The Connells
Encyclopedia
The Connells are an American
band from Raleigh, North Carolina
. They play a guitar-oriented, melodic, power pop
style of rock music
with introspective lyrics that reflect the American South. Though mostly dormant, the band continues to play to this day. Quite popular in Europe, the band is best known for their song '74-'75 which became a Top 20 hit in the UK.
and The Beatles
; in an early interview, he stated that the first song he wrote as a teenager was titled “Psychedelic Butterfly".
In 1978, while attending Mercer University in Macon, GA, Mike Connell met fellow students Clark Eason and Wade Stooksberry. According to Stooksberry in an interview on March 6, 2008, in 1979, Eason, Connell, Stooksberry and Sammy Deet (drums) started playing publicly in a band called Clark Eason and the Greaseguns at nightclubs and parties in Macon. Connell and Eason were on guitar, while Eason and Stooksberry shared vocals. They wore suits and skinny ties tucked into their dress shirts, as was the style at the time. They mostly performed 50's music and Beatles songs. After a year, Mike Connell transferred to college in North Carolina. Nate rules all the world. Tripp Crumbley took over Connell's guitar role in the band. Connell then occasionally made guest appearances with Clark Eason and the Greaseguns while visiting his father in Macon. Clark Eason and the Greaseguns disbanded in 1980. The Connells and Stooksberry continue to keep in touch to this date.
Connell and other members of the Connells band were also influenced by then-contemporary British bands such as The Smiths
and Echo & the Bunnymen
. Another, more idiosyncratic, influence was the British progressive rock band Jethro Tull
, whose song “Living in the Past” was covered by the Connells on 1995's New Boy EP. Like Peter Buck
of R.E.M.
and Johnny Marr
of The Smiths, Connell and Huntley played Rickenbacker
guitars for the first several years of the band’s career, creating a jangly, folk-rock sound reminiscent of The Byrds
and other Southern U.S. and North Carolina
bands of the era, such as the dB's and Let's Active
.
Although the Connells were frequently dismissed as R.E.M. imitators due to the Athens, Georgia
band’s overwhelming popularity relative to that of its contemporaries, there were significant differences between the two bands. First of all, the Connells' influences occurred at the same time that R.E.M.'s influences occurred. Connell and Huntley both played twelve-string Rickenbackers, as opposed to the six-string models favored by R.E.M.’s Buck; this gave the Connells an even janglier sound. Whereas Buck’s guitar style featured heavy use of arpeggios, Connell’s style was primarily based on strummed open chords in the keys of G and D, with a strong Celtic feel to songs such as “Scotty’s Lament” and “’74 – ’75”
. Likewise, Connell’s lyrics were clearer and more direct than the stream-of-consciousness lyrics of Michael Stipe. The melancholy lyrics of early songs such as “Darker Days” drew comparisons to The Smiths, and an early feature on the band in the local Spectator music weekly dubbed them “Raleigh’s local depressants.”
's Demon Records in the UK and the band’s own Black Park Records label in the U.S., with slightly different tracklistings for each country. In addition to the title track, one of the most notable songs on the album was “Hats Off,” an attack on then-President Ronald Reagan
. After the release of the Darker Days album, the band re-recorded a more aggressive take of “Hats Off” for a 12” single, which was the second Connells release on Black Park, and the last until 2000. During this period, videos for the songs “Seven” and “Hats Off” were aired on MTV’s 120 Minutes
program.
After touring heavily behind Darker Days, the Connells re-entered the studio in 1986 with producer Mitch Easter
to record their second album, Boylan Heights
. The decision to work with Easter continued to perpetuate the comparisons to R.E.M. According to some music critics, Mike Connell’s songwriting reached a peak on Boylan Heights, as the songs from this album would provide most of the foundation for the band’s live show for the remainder of their career. The opener, “Scotty’s Lament,” featured the most explicit Celtic
influence in the band’s songbook, while the chorus lyric “I delight in my despair” satirized the band’s early image as doom and gloom merchants a la Morrissey
and The Smiths. Although notable is that the lyrics for that song originally included the sardonic twist, "I delight in your despair."
