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The Radiators (US)
Encyclopedia
The Radiators, also known as The New Orleans Radiators, are a rock band
from New Orleans, Louisiana
, who have combined the traditional musical styles of their native city with more mainstream rock
and R&B
influences to form a bouncy, funky variety of swamp-rock they call fish-head music. Described by OffBeat
magazine as "New Orleans' longest-running and most successful rock band", The Radiators' have had limited commercial success, with only a handful of chart appearances, but, as a party band from a party town, their enthusiastic live performances, danceable beats and relentless touring have earned the band a dedicated following and the admiration of many of their peers. In a feat of continuity rarely seen in the rock music world, the current (2010) five-man lineup is the same as when the band was formed in 1978.
The Radiators have a repertoire which includes over three hundred original songs—many never released on album—and over one thousand covers (or partial covers used as part of a medley). With the band's approval, over 500 concert recordings have been made available for free (for non-commercial use) on the Internet Archive
.
On June 10, 2011, at Tipitana's in New Orleans, LA, during the second of their final three concerts, The Radiators were inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
.
and other band members, their concerts typically also include a wide variety of music written by other artists. From the local New Orleans scene, The Radiators often feature works by, among others, The Meters
, Dr. John
, Allen Toussaint
, Fats Domino
, Earl King
, Jelly Roll Morton
, and, of course, Professor Longhair
, several of whom have played with The Radiators at one time or another. The Radiators also cover songs traditionally associated with New Orleans or Mardi Gras
, such as Iko Iko
and St. James Infirmary Blues
.
From the world of the blues
, The Radiators perform standards by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters
, Jimmy Reed
, Lightnin' Hopkins
, Howlin' Wolf
and more. They also cover early rock and roll
and R&B artists such as Elvis Presley
, Ray Charles
, Chuck Berry
and Mose Allison
.
Their biggest influence, though, outside of the music of New Orleans, comes from the popular music of the sixties and seventies. Fellow swamp-rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival
and J. J. Cale are well represented in The Radiators' repertoire, as are more mainstream acts such as The Beatles
, The Rolling Stones
, Bob Dylan
, Van Morrison
, Jimi Hendrix
, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton
, Taj Mahal
, The Doors
, The Allman Brothers, Marvin Gaye
, Smokey Robinson
, Sam Cooke
, Stevie Wonder
, Jesse Winchester
, Little Feat
(to whom the band are often compared) and Parliament-Funkadelic
. Songs by eighties-era artists such as Talking Heads
and Elvis Costello
show up in The Radiators' performances as well.
Ed Volker's garage. At the time, Volker, Camile Baudoin
and Frank Bua, Jr. were in a band called The Rhapsodizers, while Dave Malone
and Reggie Scanlan
were in a band called Road Apple. Scanlan had also, not long before, been a member of Professor Longhair's
touring band. The five musicians felt an immediate rapport. Scanlan later said, "we jammed for five hours straight, then all quit our old bands the next day."
. Within a couple of years, the band released their first album, Work Done on Premises
on their own Croaker label. Fittingly, for a live act like The Radiators, this was a live double album, taped on May 9, 1980 at Tipitina's
club in New Orleans, a favorite venue the Radiators would return to many times in the future. Most of the songs on Work Done on Premises were written by Ed Volker, with one, "Hard Core", credited to the entire band, and another, "Red Dress", a collaboration between Volker and guitarist Dave Malone.
The following year, the band released their first studio album, Heat Generation
, again on the Croaker label. Like all of the Radiators' studio albums to come, this primarily featured tried-and-tested material from their live shows, rather than new compositions created for the album. All the songs were penned by Volker except the very short title track, which was credited to the whole band. Neither album attracted much national attention, but both helped cement the band's reputation in the city of New Orleans.
After this brief venture into album-making, the band turned their focus back to what they did best: performing live. They played massive, marathon-length concerts with an emphasis on funky dance beats mixed with fiery rock licks, and their popularity continued to grow. As students from Tulane graduated and moved on to other cities, they spread the word about The Radiators, and the band began to establish a fan base beyond New Orleans and Louisiana.
