The Traitors were a short-lived, and often maligned, band. But, the band’s history is fascinating and complicated with guest appearances involving rowdy teenage girls, angry outlaw bikers, the marketer of a 1970s fad, and a punch that landed the group in the annals of Detroit music lore.

A student of classical and jazz trumpet as a kid, Don McAlpine picked up a guitar in the late 1960s and started fronting rock bands including one called Black Stone Jury. After that band ran its course in the early 1970s, he sought to start a new group. In July 1975, McAlpine formed The Kid Row Gang featuring a member of a later version of the band Flaming Ember, that changed its name to Mind, Body and Soul, and had a hit with the song of that name around 1970. The Kid Row Gang was originally a six piece that played some house parties and bar gigs. But, McAlpine felt it wasn’t working out because some of older band members seemed to like to drink & smoke weed more than rehearse. So, he trimmed the band back to a four piece after running rehearsals with three area teenagers – guitarist Craig Peters, bassist Steve McGuire, and drummer Terry Fox – who he was extremely impressed with as musicians.

Meeting the Prez

In spring 1976, McAlpine took the new version of The Kid Row Gang into a Detroit studio to record some demos. One of the studio engineers was impressed with the group’s sound as the budding punk rock scene in the US and UK was building and called a friend at another studio, Sound Suite, who he knew was looking for such a band.

At the time, Sound Suite was recording a lot of local r&b following the move of Motown out to Los Angeles a few years earlier. The studio’s owner was Jack Tann. While Tann himself was not a musician, he had the money to run the studio due to his family’s tool & die business as well as his marketing of Mood Rings – a big fad in the mid-1970s. At the time, Tann was interested in developing punk rock bands because of a musician he knew was interested in what was happening around CBGBs and wanted to transition from being a jazz bassist to a singer/frontman.

His name was Don Fagenson.

At the time, Fagenson was a multi-instrumentalist known in the Detroit jazz scene chiefly as a bassist due to his work with Lenore Paxton since the early 1970s and had just completed working on an album with Paxton around the time he and McAlpine were introduced in the spring of 1976. Although known for jazz, Fagenson had previous rock and roll experience as a member of a late 1960s Detroit band The Saturns.

According to McAlpine, Tann had tried finding Fagenson a lead singer slot in several different groups, including an early version of The Romantics, but, he had been turned down.

After meeting, it was determined that they would work together and develop songs out of a project Fagenson had been working on. McAlpine says it took about six months or so for the songs to come together as The Kid Row Gang continued to play shows as a four piece and Fagenson kept up his jazz gigs. During the development, Fagenson and the four piece went back and forth on the name of the group until eventually they settled on The Traitors. Even though Fagenson didn’t win the day with his band name, he wanted to call it President Eisenhower, he did take on different versions of the first part of moniker during group’s lifetime including being called “Prez”, “Prez Fagenson”, and “Prez Genovese”, in a nod to the notorious Mafia crime family, on stage and in media appearances.

Following several months of rehearsals at the four-story Westinghouse Building on Trumbull and I-94 near the Wayne State University campus, McAlpine says he was impressed with Fagenson’s voice but needed help sculpting the frontman persona which he was willing to do given his own experience fronting Black Stone Jury. The band members, beyond knowledge of music, also shared an interest in socially conscience lyrics and sought to cultivate a fanbase in college students, including playing at gig at Wayne State. After reworking Fagenson’s originals and adding in early songs written by McAlpine, The Traitors played their first gig in the fall of 1976.

Savage Teenage Girls, Surly Outlaw Bikers & Snarky Detroit Punks

One of the first performances for The Traitors was at Oak Park’s Clinton Junior High School were Fagenson had attended as a kid and his parents worked as teachers. The Romantics were also on the bill.

McAlpine remembers The Traitors went on first working the crowd of mostly teenagers into frenzy. When the band finished and headed outside to the parking lot for a smoke everyone, except Fagenson who made it to van in time, was chased and tackled by a mob of teenage girls and needed to be rescued by the road crew.

