Original New Orleans 45's THE COLD

$

37

Original New Orleans 45's THE COLD!

  Offered are four obscure original pressing Picture Sleeve 45's of New Orleans 80's band THE COLD.
Included are their first four releases:
TOP POP 611 - "Three Chord City/You" (July 1980) Both disc and sleeve in NEAR MINT condition.
TOP POP 002 - "Mesmerized/Wake Up" (February 1981) Both disc and sleeve in NEAR MINT condition.
TOP POP 003 - "Never Alone/Thanks A Lot" (August 1981) Disc is in EXCELLENT/NEAR MINT condition, sleeve has discoloration on bottom, small "M" written in ball-point on front.
TOP POP 007 - "Do The Dance/Missing Hit Man" (May 1982) Disc is in NEAR MINT condition, sleeve has discoloration on bottom.


The Cold was a popular New Orleans band of the early 80's with members Barbara Menendez, Vance Degeneres (Ellen's brother), Kevin Radecker, Bert Smith and Chris Luckette. They were ahead of their time and these recordings can help us appreciate the excitement they generated then. These records show us The Cold at its peak, a pure pop band boasting memorable songs and a passionate following.
The scene: Jimmy's Music Club in uptown New Orleans, sometimes in the early 1980's. Onstage, the five members of the Cold are confidently jumping and jerking their way through a series of punky new wave tunes that feature rapid-fire drums, propulsive melodies, and energetic vocals.The style of music is reminiscent of Blondie, the Rezillos and, from an earlier era, the Dave Clark Five. Vance DeGeneres pounds out insistent, melodic bass lines while drummer Chris Luckette jovially whacks the drum kit. Guitarists Kevin Radecker and Bert Smith swap terse but distinctive riffs. And in the center, Barbara Menendez sings, dances, and plays keyboards with the zeal and energy of the zippiest of aerobics instructors while wearing the trademark Menendez miniskirt, which is mostly mini and very little skirt.
In 1979, when the music of Olivia Newton-John, Christopher Cross, and The Captain & Tennille dreamily filled the airwaves, a precursor to the Cold was launched by University of New Orleans students Smith and Radecker, who were playing variations on the rabble-rousing, three chord sounds of the Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols. Soon, these two guitarists joined forces with DeGeneres, brother of comedian Ellen; Menendez, a year out of Mount Carmel High School; and Luckette, who joined after he split with another locally popular group called the Normals.
From 1980 to 1982, the Cold were a live music sensation, filling clubs like Jimmy's and Jed's with fresh, young fans taken by the band's high-energy sound and Menendez's even more high-energy stage antics. These legions of fans helped fuel the Cold's record sales - four singles totalling more than 25,000 copies - and defy the airwave barrier for local music. In a radio market known for ignoring local rock (this was before the days of Deadeye Dick and Better than Ezra), the Cold placed the singles "You" and "Mesmerized" on WTUL, WQUE, WTIX, and B-97. The band played hundreds of shows throughout the region, from Texas to Florida, before splitting up in 1982.

These super-rare records are a must for any New Orleans POP collection. GOOD LUCK!



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