ABOUT

Started in high school by Harold Bronson, a music-obsessed Los Angeles native, the Winos’ band name was derived from Westfield, New York’s Mogen David Wine Company. “It was inspired by those crazy band names from the psychedelic era, such as Jefferson Airplane and Strawberry Alarm Clock,” Bronson reveals in his liner notes for Savage Young Winos. “We just changed the spelling of ‘Mogen’ to avoid getting sued.”

By November 1969, Bronson was enrolled at the University of California in Los Angeles, and was actively recruiting fellow staffers from the campus newspaper, The Daily Bruin. Alongside guitarist Jonathan Kellerman, piano player Tom Matye, and bassist Jim Bickhart, with Bronson on drums, the Winos laid down the instrumentation for their first two tracks, an original called “The Big War” and a cover of the Mad Magazine comedy tune, “Nose Job.” Months later, Bronson added his vocals on a tape recorder borrowed from his neighbor, legendary comedian George Carlin.

Between 1970 and 1975, Mogan David and His Winos self-released three 45 RPM singles, an album, and performed sporadic local shows. The first two singles (“Nose Job”/”The Big War” and “Street Baby”/”Party Games”) as well as the album (Savage Young Winos: Evolution of a Rock Band Big Beat Performances) appeared on Kosher Records. Bronson bankrolled the recording sessions, the vinyl pressing, and he also handled distribution. The Savage Young Winos LP received some national attention, with Creem Magazine’s Lester Bangs writing, “Side one’s at least as listenable as Roxy Music… Hooracha and more power to ‘em.”

By 1974, Bronson was working as store manager at the recently launched Rhino Records retail store on Westwood Boulevard. In collaboration with the store’s owner, Richard Foos, Bronson’s Kosher Records evolved into a new independent label, also named Rhino Records. For most of their first decade, the Rhino label was very much a D.I.Y. (“Do It Yourself”) affair, with Foos and Bronson licensing recordings from other more-established companies for re-release. By 1984, Rhino was proving itself a major player in the compact disc market, releasing dozens of oldies CDs. As the label evolved, so did its sales impact and critical stature. In 1992, Rhino Records won its first Grammy Award.

The third and final single by Mogan David and His Winos, “All the Wrong Girls Like Me”/”Savage Surf,” was released by Rhino Records in 1975. Both tracks featured Bronson on lead vocals with “All the Wrong Girls Like Me” also featuring Foos on bass guitar.

Reflecting the musical schizophrenia of the 1970s independent music scene, Savage Young Winos is a wildly diverse collection. The 19 tracks on the CD encompass proto-punk (covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown,” Leiber & Stoller’s “Love Potion No. 9,” two versions of the Winos original, “Street Baby”), British Invasion (“Party Games”), power pop (“Cover Girl”), early new wave (“Beauty Queen”), surf raveups (“Have Nagila”), instrumental twang (“Savage Surf”), nerd rock (“Nose Job,” “All the Wrong Girls Like Me”), fiery R&B (“Down the Road Apiece”), and all points in between. In addition to the covers mentioned above, the CD and digital versions also include live versions of the Dave Clark Five’s “Glad All Over” and the Zombies’ “She’s Not There.”


MEDIA BREAKS

“BLOWING SMOKE WITH TWISTED RICO” PODCAST (Interview w/ Harold Bronson)
“Let It Rock” Blog / Canada (Savage Young Winos press release)

AUDIO