Formed in Livonia while many of the members were still students at Bishop Borgess High School in nearby Redford, The Denizens were one of the first and key bands on the Bookie’s Club 870 scene. The group had been playing at several other bars before the scene developed around Bookie’s starting in the spring of 1978. Drummer Mike Murphy said the band originally started in 1977 and played their first shows at a school, a rental hall, and the Cabaret Theater.
The Denizens would catch the attention of Legs McNeil of Punk magazine in New York who worked to produce some recordings of the band. The process of McNeil’s management, who Murphy said only wanted to deal with guitarist Rob Sullivan for all matters related to business, added strain to the band which called it quits around 1980. Just before the band ended, Murphy started playing in a new version of The Pigs, known as the Rushlow-King Combo, and then The Boners. Later, in the 1980s, Murphy would come out from behind the kit to become a frontman – singing in the well-regarded band the Hysteric Narcotics.
Three of the original recordings by The Denizens were issued as a 7-inch in 2004 on the Young Soul Rebels label owned by Dave Buick & Dion Fischer (of The Go).
The very first show I ever saw at Bookies was the Deadboys. It was on a Monday night! The Sillies played before the Deadboys and opening were the Denizens. I loved them. I mostly remember their manic version of Route 66. And I knew this was now my place when one of the guitarist, John or Rob wasn’t there when the show started and came in halfway because he had to work. Of course this was announced to everyone so everyone could make fun of him:) Also the DJ Scott Campbell? was making insane crazy announcements which also endeared me to the whole scene. This was right at the end of 18 year olds being able to legally drink. But that was coming to an end so the announcements were to the effect that some of the younger patrons and staff would have to go back to selling hash etc. I just loved it.
John Sullivan is my dad. Reading about this stuff is in resibke to me. We all live in Columbus, OH now.
My brother and I were “roadies” that night for the Denizens, being pretty young myself I got to hang back stage for the show. A night I’ll never forget. Sat and talked to Cheetah Chrome and Stiv.
John Sullivan is my dad. Reading about this stuff is beyond interesting to me. We all live in Columbus, OH now.
Great to hear from you, Laura. Tell your dad I said hi!
As I recall, in early 1978, John had a job as a waiter and once wore his work jacket on stage at a Denizens show at Bookies. Rob usually wore all polyester solid color clothes consisting of flared pants, long sleeves tucked under and a 70’s style wide tie along with brown loafers on stage. Also in the early days of the Denizens, the band covered “Tears of a Clown” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles with its rising and falling 10 note rhythmic pattern which Rob and John would try to play simultaneously. Unfortunately, they were usually positioned at opposite sides of the stage in front of their own amplifiers and couldn’t hear each other very well so the notes often were not in sync to the bemusement of audience members dancing along to the song in front of the stage. (M-50)
I met Timmy back in June 1978 and married him in June 1982. The Denizens were great although being in love with a kid band member was overwhelming at times! I remember a couple of shows in particular. When they opened for Iggy at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. When they played at a bar in Ann Arbor with The Romantics. When Elvis Costello was playing in Detroit and went to Bookies after his show and saw some of the local talent. It was quite a scene! I was talking to my son, Matt Butler, about “punk” vs. “new wave” and I remembered the Face the 80’s documentary and that’s how I came to this site. Can I find that recording somewhere?
wow julie berla and mike murphy
those were the days watching you guys play at bookies
oh yea rob with my gibson sg
mikebutler1975@gmail.com
Sorry for your loss. I remember that Timmy had a really nice car back in the day and I asked him where he worked to be able to afford such a nice ride. Timmy told me he won some money from the Michigan Lottery.
The Denizens were one of the first bands I saw at Bookies in early 1978 and they immediately impressed me with their tight set consisting of well crafted songs. Mike and Dean later played with me during my set at the first White Noise benefit. We hadn’t practiced much beforehand so the “songs” consisted of Mike laying down a basic drum beat and me yelling out chord changes to Dean. I was using Sillies lead guitarist Tommy Kilowatt’s amp and I kept turning up the volume knob while he in response would turn the volume knob down. I finally gave up and ended the set by briefly eliciting excruciating feedback by holding my guitar against Killowatt’s amp until management cut the power. Over the years I would hang out with Rob when he was the doorman both at Bookies and later at the City Club in the mid- 80’s. My cousin Dave Hanna (Ramrods/The 27) played with Mike and Dean in the Spaceheaters with Pat Shaw (Almighty Lumberjacks of Death). Mike in fact has a Ph.D. in History and readers of this thread should check out his fascinating dissertation on Detroit Blues Women which is published online by Wayne State University.
As I recall, Tom Mitchell, to whom Mike referred in Recording 2 above, was at Bookies one night when the Denizens were on the bill and went walking to buy alcohol at a nearby liquor store somewhere down 6 mile. Unfortunately, Tom got stabbed either along the way or at the store apparently by a local. I’m not sure if he had to get surgery or not.
As I recall, Tom Mitchell, to whom Mike referred in Recording 2 above, was at Bookies one night when the Denizens were on the bill and went walking to buy alcohol at a nearby liquor store somewhere down 6 mile. Unfortunately, Tom got stabbed either along the way or at the store apparently by a local. I’m not sure if he had to get surgery or not.