1978-1979 (The Mongrels)
Ken Salter (vocals, guitar) * Jesse Hoffs (guitar, vocals) * Falling James (vocals, "drums," guitar) * Manfred Hofer (guitar, vocals) * Greg Hetson (guitar) * Chris Trent (bass)

The Mongrels' biggest claim to fame is that we once PRACTICED at the infamous Masque Club in Hollywood during the brief time Greg Hetson and Chris Trent were in the band. The closest Ken, Jesse, Manfred and I came to playing live was when our high school talent show got mysteriously canceled.

None of us could play, and at first the guitars were acoustic and the drums were just cardboard boxes. Songs included Manfred's' "Bitch Among Bastards," James' godawful "1979 Anarchy," and Ken's "Must Get Laid" and "Civilization" (whose main riff Hetson "borrowed" twice when he later joined Redd Kross and the Circle Jerks, renaming Ken's song as both "Cover Band" and then "Live Fast Die Young"). Ken and Jesse later joined the Flaming Skies in Berkeley, and James started the short-lived group The Downers in 1980 with David Roback (later with Opal, Rain Parade and Mazzy Star) and John Hoffs (Jesse and Sue from the Bangles brother).

1980-81
Falling James (vocals) * Manfred Hofer (guitar) * Sylvia Juncosa (keyboards) * Hillary Laddin (drums) * Tom Hofer (bass)

In 1980 James and Manfred formed the Leaving Trains with Sylvia (later with Clay Allison, Opal, Swa, To Damascus and solo stardom), Hillary (also with the Martyrs and a What? Records solo act) and Tom (later with To Damascus and Kill City). In the early Trains days, songs were slow and gloomy and usually had just two chords and lasted for 20 minutes. We used to practice outdoors at the beach at Pacific Coast Highway and Temescal Canyon Blvd. because there were electric outlets near the public restrooms and we could play for free. The band was named after a lyric, "I can hear the leaving trains," in a song called "(Wish I Could) Hideaway" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

1982-1984
Falling James (vocals) * Manfred Hofer (guitar) * Tom Hofer (bass) * drummer

The Urinals and The Last helped us get our first shows and appearances on compilation records. The Leaving Trains were always social climbers, starting out on the West Los Angeles suburban fringes of the Hollywood punk scene, gaining more attention later when we and our friends in Green On Red, The Three O'Clock, The Bangles, etc. were lumped together as "The Paisley Underground." Hillary was replaced as a drummer by variously: Chris Kovall (also with Kaos), Raoul Endara (Smog Marines), John Lacques (actor), Terry Graham (Gun Club, Cramps, Bags), John Frank ( The Last, Trotsky Icepick) and Hunter Crowley. Terry Graham, along with Chris Cacavas (Serfers, Green On Red, Junkyard Love) and Sylvia on keyboards, played on our debut album. Each band member picked a word, hence that album's title: WELL DOWN BLUE HIGHWAY. After Sylvia left the band, James started playing guitar live.

1985
Falling James (vocals) * Manfred Hofer (guitar) * Tom Hofer (bass, backing vox) * Jason Kahn (drums)

After getting ripped off by the record company that distributed the first LP, the Trains escaped to SST Records with new drummer Jason Kahn (later with Universal Congress Of) and recorded a second LP, KILL TUNES, which was more overtly punk than WELL DOWN BLUE HIGHWAY, perhaps as a stubborn reaction to the growing revivalism in the L.A. psychedelic rock scene.

1986
Falling James (vocals) * Mike Barnett (guitar) * Eric Stringer (bass) * Jason Kahn (drums)

Founding members Manfred didn't want to tour, and brother Tom wanted to do his own music, so Tom was replaced on bass by Eric (formerly of the Up and Out and Party Boys) and Manfred was replaced by Mike for the first national tour. When that line up broke up after only two shows and much fighting in Boston and D.C., the tour continued with James and Eric, joined first by BIG TAKEOVER fanzine editor Jack Rabid (Even Worse, Springhouse) on drums, then John Anglim (Otto's Chemical Lounge, Halo of Flies).

1987
Falling James (vocals) * Eric Stringer (bass) * Sam Merrick (guitar) * Bruce Gunnell (drums)

Back from that fun, chaotic first "Kick the Bucket" Tour, James & Eric started hanging out and writing songs with Sam Merrick. James and Eric recorded the FUCK LP with Bruce on drums (formerly with Ohio's Jerry's Kids) and Sam (Bobbi Brat Band, Thelonious Monster and Nymphs) and Frenchie (from DI's) on harmonica. Things started getting exciting for us, with FUCK getting banned in some cities and we dealt with all sorts of ancestral contrarian subversive psycho-sexual fannishness when we did our first tour of Mother Europe.