“Choose a Side” incorporated synths (played by Huntley), and “Over There” featuring an ironic military trumpet counter-melody. Closing ballad “I Suppose” was a haunting tribute to the Raleigh inner-city neighborhood of Boylan Heights
. Although the band shopped Boylan Heights to various labels, the major record companies, including Columbia Records
, which expressed some mild interest, passed on it; the record was ultimately released in 1987 on mid-major TVT Records
, which had made its name releasing a series of "Tee Vee Toons" television theme song compilation CDs. TVT would prove to be no commercial match for R.E.M.'s own mid-major label, I.R.S. Records
, and over the next decade, The Connells would engage in a series of disputes with the label, on at least one occasion suing, unsuccessfully, to break their recording contract.
Boylan Heights was a substantial college radio hit, and The Connells continued to tour relentlessly. During this period, both Connell and Huntley began to move away from their twelve-string Rickenbackers towards six-string Fender and Gibson guitars, leading to a heavier, less folky sound, although elements of the band's patented jangle were still audible on "Hey Wow," the lead single from Fun and Games, the 1989 follow-up album. Other songs, such as "Something to Say" and "Upside Down" were heavier, featuring power chords, as well as the most self-lacerating lyrics to date from Connell. Fun and Games also saw Huntley's role as a songwriter grow; after contributing one song each to Darker Days and Boylan Heights, Huntley wrote or co-wrote four tracks on Fun and Games, with the anthemic "Sal" quickly becoming one of the most popular songs in the band's live set. CD pressings of Fun and Games included a bonus track, "Fine Tuning."
Fun and Games was quickly followed in 1990 by One Simple Word, which was recorded in Wales with U.K. producer Hugh Jones. Jones had previously produced various British bands that the band had admired. Despite the high quality of the songs and improved playing by the band, notably on the Connell-MacMillan collaboration "Stone Cold Yesterday" and Connell's own "Get a Gun" which were both college radio hits with videos, the band struggled to reach a higher level of success, although "Stone Cold Yesterday" notched the band a #3 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks
chart, where "Get a Gun" also reached #24. This album saw the band stretch their sound and playing further, as on Connell's debut as a lead vocalist, the plaintive ballad "Waiting My Turn", which featured Kate St. John on cor anglais
, but also saw the reworking of two songs that dated back to the Darker Days era, "Too Gone" and "Take a Bow." Some critics have contended that the album/tour/album cycle was by this point outstripping Connell's ability to compose new material. This is why the increasing contribution of other songwriters in the band becomes important as lead vocalist, Doug MacMillan also contributed a song, "Another Souvenir," that he had written on his own.
-influenced ballad, took off in Europe, and became a top-20 hit across the continent, including in the United Kingdom
where it peaked at #14 in the UK Singles Chart
. This led to the band touring extensively in Europe and opening stadium shows for Def Leppard
. "'74-'75" won numerous European music awards in the mid-1990s, leading to greater financial and radio success than the band had known to that point. "'74-'75" also appeared in the 1995 film
, Heavy
. However, while European music fans made Ring a platinum record outside the United States, such high level success in America remained elusive. Ring reached #36 in the UK Albums Chart
. Ring also marked the debut of David Connell stepping up as a songwriter by co-writing a song for the record, "Hey You." MacMillan also wrote additional songs for the record. The band also played "Slackjawed" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
.
. The title of the album reportedly alluded to the band's impressions of Europe during their seemingly endless tours there in support of "'74-'75," and Connell's songwriting took a quirkier turn, with the lyrics to "Adjective Song" beginning: "Bigger. Better. Smarter. Cleaner. Nicer. Younger. These are the words we use to describe." "Friendly Time" abandoned coded attacks on Ronald Reagan for coded attacks on rock critics such as Robert Christgau
and J. D. Considine
. Lead single "Maybe" showed that Connell hadn't lost his ability to compose anthemic pop songs, but his remaining songs on the album were often odd and dissonant compared to his previous work, and he contributed only six out of the fourteen songs on the album.