It was during this era that The Radiators started playing at the M.O.M.'s Ball, a notorious, private masquerade and concert held in New Orleans each year before Mardi Gras
. Ed Volker's previous band, the Rhapsodizers, had earlier been the featured act at this party, so it was natural for The Radiators to take over. The M.O.M.'s Ball, put on by the renegade Krewe
of Mystic Orphans and Misfits, would become an inspiration for other private parties hosted by groups of Radiators fans in other cities.
The band's increasing popularity, coupled with winning a battle of the bands sponsored by Epic, attracted the attention of the major labels, and in 1987 the Radiators signed with Epic Records
and entered a recording studio for the first time in over half a decade. The result was Law of the Fish
, their first actual hit record, which made it up to #139 on the Billboard charts—almost, but not quite, in the top 100. The album was compared favorably to acts such as Little Feat
and The Allman Brothers Band
.
Their next album on Epic, 1989's Zig-Zaggin' Through Ghostland
, was their biggest release ever, making it all the way up to #122 on Billboard, but it also failed to crack the top 100, and when Total Evaporation
, their third album with Epic, failed to make the charts at all, the band and the label parted ways.
Later, the label would release Party On, a compilation of songs from The Radiators' three Epic albums, and The Best of the Radiators: Songs from the Ancient Furnace
, another compilation with songs from the same three albums, plus some previously unreleased material. One critic wrote of this last, "this wasn't the Radiators' best era". Even those who agree, however, would have to admit that it was the era of their greatest mainstream success.
While traditional rock and roll success had so-far eluded the Radiators, they had, at least, managed to establish a broad enough fan base that they could make regular national tours, and so they did, and continue to do. In 1992, they released Snafu 10-31-'91
, on their old Croaker label. This was a live album—their first in over a decade—recorded in New Orleans, at a private Halloween
party hosted by the Krewe of SNAFU, on October 31, 1991. This self-published album was not distributed widely, and copies are rare.
The Radiators then released another live album, 1994's Bucket of Fish, also on the Croaker Records label, and a studio album, 1995's New Dark Ages on WAR? records out of Colorado. Then, once more, the band returned to the road and what they did best, touring.
More and more cities began hosting special masquerade shows with the Radiators, inspired by the M.O.M.'s Ball, and the band earned the coveted closing spot on one of the main stages at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
, which they hold to this day, and where they often play before crowds of up to thirty thousand people. In 1998, they released another live album, Live at the Great American Music Hall, recorded at a club in San Francisco
. This album was distributed by another small label, Popmafia, then The Radiators signed with Rattlesby Records, a small label from Georgia
, in 2001 to release another studio album titled, simply, The Radiators
. Bucket of Fish and New Dark Ages were also re-released under the Rattlesby label, and continue to be distributed.
, the band created their first concert DVD, Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25
. Despite the name, this was not a retrospective or a "greatest hits" compilation, but simply a record of the band, as they were after twenty-five years together. The DVD contained the complete concert of January 31, 2004, as well as excerpts from concerts on January 2, January 29 and January 30, and featured numerous guests, including Gregg Allman
, Maceo Parker
, George Porter, Jr.
of The Meters
, and members of Bonerama
. A CD of the same name
, but featuring an almost completely different set of songs from the same shows, was released at the same time.
After floods in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
destroyed much of New Orleans in 2005, The Radiators appeared in a hurricane-relief benefit concert broadcast simultaneously on MTV
, VH1
and CMT
on September 10. After taping their segment for the benefit in Los Angeles, the band flew to San Francisco for a previous-scheduled concert that same night. The set list for that concert featured songs that reflected the band's concerns for the events in their home city, including Bob Dylan's
Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood) and Volker's own Hold Back the Flood. The first set featured a guest appearance by Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir
, and the second set finished with Volker's Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right, an obvious plea to remember the plight of New Orleans refugees. A fan recording of this concert quickly became the most downloaded show in the Internet Archive's
Radiators collection.
In early 2006, in a city still devastated, The Radiators returned to the studio for the first time in five years, to produce Dreaming out Loud
, which was released at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in spring of 2006. The album was initially only available through the band's website, and through local Louisiana distributors, but in fall of 2006, it was picked up by the SCI Fidelity
label and given a new cover and national distribution.
In November 2006, Bob Zmuda
's American version of the Comic Relief charity organization hosted a charity benefit for Katrina victims, and The Radiators were chosen to be the house band for the New Orleans-based segments of the nationally broadcast event.
The band's breakup was the result of Ed Volker's decision to retire. The Radiators played an series of final concerts around the country, ending with a final weekend at Tipitina's
on June 9–11, 2011.
From the earliest days, The Radiators have used fish and fish-related themes in their iconography. They refer to their music as "Fish Head Music" and their fans call themselves "Fishheads" (similar to the term "Deadheads" used for fans of the Grateful Dead
, not to be confused with "Phish
Heads"). Their first self-owned label was "Croaker", named for the common variety of fish
. Their album covers, album and song names, and lyrics are full of fishy references.
The Radiators association with masquerade balls started with their appearances at the annual private party, the M.O.M.s Ball, in New Orleans, hosted by the Krewe of Mystic Orphans and Misfits. The M.O.M.'s Ball started in 1972, predating the creation of The Radiators, but by the early eighties, The Radiators had become the designated musical entertainment for the ball. Each year, the ball was given its own special title. For example, the 1984 M.O.M.'s Ball was titled Void Where Not Prohibited, and in 2002, the title was Forever Tongue.
As the band's popularity spread beyond New Orleans, groups of fans began organizing themselves into regional clubs, called krewes in imitation of the traditional New Orleans Carnival krewes, rather than forming one central fan club. These clubs adopted fanciful names, such as the Krewe of DADs in Minneapolis – Saint Paul (one of the first such groups), the Monkeykrewe in Florida
, the Krewe de Playa in Los Angeles
and the Krewe of SNAFU in the band's home town of New Orleans. These krewes began holding special private parties featuring The Radiators, usually masquerade balls like the M.O.M.s Ball. Also like the M.O.M.'s Ball, these parties are usually given both collective and individual names. For example, the Krewe of DADs hosts the annual DAD's Ball (an obvious homage to the M.O.M.'s Ball), and the 2003 DAD's Ball was titled Grin and Bare It.
The Radiators frequently compose special songs for these parties, inspired by the party's subtitle. Usually, these songs are throw-aways—simple modifications of existing, well-known songs. But sometimes a whole new song would enter the band's repertoire this way, for example, "Fuckem If They Can't Take a Joke" from the 2003 M.O.M.'s Ball. This song has yet to be released on any album, but has been performed in concert many times since 2003.
In the early '80s, the band added percussionist and singer Glenn Sears, but he left the band in the '90s. The current lineup is the same as it was in 1978, when the band was formed.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, who have combined the traditional musical styles of their native city with more mainstream rock
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...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
influences to form a bouncy, funky variety of swamp-rock they call fish-head music. Described by OffBeat
OffBeat (magazine)
OffBeat is a monthly music magazine in New Orleans, Louisiana first published in 1988. It mainly focuses on the music scene of New Orleans and Louisiana. It covers wide range of local music including R&B, blues, brass bands, jazz, cajun music, zydeco, to rock....
magazine as "New Orleans' longest-running and most successful rock band", The Radiators' have had limited commercial success, with only a handful of chart appearances, but, as a party band from a party town, their enthusiastic live performances, danceable beats and relentless touring have earned the band a dedicated following and the admiration of many of their peers. In a feat of continuity rarely seen in the rock music world, the current (2010) five-man lineup is the same as when the band was formed in 1978.
The Radiators have a repertoire which includes over three hundred original songs—many never released on album—and over one thousand covers (or partial covers used as part of a medley). With the band's approval, over 500 concert recordings have been made available for free (for non-commercial use) on the Internet Archive
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
.
On June 10, 2011, at Tipitana's in New Orleans, LA, during the second of their final three concerts, The Radiators were inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame is an IRS certified 501 non-profit organization based in the state capitol of Baton Rouge, La., that seeks to preserve Louisiana's rich music culture and heritage and to further educate its citizens and people worldwide about the state’s unique role contributing...
.
Music style
The Radiators wear their influences on their sleeve, or, at least, proudly display them in concert. While their albums mainly feature songs written by chief songwriter Ed "Zeke" VolkerEd Volker
Ed Volker, aka Zeke is a singer, songwriter and keyboard player from New Orleans, Louisiana, and a founding member of the legendary New Orleans band, The Radiators...
and other band members, their concerts typically also include a wide variety of music written by other artists. From the local New Orleans scene, The Radiators often feature works by, among others, The Meters
The Meters
The Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...
, Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
, Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
, Earl King
Earl King
This article is about the musical artist. For the Earl King convicted of murdering a ship's officer, see Earl King, Ernest Ramsay, and Frank Conner...
, Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
, and, of course, Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
, several of whom have played with The Radiators at one time or another. The Radiators also cover songs traditionally associated with New Orleans or Mardi Gras
New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Carnival celebration well-known throughout the world.The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of Lent, starts after Twelfth Night, on Epiphany . It is a season of parades, balls , and king cake parties...
, such as Iko Iko
Iko Iko
"Iko Iko" is a much-covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two "tribes" of Mardi Gras Indians. The song, under the original title "Jock-A-Mo", was written in 1953 by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford in New Orleans. The story tells of a "spy boy" or "spy dog" "Iko Iko" is a...
and St. James Infirmary Blues
St. James Infirmary Blues
"St. James Infirmary Blues" is based on an 18th century traditional English folk song of anonymous origin, though sometimes credited to the songwriter Joe Primrose . Louis Armstrong made it famous in his influential 1928 recording.-Authorship and history:"St...
.
From the world of the 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...
, The Radiators perform standards by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
, Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
, Lightnin' Hopkins
Lightnin' Hopkins
Sam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
, Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
and more. They also cover early rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and R&B artists such as Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
and Mose Allison
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
.
Their biggest influence, though, outside of the music of New Orleans, comes from the popular music of the sixties and seventies. Fellow swamp-rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
and J. J. Cale are well represented in The Radiators' repertoire, as are more mainstream acts such as 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...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, 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...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
, The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, The Allman Brothers, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
, Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970...
, Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
(to whom the band are often compared) and Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
. Songs by eighties-era artists such as Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
and Elvis Costello
Elvis 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...
show up in The Radiators' performances as well.
History
The Radiators were formed in January 1978 after a jam session in keyboardistKeyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Ed Volker's garage. At the time, Volker, Camile Baudoin
Camile Baudoin
Camile Baudoin is a guitar player from New Orleans, Louisiana and a founding member of The Radiators.Baudoin shares lead guitar duties in The Radiators with Dave Malone, and plays with or without a slide...
and Frank Bua, Jr. were in a band called The Rhapsodizers, while Dave Malone
Dave Malone
Dave Malone born August 29, 1952 in New Orleans, Louisiana is best known as the guitarist/vocalist, and sometimes songwriter, of The Radiators. He has also worked with a wide variety of other musicians, in and out of New Orleans. He has recorded more than a dozen albums with the Radiators,...
and Reggie Scanlan
Reggie Scanlan
Reggie Scanlan is a bass guitar player and photographer from New Orleans, Louisiana and a founding member of swamp rock band, The Radiators.According to Matthew Haggman of radio station WWOZ in New Orleans, "In the early seventies Scanlan made enough of a name for himself as a bassist to record...
were in a band called Road Apple. Scanlan had also, not long before, been a member of Professor Longhair's
Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
touring band. The five musicians felt an immediate rapport. Scanlan later said, "we jammed for five hours straight, then all quit our old bands the next day."
The early years
As already-established musicians in New Orleans, the newly-formed band was quickly able to find work in the city's bars and clubs, including a weekly Wednesday night show at Luigi's Pizza Parlor on Elysian Fields, which was canceled after Bua brought in a real chainsaw during a performance of their song "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Their high-energy style of rock-and-roll quickly earned them fans among the locals, especially among the students at Tulane UniversityTulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. Within a couple of years, the band released their first album, Work Done on Premises
Work Done on Premises
Work Done on Premises is the first album and first live album released by The Radiators .-Overview:Three years after they were formed, The Radiators finally released their first album on their own Croaker label. The album is a live concert recording of a performance at Tipitina's nightclub in the...
on their own Croaker label. Fittingly, for a live act like The Radiators, this was a live double album, taped on May 9, 1980 at Tipitina's
Tipitina's
Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977. The name was inspired by a well-known song by Professor Longhair who also performed there until his death...
club in New Orleans, a favorite venue the Radiators would return to many times in the future. Most of the songs on Work Done on Premises were written by Ed Volker, with one, "Hard Core", credited to the entire band, and another, "Red Dress", a collaboration between Volker and guitarist Dave Malone.
Heat Generation
Heat Generation is the second album and first studio album from The Radiators.-Overview:Four years after they had formed, and a year after the release of their first album, The Radiators entered the studio for the first time to create Heat Generation...
, again on the Croaker label. Like all of the Radiators' studio albums to come, this primarily featured tried-and-tested material from their live shows, rather than new compositions created for the album. All the songs were penned by Volker except the very short title track, which was credited to the whole band. Neither album attracted much national attention, but both helped cement the band's reputation in the city of New Orleans.
After this brief venture into album-making, the band turned their focus back to what they did best: performing live. They played massive, marathon-length concerts with an emphasis on funky dance beats mixed with fiery rock licks, and their popularity continued to grow. As students from Tulane graduated and moved on to other cities, they spread the word about The Radiators, and the band began to establish a fan base beyond New Orleans and Louisiana.
It was during this era that The Radiators started playing at the M.O.M.'s Ball, a notorious, private masquerade and concert held in New Orleans each year before Mardi Gras
New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Carnival celebration well-known throughout the world.The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of Lent, starts after Twelfth Night, on Epiphany . It is a season of parades, balls , and king cake parties...
. Ed Volker's previous band, the Rhapsodizers, had earlier been the featured act at this party, so it was natural for The Radiators to take over. The M.O.M.'s Ball, put on by the renegade Krewe
Krewe
A krewe is an organization that puts on a parade and or a ball for the Carnival season. The term is best known for its association with New Orleans Mardi Gras, but is also used in other Carnival celebrations around the Gulf of Mexico, such as the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa, Florida, and...
of Mystic Orphans and Misfits, would become an inspiration for other private parties hosted by groups of Radiators fans in other cities.
The Epic years
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
and entered a recording studio for the first time in over half a decade. The result was Law of the Fish
Law of the Fish
Law of the Fish is the third album by The Radiators. It is their second studio album and their first major label release.-Overview:After a five-year hiatus from record-making , The Radiators signed with Epic Records and released their first major label album, which helped introduce their...
, their first actual hit record, which made it up to #139 on the Billboard charts—almost, but not quite, in the top 100. The album was compared favorably to acts such as Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
and The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
.
Their next album on Epic, 1989's Zig-Zaggin' Through Ghostland
Zig-Zaggin' Through Ghostland
Zig-Zaggin' Through Ghostland is the fourth album by The Radiators, and their third studio album.-Overview:After the moderate success of their major label debut, Law of the Fish, the Radiators returned to the studio to create Zig-Zaggin' Through Ghostland...
, was their biggest release ever, making it all the way up to #122 on Billboard, but it also failed to crack the top 100, and when Total Evaporation
Total Evaporation
Total Evaporation is the fifth album by The Radiators, and their fourth studio album.-Overview:After two moderately successful albums on the Epic label, The Radiators collaborated with producer Jim Dickinson to produce a third...
, their third album with Epic, failed to make the charts at all, the band and the label parted ways.
Later, the label would release Party On, a compilation of songs from The Radiators' three Epic albums, and The Best of the Radiators: Songs from the Ancient Furnace
The Best of the Radiators: Songs from the Ancient Furnace
The Best of the Radiators: Songs from the Ancient Furnace is the second compilation album from The Radiators, released by Epic Records in 1997.-Overview:...
, another compilation with songs from the same three albums, plus some previously unreleased material. One critic wrote of this last, "this wasn't the Radiators' best era". Even those who agree, however, would have to admit that it was the era of their greatest mainstream success.
The 1990s and Rattlesby
Snafu 10-31-'91
Snafu 10-31-'91 is the second live album by The Radiators, and their sixth album overall.-Overview:After parting company with Epic records, The Radiators returned to their own Croaker label in 1992 with their first live album in a decade. The album was recorded at a Halloween concert hosted by the...
, on their old Croaker label. This was a live album—their first in over a decade—recorded in New Orleans, at a private Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
party hosted by the Krewe of SNAFU, on October 31, 1991. This self-published album was not distributed widely, and copies are rare.
The Radiators then released another live album, 1994's Bucket of Fish, also on the Croaker Records label, and a studio album, 1995's New Dark Ages on WAR? records out of Colorado. Then, once more, the band returned to the road and what they did best, touring.
More and more cities began hosting special masquerade shows with the Radiators, inspired by the M.O.M.'s Ball, and the band earned the coveted closing spot on one of the main stages at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana...
, which they hold to this day, and where they often play before crowds of up to thirty thousand people. In 1998, they released another live album, Live at the Great American Music Hall, recorded at a club in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. This album was distributed by another small label, Popmafia, then The Radiators signed with Rattlesby Records, a small label from 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...
, in 2001 to release another studio album titled, simply, The Radiators
The Radiators (album)
The Radiators is the self-titled tenth album by The Radiators, and their sixth studio album, released on the Louisiana-based Rattlesby Records label.-Track listing:# "Deep in my Voodoo" — 4:58...
. Bucket of Fish and New Dark Ages were also re-released under the Rattlesby label, and continue to be distributed.
The new century
In January 2004, in honor of their twenty-fifth anniversary, The Radiators decided to hold and film a series of celebratory concerts at Tipitina's, the site where they'd recorded their very first album. With the help of Image EntertainmentImage Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
, the band created their first concert DVD, Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25
Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 (film)
Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 is a 2004 concert film by the New Orleans rock band, The Radiators. Released in honor of the band's twenty-fifth anniversary, the film contains the complete performance from their January 31, 2004 concert at Tipitina's nightclub in New Orleans, and features...
. Despite the name, this was not a retrospective or a "greatest hits" compilation, but simply a record of the band, as they were after twenty-five years together. The DVD contained the complete concert of January 31, 2004, as well as excerpts from concerts on January 2, January 29 and January 30, and featured numerous guests, including Gregg Allman
Gregg Allman
Gregory Lenoir Allman , known as Gregg Allman, is a rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia...
, Maceo Parker
Maceo Parker
Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
, George Porter, Jr.
George Porter, Jr.
George Porter, Jr. is a musician best known as the bassist and singer of The Meters. Along with Art Neville, Porter formed the group in the mid 60's and came to be recognized as one of the progenitors of funk. The Meters disbanded in 1977, but reformed in 1989...
of The Meters
The Meters
The Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...
, and members of Bonerama
Bonerama
Bonerama is a brass funk rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.Bonerama was formed in 1998 by trombone players Mark Mullins and Craig Klein, who, from 1990 up until late 2006, were also members of Harry Connick Jr.'s big band...
. A CD of the same name
Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 (album)
Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 is the thirteenth album released by The Radiators in their twenty-five year long career, and their fifth live album...
, but featuring an almost completely different set of songs from the same shows, was released at the same time.
After floods in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
destroyed much of New Orleans in 2005, The Radiators appeared in a hurricane-relief benefit concert broadcast simultaneously on 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....
, 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...
and CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
on September 10. After taping their segment for the benefit in Los Angeles, the band flew to San Francisco for a previous-scheduled concert that same night. The set list for that concert featured songs that reflected the band's concerns for the events in their home city, including Bob Dylan's
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...
Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood) and Volker's own Hold Back the Flood. The first set featured a guest appearance by Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
, and the second set finished with Volker's Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right, an obvious plea to remember the plight of New Orleans refugees. A fan recording of this concert quickly became the most downloaded show in the Internet Archive's
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
Radiators collection.
Dreaming out Loud (The Radiators album)
Dreaming Out Loud is the fourteenth album from The Radiators, and their seventh original studio album overall. Recorded in New Orleans not long after Hurricane Katrina had devastated that city, and initially released on The Radiators' own Radz Records label, Dreaming Out Loud did not receive wide...
, which was released at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in spring of 2006. The album was initially only available through the band's website, and through local Louisiana distributors, but in fall of 2006, it was picked up by the SCI Fidelity
SCI Fidelity
Formed in 1998, SCI Fidelity Records is an independent record label based in Boulder, Colorado. It is owned and managed by the jam band The String Cheese Incident....
label and given a new cover and national distribution.
In November 2006, Bob Zmuda
Bob Zmuda
Bob Zmuda is an American writer, comedian, producer and director best known as the sidekick, co-writer and friend of cult personality Andy Kaufman....
's American version of the Comic Relief charity organization hosted a charity benefit for Katrina victims, and The Radiators were chosen to be the house band for the New Orleans-based segments of the nationally broadcast event.
Breakup
On November 8, 2010, the following was posted on the band's official website, theradiators.org:
FOLD UP THE BIG TOP
After 33 years..over 4500 live shows..and a dozen albums..legendary New Orleans rockers The Radiators are finally calling it quits. The band has officially decided to break up in mid-June following their final tour which will include one last New Year's Eve run, a MOMs Ball and also headlining their final appearance at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The band will honor all dates already on their schedule and are planning to add as many shows as possible before ending their storied 33 year career. The guys want to whole-heartedly thank their long time fans for making this ride as amazing as it has been. They truly feel that their fans are the best and most dedicated in the world and have kept their traveling circus alive. Individual band members will announce their plans in the near future.
The band's breakup was the result of Ed Volker's decision to retire. The Radiators played an series of final concerts around the country, ending with a final weekend at Tipitina's
Tipitina's
Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977. The name was inspired by a well-known song by Professor Longhair who also performed there until his death...
on June 9–11, 2011.
Fish iconography
From the earliest days, The Radiators have used fish and fish-related themes in their iconography. They refer to their music as "Fish Head Music" and their fans call themselves "Fishheads" (similar to the term "Deadheads" used for fans of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, not to be confused with "Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
Heads"). Their first self-owned label was "Croaker", named for the common variety of fish
Sciaenidae
Sciaenidae is a family of fish commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make...
. Their album covers, album and song names, and lyrics are full of fishy references.
Fan krewes and balls
The Radiators association with masquerade balls started with their appearances at the annual private party, the M.O.M.s Ball, in New Orleans, hosted by the Krewe of Mystic Orphans and Misfits. The M.O.M.'s Ball started in 1972, predating the creation of The Radiators, but by the early eighties, The Radiators had become the designated musical entertainment for the ball. Each year, the ball was given its own special title. For example, the 1984 M.O.M.'s Ball was titled Void Where Not Prohibited, and in 2002, the title was Forever Tongue.
As the band's popularity spread beyond New Orleans, groups of fans began organizing themselves into regional clubs, called krewes in imitation of the traditional New Orleans Carnival krewes, rather than forming one central fan club. These clubs adopted fanciful names, such as the Krewe of DADs in Minneapolis – Saint Paul (one of the first such groups), the Monkeykrewe in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the Krewe de Playa in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and the Krewe of SNAFU in the band's home town of New Orleans. These krewes began holding special private parties featuring The Radiators, usually masquerade balls like the M.O.M.s Ball. Also like the M.O.M.'s Ball, these parties are usually given both collective and individual names. For example, the Krewe of DADs hosts the annual DAD's Ball (an obvious homage to the M.O.M.'s Ball), and the 2003 DAD's Ball was titled Grin and Bare It.
The Radiators frequently compose special songs for these parties, inspired by the party's subtitle. Usually, these songs are throw-aways—simple modifications of existing, well-known songs. But sometimes a whole new song would enter the band's repertoire this way, for example, "Fuckem If They Can't Take a Joke" from the 2003 M.O.M.'s Ball. This song has yet to be released on any album, but has been performed in concert many times since 2003.
Members
- Ed VolkerEd VolkerEd Volker, aka Zeke is a singer, songwriter and keyboard player from New Orleans, Louisiana, and a founding member of the legendary New Orleans band, The Radiators...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Dave MaloneDave MaloneDave Malone born August 29, 1952 in New Orleans, Louisiana is best known as the guitarist/vocalist, and sometimes songwriter, of The Radiators. He has also worked with a wide variety of other musicians, in and out of New Orleans. He has recorded more than a dozen albums with the Radiators,...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Camile BaudoinCamile BaudoinCamile Baudoin is a guitar player from New Orleans, Louisiana and a founding member of The Radiators.Baudoin shares lead guitar duties in The Radiators with Dave Malone, and plays with or without a slide...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Reggie ScanlanReggie ScanlanReggie Scanlan is a bass guitar player and photographer from New Orleans, Louisiana and a founding member of swamp rock band, The Radiators.According to Matthew Haggman of radio station WWOZ in New Orleans, "In the early seventies Scanlan made enough of a name for himself as a bassist to record...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Frank Bua - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
In the early '80s, the band added percussionist and singer Glenn Sears, but he left the band in the '90s. The current lineup is the same as it was in 1978, when the band was formed.
Albums
- Work Done on PremisesWork Done on PremisesWork Done on Premises is the first album and first live album released by The Radiators .-Overview:Three years after they were formed, The Radiators finally released their first album on their own Croaker label. The album is a live concert recording of a performance at Tipitina's nightclub in the...
— (Croaker, 1980) - Heat GenerationHeat GenerationHeat Generation is the second album and first studio album from The Radiators.-Overview:Four years after they had formed, and a year after the release of their first album, The Radiators entered the studio for the first time to create Heat Generation...
— (Croaker, 1981) - Law of the FishLaw of the FishLaw of the Fish is the third album by The Radiators. It is their second studio album and their first major label release.-Overview:After a five-year hiatus from record-making , The Radiators signed with Epic Records and released their first major label album, which helped introduce their...
— (EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, 1987) #139 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
on April 2, 1988 - Zig-Zaggin' Through GhostlandZig-Zaggin' Through GhostlandZig-Zaggin' Through Ghostland is the fourth album by The Radiators, and their third studio album.-Overview:After the moderate success of their major label debut, Law of the Fish, the Radiators returned to the studio to create Zig-Zaggin' Through Ghostland...
— (EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, 1989) #122 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
on June 10, 1989 - Total EvaporationTotal EvaporationTotal Evaporation is the fifth album by The Radiators, and their fourth studio album.-Overview:After two moderately successful albums on the Epic label, The Radiators collaborated with producer Jim Dickinson to produce a third...
— (EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, 1990) - Snafu 10-31-'91Snafu 10-31-'91Snafu 10-31-'91 is the second live album by The Radiators, and their sixth album overall.-Overview:After parting company with Epic records, The Radiators returned to their own Croaker label in 1992 with their first live album in a decade. The album was recorded at a Halloween concert hosted by the...
— (Croaker, 1992) - Bucket of Fish — (Croaker, 1994)
- New Dark Ages — (WAR?, 1995)
- Live at the Great American Music Hall — (Popmafia, 1998)
- The RadiatorsThe Radiators (album)The Radiators is the self-titled tenth album by The Radiators, and their sixth studio album, released on the Louisiana-based Rattlesby Records label.-Track listing:# "Deep in my Voodoo" — 4:58...
— (Rattlesby, 2001) - Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 (album)Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 is the thirteenth album released by The Radiators in their twenty-five year long career, and their fifth live album...
— (Image EntertainmentImage EntertainmentImage Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
, 2004) - Dreaming Out LoudDreaming out Loud (The Radiators album)Dreaming Out Loud is the fourteenth album from The Radiators, and their seventh original studio album overall. Recorded in New Orleans not long after Hurricane Katrina had devastated that city, and initially released on The Radiators' own Radz Records label, Dreaming Out Loud did not receive wide...
— (SCI FidelitySCI FidelityFormed in 1998, SCI Fidelity Records is an independent record label based in Boulder, Colorado. It is owned and managed by the jam band The String Cheese Incident....
, 2006) - The Lost Southlake Sessions — (RADZ Records, 2009)
Compilations
- Party On — (SonySony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, 1996) - The Best of the Radiators: Songs from the Ancient FurnaceThe Best of the Radiators: Songs from the Ancient FurnaceThe Best of the Radiators: Songs from the Ancient Furnace is the second compilation album from The Radiators, released by Epic Records in 1997.-Overview:...
— (EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, 1997) - Wild and Free — (RADZ Records, 2008)
DVDs
- Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 (film)Earth vs. The Radiators: the First 25 is a 2004 concert film by the New Orleans rock band, The Radiators. Released in honor of the band's twenty-fifth anniversary, the film contains the complete performance from their January 31, 2004 concert at Tipitina's nightclub in New Orleans, and features...
— (Image EntertainmentImage EntertainmentImage Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
, 2004)
External links
- The Radiators' official website
- BouillaBase set-lists of the band's past shows
- Radiators Songs A-Z: a List of Some of the Songs Performed by The New Orleans Radiators (includes songwriting credits)
- The Radiators' collection on the Internet Archive'sInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
live music archive - VH1.com : The Radiators
- M.O.M.'s Ball official website