L-R: Ryan Hedgcock (guitar, vocals), Maria McKee (vocals, guitar), Marvin Etzioni (bass, vocals), Don Heffington (drums, soulpatch)
“My girlhood among the outlaws was salty, bittersweet
The things I did I could just kick myself now”
–Maria McKee, 1993
If you’re like me, you’ve often said to yourself, “Wouldn’t it be nice if someone put together a 40-45 minute documentary on early Lone Justice? You know, before the band was engulfed by mediocrity and their souls cannibalized by music industry tiger sharks?” Of course you did. Well, you’re in luck because I did just that. Granted, it’s an audio documentary, but the upside is you can download it to your ipod, blackberry, or straight into your exoskeleton. Convenience, thy name is A. Lounge.
Lone Justice and the Workin’ Man Blues: 1983-85
Download
58 MB zip file
Total Time = 42:06
This doc is the result of an intense three-week archaeological dig. I unearthed a Lone Justice radio appearance, TV spots, demos, outtakes, and several live shows. I combined those with a few officially released cuts to give longtime fans and LJ newbies a chance to hear the band at their best: A kickass country combo that put a little punk in their rock and absolutely brimmed with potential.
Sure, their window of genius was only 18-24 months, but during that span the original four-piece established themselves as an integral part of the California roots-rock continuum that began with the likes of Bob Wills and Rose Maddox and continued through Joe Maphis, James Burton, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Clarence White and Nashville West, The Byrds, Burritos, Blasters, and X.
“This business tears right at your soul;
Music used to mean so much to me,
It don’t meant that much to me no more.”
Bob Forrest, “Lookin’ To The West,” 1987
Listening to these radio excerpts, it seems like the qualities that made the band such an engaging interview — charming, hopeful, endlessly positive — are the same qualities that made them industry shark bait. Fact is, once the high rollers got their hooks in 19-year-old (!) Maria McKee, it was game over. She was too talented, too beautiful, too naive, too everything not to fuck up. Maybe if she grew up in Seattle, Minneapolis, or southeast Georgia (i.e. not LA) she and the band could’ve spent a few years paying their dues and possibly emerging as R.E.M. type figures. Alas, it was not to be.
BAND
Maria McKee: vocals, guitar
Ryan Hedgecock: guitars, vocals
Marvin Etzioni: bass, vocals
Don Heffington: drums
David Harrington: bass (“Drugstore Cowboy”)
Don Willems: drums (“Drugstore Cowboy”)
FEATURES
Lone Justice on KXLU, Los Angeles, January 20, 1984
Lone Justice profile on IRS Records’ video program, “The Cutting Edge,” 1984
SONGS
1. Maria McKee, John Doe & Dave Alvin – “Someone Told My Story” [Merle Haggard] – 1984
2. Lone Justice – “Rattlesnake Mama” [traditional?] – Geffen Demos – 1983-84
3. Lone Justice – “Workin’ Man Blues” [Merle Haggard] – Geffen Demos – 1983-84
4. Maria McKee & Ryan Hedgecock (acoustic) – “Nothin’ Can Stop My Lovin’ You” [George Jones] – 1984
5. Maria McKee & Ryan Hedgecock (acoustic) – “If Teardrops Were Pennies” [Dolly Parton] – 1984
6. Lone Justice – “Drugstore Cowboy” – First demos – May 1983
7. Lone Justice – “Cottonbelt” – Lone Justice outtake – 1984
8. Lone Justice – “Sweet Jane” [Velvet Underground] – Geffen Demos – 1983-84
9. Lone Justice – “Working Late” – The Stone, San Francisco – January 25, 1985
10. Maria McKee, John Doe & Dave Alvin – “Moanin’ The Blues” [Hank Williams] – 1984
11. Lone Justice – “East Of Eden” – The Stone, San Francisco – January 25, 1985
12. Lone Justice – “Shine A Light” [Rolling Stones] – The Stone, San Francisco – January 25, 1985
13. Lone Justice – “Ways To Be Wicked” [Tom Petty] – S/T – 1985
14. Lone Justice – “Soap, Soup And Salvation” – S/T – 1985
BUY ALBUMS
Lone Justice (1985) [buy]
Shelter (1986) [buy]
This World Is Not My Home (compilation) (1999) [buy]
LONE JUSTICE @ THE PALOMINO, HOLLYWOOD, 1984
To fully appreciate the phenomenon that was Lone Justice, you have to see them hold an audience in their twangy grasp, Maria bringing down the house with full-throated gospel fervor. If you were a male between the ages of 0 and Methuselah, how could you not love Maria McKee??? A young, hot, spitfire, like Wanda Jackson by way of Exene Cervenka. Yeah, who could possibly enjoy that?
