Zolar X - Space Age Love
Zolar X is a proto-punk glam rock band, established in 1973, recently staging a comeback.
From 1973 to 1981 Zolar X became legendary on the west coast USA for dressing and acting like space-aliens 24 hours a day. They spoke ceaselessly in an "alien language" of their own invention, which would amuse, but often infuriate the public at large. They are referred to as "Los Angeles' first glam rock band" in the 1998 book Glam by Barney Hoskyns. Zolar X's origin is included in author Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen's quintessential 2001 book on the Los Angeles punk scene We Got The Neutron Bomb.
In the 1970s, Zolar X's outlandish image was matched by over the top performances, otherworldly stage sets, and their unique brand of glitter-space-rock. They were the house band at famed Los Angeles nightclub Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, which was recently immortalized in George Hickenlooper's 2004 documentary Mayor Of The Sunset Strip. Zolar X played historic gigs with Iggy Pop, Michael Des Barres, Jobriath, New York Dolls, among others. Ace Frehley of Kiss was a Zolar X fan and early supporter.
In their first incarnation, Zolar X enjoyed regional success as a live act - and national exposure via Lenny Kaye's Rock Scene Magazine, but commercial success eluded them. In the pre-punk-DIY (do it yourself) era, Zolar X recorded, but waited and waited to get signed. They eventually released one independent record, the posthumous collection of well produced demos Timeless (1982 Pyramid Records) which has become a highly sought out, expensive collectors item.
Zolar X's "mastermind," was vocalist, composer, pianist Stephen Della Bosca who later rechristened himself "Ygarr Ygarrist" (pronounced WHY-GARR WHY-GARR-IST) upon forming Zolar X. Della Bosca aka Ygarr played in a few local San Francisco bands (The Hedge, Bosca) before heading to Los Angeles in 1972 with his friend Bruce Courtois (Zany Zatovian).
Ygarr and Zany found their perfect foil, with frontman Zory Zenith whom they met at famed rock star hangout Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. Zory was the former drummer of LA rock band Shady Lady, who had a reissue LP in 2005 on Italy's Rave Up Records. Zory, inspired by David Bowie, cut his hair in the trademark Zolar X "pointed" fashion. He was shocked to walk into Rodney's, to find Ygarr and Zany (whom he had never met before) with the same pointed haircuts! They hit it off. Zory's untrained vocal delivery could be described as "pre-punk." Zory would end up handling about 40% of the lead vocals, while Ygarr handled about 60%. Zory spent large amounts of stage time performing intricate mime routines. The lineup was complete when they found drummer Craig Rhinehart (Eon Flash), a former member of San Francisco hard rock band Legs Diamond.
Zolar X were for a time the "house band" at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. They shared stages with Iggy Pop, The New York Dolls, Ray Manzarek, Jobriath, Berlin Brats, and Silverhead (among others). Zolar X's week long stint at The Palladium with Jobriath was televised locally in Los Angeles. Zolar X were interviewed on one of the very first episodes of Tom Snyder's The Tomorrow Show in '74, along with Rodney Bingenheimer, and legendary scenesters Sable Starr and Chuck E. Starr. George Clayton Johnson was a fan, and would introduce them on occasion. Kiss would check them out and Zolar X slugged it out against all odds in the pre-DIY rock scene.
In 1974, Zolar X recorded a 2 song demo Space Age Love b/w Energize Me, at Crystal Studios. They pressed appx. 10 vinyl singles of these tracks, and they were given to various record companies. Ygarr's sister thankfully kept one of them - and it was used to press a limited edition '45 of this rare artifact in 2005.
