Flower Leperds – The Original Group (1988 Mystic Records)
Back in the mid 80’s when I was in high school, I used to buy tons of compilations. Back then, the compilation was actually something pretty special and it was a great way to discover new punk rock bands. If I ever heard of a band that was on a comp, it was reason enough for me to buy the record to check them out, and thus end up discovering a slew of other bands I never heard of before. Mystic Records was notorious for releasing compilations and I bought them all.
It was on Mystic Sampler #2 that I discovered the band, Flower Leperds. They had a song on their called “Preacher’s Confession” which told the story of a preacher that reached the boiling point dealing with all the morons who come in looking for salvation. The song easily stood out as the best on that record and I immediately sought out everything I could find by them, which wasn’t much. Through their short career in their original lineup, they only released one 7″ and had a handful of songs on some compilations, all on the Mystic Records label, among them was Let’s Die and Covers.
Musically they were like gothic hardcore with a bit of metal thrown in the mix. Perhaps like the bastard stepchild of The Misfits and 45 Grave. After they recorded the Mystic stuff, they seemed to vanish into thin air. They would later be resurrected in the late 80s with Tony of The Adolescents as their new front man. I am not sure why the original singer left. The later Flower Leperds records were more rock/metal, and not nearly as good as this original stuff was but still good in their own right. It was just a different sounding band at that point.
The band existed in the early/mid 80s and it was around 1988 that Mystic Records collected all their recorded works onto this LP, titled The Original Group. The songs were remixed and sound a little different, though much cleaner than the versions on the 7″ and compilations. While Mystic was always known for cheap production values, I thought the cover art and overall package of this release was among their best stuff, though the band was largely overlooked and didn’t get the kind of attention that bands like RKL and Dr. Know did. I’m currently in the process of talking Doug Moody (owner of Mystic) into finally reissuing this stuff on CD and I hope that it will be next in line after the next batch of reissues currently in the works.
Nice stuff, thanks for sharing!
flower leppards is a bad ass band. but just wanted tot say that ive seen alot of stuff being put onto cd from records lately. anyways like what you said about the comps thats how i got into all the other mystic bands too. i have alot of the comps and i can get enough of them. trying to collect them all but come are hard to find.
The Flower Leperds are bad to the ass. I first heard them from the Mystic sampler #2 as well, if any one cares. My favorite record label is Mystic and im trying to get as much Mystic music as I can get. The comps. are my favorite.
You’ll be glad to know that in 2005 the Flower Lepreds stuff on Mystic is getting released on CD. I’m in the process of putting it all together for the label.
FYI, mark duda of flower leperds has a website dedicated to the san gabriel valley (CA) punk scene at http://www.cosmicwaste.com
the original flower leperds was me, mario valencia, mark roth, robin cruz, and jeff wolfe. wolfe and valencia were the only constants in the band since day 1. the flower leperds originally came about after the break up of social problems, from la puente ca. i quit modern industry (west covina ca.) to join the leperds and jeff joined soon after. mark roth was replaced by mark olsen (shown above) and i believe robin cruz was originally replaced by mark banks, then mark duda (ex-modern industry and mentioned above). i then quit the leperds to re-join modern industry and later play with (actually start) the abandoned mk II [tony brandenberg AKA adolescent, mark banks, reid campbell (ex-modern industry). see L.P. “killed by faith” originally on savage beat records, home of the pig children and hvy drt]. this band was an offshoot of a band called the vicious dogs [reid campbell, brett multz (future motorpsycho), mark marshall, mark banks and me]. soooooooo, point being, and to make a long story short, the mystic stuff is not the original band.
peace,
c-
Fuck yeah the Flower Leperds kick ass. They were introduced to me years ago by a dude who knew them. Jeff Wolfe is dead from a heroin O.D. now, and they’re so damned obscure a reunion seems unlikely. Mark Olsen is not really in the scene anymore either as far as I know, and Tony Adolescent’s got his own shit going on. Pick up “The Original Group” LP on Mystic, its worth it just for “Blue Child” and “Only 12 Years Old.” Incidentally, if you ever run across the Motorpsycho eight-song S/T cassette… GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT!
Flower Leperds are awesome……. I know one of the members personally, that is Shane Enholm. Thats my brother in law. He is fine and in LA. Doing tattoo art in santa clara. He is still in music.
If that CD comes out, let me know.
good to hear shane the monkey man is doing well, the ol’ bandit. also, jeff didn’t die of o.d. it was more unpleasant and slow than that, unfortunately.
settin’ the record straight,
c-
About 20 years ago a friend came home with a green vinyl 7″. We lived in a small town in the northern part of the Netherlands and he had bought this imported Flower Leperds record. Preacher’s Confession and Death of Two Lovers made my hair stand up! He taped the record for me and a few years later I lost it by lending it to a guy that never gave it back and is dead now (OD).
After all these years I couldn’t even remember the name of the band anymore.
Now (after many previous attemps) I succeeded to Google myself here and read this topic about the Flower Leperds.
Flower Leperds: unforgetable! “I’M NOT YOUR GOD!” is still echoing in my head….
have spoken with mario valencia (AKA dick jism), original leperd bassist, and if we can get mark olsen and mark duda (i’m in sometimes contact with duda… known him since second grade) to do it, we are considering re-recording the pre-mystic and mystic era stuff and maybe playing. i did co-write some of the pre-mystic/mystic stuff, although was not credited. we’d certainly welcome shane, but i guess he’s moved away.
cuss-
shane moved away? no longer slinging ink on melrose?
