Operation Ivy was an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, formed in May 1987. The band was stylistically important, as one of the first bands to mix the elements of hardcore punk and ska into a new amalgam called ska punk. The band was critical to the emergence of Lookout Records and the so-called "East Bay Sound." The band's name was derived from the Operation Ivy series of nuclear tests in 1952. Although the band released just one full-length album before breaking up in May 1989, Operation Ivy is well remembered as the direct antecedent of popular band Rancid and for wielding a lasting stylistic influence over numerous other bands in what became the third wave ska movement. History Formation Operation Ivy was formed in May 1987 and was named after the code name of a 1952 American nuclear weapons testing program. The name had previously been the original name of the contemporary Berkeley punk band Isocracy. The band consisted of Jesse Michaels (lead vocals), Tim "Lint" Armstrong (guitar, vocals), Matt "McCall" Freeman (bass, vocals), and Dave Mello (drums). Prior to the formation of Operation Ivy, Armstrong and Freeman had played together in the Berkeley ska punk band Basic Radio. Operation Ivy's first live performance was on May 27, 1987, in Dave Mello's garage. The next day began a tradition of performances at the Berkeley punk collective center 924 Gilman Street. Operation Ivy began playing a number of performances which led to its almost immediate cult-following. After witnessing a live show in Southern California, Joy Aoki of Flipside Magazine described the energetic new band as a "swell bunch of guys" who "mix hard-edged ska with the intensity of young thrash." Recordings In October 1987, the band made its recording debut with a track on the Maximumrocknroll compilation album Turn It Around!. In January 1988, the band signed to Lookout Records and released its debut 7-inch record, Hectic, which became one of Lookout's best-selling records. By this time, Operation Ivy, along with Crimpshrine and The Mr. T Experience, was one of the most successful bands from the punk scene at 924 Gilman Street. The band began playing a number of performances and embarked on a tour across the United States. By mid-1988, the group began selling out larger venues and the pressure to sign to major labels began to rise. With a budding reputation as an excellent live band, EMI