1988
Falling James (vocals) * Eric Stringer (bass) * Sam Merrick (guitar) * Dennis Carlin

After Bruce left, he was replaced by George Carlin's nephew, Dennis, on drums, who recorded the TRANSPORTATIONAL D. VICES album. Dennis fit in even better than Bruce, especially since he could party just as late at night as me and Sam. It was a great, blurry time. Even though the L.A. scene was now evolving into bad heavy metal, we hung out with cool bands like The Hangmen and The Nymphs. It was also exciting being produced for the first time by legendary producer Earle Mankey (ex-Sparks, he produced The Runaways, The Quick, Concrete Blonde, 3 O'Clock, Possum Dixon, etc.). The songs were short, fast and punk (which was definitely no longer in fashion), but we were madcap and almost happy!

1990
Falling James (vocals) * Bobby Belltower (guitar) * Eric Stringer (bass) * Dennis Carlin (drums)

Before Bobby joined, the Trains toured Europe again with guitarist Mark Pritchard (Fluorescein, Possum Dixon) who briefly replaced Sam. Eventually Sam joined the Nymphs and the original Nymphs guitarist Bobby (from Healing Dream out of New Jersey, also ex-Motorcycle Boy) switched with him and joined the Trains for SLEEPING UNDERWATER SURVIVORS LP and tours. Cliff Tobias also sang backups on that LP. Much of the time we were passed out on the floor of Earle's studio, the songs were slower and "darker," which bummed out Eric, Bobby was still angry about being kicked out of The Nymphs, and I was turning catatonic thanks to a year in marriage hell, and yet SLEEPING UNDERWATER, our grand little rock opera about love and evolution, turned out to be my favorite so far, thanks in large part to Bobby's more lyrically surreal, literary influence on the not-quite-as-punk songwriting. James also managed to produce Hole's debut single at this time as well, but soon the marriage and band were falling apart.

1991
Falling James (vocals/guitar) * Bobby Belltower (guitar) * Whitey Sims (bass/vocals) * Lenny Montoya (drums)

After Eric and Dennis quit, James formed a brief side band, the Power of Sky, with Whitey Sims (formerly with New Orlean's Graveyard Rodeo) on bass and vocals and Jenny Ruehle, Sky, Yvette Marques and Cheryl Tobias. Whitey and James continued the Leaving Trains with Bobby and Lenny. This lineup recorded the LOSER ILLUSION, PART ZERO (EP) and THE LUMP IN MY FOREHEAD LP with Jenny Ruehle, Chaz Ramirez (Eddie and the Subtitles) and Pleasant Gehman (Screaming Sirens, Ringling Sisters). Although Sam Merrick and Bobby Belltower and others had occasionally sung lead vocals, Falling James has generally been the main lead singer. However during the Whitey Sims era, Whitey sang about half of the songs, including "Bob Hope," "Fuck You God!", "Women Are Evil," and "I'm O.K."

1992
Falling James (vocals/guitar) * Mo-Ron Donovan (guitar) * Whitey Sims (vocals/bass) * Lenny Montoya (drums)

Mo-Ron joined the band for three 1991-1992 tours, while Bobby moved to New York and joined Piss Factory. The tours with Whitey were by far the scariest and wildest. It wasn't just Whitey-Chris's nudity, but everything, from the lyrics, the Gulf War, my wearing dresses full-time even offstage, and the spraypaint we'd lovingly put on our van led to daily police harassment, arrests, censorship, violence (and onstage sex) from the audience and bouncers everywhere. It's a long story. You had to be there! The band also started recording THE BIG JINX, although many of the tracks with this lineup were never finished.

1992
Falling James (vocals/guitar) * Chaz Ramirez (bass) * Dennis Carlin (drums)

While on tour, Whitey and Mo-Ron leave the band in North Carolina, and James and Lenny finish the tour with New Jersey bassist Davey Doll. Whitey eventually ends up in San Francisco and begins publishing his culture-savaging magazine BEHAVE. Mo-Ron becomes an artist and returns to Silver Lake, Calif. The Trains (Dennis and James) re-group with producer Chaz Ramirez on bass for local shows and the majority of the recording of THE BIG JINX before Chaz dies after falling in a friend's warehouse.