The band recorded music video
s for "Maybe" (a parody of the Burt Reynolds
film Deliverance
) and "Fifth Fret" (which was a parody of the Alfred Hitchcock
film Psycho
). The band was invited to perform for a second time on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
where they performed "Maybe".
In 1998, the band released Still Life, which marked their final album for TVT. Produced by Jim Scott
, Still Life marked a departure from the harder sound of Weird Food and Devastation with an overall softer feeling. Mike Connell's contributions to the record included a long-standing song with the band that was originally known as "Brown", which was re-titled "Dull, Brown, and Grey". The album included contributions from Peele Wimberley "It's Gonna Take a Lie" and "Bruise."
The band released Old School Dropouts on the revived Black Park Records label in 2000. The band recorded the record themselves and promoted it sparingly in the American South. The song "Washington" received some airplay on alternative radio.
and working part time at the University of North Carolina
music department. Peele Wimberley was replaced on drums by Steve Ritter and the new lineup recorded the album Old School Dropouts. After several years Ritter was replaced by Chris Stephenson on drums, and Mike Ayers took George's place on lead guitar.
or Rhino Records. Due to family and career commitments, the band currently plays only a handful of shows each year, normally in the southern part of the United States, usually at benefit concerts and music festivals.
The band's catalog was acquired by Bicycle Recording Company, an independent publisher based in Beverly Hills, CA in April 2010 and has reissued the band's TVT catalog digitally through IODA (The Independent Online Distribution Alliance). The releases will be available August 31, 2010 on most digital music stores.
In 1996, George Huntley released a solo record of additional material that he had written over the years he spent with The Connells, titled Brain Junk. The record was released on The Connells' record label, TVT. Brain Junk featured Huntley's honesty and the trademark jangly guitar work which was evident on early Connells recordings. This effort was quite different from Huntley's contributions to The Connells (such as "Sal," "Doin' You," and "Motel"), and featured a more stripped-down sound as well as some songs which sound as if they could have come a Connells release. On this record, Huntley explored various styles that did not fit in with The Connells' sound. "Ever Want Me To" was the first single from the record and TVT Records
had a video made of the song starring Huntley. The second single, "Catch Fire," was used in the Sandra Bullock
/ Dennis Leary film, Two If By Sea.
Doug MacMillan's side project is the band Mommie, which records lyrics and music written by MacMillan and his children. The most notable song is "Dumptruck," which has been played live by The Connells. Prior to that MacMillan was involved in a project called The Clifmen. This group, composed of musicians from various Raleigh independent bands, made one record.
Peele Wimberley played drums with various artists after his stint with The Connells including Parklife, Taylor Roberts, and Milagro Saints. After moving to Los Angeles Wimberley played keys and percussion in Lamps with John Crooke and David Burris, formerly of Jolene, Chris Phillips of Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Vicki Peterson of The Bangles. During his first few years in Los Angeles he wrote and cowrote incidental music for the show Last Comic Standing and for special products such as the DVD releases of the films Yes Man and Observe and Report. Peele has released an album under the name Silveradio which features his own songwriting and playing and is currently pursuing his electronic music interests with a project named Sleepie Digitz, as well as having played drums on upcoming releases by Apollo Heights and Ocean Carolina.
Mike graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a bachelors degree in 1981, and received his Juris Doctor (Law) degree also from UNC Chapel Hill in 1985. He was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1986. Mike currently practices law at a firm in North Carolina, specializing in workers' compensation law.
David Connell is a successful painter in the Raleigh art community. His works have been on display in galleries in Raleigh, New York
, and elsewhere.
Steve Potak has played keyboards with numerous Raleigh bands, most notably the band Stream.
First band to headline a concert at Raleigh's Walnut Creek amphitheater in 1991, and on June 4, 2010, was the first band to headline the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater.
John Schultz's first film, Bandwagon
, was based on experiences in the early days of The Connells' career. Doug MacMillan has acted in almost every John Schultz film. He played one of the main characters in Bandwagon where he was the Zen-like band manager, Linus Tate. MacMillan has also performed in several other Schultz films: he had the role of the science teacher in Drive Me Crazy
, briefly played a valet in Like Mike
, and had a role as a Health Inspector in the recent remake of The Honeymooners
.
