At the time of their first self-titled EP, in 1980, the band changed their name to Red Cross, which was allegedly inspired by the masturbation scene in the film, The Exorcist. Ron Reyes became the drummer. Eventually, Hetson left to join the Circle Jerks (and later Bad Religion) and Reyes left for Black Flag. Keller left to join Trixie and the Doorknobs as its guitarist and singer. To complete the lineup on their first full-length album, Born Innocent, they assembled a revolving door of musicians including original drummer John Stielow and drummer Janet Housden. Full of the brothers' pop culture obsessions, Born Innocent featured odes to Linda Blair (who starred in a television movie of the same name), a cover of "Look On Up At The Bottom" by the Carrie Nations from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and Charles Manson (whose song "Cease to Exist" they covered). The album also contains nods to Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Tatum O'Neal, and Lita Ford. Not long after the release of the album, the group was threatened with a lawsuit from the International Red Cross and changed their name to Redd Kross, allegedly being inspired by Redd Foxx.
In 1984, Redd Kross returned with drummer Dave Peterson to record Teen Babes from Monsanto, an album featuring songs originally by such artists as KISS, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and The Shangri-Las.
In 1984, lead guitarist Robert Hecker joined the band, as Redd Kross embarked on tour in support of Teen Babes from Monsanto.
In that same year, they were featured on the soundtrack of Desperate Teenage Lovedolls with their cover of the Brady Bunch Kids' "It's a Sunshine Day". Jeff and Steve appear in the movie, along with Robert in the sequel Lovedolls Superstar which the brothers co-wrote with Dave Markey and Jennifer Schwartz. Both movies are available now on DVD.
In 1985, drummer Roy McDonald (formerly of The Things, and no relation to the brothers) joined the band.
In 1987, Redd Kross released Neurotica, an album reportedly influenced by Saturday morning cartoons and breakfast cereal (one of the songs was called "Frosted Flake"). Although the album itself was successful, the band's label, Big Time Records folded. The band continued to tour during these years however, and in 1988, drummer Victor Indrizzo joined the band.
On February 20, 1990, Redd Kross appeared on Episode 2 of the cult Public-access television show "Decoupage" with Summer Caprice.
In 1990, Redd Kross signed with Atlantic Records, releasing Third Eye, and appeared with David Cassidy in the film Spirit of '76, and issued several singles, including "Annie's Gone", which had some mild success on college radio. Former Red Hot Chili Peppers / future Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons joined for the Third Eye tours, and appears in the promotional video for "Annie's Gone", which saw some light rotation on MTV. Brian Reitzell succeeded Irons as drummer in the band, and appears in the promotional video for "1976".
In 1991, Robert Hecker took leave from the band.
The album Phaseshifter was released in 1993, with new band members Eddie Kurdziel, Gere Fennelly, and Brian Reitzell. The videos for "Jimmy's Fantasy" and "Lady In The Front Row" were both shown on MTV's 120 Minutes. They toured on Phaseshifter for over a year, headling their own shows as well as tours supporting The Lemonheads and The Spin Doctors in late 1993 and Stone Temple Pilots in 1994. In 1995, Jeff and his wife, Charlotte Caffey (from The Go-Go's), had a daughter, named Astrid.
In 1997, Redd Kross released Show World, produced by Chris Shaw (who also produced albums for Weezer and Soul Asylum) and toured supporting The Presidents of the United States of America. The band took an indefinite hiatus after the Show World tour, and their future was uncertain after the untimely death of guitarist Eddie Kurdziel on June 6, 1999.
On July 1, 2006, Redd Kross returned to the live stage after almost a decade's absence. The Neurotica-era line up of Jeff McDonald, Steven McDonald, Robert Hecker and Roy McDonald performed a career-spanning set at the REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts Theater) at Disney Hall in Los Angeles. The band has subsequently gone on to play at the Azkena Festival in Spain, the Detour Festival in Los Angeles, give a performance of their entire first EP in honor of Rodney Bingenheimer's being awarded a star on Hollywood Boulevard, and a set consisting of the entire Born Innocent album opening for Sonic Youth (who performed Daydream Nation) at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. They toured Spain and England in January, 2007. They have played a number of one-off shows including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. In 2008 they played the Coachella Festival in Coachella, California; ATP vs Pitchfork festival in Sussex, England; and NXNE Festival in Toronto, Ontario. In 2010, Redd Kross headlined the Turbo Rock Festival in Spain. In 2011 they headlined the POP Montreal Festival.
