The Badlees
Encyclopedia
The Badlees are a Roots rock
band from central Pennsylvania
formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album River Songs. After recording a follow-up album for their national label, Polydor/Atlas, the company was sold to Seagram
’s corporation in 1998, which delayed the release of the album and eventually led to the Badlees return to being an independent band. They have continued to perform and produce albums independently, and released in 2009 the album Love Is Rain
. The Badlees and its individual members have inspired, mentored, advised, produced for, and performed with artists throughout the Pennsylvania music scene
.
After graduation, the three initially went their separate ways. Selders went to New York City
where he managed a recording studio. Simasek went to Florida at first but then later joined Selders in New York where he became drummer for the band Kaos. Feltenberger entered the teaching profession and reunited with the band Masque that he formed in high school with his brother Steve Feltenberger on bass and guitarist Clint Barrick.
In 1988, Jeff Feltenberger contacted Terry Selders about making a professional recording with his band. Selders was in the process of forming an independent record label with producer Bill Grabowski and thought Feltenberger’s music would be a good fit for their first project. He convinced Simasek to join in as drummer and the new band, known as Bad Lee White went into Grabowski’s studio to record the initial album for the new A Street Records. The studio was called Susquehanna Sound and was located in Northumberland, PA. There, the band worked with the studio’s chief engineer, Bret Alexander.
Alexander was a high school football standout who went on to play defensive end for three seasons at Bucknell University
. A guitarist in the band Masque, back in his home town of Canton, PA, Alexander took a credited internship at Susquehanna Sound while a student at Bucknell and eventually gained employment at the studio after graduation. While working on the Bad Lee White album, Alexander added some guitar overdubs, and the band asked him to join as a permanent member.
What Goes Around by Bad Lee White was released on A Street Records in November 1988. It contained four originals, three co-written by guitarist Jeff Feltenberger and producer Bill Grabowski, with "Boomerang" written by another A Street prospect, Charlie Chystle. However, A-Street soon ended its short run as an independent label, which kept What Goes Around from reaching a second pressing.
. Susquehanna Sound became a hub for the remaining members as Bret Alexander continued on as chief engineer with Jeff Feltenberger and Ron Simasek frequently joining him to work on sessions or rehearse new material.
One day, a local band named Anthem from nearby Susquehanna University
came in to record at the studio. The band's singer, Pete Palladino, was eventually offered the lead vocal position in Bad Lee White. Soon after, the newly revised band officially changed their name to what fans had began commonly calling them at shows, The Badlees.
With the addition of Palladino, the band's audience began to grow, due to his stage antics and classic front-man image. This was important because the band was determined to concentrate on original material. Alexander became the group's chief songwriter, working with Mike Naydock, a disc jockey from Hazleton, PA.. Their partnership began with the first Badlees EP, It Ain’t For You in 1990 and continues to the present day, with Alexander writing the music and melodies and Naydock writing the lyrics.
On October 10, 1990, the Badlees released the four song EP It Ain’t For You, which was Bret Alexander’s debut as producer. It was released on Terry Selders’ newly-formed independent label, Rite-Off Records and it received positive press, such as Billboard Magazine’s famed Critics' Choice award The Album Network, a weekly, well-respected music industry trade paper, invited the Badlees, as an unsigned band, to participate in their CD series called Tune Up. On the strength of the EP, the Badlees landed a gig opening for the band FireHouse, then at the peak of their brief national fame at the Metron in Harrisburg, PA.
Terry Selders returned to central Pennsylvania to be manager of the Badlees full time and, in 1991, Paul Smith
joined as the band’s permanent bass player. The Badlees set up headquarters in Selinsgrove, PA and began recording a full-length album.
The result was Diamonds in the Coal
, released in January 1992. The album contained much décor such as philosophical quotes accompanying each song’s lyrics and a cover that uses a classic photo from a local historical society. The single "Back Where We Come From (the Na Na Song)" was the first to receive prominent airplay on Pennsylvania radio stations and the closing title song, "Diamonds in the Coal" was the first example of a distinct sound that would come to define the band called "roots rock".
They were invited to perform at the South by Southwest
Music Festival in Austin, TX and soon landed a corporate sponsorship with Budweiser
. They produced special cassette singles with remixed versions of their songs to sell at shows, while directing audience members to a local retailer to buy the full-length album, a strategy employed by Selders to gain credibility for the Badlees among the major record chains.
By 1993, as the Badlees prepared to work on their second full-length album, they decided to take a different approach, hiring Jack Pyers, formally of the band Dirty Looks
as producer. Pyers approached the Badlees, promising a sound that more accurately reflects the energy of their live shows. The resulting effort was called The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time
, recorded in the summer of 1993.
, an annual event in the Chinese city of the same name, was held from August 14 through the 18th in 1994. The Badlees were the only western entertainment performing that year, playing about ten shows over the course of those five days.
Soon after the band returned home, they headed back to the studio to start on their third full-length album. The band had not been completely satisfied with The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time
and planned on naming this next one simply "The Badlees" as a deliberate signal that they were returning to the "roots rock" sound. Inspired by the daily commute along the Susquehanna River
to the recording studio in Harrisburg, PA, the band decided instead to name the album River Songs
.
Released independently in February 1995, River Songs
was originally rejected by several major record companies, But after selling over 10,000 copies in its first few months, some of these same companies began pursuing the Badlees. One of these companies was A&M Records
, who expressed interest in signing the band after a Philadelphia-based executive noticed the inordinate amount of airplay this independent band was getting on Pennsylvania radio stations. The songs primarily receiving airplay were "Angeline Is Coming Home", a song by Mike Naydock about a heroin addict returning from rehab, and Bret Alexander's "Fear of Falling", which would eventually be used by NBC
during coverage of the 1996 Olympics. The Badless were ultimately signed to the A&M
subsidiary label, Polydor/Atlas. The deal was for two albums, a future album and River Songs
, which was accepted by the company "as is", with no further production required for the national release.
