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.
Say It Isn't True
Agent Orange Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another answer just in case
It's just a memory that I will soon forget
Another glamorous debut
Another chance to see right through
Your empty promises that mean so much to me
And all at once I get the feeling
And all at once I get the feeling
That I'll never hear you say it isn't true
I had a dream - I saw you in a magazine
I turned the page and you were gone
I can't explain - I can't express the way I feel
It's so complex - it's so unreal
[Chorus]
All these places I have been
There all the same - it's just the miles and miles
That set them all apart
And all these faces I have seen
It seems to me that they've been
Trying to tell me something from the start
And all at once I get the feeling that I'll
Never get the chance to talk to you
And all at once I get the feeling
That I've got to hear you say it isn't true
The lyrics of the song "Say It Isn't True" by Agent Orange talks about the frustration and disappointment of a person who has been let down by someone they trusted. The first verse talks about how the person has had multiple chances to see through the false promises and glamor of the person they had faith in but couldn't bring themselves to see it. The second verse talks about how the person had a dream where they saw the person in a magazine and when they turned the page they were gone. The complexity of the situation and the fact that it is so unreal and hard to express leaves the person feeling lost and alone. The chorus talks about how all the places and faces the person has encountered all convey the message that what they had hoped for was never true, and they are left feeling like they will never get the chance to talk to the person and hear the truth from their own mouth.
The song seems to be about a person who has been deceived or lied to by someone they trusted, and it plays on the emotions of betrayal, disillusionment, and regret. The lyrics describe a complex mix of emotions that come from feeling like they have lost someone who was important to them, and the feeling of hopelessness that comes from knowing that they will never get the truth from that person. The song's chorus is especially powerful, as it talks about how all the time and effort the person has put into trying to understand or connect with the person has been in vain, and now they are left with nothing but disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
Another time - another place
Reflecting on a previous experience that happened somewhere else, sometime ago.
Another answer just in case
Being prepared with other responses to keep the conversation going.
It's just a memory that I will soon forget
The memory that was once important has diminished over time and isn't significant anymore.
Another glamorous debut
Envisaging a dazzling entrance into a party or event.
Another chance to see right through
Another opportunity to uncover the true intentions and character of someone.
Your empty promises that mean so much to me
The promises that were made have lost their value and hold no significance anymore.
And all at once I get the feeling that I'll never get the chance to talk to you
Feeling the regret of never having a chance to have a conversation with someone.
That I'll never hear you say it isn't true
The desire to hear someone admit that what they said wasn't true.
I had a dream - I saw you in a magazine
Having a dream where someone was read or seen in the media.
I turned the page and you were gone
The person being thought about in the dream disappeared, indicating an unfulfilled desire.
It's so complex - it's so unreal
Feeling overwhelmed by the complex emotions and mental state.
All these places I have been
Reflecting on the different places visited before.
There all the same - it's just the miles and miles
The places visited are similar regardless of the distance traveled.
That set them all apart
The only thing that makes each place different is the subtle variations in the experience.
And all these faces I have seen
Recalling the people met along the way.
It seems to me that they've been trying to tell me something from the start
The feeling that the people encountered along the way had a significant message that probably went unnoticed.
That I've got to hear you say it isn't true
The desire to hear a specific affirmation from someone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL PALM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind