Fred Cole - King Bee, The Rats, Western Front

King Bee, The Rats, Western Front

Cole's next band, King Bee, saw him playing guitar for the first time in addition to singing. A last-minute invitation to open for The Ramones introduced them to the punk sounds of the time. They released the "Hot Pistol" single on Whizeagle in 1978, but soon broke up. In an attempt to find a stable lineup, Cole taught Toody to play bass and they formed The Rats. Their self-titled debut was released in 1980 on Whizeagle. Intermittent Signals followed in 1981, and 1983 saw the release of the third LP, In a Desperate Red. After losing three drummers, and tired of the macho direction the punk scene had taken, Cole disbanded The Rats and began an old-time country band called Western Front. They released only two singles, "Orygun" b/w "Clementine" and "Stampede" b/w "Looking Back At Me" in 1985, but they influenced many local punkers to develop an interest in country-rock and rockabilly.

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