Header image courtesy of Greg Langston

By Andrew Daly
andrew@vinylwriter.com

Image courtesy of Greg Langston

Recently, I caught up with veteran drummer Greg Langston. Among other things, we touch on Greg’s origins as a drummer, his early years with Tuxedomoon, the formation of Sea Hags, and his many stops in between.

If you would like to learn more about Greg Langston, the link to his Facebook page is here. Once you checked that out, dig into this interview with Greg. Cheers.

Andrew:
Greg, thanks for taking the time with me. Let’s dive in. What are your earliest memories of music?

Greg:
I used to listen to oop radio stations at an early age. Certain songs would really strike me as a cut above all others. I remember loving “The Letter” by The Box Tops, “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James and the Shondells, and The Monkees. I have two older siblings, my sister loved The Beatles, and my brother loved The Rolling Stones. We would watch The Ed Sullivan Show and the rock music presented was very exciting to my young mind.

Andrew:
What first sparked your interest in the drums? Who were your major influences?

Greg:
Once again, it goes back to The Ed Sullivan Show. My Dad called me into the room to see The Rolling Stones. I looked at  Charlie Watts and the beautiful drums, and to myself, I said, “That’s what I want to do.” A little later I heard Cream, and I will site Ginger Baker as my main influence. His song “Toad” off the Wheels of Fire LP takes me on a journey. He is telling a story in that solo. It is not all technique or showing off. I love it!

Andrew:
Paint me a picture of the scene you were exposed to as you were coming up.

Greg:
Well, I would try to see live music wherever I could. I saw a few bands in the late 60s when on family outings. I saw a few “hippie” bands but I can’t say who! By the time high school rolled around, our local rock bands were Earthquake and Yesterday and Today. I was always attracted to bands that were not quite in the mainstream. Soon, I joined a band called East Bay Extension. I performed many shows with them and got my early-stage experience. Then the music scene started shifting, and I embraced the new music wholeheartedly, quit East Bay Extension, and joined Tuxedomoon. My ex-bandmates referred to them as “the Punkers.” [Laughs].

Image courtesy of Greg Langston

Andrew:
Some of your earliest recordings were with Tuxedomoon. What can you recount regarding the sessions?

Greg:
We recorded the single “The Stranger b/w Love/No hope” in a home studio, drums in the living room, guitar amp in the bathroom, etc. Paul Zahl and Tommy Tadlock were on board for production. I was very nervous, although it wasn’t my first recording session. The other band members were older than I was, and I was in awe of their creativity, and I felt so inexperienced.

Andrew:
You were notably the original drummer for underexposed 80s act Sea Hags. Take me through the band’s inception.

I had several bands before the Sea Hags. Touch Tones, Wasp Women, No Alternative, Beast, and others. I was playing with Fade to Black at the time and Ron Yocom literally talked me into playing with them. I had both bands for a little while until the Sea Hags were getting quite a bit of attention, and I quit Fade to Black.

Andrew:
What can you recall regarding the band’s first gig?

Greg:
The first few gigs were at the Sound of Music in San Francisco, across the street from the practice studio. It was the sleaziest club in town. They were so fun, even if not well attended.

Image courtesy of Greg Langston

Andrew:
There have been many stories regarding the Sea Hags’ harsh living conditions during the band’s formative years. Is there any truth to those rumors?

Greg:
Well, I was always working and had a nice apartment. Ron Yocom and Chris Schlosshardt both were sporadically working at Hamburger Mary’s. We all had roofs over our heads and money for food and band practice and records. It wasn’t bad at all when I was with them from 1985 to 1988.

Andrew:
The Hag of the Sea was self-released in 1986. What can you tell us regarding its writing, recording, and reception?

Greg:
In those early days, the ideas were flowing rapidly with new songs coming quickly. Ron and Chris would come up with a part, and we would all work it out together. I don’t share in the writing credits, but they were all written as a group effort. 