This would be the first, but certainly not the last, of The Traitors getting scuffed up by a rowdy audience. Although, typically in the early days, the band faced bars full of bikers who didn’t appreciate their sound, their look, and considered them “queers”, especially when playing with The Ramrods who were often confrontational.

According to a story in the November 1978 issue of SPOOEE! based on an interview with McAlpine, the article added some on the local music scene were resentful of Tann’s money and that he was a “ruthless, calculating businessman, jumping into new wave with his bucks to get rich, while making a name for himself.”

The SPOOEE! reporter talks about the sound of The Traitors as McAlpine played him a tape “what he had heard wasn’t new wave but more reminicent (sic) of Beach Boys gone bad. Not that the tunes weren’t good, just not in the new wave style.”  

In a 2018 interview, McAlpine acknowledges that Fagenson took a lot of heat from contemporaries in the early Detroit punk/new wave scene because he was the frontman. Many in the scene saw The Traitors as “fake”, or contrived, and lacking authenticity. McAlpine says in reality, he was the leader of the group since he had put together the core of the band and felt the group’s musical efforts were sincere. But, he also saw it very much like a show featuring an actor playing a role with the goal of creating the best performance he could with his group for the audience. In a 2017 interview, Fagenson says he can understand the issue of realness for some in the scene and it was a lesson he learned being in the band about how people relate to music.

More than Swinging Hips on “The Scene”

In late 1977, The Traitors were invited onto WGPR’s music show “The Scene”. This Detroit style “Soul Train”, hosted by Nat Morris, was typically the home of r&b and disco acts as local dancers showed off their latest moves on Detroit TV.

Following the band’s performance, Morris interviewed the members and made some remarks about the music sounding like noise.

The Traitors (SPOOEE! #1 – November 1978)

Morris: “Prez, how do you define punk music?” 

Prez: “Man, I don’t define anything. Definitions are stupid. We just play music, that’s all.” 

Morris: “Yeah, but some people may not even call this music. They just might call it a bunch of loud noise.”

Prez: “Yeah. Well, you’re talking about stupid people, because that’s just dumb.” 

Morris: “Well, I mean I don’t see our studio audience especially getting off on this stuff. It sounds like noise to me.” 

Prez: “Well, that’s you, man. And you don’t even know what you’re talking about. Matter of fact, I don’t even know why I’m standing here talking to you.” 

Morris: “Well, you can leave anytime you want.” 

Prez: “No. Why don’t you leave. I’m taking over this show!” 

(Transcript from Trouser Press Issue #25 – January 1978)

That’s when Fagenson grabbed the mic and Morris took chase, shoving McAlpine who landed at least one jab on the host. McAlpine says if Fagenson, Tann and the host planned this in advance he knew nothing about it because his punch on Morris was not staged.

Following the fracas, WGPR cut to a commercial and threw The Traitors out of the building. Photos of the event, taken by McAlpine’s brother, were offered to the local papers and the wire services as the Channel 2 local newscast at 11pm evening carried the story noting “punk rock has hit Detroit, and it packs a punch!”

After the news reports came out, McAlpine says he was told to tell anyone who asked that the whole thing was a skit because Morris had allegedly told WGPR management that he had staged it, fearing that if he told them the truth – it was not staged – that they would fire him.

McAlpine says he felt upset about the events of “The Scene” because it turned something he took seriously, the music, and turned it into a joke.

Building the Revue

Between late 1977 & early 1978, Tann had placed ads in The Detroit News seeking local bands interested in playing punk music. Through the ads Tann recruited a group of square looking white guys and a local Black funk group interested in being part of something new. One band was called The Pigs while the other was called The Niggers.

The Traitors and the two other bands, along with a lighting and sound crew, were marketed as “The Motor City Revue” – a complete punk rock/new wave show for club owners looking to get in on the new sounds and style.

