Devo
Overview
Devo
is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent
and Akron, Ohio
. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark, Bob, and Jim) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob). The band had a #14 Billboard chart
hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It
", and has maintained a cult following
throughout its existence. Their style over time has shifted between punk
, art rock
, post-punk
, and New Wave
. Their music and stage show
mingle kitsch
science fiction
themes, deadpan
surrealist humor
, and mordantly satirical
social commentary
.
is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
and Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark, Bob, and Jim) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob). The band had a #14 Billboard chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It
Whip It
"Whip It" is the title of a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It appears on the album Freedom of Choice. There were two 7" single releases of "Whip It", one backed with a remix of the track "Snowball" and one backed with "Turn Around"...
", and has maintained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
throughout its existence. Their style over time has shifted between punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
, post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, and New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
. Their music and stage show
Stage Show
Stage Show was a popular music variety series on American television originally hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Produced by Jackie Gleason, the CBS-TV show included the first national television appearances by Elvis Presley.The series began as a...
mingle kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
themes, deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
surrealist humor
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
, and mordantly satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
.
Quotations
Are we not men? We are DEVO!
A victim of collision on the open sea / Nobody ever said that life was free.
Freedom of choice is what you got / freedom from choice is what you want.
Freedom of Choice, 1980
None of you would help me when I baked my bread / Now all of you would help me eat it / I can see that you are very well fed / This indicates that you don't need it.
Enough Said, 1981
The way that we weren't is what we'll become.
Laugh if you want to / Or say you don't care / If you cannot see it / You think it's not there / It doesn't work that way.
Peek-A-Boo!, 1982
Beautiful mutants I can see in the distance / I think they're calling our name.
R U Experienced?, 1984
You only punch yourself out when you start swinging blind.
Plain Truth, 1988
Besides, God isn't dead / He's in your head / Right where he ought to be.
DEVO Has Feelings Too, 1990
But wishin' is for chumps/ High hopin' is for fools / They'll hunt you down / and taze you bro / for playin' with the rules
Don't Shoot (I'm a Man), 2009
Encyclopedia
Devo
is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent
and Akron, Ohio
. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark, Bob, and Jim) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob). The band had a #14 Billboard chart
hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It
", and has maintained a cult following
throughout its existence. Their style over time has shifted between punk
, art rock
, post-punk
, and New Wave
. Their music and stage show
mingle kitsch
science fiction
themes, deadpan
surrealist humor
, and mordantly satirical
social commentary
. Their often discordant
pop songs feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and time signature
s that have proven influential on subsequent popular music, particularly New Wave, industrial
and alternative rock
artists. Devo was also a pioneer of the music video
, creating many memorable clips for the Laser Disc format, with "Whip It" getting heavy airplay in the early days of MTV
.
art students Gerald Casale
and Bob Lewis
as early as the late 1960s. Casale and Lewis created a number of satirical art pieces in a devolution vein. At this time, Casale had also performed with the local band 15-60-75 (The Numbers Band
). They met Mark Mothersbaugh
around 1970, who introduced them to the pamphlet "Jocko Homo Heavenbound", which includes an illustration of a winged devil labeled "D-EVOLUTION" and would later inspire the song "Jocko Homo
". However, the "joke" became serious, following the Kent State shootings
of May 4, 1970 (a song about which, "Ohio
", would later be covered by Devo). This event would be cited multiple times as the impetus for forming the band Devo.
The first form of Devo was the "Sextet Devo" which performed at the 1973 Kent State performing arts festival. It included Casale, Lewis and Mothersbaugh, as well as Gerald's brother Bob Casale on guitar, and friends Rod Reisman
and Fred Weber on drums and vocals, respectively. This performance was filmed and a part was included on the home video The Complete Truth About De-Evolution
. This lineup only performed once. Devo returned to perform in the Student Governance Center (featured prominently in the film) at the 1974 Creative Arts Festival with a line-up including the Casale brothers, Bob Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Jim Mothersbaugh on drums.
Devo later formed as a quartet. They recruited Mark's brothers Bob Mothersbaugh
and Jim Mothersbaugh
. Bob played electric guitar, and Jim provided percussion using a set of homemade electronic drums. Their first two music videos, "Secret Agent Man" and "Jocko Homo" featured on The Truth About De-Evolution
, were filmed in Akron
, the hometown of most members. This lineup of Devo lasted until 1976 when Jim left the band. The lineup was occasionally fluid, and Bob Lewis would sometimes play guitar during this period. In concert, Devo would often perform in the guise of theatrical characters
, such as Booji Boy
, and The Chinaman. Live concerts from this period were often confrontational, and would remain so until 1977. A recording of an early Devo performance from 1975 with the quartet lineup appears on DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years
, ending with the promoters unplugging Devo's equipment.
Following Jim Mothersbaugh's departure, Bob Mothersbaugh found a new drummer in Alan Myers, who played with mechanical precision on a conventional, acoustic drum set. Casale re-recruited his brother Bob Casale, and the popular line-up of Devo was formed. It would endure for nearly ten years.
when the short film The Truth About De-Evolution
by Chuck Statler won a prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival
. In 1977 Devo were asked by Neil Young
to participate in the making of his film "Human Highway
". Released in 1982, the film featured the band as "Nuclear garbagepersons." The band members were asked to write their own parts and Mark Mothersbaugh scored and recorded much of the soundtrack, his first of many.
In 1976 Devo released their first single Mongoloid
b/w Jocko Homo
, the B-side of which came from the soundtrack to The Truth About De-Evolution, on their independent label "Booji Boy", followed in 1977 by the re-working of the Rolling Stones
' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
".
In 1978 the "Be Stiff EP
" was released by English independent label Stiff Records
, which included the single "Be Stiff" plus two previous Booji Boy releases. "Mechanical Man", a 4 track 7" EP of demos; apparently a bootleg
, rumored to be put out by the band themselves, was also released that year.
Devo caught the attention of David Bowie
and Iggy Pop
, who championed the band and enabled Devo to secure a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records
. After Bowie backed out due to previous commitments, their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
was produced by Brian Eno
and featured re-recordings of their previous singles Mongoloid
and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
, their cover version
of the Rolling Stones
classic. On October 14, 1978, Devo gained national exposure with an appearance on Saturday Night Live
, a week after the Rolling Stones, performing "Satisfaction" and "Jocko Homo."
In 1978, co-founder Bob Lewis asked for credit and compensation for his contributions to the band. The band refused to negotiate, and sued Lewis in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking a declaratory judgment stating Lewis had no rights to the name or theory of De-evolution. Lewis then filed an action in United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleging theft of intellectual property. During discovery, Lewis produced articles, promotional materials, documentary evidence and an interview recorded at the Akron Art Institute
following the premiere of In the Beginning was the End in which Mothersbaugh and other band members credited Lewis with developing the theory of de-evolution, and the band quickly settled for an undisclosed sum.
The band followed up with Duty Now for the Future
in 1979, which moved the band more towards electronic instrumentation. While not as successful as their first record, it did produce some fan favorites with the songs "Blockhead" and "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize" [sic], as well as a cover of the Johnny Rivers hit "Secret Agent Man
". "Secret Agent Man" had been recorded first in 1974 for Devo's first film and performed live as early as 1976. 1979 also brought Devo to Japan for the first time, and a live show from this tour was partially recorded. Devo also appeared on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
in 1979, performing "Blockhead", "Secret Agent Man", and "Mongoloid". Also in 1979 Rhino Records
released Devotees, a tribute album, containing a set of covers of the band's songs interspersed with renditions of popular songs in Devo's style.
Devo actively embraced the Church of the SubGenius
. In concert, Devo sometimes performed as their own opening act, pretending to be a Christian soft-rock
group called "Dove (the Band of Love)", which is an anagram
for "Devo". They appeared as "Dove" in the 1980 televangelism spoof Pray TV
. They also recorded music, later released on the CD E-Z Listening Disc
(1987), with Muzak
style versions of their own songs to play before their concerts.