The band would spend the next year and a half constantly playing, usually as a supporting act for a national headliner. Their first really big show was opening up for Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page & Robert Plant at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
in Buffalo, NY on Thursday, October 19, 1995. Later they would join tours for Bob Seger
, Greg Allman, The Gin Blossoms
, and Edwin McCain
, among others and perform throughout North America.
They also produced a couple of professional music videos, one for "Fear of Falling", directed by Dieter Trattmann and shot in and around Harrisburg, PA, and one for "Angeline Is Coming Home", directed by Anthony Edwards
, an actor then staring on the television drama E.R.
Edward's co-star on the show, Juliana Margulies, was cast to play the "Angeline" character in the video, which was shot at Charlie Chaplin Studios
in Hollywood in March 1996. The production of the "Angeline" video was covered in national publications such as People Magazine and Rolling Stone Magazine as well as the nationally syndicated television show Entertainment Tonight
. It premiered on VH1
's Crossroads program, but was not well received by fans, critics, nor the band itself, who came to call the video a "very expensive mistake".
, which had many of its major artists releasing albums for the Christmas
season that year, the release date for the next Badlees album was moved back to February 1998. During the break from touring, some of the band members started families, and Bret Alexander set up a studio in his basement in Wapwallopen, Pennsylvania
.
In Autumn of 1997 when the band entered the Bearsville Recording Studio
near Woodstock, New York
to record material for the album that would be titled Up There, Down Here
. After working in a world class studio, Alexander and Smith, both former audio engineers, used Alexander’s home studio for final overdubs and mixing of the album. However, once again, the date of release for Up There, Down Here was pushed back, this time from February to June, 1998.
Then, in May 1998, Polygram
, the parent company of A&M
and Polydor/Atlas, was sold to Seagram’s
, a Canadian beverage company, for about $10.4 billion. Seagram’s
, which already had a large stake in entertainment by owning MCA Records
and Universal Studios
, now also owned the vast array of labels that fell under the Polygram
umbrella they decided to consolidate all of these vast operations into one new central entertainment company called The Universal Music Group
(UMG). As a result of the restructuring, there would be yet another delay in the release of the now finished Up There, Down Here
album, this time from fall 1998 to "date uncertain" and there were no marketing or tour support plans coming from Universal for the foreseeable future. But the band was still under contract and therefore restricted in the actions that they could take to further their career. The Badlees quickly produced and released an EP of “unplugged” songs called The Day’s Parade in July 1998, released on Rite-Off Records.
As the corporate limbo persisted into 1999, the band became more and more convinced that they wanted out of their major label contract. They opted to make their own full-length album independently and without consent from the label. The band members realized that this action would probably mean the death of Up There, Down Here
, as Universal
owned the rights to that recording.
The new album, Amazing Grace, was recorded, mixed, mastered, and pressed in two months at Bret Alexander's home studio. The album features four different Badlees singing lead vocals on songs written by five different writers, including Mike Naydock. It was released on April 2, 1999, and upon its release the band was dropped by Universal
. Selders persisted in finding a new label and within a month, the Badlees were signed to a new contract with a label called Ark 21, owned by Miles Copeland, who had previously owned I.R.S. Records
.
Up There, Down Here
would finally be released to the public on August 24, 1999 on the Ark 21 label. The only provision of the deal was that the Badlees would have to stop actively promoting their recently-released Amazing Grace album. The group planned to tour behind Up There Down Here, but by this time Ark 21 was well on its way to bankruptcy. The Badlees left Ark 21 after a very short period and returned to their status as an independent band. Selders left as manager soon after this.
. The studio had been called Magnetic North and, starting with their first EP in 1990, the Badlees used it to make pre-production demos prior to recording their albums in a professional studio. Alexander and Smith decided to call their studio Saturation Acres. Over the course of the next decade, they would produce many Pennsylvania artists, including some that would become nationally successful, such as Breaking Benjamin
and Darcie Miner. Further, The Cellarbirds, a pick-up band that includes the Badlee trio of Alexander, Smith, and drummer Ron Simasek, were available as the official "house band" to offer session performances for solo artists or those with less than a full band.
Meanwhile, Palladino and Feltenberger were also working on their own separate solo projects while continuing to perform live together as the Pete & Jeff Duo. Simasek would also join them on occasion to become Pete, Jeff, & Ron, and on one such occasion, Pete brought in some professional equipment to record a live show by the trio in Williamsport, PA, resulting in the live album, 50:45 Live, which would ultimately be the last album released on the Rite-Off label in 2000.
As 2001 got underway, the members of the Badlees were busy working on their separate "side" albums that would end up being released within six weeks of each other in the late spring of 2001. Echotown was a self-titled album by Jeff Feltenberger's pick-up band and had a definite country-rock sound. Pete Palladino released a solo album, Sweet Siren of the Reconnected, in June 2001 that included contributions from every member of the Badlees to various degrees. The Cellarbirds also released their debut album, Perfect Smile. Despite being separate from the Badlees, these projects did include some common traits. Each was recorded at Saturation Acres, either produced or co-produced by Alexander, and Simasek played drums on each.
and would eventually replaced Terry Selders as The Badlees' new manager.
