November 17, 1986
Pink Aftershock
cassette
[HAHX-1313] photocopied inserts, dot matrix labels
The self titled cassette by Pink Aftershock was the first release carrying the Slamdek name and the address of PO Box 43551. SLAMDEK is actually an acronym, formed by taking the first letter from each of the band members’ names [Mark Damron, Larry Ray, Scott Ritcher, and Dave Taylor] combined with the first initials of three friends who helped assemble the cassettes [Amy Givan, Erin Currens, and Kim Calebs]. While the name of the label retained “Slamdek” for nearly nine more years, twelve of these fourteen hands worked essentially only on this release. Your author, me (Scott Ritcher), being the one who continued, and my affection for Kim Calebs earned me the nickname “K,” which still follows me around.
The liner notes list the label name as “SLAMDEK/Scramdown & Happy American Humans Productions.” H.A.H. and Scramdown were not names of any significance, they were just extra names. In fact, all of these were simply extra names used in an attempt to make the cassette look more professional, and were not ever necessarily intended to be used again. The idea was basically seven friends worked for this single goal, the Pink Aftershock tape. SLAMDEK/Scramdown was never intended to become a record label, or to even create anything other than this cassette, that is, unless Pink Aftershock was to put out another.
Pink Aftershock was a reformation of the group Rockhouse who had released a cassette, Youth Sunday, exactly one year earlier. Rockhouse, named after one of Rick Springfield’s early bands, consisted of Mark Damron (keyboards, electronic drums and vocals), Scott Ritcher (keyboards and vocals), Scott Thomas (keyboards), Larry Ray (guitar), and Steve Ridge (drums). In becoming Pink Aftershock, Scott Thomas and Steve Ridge left the band, and Dave Taylor was recruited after leaving Mark Ritcher’s band (my brother), Cry For Shadows. The label name on the Rockhouse tapes was CTV (Cosmicpolitain Television), named for the fanzine I did during high school, Cosmicpolitain. One of Rockhouse’s only performances was November 17, 1985 at the Commonwealth Convention Center for a church youth group conference, also called Youth Sunday. The 200 Rockhouse cassettes on hand all sold very quickly during the 20 minute show to the crowd of 800 or so, and another 100 or so were sold in the following months.
Pink Aftershock performed live only once, yet we managed to sell over 300 of those cassettes as well. During the summer of 1987, months after Damron, Ray, and myself had all graduated from Trinity High School, Pink Aftershock played the Hardcore Hoedown at the Cottrell Family Farm (Nina Cottrell was the connection) near Simpsonville, Kentucky. A generous estimate would put maybe 60 people at this show. Misguided Youth and Spot were also electrocuted in this muggy, damp field. Brain Dead and Peacemonger were scheduled but did not play. Pink Aftershock was by all means a sore thumb in this collection of punk bands, but was on the bill as I was becoming friends with this crowd.
Pink Aftershock, 1987:
Larry Ray, Scott Ritcher, Mark Damron, Dave Taylor.
Pink Aftershock recorded once more at Todd Smith’s Cleaver Productions (8 tracks at his parents’ house near Seneca Park) later in 1987. This session produced re-recordings of “I Didn’t Want to Hurt You” and “Don’t Give In” which were intended for a cassette single. The single was never released. As ideas and college began to pull the members in different directions, within a few months Pink Aftershock disbanded. A reworking of the “I Didn’t Want to Hurt You” recording ended up on a tape by Mark and Larry’s next band, Bad Boy Winter. The other two Pink Aftershock cassettes that followed were my solo handiwork and went essentially unnoticed. In our final months as a band, we were working on a 30 minute video compilation which included two concept videos and interview clips. Most of the video had been shot at Long Run Park, the Pope Lick train tressel, and Trinity High School Auditorium, but was never edited. Mark’s sister, Denise Damron, worked in the video production business and would have handled that, had the project continued.
Later in 1988 the band reformed briefly to record a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” for a single. After a few practices that deteriorated as well and never arrived in the studio.
LINER NOTES:
Mark Damron, keyboards and vocals
Larry Ray, guitar
Scott Ritcher, keyboards and vocals
Dave Taylor, drums
Amy Givan, voice identification
Scott Thomas, keyboards on “Desires”
Produced by Pink Aftershock.
Recorded summer 1986 at a house Mark’s parents were renting off Goose Creek Road, and at Scott’s parents’ house in Middletown, all on cassette 4-track and through stereo cassette overdubbing. Mixed October 1986 at the Mansion (Mark’s parents’ house) near Prospect. Cover art by Scott Ritcher based on work by Charles Dana Gibson. Photography by Dave Taylor.
Special thanks to: Steve Ridge, Bill Wrightson, Mark Ritcher, David Mawn, Sister Peggy Lynch and the 1985 Youth Sunday Committee, parents, friends, relatives, Rockhouse supporters and buyers of the Youth Sunday e.p., Kentucky Sound, and of course no doubt Erin Currens and Amy Givan and Kim Calebs.
Side one:
Impact
Serious
Mental Image
Law Heh
What’s the Matter
Second side:
Don’t Give In
I Didn’t Want to Hurt You
Dreams
Ruckriegel
Desires