Vintage Vinyl

Here's a record with both Tucson and Phoenix ties. Don Hinson worked at a DJ in Bakersfield and Las Vegas as well as Tucson, where he was a KTKT jock in 1968. He later worked in Los Angeles on radio, TV and film, and even did stand-up comedy. Back in November of 1964, Capitol Records released his "Monster Mash"-inspired "Monster Jerk," backed with "Riboflavin Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood, which was produced by Skip and Flip's Gary ("Monster Mash") Paxton and Capitol's Bill Miller. The record fell quickly into obscurity until covered and released on an early '80s Los Angeles-based compilation by the Los Angeles "goth" group 45 Grave. Phoenician and future Germs and 45 Grave member Don Bolles found a copy in a Phoenix thrift store and took it with him when he moved to Los Angeles. Per Don: "We covered 'Riboflavin' for fun; we didn't really have 45 Grave going yet, per se, but it was most of the same people. We just played different instruments than we did in the band. I played guitar, another former Phoenix resident, Paul Cutler, played drums, maybe Rob Graves did the bass. Paul and I sang the lady parts and Dinah sang the Don Hinson lead vocal. Del Hopkins from Vox Pop and also from Phoenix played squeak toy."