Fishbone
Encyclopedia
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock
band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California
, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock
, funk, hard rock
and soul
. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s. With their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity
, goofy sense of humor, and sharp social commentary
, the group gained a sizable cult following
during the late '80s, yet they were never able to earn a mainstream audience."
Fishbone was assembled by John Norwood Fisher
(bass, vocals), with his brother Phillip "Fish" Fisher (drums); Angelo Moore
, who sometimes uses the stage name
"Dr. Madd Vibe" (vocals, saxophones ranging from sopranino
to bass
, and theremin
); Kendall Jones (guitar); "Dirty" Walter A. Kibby II (vocals, trumpet); and Christopher Dowd (keyboards, trombone, vocals).
. They first gained attention with their live concerts, especially at Madame Wong
's, earning a reputation as one of the most diverse bands in the alternative rock
pantheon. Their unique stew of different styles was a great influence on several subsequent alternative bands. A single on Columbia Records
, "Party at Ground Zero
" was their first release, and was followed by a self-titled EP, Fishbone. In 1987, in support of their first full-length album, In Your Face
, the band performed "Jamaica Ska" in the Annette Funicello
/Frankie Avalon
reunion movie Back to the Beach
. Fishbone toured with the Beastie Boys
across the US and other parts of the world.
. The 1988 album Truth and Soul
brought Fishbone wide critical acclaim. With this album, the band also added left
-leaning social commentary
to their lyrics, covering important topics such as the breakup of families, early 1990s racism
, fascism
, nuclear war
, and oppression in lower income housing projects. The album was highlighted by a hard rock-inspired version of Curtis Mayfield
's classic "Freddie's Dead
" from the film Super Fly. The music video, directed by Douglas Gayeton, became the band's first hit on MTV. That same year, the group toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
and became nationally known in the burgeoning alternative music scene. Also that year, Fishbone and Little Richard
recorded the Leadbelly
song "Rock Island Line" for the tribute album Folkways: A Vision Shared
.
The band added former Miles Davis
sideman John Bigham on guitar and keyboards in 1989. The 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings
was a critical and commercial success, reaching #49 on the Billboard albums chart. One month before the album's release, the group played a memorable performance on Saturday Night Live
, with Moore doing a back flip into the camera pit a mere five seconds into their performance of "Sunless Saturday
" (a song which later featured an MTV
video directed by Spike Lee
). The song "Everyday Sunshine
" also became a modest hit on radio and MTV.
While the band retained their roots in funk and ska, the 1993 album Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
it included songs with hard rock, punk, and heavy metal elements. At the time of the album's release, the band began to tear apart internally. Just before Fishbone joined the 1993 Lollapalooza
tour, guitarist Kendall Jones, reportedly suffering from mental instability, quit the band; John Norwood Fisher
tracked him down and after an attempt to help him was charged with kidnapping. A benefit concert to help with Norwood's legal expenses featured Porno for Pyros
, Primus
, Tool
, and Alice in Chains
. Fishbone was then dropped by Sony Records. Around this time, Keyboardist Christopher Dowd left Fishbone and recorded with a band including Jeff Buckley
under the name Seedy Arkhestra, releasing the album The Puzzle, which included the anti-Fishbone track "Flog Your Dead Horse."
on Rowdy Records
. The album did well in the underground music scene, but went largely unnoticed by the general public, peaking at just #158 on the Billboard albums chart. In 1996, the band contributed to the AIDS
benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
produced by the Red Hot Organization
. By 1998, the band lost another founding member, drummer Philip "Fish" Fisher, who was later definitively replaced by John Steward. John Bigham also left the band to pursue his own career, later founding the band The Soul of John Black
; Bigham was replaced by former Sound Barrier
and Mother's Finest
guitarist Tracey "Spacey T" Singleton. John McKnight (from Ben Harper
's band) joined on keyboards, trombone, and guitar after a short stint by Anthony Brewster. During the latter part of the 1990s, Fishbone was without a recording contract and earned their keep through constant touring.
