The Superjesus
Encyclopedia
The Superjesus were an ARIA award–winning rock band
from Adelaide
, Australia
. They are best known for their singles "Shut My Eyes", "Down Again" and "Gravity".
and bass player Stuart Rudd. Tennent was McLeod's guitar teacher at the time and a veteran of the Adelaide music scene, having played in various bands since the 1980s. The band was originally called Hell's Kitchen before changing their name to The Superjesus on the eve of the 1994 Big Day Out
in Adelaide.
Says Paul Berryman of the name: "It was basically just a piss-take on commonly used words in the '90s. Like The Jesus and Mary Chain
, "Jesus Built My Hotrod
", The Jesus Lizard
, Jesus Jones
; there's just heaps of Jesus' out there in the music world so we thought we would have that and super was kind of like a '90s catch word."
The group's debut EP
, Eight Step Rail
, was released in 1996. It spent a couple of months on top of the Australian Independent charts and won two ARIA Awards, in 1997, for Best New Band and also Best Debut Single 'Shut My Eyes'.
All had not always been well with the band internally, and in 1997 Chris Tennent temporarily left. Aaron Tokona from Wellington, New Zealand band Weta
filled in, though chose to turn down the band's offer to become a permanent member.
In April 1997, The Superjesus travelled to the USA in order to record their debut album, Sumo
, with producer Matt Serletic (Collective Soul) and engineer Jeff Tomei (Smashing Pumpkins, Hole). They released Sumo, through Warner Music in 1998, and its success in Australia led to a US release. The band has released two subsequent albums, Jet Age, in 2000, and Rock Music
, in 2003.
Chris Tennent left the Superjesus permanently in 1999 and was replaced by Tim Henwood (who subsequently left in 2002 to concentrate on his work with The Androids
and Rogue Traders
). Jason Slack has since been playing guitars with the band.
In June 2004, the Superjesus split with Warner Music Australia and indicated they would take time off while individual members pursued other projects. McLeod worked on a solo album of material not suited to the band. Her solo single released in 2005 was entitled "Let's Get Together", while her album, released in the same year, was called Beauty Was a Tiger
. McLeod is now fronting the Sydney based three-piece band, Screaming Bikini.
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 Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. They are best known for their singles "Shut My Eyes", "Down Again" and "Gravity".
History
Lead singer and main songwriter Sarah McLeod formed the band in late 1994 with guitarist Chris Tennent, drummer Paul BerrymanPaul Berryman
Paul Berryman is an Australian musician who has played drums for alternative rock bands The Superjesus, Faker and Miss Mandaband-References:...
and bass player Stuart Rudd. Tennent was McLeod's guitar teacher at the time and a veteran of the Adelaide music scene, having played in various bands since the 1980s. The band was originally called Hell's Kitchen before changing their name to The Superjesus on the eve of the 1994 Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
in Adelaide.
Says Paul Berryman of the name: "It was basically just a piss-take on commonly used words in the '90s. Like The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
, "Jesus Built My Hotrod
Jesus Built My Hotrod
"Jesus Built My Hotrod" is a 1991 single by Ministry and was the band's most popular song up to that point. The track features a driving beat and speed metal guitar work backing Butthole Surfers' singer Gibby Haynes gonzo vocal stylings....
", The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard was an American alternative rock and noise rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…[who] turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial...
, Jesus Jones
Jesus Jones
Jesus Jones are a British rock band. The Wiltshire-based group, formed in late 1988, recorded and performed in the late 1980s, throughout the 1990s, and into the 2000s. They are best remembered for their track, "Right Here, Right Now", an international hit and subsequently globally appropriated for...
; there's just heaps of Jesus' out there in the music world so we thought we would have that and super was kind of like a '90s catch word."
The group's debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Eight Step Rail
Eight Step Rail
Eight Step Rail is the Debut EP released by Australian band The Superjesus in May 1996. The track I'm Stained was later re-recorded for their debut album, Sumo. A re-recorded version of Shut My Eyes was also later included as a hidden track on Sumo.The big guitar sounds are yet another use of the...
, was released in 1996. It spent a couple of months on top of the Australian Independent charts and won two ARIA Awards, in 1997, for Best New Band and also Best Debut Single 'Shut My Eyes'.
All had not always been well with the band internally, and in 1997 Chris Tennent temporarily left. Aaron Tokona from Wellington, New Zealand band Weta
Weta (band)
Weta are a four piece rock band from Wellington, New Zealand.The band was formed in 1995, and quickly developed an enviable live reputation, securing support slots for the likes of Everclear, The Foo Fighters and Soundgarden Weta are a four piece rock band from Wellington, New Zealand.The band was...
filled in, though chose to turn down the band's offer to become a permanent member.
In April 1997, The Superjesus travelled to the USA in order to record their debut album, Sumo
Sumo (album)
Sumo is the debut album released by Australian band The Superjesus in February 1998.-Track listing:# Down Again# Saturation# Sandfly# Now And Then# Ashes# I'm Stained# Honeyrider# Sink# Dead Ended# Milk...
, with producer Matt Serletic (Collective Soul) and engineer Jeff Tomei (Smashing Pumpkins, Hole). They released Sumo, through Warner Music in 1998, and its success in Australia led to a US release. The band has released two subsequent albums, Jet Age, in 2000, and Rock Music
Rock Music (album)
Rock Music is an album by Australian band the Superjesus released in 2003.-Making of the album:Rock Music was difficult for the Superjesus to make, taking a year and a half to make...
, in 2003.
Chris Tennent left the Superjesus permanently in 1999 and was replaced by Tim Henwood (who subsequently left in 2002 to concentrate on his work with The Androids
The Androids
The Androids are a rock band from Australia. Fronted by guitarist Tim Henwood . While their 2002 single, "Do It With Madonna", was commercially their most successful release - peaking at #4 in the Australia ARIA Singles Chart and #15 in the UK Singles Chart; their second and third singles, "Here...
and Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders are an Australian electronic pop rock band fronted by Melinda "Mindi" Jackson with James Ash on keyboards, Tim Henwood on guitars and Peter Marin on drums. The group's original members met in London in 1989. Before forming Rogue Traders, Ash and Davis worked together on many...
). Jason Slack has since been playing guitars with the band.
In June 2004, the Superjesus split with Warner Music Australia and indicated they would take time off while individual members pursued other projects. McLeod worked on a solo album of material not suited to the band. Her solo single released in 2005 was entitled "Let's Get Together", while her album, released in the same year, was called Beauty Was a Tiger
Beauty Was a Tiger
Beauty Was a Tiger is the debut solo album by Australian singer Sarah McLeod. It was released in September 2005 by Festival Mushroom Records.-Track listing:# Let's Get Together# Never Enough# Private School Kid...
. McLeod is now fronting the Sydney based three-piece band, Screaming Bikini.
Albums
- SumoSumo (album)Sumo is the debut album released by Australian band The Superjesus in February 1998.-Track listing:# Down Again# Saturation# Sandfly# Now And Then# Ashes# I'm Stained# Honeyrider# Sink# Dead Ended# Milk...
(February 1998) (AUS Platinum certification) - Sumo (US version) (June 1998)
- Sumo II, includes a bonus Enhanced CDEnhanced CDEnhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
of live songs and videos (October 1998) - Jet Age (October 2000) (Peaked at No. 32 on the ARIA Top 50 Album Charts, AUS Gold certification)
- Jet Age re-issue, includes a bonus CD of a "Live Acoustic" performance (October 2001)
- Rock MusicRock Music (album)Rock Music is an album by Australian band the Superjesus released in 2003.-Making of the album:Rock Music was difficult for the Superjesus to make, taking a year and a half to make...
(May 2003) - (Peaked at No. 14 on the ARIA Top 50 Album Charts) - Rock Music re-issue (February 2004)
EPs and singles
- Eight Step RailEight Step RailEight Step Rail is the Debut EP released by Australian band The Superjesus in May 1996. The track I'm Stained was later re-recorded for their debut album, Sumo. A re-recorded version of Shut My Eyes was also later included as a hidden track on Sumo.The big guitar sounds are yet another use of the...
EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(05/96) - Peaked at No. 47 on the Australian charts - "Down Again" (25/08/97) - Peaked at No. 23 on the Australian charts
- "Saturation" (11/97) - Peaked at No. 42 on the Australian charts
- "Now And Then" (04/98) - Peaked at No. 40 on the Australian charts
- "Ashes" (09/98) - Peaked at No. 66 on the Australian charts
- "Gravity" (11/09/00) - Peaked at No. 35 on the Australian charts
- "Secret Agent Man" (12/02/01) - Peaked at No. 43 on the Australian charts
- "Enough To Know" (20/08/01) - Peaked at No. 42 on the Australian charts
- "Second Sun" (11/02/02) - Peaked at No. 107 on the Australian charts
- "Stick Together" (14/04/03) - Peaked at No. 35 on the Australian charts
- "Over And Out" (07/07/03) - Peaked at No. 53 on the Australian charts
- "So Lonely" (09/02/04) - Peaked at No. 45 on the Australian charts
External links
- The Superjesus at discogs.com http://www.discogs.com/artist/Superjesus%2C+The
- Comprehensive Superjesus Discography at open-site.org http://open-site.org/Arts/Music/Bands_and_Artists/S/Superjesus,_The/Discography