Devo gained a new level of visibility with 1980's Freedom of Choice
which included their best-known hit, "Whip It
", which immediately became a Top 40 hit. The album moved to an almost completely electronic sound, with the exception of acoustic drums and Bob 1's guitar. The tour for "Freedom of Choice" featured the band performing in front of large custom light boxes which could be laid on their back to form a second, smaller stage during the second half of the set. Other popular songs from "Freedom of Choice" were "Girl U Want," the title track (both of which had popular music videos, along with "Whip It"), and "Gates of Steel". Devo made two appearances on the TV show Fridays in 1980, as well as on Don Kirchner's Rock Concert, American Bandstand
, and other shows.
was one of the first programs in the world to broadcast their video clips. They were given consistent radio support by Sydney-based noncommercial rock station Double Jay (2JJ), one of the first rock stations outside America to play their recordings. The late-night music program Nightmoves aired The Truth About De-Evolution. This paid off, as in August 1981, they found commercial success in Australia when their Devo Live E.P. spent 3 weeks at the top of the Australian charts. Later in the year, they came out to Australia and appeared on the TV show Countdown
In 1981, Devo contributed a cover of "Workin' in the Coal Mine," recording during the Freedom of Choice sessions, to the film Heavy Metal
. "Coal Mine" would be a pack-in bonus single with their 1981 release, New Traditionalists
. This album brought a new look for Devo, who wore self-described "Utopian Boy Scout uniforms" topped with a plastic "New Traditionalist Pomp," a plastic half-wig modeled on the hairstyle of John F. Kennedy
. Among the singles from the album was "Through Being Cool," written as a reaction to their newfound fame from "Whip It," an attack on their new fans that misinterpreted the song—and Devo's—message. The album's accompanying tour featured the band performing an intensely physical show with treadmills and a large Greek temple set.
Oh, No! It's Devo
followed in 1982. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker
, the album featured a darker, more sinister sound than its predecessors. According to Gerald Casale, the album's sound was inspired by reviewers calling them "fascist clowns" in articles. The album's tour featured the band performing seven songs in front of a 12-foot high rear-projection screen with synchronized video, an image recreated using blue screen
effects in the album's accompanying music videos. Devo also contributed two songs, "Theme from Doctor Detroit" and "Luv-Luv" to the 1983 Dan Aykroyd
film Doctor Detroit
, and produced a music video for "Theme from Doctor Detroit" featuring clips from the film with live action segments.
Devo released their sixth album, Shout
, in 1984 to mixed reviews. The album has been criticized for its overuse of the Fairlight CMI
synthesizer, and weak songwriting. However, the band's cover of the Jimi Hendrix
classic "'Are You Experienced?
" and the accompanying music video received some praise. Following the commercial failure of Shout, Warner Bros. dropped Devo from their label. Shortly after, claiming to feel creatively uninspired, Alan Myers left the band. This caused the band to abandon the plans for a "Shout" video LP, as well as their tour for the album. During the interim, Mark Mothersbaugh began composing music for the TV show Pee-Wee's Playhouse
, and released an elaborately packaged solo cassette, Musik for Insomniaks, which was later expanded and released as two CDs in 1988.
. Their first project was a soundtrack for the flop horror film Slaughterhouse Rock
, starring Toni Basil
. Devo had previously collaborated with Basil on her 1982 album Word of Mouth
. The band released Total Devo
in 1988 on Enigma Records
. This album included two songs used in the Slaughterhouse Rock soundtrack. The song "Baby Doll" was used in the film Tapeheads
, with newly recorded Swedish lyrics, and was credited to (and shown in a music video by) a fictitious Swedish band called Cube-Squared. Devo followed this up with a world tour, and released the live album Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace
. However, Total Devo was not a commercial success, and received poor critical reviews.
In 1989, members of Devo were involved in the project Visiting Kids, releasing a self-titled EP on the New Rose label in 1990. The group featured Mark's then wife Nancye Ferguson, as well as David Kendrick, Bob Mothersbaugh, and his daughter Alex Mothersbaugh. Their record was produced by Bob Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh; Mark also co-wrote some of the songs. Visiting Kids also appeared on the soundtrack to the film Rockula
, as well as on The Late Show with David Letterman. A promotional video was filmed for the song "Trilobites".
1990 saw the release of Smooth Noodle Maps
, which would be Devo's last album for twenty years. It, too, was not a commercial success. Devo launched a European concert tour, but poor ticket sales caused it to be ended early. The band had a falling out soon after, but played two shows in 1991 before breaking up. Around this time, members of Devo appeared in the film Spirit of '76
, except for Bob Mothersbaugh. Posthumously, two albums of demo recordings from 1974 to 1977—Hardcore Devo: Volume One
(1990) and Hardcore Devo: Volume Two
(1991)—were released on Rykodisc
, as well as an album of early live recordings, DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years
.
Following the split, Mark Mothersbaugh started Mutato Muzika
, a commercial music production studio, taking with him Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale. The former works as a composer
, and the latter as a recording engineer. David Kendrick also worked at Mutato for a period during the early 1990s. Mark has gained considerable success in writing
and producing music for television
programs (starting with Pee Wee's Playhouse and perhaps most famously with Rugrats
), video games, cartoon
s, and movies (notably working alongside director Wes Anderson
). Gerald Casale began a career as a director of music videos and commercials. He has worked with bands including Rush
, Silverchair
, and the Foo Fighters
. Also, in the wake of Devo's demise, Bob Mothersbaugh attempted to start a solo career with The Bob I Band, recording an album that was never released. The tapes for this are now lost, though a bootleg of the band in concert has surfaced.
" on the soundtrack to the movie Tank Girl
. In January 1996, Devo performed a reunion concert at the Sundance Film Festival
in Park City, Utah
. The band performed on part of the 1996 Lollapalooza
tour in the rotating Mystery Spot, with a setlist largely composed of material from their heyday between 1978 and 1982. Also in 1996, Devo also released a multimedia
CD-ROM
adventure game
, The Adventures of the Smart Patrol
with Inscape
. The game was not a success, but the Lollapalooza tour was received well enough to allow Devo to return in 1997 as a headliner. Devo would perform off and on from 1997 on.
In 2003, some of the members from Devo were alleged to have partaken in a side project called The Network
, which featured Billie Joe Armstrong
, Mike Dirnt
, Tre Cool
and Jason White of Green Day
. The band released a full length album in September 2003 entitled "Money Money 2020
" and then a live DVD, "Disease is Punishment
".
While they did not release any albums during this period, Devo recorded a number of songs for various films and compilations since their reunion, including a cover of the Nine Inch Nails
hit, "Head Like a Hole
" for the film Supercop
. In 2005 Devo recorded a new version of "Whip It
" to be used in Swiffer
television commercials, a decision they have said they regretted. During an interview with the Dallas Observer, Gerald Casale said, "It's just aesthetically offensive. It's got everything a commercial that turns people off has.". The song "Beautiful World" was also used in a re-recorded form for an ad for Target
stores. Due to rights issues with their back catalog, Devo often would use re-recorded songs for films and ads.
In 2005, Gerald Casale announced his "solo" project, Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers
(the Evildoers themselves including the other members of Devo), and released the first EP, Army Girls Gone Wild
in 2006. A full length album, Mine Is Not A Holy War was released on September 12, 2006 after a several-month delay. It features mostly new material, plus re-recordings of four very obscure Devo songs: "I Need A Chick" and "I Been Refused" (from Hardcore Devo: Volume Two), "Find Out" (which appeared on the single and EP of "Peek-A-Boo" in 1982), and "Beehive" (which was recorded by the band in 1974, at which point it was apparently abandoned with the exception of one appearance at a special show in 2001). Devo continued to tour actively in 2005 and 2006, unveiling a new stage show at shows in October 2006, and an appearance of the Jihad Jerry character performing "Beautiful World" as an encore.
Also in 2006, Devo worked on a project with Disney
known as Devo 2.0
. A band of child performers was assembled and re-recorded Devo songs. A quote from the Akron Beacon Journal elucidates, "...Devo recently finished a new project in cahoots with Disney called Devo 2.0, which features the band playing old songs and two new ones with vocals provided by children. Mothersbaugh doesn't rule out the idea of the band gathering in the studio, eventually, to record a new Devo album." Their debut album, a two disc CD/DVD combo entitled "DEV2.0", was released on March 14, 2006. The lyrics of some of the songs have been changed for family-friendly airplay, which has been claimed by the band to be a play on irony of sorts of the messages of their classic hits.
