Pinmonkey
Encyclopedia
Pinmonkey is an American country music
group formed in 1998 by Michael Reynolds (lead vocals), brothers Michael (vocals, bass guitar
) and Chad Jeffers (Dobro
, lap steel guitar
), and former Pure Prairie League
member Rick Shell (drums
, vocals). Their first album, Speak No Evil, was released independently in 2002. Later that same year, they signed to BNA Records
and released their self-titled album
. It produced the singles "Barbed Wire and Roses" and "I Drove All Night
", both of which charted on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts. The band later released a cover of Robbie Fulks
' "Let's Kill Saturday Night", but it failed to reach Top 40.
Shell departed as well, with Mike Crouch taking his place as drummer; Chad Jeffers also left to join Keith Urban
's road band. Reduced to a trio composed of Mike Crouch, Michael Jeffers, and Michael Reynolds, Pinmonkey released their third album (titled Big Shiny Cars) on the independent Back Porch label in 2005.
.
The four musicians soon began to perform together under the name Pinmonkey, which they derived from "And Maggie Makes Three
", an episode of the U.S. cartoon The Simpsons
. After self-financing their debut album (Speak No Evil) in 2002, the group caught the attention of record producer Rick Alter, who signed them to BNA Records
. A year later, the single "Barbed Wire and Roses" was released, peaking at number 25 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. Itt served as the lead-off single to their self-titled album, which saw release in early 2003. This album's second and final single was a cover of "I Drove All Night
", a pop standard originally recorded by Roy Orbison
. Pinmonkey's version of the song made number 36 on the country charts.
In 2003, Pinmonkey began to tour the United States, meanwhile working on their second album for BNA. Although that album's lead-off single (a cover of Robbie Fulks
' "Let's Kill Saturday Night") had been released to radio with a peak of number 44, the band parted ways with BNA shortly afterward, and this album was not released.
Shell left Pinmonkey in 2005, with Mike Crouch taking over as drummer, while Chad Jeffers left to join Keith Urban
's road band. The three remaining members — Crouch, Reynolds, and Michael Jeffers — were signed to a recording contract with Back Porch Records, with the album Big Shiny Cars being released a year later. This album produced one single in "That Train Don't Run", which was originally recorded and released as a single by its writer, Matraca Berg
.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
group formed in 1998 by Michael Reynolds (lead vocals), brothers Michael (vocals, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Chad Jeffers (Dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
), and former Pure Prairie League
Pure Prairie League
Pure Prairie League, sometimes abbreviated PPL, is an American country-rock band whose roots began between 1964 and 1969 in Waverly, Ohio with Craig Fuller, George Powell, Tom McGrail, Jim Caughlan and John David Call. In 1970 McGrail named the band after a 19th century temperance union mentioned...
member Rick Shell (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals). Their first album, Speak No Evil, was released independently in 2002. Later that same year, they signed to BNA Records
BNA Records
BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, is a label group that shares ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BNA features country music acts on its roster...
and released their self-titled album
Pinmonkey (album)
Pinmonkey is a self-titled album released by the American country music group Pinmonkey. It was issued in late 2002 on BNA Records. The album peaked at #17 on the Top Country Albums charts and produced two Top 40 country singles: "Barbed Wire and Roses" and "I Drove All Night"...
. It produced the singles "Barbed Wire and Roses" and "I Drove All Night
I Drove All Night
"I Drove All Night" is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and made famous by Cyndi Lauper. The song was originally written for Roy Orbison, who recorded it in 1987, but his rendition was not released until 1992, after the song had become a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic for...
", both of which charted on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts. The band later released a cover of Robbie Fulks
Robbie Fulks
Robbie Fulks is an American alternative country artist originally from Pennsylvania but who is a longtime Chicago, Illinois resident...
' "Let's Kill Saturday Night", but it failed to reach Top 40.
