Best known for their classic 1966 garage rock hit “Dirty Water” and for influencing the punk rock movement in the late 1970s, The Standells formed in Los Angeles, California in 1962. Founded by Larry Tamblyn (vocals / keyboards), Tony Valentino (guitar), Jody Rich (bass), and Benny King (drums), the group fell apart a few months later after Rich and King left. Tamblyn and Valentino then brought in Gary Leeds on drums and Gary Lane on bass and The Standells were back on track. However, after the release of their 1964 debut single, “You’ll Be Mine Someday,” and then signing to Liberty Records, Gary Leeds left the band and would later surface as Gary Walker in The Walker Brothers. His replacement was former Mousketeer Dick Dodd, who would also assume lead vocal duties in the Standells. In 1964, they released their debut album, In Person at P.J.’s, which showcased their raw garage rock sound. Several more singles on various labels followed as well as an appearance on The Munsters TV series. They also appeared on episodes of Ben Casey (1965) and The Bing Crosby Show (1965). The Standells’ next album was their debut studio platter, Dirty Water (1966), which was a commercial hit thanks to the title track climbing to number 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart. The same month that album was released, their 1964 live album was reissued – with a slightly different track list – as ‘Live’ and Out of Sight. However, the band’s rough and rocking garage sound was drowned out as pop and psychedelic music took over the airwaves. Subsequent albums Why Pick on Me – Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White (1966), The Hot Ones! (1967) and Try It (1967) – didn’t fare as well commercially. The single “Try It” was poised to be their next hit but after being banned in Texas because of what was considered sexually suggestive lyrics, it eventually failed to become a hit. In 1968, Dick Dodd left the group and the Standells soldiered on for a little while before breaking up. They resurfaced with various line-ups in the 1980s and performed some shows with garage rockers The Fleshtones and others. After many years of occasional live performances and short trips to the studio, they released their album Bump in 2013. Drummer / vocalist Dick Dodd died from cancer on November 29, 2013. Former drummer Gary Lane died from lung cancer on November 5, 2014. Founding member and longest serving band member Larry Tamblyn died at the age of 82 on March 21, 2025.
