Tracing origins of true punk rock that lost its identity when hardcore started in LA
Their roots are in a 1978 punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald while they were still in middle school.
With the addition of friends Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks, Bad Religion) and John Stielow on drums, the band's first gig was opening for Black Flag.
At the time of their 1980 debut self-titled EP, the band had changed their original name to Red Cross, which was allegedly inspired by the masturbation scene in the film The Exorcist.
Covering their British glam idol David Bowie's "Savior Machine"
Ron Reyes (Black Flag) became the drummer. Eventually, Hetson left to join the Circle Jerks (and later Bad Religion, two more references to masturbation), and Reyes left to sing for Black Flag.
They appeared on the Posh Boy compilation The Siren. Then to complete the lineup on their first full-length album, Born Innocent, they assembled a revolving door of musicians including original drummer John Stielow.
Full of the McDonald brothers' pop culture obsessions, Born Innocent featured odes to The Exorcist star Linda Blair (who starred in a TV movie of the same name), a cover of "Look on Up from the Bottom" by the Carrie Nations from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and Charles Manson (whose song "Cease to Exist" they covered).
Redd Kross sells out, re-records classic song to crappy Surf Punks' sound
The album also contains nods to evil Christians Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hot Tatum O'Neal, and singer Lita Ford.
Not long after the release of the album, the group was threatened with a lawsuit from the International Red Cross and changed the spelling of their name to Redd Kross, allegedly being inspired by Black comedian Redd Foxx.
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