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Sweat: The Story of the Fleshtones, America's Garage Band

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The best rock'n'roll show I ever saw was the Fleshtones, at the Cubby Bear probably Fall 1982. The show spilled out into the street after the power was shut off, something that had to be experienced to be believed. I saw these guys I think eight times and they always gave 110%. The Fleshtones were one of the greatest live bands ever, and possibly THE greatest. That power did not translate in all its glory to vinyl, alas. They have lived the Rock Life to the fullest, tasting the bitter dregs, and hitting the Olympian heights of crowd-pleasing frenzy -- but never making any serious money, never having a hit record ... . There is no rest for the righteous, no justice for the pure of heart, no big pile of cash for the true heroes of rock-for-its-own-sweet-sake. But there is the satisfaction of being GREAT and knowing it, whatever the world at large may do in response.

This is a great American story of guys who brought fun and excitement and happiness into the lives of thousands of people.

If they come to your town, go see them.

A great read that reminds me exactly why I keep bashing my brains out against a seemingly impregnable brick wall. If you listen to the band while reading, you'll hear that the lack of commercial hits these guys have been chasing for more than a quarter century certainly isn't down to them. They have powers way in excess of whatever the alleged hipsters are offering you and if you haven't seen them live then I envy you. Joe's documentation of the band's struggle is a fantastic portrait of a combo who will go to death defying ends to deliver what is precious to all of us. A music book about a band with a story worth telling, you don't get many of those to the pound these days.

From about 1985 onward, I've been a steady fan of the mighty Fleshtones, although I confess that by about 1993 I sort of stopped keeping up with them. But if for no other reason than to understand why "Roman Gods" and "Hexbreaker" have never been reissued on CD, I bought this book. Little did I know how insane the story of the Fleshtones really is.

In a nutshell, "Sweat" reveals that despite the jolly, party-time atmosphere that is the essence of the Fleshtones, the band and its individual members have truly been through hell along the way. The well-documented drug use by this band is nothing short of legendary, and at least one member, Marek Pakulski, ultimately had to leave the group do to his uncontrollable heroin addiction. Other members, particularly Keith Streng and Bill Milhizer, are probably lucky to be alive considering the amount of alcohol they've consumed. As for Peter Zaremba, it's surprising his body didn't just blast off into orbit, with the amount of speed he was taking!

Funny personal story - I saw the Fleshtones in Boston back around 1988, and got a chance to meet them before the show. I'd brought along the cover of my "Fleshtones vs. Reality" CD and Keith, Bill and Peter all cheerfully signed it. But Peter was irked by the fact that the label, Roadrunner, had included one of those anti-drug public service messages inside it. So Peter scribbled over the message and wrote underneath, "Do what thou willst! A.C." (An Aleister Crowley quote) I had no idea at the time just how serious he was!

Then of course there's the most notorious Fleshtone of all, Gordon Spaeth (R.I.P.). Who would have thought that a member of the Fleshtones served several years in prison after killing a man in a drunken fight?!

Author Joe Bonomo does a fantastic job of tracing the band's history over more than 30 years. From the young hipsters prowling lower Manhattan at the dawn of the punk era, through the 80's where at least Europe embraced the band and they enjoyed some celebrity, and on through the 90's to the present, as the bandmates have continued to make music on their own terms, even as material success has eluded them, "Sweat" spares no detail and offers compelling proof that the Fleshtones are indeed living legends.

And by the way, why won't I.R.S. allow those classic early albums to be reissued? You guessed it - it's all about money. As much as any band in history, the Fleshtones are a prime example of why major labels suck.

This book is essential for any Fleshtones fan, and even someone who never heard of them should still find "Sweat" to be one hell of a good read.

(p.s. The Fleshtones' brand-new album "Take A Good Look" is their best album ever.)