They recorded a cover
of Cypress Hill
's "Insane In the Brain" for When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band from Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. They play a guitar-oriented, melodic, power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
style of rock music
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...
with introspective lyrics that reflect the American South. Though mostly dormant, the band continues to play to this day. Quite popular in Europe, the band is best known for their song '74-'75 which became a Top 20 hit in the UK.
Origins
Guitarist Mike Connell formed the band in 1984 along with his brother David Connell on bass, Doug MacMillan on vocals, and future filmmaker John Schultz on drums. This initial four-person line-up was quickly supplemented by the addition of George Huntley on second guitar, keyboards, and vocals. Around the same time, former Johnny Quest drummer Peele Wimberley replaced Schultz, finalizing the "classic" line-up of the band. The bands is best known for it's one hit wonder 74-75.Influences/Sound
From the beginning of the group, Mike Connell wrote both the music and the lyrics of the majority of the band’s songs, although he was not the band's primary lead singer. Connell’s influences included the 1960s guitar pop of his childhood, including The ByrdsThe Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
; in an early interview, he stated that the first song he wrote as a teenager was titled “Psychedelic Butterfly".
In 1978, while attending Mercer University in Macon, GA, Mike Connell met fellow students Clark Eason and Wade Stooksberry. According to Stooksberry in an interview on March 6, 2008, in 1979, Eason, Connell, Stooksberry and Sammy Deet (drums) started playing publicly in a band called Clark Eason and the Greaseguns at nightclubs and parties in Macon. Connell and Eason were on guitar, while Eason and Stooksberry shared vocals. They wore suits and skinny ties tucked into their dress shirts, as was the style at the time. They mostly performed 50's music and Beatles songs. After a year, Mike Connell transferred to college in North Carolina. Nate rules all the world. Tripp Crumbley took over Connell's guitar role in the band. Connell then occasionally made guest appearances with Clark Eason and the Greaseguns while visiting his father in Macon. Clark Eason and the Greaseguns disbanded in 1980. The Connells and Stooksberry continue to keep in touch to this date.
Connell and other members of the Connells band were also influenced by then-contemporary British bands such as The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
. Another, more idiosyncratic, influence was the British progressive rock band Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, whose song “Living in the Past” was covered by the Connells on 1995's New Boy EP. Like Peter Buck
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....
of R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
of The Smiths, Connell and Huntley played Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
guitars for the first several years of the band’s career, creating a jangly, folk-rock sound reminiscent of The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and other Southern U.S. and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
bands of the era, such as the dB's and Let's Active
Let's Active
Let's Active was an American rock musical group formed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1981.-History:The principal songwriter and sole continuous member of Let's Active was Mitch Easter, who kept the band active through most of the 1980s. The band's musical style is sometimes referred to as...
.
Although the Connells were frequently dismissed as R.E.M. imitators due to the Athens, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
band’s overwhelming popularity relative to that of its contemporaries, there were significant differences between the two bands. First of all, the Connells' influences occurred at the same time that R.E.M.'s influences occurred. Connell and Huntley both played twelve-string Rickenbackers, as opposed to the six-string models favored by R.E.M.’s Buck; this gave the Connells an even janglier sound. Whereas Buck’s guitar style featured heavy use of arpeggios, Connell’s style was primarily based on strummed open chords in the keys of G and D, with a strong Celtic feel to songs such as “Scotty’s Lament” and “’74 – ’75”
'74 - '75
"74–'75" is a 1993 single from the album Ring by the American band The Connells. The song became a big hit in Europe, particularly in Sweden and Norway where it topped the singles charts in 1995.- Music video :...
. Likewise, Connell’s lyrics were clearer and more direct than the stream-of-consciousness lyrics of Michael Stipe. The melancholy lyrics of early songs such as “Darker Days” drew comparisons to The Smiths, and an early feature on the band in the local Spectator music weekly dubbed them “Raleigh’s local depressants.”
