(updated 8/8/09)
The
Rock City Angels were another popular Florida band that moved to LA in
the mid 80's. Johnny was the rhythm guitarist in the band for
about 4-6
months in 1986 and continued to sit in with them for about a year.
The Rock City Angels began as The Abusers in South Florida, with members Bobby Durango (aka Bobby Bondage aka Bobby St. Valentine) and Andy Panik among others. They played punk rock and opened for bands like Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and eventually developed into more of a glam band and changed their name to Rock City Angels. According to a 2007 interview with Andy Panik, the lineup of Bobby, Andy, Jimmy James, Punkee Stevens and Jack Smack moved to LA on June 20, 1986. Drummer Punkee Stevens quit the band 3 days after the move and then joined Johnny Crash, and Jackie D. ("Ringo") Jukes replaced Stevens as drummer.
Soon after the move to LA, guitarists Jimmy James and Jack Smack were fired, and Mike Barnett (aka Mike Angel) joined the band. Because they had always been a two guitar band, another guitarist was needed, and Mike's good friend Johnny Depp became their rhythm guitarist. Johnny had just returned from filming Platoon in The Philippines. It was evident from the start that Johnny would make the band; Andy Panik recalls Johnny learning an entire 12 song set during a rehearsal in which he was auditioning. To this day, Panik describes the lineup of Durango, Panik, Jukes, Barnett and Depp to be the "quintessential" RCA lineup. Johnny has described the band as "a cross between Muddy Waters and the Sex Pistols", and their site describes them as "an exciting mixture of punk-inspired glam-rock." According to Andy Panik in a 2009 interview, Johnny only ever recorded one song with the band in the studio for what would have been the band's glam album.
Johnny had to quit the RCA when he agreed to do the 21 Jump Street Fox TV series, and was replaced by Doug Banx. Taping for Jump Street began in Vancouver in December of 1986, but since Johnny was not an original cast member it's not certain if he moved to Vancouver this early. However, by most accounts, Johnny continued to play with the RCA on occasion, even after getting the Jump Street role, through about the summer of 1987. Panik recalls Nic Cage and Sal Jenco sometimes sitting in, as well. Some live gigs featuring Johnny that have been recalled by Jukes, Durango and Panik include:
In May of 1987, the Rock City Angels were offered a huge record deal from Geffen records, and sent to Tennessee to prepare their debut CD, Young Man's Blues. The album, recorded in Memphis from Nov. 1987 to Apr. 1988, was released in 1988 by Geffen, and was re-released by Gott Records in 2005. The album features one song, Mary, in which Johnny co-wrote the music. The band lineup consisted of:
Ringo Jukes is a significant contributor to the Do It For Johnny documentary, that had its world premiere at the 22nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Jan. 28, 2007.
The
film also had a screening at the Bug Theatre in Denver and additional
film festival screenings throughout '07. Four Rock City
Angels
songs are said to be featured, including Johnny's cowriting effort,
Mary.
In 2008, Bobby Durango and Ringo Jukes completed the long-unfinished RCA album, Use Once And Destroy, for release. It can be purchased from CD Baby. They have also recently played some unplugged shows at the Tap Room on Beale Street in Memphis. Finally, Ringo played drums on a recent release by Elam McKnight called Supa Good. The music is said to be hardcore punk/blues, and was originally going to be used for the film Black Snake Moan.
Young Man's Blues was ranked at #106 in Chuck Eddy's book "Stairway To Hell: The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums in the Universe."
The Rock City Angels began as The Abusers in South Florida, with members Bobby Durango (aka Bobby Bondage aka Bobby St. Valentine) and Andy Panik among others. They played punk rock and opened for bands like Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and eventually developed into more of a glam band and changed their name to Rock City Angels. According to a 2007 interview with Andy Panik, the lineup of Bobby, Andy, Jimmy James, Punkee Stevens and Jack Smack moved to LA on June 20, 1986. Drummer Punkee Stevens quit the band 3 days after the move and then joined Johnny Crash, and Jackie D. ("Ringo") Jukes replaced Stevens as drummer.
Soon after the move to LA, guitarists Jimmy James and Jack Smack were fired, and Mike Barnett (aka Mike Angel) joined the band. Because they had always been a two guitar band, another guitarist was needed, and Mike's good friend Johnny Depp became their rhythm guitarist. Johnny had just returned from filming Platoon in The Philippines. It was evident from the start that Johnny would make the band; Andy Panik recalls Johnny learning an entire 12 song set during a rehearsal in which he was auditioning. To this day, Panik describes the lineup of Durango, Panik, Jukes, Barnett and Depp to be the "quintessential" RCA lineup. Johnny has described the band as "a cross between Muddy Waters and the Sex Pistols", and their site describes them as "an exciting mixture of punk-inspired glam-rock." According to Andy Panik in a 2009 interview, Johnny only ever recorded one song with the band in the studio for what would have been the band's glam album.
Johnny had to quit the RCA when he agreed to do the 21 Jump Street Fox TV series, and was replaced by Doug Banx. Taping for Jump Street began in Vancouver in December of 1986, but since Johnny was not an original cast member it's not certain if he moved to Vancouver this early. However, by most accounts, Johnny continued to play with the RCA on occasion, even after getting the Jump Street role, through about the summer of 1987. Panik recalls Nic Cage and Sal Jenco sometimes sitting in, as well. Some live gigs featuring Johnny that have been recalled by Jukes, Durango and Panik include:
- Three to four shows at the Lingerie Club
- A street fair for the homeless at Thanksgiving, presumably in 1986
- A festival in Oxnard, CA
- A show at the Scream Club on Valentine's Day 1987, opening for Jane's Addiction (This Jane's Addiction website confirms the show).
