BIOGRAPHY
There have been more Punk Rock Bands (tm) to come out of New York City then there have been inbred children in ALL of the South. HOWEVER, not very endure much longer than the first time the guitarist refuses to turn down his amp "Duuuude, Marhsall's were made for volume, maaaaaaaaan", or the fiftieth time the singer reminds us "I'm the star of this band...anyone else here can be replaced. Even my girlfriend says so!"
Of the New York City punkers who've enjoyed longevity in the mean streets (and meaner clubs)...the ones with REAL staying power, the list quickly narrows down to but a few.
The Ramones lasted 22 years, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers went 16 years on and off, the Waldos have been kicking around for 15 years, even Joey Ramone's brother Mickey Leigh hasn't stopped playing in his various bands for over 20 years!!!!! Sadly, very few people realize that ASYLUM 66 have so far made it through the trenches for FIFTEEN YEARS...and for most of that time, with mostly the same members!
Bobby Slash started the "group" around 1987 with a friend named Jim Steine and a couple of other local musicians (and a semi-talented drum machine) in a makeshift recording studio in Steine's basement. During the earliest sessions, several "Ramone-esque" 4-track demos were churned out. Included on the play list were early renditions of songs that are now ASYLUM 66 classics like "Mental Hell" and "Imbecile", sounding not too far from the way they do today. However, there were several other songs that started life in the basement in one form, like "Sick of You", which would later become "I Don't Want You Around Me Anymore".
Jeff Harris came into the picture around 1988, while looking for a couple of bands to book for an outdoor punk rock festival. He found an ad for ASYLUM 66 in a local musicians rag, and called Bobby to see if they would be interested in making the date. As the course of the conversation went on, Jeff learned that ASYLUM 66 really wasn't quite a "full band" yet...more like an idea...and some songs...and a lead singer...who could sound like another Joey...or another Elvis, depending on the weather.
After talking at great length with Bobby, and meeting him several times, Jeff dragged along his Mosrites and Marshalls (yeah, even back then the kid had taste) and started working on songs with Bobby, along with some...temporary...performers). Jeff knew that even the earliest songs had FAR greater potential than the original 4-track treatment Bobby and Jim had given them, not to mention the fact that the material they were coming up with now (at a blistering rate), "Not For Me", "Out To Lunch", and "Gone Too Far"...Bobby and Jeff displayed a distinct songwriting simpatico.
After working up enough material, Bobby, Jeff, and the rhythm section they had at the time (a drummer who thought he was Charlie Watts, and a bass player who thought he was Sid Vicious with waist length hair) ventured out to Long Island, NY where long-time friend Mickey Leigh sat in and produced about ten songs in three or four days. However, the band was a bit more than "underwhelmed" with the results of the recording sessions, and after 4 years of frustration KNOWING what this damn band should sound like, Jeff decided it was time to take the sculpting of the sound of ASYLUM 66 into his own hands.
In late 1992, Bobby and Jeff entered Fort Studios in suburban New York City to cut thirteen tracks that absolutely perfected the full, slick...yet not overly produced sound that captured the music perfectly. Also unhappy with the performances of the rhythm section at the previous sessions, Bobby and Jeff decided to "go it alone" at the Fort, and recorded all the tracks themselves. Jeff cut all the instrumentals, and Bobby cut all the vocals. However, despite the fact that these recordings were the best the band had ever laid down, it would be a long time before they would see a proper release.