R&R is not defined by its stars. Although undoubtedly R&R in their hey days Elvis, the Stones or Springsteen do not define the genre. The may make up for its aspirations, but they are not at the core of what R&R is. At its heart R&R is literally thousands of bands busting their chops in the garages and sordid basements all over the world, dreaming to make it in the big league one day. The Fleshtones have been at this game for about 30 years now, never escaping the basement. In a sense they are the text book example of R&R. Joe Bonomo's book "Sweat" captures their ongoing search for ever elusive fame perfectly. Anybody familiar with the band couldn't have thought of a better tittle to this autobiography. The Fleshtones have been guaranteed to give the best R&R show around for as long as they've been together. Yet the subtitle to sweat, "30 Years, 2.000 Shows, 1.000 Blue Whales, No Hits, No Sleep" gives the perfect summary of what to expect when reading "Sweat".

The Fleshtones story starts in a basement in Queens. Much to the dismay of the neighbors, some of the key members of what later would become the Fleshtones, throw legendary Blue Whale parties while churning out raggedy R&R, barely being able to master their instruments. A Blue Whale apparently is quite the toxic mix of various kinds of alcohol, preferably served in big barrels. That loud and lethal mix of three chord R&R would be a constant in the band's bumpy career. It would get them kicked out of their apartments, make them lose record companies, would find them in bloody brawls, turn them in the gutter but would also make living legends out of them. Although there are way to little people to recognize them. For the lucky few who fell under their spell, they are R&R best hidden deities. For the lucky few who stumbled onto their albums the Fleshtones have come to symbolize sweat drenched good times at their shows, roaring saxophones, screeching farfisa organs, rambling guitar riffs, raggedy soul crooning and pure and simple R&R.

The Fleshtones came smashed between the burgeoning Punk scene of NY city in the late seventies and back to basic superstars such as Bruce Springsteen. Like the latter the Fleshtones went back to the core of R&R. They found their inspiration in a time when 45 was king. The core of the Fleshtones, Peter Zaremba and Keith Streng found themselves in their love for the format. Swapping obscure 7" records filled with R&R, ranging from Hank Ballard and the Midnighters to the Strangeloves. At the time when Punk and Springsteen were about to burst wide open, R&R had strayed from its true path. The scene was marred by various horrific super groups, making guitar based intellectual drivel that had very little to do with R&R. Both Punk and Springsteen were a counter reaction to that drivel. The Ramones brought R&R back to its (barely) three minute essence in a loud cartoon like mess. Blondie did much the same, giving R&R a new sense of ice cold cool. Building on the foundations Punk's god fathers, the MC5 and the Stooges, had built, NY busted R&R wide open again.

"Sweat" unravels the mystery why the Fleshtones, despite a killer live reputation and rave reviews, never managed to reap the benefits of that movement. In a sense R&R was the Fleshtones final destination. Though you couldn't accuse the Fleshtones of being a retro act, the strand of R&R they tapped into just didn't gel with the all too self conscious Punk movement, especially in NY where Punk was as much high fashion as it was a new form of musical rebellion. The Fleshtones simply didn't thunder down the same tracks the Punk movement lays down. In Bonomo's excellent write up of that scene it soon becomes clear that the Fleshtones' brand of good times and party hard R&R "danced" to a different beat than the Punk movement where shaking it up was branded out of style. Punk rebelled against the drivel of the day, but wasn't about to put the fun back in R&R. The very fuel that kept the Fleshtones running.

At the same time the Fleshtones never made R&R any grander than it was. Unlike Springsteen who infused his brand of R&R with big dreams and a lingering sense of melancholy. Where R&R was the door to ultra coolness for the Punks, to Springsteen it was the door to something bigger, an escape for his small town background. R&R as a means, R&R as a promise, not an end. To the Fleshtones R&R was the final stop. They live to recreate the exitement on the records of Larry Williams, The Kingsmen, Lee Dorsey and Link Wray. The Fleshtones never aspired to anything bigger, be it a fleeting sense of cool or the realization of bigger dreams. The Fleshtones simply wanted to be R&R and indulge themselves in the accompanying lifestyle of sweaty parties deep into the night, raving live shows, sex & drugs.

