Listen to Dead Kennedys cover The Rolling Stones
The Dead Kennedys are an example of an essential band. The socio-political climate of the late 1970s meant that when the punk band came to light, they immediately resonated with audiences nationwide. They were renowned for attracting controversy thanks to their provocative lyrics and their artwork, but the fact remains they were an incredibly influential band at the time.
They embraced the punk movement more than most other outfits, unafraid to speak their mind at risk of offending people, as seen in the band name alone. It turned so many heads that The Dead Kennedys often had to perform under pseudonyms such as The Sharks, The Creamsicles, and The DKs.
Various sounds and genres influenced the punk movement and, subsequently, the Dead Kennedys. The story goes that a ska-punk show made Raymond Pepperell want to start a band. He advertised for bandmates in the newspaper The Recycler, and that’s how the band’s first iteration was born. Naturally, most members were into heavier music, but other rock bands would have played into the sound they wanted to achieve.
The Rolling Stones were one of the biggest bands in the world when The Dead Kennedys began recording their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Their sound was difficult to escape, and as rock music fans, it’s hardly a surprise that The Dead Kennedys were happy to listen to it, so much so that they decided to cover ‘The Last Time’ during an appearance on the Fab Mab Live broadcast.
The gig is just over 46 minutes long, and the live environment is captured well for quite an old recording. The energy in the room can be felt as they are introduced to the stage, and audience members are hurling compliments and insults their way. The set consists of big hitters from that debut album, such as ‘Holiday In Cambodia’, ‘California Uber Alles’ and ‘Too Drunk To Fuck’ before the band goes into their Rolling Stones cover.
It sounds great. They stay relatively faithful to the original format the Stones mapped out, except the song is rougher, with the distortion sounding heavier and speed being a bit easier to mosh to. Jello Biafra will have been performing vocals then, and he doesn’t try to alter his singing style for the cover at all. His accent comes through heavily, and when the song finishes, over a layer of feedback, he says, “Back to San Jose with all of you”.
It’s an excellent rendition, well worth a listen, providing a politically infused rage on an already familiar Rolling Stones hit.
You can listen to the complete set below or skip to 44 minutes to hear the cover.