"Forming" is the debut single by American punk rock band the Germs. Released on What?, an independent start-up label, in July 1977, it is regarded as the first true Los Angeles punk record. Background and recording The Germs, comprising four teenagers, formed not long before the recording of the single: David Bowie–worshipping friends Jan Paul Beahm and George Ruthenberg met Belinda Carlisle and Teresa Ryan while staking out Queen's Freddie Mercury at a Beverly Hills motel, and decided to start a band. Vocalist Beahm changed his name to Bobby Pyn (he would soon become better known as Darby Crash), guitarist Ruthenberg became Pat Smear and bassist Ryan transformed into Lorna Doom. Carlisle dropped out when she came down with mononucleosis and never played a live show with the group. She was replaced as drummer by Becky Barton, redubbed Donna Rhia. The band's all-female rhythm section put them—along with X—in the vanguard of women's participation in early L.A. punk, as featured in such acts as Bags, The Controllers, Eyes and the all-female Go-Go's. "Forming" was the band's first composition, written by Pyn after a few rehearsals in the Ruthenberg family garage. The band made its live debut on April 16, 1977, at a show organized by The Weirdos, a fellow punk band. In the May issue of Raw Power, a concert reviewer saw dim prospects for the new band and its 18-year-old frontman: The Germs came on first and were the biggest joke of the year. None of the Germs could play their instruments whatsoever. They took an hour to get set up and then played for two minutes. The lead singer smeared peanut butter all over his face and everybody's in the group, and they all were spitting on each other until they were kicked off. You can bet they won't be back either. "Forming" was recorded not long afterward on a 2-track reel-to-reel recorder in Smear's garage, with one microphone for the instruments and another for the vocals. Chris Ashford, a friend of the band, helped set up the equipment. While he was at work at Peaches, a local record shop, the band ran through multiple takes of the song—along with several others—and picked out the best to release as the single. There was an echo effect on Pyn's vocals that was accidental; Smear later said: "Somebody just bumped into this knob". The B-side, "Sex Boy", was recorded live