It's not that the Fleshtones never dreamed of making it bigger. Bonomo's book is drenched with frustration. The Fleshtones were chasing that same all to elusive dream of R&R stardom. Save for in Paris, where they were treated like R&R royalty throughout the years, they would find that dream always more than an arm's length out of reach. Although their career seemed to be off on a promising start when they got signed at Punk legend's Marty Thau's Red Star label in 1978, the band soon hit that brick wall they would ram in to on various occasions throughout their career. Red Star folded after the recording sessions, the Fleshtones' "American Beat" single fell of radar and their debut album never properly saw light of day.

The Fleshtones would be forever stuck in the basement their story is defined by bad business decisions, botched album preparations, odd production decisions and sometimes disastrous tours drenched in and caused by a haze of alcohol and drugs. Although "Sweat" is superbly written, Joe's subject is what makes the book hard to stomach at times. I don't think that there are a lot of R&R biographies out there that are as honest and confrontational as "Sweat". Even though Joe is clearly a fan, he doesn't spare the band. Peter's and Keith's erratic moods are thrown right in their faces, they come off as troopers of R&R yet seldom as heroes. Through out the book you keep waiting for that release of success and career highs that are trade mark to most R&R biographies. That release never comes. Instead there's this uneasy sense of "what if.......". You can't help but escape the notion that with a little more luck and discipline the Fleshtones would have been inducted in the R&R Hall of fame by now, doing high priced reunion tours. In stead the Flsehtones stumble their way through their career, seemingly forever one step behind or beyond the zeit geist. Never really fitting into the Punk movement, too raggedy to go up against the super stars of the eighties, too upbeat for the chronically depressed Grunge movement and finally too old for the recent Garage revival.

Yet despite all the hard knocks and set backs the Fleshtones have managed to keep that train rolling down the track. They are still living it up on the road, albeit with moderate amounts of drugs and alcohol these days, garanteed to give you one of the best R&R shows you'll ever witness. They seem to have found a stable record deal at Yep-Records, issuing some of the best albums in their career. A new Fleshtones album is slated for early next year. I don't think it will make any dents in the charts. Meaning that quite a few people will deny themselves some of the finest R&R there is to find.

Author Joe Bonomo has produced a labor of love detailing the ups and downs (and worse) of America's undiscovered, greatest rock and roll treasure - The Fleshtones.

This book captures their wild abandon, the influences that made them who they are and ever-present obstacles in their way (be they from an indifferent record industry, bad planning, or their own personal demons).

If you are a contemporary of the band and think you know their story, you don't. Every chapter reveals a new insight, a new wrinkle, a new disaster gone right that you've never heard. And if you never heard of the Fleshtones and want to know what it's like to be in a REAL rock and roll band - this book is for you.

SWEAT is a fast, funny, detailed and well-written account of The Fleshtones story. For over 30 years, The Fleshtones have pounded out their soul/garage review to adoring fans around the world. Although never reaching more than cult status, they've continued to believe in the sound, attitude, and friendship that's sustained them throughout their career.
Like most rock bios. SWEAT chronicles the universals of a career in Rock both good and bad; All the booze, dope, poverty, and bad business deals are there along with the house-wrecking gigs, lifetime friendships, loyal fans and timeless music. Success (or at least solvency) occasionaly rears it's head but never for long. In the end, SWEAT is about persistence and belief. If you love The Fleshtones, this book is a must-read. Even if you're just interested in a great rock and roll story, this book is for you. Author Joe Bonomo and Continuum Books really deserve a lot of credit for letting this story be told.

I can't claim to know the Fleshtones well personally, but in the spirit of full disclosure, I should point out that my record label (Blood Red Vinyl & Discs) put out their "Solid Gold Sound" album a few years ago. That said, I can rave about this band and this book with a clear conscience.

The Fleshtones, you have to understand, embody the spirit of ROCK & ROLL about as well as any band you can name. This is not just to say that they have a boatload of great tunes (which they do) or that they give it their all every time they take the stage (which they also do). What you have to remember is that "their all" has about 1,000 times more power and soul than the whole lot of the current alt-punk-emo-indie-whatever scene. The Fleshtones, you see, have never, ever lost sight of a simple and basic truth that comes with being in a woking band: you paid your hard-earned dollars to see them, and they're going to make damn sure you get your money's worth. Having witnessed them live several times, I've never seen them NOT blow every other band on the bill clean off the stage. Hell, these guys should have 10 books written about them. And audience-dissing hacks like Bryan Adams should have no books written about them. Ever.

