If you want to know who to thank-or blame-for the punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s, begin with Depend Five. While Rely 5's "Psychotic Response" has been derided as a ripoff of the Yardbirds, Rolling Stones and different groups, it has been lauded as a classic instance of Brooklyn psychedelic rock and a forerunner of punk and garage rock. What's undeniable is the fresh, thrilling sound of the San Jose, California band's 1966 debut hit.
Depend Five (leave off the "the") have been five teens, some still in high school, who shaped in 1964. The band was turned down by seven record firms before newly-formed label Double Shot signed them. Lead singer John "Sean" Byrne played rhythm guitar and wrote "Psychotic Reaction," although the rest of the band shared the writing credit: lead guitarist John "Mouse" Michalski, harmonica participant Kenn Ellner, Roy Chaney on bass and Craig "Butch" Atkinson on drums. "Psychotic Reaction" was performed with out lyrics for six months until Ellner's father Sol, the band's manager, suggested that Byrne put words to the music.
The music's title was hatched during a lecture on psychosis and neurosis at San Jose City Faculty when a pal of Byrne's whispered, "Have you learnt what could be an awesome name for a song? Psychotic Response!"
"I might had this music running through my head," recalled Byrne. "The lyrics, the melody, every thing--but that was the missing punch line!"
The growling fuzz-tone by guitarist Michalski has been criticized as a steal of the enduring sound of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," however more memorable is the guitar break that follows. When Byrne sings (or screams), "And it looks like this!" halfway via the track, Michalski takes the cue to demonstrate on guitar what a psychotic episode would sound like.
What follows is a cacophony of guitar effects that stretched the capabilities of the amplifiers of the day whereas defining psychedelic rock. Followers of the Yardbirds might recognize similarities to the rave-up from the British group's 1965 "I'm A Man," but Byrne lengthy maintained the Yardbirds were not an influence.
"Psychotic Response" reached 5 on the Billboard charts in 1966. The band toured with the Beach Boys, the Byrds and the Dave Clark Five, but was by no means able to repeat its chart success; Rely 5 was honored by the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame as a One Hit Wonder. The band's profession was brief-circuited when a few of its members turned down one million dollars price of bookings so as to return to school to further their education and, recalled Michalski, keep out of the draft.
Depend Five (leave off the "the") have been five teens, some still in high school, who shaped in 1964. The band was turned down by seven record firms before newly-formed label Double Shot signed them. Lead singer John "Sean" Byrne played rhythm guitar and wrote "Psychotic Reaction," although the rest of the band shared the writing credit: lead guitarist John "Mouse" Michalski, harmonica participant Kenn Ellner, Roy Chaney on bass and Craig "Butch" Atkinson on drums. "Psychotic Reaction" was performed with out lyrics for six months until Ellner's father Sol, the band's manager, suggested that Byrne put words to the music.
The music's title was hatched during a lecture on psychosis and neurosis at San Jose City Faculty when a pal of Byrne's whispered, "Have you learnt what could be an awesome name for a song? Psychotic Response!"
"I might had this music running through my head," recalled Byrne. "The lyrics, the melody, every thing--but that was the missing punch line!"
The growling fuzz-tone by guitarist Michalski has been criticized as a steal of the enduring sound of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," however more memorable is the guitar break that follows. When Byrne sings (or screams), "And it looks like this!" halfway via the track, Michalski takes the cue to demonstrate on guitar what a psychotic episode would sound like.
What follows is a cacophony of guitar effects that stretched the capabilities of the amplifiers of the day whereas defining psychedelic rock. Followers of the Yardbirds might recognize similarities to the rave-up from the British group's 1965 "I'm A Man," but Byrne lengthy maintained the Yardbirds were not an influence.
"Psychotic Response" reached 5 on the Billboard charts in 1966. The band toured with the Beach Boys, the Byrds and the Dave Clark Five, but was by no means able to repeat its chart success; Rely 5 was honored by the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame as a One Hit Wonder. The band's profession was brief-circuited when a few of its members turned down one million dollars price of bookings so as to return to school to further their education and, recalled Michalski, keep out of the draft.
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