Starting in the early 80's with his band Mcshred/Mcrad Chuck came to my attention not through music but as a professional skateboarder popping up on the cover of Thrasher Magazine in 1984's May issue with a Layback Slide photographed by none other than the great Glen E. Friedman (if you don't know who this guy is please go perform oral on a hot curling iron RIGHT NOW!!!). Later I first heard Mcshred on the Thrasher Magazine Skate Rock Vol.4 performing an early version of the song Mcshred and Taz (also two of the best songs on this album) and went back to get vol. 2 of the Thrasher Skate Rock series to hear, as Mcrad, the songs Prevent This Tragedy and Tomorrow Headlines alongside songs by well known punk bands like T.S.O.L, Big Boys, The Faction, And Free Beer (feat. former pro skater Tommy Guerrero). On a side note one early Saturday morning while sleeping at a friend’s house we were awoken by Santa Cruz pro skater Greg Agulair if it was cool to skate the backyard half-pipe and of course we said yes. Along with Greg were two companions one a female and the other was CHUCK FU*&ING TREECE!!! I was so excited but of course my friends at the time didn't really know who he was...later on that same friend's punk band covered Mcrad's Weakness in 1993!!!
Then in 1988 when then Skateboard giant Powell-Peralta released the epic video Public Domain to introduce the world to guys like Ray Barbee, Chet Thomas, and Steve Siaz the music for the legendary song Weakness blasts through the TV speakers along with a newly amped up version of the song Mcshred. Ushering in a sound dubbed Skate Rock, a more melodic hybrid of punk and hardcore, Mcrad did a lot better with this style than most core punk/hardcore bands who changed their sound in the late 80's. (Gang Green and Dag Nasty are two that come to mind and let's not forget the last album by SS Decontrol!!!!)
While Mcrad's first album (Absence of Sanity) was released in 1987 or, 1988 depending on when your record store finally ordered the damn thing, was somewhat of an underground classic Chuck Treece began forging a solid reputation as a go to man for artists as varied as Billy Joel, Yes! that's his bass line on the hit song River of Dreams, The Goats, State Property, King Britt, Ben Arnold, Philly's Stiffed on their 2003 ep Sex Sells (feat. the vocals of the soon to be awesome Santogold aka Santi White), and playing on the G.Love and the Special Sauce Classic 1997's Yeah, It's That Easy (He received credit for the song Slipped Away (Ballad of Lauretha Vaird). Releasing two later albums by Mcrad 2007's FDR and a split with The Frontside 5 in 2009 Chuck is not just a studio musician but a man who still makes his own music.
Still skateboarding after all these years (he's that old dude you kiddies see at FDR in Philly!!!) Chuck Treece got married and is a proud father able to support his family doin what makes him happy and not losing the reasons he started all this at the core. Two get an idea of how awesome Chuck Treece is pick up both albums from Mcrad "Absence of Sanity" and "FDR" as well as the classic first Underdog album from 1989 "The Vanishing Point". For a broader idea of Chuck Treece's skill look for his lone solo album so far "Dreamin'" from 1991.
I recently got the chance to ask Chuck Treece a few questions just to see what the man is up to, his friendship w/ Ray Barbee and skateboarding and he was great enough to take the time to respond so here's a quick few words with Chuck Treece along with some albums the man likes, a video of Ray Barbee, MIKE WATT!!!, and Chuck Treece jamming, and some Mcrad treats for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!!!
1. 5 albums that would sum up your musical influences? (More if needed)
BAD BRAINS-ROIR SESSIONS
BAND OF GYPSIES LIVE
JIMI HENDRIX ELECTRIC LADY LAND
CLASH GIVE EM ENOUGH ROPE
CLINT EASTWOOD and GENERAL SAINT any selection from them
BOB MARLEY UPRISING
2. Your first intro to hardcore/punk music?
First intro into punk rock was listening to all kinds of music at an early age...punk rock embraces all styles of music...most of the bands I look up to started out a blues bands...that means they were understanding and connecting their dreams to a sense of rock and roll...the energy can always be aggressive or not so aggressive which embraces the youthful or more mature events in music...
3. You were actually a sponsored skateboarder at one point correct? Any sponsors now?
yep I have been sponsored since my senior year in high school 82..i am sponsored by robot guts,6 kids skateboards, bull and bear, ace trucks, projects sk8.FDR SK8 PARK and ALTER ST.
4. 5 albums you would have loved to be a part of? (Like bitches brew, double nickels on a dime, etc.)
ALL BLACK SABBATH RECORDS. and PINK FLOYD....
5. in a way you helped create one of the longest standing bands/names that started skate rock/punk being you were involved in the early thrasher tape series and the inclusion of weakness in public domain a song that has lasted nearly 20 years any interesting tales of that time in your life?
