Zero Boys – History Of Cassette

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I forgot to ask Paul Mahren the singer of Zero Boys the history about this tape back in 1991 when I arranged a gig for them at Skylten in Linkoping/Sweden. Why wasn’t it released on vinyl? Why the “Boycott Upstart Records” on the sleeve? Where Upstart supposed to release it and fucked them over? Dunno. Paul was a super nice guy to chat with and the only let down from the show was that they forgotten to play Beach Blanket from their come back LP: Make It Stop which is as good as any of the stuff from their first.

So if anyone knows the history behind this tape please let us living in darkness be enlightened!

Strange Reaction posted this sometime ago but I thought I might just add my own rip too.

Country: USA
Year: 1984
Label: Affirmation
Format: Cassette
Songs:
Drive In.mp3
Black Network News.mp3
Splish Splash.mp3
I Need Energy.mp3
Johnny Better.mp3
Dingy Bars Suck.mp3
Seen That Movie Before.mp3
High Places.mp3
Bloods Good.mp3
Human Body.mp3
Moms Wallet.mp3
Down The Drain.mp3
Outta Style.mp3
You Can Touch Me.mp3
Trying Harder.mp3
I’m Bored.mp3

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19,170 Responses to Zero Boys – History Of Cassette

  1. Tin Can Army says:

    This came late. Christmas is over. Thank you!

  2. bob says:

    thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you!

  3. fred says:

    What’s to tell? I ordered this outta a magazine at the time, I remember they were broken up by then. Who would have paid for a records by a group that had broken up.

    Saw them at the time of the yellow 1st LP in LA with Detonators, MDC (first LA appearance), then the Zero Boys (first LA appearance), then Minor Threat (first LA appearance). Most were there to see MT, but Zero Boys were much better, and had hair, unlike MT. I just remember Mahern ranting something fast about Manson, and away they went. Just as good as that LP, live!

  4. killer cane says:

    this rip is way better then the ones I’ve heard. brilliant post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. timmy says:

    heeeeeeeell yes. this is great. i wish they would get this mastered and release it on cd / LP.
    timmy

  6. The Flakes // Drummer says:

    I don’t think the split up would’ve put back records sales on this in case it was available on vinyl.

  7. iq32 says:

    You’ve just put yourself in the position of “How The Hell Am I Going To Top This?”…. i almost fell outta the chair when i saw this posted today. Thanks!

  8. Hank says:

    Fucking hell!! Unbelievable!!

  9. Thanx. And lots of bad words also.

  10. Johan says:

    this is like the best band ever. you will never top this post. ha

    nice with a good rip of this one. thanks

  11. Johan says:

    drive in and seen that movie before are one the best somgs ever (strange that both are about movies).
    how could I miss them at skylten? hm probably because I was 11 and thought Guns n’ roses we’re the shit.
    Didn’t know they played in sweden. was it one gig only? or were they on tour?

  12. The Flakes // Drummer says:

    I think they only played in Linkoping. Can’t remember I was dealing with others to set up more gigs. Why? You tell me. It was the same thing with Scream who played in 1989.

  13. Johan says:

    well people are stupid

  14. Jerk Ass says:

    Fuck n a this kicks ass. I love the Zero Boys and this is like a lost gem for me. I never knew it was floating around.

  15. eyeball says:

    This guys never released anything on Upstart at all. The first single was on Z-Disc, the first LP was on Nimrod. In 1990 they did a great split ep with Toxic Reasons on Selfless rec, a year later there was a nice album on Bitzcore and in 1993 there was a CD on Skyclad records.

  16. The Flakes // Drummer says:

    Yes, eyeball I think most of us know that :). The question where if the tape was supposed to be released by Upstart.

  17. Anonymous says:

    I went to see Toxic Reasons in England around 88/89? The Zero Boys I’m sure played all the European dates with TR but never came to the UK with them for some reason. I was well pissed off I can tell you!

    Yes I have to agree, great post and one of the best bands of all time! They just make it sound sooooo eazy

  18. Nathalie says:

    Thank you so much for posting this.