In an April 2007 interview, Gerald Casale mentioned an upcoming project for a movie about Devo's early days. A script is supposedly being developed, tentatively called The Beginning Was the End, though the production hasn't been confirmed yet. Casale also stated that there may be some new Devo material as well, but whether this is related to the release of a movie or not is unclear. Devo played their first European tour since 1990 in the summer of 2007, including a performance at Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
.
In June 2008 McDonald's
released a Happy Meal
toy wearing the Devo Energy dome
that they named "New Wave Nigel". It was reported by AAP
that a band member had initiated legal action against McDonald's as the hamburger chain had copied trademark
ed elements of the band's look. The following week it was reported a gag order
had been placed on the band regarding further public statements on the matter. By July 2008 various blog
s referred to "an e-mail
" from a colleague of the band's attorney that suggested the issue was "amicably resolved".
In December 2007, Devo released their first new single since 1990, "Watch Us Work It," which was featured in a commercial for Dell
. The song features a sample drum track from the song "The Super Thing" off of their 1981 album New Traditionalists
. The band has announced in a July 23, 2007, MySpace
bulletin that a full length music video for the song was forthcoming, and the song itself is available on iTunes and eMusic
. Casale said that this song was chosen from a batch of songs that the band was working on, and that also this is the closest the band has been to a new album.
In a December 5, 2007 article on Mutato Muzika
, LA Weekly
reported that "After touring sporadically over the past decade but not releasing any new material, Devo are spending December at Mutato trying to create an album’s worth of new material and contemplating a method of dispersal in the post-record-company world." In a recent interview, Mothersbaugh revealed a song title from the in-progress album: "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man". However, in a radio interview on April 17, 2008, Jerry stated that Mark had "killed the project" and that there would be no new Devo album. Casale, however, later stated that "We're going to finish what we started."
Devo's song, "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy", was featured in EA Sports' skateboard
video game, Skate. The songs "Girl U Want" and "Through Being Cool" were released as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band
on August 19, 2008. The song "Uncontrollable Urge" is featured in the video game Rock Band 2
. All three songs have been rerecorded exclusively for Rock Band.
Devo played dates in the United States, Japan, Australia, France, and Spain in the summer of 2008. Also in 2008 the band remixed the Attery Squash song 'Devo Was Right About Everything' which was released on the B-side to the Watch Us Work It
vinyl 12" single. They also remixed a song by Datarock
, "Computer Camp", which can be heard on the band's MySpace page. Datarock routinely cites Devo as an influence. 2008 also saw a Japan exclusive box set containing the band's first six albums, This is the Devo Box
. On October 17, 2008, Devo performed a special concert at the Akron Civic Theater, their first in Akron since 1978, to promote Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
. They were joined at the concert by fellow Akron-area musicians The Black Keys
and Chrissie Hynde
.
In an October 2008 interview, Devo confirmed that they would be completing their new album. The Studio Notes section of the November 27 issue of Rolling Stone
stated that "Devo are working on their first album of new material since 1990's Smooth Noodle Maps. 'We have about 17 songs we're testing out," says frontman Mark Mothersbaugh. 'We've already been contacted by 20 producers - including Snoop Dogg
and Fatboy Slim
.'"
Devo announced in early 2009 that they would be performing at SXSW on March 20th, with a warmup show in Dallas on March 18th. At these shows, Devo performed a new stage show utilizing synchronized video, similar to the 1982 tour, new costumes, and three new songs: "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man!", "What We Do", and "Fresh", which are tracks from their new album. All of these songs included a video backdrop which the band performed in front of. Devo also confirmed that they would be performing at All Tomorrow's Parties
on May 6 and 8, with the May 6th performance featuring the band performing their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
, in its entirety. The May 8th performance was a "greatest hits" show, for the ATP "Fans Strike Back" event. In November 2009, Devo toured performances Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! and Freedom of Choice
with two-night stands in several cities. Along with the tour, Warner Bros. Records
released remastered editions of the two albums.
In April 2009 Devo debuted the music video for "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)" on their website, through Vimeo
. In the June 2009 issue of Rolling Stone
, the band noted that the album's release had been pushed back to 2010 to allow for "radical remixing". The album, Something for Everybody
was eventually released in June 2010, preceded by a 12" single of "Fresh"/"What We Do". Earlier in the year the band had performed at one of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics victory concerts at Whistler Medals Plaza and donated a collection of objects to the Ohio Historical Society including an energy dome, jumpsuit, stickers, and t-shirts.
On September 16, 2009, Warner Bros. and Devo announced a re-release of Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
and Freedom of Choice, with a tour performing both albums.
In March 2010, Devo appeared as the musical guest for an episode of the children's program Yo Gabba Gabba!
, in which they performed an altered version of "Watch Us Work It"
Devo was awarded the first-ever Moog
Innovator Award on October 29, 2010 during Moogfest
2010 in Asheville, North Carolina
. The Moog Innovator Award "celebrates pioneering artists whose genre-defying work exemplifies the bold, innovative spirit of Bob Moog." Devo was scheduled to perform at MoogFest, but due to Bob Mothersbaugh severely injuring his hand three days prior, the band was forced to cancel. Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale did collaborate with Austin, Texas band The Octopus Project
to perform "Girl U Want" and "Beautiful World."
In an interview on March 3, 2011, Gerald Casale noted that he is "working on a script for a musical, a Devo musical" that would be aimed towards a live Broadway production.
Former members
Live musicians
is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
and Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark, Bob, and Jim) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob). The band had a #14 Billboard chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It
Whip It
"Whip It" is the title of a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It appears on the album Freedom of Choice. There were two 7" single releases of "Whip It", one backed with a remix of the track "Snowball" and one backed with "Turn Around"...
", and has maintained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
throughout its existence. Their style over time has shifted between punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
, post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, and New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
. Their music and stage show
Stage Show
Stage Show was a popular music variety series on American television originally hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Produced by Jackie Gleason, the CBS-TV show included the first national television appearances by Elvis Presley.The series began as a...
mingle kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
themes, deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
surrealist humor
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
, and mordantly satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
. Their often discordant
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
pop songs feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s that have proven influential on subsequent popular music, particularly New Wave, industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
artists. Devo was also a pioneer of the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, creating many memorable clips for the Laser Disc format, with "Whip It" getting heavy airplay in the early days of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Early years
The name "Devo" comes "from their concept of 'de-evolution' - the idea that instead of continuing to evolve, mankind has actually begun to regress, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society." This idea was developed as a joke by Kent State UniversityKent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
art students Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
and Bob Lewis
Bob Lewis (musician)
Robert Curtis Lewis was a founding member of the New Wave band Devo...
as early as the late 1960s. Casale and Lewis created a number of satirical art pieces in a devolution vein. At this time, Casale had also performed with the local band 15-60-75 (The Numbers Band
The Numbers Band
The Numbers Band are an American blues rock and experimental rock band formed in Kent, Ohio, United States in 1969. They are part of the 'Akron Sound' that sprung forth from their home state.-Career:...
). They met Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
around 1970, who introduced them to the pamphlet "Jocko Homo Heavenbound", which includes an illustration of a winged devil labeled "D-EVOLUTION" and would later inspire the song "Jocko Homo
Jocko Homo
"Jocko Homo" is the B-side to Devo's first single, "Mongoloid," released as a single in 1977 on Devo's own label, Booji Boy Records and later released in the UK on Stiff Records. The song was re-recorded as the feature song for Devo's first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on Warner Bros....
". However, the "joke" became serious, following the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
of May 4, 1970 (a song about which, "Ohio
Ohio (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)
"Ohio" is a protest song written and composed by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was released as a single, backed with Stephen Stills's "Find the Cost of Freedom," peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", would later be covered by Devo). This event would be cited multiple times as the impetus for forming the band Devo.
