADS
1983 Tornado [5 song EP] (MCA) MCA-36001
Video
Compilation Tracks
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