- A show at the White Trash au Go-Go on July 3 or 4, 1987.
In May of 1987, the Rock City Angels were offered a huge record deal from Geffen records, and sent to Tennessee to prepare their debut CD, Young Man's Blues. The album, recorded in Memphis from Nov. 1987 to Apr. 1988, was released in 1988 by Geffen, and was re-released by Gott Records in 2005. The album features one song, Mary, in which Johnny co-wrote the music. The band lineup consisted of:
- Bobby Durango - vocals
- Mike Barnes - guitar
- Doug Banx - guitar
- Andy Panik - bass
- Jackie D. Jukes - drums
Ringo Jukes is a significant contributor to the Do It For Johnny documentary, that had its world premiere at the 22nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Jan. 28, 2007.
In 2008, Bobby Durango and Ringo Jukes completed the long-unfinished RCA album, Use Once And Destroy, for release. It can be purchased from CD Baby. They have also recently played some unplugged shows at the Tap Room on Beale Street in Memphis. Finally, Ringo played drums on a recent release by Elam McKnight called Supa Good. The music is said to be hardcore punk/blues, and was originally going to be used for the film Black Snake Moan.
Young Man's Blues was ranked at #106 in Chuck Eddy's book "Stairway To Hell: The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums in the Universe."
biographer Randi
Reisfeld's account of Johnny's stint in the Rock City Angels:
(thanks Maggy!)
and an earlier mention from the Florida days:
newHere's a mention from the April 1989 issue of 16 magazine, which tells about Johnny's involvement with the band, as well as his contribution of the music to the song, Mary:
Some more magazine blurbs, interviews and other RCA links:
(thanks Maggy!)
and an earlier mention from the Florida days:
newHere's a mention from the April 1989 issue of 16 magazine, which tells about Johnny's involvement with the band, as well as his contribution of the music to the song, Mary:
Some more magazine blurbs, interviews and other RCA links:
- Sept. 1987 Tiger Beat blurb on RCA
- Oct. 1987 16 Magazine mention
- Jan. 1988 Teen Machine mention
- Feb. 1988 Teen Beat mention
- March 1988 16 Magazine mention of RCA and Smoke Stack Lightning
- Aug. 1988 Teen mag mention (which erroneously states that the Rock City Angels were the band that Johnny went to LA with- it was The Kids)
- another erroneous mention in 1989 Dynamite and a second mention
- Summer 1989 Dream Guys mention
- 1990 Whopper mention
- May 1990 Movieline
- May 2004 Esquire
- Nov. 2004 Empire blurb
- 2006 Life Story: Johnny Depp blurb that somehow manages to mangle the difference between an album name (Young Man's Blues) and a band name (Rock City Angels). Oh well!
- Sleazegrinder interview with Ringo Jukes
- 2003 Popular1 (Spanish magazine) interview with Bobby Durango and Ringo Jukes
- Jan. 2006 Andy Panik interview with Metalshrine
- July 2006 American Music Press article on RCA p. 1
- July 2006 American Music Press article on RCA p. 2
- July 2006 American Music Press article on RCA p. 3
- Feb. 2007 podcast of Andy Panik interviewed for Notes From the Hollywood Underground
- 2009 Sugar Buzz Magazine interview with Bobby Durango
- June 8, 2009 Sleaze Roxx interview with Andy Panik
- The official Rock City Angels website is no longer active
- Rock City Angels MySpace site
- New Renaissance Rock City Angels page
- Sleaze Roxx Rock City Angels page
- Rock City Angels by Ann Boleyn
- Mindy's Fan Page for Rock City Angels & Johnny Depp
- Deb's Pix featuring a photo of Johnny and Screaming Sneakers member Lisa Nash, photographed by Debbie Sunshine (click 2nd photo in 2nd row)
- Account of Johnny in the RCA by Phil Lorito
- Ringo Jukes' MySpace site
- Bobby Durango's MySpace site
- Andy Panik's MySpace site
- Rock City Angels: Deep Inside My Heart on YouTube
Bobby
Durango does an exclusive interview with the Spanish music magazine,
"This Is Rock", in the February 2007 issue. (This is a
Spanish
language
magazine).
The original transcript in English of Bobby's replies to "This Is Rock"'s questions for the interview, was compiled by Cat of Gold Coast Live. The link to this translation has been broken; if anyone has saved it, please contact me so that I can restore it!
Cover scans, Mary lyrics, and Liner Notes to the
2005 re-release of Young Man's Blues (click to enlarge)
Scans of pre-Johnny Depp Self-Titled CD aka "The Glam Album" (originally recorded in1984
with additional recording done in 1986; released on New Renaissance Records in 2000)
Ads for the Valentine's Day 1987 Scream Club show
Some other cool RCA-related pix (click to enlarge)
 Lyrics To Mary |
 The Fontenoy, where Johnny and several band members lived |
 From "Johnny Depp: An Illustrated Story" |
 Club Lingerie The Rock City Angels played here! |
 Barney's Beanery popular haunt of the RCA |
 Young Man's Blues-era Rock City Angels |
Have any corrections or additions? Please
Photos would be
especially appreciated!
