Red Red Meat
Encyclopedia
Red Red Meat was a '90s
Chicago
-area blues-influenced alternative rock
band. After their break-up, frontman Tim Rutili
went on to form Califone
, for which many of Red Red Meat's former members, including producer Brian Deck
, often record and perform. Tim Hurley went on to form Sin Ropas.
moved from the suburb of Addison, IL to Chicago in order to attend film school, where he met bassist Glynis Johnson. Together with Ben Massarella, their first band, Friends of Betty, attracted a reasonable following. The 1988 studio album Blind Faith II included drummer John Rowan. It was not much of a success.
With new recruit Glenn Girard they renamed the band Red Red Meat. The band's name possibly came from Ben's Truck washing business which cleaned meat carrying trucks on their way out of Chicago. Regarding the band name, Tim Rutili said in an interview: "I think we just thought it sounded good."
Red Red Meat released their first single, "Hot Nikkety Trunk Monkey" b/w "Snowball" in 1991. They were recorded with Brad Wood
at Idful Studios in Chicago
. Engineer Brian Deck
, who recorded the drums for the session, was asked to become a full time member behind the kit, after the departure of Ben Massarella, who left for a job as a studio musician.
It was during the recordings at Idful Studios with Brad Wood
that Sub Pop
director Jonathan Poneman decided to sign the band making them the first Chicago band on the label. During the summer of 1992, Red Red Meat toured with fellow Chicago group The Smashing Pumpkins
. Glynis Johnson left the band after ending a romance between her and Rutili after the tour. She later founded the short-lived Gore Gore Girls. Johnson would later contract A.I.D.S. and pass away due to complications that fall. The Smashing Pumpkins wrote a song "Glynis" as a tribute, which was released on "No Alternative
" compilation. Sub Pop released Red Red Meat's second album in early 1994, Jimmywine Majestic. It was a step away from the grunge and general label characteristics of Sub Pop
but was generally well received. Massarella returned, instead of replacing Brian Deck on drums, began employing his "batterie" techniques. In 1995 Red Red Meat returned with "Bunny Gets Paid", which, according to Sub Pop, "is easily one of the high points of the entire Sub Pop catalog." In 1997 Red Red Meat released their final album, "There's a Star Above the Manger Tonight".
Red Red Meat has since ended their contract with Sub Pop. They appeared in Scott Petersen's film Out of the Loop, which documents the Chicago indie rock scene. RRM's own Perishable label released Loftus in 1999. a collaboration with New York trio, Rex
. Red Red Meat has since disbanded and each member has moved on to other projects. Tim Rutili
along with several other Red Red Meat alumni founded Califone
, a project which all Red Red Meat members have participated in at one point or another. Brian Deck
currently is an American Music Producer based out of Engine Studios in Chicago, IL.
and at the Sub Pop 25th Anniversary party. Talks of a possible album were thrown about, though nothing has developed and all Red Red Meat members have returned to their full-time positions.
Red Red Meat played three shows in March 2009: two in Chicago followed by an appearance at the Sub Pop showcase at SXSW in Austin, TX.
On March 24, 2009, Sub Pop released a deluxe edition of 1995's Bunny Gets Paid, which had been out of print for some years. It featured a 7-track 2nd disc with a previously unreleased song, "St. Anthony's Jawbone".
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-area blues-influenced 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. After their break-up, frontman Tim Rutili
Tim Rutili
Tim Rutili is a singer, guitarist, and keyboardist, and frontman/lyricist for the American rock band Califone. Originally from Chicago, Rutili now lives in Los Angeles. He was raised in Addison, IL. After moving into Chicago in 1988, he found success with the band Red Red Meat...
went on to form Califone
Califone
Califone is an experimental rock band from Chicago. The band is named after Califone International, an audio equipment manufacturer. Their work has been critically acclaimed....
, for which many of Red Red Meat's former members, including producer Brian Deck
Brian Deck
Brian Deck is an American music producer and member of band Red Red Meat. He co-founded Idful Studios in 1988. Since becoming a full time producer, Deck has worked with bands and artists including Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Califone, All Smiles, Fruit Bats , Gomez, The Grates, Holopaw, Baby & Hide,...
, often record and perform. Tim Hurley went on to form Sin Ropas.
History
In 1984, Tim RutiliTim Rutili
Tim Rutili is a singer, guitarist, and keyboardist, and frontman/lyricist for the American rock band Califone. Originally from Chicago, Rutili now lives in Los Angeles. He was raised in Addison, IL. After moving into Chicago in 1988, he found success with the band Red Red Meat...
moved from the suburb of Addison, IL to Chicago in order to attend film school, where he met bassist Glynis Johnson. Together with Ben Massarella, their first band, Friends of Betty, attracted a reasonable following. The 1988 studio album Blind Faith II included drummer John Rowan. It was not much of a success.
With new recruit Glenn Girard they renamed the band Red Red Meat. The band's name possibly came from Ben's Truck washing business which cleaned meat carrying trucks on their way out of Chicago. Regarding the band name, Tim Rutili said in an interview: "I think we just thought it sounded good."
Red Red Meat released their first single, "Hot Nikkety Trunk Monkey" b/w "Snowball" in 1991. They were recorded with Brad Wood
Brad Wood
Brad Wood is a record producer from Rockford, Illinois. He served as a drummer for the band Shrimp Boat. Brad records, mixes and produces records and is based in Los Angeles, California. He began his career in earnest in 1988 with the construction of Idful Music Corporation- a recording studio in...
at Idful Studios in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Engineer Brian Deck
Brian Deck
Brian Deck is an American music producer and member of band Red Red Meat. He co-founded Idful Studios in 1988. Since becoming a full time producer, Deck has worked with bands and artists including Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Califone, All Smiles, Fruit Bats , Gomez, The Grates, Holopaw, Baby & Hide,...