Instead of playing Detroit clubs to less than appreciative bikers, Tann booked the bands into Bookie’s Club 870 in early March 1978. The Revue would be some of the first shows before Scott Campbell and Vince Bannon took over the booking at the club later in the month. The three Detroit bands hit the road playing a club in Boston, New York’s CBGBs & Philadelphia’s Hot Club, which was mysteriously gutted by fire following their performance.

Traitors No More

By late summer 1978, the group of Black musicians had left the Revue after a dispute about the headlining spot. McAlpine says his band became more and more upset with Tann because creative control became more restricted while they were being asked to do things like wear swastikas on stage, something he refused to do. According to McAlpine, Tann could be despotic in terms of how he handled business and the band members did not appreciate it. But, McAlpine concedes he went along with it for a while because it felt like there might actually be a shot at doing something big with The Traitors due to the money and connections that could be provided working in and around the Sound Suite universe, that was until it got to be too much for the band members to handle around June 1978.

Arriving early for a business meeting the band members asked for in late summer 1978, the group discovered a briefcase full of letters in Tann’s office from record companies interested in The Traitors but concerned about the restrictive exclusive contract the band had signed, according to McAlpine.

During the meeting, McAlpine told Tann he was leaving and the other members of the band were interested in starting a new group outside of his control. Craig Peters and Steve McGuire would go on to form The 27 with Mark Norton and Dave Hanna formerly of The Ramrods.

McAlpine would take a break from the scene for a while before forming a band call The Heaters.

When The Traitors ended, Fagenson continued to work at Sound Suite studio while pursuing other musical opportunities. In the early 1980s, he would find success in the Detroit funk-rock band Was (Not Was) with his high school friend David Weiss (aka David Was) taking on the moniker Don Was. Since those early days, although Was has gone on to be a multi-award winning producer for bands as diverse as The B-52s, Bonnie Raitt, and The Rolling Stones, he has always stayed close to Detroit. For well over a decade, Was has hosted a special show highlighting Detroit music history during the annual Concert of Colors at Orchestra Hall. In 2012, Was was named President of Jazz Music for the legendary Blue Note Records label.