The album, Renew
, was released in June, 2002 and to support it, the band filmed a special show at the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center
in New York City
in July, 2002. The show was titled Renew and Rewind and aired on a local Pennsylvania television in late August.
Bret Alexander and Mike Naydock did many songwriting sessions in late 2002 through 2003, intending to have a new Badlees album in 2004, but this album failed to materialize due to other projects that Alexander, Fetchko, and Saturation Acres were involved in at the time. These included Lit Riffs, a soundtrack to a book of the same name by MTV
, for which the Badlees recorded a cover of Rod Stewart
’s "Maggie May", and Gentleman East, an Americana-flavored solo album by Bret Alexander, which was originally intended to be the soundtrack for a motion picture produced by Fetchko called Everything's Jake
.
In March 2004, Jeff Feltenberger announced he was officially leaving the Badlees as he planned to pursue a career as a record producer/engineer as well as launch his new band Sweet Pea Felty, the first shift in personnel among the musicians since 1991.
The remaining members of the band, along with Fetchko, formed an equal partnership in the label S.A.M. Records ("Saturation Acres Music"), and began to sign other musical artists to the label, including Katsu
, Joe Charles, and Jared Campbell. But over time, these Fetchko projects dried up and, within a year or so, Fetchko departed from the band as manager. Throughout the bulk of the rest of the decade, the Badlees would be on an, unplanned, extended hiatus.
Pete Palladino moved to Philadelphia where he got into the restaurant business, eventually becoming general manager of the hotel and restaurant Daddy O in Long Beach Island
, New Jersey
. Ron Simasek remained the primary session drummer at Saturation Acres and played drums in various settings. Alexander and Smith continued to operate Saturation Acres, recording and producing scores of musical acts and branching out into other areas such as licensing. In 2005, they recorded a cover of "Keep on the Sunny Side" with singer K8
, which was used in commercials by Days Inn
nationwide. But eventually Paul Smith accepted a position as an instructor at Susquehanna University
and left Saturation Acres in 2007. Soon after, Alexander moved the studio to commercial location in Dupont, PA, sharing the building with his wife's newly-opened bakery.
The album included songs that had been written as far back as 2003, two of which, "Don't Ever Let Me Down" and "Well Laid Plans" were previously released by Alexander as solo efforts in the mid 2000s. One final song, "Two States" was added late to the project as a tribute to Alexander's father, who passed away on February 14, 2009.
Love Is Rain
, the Badlee's most recent album for which Gardner acted as Executive Producer and offered financing for the album's production, was released in October 2009. It was acclaimed by several critics as, perhaps, the band's finest album ever.
After its release, the Badlees played a series of live shows together for the first time in five years starting in November, 2009. These shows frequently included guest musicians like Aaron Fink, Nick Van Wyke, and Dustin Drevitch, along from with the four remaining members of the band – Alexander, Palladino, Simasek, and Smith.
Today, the Badlees perform shows throughout Pennsylvania
on a limited schedule to accommodate the various other vocations of the band's members. Not wanting to have such a gap between albums as that between the last two, the Badlees plan on producing a new album in 2011.
style they called "roots rock". This sound was best presented on their breakthrough album River Songs
, released in 1995. Some of the band’s later efforts, especially Amazing Grace and Love Is Rain
, branched out into several different sub-genres, such as new wave
, blues
, folk
, country
, and Americana
.
The band members themselves drew their influences from diverse sources. Founding member Jeff Feltenberger was formally trained as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, with a bend towards folk, country, and bluegrass. Guitarist and chief songwriter Bret Alexander cites various influences ranging from John Lennon
and the Beatles to Johnny Cash
, Bob Dylan
, Tom Petty
, and Steve Earle
. Drummer Ron Simasek is a huge fan of Frank Zappa
and, along with bassist Paul Smith, the Canadian power trio Rush
. Singer Pete Palladino drew his influences from a spectrum of rock and pop artists including contemporaries Counting Crows
and Edwin McCain
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album River Songs. After recording a follow-up album for their national label, Polydor/Atlas, the company was sold to Seagram
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. was a large corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that was the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Toward the end of its independent existence it also controlled various entertainment and other business ventures...
’s corporation in 1998, which delayed the release of the album and eventually led to the Badlees return to being an independent band. They have continued to perform and produce albums independently, and released in 2009 the album Love Is Rain
Love Is Rain
Love Is Rain is the seventh full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was released on S.A.M. Records on October 6, 2009, the band's first new album in over seven years.- Track listing :-Personnel:The Badlees...
. The Badlees and its individual members have inspired, mentored, advised, produced for, and performed with artists throughout the Pennsylvania music scene
Music of Pennsylvania
The Philly sound in 1970s soul music, notable performers including Gamble & Huff, The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin and The Delfonics, is well-known, as are jazz legends like Nina Simone and John Coltrane. Philadelphia gave to the musical world diverse singers such as Mario Lanza,...
.
Beginnings (1981-1989)
Three students from Mansfield University in north-central Pennsylvania met while attending the school’s music department in the early 1980s. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Feltenberger was a vocal performance major, drummer Ron Simasek was a music education major, while saxophonist and future Badlees manager Terry Selders was a music merchandising major. While at Mansfield, the three played in various pickup bands with names such as The Leaky Sneakers and Secret Service.After graduation, the three initially went their separate ways. Selders went to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he managed a recording studio. Simasek went to Florida at first but then later joined Selders in New York where he became drummer for the band Kaos. Feltenberger entered the teaching profession and reunited with the band Masque that he formed in high school with his brother Steve Feltenberger on bass and guitarist Clint Barrick.
