The Deadweights began when James "White Jimmy" White and Eddie Urland left their prior bands. The two soon joined with numerous local punk musicians. Early members included both Raymond Pettibon[citation needed] and future Xes bassist Hank Leary. Eventually, Dean "Dopey" Haydenbaugh and Richard "Ricky Scaggs" Scaglione would become the permanent drummer and bassist respectively. Originally using the name "Deadwaves", the band eventually settled on The Deadweights by the end of 1978. They began appearing regularly at local NYC clubs, most notably CBGB.[citation needed] In 1980 they were offered a recording contract from Sire Records but rejected it. The band independently released two singles in the following months, "Hostility" and "Dropping Neurotoxins",[citation needed] which would only increase attention toward the band. Eventually they signed with Slash Records,[citation needed] after they allowed the band creative freedom, and began work on their full-length debut album.\n', '

The band\'s debut album, First Wave Complete Destruction, was released in May 1981. The album contained new songs as well as the band\'s previous singles. The album is seen as being one of the best of the early 1980s punk movement.[citation needed] Despite the band\'s large local following, the album failed to attract any mainstream attention. In the year following its release, punk fell out of the mainstream as new music styles such as new wave and heavy metal gained in popularity.\n', '

In 1982, the band returned from a national tour to New York and took some time off. In early 1983, the band recorded their second album. June 1983 marked the release of their second album, the self-titled The Deadweights.[citation needed] During the touring for this album, Dean was found to be in possession of heroin at a gig in Detroit, Michigan and had to be extradited to New York. He was replaced for the rest of the touring by Paul Theissen. The incident supposedly "scared the rest of the band into sobriety for the rest of tour", according to Ricky Scaggs. In 1984, Paul was replaced by Dean.\n', '

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