The first form of Devo was the "Sextet Devo" which performed at the 1973 Kent State performing arts festival. It included Casale, Lewis and Mothersbaugh, as well as Gerald's brother Bob Casale on guitar, and friends Rod Reisman
Rod Reisman
Rod Reisman was the original drummer for the band Devo, joining the band at its inception in 1973 in Kent, Ohio. He played only the very first concert, when the band was named Sextet Devo, and was the only band member to be paid for playing. He was replaced by Jim Mothersbaugh, and later by Alan...
and Fred Weber on drums and vocals, respectively. This performance was filmed and a part was included on the home video The Complete Truth About De-Evolution
The Complete Truth About Devolution
The Complete Truth About De-Evolution was the third home video release by new wave band Devo. It is a collection of Devo's music videos from 1976 to 1990. It was released on Laserdisc in 1993 by Voyager and on DVD by Rhino Records in 2003.-Synopsis:...
. This lineup only performed once. Devo returned to perform in the Student Governance Center (featured prominently in the film) at the 1974 Creative Arts Festival with a line-up including the Casale brothers, Bob Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Jim Mothersbaugh on drums.
Devo later formed as a quartet. They recruited Mark's brothers Bob Mothersbaugh
Bob Mothersbaugh
Robert Leroy "Bob" Mothersbaugh, Jr.,, or "Bob 1", is the lead guitar player and occasional vocalist for Devo and younger brother of lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh...
and Jim Mothersbaugh
Jim Mothersbaugh
Jim Mothersbaugh was the second drummer for Devo, replacing Rod Reisman who only played for a single show. Jim joined Devo with his older brothers, Bob and Mark.Jim appears on several early Devo demos...
. Bob played electric guitar, and Jim provided percussion using a set of homemade electronic drums. Their first two music videos, "Secret Agent Man" and "Jocko Homo" featured on The Truth About De-Evolution
The Truth About De-Evolution
The Truth About De-Evolution was the first music video for the band Devo, directed by Chuck Statler. Filmed in May 1976, it contains two separate songs: Secret Agent Man and Jocko Homo. It won First Prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in 1977, and was routinely screened before Devo live concerts...
, were filmed in Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, the hometown of most members. This lineup of Devo lasted until 1976 when Jim left the band. The lineup was occasionally fluid, and Bob Lewis would sometimes play guitar during this period. In concert, Devo would often perform in the guise of theatrical characters
Characters in Devo music videos
In Devo's music videos, early concerts, and short films, the band created a pastiche and parody of the real world via the idea of "Spudland". Many characters and concepts reappeared between videos.-Booji Boy:...
, such as Booji Boy
Booji Boy
Booji Boy is a character created in the early 1970s by American New Wave band Devo. The name is pronounced "Boogie Boy"—the strange spelling "Booji" resulted when the band was using letraset to produce captions for a film, and ran out of the letter "g"...
, and The Chinaman. Live concerts from this period were often confrontational, and would remain so until 1977. A recording of an early Devo performance from 1975 with the quartet lineup appears on DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years
DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years
DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years is a live album consisting of recordings from three early Devo performances.-Overview:The album presents parts of three Devo concerts from their early days, presented in reverse chronological order: Max's Kansas City in November 1977 , The Crypt in Akron in December...
, ending with the promoters unplugging Devo's equipment.
Following Jim Mothersbaugh's departure, Bob Mothersbaugh found a new drummer in Alan Myers, who played with mechanical precision on a conventional, acoustic drum set. Casale re-recruited his brother Bob Casale, and the popular line-up of Devo was formed. It would endure for nearly ten years.
1975–1980
Devo gained some fame in 19761976 in music
-January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle....
when the short film The Truth About De-Evolution
The Truth About De-Evolution
The Truth About De-Evolution was the first music video for the band Devo, directed by Chuck Statler. Filmed in May 1976, it contains two separate songs: Secret Agent Man and Jocko Homo. It won First Prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in 1977, and was routinely screened before Devo live concerts...
by Chuck Statler won a prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival
Ann Arbor Film Festival
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the third-oldest film festival in North America ; and the oldest experimental film festival...
. In 1977 Devo were asked by Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
to participate in the making of his film "Human Highway
Human Highway
Human Highway is a 1982 comedy film starring and co-directed by Neil Young under his pseudonym Bernard Shakey. Dean Stockwell co-directed the film and acted along with Russ Tamblyn, Dennis Hopper, and the band Devo...
". Released in 1982, the film featured the band as "Nuclear garbagepersons." The band members were asked to write their own parts and Mark Mothersbaugh scored and recorded much of the soundtrack, his first of many.
In 1976 Devo released their first single Mongoloid
Mongoloid (song)
"Mongoloid" is the first single released by Devo in 1977, on the Booji Boy Records label. It was backed with the song "Jocko Homo." "Mongoloid" also had one of the first music videos made using collage. "Mongoloid" would later be re-recorded by Devo and appeared on the album Q: Are We Not Men? A:...
b/w Jocko Homo
Jocko Homo
"Jocko Homo" is the B-side to Devo's first single, "Mongoloid," released as a single in 1977 on Devo's own label, Booji Boy Records and later released in the UK on Stiff Records. The song was re-recorded as the feature song for Devo's first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on Warner Bros....
, the B-side of which came from the soundtrack to The Truth About De-Evolution, on their independent label "Booji Boy", followed in 1977 by the re-working of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
".
In 1978 the "Be Stiff EP
Be Stiff EP
Be Stiff is the first EP by New Wave musicians Devo, released in 1977. It is a compilation of the three 7-inch singles released by the band on Stiff Records in the UK...
" was released by English independent label Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
, which included the single "Be Stiff" plus two previous Booji Boy releases. "Mechanical Man", a 4 track 7" EP of demos; apparently a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
, rumored to be put out by the band themselves, was also released that year.
Devo caught the attention of David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, who championed the band and enabled Devo to secure a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. After Bowie backed out due to previous commitments, their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut album by the American new wave music band Devo. Produced by Brian Eno, it was recorded primarily in Cologne, Germany and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Records company in 1978....
was produced by Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
and featured re-recordings of their previous singles Mongoloid
Mongoloid (song)
"Mongoloid" is the first single released by Devo in 1977, on the Booji Boy Records label. It was backed with the song "Jocko Homo." "Mongoloid" also had one of the first music videos made using collage. "Mongoloid" would later be re-recorded by Devo and appeared on the album Q: Are We Not Men? A:...
and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
, their cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
classic. On October 14, 1978, Devo gained national exposure with an appearance on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, a week after the Rolling Stones, performing "Satisfaction" and "Jocko Homo."
In 1978, co-founder Bob Lewis asked for credit and compensation for his contributions to the band. The band refused to negotiate, and sued Lewis in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking a declaratory judgment stating Lewis had no rights to the name or theory of De-evolution. Lewis then filed an action in United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleging theft of intellectual property. During discovery, Lewis produced articles, promotional materials, documentary evidence and an interview recorded at the Akron Art Institute
Akron Art Museum
The Akron Art Museum is an art museum in Akron, Ohio, USA.The museum first opened its doors on February 1, 1922, as the Akron Art Institute. It was located in two borrowed rooms in the basement of the public library...
following the premiere of In the Beginning was the End in which Mothersbaugh and other band members credited Lewis with developing the theory of de-evolution, and the band quickly settled for an undisclosed sum.
The band followed up with Duty Now for the Future
Duty Now for the Future
-Compact disc releases:* The 1993 UK CD issue on Virgin paired this album with New Traditionalists and included Devo's cover of Allen Toussaint's "Working in the Coal Mine" from the movie Heavy Metal that was included in the original LP album release of New Traditionalists.* The 1995 US CD issue...
in 1979, which moved the band more towards electronic instrumentation. While not as successful as their first record, it did produce some fan favorites with the songs "Blockhead" and "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize" [sic], as well as a cover of the Johnny Rivers hit "Secret Agent Man
Secret Agent Man (song)
"Secret Agent Man" is a song written by Steve Barri and P. F. Sloan. The most famous recording of the song was made by Johnny Rivers for the opening titles of the American broadcast of the British spy series Danger Man, which aired in the U.S. as "Secret Agent" from 1964 to 1966...
". "Secret Agent Man" had been recorded first in 1974 for Devo's first film and performed live as early as 1976. 1979 also brought Devo to Japan for the first time, and a live show from this tour was partially recorded. Devo also appeared on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert is a television music variety show that ran during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Don Kirshner and syndicated to television stations...
in 1979, performing "Blockhead", "Secret Agent Man", and "Mongoloid". Also in 1979 Rhino Records
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
released Devotees, a tribute album, containing a set of covers of the band's songs interspersed with renditions of popular songs in Devo's style.
