Viva Dictators

Avenue A

Haircut and Attitude

Pussy and Money

The Next Big Thing

Two Tub Man

Who Will Save Rock and Roll?

Minnesota Strip

Master Race Rock

New York, New York

Intro

Weekend

Baby, Let's Twist

Faster and Louder

(I Live For) Cars and Girls

What's Up With That?

I Am Right!

Stay

¡Viva Dictators!

Every Day Is Saturday

California Sun

Festivus

D.F.F.D.

Moronic Inferno

Faster And Louder

Crazy Horses

Thank You And Have A Nice Day

My Imaginary Friend

The Dictators

Sweet Joey

Wicked Cool Disguise

All About You

Really Good

Sacred Cow

Transmaniacon MC

Blood Brothers

No Tomorrow

Baby Let's Twist

Stay with Me

Manifest Destiny

Heartaches

Science Has Gone Too Far

Sleepin' with the TV On

The Minnesota Strip

The Elektra/Asylum legacy of pioneering proto-punk continued with the 1976 signing of New York City’s The Dictators. With their tasteless jokes and loud, hard, and fast sound, the Bronx-based bunch of Converse-wearing, White Castle-munching wrestling fans – fronted by the self-proclaimed “handsomest man in rock ‘n’ roll,” “Handsome” Dick Manitoba – were the diametrical opposite to the polished AOR (FM radio’s “album-oriented rock” format) of the period.

Founded in 1973, the band broke up two years later, after the release of their epochal The Dictators Go Girl Crazy. The ‘Taters, as they were known to their loyal legion of fans, then re-emerged at the height of punk with their 1977 Asylum debut, Manifest Destiny. Bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza left the following year – ultimately joining Twisted Sister – but the band persevered and released Bloodbrothers, featuring lifelong ‘Taters fan Bruce Springsteen counting off the album’s classic opening track, “Faster And Louder.”

Disappointed by the lack of mainstream acceptance, the band called it quits once more in 1979. Guitarist Ross “The Boss” Friedman started mythological metal masters Manowar while guitarist Scott “Top Ten” Kempner was a founding member of pioneering roots-rockers The Del-Lords. In 1986, Manitoba and bassist/keyboardist Andy “Adny” Shernoff formed Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom, later to be joined by both Friedman and Kempner. The Dictators in all but name, the band soon readopted their initial moniker and continues to rock out in various combinations today.

The Dictators

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