Pinhead: You Don’t Like Me, Do Ya’?
Here’s an entertaining LP from Pinhead, a Burlington VT group fronted by local cartoonist/author/eccentric Dug Nap. Pinhead’s style is a mix of new wave, ska, and punk influenced pop with sarcastic and fun lyrics that make for an interesting listen. This was a hit locally when it first came out and from what I’ve heard there was much talk of a national record deal. These guys used to play all the local venues and they had a seriously dedicated following that supported them (which included my folks, which is how I got turned on to the LP) and were well known for their high energy live shows. Pinhead never really blew up nationally and remained just a local sensation, although Dug Nap became a local celebrity and his art is still in demand. His stuff can be found at http://dugnap.com/
The tracks ‘citizen’ and ‘back to the womb’ were crowd favorites, but the track that got repeat listens from me was the title track, ‘you don’t like me, do ya?’ which has a dose of paranoia as well as the sense of humor that they were known for. This is also probably the darkest track on the album.
44 Comments
Right on par with Alice Cooper’s “Nobody Likes Me.”
Without a doubt, one of the coolest bands ever to play Boston. I will never forget their frenetic awe-inspiring show at The Rat (c. 1984?). They tore the doors off of the place! And the singing Yelling?) into the heavily-processed Casio keyboard’s speaker–INSPIRED! Cool songs, too!
Anyone know where Tor Borgstrom is now? Where are you Tor! Been many years and would like to catch up.
Hey becky, I can hook you up with Tor. I am his sister-in-law. mjb@kingcon.com
Becky… This is Tor Borgstroms daughter! He would like to catch up too. My email is leighkennedy@live.com
Miss Becky is it really you? I can’t find you, where are you? tor
This is Great
I work for dug.
Frame his stuff.
He is still making music.
does anyone where i can get a copy of this?
its really cool.
wat up everybody. im Tors son gunnar
Where can Pinhead songs be downloaded/purchased???
My brother and sister went to college in Vermont in the early 80’s and i heard the cassette from them….would love to find/hear those songs again!
I have been looking for Pinhead stuff for awhile, anyone know where i can downloading any of it?
Really obscure (yet still fun) fact to know & tell:
Pinhead’s first EP “Where Are You?” [BSharp Records, 1983] (which shares at least a couple songs with this album – not sure if they were re-recorded or not) was produced by the infamous Bill Krauss, who produced They Might Be Giants’ self-titled debut & Lincoln and was TMBG’s live sound man/de facto road manager in their early days.
I was at Hunt’s for their farewell gig. Never forget it. The building code for occupancy was stretched a bit :) Hi Dug! Hi Tor!
Pinhead played one of the first high school dances that I went to back in Vermont. I loved this album but, unfortunately, traded it to a friend for a Beatles record. I’ve been trying to find it again ever since. Would love to find a copy (even a recording of it). I have their next 2 albums (Where Are You?) on vinyl and Forbidden Love on cassette. Anyone trying to get rid of their copy of this one?
To: Gunnar Borgstrom
Hello Gunnar,
I knew your dad quite well. We were great friends and always had fun times together out and about. I even had the opportunity to do guest vocals with the Pinhead when they played HUNT’S club in downtown Burlington. The place was always packed to the rafters! Nice to know he has a son! Take care Gunnar and when you see your Dad, tell’ em JUNIOR said hello – Cheers.
Pinhead Reunion at Higher Ground is in the works. Save the date!
Right…I don’t have a firm date yet, but I’m working on it. Sorry, Tor..I haven’t talked to you about this yet, but I’m going to…soon!
Seriously, let’s make this happen. Mark & Doug are open to this idea. Tor’s easy (easy going, I mean.)…but wait! Ron Ward?, Harry?, Bill K.? How about all 3 drummers?
More to come…….
I’m down for two tickets to the Pinhead reunion.
Let’s make it a double header and bring the Decentz in too!
I was there….in the 80’s. Any info on the reunion?
JUNIOR love and miss you brother.
Shawn, im at sleep quarters where you can find me.
Im ready. HOW COME I WAS THE ONLY MEMBER WHO HAD TO TURN IN MY INSTRUMENT. I WILL NEED A NEW AMERICAN MADE STRAT WITH MAPLE NECK, AND FENDER AMP. YOU CAN DO IT.
Becky, where are you?
Dug, im at sleep quarters. Its in the phonebook.
Where can I get this album on cd or in some digital format? I still have my original cassette copy. “Be a good citizen” and Screaming Broccoli’s “I made love to a vulcan” where the soundtrack of my formative years.
This album needs to be re-released on CD.
I’d love to get this stuff in a digital format. Man alive, I want to send you guys money and get electric pulses in return!
I got introduced to Pinhead by a friend of my dad’s who was way into you guys. She copied this album onto a tape for me (late ’80s in Montpelier) and man I listened to that a ton. I have kept my eyes open for Pinhead stuff ever since but never came up with anything. Thanks for being a huge part of my music experience for many years.
Toe – Can’t believe I stumbled on this site. Joe McSoley sent me the cut out Sleep Quarters ad last week and asked me if I reconized the model.Too funny.
For those of you who missed them, this was the best damn band to ever come out of Burlington by far. You got on the dance floor when they started and didn’t get off until they stopped. “In the sub way down…”
Hope you’re doing great Tor and hope to see it happen.