Devo actively embraced the Church of the SubGenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
. In concert, Devo sometimes performed as their own opening act, pretending to be a Christian soft-rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
group called "Dove (the Band of Love)", which is an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
for "Devo". They appeared as "Dove" in the 1980 televangelism spoof Pray TV
Pray TV
Pray TV is a 1980 comedy film spoofing televangelism.-Synopsis:Failing UHF TV station KRUD, Channel 17, is "reborn" as Christian television station KGOD. The new format is a big success but attracts an incompatible mix of fringe ministries and broadcasters wanting time on the station...
. They also recorded music, later released on the CD E-Z Listening Disc
E-Z Listening Disc
E-Z Listening Disc is a 1987 compilation album released by American New Wave band Devo. It is a disc of instrumental versions of classic Devo songs performed in the style of easy listening Muzak or New Age music...
(1987), with Muzak
Muzak
Muzak Holdings LLC is a company based in metro Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1934, Muzak Holdings is best known for distribution of background music to retail stores and other companies....
style versions of their own songs to play before their concerts.
Devo gained a new level of visibility with 1980's Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice is the third album by New Wave musicians Devo, released on May 16, 1980. It saw the band moving in more of an overt synthpop direction, even though guitars still played a prominent role....
which included their best-known hit, "Whip It
Whip It
"Whip It" is the title of a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It appears on the album Freedom of Choice. There were two 7" single releases of "Whip It", one backed with a remix of the track "Snowball" and one backed with "Turn Around"...
", which immediately became a Top 40 hit. The album moved to an almost completely electronic sound, with the exception of acoustic drums and Bob 1's guitar. The tour for "Freedom of Choice" featured the band performing in front of large custom light boxes which could be laid on their back to form a second, smaller stage during the second half of the set. Other popular songs from "Freedom of Choice" were "Girl U Want," the title track (both of which had popular music videos, along with "Whip It"), and "Gates of Steel". Devo made two appearances on the TV show Fridays in 1980, as well as on Don Kirchner's Rock Concert, American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, and other shows.
1981–1986
The Wonderful Devo remained popular in countries such as Australia, where the nationally broadcast 1970s–1980s pop TV show CountdownCountdown (TV series)
Countdown was a long-running popular weekly Australian music television show broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 8 November 1974 until 19 July 1987. It was created by Executive Producer Michael Shrimpton, producer/director Robbie Weekes and record producer and music journalist...
was one of the first programs in the world to broadcast their video clips. They were given consistent radio support by Sydney-based noncommercial rock station Double Jay (2JJ), one of the first rock stations outside America to play their recordings. The late-night music program Nightmoves aired The Truth About De-Evolution. This paid off, as in August 1981, they found commercial success in Australia when their Devo Live E.P. spent 3 weeks at the top of the Australian charts. Later in the year, they came out to Australia and appeared on the TV show Countdown
Countdown (TV series)
Countdown was a long-running popular weekly Australian music television show broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 8 November 1974 until 19 July 1987. It was created by Executive Producer Michael Shrimpton, producer/director Robbie Weekes and record producer and music journalist...
In 1981, Devo contributed a cover of "Workin' in the Coal Mine," recording during the Freedom of Choice sessions, to the film Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (film)
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
. "Coal Mine" would be a pack-in bonus single with their 1981 release, New Traditionalists
New Traditionalists
New Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by the New Wave rock band Devo, released in 1981. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." The sound continued in the vein of the previous album Freedom of Choice, with synthesizers moved to the forefront and guitars more...
. This album brought a new look for Devo, who wore self-described "Utopian Boy Scout uniforms" topped with a plastic "New Traditionalist Pomp," a plastic half-wig modeled on the hairstyle of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. Among the singles from the album was "Through Being Cool," written as a reaction to their newfound fame from "Whip It," an attack on their new fans that misinterpreted the song—and Devo's—message. The album's accompanying tour featured the band performing an intensely physical show with treadmills and a large Greek temple set.
Oh, No! It's Devo
Oh, No! It's Devo
Oh, No! It's Devo is the fifth studio album by Devo. By the time of its 1982 release, Devo were a full-fledged synth-pop act, with New Wave pushed more towards the background...
followed in 1982. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker is a multiple award-winning Anglo-American music producer, songwriter, arranger and Recording Academy Governor, who has produced Platinum and Gold certified pop and rock records from the 1970s to the present.- Career :Baker began his career at Decca Records in England at the age...
, the album featured a darker, more sinister sound than its predecessors. According to Gerald Casale, the album's sound was inspired by reviewers calling them "fascist clowns" in articles. The album's tour featured the band performing seven songs in front of a 12-foot high rear-projection screen with synchronized video, an image recreated using blue screen
Blue screen
Blue screen may refer to:*Blue Screen of Death, a fatal system error screen in Microsoft Windows*Blue white screen is an assay useful in biotechnology*Blue screen compositing, a technique for combining two still images or video frames...
effects in the album's accompanying music videos. Devo also contributed two songs, "Theme from Doctor Detroit" and "Luv-Luv" to the 1983 Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
film Doctor Detroit
Doctor Detroit
Doctor Detroit is a 1983 comedy film, written by Bruce Jay Friedman, Robert Boris and Carl Gottlieb. The film stars Dan Aykroyd, Howard Hesseman, Lynn Whitfield, Fran Drescher, and Donna Dixon, with a special appearance by James Brown. The film was directed by Michael Pressman.James Brown performed...
, and produced a music video for "Theme from Doctor Detroit" featuring clips from the film with live action segments.
Devo released their sixth album, Shout
Shout (Devo album)
Shout is a 1984 album by the New Wave rock band Devo. It was their sixth album for Warner Bros. Records and retained the synth-pop sound of their previous records with a heavy focus on the new Fairlight CMI computer synthesizer. Despite the popularity of synth-pop in 1984, the album was a critical...
, in 1984 to mixed reviews. The album has been criticized for its overuse of the Fairlight CMI
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
synthesizer, and weak songwriting. However, the band's cover of the Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
classic "'Are You Experienced?
Are You Experienced? (song)
"Are You Experienced?" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience for their 1967 debut album Are You Experienced. The song was recorded on April 3, 1967 at Olympic Sound Studios in London, England; the songs "May This Be Love" and "Highway Chile" were recorded on...
" and the accompanying music video received some praise. Following the commercial failure of Shout, Warner Bros. dropped Devo from their label. Shortly after, claiming to feel creatively uninspired, Alan Myers left the band. This caused the band to abandon the plans for a "Shout" video LP, as well as their tour for the album. During the interim, Mark Mothersbaugh began composing music for the TV show Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Pee-wee's Playhouse
Pee-wee's Playhouse is an American children's television program starring Paul Reubens as the child-like Pee-wee Herman. The show was developed from Reubens' popular stage show and the one-off TV special The Pee-wee Herman Show, produced for HBO, which was similar in style but featured much more...
, and released an elaborately packaged solo cassette, Musik for Insomniaks, which was later expanded and released as two CDs in 1988.
1987–1994
In 1987, Devo reformed with new drummer David Kendrick, formerly of SparksSparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
. Their first project was a soundtrack for the flop horror film Slaughterhouse Rock
Slaughterhouse Rock
Slaughterhouse Rock is a 1987 B-movie horror film, starring pop star Toni Basil, and featuring songs by New Wave group Devo. The plot concerns a group of teens, attempting to release a curse over their friend, who has been having dreams of the victims of a murderer who lived on the island of...
, starring Toni Basil
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
. Devo had previously collaborated with Basil on her 1982 album Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth may refer to:*Word of mouth, a method of communication*Word of Mouth, a local Blues/Rock band based in Hamburg, New York*Word of Mouth ,A TV show hosted by Sandy Daza and Teacher Patty in the Philippines...
. The band released Total Devo
Total Devo
Total Devo was the seventh studio album by American New Wave band Devo. It was released in 1988 . It was the first Devo album that was recorded without drummer Alan Myers, who was replaced by former Sparks drummer David Kendrick...
in 1988 on Enigma Records
Enigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
. This album included two songs used in the Slaughterhouse Rock soundtrack. The song "Baby Doll" was used in the film Tapeheads
Tapeheads
Tapeheads is a 1988 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman. The film stars John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Sam Moore, and Junior Walker. The movie was produced by Michael Nesmith, who is seen briefly in the film as a bottled water delivery man.-Plot:...
