Flipper

Genre:Punk Rock
 
Flipper is a punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005.Flipper was founded from former members of the Sleepers and Negative Trend. Founding member and original vocalist Ricky Williams who is credited for naming the band was fired from the band before any recordings.Flipper made their first recordings available in late 1979 via the SF Underground 7" compilation series released through Steve Tupper's newly-formed Subterranean Records. In 1981, a 7" comprising "Love Canal/Ha Ha Ha" followed, and the original lineup made two full-length studio albums on Subterranean, 1982's Generic and a 1984 follow up Gone Fishin'.Mark Arm says in the 2003 documentary American Hardcore that Flipper's charm as a band lies in their ability to upset audiences, while attracting their undivided attention and curiosity at the same time


Two more singles on Subterranean followed, "Brainwash"/"Sex Bomb" and "Old Lady That Swallowed The Fly"/"Get Away" before Album (also known as Generic Flipper). "Sex Bomb" is a seven minute track with only one lyric, "She's a sex bomb, my baby, yeah." The original release of the "Sex Bomb" single featured individually hand-made covers. The

follow-up studio album in 1984, Gone fishin, featured the opening track "The Lights, The Sound, The Rhythm, The Noise", "Survivors of the Plague" and "Sacrifice". The multi-colored delivery step van pictured on the cover was also where Ted Falconi lived when the group was not on the road. The van, along with figures representing the band and their equipment could be cut out and folded with Subterranean offering extra covers through a small mail order fee.In 1984, the ROIR cassette label released a live Flipper document of a CBGB's performance entitled "Blow'n Chunks" that became available on CD in 1990, and goes in and out of print. A 2001 reissue includes four outtakes from the live sessions. The performance included material from all phases of the band's existence thus far.