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.
Debbie & Kim
Redd Kross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ask you "Where am I," you tell me tomorrow
I am confused by this - your patience I must borrow
Well, I ask this horse his name, but he gives me no answer
The girl with golden hair tells me she is a dancer
Tell me when it's three o'clock
And can I play their game - ?
I won't get lost - forget my name
Everything happens for a reason
Tell me what else can I say
And I just gotta believe it
And I do - I know it's true
Electric sonic youth directs me towards the sun
Two girls with yellow hair assure me that it's fun
Well one plays bass, and the other one, well, she's the dancer
I fall out of the blue and ask to be their sister
There was magic all around
If I do say so myself
And can I play their game?
I promise not to get lost - I won't forget my name
I'm just looking for a good thing to happen
Something really insane
And I'm just looking for a good thing to come my way
Anything - come today
She waves her flag, the crowd screams "more"
By this time it is the third encore
But they just don't know
They just came to see the show
A standing ovation
Breadwinner... electric bass yeah!
Everything happens for a reason
Tell me what else can I say
And I just gotta believe it
And I do - I know it's true
Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
I'm just looking for a good thing to happen
Something really insane
And I'm just looking for a good thing to come my way
Anything - come today
And please - come - today
The lyrics to Redd Kross's song Debbie & Kim lay out a strange yet captivating dreamlike scenario. The singer, disoriented and confused, asks for direction and guidance from various sources, such as a horse and a girl with golden hair. The lyrics suggest a search for meaning, as the singer tries to find her place in the world, offering herself as a sister to two girls with yellow hair who play bass and dance. The lyrics also express a desire for excitement and something extraordinary to happen, as the singer asks for a good thing to come her way.
The song appears to be an homage to two female musicians, Debbie Harry and Kim Gordon, who were prominent in the underground punk and new wave music scene of the 1970s and 1980s. The references to "the girl with golden hair" and "the two girls with yellow hair" are believed to be references to them. The lyrics evoke a sense of wonder and mystery, with lines like "There was magic all around / If I do say so myself," hinting at the allure of the alternative music scene.
Line by Line Meaning
I ask you "Where am I," you tell me tomorrow
I am confused about my whereabouts and seek guidance from you, but you delay your answer until tomorrow.
I am confused by this - your patience I must borrow
I find your behavior perplexing and must rely on your patience to clarify the situation.
Well, I ask this horse his name, but he gives me no answer
I inquire about the identity of a horse, but it doesn't respond to my query.
The girl with golden hair tells me she is a dancer
A woman with blonde hair informs me that she is a performer of dance.
Tell me when it's three o'clock
Please inform me of the time when it reads three o'clock on the clock.
Four I've got no time to watch
I am too preoccupied with some activity to spare any attention to the passage of time that occurs at four o'clock.
And can I play their game - ?
May I join the game being played by others?
I won't get lost - forget my name
I assure you that I won't be confused or forgetful about my identity.
Everything happens for a reason
Every event occurs with a justifiable cause.
Tell me what else can I say
What other rhetoric or reasons can I provide on this matter?
And I just gotta believe it
I simply must have faith in this assertion.
And I do - I know it's true
I have faith in this claim, and I am certain of its accuracy.
Electric sonic youth directs me towards the sun
The energetic sound and vigor of youth guide me in the direction of the sun.
Two girls with yellow hair assure me that it's fun
Two females with blonde hair convince me that an activity or experience will be an enjoyable one.
Well one plays bass, and the other one, well, she's the dancer
One of them plays the bass while the other one is a dance performer.
I fall out of the blue and ask to be their sister
Suddenly, I suggest being a sister to them, without any apparent cause or background information.
There was magic all around
An enchanting quality was present in the vicinity.
If I do say so myself
Although it is self-praise, I must admit that there was a magical atmosphere.
I promise not to get lost - I won't forget my name
I guarantee that I won't encounter a case of misplaced directions or forgetfulness regarding my identity.
I'm just looking for a good thing to happen
I am hoping for a positively remarkable event to occur.
Something really insane
An unusually wacky or bizarre incident is what I desire.
And I'm just looking for a good thing to come my way
I am waiting for a favorable outcome to come my way.
Anything - come today
Any advantageous development, irrespective of its nature, is welcome today.
She waves her flag, the crowd screams "more"
As she waves her symbolic flag, the audience urges for an encore.
By this time it is the third encore
Since this moment, the group has been called back for an additional three performances.
But they just don't know
The viewers lack an insight into a certain aspect of the performance.
They just came to see the show
The viewers attended solely for the purpose of witnessing the event.
A standing ovation
The audience rises to their feet to applaud.
Breadwinner... electric bass yeah!
An individual who supports their family financially with their electric bass playing.
Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
A repetitive and catchy chant to invigorate the moment and encourage participation.
Contributed by Colton R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.