, with newly recorded Swedish lyrics, and was credited to (and shown in a music video by) a fictitious Swedish band called Cube-Squared. Devo followed this up with a world tour, and released the live album Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace
Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace
Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace is a live album released by American New Wave band Devo, recorded during their "comeback tour" in promotion of the Total Devo album. It did contain several cuts from the album, but largely focused on earlier material...
. However, Total Devo was not a commercial success, and received poor critical reviews.
In 1989, members of Devo were involved in the project Visiting Kids, releasing a self-titled EP on the New Rose label in 1990. The group featured Mark's then wife Nancye Ferguson, as well as David Kendrick, Bob Mothersbaugh, and his daughter Alex Mothersbaugh. Their record was produced by Bob Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh; Mark also co-wrote some of the songs. Visiting Kids also appeared on the soundtrack to the film Rockula
Rockula
Rockula is a 1990 comedy film about a vampire under a curse- The tagline is "He's a vampire that hasn't scored in 400 years- tonight's the night!"It was directed by Luca Bercovici, and co written with Bercovici and Jefery Levy....
, as well as on The Late Show with David Letterman. A promotional video was filmed for the song "Trilobites".
1990 saw the release of Smooth Noodle Maps
Smooth Noodle Maps
Smooth Noodle Maps, released in 1990, is the eighth studio album by American New Wave band Devo.The album includes a cover of the early 1960s song " Morning Dew," typically "mutated" into a New Wave dance song....
, which would be Devo's last album for twenty years. It, too, was not a commercial success. Devo launched a European concert tour, but poor ticket sales caused it to be ended early. The band had a falling out soon after, but played two shows in 1991 before breaking up. Around this time, members of Devo appeared in the film Spirit of '76
Spirit of '76 (1990 film)
The Spirit of '76 is a 1990 comedy film that spoofs American culture of the mid-1970s. It stars David Cassidy, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Olivia d'Abo, and the rock groups Redd Kross and Devo. The movie was initially released October 12, 1990...
, except for Bob Mothersbaugh. Posthumously, two albums of demo recordings from 1974 to 1977—Hardcore Devo: Volume One
Hardcore Devo: Volume One
Hardcore Devo: Volume One is the first of two collections of demos released by the post-punk/new wave band Devo. It is currently out of print.-Overview:...
(1990) and Hardcore Devo: Volume Two
Hardcore Devo: Volume Two
Hardcore Devo: Volume Two is the second collection of demos released by the post-punk/new wave band Devo. It is currently out of print.-Overview:...
(1991)—were released on Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
, as well as an album of early live recordings, DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years
DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years
DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years is a live album consisting of recordings from three early Devo performances.-Overview:The album presents parts of three Devo concerts from their early days, presented in reverse chronological order: Max's Kansas City in November 1977 , The Crypt in Akron in December...
.
Following the split, Mark Mothersbaugh started Mutato Muzika
Mutato Muzika
Mutato Muzika is a music production company established in 1989 by Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh. While Devo members Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald V...
, a commercial music production studio, taking with him Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale. The former works as a composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and the latter as a recording engineer. David Kendrick also worked at Mutato for a period during the early 1990s. Mark has gained considerable success in writing
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and producing music for television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs (starting with Pee Wee's Playhouse and perhaps most famously with Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
), video games, cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s, and movies (notably working alongside director Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer of features, short films and commercials....
). Gerald Casale began a career as a director of music videos and commercials. He has worked with bands including Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
, and the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
. Also, in the wake of Devo's demise, Bob Mothersbaugh attempted to start a solo career with The Bob I Band, recording an album that was never released. The tapes for this are now lost, though a bootleg of the band in concert has surfaced.
1995–2006
In 1995, Devo reappeared with a new recording of "Girl U WantGirl U Want
"Girl U Want" is a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It was the first single released from the album Freedom of Choice. In 1995, Devo rerecorded the song for the soundtrack to Tank Girl.-Song Information:...
" on the soundtrack to the movie Tank Girl
Tank Girl (film)
Tank Girl is a 1995 science fiction action film loosely based on the Tank Girl comic book created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett. It was directed by Rachel Talalay and stars Lori Petty as Rebecca Buck, aka the eponymous Tank Girl, who had originally appeared in the UK comic magazine...
. In January 1996, Devo performed a reunion concert at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
. The band performed on part of the 1996 Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour in the rotating Mystery Spot, with a setlist largely composed of material from their heyday between 1978 and 1982. Also in 1996, Devo also released a multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
, The Adventures of the Smart Patrol
Adventures of the Smart Patrol
Adventures of the Smart Patrol is a compilation album released in 1996 featuring tracks from the Inscape CD-ROM computer game of the same name, a game created by American new wave band Devo...
with Inscape
Inscape
Inscape is a concept derived by Gerard Manley Hopkins from the ideas of the medieval philosopher Duns Scotus.[Hopkins] felt that everything in the universe was characterized by what he called inscape, the distinctive design that constitutes individual identity. This identity is not static but...
. The game was not a success, but the Lollapalooza tour was received well enough to allow Devo to return in 1997 as a headliner. Devo would perform off and on from 1997 on.
In 2003, some of the members from Devo were alleged to have partaken in a side project called The Network
The Network
The Network is a six-piece New Wave band. They released their debut album Money Money 2020 on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. A re-release of the album, with two bonus tracks, followed in 2004. The band has not played a live performance since about late 2004 and is believed to have disbanded...
, which featured Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
, Mike Dirnt
Mike Dirnt
Michael Ryan Pritchard is an American musician, best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the American Rock band Green Day. While at school, he would play "air-bass." While pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt"...
, Tre Cool
Tre Cool
Frank Edwin Wright III, a.k.a. Tré Cool, is an American drummer, best known as the drummer for the punk rock band Green Day. He replaced the group's former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990...
and Jason White of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
. The band released a full length album in September 2003 entitled "Money Money 2020
Money Money 2020
Money Money 2020 is the debut album by the new wave band The Network. It was released on September 30, 2003 through Adeline Records.The album came with a DVD that featured six music videos for songs on the CD directed and produced by Roy Miles of AntiDivision. It was re-released by Reprise Records...
" and then a live DVD, "Disease is Punishment
Disease is Punishment
Disease Is Punishment is a live DVD featuring songs from The Network's first album Money Money 2020. The project, directed by John Roecker, co-directed with visuals & music videos directed/produced by Roy Miles Jr...
".
While they did not release any albums during this period, Devo recorded a number of songs for various films and compilations since their reunion, including a cover of the Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
hit, "Head Like a Hole
Head Like a Hole
"Head Like a Hole" is a song by the American industrial rock project Nine Inch Nails. A song influenced by industrial metal group Ministry, it was released as the second single from the group's debut album Pretty Hate Machine...
" for the film Supercop
Police Story 3
Police Story 3: Super Cop , also known as Super Cop in North America, is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts action crime comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh. Jackie reprises his "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui character, a Hong Kong cop from Police Story and Police Story 2...
. In 2005 Devo recorded a new version of "Whip It
Whip It
"Whip It" is the title of a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It appears on the album Freedom of Choice. There were two 7" single releases of "Whip It", one backed with a remix of the track "Snowball" and one backed with "Turn Around"...
" to be used in Swiffer
Swiffer
Swiffer is a line of cleaning products by Procter and Gamble. Introduced in 1999, the brand uses the "razor-and-blades business model"; in this case, the consumer purchases the handle assembly at a low price, but must continue to purchase replacement refills and pads over the life of the product...
television commercials, a decision they have said they regretted. During an interview with the Dallas Observer, Gerald Casale said, "It's just aesthetically offensive. It's got everything a commercial that turns people off has.". The song "Beautiful World" was also used in a re-recorded form for an ad for Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
stores. Due to rights issues with their back catalog, Devo often would use re-recorded songs for films and ads.
In 2005, Gerald Casale announced his "solo" project, Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers
Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers
Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers is the solo project of Devo bassist and "chief strategist" Gerald Casale. It also includes contributions from Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob "1" Mothersbaugh, and his brother Bob "2" Casale...