MY main goal with Mcrad was to take what I learned from my musical family also my family and friends in skateboarding. I wanted give that era and time the best anthem I could...I didn’t know what I was doing I was doing at that time, what I knew how to do was to live my rolling on 4 wheels and singing a melody in my mind..Philadelphia streets created weakness, i was the vessel for it....MCRAD was the place for that song and the movement for skateboarding to be created from....sounds all over the place but that’s how we did things at that time...Mcrad was just one side on how many great times we had in skateboarding and we are still have great times...
6. What made you change the band name from Mcshred to Mcrad?
mcshred came about w my friends who I skated with...Dicken Greene, Dave and Jason franks...Mcrad and mcshred were thought up by Greg from Husker Du while they were in Philly...it was another all over the place moment..People start talking and bringing positive energy to conversation and good ideals are created...we were so pumped...that happened at Jeff Jenkins house in west Philly...Jeff was a good friend and a great promoter of shows and radio at Drexel univ..WKDU
7. What are your kids listening too? And what of it drives you nuts?
My kids listen to music...all types of music...they also play music and love music for their own satisfaction...I love listening to young ears...it keeps me vibrant.
8. Do your kids know how cool dad REALLY is?
I think my kids see me as dad...they have a respect for whatever I do, however I am dad to them and I have to support my family as dad/chuck and I am happy with that...soon I will by grandpa and still young at heart on my skateboard and music....
9. Albums that make a good skate session?
albums that make a good skate session albums that are good for skate sessions are left up to the people in that session...I used to sk8 to reggae all the time and most skaters didn’t get it..Now everyone listens to reggae...I think skateboarding sessions create music when yer listening to music...so many great records that I have listened to skating Tom Groholski’s ramp...from joy division to Metallica...great times
10. What hip hop do you like?
hip hop with a great story and great music...right now I have been working with FREDDY FOX...I have been re learning what hip hop is....it’s seems like hip hop loves to be music more than just being hip hop....
11. This one is a tad lame but project of your own you are proud of and a collaborative/sideman project you are proud of?
I am proud of all my collab’s...I learn from all music and people inside of music...then I learn from family and such. All makes it worthwhile...I am in a great respect for a positive life thru collab’n in the arts...
12. Favorite skate video (and public domain is not an option! lol)
Fav sk8 video would be that crazy vid that Spike Jonze was involved with...thing blow’n up and all...real good things for kids and people to check...so many good videos..Stacy Peralta is still the most interesting when it comes to sk8 videos...he changed skateboarding forever...
13. Considering you guys are friends now and everything has Ray Barbee ever thanked you for making his first part in a skate video so dope by making the weakness/mcshred song? LOL!!! But how cool is that? You both were so to speak on the rise and it was your songs that introduced him to the skate world?
Ray Barbee has always shown gratitude and good times for all in skateboarding...we have BLK TOP and his tours together...so stoked that I know Ray...he’s a good person...
14. And of course what do you have coming up next? Where can we hear more chuck treece? Any thank you's?
NEVER ENDING DOMINANT FORCE is the next MCRAD/TREECE LP...it’s a new lp with a bunch of songs and recording thru the years...my love for what I call creative creation...it’s my only religion...skateboarding has kept me so close to music and I feel blessed to have my first knee scrape at 13 turn into the biggest event in my life..
I RIDE A SKATEBOARD......
13 TO 46
And moving forward...
Thanx and big ups to Buddah at ROBOT GUTS...we are striving to look after the art side of skateboarding/life for all types of people who like life. It is the most art that skateboarding will see.
Treece/Buddah ROBUT GUTS SF/PHL. TREECE/MCRAD/CHADWICK ST PRODUCTIONS/MEDIA BUREAU/BULL n BEAR PHL 2010 till done.
DOES CHUCK TREECE RULE OR WHAT?!?!?!
Two classic Black Sabbath Albums:
Sabotage 1975- http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X42M9U7U
Volume 4 1972- http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BU9OY579
New Chuck Treece and HEZEKIAH track :
New Thought- http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CUH1C1HL
Ray Barbee, Chuck Treece, And Mike Watt from Fuel Tv's check 1,2...
FUEL TV "Check 1-2 Ray Barbee, Mike Watt and Chuck Treece" 2006 from Six Stair on Vimeo.
Treece Family Rock Out!!!
Mcrad "Weakness"
for more Chuck info:
http://www.drumcore.com/TemplateGeneric.aspx?contentId=66
www.myspace.com/chucktreece
www.myspace.com/mcradband
www.facebook.com/chucktreece
www.facebook.com/pages/McRad/227345644571