Pay particular attention to Maria’s dedication before “Nothin’ Can Stop My Lovin’ You.” It pretty much sums up this era, when one could reconcile the seemingly disparate worlds of George Jones and X and have it make complete sense.
Lone Justice is dead. Long live Lone Justice.
Lone Justice – Nothin’ Can Stop My Lovin’ You
Lone Justice – Cottonbelt
Lone Justice – Rattlesnake Mama
Lone Justice – Jackson
I can't wait to listen to this.
I loved their debut album. I think I bought it shortly after seeing them open up for U2 at Cobo Hall in Detroit. It (along with Dwight Yoakam's debut) really helped turn me onto the path of becoming a hardcore country music fan.
Then I was disappointed by everything else they put out.
I still love the debut, but I feel sorry for Don Heffington. The '80s production squashes the drum sound flat. You listen to “Wait 'Til We Get Home” and wonder why they just didn't bring in a damn drum machine??? That the songs have pretty much stood the test of time says a lot.
Dwight/Maria duets will follow.
This is GREAT. Love the divine Ms. McKee who's been on radio silence now for far too long. Even her website looks abandoned.
Any intel?
I think Maria is living in France. She's totally under the radar, by choice, yet released 5 albums between 2003-07. It was by far the most prolific stretch of her career. Nothing since.
Unfortunately, I'm not crazy about these records. They're not terrible or anything, but moody baroque pop music isn't a real go-to genre for me. 2-3 songs can be a nice change of pace, but beyond that it's venturing into drama queen territory.
I have all those Maria McKee records.
And I share your ambivalence towards them. If she's gonna go theatrical, I wish she'd go full-on like with Life is Sweet, rather than the minimally arranged things on the last few records. Her husband's contributions don't help much either. She'd be better off with someone forcing her to write stronger songs, in terms of verse-chorus-verse. Hooks Maria. You're missing them. That's why nothing you ever do is a hit.
A true labour of love, nice job, LD.
Didn't McKee once embark on a 3-month coke binge with Dando?
I've added the LJ debut to my list.
great work! thoroughly enjoyed the mp3.
easy to be an arm chair Qb , but after those comments at the end of the piece, re: if radio will embrace their work, i would of finished the production with “ways to be wicked.”
enjoy your blog, thank you.
Funny. I experimented with about 10 different versions of the ending, finally settling on “Soap, Soup And Salvation” because I figured they could use God where they were going. But, “Ways” probably makes a little more sense. Maybe I can do a re-edit for the DVD/hologram version …
hey LD,
soul soup is one great song – no doubt.
as a friend said in another group, after sharing your blog with him, he felt that there was never a great MM solo album, though personally i tend to disagree, i love, “you gotta sin to get saved”, but what he mentioned and i like the idea, maybe a dave alvin produced album – that would be cool.
now how can i get ahold of the san francisco stone show you included on the mp3? have a good one!
this was a fantastic introduction to this group. thanks! is the “sweet jane” in your soon-to-be-hologram from their show at the stone?
@blasters – Hit me offlist and I'll send you the entirety of the Stone show.
@churchie – Sweet Jane was actually a Lone Justice demo. Because they mention Christmas, I'm guessing this comes from the December 1983 demos LJ recorded for Geffen.
Hey, thanks for putting this together. Looking forward to it. I was a big LJ fan back in 83-84, and disappointed with their first album's direction. Never heard their second album, and only just recently became acquainted with Maria's later work.
I wish you had mentioned that later work in the main blog post — I think some of it surpasses Lone Justice, like “My Girlhood Among the Outlaws,” which you quoted. “Life is Sweet” (the song) and “Absolutely Barking Stars” are artistic masterpieces, IMHO. Investing in the LJ catalog — good advice, and I'd recommend investing in the MM catalog as well.
As for what she's doing now, she just recently became active on Facebook. She's living in L.A., does an occasional benefit gig with other musicians, and is working on art and a movie. In a recent interview she said she just couldn't contemplate making another album right now.
@Larry – Thanks for the info, yo.
M2 lives in LA? Maybe I'll run into her on one of the 6 nights during the year I actually go out.
And don't worry, my Maria coverage has only begun. I merely had to set the stage for sinning and saving, as it were.
Maria McKee is Bryan MacLean's half sister and he wrote Don't Toss Us Away (there is a good version on youtube of Lone Justice live at the Ritz.) for Lone Justice.