Nate
recognized is spelled with a “g” in it btw
Went to St. Mikes from “82 to “84 and didn’t miss a Pinhead or Decentz club appearance in Burlington. My teenage kids now want to download Pinhead tunes onto their IPods but I only have the vinyl! Please help preserve and advance the BEST of VT Ska/Punk/Rock for generations to come!!! DR. P’
Check out: http://www.live365.com/stations/joe_regular and listen to Pinhead…some other Burlington bands…and different shit too…no ones cool anymore…
Hunts, Pinhead playing and Nelson tending bar …. perfect memory. So is there really a reunion gig planned at Higher Ground? where can we get info?
Here’s something you might enjoy, a version of Pinhead’s “Be a Good Citizen”. It was recorded in 1982/83 in New York City at Evergreen Recording Studios with Rob Stevens and Hahn Rowe enigineering and 80s hip-hopper Bo Brown and Burlington musician Paul Beaudin producing. It’s probably the slickest recording Pinhead ever did, and shows what we were capable of in the new-wave funk rock vein. Too bad it didn’t last, we surely would have made hundreds of dollars!
That is our live sound engineer and local Burlington VT electrician Joel Snyder on backing vox with the “who me’s”. Bo insisted we add in the “we all, see all” section….even though we were weird-ass hippy white boy anomalies from the Green Mountains, he seemed to think there should be a little Earth, Wind and Fire in there anyway. Cool!
Oh, here’s the link to the song!
http://www.markspencer.us/sounds/beagoodcitizennyc.mp3
I have a box of them.
What do you have a box of, Hans?
Did these albums ever exist on CD? I only had cassettes of the first two (at least I think they were the first two) which I transferred to CD a few years ago. I also had the one with Robots Making Love (was that the album title?), but must’ve misplaced it. Pretty much all my cassettes are gone now.
I’d love to get higher quality CD transfers than I have now.
Oh yeah, I was in a band about 10 years ago and we covered “Where Are You?”…always loved the guitar solo, so I played it note for note. A couple of times we even switched it up from reggae to ska. Fun tune.
It’s been 24 years since I left Vermont.
And I have remembered the lyrics to “Be a Good Citizen” all this time. I did own a album once… I’m thinking that it had a dark cover and there was a picture of the band … one guy with a pointy nose like Nixon (sorry).
Anyhow I loved the band I loved the music and the lyrics have haunted me for 24+ years.
Thank you very much for this website.
It has been a lot of fun.
Long Live PINHEAD! ! ! !
And I might be interested in buying a album or cassette, CD or whatever
bakerbob65@yahoo.com
I loved dancing when Pinhead played at Hunts. Mark, thanks for the link. Are there any other mp3s out there. I had the yellow album and was sooooo sad when it melted in the back window of may car driving to NYC.
I’d make a trip to Burlington to catch up with friends and see Pinhead play, let us know when it happens.
I have a box of the first album somewhere in my basement.
Tor -Im right here.I emailed leigh….and you have a son! hey gunnar! we HAVE to catch up. Hope all is well in the mean time. rye and ginger right?
Also-I noticed Terri’s comment about Nelson bartending at Hunts. He was also a good bud Ive lost track of unfortunately. When I moved to denver I was bartending at the Wynkoop Brewery, someone sat down and ordered a “Nelson” which is a delicious concoction of crushed oranges, soda and copious amounts of vodka that he invented. I nearly fainted but i didnt say anything.I made the drink and you should of seen the look on this guy’s face when I put that drink in front of him! Yup, great memeories…where is nelson now I wonder? PS I always called him by his real name, Micheal..his nickname was so commonly known that people would look at me funny. It was like a secret… I suddenly have a craving for fries and gravy…
I worked with a guy who was from VT who was really into punk/alt music who turned me on to Pinhead. Glad he did, never would have heard of them in the Seattle area otherwise.
Yeah Pinhead! Ahhh, memories – thank you Mark for the Be a Good Citizen link – I think that my kids know most of the words now!! Still have the cassette – and can still play it!!! Hope that there will be a reunion!
Hans-
If you find that box of albums…let me know. Or, if anyone has a copy or would be willing to make a copy of the You don’t Like Me, Do Ya? album (mp3, cassette or whatever…) let me know. I have the Where Are You album and cassette of Forbidden Love that I could trade copies of if someone is interested.
Thanks,
dadoluke@gmail.com
just now in recovery from Phish show in Augusta Tuesday night. Was doing some post-show research and my early 80’s times in Btown/Winoosk etc. Decentz, P-head, Chris Bailey, Hunts. Whoa. Thanks for stirrin up the memories.
Hey, banter about Pinhead. You know what was really fun back in the day? Ferry cruises! Also fun, being tight on cash but running tabs down at Hunt’s all month and then finding out how much you owed after your monthly gig. Tor used to owe more than he made because Tor was the type of local hero that would buy everybody at the bar a drink. Then there was opening for the “Clash”. I recently scanned some old “Vanguard” clippings. I’ll try to attach them when I’m back at the computer where they are stored.
Yea E-bay! Finally found a vinyl copy of this to replace the one traded away in my foolish youth!
I just got a new copy of this record. Pure Pop has a few of this and Where Are You? Perhaps the mysterious Hans handed them over?
http://www.purepoponline.com/lpscassettes-from-pinhead-are-here/
Can’t say they’ll be around forever, but I got my new in shrink wrap copy of this album in October 2011.