The Sonics: Punk Rock Pioneers?

The Ramones are considered and rightfully so to me the God Fathers of modern Punk Rock as their music influenced among others future members of the Clash and the Sex Pistols. Iggy and the Stooges are also considered to be pioneers of the Punk Rock movement. Then there are the Sonics a band formed in Tacoma Washington located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States in the early 1960's. If one where play a song by them for an audience and ask the question when was this song recorded the answer might surprise you. As, those listening might believe the record was made at the emergence of Grunge making Seattle the center of the rock music universe for several years as the songs are comparable to those of Mudhoney, Green River, early Nirvana and Soundgarden yet those songs were written and recorded almost 30 years before.

The history of The Sonics began in 1960 in Tacoma, Washington. Larry Parypa played the guitar at that time with a drummer, Mitch Jaber, another guitarist named Stuart Turner, plus a saxophonist and an acoustic bassist. In 1961, Parypa's older brother Andy replaced the bass player and Tony Mabin took over as their new saxophone player. Turner left for the army and Rich Koch (who had previously played with The Wailers) joined as new lead guitarist and Marilyn Lodge joined as the band's first singer—they had been an instrumental combo until this point. A new drummer, Bill Dean, then replaced Jaber. Koch and Lodge left the band in 1963. Local star Ray Michelsen became the band's singer after having sung with a handful of other popular bands on the local scene. Larry began looking for a drummer to replace Dean, whom he felt was uncommitted to the band, and found Bob Bennett playing in a band called The Searchers with Gerry Roslie and Rob Lind. Ray Michelsen was looking to leave the band, so the Parypas hired Bennett, Roslie, and Lind and let their previous saxophonist Mabin go. The well-known lineup was in place, but the Sonics' career as loved by their continuing cult following did not begin until 1964, when Gerry Roslie started singing lead vocals.