Fishbone's maintained their dedicated fan base and achieved another major record deal with Hollywood Records
in 2000. They were given the chance to record a new album with several special guests, including Gwen Stefani
, George Clinton
, Rick James
, H.R.
of Bad Brains
, Donny Osmond
, and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
. The resulting album, Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx
, was a critical success, but saw poor sales. The band was dropped from their label and headed back on the road. John McKnight left the band in 2001, and the group continued on as a five-piece. In 2002, on their own independent record label, they released Live at the Temple Bar and More
which contained all brand new original material recorded live throughout 2001 and 2002. This was later complemented by another live CD/DVD, Live in Amsterdam, containing most of their hits and filmed at the 2002 Cannabis Cup
Festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In (2009) Walter Kibby and Tracy Singleton both recorded tracks with Swade G aka Wade Antonio Kibby, younger brother of "Dirty Walt". These songs are on the album "Ghetto Life" which was released by Executive Producer Gregory Booth of Framed Records on April 20th, 2010. Walter Kibby recorded vocals and appeared in the video of "How Time Fly's" and Singleton laid down the melodic guitar riffs on "Angels Cry".
Founding members John Norwood Fisher and Angelo Moore, along with drummer John Steward, restarted Fishbone with Rocky George
of Suicidal Tendencies
and Tori Ruffin of The Time
on guitars (though Ruffin left soon thereafter); and Dre Gipson on keyboards. In 2005 John McKnight returned on trombone and guitar. Trumpet players during this period were Andre Holmes, Curtis Storey, Fernando Pullum, and Mervin Campbell. This line-up recorded the first Fishbone studio album in six years, Still Stuck In Your Throat
, in April 2007 with producer David Kahne
, who worked on the band's early albums. Music videos were recorded for the cover song "Date Rape
" by Sublime
, and for the song "Let Dem Ho's Fight."
In 2008 and 2009, original members Walter Kibby, Christopher Dowd, and Kendall Jones joined Fishbone on stage on various occasions, most notably for the shoot of the Pepsi "Pass" commercial, which aired in January 2009. In April 2008, Stephan Kraemer directed the shoot of the band's first official live CD/DVD in Bordeaux, France. The DVD Fishbone Live
was released on May 10, 2009.
The band was deeply involved in the making of the documentary film, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler. The film debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 19, 2010 and is currently playing at film festivals around the world. A trailer for the documentary is now on youtube.
According to The Pier Magazine, Fishbone has been in the studio writing and recording a new album, which is due for release sometime in 2011. However, in late January 2011, John McKnight confirmed that he has again left Fishbone. During the Winter 2011 tour, Tom "Tom-Bone" Ralls, formerly of Weapon of Choice, filled in on trombone. Tori Ruffin also briefly returned to play guitar in place of Rocky, who was unable to tour.
After the Winter tour, it has been confirmed that Jay Armant, a former student of Fernando Pullum, has joined as the new trombone player.
Fishbone's new album "Crazy Glue" was released on October 11th, 2011, including new tracks "Flutterbutter" and "Weed,Beer,Cigarettes."
On November 21st, 2011, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann
was played on to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
to the Fishbone song "Lyin' Ass Bitch". The Roots
drummer Questlove later explained that the playing of the song was "tongue in cheek". Fallon and the NBC network later apologized.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California
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...
, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock
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...
, funk, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s. With their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, goofy sense of humor, and sharp social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
, the group gained a sizable cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
during the late '80s, yet they were never able to earn a mainstream audience."
Fishbone was assembled by John Norwood Fisher
John Norwood Fisher
John Norwood Fisher is the bass player and founder for the band Fishbone. Fisher has played bass in the band throughout its history, even as other members have departed and returned...
