Buz Clark - Vocals , harmonica, percussion
Briant Smith - Guitar, Vocals
Danny Kimball - Drums, Vocals
Bruce MacDonald - Guitar, Vocals
Steve Morrow - Bass
Bookings email: buzflash36@camtel.net
The Bad Roads left the garage in late Fall 1965 to assault South Louisiana and Texas with their unique hard edged mix of rock n roll and rhythm n blues influenced by the popular British rock bands of the time. They quickly gained a reputation for their high energy performances and musicianship along the Gulf Coast club circuit. The band: Buz Clark, lead vocals and harmonica; Terry Green lead guitar and vocals; Briant Smith, guitar and vocals; Mike Hicks, bass; Danny Kimball, drums were in their mid to late teens and caught up in the rapidly changing social and musical attitudes of the mid-Sixties. Their rapid rise in popularity and the desire to record their own compositions brought them to Floyd Solieu's Jin Records in Ville Platte, La. Sessions at the Jin Studio resulted in the now legendary 45 rpm record Blue Girl B/W Too Bad. The record was a solid hit in multiple local radio markets and broke in Houston in Fall 1966. This led to a wave of concert and television appearances that solidified their reputation as Louisiana's bad boys and the definite hard-to-follow act in concerts. A year later after Terry Green left to be replaced by Bruce MacDonald the band called it quits with their reputation intact and went their separate ways. The Bad Roads reunited for a 1980 concert in Lake Charles, La that set the stage for highly anticipated yearly reunions.
Unbeknown to the band the single Blue Girl had taken on a life of its own with inclusion on compilation albums of classic 60ýs rock ný roll in Europe, Australia, and North America. Sundazed Records issued a special collectors 45 rpm with four songs: Blue Girl, Too Bad, Ray Davie's Till The End Of The Day and John Lee Hooker's Don't Look Back. A lengthy interview in Andrew Brown's 60's collector's magazine Brown Paper Sack brought further attention to The Bad Roads' legacy and music. (click here to see this interview) The raw sound, intense energy and attitude was cited again and again influencing countless punk and new wave bands in America and abroad. A mint copy of Blue Girl became serious collectors of the garage genre's Holy Grail. A copy sold on EBay for $1009.99 with less than fifty copies known in collections worldwide. Click here to see this ebay ad.
In 2004 Dr. Ike the ringmaster and driving force behind the Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau's Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans took on the mission to find the legendary band to showcase at the popular 50's and 60's rock n roll revival show. The Bad Roads' electrifying performance at the 2004 Ponderosa Stomp solidified their relationship with the Knights and they returned to the Stomp in 2005 to close the two day event. Due to Hurricane Katrina damage in New Orleans, The Bad Roads will travel to Austin, TX's SXSW music showcase and to Memphis, TN for the 2006 Ponderosa Stomp concerts.
Today The Bad Roads are set to release a CD of 12 new original songs. Samples have just been uploaded for you to check out. The new CD will be ready sometimes around January 2008.
We have put a new song up for you, it’s only a rough demo which hasn’t really been mixed well and hasn’t been produced but it will give you a taster of what may come next in our next recording sessions which we are trying to set before Christmas.
Enjoy! It’s called 'Stop'. Please tell us what you think.
As I sit here at my desk, now part of the "Blue Collar" world, I am letting some of the "Pipeliners" here listen to the "Union Town" Track from the latest record and I am so proud to have such a talented father!!
Growing up, my friends always thought it was a little strange that I knew all the words to "Honky Tonk Woman", "Brown Eyed Girl", "Satisfaction", "Under My Thumb" etc. I have always just smiled and said "I've been hearing it since I was in the womb." Some of my best memories growing up were those listening to my Daddy sing!! From Contraband Days to Mardi Gras, Lake Charles High Reunions and McNeese Games, the list goes on. Let's not forget the goose bump feeling you get when you hear The Bad Roads jammin their ENCORE "Paint It Black" at OB's in Lake Charles with the house so packed they had to rope off the parking lot and put speakers outside!!!
It was a normal thing in our house growing up to have the walls shaking!!!
I have also had the awesome privelage of instilling the music into my kids. I mean really.... what two year old can sing "24/7" by the Bad Roads??? They love there PaPa and they love the music.
I just wanted to take a moment and tell you that I love you Daddy and I miss you! I am proud to call you Dad!!!
-Leigh Anne Clark "Lead singer-Bad Roads (daughter)"