Shell departed as well, with Mike Crouch taking his place as drummer; Chad Jeffers also left to join Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
's road band. Reduced to a trio composed of Mike Crouch, Michael Jeffers, and Michael Reynolds, Pinmonkey released their third album (titled Big Shiny Cars) on the independent Back Porch label in 2005.
Biography
After several years on the writers' circuit, lead vocalist Michael Reynolds befriended brothers Michael and Chad Jeffers, as well as Rick Schell, a drummer who had previously worked with Allison MoorerAllison Moorer
Allison Moorer is an American alternative country singer and the younger sister of Shelby Lynne. She signed to MCA Nashville in 1998 and made her debut on the U.S...
.
The four musicians soon began to perform together under the name Pinmonkey, which they derived from "And Maggie Makes Three
And Maggie Makes Three
"And Maggie Makes Three" is the thirteenth television episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 22, 1995. In the episode, Lisa notices that there are no photos of Maggie in the family photo albums. This leads to a recount of...
", an episode of the U.S. cartoon The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. After self-financing their debut album (Speak No Evil) in 2002, the group caught the attention of record producer Rick Alter, who signed them to BNA Records
BNA Records
BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, is a label group that shares ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BNA features country music acts on its roster...
. A year later, the single "Barbed Wire and Roses" was released, peaking at number 25 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. Itt served as the lead-off single to their self-titled album, which saw release in early 2003. This album's second and final single was a cover of "I Drove All Night
I Drove All Night
"I Drove All Night" is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and made famous by Cyndi Lauper. The song was originally written for Roy Orbison, who recorded it in 1987, but his rendition was not released until 1992, after the song had become a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic for...
", a pop standard originally recorded by Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
. Pinmonkey's version of the song made number 36 on the country charts.
In 2003, Pinmonkey began to tour the United States, meanwhile working on their second album for BNA. Although that album's lead-off single (a cover of Robbie Fulks
Robbie Fulks
Robbie Fulks is an American alternative country artist originally from Pennsylvania but who is a longtime Chicago, Illinois resident...
' "Let's Kill Saturday Night") had been released to radio with a peak of number 44, the band parted ways with BNA shortly afterward, and this album was not released.
Shell left Pinmonkey in 2005, with Mike Crouch taking over as drummer, while Chad Jeffers left to join Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
's road band. The three remaining members — Crouch, Reynolds, and Michael Jeffers — were signed to a recording contract with Back Porch Records, with the album Big Shiny Cars being released a year later. This album produced one single in "That Train Don't Run", which was originally recorded and released as a single by its writer, Matraca Berg
Matraca Berg
Matraca Maria Berg is an American country music singer and songwriter. She has released five albums: three for RCA Records, one for Rising Tide Records and one for Dualtone Records, and has charted in the top 40 of the U.S. Billboard country charts with "Baby, Walk On" and "The Things You Left...
.
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||
| Speak No Evil |
|
— | — | — |
| Pinmonkey Pinmonkey (album) Pinmonkey is a self-titled album released by the American country music group Pinmonkey. It was issued in late 2002 on BNA Records. The album peaked at #17 on the Top Country Albums charts and produced two Top 40 country singles: "Barbed Wire and Roses" and "I Drove All Night"... |
BNA Records BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, is a label group that shares ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BNA features country music acts on its roster... |
17 | 126 | 3 |
| Big Shiny Cars |
|
— | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
|||
| 2002 | "Barbed Wire and Roses" | 25 | Pinmonkey |
| 2003 | "I Drove All Night I Drove All Night "I Drove All Night" is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and made famous by Cyndi Lauper. The song was originally written for Roy Orbison, who recorded it in 1987, but his rendition was not released until 1992, after the song had become a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic for... " |
36 | |
| 2004 | "Let's Kill Saturday Night" | 44 | single only |
| 2006 | "That Train Don't Run (By Here No More)" | — | Big Shiny Cars |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Barbed Wire and Roses" | Roger Pistole |
| 2006 | "That Train Don't Run (By Here No More)" |