THE SWAMP DOGS (G)
> Band members
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Roland Heinrich: vocals, double bass
Christian Beekes, Doc Praetorious, Mitch (?) : guitar
Atilla Yüncüoglu: drums

> Discography
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1987 - Bad Moon Rising / Mind & Music
1989 - My True Story (6 track mini lp) - Rundell
? - Jump For Joy
(infos about this release needed please)

  
  Members of various rockabilly and rock'n'roll bands since 1982 as a drummer and/or singer, Roland Heinrich aka The Lone Wolf learns to play the double bass in 1984 (one time members of the Percolators and Fall Out) and forms the Swamp Dogs the following year with Doc Preatorious on guitar and Atilla Yüncüoglu on drums.
Their first influences are the Stray Cats and the Polecats. Between 1985-88, their set includes covers of Buena Sera, Black Magic Baby, Live Fast Die Young, Down the Line and Lonesome Train.
Slowly the band gains a following and a distinctive sound, their influences evolve toward bands like the early Meteors (Nigel Lewis era), The Sharks and The Ricochets. They then
open for foreign bands touring Germany like the Wampas, the Long Tall Texans, the Meteors, Batmobile and the Krewmen.
The begining of the year 1987 sees the release of their 7" on Rundell Records with two songs taken from their "played live in the studio demo". The A-side is a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Bad Moon Rising. If good it doesn't bring anything real new to the song, just a good sped up rockabilly version. The B-side is more interesting. The self penned "Mind & Music" is good and original and though the sound is a bit "young" (it's a demo) it shows that the band has broader influences than many of their counterparts.
Later that year, in December, the band goes in the studio to record what will be their mini-lp. The idea is to release it to coincide with a tour supporting the Krewmen. But the tour is cancelled and the mini album stays in the vaults of the label until February 1989.It marks another step in the band evolution, mixing fast rockabilly/early psychobilly (My True Story, Ardath Bay) with garage sound like their excellent cover of Ug and the Cavemen's Be A caveman. The Sting Rays and The Escalators are now a major part of their influences.
But this lp is not a true picture of what the Swamp Dogs are in 1989.Between 1987 and 1989 the band grew dillusioned with the rockin' scene, especially in Germany. The violence you can find in certain gigs and the fact that more and more bands harden their sound and include Heavy Metal doesn't sastify them. Doc Preatorius then leaves the band who stops its activities. In 1988, the Lone Wolf meets Mitch who becomes the new guitar player and turns him toward new sounds like Jump Blues and Swing.That's the new direction for the Swamp Dogs in 1989. They also record a couple of songs under the name "Little Green Men" available on "Listen To The Apecall". A full lp is planned for late 1989/early 1990 but is not released.They dissolve in 1990 after the release of "Jump For Joy" and Heinrich joins the Crackerjack. He now has a succesfull solo career.Find more infos his current project here. Atilla has also played with his brother in Cruisin a neo-rockabilly German outfit.