❉ The last man standing from The Heartbreakers presents new track ahead of releasing new album.
New album ‘Wacka Lacka Boom Bop A Loom Bam Boo’ is the first new album in 2 and a half decades from Walter Lure, an original member of The Heartbreakers, who spearheaded the first wave of punk rock, and long-time collaborator with The Ramones. The Heartbreakers were also the band that supported the Sex Pistols on their 1976 Anarchy Tour.You may know Walter Lure as co-frontman of Johnnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers. If that doesn’t ring a bell, you should know that this band were among a small handful who spearheaded the first wave of punk rock, having also supported the Sex Pistols on their 1976 Anarchy Tour just as the UK punk scene was building momentum. Walter Lure is also a long-time collaborator with The Ramones, contributing to three of their albums.
Have a listen to the new single, recently written and part of their new album Wacka Lacka Boom Bop A Loom Bam Boo forthcoming via Cleopatra on August 17:
New album ‘Wacka Lacka Boom Bop A Loom Bam Boo’ is the first new album in 2 and a half decades from legendary guitarist-vocalist Walter Lure, an original member of The Heartbreakers, who spearheaded the first wave of punk rock, and also long-time collaborator with The Ramones. The Heartbreakers were also the band that supported the Sex Pistols on their 1976 Anarchy Tour just as the UK punk scene was building momentum.
The new album will be released on Cleopatra Records on both CD and red vinyl with reverse-board jackets, as well as digitally.
“This is my first release of new songs in 25 years or so since the last Waldo’s album. That might seem like a long time but it really only feels like a few years-life seems to contract over long periods for some reason,” says Walter Lure.
Today Walter Lure & The Waldos is Walter Lure (guitar and vocals), along with Takanori Ichiuji (bass and vocals), Tak Nakai a.k.a. Takto (guitar and vocals), and Joe Rizzo (drums and vocals).
Earlier, Walter Lure & The Waldos previewed the lead track ‘Crazy Kids’, which will be featured in the forthcoming full-length film Thunders: Room 37, dramatizing the final days of Lure’s former bandmate Johnny Thunders. Their new full-length also features other new tunes, as well as killer new versions of Heartbreakers classics London Boys❉ andTake A Chance On Me.
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“With more lives than a cat with a lucky charm, Walter Lure survived not only the NYC punk scene, but also the Anarchy Tour and being in The Heartbreakers, possibly the most self-destructive, contrary band of them all”❉ – Louder Than WarIn 1975, Walter Lure became an original member of The Heartbreakers as guitarist and vocalist, joining Johnny Thunders, Jerry Nolan (of the New York Dolls), and Richard Hell (of Television), who was later replaced by Billy Rath. Lure was playing with glam-punk band The Demons when he joined The Heartbreakers and earlier played with anarchic Bronx hard rock group Bloodbath in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
In 1977, The Heartbreakers released their only studio album ‘L.A.M.F.’ The band’s 1977 song London Boys is a swipe at the Sex Pistols, in response to the Pistols’ song New York, which put down the New York Dolls. After The Heartbreakers’ “official” breakup in 1977, the band would often reform, continuing to play the occasional gig right up until Johnny Thunders’ death in 1991.
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The Heartbreakers final show was for the Johnny Thunders Memorial Concert. In 1994, three Heartbreakers – Walter Lure, Tony Coiro and Joey Pinter – were joined by Jeff West in releasing ‘Rent Party’, The Waldos’ debut album.
Lure worked with The Ramones on their albums Subterranean Jungle (1983), Too Tough To Die (1984) and Animal Boy (1986), released a single with The Blessed, and also started a number of bands, including The Hurricanes and The Heroes, before ultimately founding The Waldos. In 1997, Walter Lure also played a set of shows for the 40th anniversary of The Heartbreakers ‘L.A.M.F.’ album, joined by Blondie’s Clem Burke, Sex Pistols’ bassist Glen Matlock and Social Distortion’s Mike Ness.
❉ ‘Wacka Lacka Boom Bop A Loom Bam Boo’ will be released on August 17, but it is already available for pre-order via Bandcamp on both CD and red vinyl with reverse-board jackets. On September 6, Walter Lure & The Waldos will hold their record release party at Bowery Electric in New York.