(the Evildoers themselves including the other members of Devo), and released the first EP, Army Girls Gone Wild
Army Girls Gone Wild
Army Girls Gone Wild is a three-song album by Devo spinoff project Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers, fronted by Gerald Casale. It was released November 8, 2005 but has since been expanded into the 12-track album Mine Is Not A Holy War ....
in 2006. A full length album, Mine Is Not A Holy War was released on September 12, 2006 after a several-month delay. It features mostly new material, plus re-recordings of four very obscure Devo songs: "I Need A Chick" and "I Been Refused" (from Hardcore Devo: Volume Two), "Find Out" (which appeared on the single and EP of "Peek-A-Boo" in 1982), and "Beehive" (which was recorded by the band in 1974, at which point it was apparently abandoned with the exception of one appearance at a special show in 2001). Devo continued to tour actively in 2005 and 2006, unveiling a new stage show at shows in October 2006, and an appearance of the Jihad Jerry character performing "Beautiful World" as an encore.
Also in 2006, Devo worked on a project with Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
known as Devo 2.0
Devo 2.0
Devo 2.0 was a quintet, created for Walt Disney Records , of child actors who sing, dance, and mime playing instruments along to songs re-recorded by some of the original members of Devo...
. A band of child performers was assembled and re-recorded Devo songs. A quote from the Akron Beacon Journal elucidates, "...Devo recently finished a new project in cahoots with Disney called Devo 2.0, which features the band playing old songs and two new ones with vocals provided by children. Mothersbaugh doesn't rule out the idea of the band gathering in the studio, eventually, to record a new Devo album." Their debut album, a two disc CD/DVD combo entitled "DEV2.0", was released on March 14, 2006. The lyrics of some of the songs have been changed for family-friendly airplay, which has been claimed by the band to be a play on irony of sorts of the messages of their classic hits.
2007–present
Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim is an annual music festival which takes place in the village of Benicàssim, province of Castelló, Valencian Community in Spain. It focuses mainly on pop, rock and electronica artists, as well as having other elements besides music like short films,...
.
In June 2008 McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
released a Happy Meal
Happy Meal
A "Happy Meal" is a meal specifically marketed at children, sold at the fast-food chain McDonald's since June 1979. A toy is typically included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a small box or paper bag with the McDonald's logo....
toy wearing the Devo Energy dome
Energy dome
Energy dome refers to the red terraced headgear first worn by Devo during their Freedom of Choice years. Other incorrect names include "power dome" and "flowerpot" . Energy Domes have been a regular part of Devo's stage costumes since 1980, worn in their 1982, 1988, and 1990 tours, as well as most...
that they named "New Wave Nigel". It was reported by AAP
Australian Associated Press
Australian Associated Press is Australia's national news agency. The organisation was established in 1935 by Fairfax and The Herald and Weekly Times.AAP employs more than 175 journalists who work in bureaux in all Australian states and territories...
that a band member had initiated legal action against McDonald's as the hamburger chain had copied trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
ed elements of the band's look. The following week it was reported a gag order
Gag order
A gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public.Gag orders are often used against participants involved in a lawsuit or criminal trial...
had been placed on the band regarding further public statements on the matter. By July 2008 various blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s referred to "an e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
" from a colleague of the band's attorney that suggested the issue was "amicably resolved".
In December 2007, Devo released their first new single since 1990, "Watch Us Work It," which was featured in a commercial for Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
. The song features a sample drum track from the song "The Super Thing" off of their 1981 album New Traditionalists
New Traditionalists
New Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by the New Wave rock band Devo, released in 1981. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." The sound continued in the vein of the previous album Freedom of Choice, with synthesizers moved to the forefront and guitars more...
. The band has announced in a July 23, 2007, MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
bulletin that a full length music video for the song was forthcoming, and the song itself is available on iTunes and eMusic
EMusic
eMusic is an online music and audiobook store that operates by subscription. It is headquartered in New York City with an office in London and owned by Dimensional Associates. As of September 2008 eMusic has over 400,000 subscribers....
. Casale said that this song was chosen from a batch of songs that the band was working on, and that also this is the closest the band has been to a new album.
In a December 5, 2007 article on Mutato Muzika
Mutato Muzika
Mutato Muzika is a music production company established in 1989 by Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh. While Devo members Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald V...
, LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
reported that "After touring sporadically over the past decade but not releasing any new material, Devo are spending December at Mutato trying to create an album’s worth of new material and contemplating a method of dispersal in the post-record-company world." In a recent interview, Mothersbaugh revealed a song title from the in-progress album: "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man". However, in a radio interview on April 17, 2008, Jerry stated that Mark had "killed the project" and that there would be no new Devo album. Casale, however, later stated that "We're going to finish what we started."
Devo's song, "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy", was featured in EA Sports' skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
video game, Skate. The songs "Girl U Want" and "Through Being Cool" were released as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
on August 19, 2008. The song "Uncontrollable Urge" is featured in the video game Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
. All three songs have been rerecorded exclusively for Rock Band.
Devo played dates in the United States, Japan, Australia, France, and Spain in the summer of 2008. Also in 2008 the band remixed the Attery Squash song 'Devo Was Right About Everything' which was released on the B-side to the Watch Us Work It
Watch Us Work it
"Watch Us Work It" is a single by the US New Wave band Devo, produced by Teddybears. It was originally released in 2007, and was featured in a commercial for Dell. It was subsequently re-released, on vinyl, in 2008. The song was included on the deluxe version of the band's ninth studio album...
vinyl 12" single. They also remixed a song by Datarock
Datarock
Datarock, derived from the Norwegian word for computer – datamaskin and the word rock , is a Norwegian electro rock band. The band formed in 2000 as Fredrik Saroea, Ketil Mosnes and Kevin O'Brien and soon hired Tom Mæland. O'Brien and Mæland later left the band, but the duo of Saroea and Mosnes...
, "Computer Camp", which can be heard on the band's MySpace page. Datarock routinely cites Devo as an influence. 2008 also saw a Japan exclusive box set containing the band's first six albums, This is the Devo Box
This is the Devo Box
This is the Devo Box is a seven disc Box set, released only in Japan, featuring digitally remastered versions of the first six studio albums by Devo. It also contains an expanded and remastered version of DEV-O Live, identical to the Rhino Handmade release. The albums are packaged in miniature LP...
. On October 17, 2008, Devo performed a special concert at the Akron Civic Theater, their first in Akron since 1978, to promote Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. They were joined at the concert by fellow Akron-area musicians The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
and Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
.
In an October 2008 interview, Devo confirmed that they would be completing their new album. The Studio Notes section of the November 27 issue of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
stated that "Devo are working on their first album of new material since 1990's Smooth Noodle Maps. 'We have about 17 songs we're testing out," says frontman Mark Mothersbaugh. 'We've already been contacted by 20 producers - including Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
.'"
Devo announced in early 2009 that they would be performing at SXSW on March 20th, with a warmup show in Dallas on March 18th. At these shows, Devo performed a new stage show utilizing synchronized video, similar to the 1982 tour, new costumes, and three new songs: "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man!", "What We Do", and "Fresh", which are tracks from their new album. All of these songs included a video backdrop which the band performed in front of. Devo also confirmed that they would be performing at All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
on May 6 and 8, with the May 6th performance featuring the band performing their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut album by the American new wave music band Devo. Produced by Brian Eno, it was recorded primarily in Cologne, Germany and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Records company in 1978....
, in its entirety. The May 8th performance was a "greatest hits" show, for the ATP "Fans Strike Back" event. In November 2009, Devo toured performances Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! and Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice is the third album by New Wave musicians Devo, released on May 16, 1980. It saw the band moving in more of an overt synthpop direction, even though guitars still played a prominent role....
with two-night stands in several cities. Along with the tour, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
released remastered editions of the two albums.
In April 2009 Devo debuted the music video for "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)" on their website, through Vimeo
Vimeo
Vimeo is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. It was founded by Zach Klein and Jake Lodwick in November 2004...
