The Vandals formed in 1980 with an initial lineup of singer Steven Ronald "Stevo" Jensen, guitarist Jan Nils Ackermann, bassist Steve "Human" Pfauter, and drummer Joe Escalante.

Pfauter left the band in 1984 and Brent Turner played on their debut album When in Rome Do as the Vandals, released on National Trust Records in 1984.

By the time of their second album Slippery When Ill (1989) on Restless Records Robbi Allen was playing bass and Jensen had been replaced by Dave Quackenbush.

Also in 1996 Escalante and Fitzgerald founded Kung Fu Records, releasing a Vandals split single with Assorted Jelly Beans and the Christmas album Oi to the World!, and re-releasing Sweatin' to the Oldies in 1997.

2000 saw a trio of releases, with Kung Fu putting out an anniversary edition of Fear of a Punk Planet and re-releasing Oi to the World!

^ II Most of the material from Slippery When Ill was re-released by Kung Fu Records in 1999 on The Vandals Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes.

^ I The Vandals Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes is essentially a re-release of Slippery When Ill, with 8 of that album's 10 songs plus 2 new ones.

These Vandals tracks were later released on the Longfellow split 7-inch ^ II Denotes songs that were re-released on BBC Sessions and Other Polished Turds.