In 1980, the San Francisco punk band Dead Kennedys released their second studio album, “In God We Trust Inc.” It quickly became a classic among punk fans, with its biting lyrics and raw energy. But what many of these fans don’t know is that the album almost never saw the light of day.

The story of the lost tapes of “In God We Trust Inc.” began on the night of the album’s recording session. The band had spent the day recording the album at a small studio in San Francisco, and the session had gone well. But as the band was packing up to leave, the studio’s owner, a man named Ron, noticed something strange: the master tapes of the album were missing.

Ron searched the entire studio, but the tapes were nowhere to be found. He and the band eventually concluded that the tapes had been stolen. But who had taken them, and why?

The mystery of the missing tapes was never solved. But the story doesn’t end there. After the theft, the band still had the original tapes of the songs they had recorded. So, they decided to re-record the album from scratch. It took them weeks to do so, but in the end, they were able to recreate the album almost perfectly.

The re-recorded version of “In God We Trust Inc.” was released in 1980, and it quickly became a classic, and the band continued on assuming the tapes would remain lost somewhere in the depths of San Francisco.

 

Until the day when a fan of the band purchased a storage locker at auction and found a box of tapes inside. The tapes contained the original recordings of the album, as well as several unreleased tracks. The fan contacted the band's former label, Alternative Tentacles, who then released the album in its entirety in 2001.

The story of the lost tapes of “In God We Trust Inc.” is a testament to the resilience of the punk spirit. Despite the theft of their master tapes, the band was able to recreate the album and release it to the world. It’s a story of determination and dedication that punk fans can still appreciate today.