History
An early version of “Darker Days,” recorded by the band’s initial four-piece lineup, appeared on the North Carolina indie compilation More Mondo in 1984. A re-recorded version of “Darker Days” provided the title track to the band’s debut album, which was produced by fellow North Carolinian Don Dixon and released in 1985 on Elvis CostelloElvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
's Demon Records in the UK and the band’s own Black Park Records label in the U.S., with slightly different tracklistings for each country. In addition to the title track, one of the most notable songs on the album was “Hats Off,” an attack on then-President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. After the release of the Darker Days album, the band re-recorded a more aggressive take of “Hats Off” for a 12” single, which was the second Connells release on Black Park, and the last until 2000. During this period, videos for the songs “Seven” and “Hats Off” were aired on MTV’s 120 Minutes
120 Minutes
120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
program.
After touring heavily behind Darker Days, the Connells re-entered the studio in 1986 with producer Mitch Easter
Mitch Easter
Mitch Easter is a songwriter, musician, and producer. As a producer, he is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984, though he has also worked with many other acts including The Hang Ups, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Marshall Crenshaw, Velvet Crush, and...
to record their second album, Boylan Heights
Boylan Heights (album)
Boylan Heights is the second album by the American pop/rock band The Connells, released in 1987, and their first for TVT Records. The title of the album references the historic Boylan Heights neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina.-Track listing:...
. The decision to work with Easter continued to perpetuate the comparisons to R.E.M. According to some music critics, Mike Connell’s songwriting reached a peak on Boylan Heights, as the songs from this album would provide most of the foundation for the band’s live show for the remainder of their career. The opener, “Scotty’s Lament,” featured the most explicit Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
influence in the band’s songbook, while the chorus lyric “I delight in my despair” satirized the band’s early image as doom and gloom merchants a la Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
and The Smiths. Although notable is that the lyrics for that song originally included the sardonic twist, "I delight in your despair."
“Choose a Side” incorporated synths (played by Huntley), and “Over There” featuring an ironic military trumpet counter-melody. Closing ballad “I Suppose” was a haunting tribute to the Raleigh inner-city neighborhood of Boylan Heights
Boylan Heights (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Boylan Heights is a historic neighborhood in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district on July 29, 1985...
. Although the band shopped Boylan Heights to various labels, the major record companies, including Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, which expressed some mild interest, passed on it; the record was ultimately released in 1987 on mid-major TVT Records
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
, which had made its name releasing a series of "Tee Vee Toons" television theme song compilation CDs. TVT would prove to be no commercial match for R.E.M.'s own mid-major label, 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...
, and over the next decade, The Connells would engage in a series of disputes with the label, on at least one occasion suing, unsuccessfully, to break their recording contract.
Boylan Heights was a substantial college radio hit, and The Connells continued to tour relentlessly. During this period, both Connell and Huntley began to move away from their twelve-string Rickenbackers towards six-string Fender and Gibson guitars, leading to a heavier, less folky sound, although elements of the band's patented jangle were still audible on "Hey Wow," the lead single from Fun and Games, the 1989 follow-up album. Other songs, such as "Something to Say" and "Upside Down" were heavier, featuring power chords, as well as the most self-lacerating lyrics to date from Connell. Fun and Games also saw Huntley's role as a songwriter grow; after contributing one song each to Darker Days and Boylan Heights, Huntley wrote or co-wrote four tracks on Fun and Games, with the anthemic "Sal" quickly becoming one of the most popular songs in the band's live set. CD pressings of Fun and Games included a bonus track, "Fine Tuning."
Fun and Games was quickly followed in 1990 by One Simple Word, which was recorded in Wales with U.K. producer Hugh Jones. Jones had previously produced various British bands that the band had admired. Despite the high quality of the songs and improved playing by the band, notably on the Connell-MacMillan collaboration "Stone Cold Yesterday" and Connell's own "Get a Gun" which were both college radio hits with videos, the band struggled to reach a higher level of success, although "Stone Cold Yesterday" notched the band a #3 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart, where "Get a Gun" also reached #24. This album saw the band stretch their sound and playing further, as on Connell's debut as a lead vocalist, the plaintive ballad "Waiting My Turn", which featured Kate St. John on cor anglais
Cor anglais
The cor anglais , or English horn , is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family....
