A long story short: In 1989 recording begins at Daniel Lanois’ Grant Avenue Studio for what will become VALENTINO’S PIRATES, under the supervision of producer Gary Pig Gold. Shortly after, DAVE RAVE leaves Canadian proto-punkpoppers Teenage Head and settles in New York City with Gary, where the album was completed and a band, known as The Dave Rave Conspiracy, was formed alongside Billy Ficca of Television and Lauren Agnelli to perform the songs live. Initially, Valentino’s Pirates received a limited, cassette-only release in Canada on the Mole Sound label. Eventually though, through a connection with the mysterious Rudolf Solovyov (owner of the Kismet company in New York), Dave Rave became the first Western artist signed directly to the Russian Melodiya label and the album (reduced to 10 songs, due to timing constraints, plus the Dave Rave Conspiracy renamed the Dave Rave Group to appease wary Soviet sensibilities) was released in the until-recently U.S.S.R. circa very early 1992.

Cue to today, 30 years since recording for the album took place, Hanky Panky Records is proud to release the first-ever vinyl reissue of Valentino’s Pirates as the 10-song original Russian pressing, and as a deluxe double CD set with the complete 13 song album, plus a “Naked Pirates” 22 track collection of demos, alternate mixes and unused tunes, most of which are previously unreleased.

Valentino’s Pirates features the talents of Jon Tiven, Bill Dillon, Malcolm Burn, Shane Faubert, Lane Steinberg, Coyote Shivers, Rick Miles, Cindy Beattie, James “Doc” Proctor, and Jack Pedler.

Nowadays, Dave remains the hard-working legend he is, writing songs, putting out albums and touring the world, while Gary continues, in the words of AllMusic, to record the unwritten history of pop music both high- and lowbrow, and every brow in between.