Pearl Harbor & the Explosions - Live in Oakland, 8/24/79

Head over to Wolfgang's Vault to hear a great show from short-lived San Francisco new wave act Pearl Harbor & the Explosions recorded at the Oakland Auditorium on August 24, 1979. Best remembered for their single "Drivin'," the Explosions blended guitar driven, jerky new wave with rockabilly and power pop, all carried by the unmistakable vocals and presence of singer Pearl E. Gates (also known as Pearl Harbor).

The band released only one album, an eponymous effort from 1980, before Harbor embarked on a solo career with 1981's Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too (1981), Pearls Galore! (1984) and Here Comes Trouble (1995).

This particular performance includes all nine tracks from the sole LP, most notably the infectious "Drivin'," the effervescent power pop gem "You Got It (Release It)" and the frantic fun of "Shut Up and Dance." The band also plays some covers, including Nick Lowe's "Let's Eat," "Black Slacks" by The Sparkletones and "I Can Feel the Fire" by Ron Wood. Throw in a couple originals that didn't make the album, and you have a set that gives you a better idea of what the band was all about than what was released on record.

Listen here

Tracks:
1 - Let's Eat
2 - Up and Over
3 - Don't Come Back
4 - Stop Me
5 - Black Slacks
6 - So Much for Love
7 - Nerves
8 - Keep Going
9 - (Get a) Grip (On Yourself)
10 - Drivin'
11 - The Big One
12 - Shut Up and Dance
13 - You Got It (Release It)
14 - I Can Feel the Fire