Thirty years ago today, I played drums on this 11-song Misfits recording, done on an 8-track in Vernon, NJ. The snare drum was Robo’s from the Earth A.D. album. Dr. Chud engineered the session, which took place several weeks before Graves auditioned. He handed me this tape that day. I wrote out the details on the card when I got home.
Eric Weiss and a guy named Sherman sang, Doyle played guitar, and Jerry played bass. Dan Canzonieri from Electric Frankenstein was in the room when all of this went down, which is how we met. I was 17 and a senior in high school. I’m on a few other Misfits recordings from around this time, but I’m pretty sure this is the only one I still have — or at least the only one that’s labeled.
I’m thinking of getting this pressed on short-run vinyl — not to sell, but to give a copy to Chudly, Danny, Mo, Doy, Eric, Sherman (if I can find him), and my stepson.
Some of the best times of my late teens were spent with The Misfits. I last talked to Jerry in Philly a few months before the first reunion show with Glenn. I last chatted with Doyle in Massachusetts about two years ago, and I’m still in touch with Chud regularly. I think of the fellas often and fondly.
EMAIL JOEL at gaustenbooks@gmail.com