Until the next nine Fleshtones books come along, though, author Joe Bonomo has captured the glamour and grind of life in America's Garage Band with a book that will do quite nicely for now. His portrait is not always pretty; as with any good rock story, there are plenty of drugs, disappointment and dropped record deals to go around. But just 'cause it ain't pretty doesn't mean it ain't beautiful. There are great stories here of the good days and the bad. There are the hopeful times when stardom seems possible followed in short order by debauchery, some very nasty drugs and Tuesday nights in empty clubs. Through it all, though, the 'tones play on, giving it their all one more night, in front of one more crowd, the point being that these guys, thank God, believe in what they're doing. Just as importantly, they have the heart and guts to keep doing it.

So hats off to Joe Bonomo for turning the story of a great band into a great read. And to Bill, Keith, Peter and Ken, hats off to you guys too. If you read this, I hope you make it out this way and we can hang out soon. Portland could use a good kick in the pants from the likes of the Fleshtones.

Joe Bonomo's SWEAT...what else can be said that hasn't been said already? Here's more accolades to heap on the growing pile...

SWEAT is an essential read, it strongly stands right up next to PLEASE KILL ME for many reasons. The book is not just for those who are already fans of Super Rock, but for anyone wanting to learn how hard it can be playing rock'n'roll, and for readers wanting to learn another aspect of the "punk" scene in NYC circa 1970's. It tells the history of the band, gives insight into these complex individuals and the perils they've been thru, and demystifies them. Somehow though, The Fleshtones still are on a plane that makes them who they are, what differentiates them from so many other bands that have come and gone.

Bonomo writes in such a deft way that The Fleshtones are allowed to be who they are, to make the choices they've made (some good, some not so good), and still shows them as the truly unique bunch they are. Judgement is never passed on The Fleshtones in SWEAT; their noses are never rubbed in the messes that might've been created. The tone and style on the book is nearly perfect, putting the reader right there in the middle between the Comedy and Tragedy of it all, not quite knowing if the next turn will be the one that could've ended it all.

Thank you, Joe Bonomo, for taking the time and effort to do this; it is genuinely inspired reading. Your love for them comes through like an avalanche, but you still allowed the harsh realities to exist. This is a book I plan to revisit many times in the future. Well done, sir!

And thank you to The Fleshtones for making music and spreading the gospel of Super Rock. You are the most underappreciated band to come out of NYC from the 70s. Thank you, Peter, Kieth, Bill, Ken, Marek, and all other Fleshtones for not knowing when to walk away. We that are lucky to have found you and are better people for it all. RIP, Gordon -- we'll never forget...

I just started getting into Joe Bonomo's book and already it's quite a ride. Rocket fueled parties, swinging with Mid-70's Manhattan A-Listers, and even murder. Yes.........Murder. And the band hasn't even formed yet!
Buy this book then strap yourself in for the wild ride that is The Fleshtones.

Even if you've never heard of the Fleshtones, Sweat is a great read for anyone who likes a great story or wonders why the music industry does "that thing they do", when it comes to ignoring great bands.
Disclamer: I'm a Fleshtones fan, got a thank you in the book and have seen the band live a lot, however there was a lot for me to learn. The book is an enjoyable, fast read that I couldn't put down and I blasted through it in a weekend.
Unlike a lot of rock n roll books/band bios, this one doesn't sugar coat history or get tangled up in fake longing for the past. The bands faults and flaws are out there and it makes for a realistic. down-to-earth read. This book almost has the tone of fiction, partly because of the never-say-die attitude of the Fleshtones, the story of their struggle and good writing.
A minor point, this book could stand one more detailed copy edit, there were a few mispellings and other issues. But don't let that stop you from curling up with a really great book.
Put it on your Chirstmas/holiday list. Now