. In the June 2009 issue of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, the band noted that the album's release had been pushed back to 2010 to allow for "radical remixing". The album, Something for Everybody
Something for Everybody (Devo album)
Something for Everybody is the ninth studio album by American New Wave band Devo. The album was released on June 15, 2010, after previously being slated for release in May 2010, having been pushed back from its original release date of late 2009 due to "radical remixing." Something for Everybody...
was eventually released in June 2010, preceded by a 12" single of "Fresh"/"What We Do". Earlier in the year the band had performed at one of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics victory concerts at Whistler Medals Plaza and donated a collection of objects to the Ohio Historical Society including an energy dome, jumpsuit, stickers, and t-shirts.
On September 16, 2009, Warner Bros. and Devo announced a re-release of Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut album by the American new wave music band Devo. Produced by Brian Eno, it was recorded primarily in Cologne, Germany and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Records company in 1978....
and Freedom of Choice, with a tour performing both albums.
In March 2010, Devo appeared as the musical guest for an episode of the children's program Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís...
, in which they performed an altered version of "Watch Us Work It"
Devo was awarded the first-ever Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
Innovator Award on October 29, 2010 during Moogfest
Moogfest
Moogfest is a three-day electronic music festival that takes place in Asheville, North Carolina, United States, every year since 2010 towards the end of October. The festival is held in Asheville because it is the city where Robert Arthur "Bob" Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesizer and...
2010 in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. The Moog Innovator Award "celebrates pioneering artists whose genre-defying work exemplifies the bold, innovative spirit of Bob Moog." Devo was scheduled to perform at MoogFest, but due to Bob Mothersbaugh severely injuring his hand three days prior, the band was forced to cancel. Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale did collaborate with Austin, Texas band The Octopus Project
The Octopus Project
The Octopus Project is an American indietronica band based in Austin, Texas, active since 1999. Its unique sound, blending pop and experimental elements, is a combination of digital and electronic sounds and noises and analog equipment...
to perform "Girl U Want" and "Beautiful World."
In an interview on March 3, 2011, Gerald Casale noted that he is "working on a script for a musical, a Devo musical" that would be aimed towards a live Broadway production.
Discography
- Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!Question: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut album by the American new wave music band Devo. Produced by Brian Eno, it was recorded primarily in Cologne, Germany and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Records company in 1978....
(1978) - Duty Now for the FutureDuty Now for the Future-Compact disc releases:* The 1993 UK CD issue on Virgin paired this album with New Traditionalists and included Devo's cover of Allen Toussaint's "Working in the Coal Mine" from the movie Heavy Metal that was included in the original LP album release of New Traditionalists.* The 1995 US CD issue...
(1979) - Freedom of ChoiceFreedom of ChoiceFreedom of Choice is the third album by New Wave musicians Devo, released on May 16, 1980. It saw the band moving in more of an overt synthpop direction, even though guitars still played a prominent role....
(1980) - New TraditionalistsNew TraditionalistsNew Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by the New Wave rock band Devo, released in 1981. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." The sound continued in the vein of the previous album Freedom of Choice, with synthesizers moved to the forefront and guitars more...
(1981) - Oh, No! It's DevoOh, No! It's DevoOh, No! It's Devo is the fifth studio album by Devo. By the time of its 1982 release, Devo were a full-fledged synth-pop act, with New Wave pushed more towards the background...
(1982) - ShoutShout (Devo album)Shout is a 1984 album by the New Wave rock band Devo. It was their sixth album for Warner Bros. Records and retained the synth-pop sound of their previous records with a heavy focus on the new Fairlight CMI computer synthesizer. Despite the popularity of synth-pop in 1984, the album was a critical...
(1984) - Total DevoTotal DevoTotal Devo was the seventh studio album by American New Wave band Devo. It was released in 1988 . It was the first Devo album that was recorded without drummer Alan Myers, who was replaced by former Sparks drummer David Kendrick...
(1988) - Smooth Noodle MapsSmooth Noodle MapsSmooth Noodle Maps, released in 1990, is the eighth studio album by American New Wave band Devo.The album includes a cover of the early 1960s song " Morning Dew," typically "mutated" into a New Wave dance song....
(1990) - Something for EverybodySomething for Everybody (Devo album)Something for Everybody is the ninth studio album by American New Wave band Devo. The album was released on June 15, 2010, after previously being slated for release in May 2010, having been pushed back from its original release date of late 2009 due to "radical remixing." Something for Everybody...
(2010)
Line up
Current members- Mark MothersbaughMark MothersbaughMark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
– synthesizers, vocals, guitar (1973–1991, 1996–present) - Gerald CasaleGerald CasaleGerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
– bass guitar, vocals, bass synthesizer (1973–1991, 1996–present) - Bob MothersbaughBob MothersbaughRobert Leroy "Bob" Mothersbaugh, Jr.,, or "Bob 1", is the lead guitar player and occasional vocalist for Devo and younger brother of lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh...
– guitar, vocals (1974–1991, 1996–present) - Bob Casale – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1973, 1976–1991, 1996–present)
- Josh FreeseJosh FreeseJosh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
– drums (1996–present)
Former members
- Bob LewisBob Lewis (musician)Robert Curtis Lewis was a founding member of the New Wave band Devo...
– guitar (1973–1974) - Peter GreggPeter Gregg (musician)This article is about Peter Gregg the musician. For the race car driver and car dealer see Peter Gregg .Peter Gregg is a producer and musician. Gregg played lead guitar on the earliest recordings of the prototype predecessor to the musical group Devo, under his nom de guitar, Coupe de Ville...
– guitar (1973) - Rod ReismanRod ReismanRod Reisman was the original drummer for the band Devo, joining the band at its inception in 1973 in Kent, Ohio. He played only the very first concert, when the band was named Sextet Devo, and was the only band member to be paid for playing. He was replaced by Jim Mothersbaugh, and later by Alan...
– drums (1973) - Fred Weber – vocals (1973)
- Jim MothersbaughJim MothersbaughJim Mothersbaugh was the second drummer for Devo, replacing Rod Reisman who only played for a single show. Jim joined Devo with his older brothers, Bob and Mark.Jim appears on several early Devo demos...
– electronic percussion (1974–1976) - Alan Myers – drums (1976–1985)
- David Kendrick – drums (1987–1991), (2003 (live only))
Live musicians
- Neil Taylor – drums (2008 (live only))
- Jeff FriedlJeff FriedlJeff Friedl is a studio and touring drummer currently based in Los Angeles, California. Jeff has recorded, performed, and/or toured with ASHES dIVIDE, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Devo, CSS, Danny Lohner, Carina Round, Ross Robinson, Shane Alexander, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jay Ruston, Linda Strawberry,...
– drums (2010 (live only)) - Pete ParadaPete ParadaPeter "Pete" Parada is an American drummer who has been a member of several notable musical acts. Parada's drumming career began in 1996 when he joined Steel Prophet and recorded one album with them a year later. Subsequently he joined Face to Face and Saves the Day, and in 2007 became the new...
- drums (2011 (live only))
See also
- Church of the SubGeniusChurch of the SubGeniusThe Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
– A half-serious/half-humorous non-mainstream religion of which several of the band are members. - Devo 2.0Devo 2.0Devo 2.0 was a quintet, created for Walt Disney Records , of child actors who sing, dance, and mime playing instruments along to songs re-recorded by some of the original members of Devo...
– project between Devo and the Walt Disney Company - Jihad Jerry & the EvildoersJihad Jerry & the EvildoersJihad Jerry & the Evildoers is the solo project of Devo bassist and "chief strategist" Gerald Casale. It also includes contributions from Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob "1" Mothersbaugh, and his brother Bob "2" Casale...
– solo project of Devo's bassist, Gerald Casale. - Since 1972Since 1972-Personnel:*Josh Freese - all instruments and vocals Additional musicians*Warren Fitzgerald - guitar solo on "Blood On Your Knuckles"*Jason Freese - saxophone solo on "It's Fucked Up"...
– Josh Freese's solo album
Further reading
- Dellinger, Jade, and Giffels, David. We Are Devo! Deviants in a Post-Modern World. SAF Publishing. 2003. ISBN 0-946719-49-7.
- Lewis, Bob. Readers vs. Breeders: Didactical Works re De-Evolution, originally appearing in Los Angeles Staff, 1972, cleveland.com
- Lewis, Bob.Devo: The First Postmodern Band, essay on Devo history at Kent State