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.
Beautiful Bye Byes
Redd Kross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ohhhh.... we love you
To all our brothers and sisters
All our children are wonderful
Skinny, short, fat, or tall
Come with us
You're beautiful
You know, you're really groovy!
ohhh.... you're beautiful .... bye bye ...
The song "Beautiful Bye-Byes" by Redd Kross, is a tribute to all the people who might feel left out or left behind by society, the ones who might not fit into the stereotypical molds or ideologies of what is perfect or beautiful. As the song kicks off, we hear the band exclaiming their love for all the people who might feel marginalized or forgotten. The band then goes on to make a declaration which stems from a cruel world, that all of us are born beautiful and that we should be proud of ourselves no matter what our physical appearance or social status might be. The song sums up the idea that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and we should not be ashamed of who we are. In fact, we should embrace ourselves and our differences while loving the people around us.
The lyrics emphasize that all of us are brothers and sisters, and regardless of our size, shape, or skin color, we all should be accepted as ourselves. The chorus of the song "ohhhh...you're beautiful...bye bye" is a reminder that we are all beautiful in our own way.
The uplifting and positive sentiments within the song were a reflection of lead singer Jeff McDonald's personal beliefs — he is a firm believer that everybody is beautiful in their own way, and this song was a way for him to communicate his ideals through the sound of the band. The song showcases the message that everyone deserves the chance to shine as indicated by the line "come with us, you're beautiful, come with us, you're wonderful." Ultimately, "Beautiful Bye-Byes" is a song about self-love, acceptance, and the idea that we can empower ourselves if we believe in ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
ohhhh.... we love you
Expressing our love towards everyone.
ohhhh.... we love you
Reiterating our love towards everyone.
To all our brothers and sisters
Addressing all the people we consider as family.
All our children are wonderful
All humans, regardless of age, are cherished and special to us.
Skinny, short, fat, or tall
Physical appearances do not define one's beauty or worthiness to be loved by us.
Come with us
We invite and welcome people to unite with us.
You're beautiful
Affirming that each person we meet is beautiful in their own unique way.
bye bye ...
Saying farewell to the notion that someone could be anything but beautiful and wonderful in our eyes.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JEFFREY MCDONALD, ROB HECKER, STEVEN MCDONALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@monaramone00ufo
beautiful!