Beat Happening
Encyclopedia
Beat Happening is an American
punk
band formed in Olympia, Washington
in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis
and Bret Lunsford
have been the band's continual members. Beat Happening were early leaders in the American indie pop
and lo-fi
movements, noted for their use of primitive recording techniques, disregard for the technical aspects of musicianship, and songs with subject matters of a childish or coy nature.
and began recording in 1983. The band's basic line-up was drums, guitar and vocals, though when they formed their only instruments were a pair of maracas and a Sears Silvertone guitar purchased at a thrift shop. Heather once joked in an interview that the history of the band could be told through a list of the various people they'd borrowed drums from. Heather and Calvin had been members of a previous band and approached Bret, who had no musical experience at the time, saying they ought to start a band and go to Japan. Indeed, it was on a trip to Tokyo
that the band members recorded Three Tea Breakfast, an EP that established the band's reputation.
Calvin Johnson was one of the founders of seminal indie-rock label K Records
. The label achieved modest success and continues to hold its independent integrity, claiming to have been "exploding the teenage underground into passionate revolt against the corporate ogre since 1982."
(1985), their full length debut, was critically acclaimed, as was Jamboree
(1988). By the release of Dreamy in 1991, Beat Happening was one of the most popular bands in the indie rock community, leading to their pivotal role in the International Pop Underground Festival, which brought anti-corporate rock its earliest mainstream acceptance. Their last full-length album was 1992's You Turn Me On
, which represented the band breaking many of their established conventions from earlier albums, most notably on "Godsend," which runs 9 minutes in length and features blatant use of multitrack recording
. The album was described by allmusic.com as "A masterpiece." Though never announcing a break-up and claiming at one point to still practice once a month, the members of Beat Happening have moved on to various other projects. In 2000 they released the "Angel Gone" single, their first new release in eight years.
A Beat Happening box set, Crashing Through
, which collects all of the band's officially released music except for some of their tracks from a live cassette split with The Vaselines
, was released in 2002. The box set included a booklet containing a lengthy essay on the history and impact of the band by Lois Maffeo
, as well as rare photos of members Calvin, Heather and Bret.
of Modest Mouse
to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties
but respectfully declined the invitation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band formed in Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis
Heather Lewis (musician)
Heather Lewis is a multi-instrumentalist and founding member of Beat Happening. Prior to her work with Beat Happening, Lewis was a member of the Supreme Cool Beings, who are notable for having the first ever release on K Records, 1982's Survival of the Coolest. She appeared as a guest vocalist on...
and Bret Lunsford
Bret Lunsford
Bret Lunsford is a vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of the influential bands Beat Happening and D+...
have been the band's continual members. Beat Happening were early leaders in the American indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
and lo-fi
Lo-fi music
Lo-fi is lower quality of sound recordings than the usual standard for music. The qualities of lo-fi are usually achieved by either degrading the quality of the recorded audio, or using certain equipment. Recent uses of the phrase have led to it becoming a genre, although it still remains as an...
movements, noted for their use of primitive recording techniques, disregard for the technical aspects of musicianship, and songs with subject matters of a childish or coy nature.
Formation
The band met while attending The Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
and began recording in 1983. The band's basic line-up was drums, guitar and vocals, though when they formed their only instruments were a pair of maracas and a Sears Silvertone guitar purchased at a thrift shop. Heather once joked in an interview that the history of the band could be told through a list of the various people they'd borrowed drums from. Heather and Calvin had been members of a previous band and approached Bret, who had no musical experience at the time, saying they ought to start a band and go to Japan. Indeed, it was on a trip to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
that the band members recorded Three Tea Breakfast, an EP that established the band's reputation.
Calvin Johnson was one of the founders of seminal indie-rock label K Records
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
. The label achieved modest success and continues to hold its independent integrity, claiming to have been "exploding the teenage underground into passionate revolt against the corporate ogre since 1982."
Studio albums
Beat HappeningBeat Happening (album)
Beat Happening was the debut album by Beat Happening, released in 1985 through K Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Calvin Johnson, Bret Lunsford, and Heather Lewis.# "Foggy Eyes"# "Bad Seeds"# "I Let Him Get to Me"# "I Spy"...
(1985), their full length debut, was critically acclaimed, as was Jamboree
Jamboree (Beat Happening album)
Jamboree is the second album by Beat Happening, released in 1988 through K Records/Rough Trade Records. All songs were produced by Steve Fisk with assistance from Screaming Trees members Mark Lanegan and Gary Lee Conner , except "Cat Walk," produced by Patrick Maley, and "The This Many Boyfriends...