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8 thoughts on “The Traitors

  1. Hello Everyone, I listened, in good humor, to the remarks others made regarding The Traitors. I think that it is important for the band members of other punk bands from the Bookies scene to know that, although I appeared to be in your peer group, it’s just good quality Scottish genes. I’m actually about ten years older than most of you; with the possible exception of Andy from the Coldcocks. I was the front man in a band called The Blackstone Jury, and played in public when I was 18. We covered songs like, “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, and “Kick Out The Jams”, “1969”, and “I’m 18”, when they were brand new. We were actually credited with starting a riot at a dance at Sacred Heart High School. The Dearborn Police came in with body armor, helmets, shields and batons swinging at heads. We were placed under protective arrest because the drunk jocks were angry that their girlfriends were screaming at me. I moved on to playing guitar for other bands to keep working at beer bashes and nightclubs. The guys who became the instrumental musicians of The Traitors; Terry Fox, Steve McGuire, Craig Peters, and myself, began in 1975 as The Kid Row Gang, and played songs by bands like The New York Dolls and The Ramones. We also recorded original proto punk songs at Detroit Sound. We played at several adult venues on the west side of Detroit. We played graduation parties and backyard bashes for fun; with McGuire singing, “God Save The Queen”, and “No Feelings”. We had out of control parties at our huge farmhouse at the corner of Novi Rd, and 12 Mile Rd. Katy Hait and a friend showed up for one of them. We didn’t hang out at clubs and posture as punk rockers. We were totally out of control and lived the life that many pretended to be. We were mostly out of our gourds. I was the helmsman, by right of the fact I was the oldest by far. I did what it took to make sure my band mates came to no harm and kept them out of legal trouble. We were as real as it gets. Our activities, out of sight and mind of the other band members in the Bookie’s scene, were in the category of stoned, balls-to-the-wall, three sheets to the wind total pandemonium. And we loved every minute of our unhampered life style. Even the frequent visits by the police were fun of a sort. So, to those who say we came out of nowhere, I say, we came out of everywhere and everything. There wasn’t much craziness that we did not engage in. Still, you have to laugh. When I heard about The Birminghams, I thought it was funny that Jerry was so chafed at coming away from his White Noise interview with us; carrying the short end of the stick. He tried speaking derisively to Don Fagenson. No one is going to come out on top of that one. I didn’t know Don very well. He is the fastest man alive in word play. Jerry couldn’t keep up. But I liked Jerry. I wish I had seen the Birminghams. I probably would have laughed the loudest. Jerry legitimately put together a cool rag that correctly certified the Detroit Punk Rock scene. I put our band up to back Fagenson up because he had connections. I knew that the best we could realistically hope for is that we would advance our names. I talked about it with Chip Kyle, who recorded us at Detroit Sound. We went in with our eyes open to the Tann/Fagenson Productions project. I controlled the presentation. I wanted to present the band like a Vaudville style act. It was all tongue in cheek to us. Anyone who thought we were serious needed to hang out with us. We had orgies at the farmhouse that lasted for days. So leave off of Fagenson in the blame game. I wanted to do more than stand there with looks on our faces as if to say, “aren’t we great”. I taught him how to move in front of a mirror. I had fun hopping around, having pro stage lights, and a road crew. We played in Detroit in clubs that were filled with people who had affiliations with other punk and new wave bands. We didn’t expect them to like us because of their loyalty to their friends. It wasn’t our objective anyway. We were just doing what you should do with a pro act. Take it out in public, see where your weak spots are, see if any loose marbles roll off the table, and then get out. We were just conducting rehearsals in public. Then we took it on the road. The audiences were appreciative; outside of Detroit. Some were shocked because they had never seen or heard a straight up punk rock band before. And face it, we could play the living shit our of our instruments. I was playing in the labyrinth that is known as bebop prior to The Traitors. All of you string men out their, quickly, grab your guitar and play an F 13 chord. Tell me what scale it comes from and what mode of that scale it is. Hah!!! I liked the other bands and the band members. I have never actually cared if someone didn’t like me. It never stopped me from liking people. The Traitors band was all of ours. I was the defacto leader. I always took the band’s part in heated arguments with Jack. I was happy when I walked out of his office with my band mates; shortly after we fired him. It was a wild ride. The core members of the band and I had unbelievable experiences that most people only read about in books and see in movies. But most of it was in public. I won’t mention Terry; with whipped cream on his nose at the grocery store from whiffing the propellant. Oh, oops. Did I think that or type it out loud. After our appearance on TV, the kids knew who we were. Our farmhouse was mobbed. We would go up to the 7/11 store and girls would hang out front and say, “Party. Party”. We would go in, buy our refreshments, and take them to where they knew of a party. It was always luck of the draw. Once, we showed up at a kid’s high school graduation party in the back yard. We walked right in and grabbed beers and then walked up to the kid and shook his hand and told him congratulations. He knew who we were and didn’t rat us out to his parents; who questioned us heatedly regarding our acquaintance with their son. His friends were impressed that he knew us. Hell, I was impressed that we knew us. I have a lot of memories of the time. We pretty much went out and about, with our balls hanging out. But I would not go back and do it again. Once, is surely enough.