1993-1994
Falling James (vocals/guitar) * Sherry Puder * Jimmy Green * Dennis Carlin (drums)

Dennis returns and helps James eventually finish the rest of THE BIG JINX without Chaz. During this period, James and Dennis form a new band with Sherry Puder and former FIZZ magazine co-editor Wendy McConnell, called Sluts For Hire, who release a 7" on Hell Yeah Records. Sherry, Dennis and James go to Bakersfield and record some unreleased, windswept songs with karaoke cowboy Slim the Drifter. That short-lived band was called The Space Okies. Sherry also starts playing with W.A.C.O. Wendy eventually moved back to Colorado, James gets kicked out of Sluts For Hire, who now record with Flipside Records. The Trains briefly play with Gwynne Kahn (Pandoras, The Negro Problem, Mad Monster Party) on bass before Jimmy Green (Penetration Moon with Blag Dahlia from the Dwarves, The Gears, Tenderloin Scabs, Murder) replaces Chaz.

1994-1995
Falling James (vocals/guitar) * Melanie Vammen * Jimmy Green * Dennis Carlin (drums)

Dennis and Sherry change their names to "Ringo Moon" and "Miss Koko Puff" and leave the Trains to play in Sluts For Hire full-time. Melanie Vammen (Muffs, Pandoras) takes over for Sherry on guitar. Former drummer Lenny Montoya (Hangmen, Piss Factory) briefly replaces Dennis, er, Ringo.

1996-1997
Princess Falling James (vocals/guitar) * Melanie "Sweet Potatoes" Vammen (guitar/vocals) * Jimmy Green (bass) * Allen Clark II(drums)

Easily-distracted Dennis is eventually replaced on drums by Allen "Alien Rock" Clark (Lazy Cowgirls, Hot Damn!, AC3, Fearless Leader, Jeff Dahl's Motherfucker 666). This lineup makes its recording debut on an Earle Mankey-produced cover version of the Third Bardo's '60s psychedelic garage-rock classic "I'm 5 Years Ahead of My Time," released in fall 1996 as a split 7-inch single with Cleveland suave rock band Cobra Verde's revision of "For My Woman," on Get Hip Records. Melanie, Jimmy, James and Allen then record SMOKE FOLLOWS BEAUTY, an 18-song CD released by SST in February 1997. This lineup also concocts "Big Baby" from scratch in the recording studio -- on a night when a skrillin' Jimmy G. couldn't stop talking maniacally and F. James' heart was distracted, elsewhere, more leaky than usual -- first released as primal-scream therapy on the TRASH ON DEMAND, VOLUME 2 compilation CD (Jeff Dahl's Ultra Under Records) in March 1997.

At various times during this period, Miss Koko Puff (Sluts for Hire, Pointy Kitty), Fred Manchento (Helpful Nuns, Twinkle, EMA 3) and, briefly, Tim Ferris (Celebrity Skin, Big Baby) play bass when Jimmy's not around. Also, Dennis Carlin (who comes and goes, you'll see) and Maddog Karla (Legal Weapon, Controllers, Skull Control, Jimmy & the Hoovers, Hot Damn!, Banana Squashead, and Slurp) alternate on drums when Allen's busy with his other bands.

1997-2001
Falling James * Melanie Vammen * Dennis Carlin (drums) * Miss Koko Puff (bass)

And now, as we get closer to the present, we shift from the present tense to the past tense, if only cuz it's getting too hard to keep writing about distant events as if they're still occurring!

The Leaving Trains toured with the Humpers across the Midwest and East Coast, with yet another lineup: temp bassist Sam Soto a.k.a. Awful Knawful (Sluts for Hire, Exene Cervenka's Original Sinners), Maddog Karla, Melanie Vammen and Falling James. It was just like old times when Inger Lorre (the Nymphs) came up onstage at Coney Island High nightclub in Manhattan and started smashing things, after bouncers tossed her would-be hooligan boyfriend. Then Inger ran off. Next thing you know, the cops arrive en masse and shut the place down. We get the blame. See Humpers Tour Diary page for more details.