We recorded the demo at a studio in El Cerrito, by an old friend of mine, Bill Macbeath. These were comfortable and almost magical. We were playing a lot by then and it was just great. We sold cassettes out of the back of my car at each gig. We sold out just about every time. I’m sure I must have copied at least two-hundred cassettes.  

Andrew:
Was there any label interest?

Greg:
Not yet. Paul Rat was our manager. We outgrew what he could do for us. We got new management, and that’s when things started changing.

Image courtesy of Greg Langston

Andrew:
Sea Hags ultimately signed on with Chrysalis Records. What was their courtship like?

Greg:
They took us to dinner in Hollywood and talked business. I was impressed because John Carter wrote “Incense and Peppermints.” We would visit the Chrysalis offices while our managers and lawyers were working out details. I remember that they let us take any record album on their label out of a big room filled with records. [Laughs].

Andrew:
What led to the fracture which saw you leave the band early in the recording sessions for its debut?

Greg:
Well, all wasn’t great behind the scenes. Ron and Chris sadly were getting more heavily into hard drugs at the time and keeping it out of sight. As preproduction for the record was starting in Burbank, I recall not much progress was happening. I believe that producer Mike Clink and others at Chrysalis were talking unbeknownst to me, about restructuring the band, or at the very least, having studio musicians play our parts. Another guitarist and drummer were brought in, and I was told to pack it in and go home.

Andrew:
Of the songs featured on the debut, which, if any, did you have a hand in, and were you properly credited?

Greg:
All except “Someday.” No, I’m not credited. We worked all songs out together, but Ron and Chris do deserve the bulk of the credit.

Image courtesy of Greg Langston

Andrew:
From there, walk me through the sequence of events leading to you joining Hellbilly’s and No Alternative.

Greg:
Let’s start with No Alternative. I approached bassist Jeff Rees at a KGB show when I heard they were splitting due to drummer Zippy Pinhead moving back to Canada. They picked Bobby Barrage instead of me because he had a place they could practice. Never mind, I just joined Tuxedomoon. We hooked up a year later when the timing for both myself and the band was correct. KGB had by then changed its name to No Alternative and was quite popular in the San Francisco punk scene. When I left the Sea Hags, It was very comfortable for me to reform No Alternative in 1989.

No Alternative split, but I still wanted to play with Jeff Rees. We answered an ad, and the Hellbillys were formed. We started out with a few originals and covers, plus a few No Alternative songs. Jeff quit before the first show. We recorded three albums, several EPs, and played in Mexico and England a few times. The Hellbillys still perform a couple of No Alternative songs in their set. I saw them play a few months ago.

Andrew:
As the 90s pushed forward, and alternative music took over, how did you ride out the decade?

Greg:
The Hellbillys started in 1990, and I performed constantly through 1996 with them. I then joined a punk band called the Insaints. They were great. But our singer Marion would get naked and perform lewd acts on stage. The show began to overshadow the music. When that got too crazy with legal problems and such, I quit. See the movie Last Fast Ride and one can see how crazy it got. 

East Bay punk band Fang started up after singer Sammytown got released from prison. I did that for a while and recorded the excellent album called American Nightmare. I left them only to rejoin again when the time was right.

Andrew:
Present-day, what’s next for you in all lanes, Greg?

Greg:
I am still active. I’m performing a show coming up with The Mutants, also The Screaming Bloody Marys are performing and recording. The Next – an old punk band from the late 70s – and No Alternative still play the occasional show. I also play with Savage Resurrection. They have an album recorded in 1968 and are highly regarded among fans of 60s garage rock bands.

I have been so lucky to play so many different styles with so many different groups. I believe it’s about twenty-five or thirty bands of various styles over the years. I don’t seem to be slowing down at all. It is a wonderful ride with its peaks and valleys, with no end in sight.

Image credit: Jeff Spirer

Interested in learning more about Sea Hags? Hit the link below:

Be sure to check out the full catalog of VWMusic Interviews, by Andrew Daly, here: www.vinylwritermusic.com/interviews

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