Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs were an American rock and R&B band that emerged from the Los Angeles punk/roots music scene of the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Music writer Chris Morris dubbed them "L.A. punk's house band." This scene also produced bands such as The Blasters, X, Los Lobos, The Gun Club, The Knitters, The Circle Jerks, and The Plugz.
History
Top Jimmy (born James Paul Koncek; died May 17, 2001) was a Kentucky native who moved to Tacoma, Washington, in his youth. He relocated to Los Angeles at age 15 in November 1970 — rejoining his mother, who'd moved to L.A. while Jimmy was serving a stretch in a juvenile institution. His first friend in his new home was the guitarist who later became known as Billy Zoom.
He got his nickname from working — and providing handouts — at a fast-food stand called "Top Taco", located across the street from the A&M Records studios in Hollywood. A 1984 article had described Jimmy as a cross between Wolf and Sir John Falstaff.
Formation of band / heyday
Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs began to form around 1980. They played at numerous area clubs but their gigs at one place in particular gained attention. Starting around August 1981, they had a residency playing "Blue Mondays" every Monday night at the Cathay de Grande nightclub at the corner of Argyle and Selma in Hollywood, California. They became an important part of the Los Angeles rock scene. According to the Waits biography Lowside of the Road, Waits was influenced by the L.A. roots-rock scene but particularly loved the Pigs. He also formed a personal connection with Jimmy.
Also joining at various times were Albert Collins, Bonnie Bramlett, and Percy Mayfield. In addition, the club included members of the aforementioned scene stalwarts, most notably X and The Blasters.
In November 2025, it was announced that Pigus Drunkus Maximus would at long last be reissued. For the first time ever, it will be available on CD, as well as pig pink colored vinyl, in a gatefold sleeve featuring a 16-page booklet of archival photos by photographer Gary Leonard, along with new liner notes by Chris Morris.
Subsequent recordings by Top Jimmy
Long Distance Call by a group billed as "The Top Jimmy Lineup" came out in 1994. It was produced by John Doe. The bass player was John Bazz of The Blasters.
The Good Times Are Killing Me came out in 1997 on a small independent label called T.O.N. Records. It was credited just to Top Jimmy. He also performed T-Bone Walker's "Mean Old World" on the compilation album L.A. Ya Ya.
Legacy
Koncek died on May 17, 2001 (aged 45–46), in Las Vegas, Nevada, from liver failure.
Morris kept the memory of Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs alive in another history of the L.A. punk scene, Under the Big Black Sun (2016). A follow-up book, More Fun in the New World (2019), went even deeper: three chapters were devoted expressly to Jimmy. The entry from Morris again compared him in voice and persona to Howlin' Wolf. John Doe and Billy Zoom also provided a wealth of anecdotes. Yet another contributor, Maria McKee, said in her chapter that when Jimmy asked her to sing with him on stage when she was just 16, it was a major turning point in her life.