Remembering Dick Dodd of The Standells (1945-2013)

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Joseph Richard Dodd Jr. was born October 27th 1945 in Hermosa Beach, California. At the age of nine he was an original cast member of the first Mickey Mouse Club TV show.

He bought a snare drum from fellow cast member; Annette Funicello & was taught how to play it by Cubby O'Brien's father. Dick Dodd went on to make a few television guest roles & had a small part in the movie "Bye Bye Birdie".

The Standells: In the early sixties he went on to play in a couple of surf bands before joining the band; the Standells in 1964. The band got their name in reference to all the time they spent "standing' around booking agents offices.

The Standells were a classic sixties garage band, with a psychedelic rock sound & an early punk style. Dodd was the band's drummer & lead vocalist.

He sang in a raunchy toned voice, giving the songs a cutting edge in your face attitude. The Standell's biggest song was "Dirty Water", which focuses on the Charles River in the city of Boston.

The song was written by the songs producer Edd Cobb, who had recently visited the City & was mugged on a Bridge over the Charles River. Hence the lyrics "lovers, fuggers & thieves". The song reached #11 on the Billboard chart in 1966. It became a sixties classic, getting continuous radio air play through the decades & was featured on the Nuggets albums collection of psychedelic  / garage band sixties rock.

The Standells 1966

Standells at Fenway Park 2004
By 1997 the song "Dirty Water" was chosen to be played at Fenway Park after Boston Red Sox victories & was eventually played after Bruins & Celtics games as well. Dodd a Red Sox fan himself, heard the song playing after watching an ESPN Red Sox telecast one night & was pleasantly surprised.


He & the Standells played the song live at Fenway before Game #2 of the 2004 World Series & on Opening Day 2005.

Other notable Standell's songs are "Why Pick On Me", "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White", "Try It" & "Riot On the Sunset Strip"

The Standells opened on a tour with the Rolling Stones, appeared on the television shows; the Munsters, the Bing Crosby Show, & Ben Casey as a band playing in a night club scene with Marlo Thomas. They were also featured & sang the title track in the 1967 Psychedelic Rock- Cult Classic movie; "Riot on the Sunset Strip". Dodd left the band in 1968 to peruse a solo career, eventually forming The Dodd Squad.

"Riot on the Sunset Strip" Movie- 1967
 
On occasions Dodd reunited with the Standells & drove a limousine in Orange County California. He has passed away after a battle with cancer at age 68. He was married twice, had one daughter & five grandkids.

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