O.C. Punk Scene

First, I want to thank Mike Boehm for being a good spokesman for the O.C. punk scene and for the article “A Compilation Should Be Our Next Offspring” (Aug. 18) recommending an O.C. punk compilation.

There are a few historical inaccuracies in the article that I would like to correct.

1) O.C.’s first punk airplay on KROQ was in January of 1978 when Rodney Bingenheimer played the Mechanics’ version of Jan & Dean’s “Dead Man’s Curve,” done Ramones-esque.

2) The O.C. punk scene began “shouting” in 1973-74 when the bands Head Over Heels and the Strand were playing Iggy & the Stooges and New York Dolls songs, and their own punk originals. Head Over Heels was the first in O.C. to do a punk version of Dick Dale’s “Miserlou,” in 1973. Agent Orange did it later, in 1978 or ’79. Members of Head Over Heels and the Strand later surfaced in such bands as the Mechanics, the Avengers, D.I. and 16 Tons.

3) The Mechanics were not influenced by Devo but by Iggy, the Ramones, the Weirdos and the Sex Pistols.

TIM RACCA

Fullerton

Racca was guitarist with the Mechanics from 1977-81 and currently is a member of 16 Tons.