In 1988, Jeff Feltenberger contacted Terry Selders about making a professional recording with his band. Selders was in the process of forming an independent record label with producer Bill Grabowski and thought Feltenberger’s music would be a good fit for their first project. He convinced Simasek to join in as drummer and the new band, known as Bad Lee White went into Grabowski’s studio to record the initial album for the new A Street Records. The studio was called Susquehanna Sound and was located in Northumberland, PA. There, the band worked with the studio’s chief engineer, Bret Alexander.
Alexander was a high school football standout who went on to play defensive end for three seasons at Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
. A guitarist in the band Masque, back in his home town of Canton, PA, Alexander took a credited internship at Susquehanna Sound while a student at Bucknell and eventually gained employment at the studio after graduation. While working on the Bad Lee White album, Alexander added some guitar overdubs, and the band asked him to join as a permanent member.
What Goes Around by Bad Lee White was released on A Street Records in November 1988. It contained four originals, three co-written by guitarist Jeff Feltenberger and producer Bill Grabowski, with "Boomerang" written by another A Street prospect, Charlie Chystle. However, A-Street soon ended its short run as an independent label, which kept What Goes Around from reaching a second pressing.
Formation and early years (1990-1993)
After the release of their debut album, Bad Lee White guitarist Clint Barrick left the group and was later followed by bassist Steve Feltenberger, who enlisted in the MarinesUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Susquehanna Sound became a hub for the remaining members as Bret Alexander continued on as chief engineer with Jeff Feltenberger and Ron Simasek frequently joining him to work on sessions or rehearse new material.
One day, a local band named Anthem from nearby Susquehanna University
Susquehanna University
Susquehanna University is a liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States, north of the state capital, Harrisburg.-Academics:...
came in to record at the studio. The band's singer, Pete Palladino, was eventually offered the lead vocal position in Bad Lee White. Soon after, the newly revised band officially changed their name to what fans had began commonly calling them at shows, The Badlees.
With the addition of Palladino, the band's audience began to grow, due to his stage antics and classic front-man image. This was important because the band was determined to concentrate on original material. Alexander became the group's chief songwriter, working with Mike Naydock, a disc jockey from Hazleton, PA.. Their partnership began with the first Badlees EP, It Ain’t For You in 1990 and continues to the present day, with Alexander writing the music and melodies and Naydock writing the lyrics.
On October 10, 1990, the Badlees released the four song EP It Ain’t For You, which was Bret Alexander’s debut as producer. It was released on Terry Selders’ newly-formed independent label, Rite-Off Records and it received positive press, such as Billboard Magazine’s famed Critics' Choice award The Album Network, a weekly, well-respected music industry trade paper, invited the Badlees, as an unsigned band, to participate in their CD series called Tune Up. On the strength of the EP, the Badlees landed a gig opening for the band FireHouse, then at the peak of their brief national fame at the Metron in Harrisburg, PA.
Terry Selders returned to central Pennsylvania to be manager of the Badlees full time and, in 1991, Paul Smith
Paul Smith
Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist...
joined as the band’s permanent bass player. The Badlees set up headquarters in Selinsgrove, PA and began recording a full-length album.
The result was Diamonds in the Coal
Diamonds in the Coal
Diamonds in the Coal is The Badlees first full-length album, recorded in late 1991 and released in January 1992. It is the first to feature Paul Smith on bass...
, released in January 1992. The album contained much décor such as philosophical quotes accompanying each song’s lyrics and a cover that uses a classic photo from a local historical society. The single "Back Where We Come From (the Na Na Song)" was the first to receive prominent airplay on Pennsylvania radio stations and the closing title song, "Diamonds in the Coal" was the first example of a distinct sound that would come to define the band called "roots rock".
They were invited to perform at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Music Festival in Austin, TX and soon landed a corporate sponsorship with Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
. They produced special cassette singles with remixed versions of their songs to sell at shows, while directing audience members to a local retailer to buy the full-length album, a strategy employed by Selders to gain credibility for the Badlees among the major record chains.
By 1993, as the Badlees prepared to work on their second full-length album, they decided to take a different approach, hiring Jack Pyers, formally of the band Dirty Looks
Dirty Looks (band)
Dirty Looks was a American hard rock band from San Francisco, California.-History:Originally from the Erie, Pennsylvania cover-band Crossfire, the Danish born vocalist/guitarist Henrik Ostergaard and fellow Crossfire band-mate and bassist Jimmy Chartley traveled to San Francisco to form Dirty Looks...
as producer. Pyers approached the Badlees, promising a sound that more accurately reflects the energy of their live shows. The resulting effort was called The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time
The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time
The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time is the second full-length album by Pennsylvania rock band The Badlees. It was approached in a unique way for the early-era recordings of the band...
, recorded in the summer of 1993.
National success (1994-1996)
In 1994, Bud Light, the band's primary sponsor, offered the band the opportunity to play a series of dates in China. The Qingdao International Beer FestivalQingdao International Beer Festival
The Qingdao International Beer Festival is a yearly festival held in Qingdao in Shandong province, China. The event is jointly sponsored by national state ministries and the Qingdao Municipal Government.-History:...
, an annual event in the Chinese city of the same name, was held from August 14 through the 18th in 1994. The Badlees were the only western entertainment performing that year, playing about ten shows over the course of those five days.