Sometime in there, SST Records put out the Leaving Trains' FAVORITE MOOD SWINGS, a greatest "hits" CD, and our last release on the label, which finally nudged us from the nest. A lot of things changed (as usual). Allen Clark moved back to Indiana with wife Zebra Stripes and son Allen Clark III, to do occasional Midwest tours with his two family-affair combos, Hot Damn and AC3. In 1999, Allen took a break from renovating the house, and joined the Trains for a Get Lucky U.S. tour with Honeyburst (see lucky tour diary).

Jimmy Green left the band, played for a while with the reunited Gears, and now lives in Bakersfield. Miss Koko, who'd started off in the band on rhythm guitar, replaced him on bass. Maddog stayed for a while, then left, saying she's retired from drumming forever. Guess which drummer returned? Yes, Dennis Carlin came back, and the Trains hit a new musical peak with him through a series of relatively consistent (which is unheard of for Trains) live shows, including a dramatic set at the first Las Vegas Shakedown festival in August 2000.

In addition to being in the L. Trains, Dennis, Melanie and Miss Koko Puff started a new band, Pointy Kitty. Koko splits lead vocals with Dennis much like they did in the late, lamented Sluts for Hire, but with the added power of Melanie's songwriting. Falling James meanwhile joined Fred Manchento's absurd rock & roll band, the Helpful Nuns, playing bass and guitar. Both bands have recorded some unreleased songs and toured as far as Arizona. On top of all that, Dennis and Fred are also in a dual-synth project, EMA 3 (named after a quick scrap of dialogue from BLADE RUNNER), known for their elaborate, futuristic, do-it-themselves sets and plastic-shrouded lights when they play live 'round SoCal. EMA 3 are deliberately anti-rock, with some traces of Devo, Bill Nelson and Gary Numan. Melanie can top all of this, though: Besides playing for a little while in Johnny Angel's Sonics cover band, Strychnine Witch, Melanie got to jam a few years ago with Dee Dee Ramone! She can coast on that fact for a lifetime!

After leaving SST Records, the Leaving Trains spent several years looking for another label, steadily recording on its own with producer Andrew Buscher, who joined the Trains as bassist in spring 2001 after Miss Koko took a powder. In fall 2001, a new label, Steel Cage Records in Philadelphia, will release EMOTIONAL LEGS, the first full-length, new Trains CD in more than four years.

Here's some trivia and shameless name-dropping: The following have appeared live or on record with the Leaving Trains, believe it or not:

Cathy Sample (Mad Society), Jeffrey Lee Pierce (Gun Club, Tex & the Horseheads), Pat Mack, Inger Lorre (Nymphs), Matt Piucci (Rain Parade), Kate Braverman, Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), Lisa Ferguson (Diva), Skinny John (Reverb Motherfuckers, Billy Syndrome, Digitalis), Swoopo Bravo (Bimbo Toolshed), Snatch (Atlanta), David Nolte (the Last), Vitus Matare (the Last, Trotsky Icepick, Danny & the Doorknobs), Doug Gillard (Death of Samantha, Cobra Verde, Guided by Voices), Don Bolles (Germs, Celebrity Skin, 45 Grave, Vox Pop), Bulimia Banquet's Jason, Jon Spencer (Pussy Galore) and Kurt Wolf (Pussy Galore, Emma Peel), Paul Olguin (Sheiks of Shake), Bill See (the Need, Divine Weeks), the singer of Holland's Paradogs, Debbie Shane (Dumbhead), emcee Donny Popejoy, and about ten more drummers whose names I don't recall or never even knew.

Additionally, Falling James has at different times posed as a member of Green On Red; a recording and live member of Giant Sand; written songs with everyone from Shane Williams (the Punk Rock Bank Robber) to Greg Ginn (Black Flag, Gone); recorded a bunch of unreleased songs with three Italian groups (Nearly Girls, Falling James Band, Temporal Sluts); collaborated on another unreleased project, Starcrackle, with Howe Gelb, Chris Cacavas, Paula Jean Brown (the Go-Go's) and Tom Larkin (Naked Prey); produced Hole's debut single; wrote songs with George Gatsioupoulus (Electric 3rd Rail, Last Laugh); was a brief member of Jack Gould (Black Angel's Death Song, Trash Can School) and Eric Avery's (Jane's Addiction) Flower Quartet; appeared as a 7-11-type store clerk, along with Mike Watt and Redd Kross, in the unreleased feature film SHEILA & THE BRAINSTEM; and run for U.S. president as a write-in anarchist candidate in the '88, '92, '96 and '00 (and we mean double zero!!) elections.

Any Questions?...