Greg Shaw 7

Stiv Bators, the front man for one of the best punk rock bands the Dead Boys, had a tempestuous relationship with Bomp! Records’ Greg Shaw.  He was trying to reinvent himself as a pop singer and released one excellent album in 1980 called Disconnected and a lot of other singles.  It was never easy on Shaw to work with Bators; he would arrive at the recording studio with a gaggle of Hollywood hangers-on, and they might be partying in there all night long.   He was also very particular as to which musicians he wanted to work with; in many cases, he would want to fly in some first-wave punk rocker who was available (Shaw uncharitably called them “burnouts”). 

In about 1985, Stiv Bators was recording a new version of a Moody Blues “B” side, “The Story in Your Eyes”; and the flip side was going to be a cover of the Richard Berry anthem “Have Love, Will Travel”.  (The connection to the popular TV western of 50-some years ago, Have Gun – Will Travel is likely not well remembered these days).  Richard Berry (no relation to Chuck Berry) is the author of the immortal “Louie Louie”; one time, Stiv Bators also recorded a version of that song with a whole studio full of people – the new lyrics that he supplied extolled the virtues of his new home town and gave it the name, “L.A. L.A.”.