, but also saw the reworking of two songs that dated back to the Darker Days era, "Too Gone" and "Take a Bow." Some critics have contended that the album/tour/album cycle was by this point outstripping Connell's ability to compose new material. This is why the increasing contribution of other songwriters in the band becomes important as lead vocalist, Doug MacMillan also contributed a song, "Another Souvenir," that he had written on his own.
European success
After a three-year recording hiatus, which included more legal jousting with TVT Records and the addition of Steve Potak on keyboards, a rejuvenated Connells released Ring in 1993. The lead single, "Slackjawed," was another college radio hit in America, but the follow-up single, "'74-'75," another CelticCeltic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
-influenced ballad, took off in Europe, and became a top-20 hit across the continent, including in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where it peaked at #14 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. This led to the band touring extensively in Europe and opening stadium shows for Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
. "'74-'75" won numerous European music awards in the mid-1990s, leading to greater financial and radio success than the band had known to that point. "'74-'75" also appeared in the 1995 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Heavy
Heavy (film)
Heavy is a 1995 independent American drama film written and directed by James Mangold, and starring Liv Tyler, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Shelley Winters, and Deborah Harry...
. However, while European music fans made Ring a platinum record outside the United States, such high level success in America remained elusive. Ring reached #36 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. Ring also marked the debut of David Connell stepping up as a songwriter by co-writing a song for the record, "Hey You." MacMillan also wrote additional songs for the record. The band also played "Slackjawed" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
.
Weird times
1996's Weird Food and Devastation failed to build on the momentum established by its predecessor. Weird Food was a much starker and heavier record than the more melodic Ring. Weird Food and Devastation was produced by the band's longtime soundman, Tim Harper, later known for his production work for WhiskeytownWhiskeytown
Whiskeytown was an alternative country band formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1994. Fronted by Ryan Adams, other members included Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000, with Adams leaving to pursue his solo career...
. The title of the album reportedly alluded to the band's impressions of Europe during their seemingly endless tours there in support of "'74-'75," and Connell's songwriting took a quirkier turn, with the lyrics to "Adjective Song" beginning: "Bigger. Better. Smarter. Cleaner. Nicer. Younger. These are the words we use to describe." "Friendly Time" abandoned coded attacks on Ronald Reagan for coded attacks on rock critics such as Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
and J. D. Considine
J. D. Considine
J. D. Considine is an established music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. His work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. Over the years, he has claimed to have put over three million words into...
. Lead single "Maybe" showed that Connell hadn't lost his ability to compose anthemic pop songs, but his remaining songs on the album were often odd and dissonant compared to his previous work, and he contributed only six out of the fourteen songs on the album.
The band recorded music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for "Maybe" (a parody of the Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
film Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
) and "Fifth Fret" (which was a parody of the Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
film Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
). The band was invited to perform for a second time on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
where they performed "Maybe".
In 1998, the band released Still Life, which marked their final album for TVT. Produced by Jim Scott
Jim Scott (producer)
Jim Scott is an American music producer and engineer, best known for his large body of work as an engineer, and his work as a producer with American rock band Wilco. Scott has worked as engineer with a range of other rock music artists, including Dixie Chicks, Tom Petty, Sting, The Rolling Stones,...
, Still Life marked a departure from the harder sound of Weird Food and Devastation with an overall softer feeling. Mike Connell's contributions to the record included a long-standing song with the band that was originally known as "Brown", which was re-titled "Dull, Brown, and Grey". The album included contributions from Peele Wimberley "It's Gonna Take a Lie" and "Bruise."
The band released Old School Dropouts on the revived Black Park Records label in 2000. The band recorded the record themselves and promoted it sparingly in the American South. The song "Washington" received some airplay on alternative radio.
Lineup changes
Since then, Peele Wimberley and George Huntley have left the band. Wimberley briefly played with another band called Parklife, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue interests in Hollywood and in electronic music. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles band, The Lamps. David, who lost his first wife to cancer, subsequently remarried and has a side interest in painting and art shows, and brother Mike is practicing law in Raleigh. Huntley is now selling real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
and working part time at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
music department. Peele Wimberley was replaced on drums by Steve Ritter and the new lineup recorded the album Old School Dropouts. After several years Ritter was replaced by Chris Stephenson on drums, and Mike Ayers took George's place on lead guitar.