Soon after the band returned home, they headed back to the studio to start on their third full-length album. The band had not been completely satisfied with The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time
The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time
The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time is the second full-length album by Pennsylvania rock band The Badlees. It was approached in a unique way for the early-era recordings of the band...
and planned on naming this next one simply "The Badlees" as a deliberate signal that they were returning to the "roots rock" sound. Inspired by the daily commute along the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
to the recording studio in Harrisburg, PA, the band decided instead to name the album River Songs
River Songs
River Songs is the third full length studio album by American band The Badlees. It was released on their independent label, Rite-Off Records, in February 1995 and sold over 10,000 units before being picked up by the national label Polydor/Atlas after the band signed with that label later in 1995...
.
Released independently in February 1995, River Songs
River Songs
River Songs is the third full length studio album by American band The Badlees. It was released on their independent label, Rite-Off Records, in February 1995 and sold over 10,000 units before being picked up by the national label Polydor/Atlas after the band signed with that label later in 1995...
was originally rejected by several major record companies, But after selling over 10,000 copies in its first few months, some of these same companies began pursuing the Badlees. One of these companies was A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, who expressed interest in signing the band after a Philadelphia-based executive noticed the inordinate amount of airplay this independent band was getting on Pennsylvania radio stations. The songs primarily receiving airplay were "Angeline Is Coming Home", a song by Mike Naydock about a heroin addict returning from rehab, and Bret Alexander's "Fear of Falling", which would eventually be used by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
during coverage of the 1996 Olympics. The Badless were ultimately signed to the A&M
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
subsidiary label, Polydor/Atlas. The deal was for two albums, a future album and River Songs
River Songs
River Songs is the third full length studio album by American band The Badlees. It was released on their independent label, Rite-Off Records, in February 1995 and sold over 10,000 units before being picked up by the national label Polydor/Atlas after the band signed with that label later in 1995...
, which was accepted by the company "as is", with no further production required for the national release.
The band would spend the next year and a half constantly playing, usually as a supporting act for a national headliner. Their first really big show was opening up for Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page & Robert Plant at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was an indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. It hosted the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL, the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, the Buffalo Braves of the NBA, the Buffalo Stallions of MSL, the Buffalo Bandits of MILL, the Buffalo Blizzard of the second NPSL and the Buffalo...
in Buffalo, NY on Thursday, October 19, 1995. Later they would join tours for Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
, Greg Allman, The Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms is an American pop rock band formed in 1987, in Tempe, Arizona. They took their name from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms", referring to what appeared to be the actor's gin-ravaged nose, but was actually a skin condition known as rosacea...
, and Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band...
, among others and perform throughout North America.
They also produced a couple of professional music videos, one for "Fear of Falling", directed by Dieter Trattmann and shot in and around Harrisburg, PA, and one for "Angeline Is Coming Home", directed by Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Charles Edwards is an American actor and director. He has appeared in various movies and television shows, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Top Gun, Zodiac, Revenge of the Nerds, Northern Exposure and ER.-Early life:Edwards was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Erika...
, an actor then staring on the television drama E.R.
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
Edward's co-star on the show, Juliana Margulies, was cast to play the "Angeline" character in the video, which was shot at Charlie Chaplin Studios
Charlie Chaplin Studios
Charlie Chaplin Studios is a motion picture studio built in 1917 by silent film star Charlie Chaplin just south of the southeast corner of La Brea and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California....
in Hollywood in March 1996. The production of the "Angeline" video was covered in national publications such as People Magazine and Rolling Stone Magazine as well as the nationally syndicated television show Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
. It premiered on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Crossroads program, but was not well received by fans, critics, nor the band itself, who came to call the video a "very expensive mistake".
Corporate limbo (1997-1999)
By the end of 1996, the band took a break from touring and hoped to turn their attention to writing and recording their next album. This second national release on Polydor was originally slated for late 1997 but, at the request of the parent label A&MA&M
-College and universities:*An "Agricultural and Mechanical" university is one that includes a college of agriculture and a college of engineering, provided for by the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act of 1862. -College and universities:*An "Agricultural and Mechanical" university is one that...
, which had many of its major artists releasing albums for the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season that year, the release date for the next Badlees album was moved back to February 1998. During the break from touring, some of the band members started families, and Bret Alexander set up a studio in his basement in Wapwallopen, Pennsylvania
Wapwallopen, Pennsylvania
Wapwallopen is a populated place in lower Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is designated a "populated community place" , a populated place that is not a census designated or incorporated place having an official federally recognized name. It get its name from a Native American settlement that was...
.
In Autumn of 1997 when the band entered the Bearsville Recording Studio
Bearsville Studios
Bearsville Studios was a recording studio at Bearsville, New York just west of Woodstock, New York.The studio was opened in 1969 by Albert Grossman, manager of Bob Dylan, The Band, Janis Joplin and Todd Rundgren....
near Woodstock, New York
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
to record material for the album that would be titled Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here is the fifth full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was due to be second released nationally on the Polydor label, but got caught up in constant delays due to the corporate merger of Polygram and Seagram, that formed the new Universal Music Group in...
. After working in a world class studio, Alexander and Smith, both former audio engineers, used Alexander’s home studio for final overdubs and mixing of the album. However, once again, the date of release for Up There, Down Here was pushed back, this time from February to June, 1998.
Then, in May 1998, Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
, the parent company of A&M
A&M
-College and universities:*An "Agricultural and Mechanical" university is one that includes a college of agriculture and a college of engineering, provided for by the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act of 1862. -College and universities:*An "Agricultural and Mechanical" university is one that...
and Polydor/Atlas, was sold to Seagram’s
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. was a large corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that was the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Toward the end of its independent existence it also controlled various entertainment and other business ventures...
, a Canadian beverage company, for about $10.4 billion. Seagram’s
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. was a large corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that was the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Toward the end of its independent existence it also controlled various entertainment and other business ventures...