, who recorded the drums for the session, was asked to become a full time member behind the kit, after the departure of Ben Massarella, who left for a job as a studio musician.
It was during the recordings at Idful Studios with Brad Wood
Brad Wood
Brad Wood is a record producer from Rockford, Illinois. He served as a drummer for the band Shrimp Boat. Brad records, mixes and produces records and is based in Los Angeles, California. He began his career in earnest in 1988 with the construction of Idful Music Corporation- a recording studio in...
that Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
director Jonathan Poneman decided to sign the band making them the first Chicago band on the label. During the summer of 1992, Red Red Meat toured with fellow Chicago group The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
. Glynis Johnson left the band after ending a romance between her and Rutili after the tour. She later founded the short-lived Gore Gore Girls. Johnson would later contract A.I.D.S. and pass away due to complications that fall. The Smashing Pumpkins wrote a song "Glynis" as a tribute, which was released on "No Alternative
No Alternative
-Home video track listing:# Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"#*directed by Kevin Kerslake# Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"#*directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe# Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"#*directed by Matt Mahurin...
" compilation. Sub Pop released Red Red Meat's second album in early 1994, Jimmywine Majestic. It was a step away from the grunge and general label characteristics of Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
but was generally well received. Massarella returned, instead of replacing Brian Deck on drums, began employing his "batterie" techniques. In 1995 Red Red Meat returned with "Bunny Gets Paid", which, according to Sub Pop, "is easily one of the high points of the entire Sub Pop catalog." In 1997 Red Red Meat released their final album, "There's a Star Above the Manger Tonight".
Red Red Meat has since ended their contract with Sub Pop. They appeared in Scott Petersen's film Out of the Loop, which documents the Chicago indie rock scene. RRM's own Perishable label released Loftus in 1999. a collaboration with New York trio, Rex
Rex (band)
Rex was an American Indie rock band formed in 1994 . Rex was considered one of the most important and influential slowcore bands and released three albums and one EP on Southern Records, as well as a collaboration with Red Red Meat on Perishable Records...
. Red Red Meat has since disbanded and each member has moved on to other projects. Tim Rutili
Tim Rutili
Tim Rutili is a singer, guitarist, and keyboardist, and frontman/lyricist for the American rock band Califone. Originally from Chicago, Rutili now lives in Los Angeles. He was raised in Addison, IL. After moving into Chicago in 1988, he found success with the band Red Red Meat...
along with several other Red Red Meat alumni founded Califone
Califone
Califone is an experimental rock band from Chicago. The band is named after Califone International, an audio equipment manufacturer. Their work has been critically acclaimed....
, a project which all Red Red Meat members have participated in at one point or another. Brian Deck
Brian Deck
Brian Deck is an American music producer and member of band Red Red Meat. He co-founded Idful Studios in 1988. Since becoming a full time producer, Deck has worked with bands and artists including Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Califone, All Smiles, Fruit Bats , Gomez, The Grates, Holopaw, Baby & Hide,...
currently is an American Music Producer based out of Engine Studios in Chicago, IL.
Reunion
Though the band has never gone through an official break up, there have been several reunions throughout the years. In 2008 they returned for two shows, at the Hideout in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and at the Sub Pop 25th Anniversary party. Talks of a possible album were thrown about, though nothing has developed and all Red Red Meat members have returned to their full-time positions.
Red Red Meat played three shows in March 2009: two in Chicago followed by an appearance at the Sub Pop showcase at SXSW in Austin, TX.
On March 24, 2009, Sub Pop released a deluxe edition of 1995's Bunny Gets Paid, which had been out of print for some years. It featured a 7-track 2nd disc with a previously unreleased song, "St. Anthony's Jawbone".
Discography
- Red Red Meat (Perishable RecordsPerishable RecordsPerishable Records is an independent record label founded by Chicago musicians Ben Massarella and Tim Rutili. Some artists include Califone, HiM, Joan of Arc, oRSo, Red Red Meat, and Fruit Bats....
, 1992) - Jimmywine Majestic (Sub Pop Records, 1994)
- Bunny Gets Paid (Sub Pop Records, 1995)
- There's a Star Above the Manger Tonight (Sub Pop Records, 1997)
- Loftus (collaboration with RexRex (band)Rex was an American Indie rock band formed in 1994 . Rex was considered one of the most important and influential slowcore bands and released three albums and one EP on Southern Records, as well as a collaboration with Red Red Meat on Perishable Records...
) (Perishable RecordsPerishable RecordsPerishable Records is an independent record label founded by Chicago musicians Ben Massarella and Tim Rutili. Some artists include Califone, HiM, Joan of Arc, oRSo, Red Red Meat, and Fruit Bats....
, 1999) - Bunny Gets Paid (Deluxe Edition) (Sub Pop Records, 2009)
External links
- Pastry Sharp - Official website contains lyrics, song downloads, and discussion
- Red Red Meat page at Sub Pop Records' website
- Red Red Meat page at Perishable Records' website
- [ Bio at Allmusic]
- Red Red Meat "Smokey Mountain Double Dip" Video
- Red Red Meat "Braindead" live and interview from OUT OF THE LOOP
- OUT OF THE LOOP - Documentary on Chigago music scene inc. Red Red Meat, Jesus Lizard, Steve Albini, Veruca Salt, Triplefastaction, etc
- Red Red Meat interview April 2009
- Article
- Red Red Meat article
- Prefix: article