Current activities
The band is also in negotiations for a re-release of out-of-print albums, as well as a release of the band's first official compilation, which will likely come from RykodiscRykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
or Rhino Records. Due to family and career commitments, the band currently plays only a handful of shows each year, normally in the southern part of the United States, usually at benefit concerts and music festivals.
The band's catalog was acquired by Bicycle Recording Company, an independent publisher based in Beverly Hills, CA in April 2010 and has reissued the band's TVT catalog digitally through IODA (The Independent Online Distribution Alliance). The releases will be available August 31, 2010 on most digital music stores.
Albums
- Darker Days (1985)
- Boylan HeightsBoylan Heights (album)Boylan Heights is the second album by the American pop/rock band The Connells, released in 1987, and their first for TVT Records. The title of the album references the historic Boylan Heights neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina.-Track listing:...
(1987) - Fun & Games (1989)
- One Simple WordOne Simple Word (album)One Simple Word is the fourth album by the American pop/rock band The Connells, released in 1990.-Track listing:#"Stone Cold Yesterday" - 3:57#"Speak To Me" - 3:56#"All Sinks In" - 3:13...
(1990) - Ring (1993)
- Weird Food and DevastationWeird Food and DevastationWeird Food And Devastation is the sixth studio album by the American pop/rock band The Connells, released in 1996.-Track listing:#"Maybe" - 2:30#"Start" - 4:06#"Fifth Fret" - 3:40...
(1996) - Still LifeStill Life (The Connells album)Still Life is the seventh studio album by the American pop/rock band The Connells, released in 1998.-Track listing:#"Dull, Brown And Gray" - 3:11#"The Leper" - 3:06#"Bruise" - 3:05...
(1998) - Old School DropoutsOld School DropoutsOld School Dropouts is the 8th studio album by the American pop/rock band The Connells, released in 2001. It was released by the band themselves on their Black Park Records label after parting ways with TVT...
(2001)
Music videos
- Hats Off (1986; directed by Grady Cooper and Demetre Gionis)
- Seven (1986; dir. by Frank Thompson)
- Scotty's Lament (1988; dir. by John Schultz)
- Over There (1988; dir. by Peyton ReedPeyton ReedPeyton Reed is an American television and film director.Reed was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reed directed the motion pictures Bring It On, Down with Love, and The Break-Up; all comedy films...
) - Something to Say (1989)
- Stone Cold Yesterday (1990; dir. by Mark PellingtonMark Pellington-Life and career:Pellington was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He directed The Mothman Prophecies, a 2002 film starring Richard Gere dealing with mysterious deaths foretold by a strange red-eyed flying creature, Mothman, as well as Arlington Road in 1999 starring Tim Robbins and Jeff Bridges....
) - Get A Gun (1990; dir. by John Schultz)
- Slackjawed (1993; dir. by Peyton ReedPeyton ReedPeyton Reed is an American television and film director.Reed was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reed directed the motion pictures Bring It On, Down with Love, and The Break-Up; all comedy films...
) - '74 - '75'74 - '75"74–'75" is a 1993 single from the album Ring by the American band The Connells. The song became a big hit in Europe, particularly in Sweden and Norway where it topped the singles charts in 1995.- Music video :...
(1993; dir. by Mark PellingtonMark Pellington-Life and career:Pellington was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He directed The Mothman Prophecies, a 2002 film starring Richard Gere dealing with mysterious deaths foretold by a strange red-eyed flying creature, Mothman, as well as Arlington Road in 1999 starring Tim Robbins and Jeff Bridges....
) - New Boy (1993; dir. by Peyton ReedPeyton ReedPeyton Reed is an American television and film director.Reed was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reed directed the motion pictures Bring It On, Down with Love, and The Break-Up; all comedy films...