, which already had a large stake in entertainment by owning MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
and Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, now also owned the vast array of labels that fell under the Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
umbrella they decided to consolidate all of these vast operations into one new central entertainment company called The Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
(UMG). As a result of the restructuring, there would be yet another delay in the release of the now finished Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here is the fifth full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was due to be second released nationally on the Polydor label, but got caught up in constant delays due to the corporate merger of Polygram and Seagram, that formed the new Universal Music Group in...
album, this time from fall 1998 to "date uncertain" and there were no marketing or tour support plans coming from Universal for the foreseeable future. But the band was still under contract and therefore restricted in the actions that they could take to further their career. The Badlees quickly produced and released an EP of “unplugged” songs called The Day’s Parade in July 1998, released on Rite-Off Records.
As the corporate limbo persisted into 1999, the band became more and more convinced that they wanted out of their major label contract. They opted to make their own full-length album independently and without consent from the label. The band members realized that this action would probably mean the death of Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here is the fifth full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was due to be second released nationally on the Polydor label, but got caught up in constant delays due to the corporate merger of Polygram and Seagram, that formed the new Universal Music Group in...
, as Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
owned the rights to that recording.
The new album, Amazing Grace, was recorded, mixed, mastered, and pressed in two months at Bret Alexander's home studio. The album features four different Badlees singing lead vocals on songs written by five different writers, including Mike Naydock. It was released on April 2, 1999, and upon its release the band was dropped by Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. Selders persisted in finding a new label and within a month, the Badlees were signed to a new contract with a label called Ark 21, owned by Miles Copeland, who had previously owned I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
.
Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here
Up There, Down Here is the fifth full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was due to be second released nationally on the Polydor label, but got caught up in constant delays due to the corporate merger of Polygram and Seagram, that formed the new Universal Music Group in...
would finally be released to the public on August 24, 1999 on the Ark 21 label. The only provision of the deal was that the Badlees would have to stop actively promoting their recently-released Amazing Grace album. The group planned to tour behind Up There Down Here, but by this time Ark 21 was well on its way to bankruptcy. The Badlees left Ark 21 after a very short period and returned to their status as an independent band. Selders left as manager soon after this.
Branching out (2000-2001)
Bret Alexander and Paul Smith decided to open a studio for business, choosing a private location near Danville, PA owned by Rusty Foulke of the band Hybrid IceHybrid Ice
Hybrid Ice is a rock band from Danville, Pennsylvania, most notable for its song "Magdelene" released on the album Hybrid Ice in 1982, which became a radio hit at the time. "Magdelene" was later covered by Boston on its album Walk On in 1994. Hybrid Ice was the first local rock band to play at the...
. The studio had been called Magnetic North and, starting with their first EP in 1990, the Badlees used it to make pre-production demos prior to recording their albums in a professional studio. Alexander and Smith decided to call their studio Saturation Acres. Over the course of the next decade, they would produce many Pennsylvania artists, including some that would become nationally successful, such as Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
and Darcie Miner. Further, The Cellarbirds, a pick-up band that includes the Badlee trio of Alexander, Smith, and drummer Ron Simasek, were available as the official "house band" to offer session performances for solo artists or those with less than a full band.
Meanwhile, Palladino and Feltenberger were also working on their own separate solo projects while continuing to perform live together as the Pete & Jeff Duo. Simasek would also join them on occasion to become Pete, Jeff, & Ron, and on one such occasion, Pete brought in some professional equipment to record a live show by the trio in Williamsport, PA, resulting in the live album, 50:45 Live, which would ultimately be the last album released on the Rite-Off label in 2000.
As 2001 got underway, the members of the Badlees were busy working on their separate "side" albums that would end up being released within six weeks of each other in the late spring of 2001. Echotown was a self-titled album by Jeff Feltenberger's pick-up band and had a definite country-rock sound. Pete Palladino released a solo album, Sweet Siren of the Reconnected, in June 2001 that included contributions from every member of the Badlees to various degrees. The Cellarbirds also released their debut album, Perfect Smile. Despite being separate from the Badlees, these projects did include some common traits. Each was recorded at Saturation Acres, either produced or co-produced by Alexander, and Simasek played drums on each.
Renew and long hiatus (2002-2008)
The Badlees got back together and make music once again as a band for a charitable event, Concert for Karen IV, in 2002. They got together at Saturation Acres and recorded four songs for an EP to be released in conjunction with the live event and decided to continue on to make a full-length album. This decision was spearheaded by Chris Fetchko, a native of Hazleton, PA, who at the time worked at Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
and would eventually replaced Terry Selders as The Badlees' new manager.
The album, Renew
Renew (album)
Renew is the sixth full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was released on S.A.M. Records in June 2002 and was the first new album by the band in three years.-Background:...
, was released in June, 2002 and to support it, the band filmed a special show at the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center
Manhattan Center
The Manhattan Center building, built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, houses Manhattan Center Studios , its Grand Ballroom, and the Hammerstein Ballroom, one of New York City's most renowned performance venues...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in July, 2002. The show was titled Renew and Rewind and aired on a local Pennsylvania television in late August.
Bret Alexander and Mike Naydock did many songwriting sessions in late 2002 through 2003, intending to have a new Badlees album in 2004, but this album failed to materialize due to other projects that Alexander, Fetchko, and Saturation Acres were involved in at the time. These included Lit Riffs, a soundtrack to a book of the same name by 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....
