The Dickies are an American punk rock group formed in San Fernando Valley, LA in 1977. The Dickies were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles. They were the first California punk band to appear on network television and the first California punk band to be signed to a major record label (A&M Records). The Dickies' style is campy and humorous, influenced by The Ramones, for whom they sometimes opened in venues especially on the East coast, such as CBGB in the Bowery of NYC and across the river in the "The Showplace" Dover NJ (1978), along with the Nerds, and Nozon. The Dickies are popular in the United Kingdom, and had a Top 10 Single with "Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)" in 1979.
Many of their lyrics concern Southern California culture, rife with references and in-jokes; examples include songs like "Waterslide", "I'm A Cholo", "Manny, Moe, and Jack", and "(I'm Stuck in a Pagoda with) Tricia Toyota". They are also known for recording several fast-paced punk covers of classic rock songs, including the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin", Black Sabbath's "Paranoid", The Monkees' "She", Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction", and the Isley Brothers' "Nobody But Me". In 1988, the Dickies wrote and performed the theme music for the horror film "Killer Clowns from Outer Space."
