Check out You Hate Me and I Hate You Explicit by GG Allin on Amazon Music. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com.
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The lyrics for Occupation sum up his drive & determination from the beginning until the day he died: I'm just playing in a rock & roll band, making a little money when I can. The stakes are high but the livings grand, living off the land. When he wrote that song in 1980 he knew what he wanted and who he wanted to be.
Although the music changed over the years GG actually changed very little. His stage performances got far more interactive & physical and his views changed but his sense of humor, intelligence & unwaivering motivation and drive never waned. Friends with GG since grade school and man behind the Jabbers name (Chapple jokingly came up with Butt Jabbers as a possible name for their group), Alan & GG started their first band while in high school, LSD or Little Sisters Date appropriately named for their younger girlfiends. LSD managed to play some shows around their native Vermont, mainly parties & yards. Alan is a guitarist by nature but took on the bass player role after they were unable to find a suitable bassist for the Jabbers. Chapple is the only person besides GG to play on every recording and every live show. He also plays uncredited lead guitar on a few Jabbers releases.
Originally from Manchester, Zark was living near Burlington Vermont in 1977 when he noticed a pink flyer hanging on a plywood construction site wall: 'Jabbers seek punk rock guitarist'. Being a guitar player in an unfamiliar area he took the flyer off the wall & called the number. He spoke with Kevin Allin who invited him to Littleton to meet. When Zark arrived at the Allin house he was greeted by a quirkly, skinny GG and tall, looming Chapple where together they drank beer, listened to music & laughed. Zark would become the first official Jabbers guitarist and he moved back to Manchester in 1978 when Alan & GG relocated to take advantage of the club scene. They rented a rehearsal space and practiced a set list consisting of Allin's 3 songs (Bored to Death, Beat Beat Beat & One Man Army) along with 5 cover songs such as Stepping Stone, Gloria and others.
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They weren't having any luck finding a bass player and drummer that fit the band so after a few months Spleen left to join an actively playing band. He would return to the Jabbers in 1981 for 5 shows during their 'Blood & Guts Tour' and again in 1984 to play on the Live Fast Die Fast EP.
As soon as Allin & Chapple had arrived in Manchester they started hanging flyers around town looking for a bass player & second guitarist for the Jabbers. One afternoon a friend of Fortin's saw the flyer on a telephone pole near the local music store and told him about it. John called and spoke with GG who invited him over to his Elm St apartment where he lived with his wife Sandy. GG & Johnny had a few beers and listened to Allin's newly released EP; Bored to Death. They got along great and Fortin took a copy home to learn the songs. GGs apartment was so small there wasn't much room to hide antyhing nad Fortin noticed his collection of smut magazines half tucked under the bed, the top one being a rather filthy copy of Cheri.
While hanging around Fortin picked up GGs red Hondo electric and started banging out some chords and putting together the joking words to Cheri Love Affair. Johnny played with the Jabbers on their 1980 tour, the Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be LP, the Cheri Love Affair EP and also the Gimme Some Head EP. After some disagreements with Allin's method of dropping credits & changing the recordings behind peoples backs he left the band just prior to the release of Gimme Some Head, at which point Allin removed his name from the credits again.
Rob joined the Jabbers shortly after Johnny Fortin and was also part of the 1980-81 tours, the Always Was LP, the Gimme Some Head EP and also plays guitar & lead on You Hate Me & I Hate You. Much like Fortin's experience, Basso would leave the Jabbers out of frustration with Allin and would not be credited on the You Hate Me EP. An incredibly talented guitarist, Basso, Fortin, Chapple & Allin would create, record & play some of the crudest, heaviest & most popular songs to ever come from the New England punk scene. 40 years later people are still discovering the Jabbers and falling in love with the F.U.
Rob is still an active member of the Jabbers roster.
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