  2. The idea for our Traitors public performances was to have rehearsals in front of live audiences to try out different songs, different moves, different lighting and to gather the experience with the particular group of individuals from what grew to three bands and our four crew members; so that we could work together as a unit by correcting our weak areas. Our management sought to limit our exposure to the public until we presented as recording artists from a prominent record label. It was all carefully planned out. We sought to not be regulars in front of the Detroit clubs. We didn’t hang out in the clubs if we weren’t playing there. We honestly felt that it was for posers. We didn’t think that in a condescending manner. It is just we recognized that hanging out at a few clubs that featured new music was a limiting factor…a smaller sandbox in which to play. We got out and about to greet the public. We did impromptu appearances at shopping malls, trick or treated for (as I recall) the March of Dimes, and generally made our presence known to the public; as opposed to the small cliques of people in the nightclubs; who viewed themselves as our competitiors, and were therefore predisposed to dislike us. We were impervious to their scorn. We never sought their approval. We focused on our manual of action.

    It is similar to drag racing at the track. The audience thinks that the drivers are racing the other car. In reality, that is what occurs; especially in the minds of the local racers. But mentally, the pro drivers and crews ignore the other car and crowd and behave as if they are the only one on the track. There is too much to do to operate all of the systems on the vehicle at the ‘A’ level; in order to take off at the correct time and operate the race vehicle. So one pays no notice to what is going on in the other lane. My father and his national record holding drag racing team, The Fastbacks, would take newly built cars to local tracks in order to test the new combination of parts and tires. They ran time trials and ran the races against the locals. The locals thought it was a real race. The track they were at was all that they knew…their entire realm. The Fastbacks would invariably win, while only gently running the car; much slower than it could actually go. The locals treated The Fastbacks the same way the locals treated The Traitors (they came out of nowhere, they aren’t legitimate members of the scene, who do they think they are). Running a band in public, if done correctly, is to concentrate on playing your show and ignore what is going on around you; as well as possible.

  3. In 1969 a magazine based in and around Detroit known as CREEM : “America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine,” was started by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. CREEM is known as the first publication to coin the words “punk rock” and “heavy metal” and featured such famous editors such as Rob Tyner, Jaan Uhelszki, Patti Smith, Cameron Crowe, and Lester Bangs, who is often cited as “America’s Greatest Rock Critic,”.

  4. wow!
    he socked Nat Morris?!
    that guy looked like a former
    middle weight pugilist (pug)
    w/ squashed schnoz and nasally
    intonation.

    ‘the scenes’ theme song went thusly-
    “it’s six o’clock & it’s time to rock
    we rock non stop ’til seven o’clock
    we don’t stop – we don’t stop
    we rock non stop ’til seven o’clock
    with a hip , hop hippy hop
    we dance this mess around…

    we gonna change the name
    of this town to what?
    geek town

    I think it went something like
    that.

    the scene
    later morphed into
    the new dance show
    hosted by r.j. who I believe
    was that “r.j.’s latest arrival”
    recording artist / dude.

    I think
    rudy ‘famous’ maldonado
    of r.u.r. became his drummer.

    1. I used to watch The Scene on WGPR every weekday in the early ‘80s. Nat Morris had both a leather decked out stage alter ego named “Captain Geek” and a daily mantra about changing the name of Motown to “Geektown.” As I recall, a musician not based in Detroit who was guest appearing on the show (Andre Cymone?), in response to Morris’ geek references, said that where he was from geek meant nerdish and not cool/hip. I can’t remember how Morris reacted, if at all.

  5. Great article! Respect. I have the acetate of the Traitors covering “Money” and “Burnin’ Love” along with a few flyers.

  6. Terry Fox later was the drummer for Vendetta, a 3 piece rock band with Nikki Buzz on guitar and Klyph Black on bass which released a legendary album on the Epic label in 1982 and from which the song “Babylon Rocks” was featured in a video that played on MTV.

  7. Subdafuge was another very good band with all black members and which in fact played as one of the opening acts for the Dead Boys in the early Bookies days. Ironically, years later, much of the national music media bought into the overhyped marketing of “A Band Called Death” which claimed to have played proto-punk in Detroit in the early 70’s without (allegedly) deserved recognition.

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