, for which the Badlees recorded a cover of Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
’s "Maggie May", and Gentleman East, an Americana-flavored solo album by Bret Alexander, which was originally intended to be the soundtrack for a motion picture produced by Fetchko called Everything's Jake
Everything's Jake
Everything's Jake is a 2000 drama film distributed by Warner Bros. The movie marks the feature writing and directorial debut of Matthew Miele along with his producing/writing partner, Chris Fetchko.-Plot:...
.
In March 2004, Jeff Feltenberger announced he was officially leaving the Badlees as he planned to pursue a career as a record producer/engineer as well as launch his new band Sweet Pea Felty, the first shift in personnel among the musicians since 1991.
The remaining members of the band, along with Fetchko, formed an equal partnership in the label S.A.M. Records ("Saturation Acres Music"), and began to sign other musical artists to the label, including Katsu
Katsu
Katsu may refer to:*Katsu , a type of shout used in Chán and Zen Buddhism, as well as in the martial arts*Katsu , from Central Pennsylvania*KATSU!, manga by Mitsuru Adachi*Tonkatsu, Japanese pork dish*Katsudon, bowl of rice with tonkatsu...
, Joe Charles, and Jared Campbell. But over time, these Fetchko projects dried up and, within a year or so, Fetchko departed from the band as manager. Throughout the bulk of the rest of the decade, the Badlees would be on an, unplanned, extended hiatus.
Pete Palladino moved to Philadelphia where he got into the restaurant business, eventually becoming general manager of the hotel and restaurant Daddy O in Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Ron Simasek remained the primary session drummer at Saturation Acres and played drums in various settings. Alexander and Smith continued to operate Saturation Acres, recording and producing scores of musical acts and branching out into other areas such as licensing. In 2005, they recorded a cover of "Keep on the Sunny Side" with singer K8
K8
K8 or K-8 can mean:* K8, a member of the Mazda K engine family.* K-8 school, a type of school that included kindergarten and grades 1 through 8....
, which was used in commercials by Days Inn
Days Inn
Days Inn is a motel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...
nationwide. But eventually Paul Smith accepted a position as an instructor at Susquehanna University
Susquehanna University
Susquehanna University is a liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States, north of the state capital, Harrisburg.-Academics:...
and left Saturation Acres in 2007. Soon after, Alexander moved the studio to commercial location in Dupont, PA, sharing the building with his wife's newly-opened bakery.
Love Is Rain and band’s return (2009-2010)
In 2008, Bret Alexander formed the band Giants of Despair, which reunited him with manager Terry Selders for a short while. Later that year, Chris Gardner, the Badlees’ current manager, initiated a reunion of the band with the help of Ron Simasek. Together, they persuaded the rest of the band members, including Alexander, to reunite and work on the new album.The album included songs that had been written as far back as 2003, two of which, "Don't Ever Let Me Down" and "Well Laid Plans" were previously released by Alexander as solo efforts in the mid 2000s. One final song, "Two States" was added late to the project as a tribute to Alexander's father, who passed away on February 14, 2009.
Love Is Rain
Love Is Rain
Love Is Rain is the seventh full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was released on S.A.M. Records on October 6, 2009, the band's first new album in over seven years.- Track listing :-Personnel:The Badlees...
, the Badlee's most recent album for which Gardner acted as Executive Producer and offered financing for the album's production, was released in October 2009. It was acclaimed by several critics as, perhaps, the band's finest album ever.
After its release, the Badlees played a series of live shows together for the first time in five years starting in November, 2009. These shows frequently included guest musicians like Aaron Fink, Nick Van Wyke, and Dustin Drevitch, along from with the four remaining members of the band – Alexander, Palladino, Simasek, and Smith.
Today, the Badlees perform shows throughout Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on a limited schedule to accommodate the various other vocations of the band's members. Not wanting to have such a gap between albums as that between the last two, the Badlees plan on producing a new album in 2011.
Musical style and influences
The Badlees forged a distinctive sound through their formative years that fused rock and pop elements with a distinct PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
style they called "roots rock". This sound was best presented on their breakthrough album River Songs
River Songs
River Songs is the third full length studio album by American band The Badlees. It was released on their independent label, Rite-Off Records, in February 1995 and sold over 10,000 units before being picked up by the national label Polydor/Atlas after the band signed with that label later in 1995...
, released in 1995. Some of the band’s later efforts, especially Amazing Grace and Love Is Rain
Love Is Rain
Love Is Rain is the seventh full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was released on S.A.M. Records on October 6, 2009, the band's first new album in over seven years.- Track listing :-Personnel:The Badlees...
, branched out into several different sub-genres, such as 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...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, country
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...
, and Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
.
The band members themselves drew their influences from diverse sources. Founding member Jeff Feltenberger was formally trained as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, with a bend towards folk, country, and bluegrass. Guitarist and chief songwriter Bret Alexander cites various influences ranging from John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and the Beatles to Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, and Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
. Drummer Ron Simasek is a huge fan of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and, along with bassist Paul Smith, the Canadian power trio 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...
. Singer Pete Palladino drew his influences from a spectrum of rock and pop artists including contemporaries Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
and Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band...
.
Current band members
- Pete Palladino - vocals, harmonica
- Bret Alexander – guitars and multiple string instruments, synthesizers, vocals
- Paul SmithPaul SmithPaul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist...
– bass, synthesizers, vocals - Ron Simasek – drums and percussion
Former band members
- Jeff Feltenberger - guitars and multiple string instruments, vocals (Bad Lee White & Badlees, 1988–2004)
- Ric Stehman – bass guitar (Badlees, 1990–1991)
- Steve Feltenberger – bass, vocals (Bad Lee White, 1988–1990)
- Clint Barrick – guitars, vocals (Bad Lee White, 1988–1989)
Badlees albums
- It Ain’t For You EP (Rite-Off Records, October 1990)
- Diamonds in the CoalDiamonds in the CoalDiamonds in the Coal is The Badlees first full-length album, recorded in late 1991 and released in January 1992. It is the first to feature Paul Smith on bass...
