Tales of Terror was a Sacramento punk rock band which was active from 1982 until 1986. The band released a self-titled LP in 1984 on the label CD Presents. The LP is rare, and no CD version has been released. Tales of Terror played sleazy, sloppy, raucous California punk in the vein of the Stooges. The band morphed from the Square Cools into Tales of Terror.
The band consisted of:
Pat Stratford (lead vocals/guitar)
Geoff Magner (vocals/bass)
Lyon Wong (vocals/lead guitar)
Mike Thorpe (drums)
Steve Hunt (rhythm guitar)
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Tim Yohannan reviewed "Tales of Terror" for Maximum Rock and Roll in 1984. He wrote: "Totally drunken, power-chord punk rock, folks. It's straight out of the DEAD BOYS/STOOGES school of intense, fuck-it-all, snarl and self-destruct. These Sacramento's are good at it too. Recommended."
The album is listed in Kurt Cobain's Journals at number 32 in a list of 50 and the song "Chambers of Horror" is in a list of songs.
Green River (band members went on to Mudhoney/Love Battery/Mother Love Bone/Pearl Jam) covered the Tales' song "Ozzie" and it can be found on their "Rehab Doll/Dry as a Bone" CD. There are some suggestions that the Guns N' Roses song "Used to Love Her" is an uncredited version of Tales' "Danant". Alex Vincent, Green River's drummer, attended high school with Stratford for two years before moving to Seattle.
In 2008, Seattle band Mudhoney released The Lucky Ones. The ninth track on the said album is titled Tales of Terror.[1][2] Mark Arm, the lead singer of Mudhoney, was also the lead singer for Green River.
Pat Stratford, aka Rats Ass, was the frontman/singer. Pat was also in the Square Cools and fronted the Whorelords.
Lyon Wong, son of Chinese-American actor Victor Wong, died of head trauma he suffered on the night of January 5, 1986. As Wong was standing outside the Zebra Club, a carload of teenagers from Sacramento High School drove by and began cursing at him, then exited their vehicle to confront him. When Wong was not looking, one teenager (purportedly the football quarterback) punched him; knocking Wong to the pavement and causing him to strike his head on the ground. He was pronounced dead at 2:14am, January 6, at Sutter General Hospital. Wong was 22 years old. The assailant received a 6-month sentence.[3]
Jeff Magner, aka Boots aka Dusty Coffin, played bass. Jeff was in the Square Cools, and the Cactus Liquors, reportedly died in early 2004 of a drug overdose. Geoff had become addicted to heroin and was a long time sufferer of Bipolar Disorder. The dealer who sold him the drugs was never put on trial. Geoff Magner was the grandson of William Magner, winner of the 1930 Dipsea Race.
Trip Bender, aka Trip Mender, was lead guitar and back up vocals. He's in San Francisco based Ding Dang.
Mike Thorpe, aka Thumper, aka Thopper Jaw, was drums and jokes.
Tracklist: Noise
More Noise
Credits: Bass, Backing Vocals - Dusty Coffin* Drums [And Jokes] - Thopper Jaw* Engineer - Gary Mankin , Scott Chandler Guitar, Backing Vocals - Luther Storms* , Capt. Trip Mender* Mastered By - Gary Hobish Photography [Back Cover] - Victor Wong Photography [Cover] - Erich Mueller Producer - Paul Ratt* Vocals [And Other Organs] - Rat's Ass*
Notes: Engineered at Rhythmic River Studios, San Francisco, California.