Agent Orange was formed in Placentia, California in 1979 by guitarist Mike Palm, a musical omnivore whose early influences included vintage surf music, heavy metal, and '50s and '60s rock. Emboldened by the rise of punk rock, Palm began consolidating his tastes into a meld that fused the style of classic sounds with the impact and velocity of punk. Teaming with bassist Steve Soto and drummer Scott Miller, Palm assembled the first edition of Agent Orange (the name was a dual reference to the notorious defoliant used by the United States military in Vietnam and the group's home in California's Orange County). In 1980, the trio self-released their debut single, "Bloodstains" b/w "America" and "Bored of You." Thanks to frequent spins on Bingenheimer's KROQ radio show, "Bloodstains" became a favorite in the Southern California punk community, and the band struck a deal with the independent Posh Boy label to cut their first full-length album, 1981's Living in Darkness. By the time Agent Orange cut the LP, Steve Soto had left the group to form the Adolescents, and James Levesque took over on bass. Living in Darkness spread the word about the band's skate-friendly surf/punk sound, and Posh Boy pulled a single from the album, "Everything Turns Gray," backed with a revved-up cover of the Chantays' "Pipeline." 1982 saw the release of Bitchin' Summer, a four-song EP featuring covers of four classic surf instrumentals.
In 1983, Agent Orange jumped from Posh Boy to a larger and better distributed indie, Enigma Records, and brought out the EP When You Least Expect It, which featured two originals and two covers, including their take on Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love." While Agent Orange remained active as a live band, it would be three years before they released another recording, their second full-length album, 1986's This Is the Voice, which boasted slicker production and a poppier sound than their previous efforts. Agent Orange were never an especially prolific recording act, and it would be 1991 before another album appeared, a live recording titled Real Live Sound. During the downtime between This Is the Voice and Real Live Sound, Scott Miller and James Levesque both left the group, and bassist Brent Liles and drummer Derek O'Brien signed on. In 1991, O'Brien dropped out, and Scotty Lund took over behind the drums, while Sam Bolle preplaced Liles on bass in 1992. In 1996, Agent Orange released their third studio album, Virtually Indestructible, released by the Gunka Disc label. The album featured drummer Charlie Quintana (formerly of the Plugz and Social Distortion) taking over for Scotty Lund, though Steve Latanation would step in after Quintana's departure in 1997.
In 2000, Agent Orange returned with Greatest & Latest, which collected live and studio recordings of original songs as well as tunes from their back catalog. The album was reissued in 2004 as Blood Stained Hitz, and was recycled again in 2008 as Surfing to Some F#*ked Up S@!t, with the addition of a cover of Metallica's "Seek and Destroy." In 2004, there was another turnover in the rhythm section with the arrival of bassist Bruce Taylor and drummer Dusty Watson. In 2006, bassist Perry Giordano came on board after Taylor moved on, and Dave Klein succeeded Watson as drummer in 2009. In 2003, Agent Orange's Enigma Records material was reissued in a two-CD set titled Sonic Snake Session. Liles died in 2007 after being hit by a truck, Levesque passed in 2014, and Quintana lost his life after struggling with emphysema and heart disease in 2018.
Biography by Mark Deming
Members
Mike Palm : Vocals & Guitars (1979 - Present)
Steve Soto : Bass & Vocals (1979-1980)
James Levesque : Bass & Vocals (1980 - 1988)
Brent Liles : Bass & Vocals (1989 - 1995)
Sam Bolle : Bass & Vocals (1996 - 2005)
Perry Gx : Bass & Vocals (2006 - Present)
Scott Miller : Drums & Vocals (1979 - 1988)
Derek O'Brien : Drums & Vocals (1989 - 1995)
Charles Quintana : Drums & Vocals (1996 - 1998)
Dusty Watson : Drums (1999 - 2000)
Steve Latanation : Drums (2000 - 2005)
Dave Klein : Drums (2009 - Present)
Albums
Living in Darkness 1980
When You Least Expect It 1984
This Is The Voice 1986
Real Live Sound 1990
Virtually Indestructible 1996
This That-n-The Other Thing 2000
There are other artists with the same name:
Dutch Agent Orange
The second Agent Orange was a Dutch hardcore punk band from Amsterdam. They were formerly known as Jezus and the Gospelfuckers and also recorded songs for a Pusmort compilation under the bandname "Genocide Express". As Agent Orange they record 2 singles, the first called "your mother sucks coocks in hell" which sells on ebay for insanely high prices, and a second one called "VD" aka "hello boyfriend coming my way?