Bryan Maclean seems like somebody you would write about. I hope you do. Alone Again Or is such an awesome song, that makes him worthy just for writing that.
I never really got Lone Justice until I read this. I'm glad I read it.
thx
I love her. That is all.
Fair enough, Sara. Me too.
Other great bands from the smokin' great early-80s L.A. scene that broke at the same time as Lone Justice (and Dwight Yoakam) include Los Lobos and The Beat Farmers.
And, um … Rank And File, but more for some of its great parts than for its whole.
I was going to include a snippet of Maria singing “Jackson” with Rank and File from 1983. The quality is kinda crappy, though, so I backed off. But, that was a kind of breakthrough for Lone Justice at the time (Spring 1983). The feeding frenzy more or less began after that.
Agreed on Los Lobos, I'll add the Long Ryders, and while I also agree with the Beat Farmers, I'm pretty sure they were based in San Diego … not that they didn't play a shit-ton of shows in LA. Am I wrong on that?
Nope, you are absolutely right that the Beat Farmers were out of San Diego, but then as now there wasn't much other than a Marine base separating the megalopolis.
Some friends introduced me to the music of Lone Justice and the Beat Farmers after seeing them play a double bill in L.A. in (I think) early '85. They were in love with Maria and awed by the 'Farmers.
As it should be.
Maybe it's because I'm European and therefore the whole cowpunk thing was always going to sound like an affectation to me but I far prefer McKee's solo work to her Lone Justice work.
I'm not sure cowpunk was any more or less affected than any other turn in her career. If anything, her calculated sense of theatrics and grandiose affectation is part of her appeal.
Of course, I think this is also Maria's singular drawback. Her music seems to have little room for a sense of humor. What strikes me when I hear this early Lone Justice stuff, especially the interviews, is how much fun they were having. Sure, it helps to like country music. But, naive charm and likability go a long way with me and these kids held the secret, if only briefly.
A few days ago, I was thumbing through my Blood on the Saddle records, and a thought occurred to me- whatever happened to Maria McKee, the wondergrrrl of the cowpunk scene who sang like Dolly Parton channeling Janis Joplin? Thank You! for putting this together, and whoever put the grainy clips from the Palomino on Youtube, another Thank You! is due. Love LJ,love Marie, and you are absolutely right- she and LJ were just too good and too promising for the leechy bastards in the music industry not to *uck up.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/cLone-Justice/191797797555291?sk=info
http://www.milkboyphilly.com/event/88405/
!!!
Great pieces on LJ and Maria McKee. I fall into the same age/category/level of fandom. Agree with most that her latter stuff has been on the boring side, although I do like the live acoustic album. I think some of her work with Steve Earle during one of his worst periods is interesting, and my favorite non-LJ album is “You Gotta Sin…”
Any chance I can get my hands on the Stone show, too?
Cooks: Thanks for writing. Send me your email address and I'd be happy to hit you with the Stone recording.
Just stumbled across this after listening to Lone Justice for the first time in many years.. I vividly remember hearing them for the first time. They were so different from what was out there and Maria’s voice was phenomenal!!! Thanks so much for putting this together. It’s great. Going to check out The Blasters next.
Just wanted say, great write up and thanks for posting the videos. MM and LJ are some of top ten desert island artists!
Hi there,
I’m looking to contact Lance Davis in regards to your article about Lone Justice. I am working on a documentary film about British reggae band STEEL PULSE, who featured on the same episode of ‘The Cutting Edge’ as Lone Justice in 1984. We are searching for a copy of the episode and we were wondering where you were able to find it, and if by any chance you still have a copy?
Many many thanks for your help and all the very best,
Yoni
Hi Yoni,
Actually, I do not have the full episode of that Cutting Edge. I was sent the Lone Justice clip years ago — on VHS, no less! — in what was basically a compilation of LJ videos. Sorry about that. Hope you can track it down and your documentary sounds intriguing. I was most definitely a fan of Steel Pulse in that era (albums like Earth Crisis and Babylon The Bandit).
LD
damn glad i found this link ryan graduated from torrance high 3 years b4 i did in my brothers class saw them numerous times back in the day palomino & palace & fenders etc i’m mainly writin this so if i can find somebody out there who knows all the words to drigstore cowboy ?? i want to start doin it at local open mics i already am doin cactus rose any help ? mike russell 3108729507
Lance, thank you very much for posting this awesome material.
I am a huge fan of this band and MmcK.
Wish you a Happy New Year.
Patrick