(Rite-Off Records, January 1992) - The Unfortunate Result of Spare TimeThe Unfortunate Result of Spare TimeThe Unfortunate Result of Spare Time is the second full-length album by Pennsylvania rock band The Badlees. It was approached in a unique way for the early-era recordings of the band...
(Sharkstooth, August 1993) - River SongsRiver SongsRiver Songs is the third full length studio album by American band The Badlees. It was released on their independent label, Rite-Off Records, in February 1995 and sold over 10,000 units before being picked up by the national label Polydor/Atlas after the band signed with that label later in 1995...
(Rite-Off Records, February 1995 & Polydor/Atlas, October 1995) - The Day's ParadeThe Day's ParadeThe Day's Parade is a five-song EP by American band The Badlees, released on their independent label, Rite-Off Records, in July 1998 when they in "corporate limbo" due to the sale of Polygram to Seagram's corporation earlier in 1998.-Background:...
EP (Rite-Off Records, July 1998) - Amazing Grace (Rite-Off Records, April 1999)
- Up There, Down HereUp There, Down HereUp There, Down Here is the fifth full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was due to be second released nationally on the Polydor label, but got caught up in constant delays due to the corporate merger of Polygram and Seagram, that formed the new Universal Music Group in...
(Ark 21 RecordsArk 21 RecordsArk 21 Records is a record label established by Miles Copeland & Stewart Copeland. The record label is based out of Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California.-Artists:* Ragheb Alamah* Beats Antique* The Badlees* Farrah* Faudel* The Human League* Hakim...
, August 1999) - RenewRenew (album)Renew is the sixth full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was released on S.A.M. Records in June 2002 and was the first new album by the band in three years.-Background:...
(S.A.M. Records, June 2002) - Love is RainLove Is RainLove Is Rain is the seventh full length studio album released by American band The Badlees. It was released on S.A.M. Records on October 6, 2009, the band's first new album in over seven years.- Track listing :-Personnel:The Badlees...
(S.A.M. Records, October 2009)
Charting singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Mainstream Rock | US Adult Top 40 | US Top 40 Mainstream | Billboard Hot 100 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... |
|||
| 1995 | "Fear of Falling" | 31 | - | - | - | River Songs |
| 1996 | "Angeline Is Coming Home" | 20 | 28 | 27 | 67 |
Albums by Badlees members
- What Goes Around by Bad Lee White (A Street Records, November 1988)
- 50:45 Live by Pete, Jeff, & Ron (Rite-Off Records, September 2000)
- Echotown by Echotown (Midwest Artists, May 2001)
- Perfect Smile by The Cellarbirds (S.A.M. Records, May 2001)
- Sweet Siren of the Reconnected by Pete Palladino (P&P Records, June 2001)
- Gentleman East by Bret Alexander (S.A.M. Records, May 2004)
Other projects involving Badlee members
| Year | Project | Type | Badlee member / contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Road Goes Other Places | Album by Jay Young | Bret Alexander, Guitars Paul Smith Paul Smith Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist... , Bass Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2004 | Rest Out | Album by Jared Campbell | Bret Alexander, Guitars Paul Smith Paul Smith Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist... , Bass Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2004 | Carson's Window | Album by Carson's Window | Bret Alexander, Guitars, Mandolin, Banjo Paul Smith Paul Smith Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist... , Organ |
| 2005 | Wishful Drinkin | Album by Shawn Z | Bret Alexander, Guitars Paul Smith Paul Smith Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist... , Bass Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2005 | "Keep On the Sunny Side" | Song by K8 | Bret Alexander, Guitars Paul Smith Paul Smith Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist... , Bass Ron Simasek, Drums Used for a national Days Inn Days Inn Days Inn is a motel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant... commercial. |
| 2005 | Imaginary Lines I | Album by Imaginary Lines Imaginary Lines Imaginary Lines is a studio music project that was originated, composed, and produced by Ric Albano. It was initiated in 2004 and yielded two full-length albums, Imaginary Lines I, released on October 10, 2005, and Imaginary Lines II, released on December 27, 2007... |
Bret Alexander, Guitars Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2007 | Imaginary Lines II | Album by Imaginary Lines Imaginary Lines Imaginary Lines is a studio music project that was originated, composed, and produced by Ric Albano. It was initiated in 2004 and yielded two full-length albums, Imaginary Lines I, released on October 10, 2005, and Imaginary Lines II, released on December 27, 2007... |
Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2008 | St. Jude Avenue | Album by Shawn Z | Bret Alexander, Guitars Paul Smith Paul Smith Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist... , Bass Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2009 | Love | EP by Mycenea Worley | Bret Alexander, Multi Instrumentss Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2009 | Imaginary Lines 33 | Album by Imaginary Lines Imaginary Lines Imaginary Lines is a studio music project that was originated, composed, and produced by Ric Albano. It was initiated in 2004 and yielded two full-length albums, Imaginary Lines I, released on October 10, 2005, and Imaginary Lines II, released on December 27, 2007... |
Bret Alexander, Guitars Ron Simasek, Drums |
| 2010 | "Song for Diane" | Song by Ric Albano | Bret Alexander, Multi Instrumentss Ron Simasek, Drums For use on Dollars for Diane Benefit CD. |
| 2010 | See That My Grave is Kept Clean | Album by Ed Randazzo | Bret Alexander, Multi Instrumentss |