  19. Brian Wisconsin says:

    Fuckin’ hell this is good!

  20. Banky says:

    Some of the best 80’s hardcore I’ve ever heard.

  21. arne says:

    I had the pleasure of seeing them play in the original lineup in CBGBs late 2005…. it was like listening to Vicious Circle.

  22. tufty's workin' part time at a shoe store says:

    just found your site. amazing. thanks for encoding this treasured release. any chance in posting the 6 songs from the VC album that were not released on the CD re-issue? thanks :)

  23. Paul Z says:

    I can’t even remember why we put that about upstart records on there. We are planing on remastering this and releasing it on CD and vinyl in late 2007. Oh by the way, Dow Jones and the Industrials are the best band ever from Indiana.

    pzm

  24. Marvin P. Goldstein says:

    Glad to see you are going to re-release this Paul. What about the Master Tapes?

  25. mighty camaro says:

    super rad,thanks

  26. John says:

    I concur! Dow Jones & the Industrials were the best Indiana band from that same general time period…

  27. The Flakes // Drummer says:

    They sounded quiet different from the Zero Boys so it’s hard to compare? I love Dow Jones and find them equally great.

  28. Jay Thurston says:

    I am still waiting for the release of the DVD from 1980…does anyone know when it will be out??? Just curious and impatient.

  29. your own sht says:

    they never released anything on UPSTART.

  30. The Flakes // Drummer says:

    I think we all know that.

  31. Erich says:

    Brillant comment, your own sht hahahaha.

  32. Jay Thurston says:

    I am still waiting for the release of the 1980 video of them…I think it is on UPSTART??? Hahaha…just kidding. It is not on UPSTART.

  33. Erich says:

    I thought this demo here was originally released on Upstart Records, isn’t it true? I think I read this in “Lords of Chaos”.

  34. Jay Thurston says:

    What the fuck is Lords of Chaos??? Besides…all I want is that fucking DVD of them from 1980…what the fuck is the hold up. I am not getting any younger.

  35. The Flakes // Drummer says:

    They never released anything on Upstart. I read that in Mein Kampf I think.

  36. Erich says:

    Isn’t this the DVD of Nina Hagen masturbating in an austrian tv-show? I think I’ve read that in “Lords of Chaos”, in the “Upstarts Discorgraphy” section, which has a lot of Zero Boys outputs listed.

  37. Jay Thurston says:

    Oh lord…I will just keep waiting for the release of the DVD soon. He said it was going to be released last year, but had other priorities. I think it is going to be on Upstart???

  38. Jay Thurston says:

    Oops, the DVD is from 1981…

  39. Kurt says:

    I drew the cover for Vicious Circle. It’s pretty fucking cool to see people appreciate this band that I thought would never be heard outside of Indiana back then. They were always so awesome. Some of the best times of my life at those shows. Thanks for putting this up!

  40. Jay Thurston says:

    We were lucky enough to have seen them. They were a fucking brilliant band and the DVD of them will be released soon. It is from 1981, great sound quality as well. Can’t wait.

  41. Mike Moser says:

    The DVD will be released at the same time as the re-release of the CD in early February.

  42. Martin says:

    What is the song “Black network news” about? Any lyrics?

  43. It’s a song about black people working for a news network.

  44. Martin says:

    Yeah, but what are they saying about it? I can’t decipher the words!

  45. MrShake says:

    wait… Kurt (cover artist)… Yukki Gipe? I just bought the first Bullet Lavolta EP on wax today!

  46. Jay Thurston says:

    Aren’t Bullet Lavolta a “hair metal” band???

  47. alex says:

    it wont work!! i cant get them

  48. The Flakes // Drummer says:

    The re-issue is out now so please buy it.

  49. mike says:

    Mr. Shake, yeah, Kurt = Yukki. The DVD is out now. I think I heard it was gonna be on Upstart Records (although Mike Moser will likely be surprised to hear that).

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