(1988). By the release of Dreamy in 1991, Beat Happening was one of the most popular bands in the indie rock community, leading to their pivotal role in the International Pop Underground Festival, which brought anti-corporate rock its earliest mainstream acceptance. Their last full-length album was 1992's You Turn Me On
You Turn Me On
You Turn Me On is the fifth album by indie rock band Beat Happening.-Track listing:All tracks written by Beat Happening# "Tiger Trap" – 6:53# "Noise" – 3:23# "Pinebox Derby" – 3:07# "Teenage Caveman" – 4:35# "Sleepy Head" – 4:07...
, which represented the band breaking many of their established conventions from earlier albums, most notably on "Godsend," which runs 9 minutes in length and features blatant use of multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. The album was described by allmusic.com as "A masterpiece." Though never announcing a break-up and claiming at one point to still practice once a month, the members of Beat Happening have moved on to various other projects. In 2000 they released the "Angel Gone" single, their first new release in eight years.
A Beat Happening box set, Crashing Through
Crashing Through
Crashing Through is a box set with 7 discs containing every studio album, oddities, and rare tracks by the indie rock band, Beat Happening...
, which collects all of the band's officially released music except for some of their tracks from a live cassette split with The Vaselines
The Vaselines
The Vaselines are an alternative rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on bass and drums respectively from the band Secession. McKee had...
, was released in 2002. The box set included a booklet containing a lengthy essay on the history and impact of the band by Lois Maffeo
Lois Maffeo
Courtney Love is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Although never achieving mainstream success, she has been closely involved with and influenced many independent musicians, especially in the 90s Olympia, Seattle and DC based musician.-as Lois Maffeo:albums*The...
, as well as rare photos of members Calvin, Heather and Bret.
Current Status
The band has not performed together in public since the early 1990s. In 2005, they were invited by Isaac BrockIsaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
of Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
but respectfully declined the invitation.
Members
- Bret LunsfordBret LunsfordBret Lunsford is a vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of the influential bands Beat Happening and D+...
– Guitar and drums - Calvin Johnson – Guitar and vocals
- Heather LewisHeather Lewis (musician)Heather Lewis is a multi-instrumentalist and founding member of Beat Happening. Prior to her work with Beat Happening, Lewis was a member of the Supreme Cool Beings, who are notable for having the first ever release on K Records, 1982's Survival of the Coolest. She appeared as a guest vocalist on...
– Drums, guitar and vocals
Discography
- Albums
Year Title Label 1985 Beat Happening Beat Happening (album)Beat Happening was the debut album by Beat Happening, released in 1985 through K Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Calvin Johnson, Bret Lunsford, and Heather Lewis.# "Foggy Eyes"# "Bad Seeds"# "I Let Him Get to Me"# "I Spy"...K Records K RecordsK Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...1988 Jamboree Jamboree (Beat Happening album)Jamboree is the second album by Beat Happening, released in 1988 through K Records/Rough Trade Records. All songs were produced by Steve Fisk with assistance from Screaming Trees members Mark Lanegan and Gary Lee Conner , except "Cat Walk," produced by Patrick Maley, and "The This Many Boyfriends...K Records/Rough Trade Rough Trade RecordsRough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...1989 Black Candy Black CandyBlack Candy is the third album by indie rock band Beat Happening.-Track listing:All tracks written by Beat Happening# "Other Side" – 3:35# "Black Candy" – 3:00# "Knick Knack – 2:13# "Pajama Party in a Haunted Hive" – 4:38# "Gravedigger Blues" – 2:26...K Records/Rough Trade 1991 Dreamy K Records/Sub Pop Sub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...1992 You Turn Me On You Turn Me OnYou Turn Me On is the fifth album by indie rock band Beat Happening.-Track listing:All tracks written by Beat Happening# "Tiger Trap" – 6:53# "Noise" – 3:23# "Pinebox Derby" – 3:07# "Teenage Caveman" – 4:35# "Sleepy Head" – 4:07...K Records/Sub Pop
- EPs
Year Title Label 1984 Three Tea Breakfast Cassette EP K Records 1988 Crashing Through EP K Records 1988 Beat Happening/Screaming Trees EP Beat Happening/Screaming Trees EPBeat Happening/Screaming Trees is an EP and a one-off collaboration between Beat Happening and Screaming Trees . Originally released on Homestead Records in 1988, it was later reissued as part of Beat Happening's box set Crashing Through in 2002...K Records/Homestead
- Compilations
Year Title Label 2002 Crashing Through Crashing ThroughCrashing Through is a box set with 7 discs containing every studio album, oddities, and rare tracks by the indie rock band, Beat Happening...K Records 2003 Music to Climb the Apple Tree By Music to Climb the Apple Tree ByMusic to Climb the Apple Tree By is a b-sides and rarities compilation by indie rock band Beat Happening.-Track listing:All tracks performed by Beat Happening.# "Angel Gone" – 3:12# "Nancy Sin" – 2:33# "Sea Hunt" – 5:01# "Look Around" – 2:57...K Records