I was fortunate enough to see Flower Leperds twice in the early ’80’s in Tucson, Az. at a club called Wrex. I can’t remember who the first show was with, but the second time they had Channel Three opening for them. The show was beyond extreme and I still think of it as one of the best I’ve ever seen. The only records I’ve ever heard were a Mystic comp called “It Came From Slimy Valley” and a 7″ that had a cover of an Alice Cooper song (School’s Out, maybe?). My own band, Sexx Toyz, disintegrated about the same time we were to record on Mystic. What a shame…it would have been great to play the scene with groups like that.
Slipping in my senility…the Alice Cooper cover was “I’m Eighteen.” Maybe if i strap the guitars on again my mind will come back to me…
if any one can get hold of my ol’ homeboy EL CHANGO, SHANE !!!!!!!!
PLEASE HAVE HIM CONTACT (( JIZZ ))
AT; dickjism@sbcglobal.net itz been
some time since your N.Y.trip hommie.
time to get back to your people here
in So.CAL shane call me @ my 626 cell
ph. no. (( K ))?????????? d/j OUT!
I need to her Im not your God!!! I have bee searching for any recordings from these guys, I heard It came from slimy valley and have been fiending hard to hear this again for 20 years. Somebody contact me if you have a record, tape, cdr, please.
-Kirk
kirkjamgotchian@yahoo.com
It came from Slimey Valley is available on CD paired with the Scared Straight LP on mystic records.
The Flower Leperds Mystic stuff is coming out on CD in early 2006, I’m working on putting that together right now.
Sad to say, that Mario Valencia, of the Flower Leperds, The outlaws, and Aces and Eights fame, passed away recently, from heart failure. The funeral was held The first week of December 2007, and a musical tribute to him by all band members will be on the 13th of December in L.A.
Check out the second album, Heavens Closed it is a very powerful record. I played bass on that to bad I wasn’t around for the final mixdown, but it’s still a great album. later Jeff, Mario, Rik, Chaz…..
Kevin, correct. RIP my bro’, Mario (Dick Jizm) Valencia, Jr. 11/24/07. The memorial, a benefit for his family (wife and two kids) is Thursday 12/13 at the Cat Club in Hollywood (right next to the Whiskey). Aces and Eights and some form of jam, possibly including ex-band members and friends, will play.
I am Eric Valencia I’m 15 years old and I am at Rancho Cucamonga High School I am just stopping by to tell you about the guy that brought you the Flower Leperds.My uncle,Mario Valencia the bass player for the Flower Leperds. The Flower Leperds was his band. The Flower Leperds broke up unfortunately. Then my uncle Mario started another band up with his friend Tazz. (Aces-N- Eights)is what they are called, Slash(Velvet Revolver)was their manager. Aces-N-Eights was Tazz and my uncles band of course, everything was going right. 3:00 at noon November 23,2007 my uncle passed away. I am Going to tell you what happened to my uncle. On Thanksgiving day my uncle was having his thanks giving dinner and he went to the bathroom to know that he was urinateing blood and collapsed on the bathroom floor, he wasn’t able to hold any food in his system. So my aunt Veronica took my uncle to the emergency room the next day. They took my uncle to a near by hospital(San Antonio Hospital) which was a bad idea. My mom callled veronica and told her to get my uncle out of there. But they thought it was wise to leave my uncle there for the doctors to be racist to my uncle because he was chicano and had a bunch of tattoos. The fuckin doctors didn’t do their fuckin job right and let him go. My uncle was burried in Pomona,Cali On December 3rd.
Hi! Not really into the scene but curious. I was friends with Jeff Wolfe founder of the OC punk group The Furys a number of years ago when they had just gotten started. Was the Jeff Wolfe of the the Flower Leperds the same fellow? If so, can you tell me where he was and when he passed away and if he left any family? Thanks for your help.
not the same guy, i’m pretty sure. c-
I was the wife of Shane Enholm
forever soulmate
always in allways
M
I go way back with Shane – For both good and evil…ha ha and I’m pretty sure his wife was Casey.
Jeff Wolfe from the Furys here I am alive and well I have been the leader of The Horse Soldiers since the Furys broke up in 1987 You can view our video for “California Country Cowboy” on Youtube The Horse Soldiers have released 3 albums and have appeared on 4 major label compilations Ridin’ West vol 1 & 2, Between the Rails, and Cowboy Christmas We have new recordings that will be released very soon
I grew up in west covina 3 doors down from Mad Parade,and i was good freinds(we all worked together) wt Jeff Wolfe…he,d just gotten out of a rehab and came to work with myself and frank moyer. Is it true Jeff is gone?
yes. jeff is long gone. 1996 i think. maybe someone else has a better idea of exact dates. i knew frank too, btw. c-
WOW I never knew FL was so infamous. C didn’t Sicky Velvette migrate into Motorpsycho?
R.I.P. fellow bandmates Mario and Jeff. Good times in the 80’s. Hows it goin Mark Olsen? hope all is good.
Jeff was a great friend and a gentle person. He just had a problem.
flower leperds played a 4th of july party in lake perris
go to you tube put in christymaechen and click search
Kelly Catlin and cussvarmint,
Yeah man, Jeff was great – did a gig for awhile with him ‘The Young Lions’
Vato changed my life!
Regards,
Frankie
c/s
Wow- it is odd to hear the names of all these people I used to know. It is sad that such a talented guy like Jeff couldn’t turn it around.
What ever happened to ToddMO?
Best
last i heard, he was living in hungary or germany teaching english. had been there a while. i think married, and maybe still? dunno for sure.
I’m not your dog.. Anyone