Redd Kross will tour Australia again as part of the Hoodoo Gurus' 30th Anniversary on the "Dig It Up" Festival concert series.
The band released "Researching the Blues" in 2012.
After School Special
Redd Kross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You stole a bunch
Of you little brother's Ritalin pills today
Come and get me out of class
Call in a bomb threat it'll be a blast
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
You stole some candy
Like ol' Jim Dandy
You get so hungry
When you get too stoned
Can't serve detention
I gotta go
My sister plays with matches
When she's home alone
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
After school special
Put a stack of records
On the stereo
It's gonna be so fine
It's gonna blow you mind
In the daytime
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
After school
After school
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
After school
After school
After school (after school)
After school (after school)
After school special
Any Hour, every Day
Distortion, that's what you are
Naked electric guitar
While I'm watching you I see myself
Yes the time is right
And I want you now
I'd lose my dignity
Just to have you one more time
Any hour every day
Well, you can have it
Vision, I see the light
Fire in overdrive
While I'm watching you I see myself
Yes the time is right
And I want you now
I'd lose my dignity
Just to have you one more time
Any hour every day
Well, you can have it
Fire in overdrive
Distortion, it comes alive
I'd lose my dignity
Just to have you one more time
Any hour every day
Well, you can have it
You can have it, any hour, every day
You can have it, any hour, every day
You can have it, any hour, every day
You can have it, any hour, every day
The Redd Kross song "After School Special" is a tongue-in-cheek ode to teenage rebellion and mischief. The song's verses describe various misdeeds committed by the singer and their friends, from stealing Ritalin pills to playing with matches. The song's chorus features the phrase "after school special," which alludes to the popular television series of the same name that aired in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. This series was known for its cautionary tales about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and other vices, and the song's reference to it suggests that the singer is aware of the risks involved in their behavior but enjoys living dangerously nonetheless.
The song's lyrics also touch on themes of love and desire. The lines "While I'm watching you I see myself / Yes the time is right / And I want you now" suggest that the singer is infatuated with someone and willing to sacrifice their dignity in order to be with them. This theme of desperate longing is reinforced by the repeated refrain of "you can have it, any hour, every day," which suggests a willingness to give oneself fully to the object of one's desire.
Overall, "After School Special" is a fun, energetic rock song that captures the spirit of youthful rebellion, teenage crushes, and the joy of letting loose and causing a little trouble.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a hunch
I suspected something was going on
You stole a bunch
You took a lot of something that wasn't yours
Of your little brother's Ritalin pills today
Specifically, you took medication that was prescribed for a family member
Come and get me out of class
Please find a way to interrupt my class time
Call in a bomb threat it'll be a blast
Make a fake threat for our own amusement
You stole some candy
You took some sweets that weren't yours
Like ol' Jim Dandy
Similar to a famous musician who had a sweet tooth
You get so hungry
You experience strong cravings when you're high
When you get too stoned
This hunger specifically occurs when you're under the influence of drugs
Can't serve detention
I can't attend my scheduled punishment
I gotta go
I must leave
My sister plays with matches
My sibling enjoys playing with fire
When she's home alone
This happens when no one else is around
Put a stack of records
Put several vinyl records on the turntable
On the stereo
On the music player
It's gonna be so fine
This experience will be great
It's gonna blow you mind
It will be so good that it will feel overwhelming
In the daytime
This experience will occur during daylight hours
Distortion, that's what you are
You create and embody distortion, a sound distortion effect
Naked electric guitar
A electric guitar without any accompanying effects or modifiers
While I'm watching you I see myself
I see my reflection in you or identify with you
Yes the time is right
Now is a propitious moment
And I want you now
I desire you immediately
I'd lose my dignity
I would sacrifice my respect and self-esteem
Just to have you one more time
Simply to be with you again
Any hour every day
At any time
Well, you can have it
I will give it to you
Distortion, it comes alive
The sound distortion effect becomes vivid and intense
Vision, I see the light
I envision an illuminating experience
Fire in overdrive
The flames are burning at an extremely high level
You can have it, any hour, every day
I reiterate that it's yours at any time
You can have it, any hour, every day
Again, it's yours whenever you want it
You can have it, any hour, every day
I conclude that you have full access to it all the time
You can have it, any hour, every day
The same as the previous line
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GERE FENNELLY, JEFFREY A. MCDONALD, STEVEN SHANE MCDONALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind