Dirty Water Revisited: Vinyl
The new album from Tony Valentino of The Standells on black vinyl in a picture sleeve.
Big Stir Records is thrilled to welcome a true rock and roll legend to our roster: TONY VALENTINO, guitarist and founding member of sixties garage rock legends THE STANDELLS! Valentino is back with a new album, DIRTY WATER REVISITED, on Vinyl, CD and Streaming. Out May 26, it features blistering remakes of eight Standells classics: from the immortal title track to the new versions of “Barracuda,” "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" and "Try It" that've been hits all over again on global independent radio over the past year, and more. There's even a pair of brand new tracks delivered in vintage style by Tony and an all-new band fueled with all the garage swagger and raw power fans expect. Decades after his band took the world by storm an invented the everlasting Garage Rock template, TONY VALENTINO is back on wax where he belongs!
The Standells have been called the Godfathers of Punk and Garage Rock. Best known for their iconic hit of the '60s, “Dirty Water”, they also scored with “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White”, “Try It”, and “Riot On Sunset Strip” -- all recreated with their original power intact for the new album. They appeared in many television shows and movies. Their songs have been covered by everyone from Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and U2 to countless other bands. From day one Tony Valentino was there as the guitarist and co-founding member of the band. "Dirty Water" is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."
Now, Tony Valentino breathes invigorating new life into the sound, songs and music of The Standells. Valentino, along with his new backing band including key collaborator Gary Kaluza on bass and of course Tony (on guitar, vocals and keyboards) have delivered a fresh new take on The Standells’ catalog and added two brand new songs. Big Stir Records is honored to be along for the ride and anticipates big things on the international airwaves as DIRTY WATER REVISITED hits record store shelves everywhere. Get your copy on Vinyl, CD, or Digital today.
Big Stir Records is proud to announce the May 26 release of a new album, on Vinyl LP, CD and all streaming platforms, from garage rock legend TONY VALENTINO of The Standells! DIRTY WATER REVISITED features ten newly recorded tracks from the guitar hero, reimagining many of the classics that made his band the ultimate purveyors of gritty riffs and
Big Stir Records is proud to announce the May 26 release of a new album, on Vinyl LP, CD and all streaming platforms, from garage rock legend TONY VALENTINO of The Standells! DIRTY WATER REVISITED features ten newly recorded tracks from the guitar hero, reimagining many of the classics that made his band the ultimate purveyors of gritty riffs and swaggering hits in the '60s and adding a pair of blistering new originals to the mix. Packaged in a gorgeous retro-styled jacket (designed in the UK by Champniss of London), it's available for pre-order now at www.bigstirrecords.com and all major online retailers, and will hit record store shelves worldwide on the street date.
TONY VALENTINO is regarded as the Godfather Of Punk for good reason. Now in his sixth decade carrying the torch of the garage rock sound, Tony still kicks up one raucous sound on stage and in the recording studio, and DIRTY WATER REVISITED presents him in all his hard-rocking, riff-slinging glory. As a founding member of hit-making Standells, Valentino is an indisputable titan of the proto-punk form – no survey of the sound, from NUGGETS on down, is complete without a Standells track.
It was all documented on vinyl and on singles back in the day, and fans are thrilled that Tony is taking it back to those roots. The LP has been preceded by no fewer than five singles, including the revved up remakes of four Standells hits -- “Dirty Water,” “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White,” “Barracuda” and “Try It” -- along with the all new hardcore tribute “I'm A Sexy Punk Rocker”, all of which have become hits all over again on independent radio shows and charts across the globe. And they're all here, joined by four more revamped '60s classics including the cultural touchstone “Riot On The Sunset Strip” and another fresh Valentino composition for the 21st Century, “Vicki”.
The sheer energy of the new performances, each produced by Tony and featuring a powerful backing band including key collaborator GARY KALUZA, is sure to thrill longtime fans and is already catching the ears of the younger generation just now discovering the classic garage rock sound. Of his decision to return to wax with these new tracks in the vintage style, Tony says the inspiration came from another veteran hitmaker: “Rick Springfield was a frequent customer of a restaurant I owned, Bellisimo. He would bring his dog, sit in the patio and we would talk. One day he said that he was going to re-record all of his hits so that he would have control over them. Many musicians in the '60s really had no control over what was done with their music and The Standells were no exception. After hearing what Rick had planned I said, one day I am going to do that. Afterwards, I started working on the concept of Dirty Water Revisted. It was my way of rebelling against the record labels and shady industry types back then for what they had done to us.”
It's a punk rock move, and the classic punk rock records of the late '70s and the '60s garage rock movement before them had all gone down on wax, so a return to vinyl was a natural step. Far from a simple nostalgia trip, DIRTY WATER REVISITED shows TONY VALENTINO at the height of his powers. For garage rock enthusiasts and punk rockers young and old, it's an essential addition to any collection, and proof positive that rock and roll is alive and well in the hands of a true master. Revel in the reinvigorated hits and hear a hint of the future with Tony Valentino, back on wax and the airwaves where he belongs – and CD and worldwide streaming as well! -- with DIRTY WATER REVISITED!
This year Valentine's Day is also Valentino's Day – TONY VALENTINO of The Standells, that is! And it's a very punk rock – and sexy – holiday, too, as Tony releases his new single “I'm A Sexy Punk Rocker” on February 14. It's up for pre-sale at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com now and will be streaming worldwide on the street date. Following Tony's
This year Valentine's Day is also Valentino's Day – TONY VALENTINO of The Standells, that is! And it's a very punk rock – and sexy – holiday, too, as Tony releases his new single “I'm A Sexy Punk Rocker” on February 14. It's up for pre-sale at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com now and will be streaming worldwide on the street date. Following Tony's new versions of three Standells classics (“Barracuda,” “Dirty Water” and “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White”) released as hit singles last year, the new track is the first original tune to debut from the sessions which have yielded a new full new album – DIRTY WATER REVISITED – soon to be announced by Big Stir Records and due on Vinyl and CD later this Spring!
Leaping a decade forward from the '60's roots of The Standells, Tony and songwriting partner GARY KALUZA – who also sings and plays bass and guitar on the track – have unleashed a fierce anthem of punk rock rebellion that's nostalgic and fresh all at once. “It's still 1979 in my mind,” Kaluza howls as Tony churns out riffs and licks with his well-honed signature garage-punk sound. The connection between the Sunset Strip heyday of the garage-rock late '60s and the punk-rock renaissance in the same setting some ten years later couldn't be clearer.
While Tony can certainly say he “started in LA / before the pay-to-play” as the song declares, he's known for the classic garage rock music of The Standells. But his complete embrace of the '70s hardcore sound shouldn't come as any surprise. “People have been calling me The Godfather Of Punk for a long time now, because of how much my guitar sound influenced those early punks, in LA and all over the world” says Valentino. “Writing and recording this song was my chance to prove it!” And that he does, as punks and former flower children alike will surely agree.
“I'm A Sexy Punk Rocker” is one of a pair of new originals which join reimagined recordings eight Standells classics on the album DIRTY WATER REVISITED. Together they paint a vibrant picture of not just Tony's legacy on the LA and worldwide garage rock scene, but also where he is now. After six decades of touring and recording, all of that energy – call it garage rock, punk rock, or just plain rock and roll – is still at TONY VALENTINO's command. Stay tuned for news of the new LP's release as the year unfolds... and Happy Valentino's Day!
LA garage rock legend TONY VALENTINO of The Standells continues his series of hit singles revisiting the classics that made his band the kings of the genre and the godfathers of punk. Tony's rip-roaring new version of “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White” is out August 5 on all digital platforms and up for pre-order at
LA garage rock legend TONY VALENTINO of The Standells continues his series of hit singles revisiting the classics that made his band the kings of the genre and the godfathers of punk. Tony's rip-roaring new version of “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White” is out August 5 on all digital platforms and up for pre-order at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com now. It's the eagerly-awaited followup to the new version of “Dirty Water” that became a hit all over again earlier this year, and sure to follow that reinvigorated Standells tune up the global indie charts, building yet more anticipation for a full-length album on vinyl and CD early next year.
Ask anyone what the most famous Standells tune is and they'll tell you it's “Dirty Water”, but ask the same fans what their favorite is and they're likely to tell you it's “Good Guys Don't Wear White”. That should come as no surprise: the tune is everything a proto-punk standard should be, and more. It's a tough-but-tender tale of a young man from the wrong side of the tracks, pleading his case to the rich girl he loves... a working class anthem that's timeless at its core, but delivered with a street-punk sneer that's unmistakably Sixties, and quintessentially Garage Rock with its Stonesy swagger and singalong refrain.
The new version of “Good Guys” is all based on the vintage tone of Tony propelling the tune forward with his vintage guitar tone just like he did on the hit 1966 version, and delivering a raucous harmonica break as well. The pounding drums and streetwise vocals from Duane Waider and bass by Gary Kaluza nail that '60's sound, and period-perfect organ from Ziro E completes the picture. “Tell your mama and your papa” indeed: that Standells sound is back, bolder than every, from the man who invented it.
Anticipation for the upcoming album from TONY VALENTINO is high across the global rock scene, with “Dirty Water” having hit Top Ten charts on terrestrial, satellite and internet stations in the US, UK and Japan and garnering weeks of airplay from celebrated DJs including Rodney Bingenheimer and Bill Kelly (both now of Little Steven's Underground Garage on SiriusXM). There's been a rush of on-air and print interviews with Tony about both his history with The Standells and the exciting new music alike. “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White” is proof positive that the TONY VALENTINO revival is just now getting underway. The garage door is open and there's much more to come... Big Stir Records will be proud to bring it to you.
TONY VALENTINO of The Standells is back with a new single revisiting his legendary band's glory days, and it's the one you've been waiting for. Tony's newly-recorded version of the absolute classic “Dirty Water” will see release May 20 on Big Stir Records, up for preorder now at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com and streaming everywhere on the
TONY VALENTINO of The Standells is back with a new single revisiting his legendary band's glory days, and it's the one you've been waiting for. Tony's newly-recorded version of the absolute classic “Dirty Water” will see release May 20 on Big Stir Records, up for preorder now at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com and streaming everywhere on the release date. Yes, it's that tune, and that riff, from the man who invented it... and with Tony out front on guitar with his new band – Duane Waider on drums and vocals and Gary Kaluza on bass – kicking up a storm behind him, it's more than worthy followup to the hit version of “Barracuda” that topped independent radio charts early this year and introduced the Standells sound to a new generation, while reminding longtime devotees of where it all started.
For fans of '60s garage rock, Tony and The Standells need no introduction, and for anyone seeking an introduction to the genre, “Dirty Water” is the place to start. A chart hit in 1966 (peaking at #8 on Cash Box and #11 with Billboard), the cornerstone of the Nuggets compilation that inspired a thousand punk rock covers, an anthem to this day for the Boston Red Sox, and a mainstay on any list of the greatest guitar riffs of all time, it is quite simply a rock and roll classic. It was founding member Tony Valentino who crafted that riff, and this new version shows that he still owns it. Delivered as on the original via a vintage Telecaster and with Tony himself producing the new track, the riff, and everything about the performance, blazes with all the rock and roll energy the young Standells brought to their recordings and live shows. It's as if the decades between then and now never happened.
“Dirty Water” is the second track from the forthcoming album from Tony, Dirty Water Revisited. It's an all-new and fresh reimagining of the celebrated Dirty Water album, including a few surprise tracks like “Barracuda” from later Standells albums and even a few brand new tracks penned by Valentino. As Tony and the band plot live shows and tours, garage rock fanatics of all ages can expect more singles from the sessions throughout 2022 in advance of the new album early next year... on vinyl, of course, as well as digital formats and CD. Big Stir Records is proud to be part of this new chapter in garage rock history, brought to you by TONY VALENTINO, who was there when it all started and is still an undisputed master of the form.
Big Stir Records is thrilled to welcome a true rock and roll legend to our roster: TONY VALENTINO, guitarist and founding member of sixties garage rock legends THE STANDELLS! Valentino is back with a new single – a blistering remake of the Standells classic “Barracuda” – that's out February 4, up for preorder now at www.bigtirrecords.bandcamp.com
Big Stir Records is thrilled to welcome a true rock and roll legend to our roster: TONY VALENTINO, guitarist and founding member of sixties garage rock legends THE STANDELLS! Valentino is back with a new single – a blistering remake of the Standells classic “Barracuda” – that's out February 4, up for preorder now at www.bigtirrecords.bandcamp.com and streaming everywhere on the release date. It's the first track from an exciting new project: a fresh recreation of the celebrated Dirty Water album, with the inclusion of a pair of brand new tracks and this single, delivered in vintage style by Tony and an all-new band fueled with all the garage swagger and raw power fans expect.
The Standells have been called the Godfathers of Punk and Garage Rock. Best known for their iconic hit of the '60s, “Dirty Water”, they also scored with “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White”, “Why Pick On Me”, and “Riot On Sunset Strip”. They appeared in many television shows and movies. Their songs have been covered by everyone from Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and U2 to countless other bands. From day one Tony Valentino was there as the guitarist and co-founding member of the band. "Dirty Water" is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."
Now, Tony Valentino breathes invigorating new life into the sound, songs and music of the Standells. Valentino, along with his new lineup of Duane Waider on vocals and drums, Gary Kaluza on bass and of course Tony on guitar have reimagined and rerecorded their take on the Standells’ album Dirty Water and added two brand new songs. Big Stir Records is honored to be along for the ride and anticipates big things on the international airwaves for “Barracuda” and the following single -- “Dirty Water”, naturally! -- and more reimagined classics, all leading to the release of the entire album on vinyl and CD.