The Del Fuegos
Encyclopedia
History
Formed in 1980, the BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based band gained success in 1984 due to success of their songs "Don't Run Wild" and "I Still Want You" and appearing in a widely-seen television commercial for a beer company. The band's fans included 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...
, who appeared on one of the band's songs and featured them as an opening act on one of his tours.
The relationship between Warren and Dan, then and now, has been described as "fractious". Shortly after the band was dropped by Slash Records
Slash Records
Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
due to the commercial disappointment of their third album for the label, Warren left the band, as did Woody. After Dan and Tom recruited two replacement members, they released a fourth album with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. The band broke up within a year of the album's release. Dan Zanes later said of the group's demise, "The '80s were over, we were over."
The Del Fuegos are referenced in The Juliana Hatfield Three's biggest hit, 1993's "My Sister," as well as in the song "Boston, Mass" by The Ergs. Gang Green
Gang Green
Gang Green is a band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty , Bill Manley and Mike Dean started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1984...
dedicated a track from their album Another Wasted Night
Another Wasted Night
Another Wasted Night was the first full-length album from Boston, Massachusetts hardcore punk/speed metal band, Gang Green. It is perhaps best remembered for their punk cover of the tune "Voices Carry", written by Aimee Mann for her band 'Til Tuesday...
to them.
On June 23 & 24, 2011, the band played together for the first time in 21 years at the Paradise Rock Club
Paradise Rock Club
The Paradise Rock Club, formerly known as the Paradise Theater, is a small music venue in Boston, Massachusetts which opened on September 22, 1977...
in Boston, Massachusetts. These shows raised money for Right Turn, a rehab program run by Woody.
Band Members
Dan Zanes (Guitars/Vocals)Dan released a solo album in 1995. Later, after distributing a cassette of original children's songs throughout his neighborhood, he began recording children's music with his band Dan Zanes and Friends
Dan Zanes and Friends
-History:When Dan Zanes and his wife had a baby, they moved to New York City. Zanes subsequently began playing music with a group of fathers that he had met in West Village playgrounds who were also there with their kids...
. The band's music became very popular due to heavy airplay of the group's music videos on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
. In 2007, his album Catch That Train! received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Musical Album for Children.
Warren Zanes (Guitars)
Warren left the Del Fuegos after the band's third album. He went on to earn two Master's degrees and a Ph.D. in Visual and Cultural Arts. He is also the Vice President of Education at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. He returned to music in 2002 with a solo album titled Memory Girls.
Tom Lloyd (Bass)
Tom left the Del Fuegos after the band's third album. He went back to college and earned a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley before earning a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1999.
Adam Roth (Guitars)
Adam later worked on musical endeavors with comedian Denis Leary
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary is an Irish-American actor, comedian, writer and director. Leary is known for his biting, fast paced comedic style and chain smoking...
and recorded with Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll
James Dennis "Jim" Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.-Biography:Carroll was born to a...
, David JoHanson and Lemonheads
Lemonheads
Lemonheads may refer to:*Lemonhead, a brand of candy produced by the Ferrara Pan Candy Company*The Lemonheads, an alternative rock band from the United States...
frontman Evan Dando
Evan Dando
Evan Griffith Dando is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He is the only original member left in the current Lemonheads line-up, having served as lead singer since the band's original formation in 1986...
. He is currently involved in the bands The Enablers and The Liza Colby Sound.
Steve Morrell (Drums)
Steve quit the Del Fuegos before the band recorded their first album.
Woody Giessmann (Drums)
Woody founded Right Turn, a program offering assistance to artists in recovery from drug addiction and other mental health issues, in 2003.
Joe Donnelly (Drums)
Joe has worked in a number of music projects since the end of the Del Fuegos, including Wiki 3 and Chris Pahud.
Discography
- The Longest Day 1984 Slash RecordsSlash RecordsSlash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
- Boston, Mass. 1985 Slash RecordsSlash RecordsSlash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
U.S. #134 - Spin Radio Concert (live) 1985 BBE Sound
- Stand Up 1987 Slash RecordsSlash RecordsSlash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
U.S. #167 - Smoking in the Fields 1989 RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
U.S. #139 - Best Of The Del Fuegos: The Slash Years 2001 Warner
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 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... |
US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK 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 ... |
|||
| 1985 | "Don’t Run Wild" | – | – | 46 | – | Boston, Mass |
| 1986 | "I Still Want You" | 87 | – | 33 | – | Boston, Mass |
| 1987 | "Name Names" | – | – | 43 | – | Stand Up |
| 1989 | "Move With Me Sister" | – | 22 | 32 | – | Smoking in the Fields |