Rik L Rik – Meathouse 7″ (1979 Posh Boy Records)
Rik L Rik (real name Richard Brian Elerick) was around in the beginning of the Los Angeles punk scene and was in a band called F-Word. He was mentioned quite a bit in The Germs biography that came out a couple years ago. After F-Word called it quits in late 1978 Rik would leave for San Francisco and join Negative Trend. That band’s sole recorded output would be one 7″ and a couple tracks on the Tooth and Nail compilation (which will be featured here one of these days).
After he quit Negative Trend, he went solo and put out a this really great 7″ on Posh Boy Records, and was also on the Beach Blvd compilation. It was at the recording session for this single that those Negative Trend tracks were recorded for the Tooth and Nail compilation and were remixed by Chris D (of Flesheaters fame, who released the comp on his label, Upsetter Records).
I asked Posh Boy himself for a little recollection of this and here is what he said:
Owing to shortage of funds I had to choose between printing the picture sleeve for Rik single and that of Simpletones. In fact, when the artwork for the Rik single was done, it was a Negative Trend single. Rik left the band between the recording and the record’s release. So that played a big factor. The Tooth and Nail tracks are from the same session as the Posh Boy single… the only difference being that Chris Desjardins wanted to remix. He, of course, used the band name “Negative Trend” whereas I wanted to promote Rik and the remaining members of Negative Trend wanted to disassociate themselves from him. So we pressed 1000 of the PBS 4, the Rik L Rik single and it just did not sell. That’s why I offered them free to anyone guessing what the letters TSOL stood for. It would have been a beautiful black and red pic sleeve, we adapted the artwork for the 1990 re-issue. Artwork by Ginger Canzoneri
Years later, Posh Boy would release The Lost Album by Rik L Rik which was a collection of songs he recorded in the early 1980s. Sadly, Rik passed away of cancer in June of 2000. He was in the process of recording a record with The Celestials before he died but it never got finished before his untimely passing. There is a tribute page for Rik up on the Posh Boy Records website.
Listen to “Meathouse” from the record
Shortyly before Rik died I discovered Beach Blvd. The songs he did for that comp were so great. It was definitely a sad time to be getting into him though.
Just had to comment on the good friend I knew when we were so much younger. What a blast he added to my life. He has never left my heart and I think I speak for so many. Hope to see you one day Rik, the music world and the people who knew you valued your presence greatly. Love you.
Rik sang for the Slaves who put out a record in the late ’80s with the redoubtable Tex Moseley on guitar (he went on to join the Hangmen)… a gREAT record in spots & Tex’s guitar work was un fuggin real…
He also sang for Electric Frankenstein for a short while in the late 1990’s. They released the Rock N’ Roll Monster album featuring Rik on vocals.
In 1981 I relocated from Riverside back to Iowa. It sucked! but one day I was at a record convention (remember those) and I saw the single shown above. I bought it and I played that thing until I gave it to me my nephew who still has it. It was one of the few bright, corrosive spots in an otherwise horrible exile.
Just try to imagine this line-up: Rik L Rik singing, Link Wray on guitar, Arthur Kane (NY Dolls) on bass, and Keith Moon on drums.
In fact, Rik was a kind of Syd Barrett.
Two genius, and nobody knows who they were.
Rik was a friend of mine who encouraged me to live my dream of becoming a singer. One night we were sitting on the steps in the back patio of the Coconut Teazer and he said to me “Marea you have to go out and let people hear you sing. No one is ever going to know who you are singing in your living room” Rik was a genius artist who not only honed his own talent but had the ability, the love and care to help others hone their own. I don’t think I have ever been really mad at God until Rik L Rik died. Rik’s passing was a tragedy of a great artist,and a loving human being.
Marea
Singer of the Motorcycle Black Madonnas
when i was in intermediate school i would go see rik play around town… barefoot… and cute… 🙂 but i was just a little kid and he didn’t take notice of me. then years later, i started running into him at clubs again and this time i was older… and cuter…. and he asked me out! I actually got to date one of my idols!!!!
we never made it as a bf/gf couple but i met his mother and we were friends. I was deeply saddended to hear about his death. I still listen to his records occasionally. I was a huge fan and still am.
Rik takes me way back. My first band was punk back in 85, in Chas SC. We covered a Rik song called The Outback ( I saw you). We lifted the tune from a Rodney on the Rock compilation that I still own. This song was so good that we used it to end every show. The crowd would go crazy. I would tell people that it was a Rik L Rik song, and the would say – Who? I am just finding out about his death and am very sad. That was the best time of my life. Rock on Rik !!!
Hi,
Nobody knows lyrics for “Meathouse”?!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIK!!! We miss you! 9/30/2011