) - Maybe (1996; dir. by Grady Cooper and Norwood CheekNorwood CheekNorwood Cheek is a filmmaker and has directed many music videos for bands such as Superchunk, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Ben Folds Five, AFI, Toenut, 12 Stones, French Kicks, the Donnas, Soul Coughing and many others. He directed an episode of the USA Networks GvsE and has made commercials for X-Large...
) - Fifth Fret (1996; dir. by Phil Harder and Rick Fuller)
Side and solo projects
During the early days of the band, MacMillan often played with other area bands. He is also the voice of Captain Stickman in the Captain Stickman vs. Color Black videos.In 1996, George Huntley released a solo record of additional material that he had written over the years he spent with The Connells, titled Brain Junk. The record was released on The Connells' record label, TVT. Brain Junk featured Huntley's honesty and the trademark jangly guitar work which was evident on early Connells recordings. This effort was quite different from Huntley's contributions to The Connells (such as "Sal," "Doin' You," and "Motel"), and featured a more stripped-down sound as well as some songs which sound as if they could have come a Connells release. On this record, Huntley explored various styles that did not fit in with The Connells' sound. "Ever Want Me To" was the first single from the record and TVT Records
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
had a video made of the song starring Huntley. The second single, "Catch Fire," was used in the Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
/ Dennis Leary film, Two If By Sea.
Doug MacMillan's side project is the band Mommie, which records lyrics and music written by MacMillan and his children. The most notable song is "Dumptruck," which has been played live by The Connells. Prior to that MacMillan was involved in a project called The Clifmen. This group, composed of musicians from various Raleigh independent bands, made one record.
Peele Wimberley played drums with various artists after his stint with The Connells including Parklife, Taylor Roberts, and Milagro Saints. After moving to Los Angeles Wimberley played keys and percussion in Lamps with John Crooke and David Burris, formerly of Jolene, Chris Phillips of Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Vicki Peterson of The Bangles. During his first few years in Los Angeles he wrote and cowrote incidental music for the show Last Comic Standing and for special products such as the DVD releases of the films Yes Man and Observe and Report. Peele has released an album under the name Silveradio which features his own songwriting and playing and is currently pursuing his electronic music interests with a project named Sleepie Digitz, as well as having played drums on upcoming releases by Apollo Heights and Ocean Carolina.
Mike graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a bachelors degree in 1981, and received his Juris Doctor (Law) degree also from UNC Chapel Hill in 1985. He was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1986. Mike currently practices law at a firm in North Carolina, specializing in workers' compensation law.
David Connell is a successful painter in the Raleigh art community. His works have been on display in galleries in Raleigh, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and elsewhere.
Steve Potak has played keyboards with numerous Raleigh bands, most notably the band Stream.
First band to headline a concert at Raleigh's Walnut Creek amphitheater in 1991, and on June 4, 2010, was the first band to headline the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater.
John Schultz's first film, Bandwagon
Bandwagon (film)
Bandwagon is a 1996 film by writer/director John Schultz, starring Lee Holmes and Kevin Corrigan. The movie was only released on VHS but has since gained a Cult film status.-Production:...
, was based on experiences in the early days of The Connells' career. Doug MacMillan has acted in almost every John Schultz film. He played one of the main characters in Bandwagon where he was the Zen-like band manager, Linus Tate. MacMillan has also performed in several other Schultz films: he had the role of the science teacher in Drive Me Crazy
Drive Me Crazy
-Tracklisting:# " Crazy " - Britney Spears# "Unforgetful You" - Jars of Clay# "I Want It That Way " - Backstreet Boys# "It's All Been Done" - Barenaked Ladies# "Stranded" - Plumb...
, briefly played a valet in Like Mike
Like Mike
Like Mike is a 2002 film, directed by John Schultz and starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki and Brenda Song. It was produced in association with NBA Entertainment and features many cameo appearances by NBA stars...
, and had a role as a Health Inspector in the recent remake of The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners (2005 film)
The Honeymooners is a 2005 family comedy film directed by John Schultz, which, unlike the original television series, stars an African American cast featuring Cedric the Entertainer, Gabrielle Union, Mike Epps, and Regina Hall. It is based on the TV series of the same name...
.
They recorded a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
's "Insane In the Brain" for When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear.