The Forgotten Rebels hail from Hamilton, Canada. The group got its start with a 1977 demo entitled Burning the Flag, which was followed with an independent EP 1978, Tomorrow Belongs to Us (both were later collected on a 1997 reissue titled after the latter). The original lineup featured vocalist Mickey DeSadist (b. Mickey Gerlecki), guitarist Tony Madelina, drummer Angela Madelina, and bassist Carl "Chris Suicide" Johnson, and like most of the Forgotten Rebels' lineups, it was short-lived, as new drummer Pete "Treason" Latimer joined in between recordings and left just as quickly.
For the band's 1979 debut album, 'In Love With the System , a new lineup coalesced around DeSadist: guitarist Alan "Al McCombo" Smolak, bassist Chris "Pogo Au Go Go" Houston, and drummer Larry Electrician. 'In Love...' sported a harder-edged punk sound than either previous records; following its release, Houston left to form the band the Sex Machine (and eventually went solo), the remainder of the band left as well, leaving DeSadist to recruit an all-new lineup of Mike "Taster" Mirabella (guitar), John Welton (bass), and Robert Allan (drums). This unit recorded the glammed-up 'This Ain't Hollywood... (1981), which featured covers of "Save The Last Dance For Me," "Eve Of Destruction," and Gary Glitter's "Hello Hello (I'm Back Again)," plus one of the group's signature songs, "Surfin' On Heroin".
In 1985 the band released an independant 4 song EP called 'Boys Will Be Boys' with a more polished Pop sound with Desadist, Mirabella and Dave Mcghire.
1986's 'The Pride And The Disgrace' found DeSadist and Mirabella matched with a new/old rhythm section of bassist Mike "Spike" Lumen and drummer Dave McGhire whom actually joined before the release of 'This Ain't Hollywood...' in 1981 and would remain a constant with DeSadist for all future releases.
1988's Surfin' on Heroin was mostly a collection of newly recorded versions of previously released songs for American and world release.
1989's 'The Forgotten Rebels' (also known as 'Untitled'), which also featured McGhire, new guitarist Jeffrey Dee Campbell, and an inexplicable new spelling for DeSadest's last name.
A long hiatus ensued, but the Rebels regrouped in 1994 with a surprisingly similar lineup -- DeSadest, Campbell, McGhire, and bassist Chaz Butcher -- and a new LP, 'Criminal Zero'.
In addition to the 'Tomorrow Belongs To Us' compilation, 1997 also saw the release of many previously released albums on CD and many compilations and sound tracks except 'This Ain't Hollywood'. Butcher soon left the group in favor of Steve Mahon (from Teenage Head).
The Rebels also played/toured with bands,the Clash,Ramones,Iggy pop,Cramps,Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson and many others, also mixed festivals mostly American and in Europe.
After extensive American and European touring in 1998-99 the Rebels re-entered the recording studio and a new 15 song album is expected to be released early 2000, as well as a Tribute album of Forgotten Rebels material with band's from Canada, America, Brazil n Europe
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