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Golden Shower of Hits is a vicious, snotty and vibrant collection of tracks that highlight Circle Jerks’ insane punk chops, and their penchant for anti-authorianism, nihilism and a good ol 'time. They’ve teamed up again with renowned archival label Trust Records for its re-release – marking the first time that its original tapes have been touched in 40 years.
The announcement of Golden Shower of Hits’ deluxe reissue comes just in time – today marks frontman / punk icon Keith Morris’ 70th birthday! Fans will have the chance to celebrate alongside the Circle Jerks with their return to the Hollywood Palladium tomorrow night, Friday, September 19, in Los Angeles. The show promises to be an unforgettable night honoring his legacy and the enduring power of punk. Joining them on this special night are Ceremony, Rocket From the Crypt, and Negative Approach — a lineup as ferocious as the occasion demands. Attending fans will also have access to two special exclusives available only at the Palladium show: A limited-edition 7-inch single of “When the Sh*t Hits the Fan”, (limited to 300 copies) and a limited-edition birthday poster, (500 copies) designed and signed collaboratively by Morris and Shepard Fairey (Obey Giant).
The audio for Golden Shower of Hit’s deluxe reissue was remastered from the original analog tapes by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in Nashville and restored and digitized by Dan Johnson at Audio Archiving Services. In addition to the vastly improved sound, this version also features a few different variants and updated artwork which has been given a modern touch by Bryan Ray Turcotte from Kill Your Idols Studio and features unseen photos by legendary photographer Glen E. Friedman.
By 1983, Circle Jerks had already established themselves as one of the most crucial hardcore punk bands– not only in their native Los Angeles, but worldwide. Their seminal debut Group Sex (1980) and the massive follow-up Wild in the Streets (1982) had been unleashed on the public along with extensive touring. The remaining original lineup of Keith Morris (Black Flag, later of OFF!), Greg Hetson (Redd Kross, later of Bad Religion), and Roger Rogerson would soon create another landmark hardcore punk release with their follow up, the masterful Golden Shower of Hits.
Golden Shower of Hits was initially released on July 21,1983 via LAX Records, a label owned by producer Jerry Goldstein best known as manager for Sly Stone and The Plugz, as well as the producer for WAR and The Strangeloves. Clocking in under 28 minutes, the album featured eleven new tracks and the infamous title track, a medley that, like the Paul Revere & the Raiders and Jackie Shannon covers found on the previous LP, completely reinvented the originals into a twisted take on AM radio pop favorites. A pair of tracks, "Coup d'État" and a version of "When the Sh*t Hits the Fan" made their way onto the soundtrack for the midnight movie Repo Man, and is forever cemented into that oddball slab of cinematic genius. “‘Golden Shower of Hits’ was recorded after Lucky Lehrer decided he was going to go to law school, so John Ingram filled in after being recruited by Roger Rogerson,” recalls Morris. “We pretty much recorded live on the sound stage. And the really fun part of that scenario was that our engineer had worked with the Grateful Dead– which at the time was odd.”
Upon release, Golden Shower of Hits became just as its moniker inferred– a modern classic that added to Circle Jerks’ already formidable legacy. And more than 42 years later, that legacy’s already long tail stretches further and wider with the release of this meticulously crafted reissue– cementing the LP’s importance in not only punk history, but the cultural zeitgeist as well. “I’d say that this is a cornerstone in the Circle Jerks discography,” says Morris. “When it comes to our setlist, we're playing at least seven of these songs live. I think that’s a statement in itself. The title track is probably one of the most ridiculous things that we ever recorded.”
