The Plugz (also known as "Los Plugz") were a

Latino punk Latino punk is punk music created by Latin Americans, Latino people in Latin America and the United States. The angst and protest qualities of punk music and style have had a strong appeal to Latino youth in the U.S., and to the people in Latin A ...

band from Los Angeles that formed in 1977 and disbanded in 1984. They and The Zeros were among the first Latino punk bands, although several

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

bands, such as

Thee Midniters Thee Midniters were an American rock group, among the first Chicano rock bands to have a major hit in the United States. They were one of the best known acts to come out of East Los Angeles in the 1960s, with a cover of " Land of a Thousand Da ...

and Question Mark & the Mysterians, predated them. The Plugz melded the spirit of punk and Latino music.

History

The band was formed in 1977 and was a contemporary of the bands featured in the film ''

The Decline of Western Civilization ''The Decline of Western Civilization'' is a 1981 American documentary filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was directed by Penelope Spheeris. In 1981, the LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates wrot ...

''. Their songs reflected the anger and angst of growing up Chicano, and this was reflected in their sardonic hi-speed version of

Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died i ...

' " La Bamba". The Plugz are generally acknowledged as being the first D.I.Y. punk band in L.A., having started their own PLUGZ RECORDS and later Fatima records. The band was initially composed of: *

Tito Larriva Humberto "Tito" Larriva (born 1953) is a Mexican-born American songwriter, singer, musician, and actor. He came to prominence leading The Plugz, one of the earliest Los Angeles punk rock groups. Since the 1990s, his main musical outlet has been ...

(lead vocals/guitar) * Charlie Quintana (drums) (d. 2018) *Barry McBride (bass/backing vocals) This lineup recorded the band's first album, ''Electrify Me'', produced and engineered by Alan Kutner, and released in 1979. The Plugz melded the spirit of punk and Latino music. After McBride left (sometime in 1979–80), he was replaced by John Curry from The Flyboys, who left to form Choir Invisible less than a year later. Larriva and Curry wrote the title track to the second album ''Better Luck''. The musicians on the band's second album, ''Better Luck'' (1981), were: *

(lead vocals/guitar) * Charlie Quintana (drums) (credited as "Chalo Quintana") Guests: *

Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (; born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine composer, record producer and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Gustavo Santaolalla, numerous accolades for List of works by Gustavo S ...

(bass/guitars/

charango The charango is a small Andes, Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, from the Quechua people, Quechua and Aymara people, Aymara populations in the territory of the Altiplano in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments we ...

/backing vocals) * Aníbal Kerpel (keyboards) *

Steve Berlin Steven M. Berlin (born September 14, 1955, in Philadelphia) is an American saxophonist, keyboardist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock group Los Lobos and, before that, Top Jimmy & the Rhythm Pigs, the Blasters, and the Fl ...

(saxophone) *

Bruce Fowler Bruce Lambourne Fowler (born July 10, 1947) is an American trombonist and composer. He played trombone on many Frank Zappa records, as well as with Captain Beefheart and in the Fowler Brothers Band. He composes and arranges music for movies, a ...

(trombone) *Steve Fowler (saxophone) *Brian Qualls (piano)

Tony Marsico Tony Marsico (born November 8, 1957) is an American bassist and composer best known as the co-founder of the rock and roll band the Cruzados, formed in 1983, with two albums on Arista Records in 1985 and 1987. Prior to Cruzados, Marsico was a member ...

joined the band in late 1980, and Steven Hufsteter began playing lead guitar with the group in 1984. With the addition of Steven Hufsteter on lead guitar, The Plugz also feature prominently on the soundtrack to the movie '' Repo Man''. The group performed "Hombre Secreto," a Spanish version of

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is a retired American musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential art ...

' " Secret Agent Man", "El Clavo y la Cruz" and original instrumental background music for the film, part of which appears on the soundtrack as ''Reel Ten.'' Plugz bassist Tony Marsico and drummer Charlie Quintana together with their friend, guitar player JJ Holiday, accompanied

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

on his appearance on ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...

'' on March 22, 1984, for three songs: "Don't Start Me Talkin'" (by Sonny Boy Williamson), " Jokerman", and "License to Kill". In 1984, ''The Plugz'' name was retired and the three members continued as the

Cruzados The Cruzados were a 1980s rock band from Los Angeles, California. History The Cruzados were formed in 1983 by the members of The Plugz, featuring members Tito Larriva, Tony Marsico, Steven Hufsteter, Chalo Quintana, The band's self-titled a ...

with Steven Hufsteter. The Plugz reunited the three founding members for The Masque 30th Anniversary Party and Book Release show on November 11, 2007, at The Echoplex in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, California.

Discography

*"Move // Mindless Contentment / Let Go" single on Slash Records (1978) *''Electrify Me'' (1979) PLUGZ RECORDS *"Achin' / La Bamba" single on Fatima Records (1981) *''Better Luck'' (1981) *''Los Angelinos – the eastside renaissance'' (compilation) (1983) *'' Repo Man'' soundtrack (1984) *''Bob Dylan & The Plugz'' (1984) *'' New Wave Hookers soundtrack'' – Electrify Me (1985) *''We're Desperate: The L.A. Scene 1976-79'' - Rhino compilation (1993) "La Bamba"

Track listing – ''Electrify Me'' (1979)

#"A Gain – A Loss" (Tito Larriva) #"The Cause" (Tito Larriva) #"Electrify Me" (Tito Larriva) #"Satisfied Die" (Tito Larriva/Barry McBride) #"La Bamba" (public domain) #"Adolescent" (Tito Larriva) #"Braintime" (Tito Larriva) #"Wordless" (Tito Larriva) #"Let Go" (Tito Larriva/Barry McBride) #"Infection" (Tito Larriva) #"Berserktown" (Tito Larriva)

Track listing – ''Better Luck'' (1981)

#"Better Luck" (Tito Larriva/Curry) #"Red Eye No. 9" (Tito Larriva) #"Achin'" (Tito Larriva) #"American" (Tito Larriva) #"In The Wait" (Tito Larriva) #"El Clavo Y La Cruz" (Tito Larriva) #"Blue Sofa" (Tito Larriva) #"Touch For Cash" (Tito Larriva) #"Gas Line" (Tito Larriva) #"Cesar's Song" (Tito Larriva) #"Shifting Heart" (Tito Larriva) #"No Love" (Tito Larriva)

In popular culture

* The Plugz' song "Adolescent" was used in the film '' Scarred'' (1984). * The Plugz' song "Electrify Me" was used in the adult film '' New Wave Hookers'' (1985).

References

External links

*
"The Plugz – Biography and pictures"
''The ModPopPunk Archives'' (website), 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:Plugz, The Punk rock groups from California Musical groups from Los Angeles Musical groups established in 1977 Musical groups disestablished in 1984 1977 establishments in California 1984 disestablishments in California