German Agent Orange are from Germany and were formed in 2005 in "hude" near Bremen.
Swiss Agent Orange
Trip/bit hop producer, to avoid confusion, he changed his name to agentff6600.
Danish Agent Orange
Two musicians of a local danish band called digiis (short of digital inspired), who has made a side project. The music is both electronic and acoustic.
http://www.myspace.com/davidmads
There is also another German Agent Orange from Bisingen. They played Metal and released a single and 2 albums, the second on B.O. Records.
No Such Thing
Agent Orange Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you really shouldn't be so rude
i think i've seen you change your mind before
i've never seen you change your mood
everybody get away from me
don't everybody push and shove
everybody stop asking me
i'm telling you i'm not in love
it doesn't matter to me i know
there's no such thing
isn't that a relief to know
there's no such thing
hey you, snap out of it
it's time for you to act your age
no you're never gonna get your way
so break into a screaming rage
a good excuse t start a non-stop teenage romance
turning love into lust
i'm only looking for somebody to talk to
or somebody that i can trust
[chorus]
In "No Such Thing" by Agent Orange, the singer seems to be addressing someone who is acting out of character and has inexplicably become rude towards them. They suggest that this person has previously been inconsistent in their decision-making process, but has never before displayed such sudden, dramatic mood swings. The singer then becomes overwhelmed by those around them, pleading for everyone to back off and stop interrogating them about their romantic feelings. The chorus declares that there's "no such thing" as love and suggests that the idea of it is a relief to the singer. They then turn their attention back to the person they were previously admonishing, telling them to act their age and warning that their attempts to force their desires onto others will only lead to unfulfilling relationships. The singer clarifies that they're only looking for someone to talk to or trust, not necessarily someone to romantically pursue.
This song seems to grapple with the complexity and confusion that often accompany romantic relationships, particularly for younger people. The singer's frustration with the people around them and their insistence on talking about love suggest that they might be dealing with some sort of romantic disappointment; perhaps they have recently experienced a breakup or have been rejected by someone they were interested in. The title of the song, "No Such Thing," seems to reflect the singer's disillusionment with the idea of love altogether, as though it's a concept that is impossible or unattainable.
Line by Line Meaning
hey your kind of acting strange to me
You are behaving differently around me, and it's making me feel uncomfortable.
you really shouldn't be so rude
Your behavior is impolite, and it's not appropriate to treat me this way.
i think i've seen you change your mind before
I recall a time when you altered your opinion, so I'm puzzled by your current attitude.
i've never seen you change your mood
Your emotions have always been constant in my experience, even though your behavior seems odd.
everybody get away from me
I need space and don't want anyone around me right now.
don't everybody push and shove
Stop acting aggressively and crowding me, give me some physical space.
everybody stop asking me
I'm not interested in the attention of others and don't want to be bothered by their questions.
i'm telling you i'm not in love
I want to make it clear that I'm not experiencing romantic feelings for anyone at the moment.
there's no such thing
Love, as it is often portrayed, does not exist in reality and is nothing more than a societal construct.
it doesn't matter to me i know
Despite the societal pressure to be in love, I'm content with not being caught up in the hype.
isn't that a relief to know
I feel liberated, knowing that I don't have to live up to society's expectations regarding love and relationships.
hey you, snap out of it
Stop acting childish, and start behaving more maturely, especially in the way you treat others.
it's time for you to act your age
Being young is not an excuse for poor behavior, and it's time for you to grow up and start acting more responsibly.
no you're never gonna get your way
I'm not going to give in to your desires just because you throw a tantrum or become aggressive.
so break into a screaming rage
Your attempt to intimidate me or get what you want through anger isn't going to work.
a good excuse t start a non-stop teenage romance
Many young people use the pretext of love to engage in non-stop romantic relationships that aren't healthy.
turning love into lust
These relationships often become purely physical, with no emotional connection or true feelings of love.
i'm only looking for somebody to talk to
What I really want is someone to connect with on a deep level and have meaningful conversations with.
or somebody that i can trust
I'm searching for someone I can rely on and confide in without fear of judgment or betrayal.
[chorus]
The chorus reiterates that love, as it is often portrayed, doesn't exist in reality, and that it's okay not to subscribe to that idea.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATRACA MARIA BERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind