The Specs
Encyclopedia
The Specs was a New Wave
cover band
from Lincoln
, Nebraska
, featuring a teenage Matthew Sweet
, that played together from 1978–1980.
player, having practiced the complicated bass lines of Yes
records for hours every day. When he was in the eighth or ninth grade, he met some of the Specs' other band members, who were all college students, at a music store. The band had previously been called Spectrum and had been covering
Top 40 songs. As the Specs, they started performing more New Wave and 1960s music, by bands such as the Jam
, the Vibrators
, the Yardbirds
and the Who
.
Although they were a cover band, in 1980 they did release one original song, called "Look Out Girl (You Need a Direction)", on the compilation The KFMQ Homegrown Album.
. In 1983, Sweet left Lincoln to be part of the Athens, Georgia music scene
and became a member of Oh-OK
, Community Trolls
and the Buzz of Delight
, before going on to have a successful solo career.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
from Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, featuring a teenage Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
, that played together from 1978–1980.
History
Sweet grew up in Lincoln in a musical family, and as a child he learned to play multiple instruments; by his early teens he was already a very proficient bassBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player, having practiced the complicated bass lines of Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
records for hours every day. When he was in the eighth or ninth grade, he met some of the Specs' other band members, who were all college students, at a music store. The band had previously been called Spectrum and had been covering
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...
Top 40 songs. As the Specs, they started performing more New Wave and 1960s music, by bands such as the Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
, the Vibrators
The Vibrators
- Early career:The Vibrators were founded by Ian 'Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards. They first came to public notice at the 100 Club when they backed Chris Spedding in 1976. On Spedding's recommendation, Mickie Most signed them to his...
, the Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
and the Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
.
Although they were a cover band, in 1980 they did release one original song, called "Look Out Girl (You Need a Direction)", on the compilation The KFMQ Homegrown Album.
Members
The band's members were as follows:- Rick Morris – 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...
- Sara Kovanda – 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...
, 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... - Matthew SweetMatthew SweetSidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Don Holmquist – 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 ....
- Jeff Runnings – keyboards (final line-up)
- John Link – bass guitar
- Dave Snider
After the Specs
The Specs broke up in 1980. Rick Morris and Sara Kovanda went on to join the Click, and which became a popular, influential New Wave band in the Lincoln music scene. Kovanda now works as a painter in Lincoln. Jeff Runnings became a member of Hymn to Joy; since 1984 he has been in For AgainstFor Against
For Against are a United States post-punk/proto-shoegaze rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska. Despite numerous lineup shuffles and some periods of dormancy, the band has produced material steadily from its 1984 inception to the present.-History:...
. In 1983, Sweet left Lincoln to be part of the Athens, Georgia music scene
Music of Athens, Georgia
The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and New Wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s, and several long-time indie rock groups...
and became a member of Oh-OK
Oh-OK
Oh-OK was an American musical group from Athens, Georgia formed in 1981 with singer/lyricist Linda Hopper, bassist/vocalist/lyricist Lynda Stipe, and drummer David Pierce. Other members later included drummer David McNair and guitarist Matthew Sweet. The trio began practicing together at parties in...
, Community Trolls
Community Trolls
Community Trolls was the group name of a short-lived musical collaboration between Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Matthew Sweet. In 1983, before either of them were very famous, they collaborated as part of the Athens, Georgia music scene, writing and recording three songs together...
and the Buzz of Delight
The Buzz of Delight
The Buzz of Delight was a band consisting of Matthew Sweet and David Pierce, which was active from 1983–1985.-Background:Matthew Sweet grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was musical from an early age, and as a teenager made 4-track cassettes of songs he wrote. Sweet was an early fan of R.E.M., as...
, before going on to have a successful solo career.