Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra
Encyclopedia
Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra is a Canadian
alternative rock
band whose musical style blends elements of surf music
, gospel music
, rockabilly
, garage
, and punk
. The band also experimented with jazz
on their third album Don't Mind If I Do.
Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra was formed in 1982 by lead singer Jerry Woods in Edmonton
, Alberta
. Starting out as what Jerry described as a "fuck band," after time they found themselves becoming a serious local act, prompting them to release their first independent EP Fighting Socialism in 1984. The band released their first album Road Gore: The Band That Drank Too Much in 1985 under Og Music
. They moved from Edmonton to Montreal
in 1986 where they signed with Pipeline Records, along with such acts as the Doughboys
and Ray Condo and his Hardrock Goners
. In 1987, they released their critically acclaimed follow-up Battle Hymn of the Apartment. Pipeline Records soon fell into bankruptcy, and in 1990 they were signed to Aquarius Records, re-releasing both Road Gore and Battle Hymn of the Apartment on CD. This marked the apex of their commercial success, prompting them to tour North America throughout the early '90s. After the production of two more albums, 1992's Don't Mind If I Do and 1997's The Sound and The Jerry, Jerry Woods moved back to Edmonton in 1999 where he currently resides with his wife and five children. As of late 2010, Jerry now plays with a punk rock cover band including original guitarist Paul Soulodre, as well as Kevin Forbes, Craig Shemely, and former SNFU
bassist Dave Bacon.
Battle Hymn of the Apartment was rated #74 on Chart
' s Top 100 Canadian Albums of All Time reader poll in 1996.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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...
band whose musical style blends elements of surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
, gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, garage
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
, and 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...
. The band also experimented with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
on their third album Don't Mind If I Do.
Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra was formed in 1982 by lead singer Jerry Woods in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Starting out as what Jerry described as a "fuck band," after time they found themselves becoming a serious local act, prompting them to release their first independent EP Fighting Socialism in 1984. The band released their first album Road Gore: The Band That Drank Too Much in 1985 under Og Music
Og Music
Og Music was a small but influential independent record label based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The label was established in 1983 by the band members of Deja Voodoo, Gerard van Herk and Tony Dewald. It ceased operations in 1990.-History:...
. They moved from Edmonton to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1986 where they signed with Pipeline Records, along with such acts as the Doughboys
Doughboys (band)
Doughboys were a Canadian alternative rock band that were active in the late 1980s and early/mid 1990s. The band was renowned for its musical blend of punk and pop-style melodies.-Early Years:...
and Ray Condo and his Hardrock Goners
Ray Condo
Ray Condo was a Canadian rockabilly singer, saxophonist, and guitarist.-Life:Born Ray Tremblay in Hull, Quebec, Ray grew up across the river in Ottawa, Ontario the third of five children. Ray's two brothers, William and Robert were younger; his two sisters, Eileen and Maureen were older...
. In 1987, they released their critically acclaimed follow-up Battle Hymn of the Apartment. Pipeline Records soon fell into bankruptcy, and in 1990 they were signed to Aquarius Records, re-releasing both Road Gore and Battle Hymn of the Apartment on CD. This marked the apex of their commercial success, prompting them to tour North America throughout the early '90s. After the production of two more albums, 1992's Don't Mind If I Do and 1997's The Sound and The Jerry, Jerry Woods moved back to Edmonton in 1999 where he currently resides with his wife and five children. As of late 2010, Jerry now plays with a punk rock cover band including original guitarist Paul Soulodre, as well as Kevin Forbes, Craig Shemely, and former SNFU
SNFU
SNFU is a Canadian punk rock band formed in 1981 in Edmonton, Alberta and later relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. They have released nine full-length albums and are cited as a formative influence on the skate punk sub-genre....
bassist Dave Bacon.
Battle Hymn of the Apartment was rated #74 on Chart
Chart (magazine)
ChartAttack is a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine called Chart, which was published from 1991 to 2009, the web version continues operation....
Albums
- Road Gore: The Band That Drank Too Much (1985)
- Battle Hymn of the Apartment (1987)
- Don't Mind If I Do (1992)
- The Sound and The Jerry (1997)
Appearances on compilations
- It Came from Canada, Vol. 1It Came from Canada, Vol. 1It Came from Canada, Vol. 1 was the first album in the It Came from Canada series of compilation albums, released in 1985 on Og Music.-Track listing:# Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra, "Radical Look/Bad Idea"...
(1985) - It Came from Canada, Vol. 3It Came from Canada, Vol. 3It Came from Canada, Vol. 3 was the third album in the It Came from Canada series of compilation albums, released in 1987 on Og Music.-Track listing:# The Dik Van Dykes, "Curling"# Ray Condo & His Hard Rock Goners, "Jumps, Giggles and Shouts"...
(1987)