(bass, vocals), with his brother Phillip "Fish" Fisher (drums); Angelo Moore
Angelo Moore
Angelo Christoper Moore is an American musician, best known for his work as the founding member, lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles alternative rock band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records spoken word poetry under the stage name of Dr. Madd Vibe.-Biography:In 1993 he released a...
, who sometimes uses the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
"Dr. Madd Vibe" (vocals, saxophones ranging from sopranino
Sopranino saxophone
The sopranino saxophone is one of the smallest members of the saxophone family. A sopranino saxophone is tuned in the key of E, and sounds an octave above the alto saxophone. This saxophone has a sweet sound and although the sopranino is one of the least common of the saxophones in regular use...
to bass
Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
, and theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
); Kendall Jones (guitar); "Dirty" Walter A. Kibby II (vocals, trumpet); and Christopher Dowd (keyboards, trombone, vocals).
Early career (1979-1987)
Fishbone got started in 1979 as a "disparate, all-black oddball crew" when the members were in junior high school in South Central Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
. They first gained attention with their live concerts, especially at Madame Wong
Esther Wong
Esther Wong was born August 13, 1917 in Shanghai, China, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1949.After fierce initial resistance, she became a punk rock and New Wave music promoter. She got started in the early 1970s as the owner of “Madame Wong’s," a Los Angeles Chinatown restaurant with a floorshow --...
's, earning a reputation as one of the most diverse bands in the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
pantheon. Their unique stew of different styles was a great influence on several subsequent alternative bands. A single on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, "Party at Ground Zero
Party at Ground Zero
"Party at Ground Zero" is a song by the ska band Fishbone. A demo version titled "Pink Vapor Stew" can be found on the Fishbone 101 compilation. To this day it remains one of their most popular songs...
" was their first release, and was followed by a self-titled EP, Fishbone. In 1987, in support of their first full-length album, In Your Face
In Your Face (Fishbone album)
In Your Face is Fishbone's first full length album released in 1986.The album contains a mix of ska, reggae, soul, punk and funk, but very little of the hard rock and heavy metal sound the band would adopt in coming years...
, the band performed "Jamaica Ska" in the Annette Funicello
Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
/Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, playwright, and former teen idol.-Career:By the time he was 12, Avalon was on U.S. television playing his trumpet. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints...
reunion movie Back to the Beach
Back to the Beach
Back to the Beach is a 1987 comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903...
. Fishbone toured with the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
across the US and other parts of the world.
Rise to fame (1988-1994)
Fishbone was mostly considered to be a ska/reggae band in its early years, but later became more guitar-driven with a focus on rock and soul musicSoul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. The 1988 album Truth and Soul
Truth and Soul
Truth and Soul is the second album by alternative rock band Fishbone. It was released on September 13, 1988. The album features a wide array of genres including punk, ska, reggae, soul, hard rock, funk, blues and heavy metal...
brought Fishbone wide critical acclaim. With this album, the band also added left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
-leaning social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
to their lyrics, covering important topics such as the breakup of families, early 1990s racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
, and oppression in lower income housing projects. The album was highlighted by a hard rock-inspired version of Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
's classic "Freddie's Dead
Freddie's Dead
"Freddie's Dead" is a song by Curtis Mayfield. It was the first single from his 1972 soundtrack album for the film Super Fly. The single was released before the Super Fly album, and in fact before the film itself was in theaters. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S...
" from the film Super Fly. The music video, directed by Douglas Gayeton, became the band's first hit on MTV. That same year, the group toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
and became nationally known in the burgeoning alternative music scene. Also that year, Fishbone and Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
recorded the Leadbelly
Leadbelly
Huddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
song "Rock Island Line" for the tribute album Folkways: A Vision Shared
Folkways: A Vision Shared
Folkways: A Vision Shared - A Tribute to Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly is a Grammy Award-winning 1988 album featuring songs by Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly interpreted by leading folk, rock, and country recording artists....
.
The band added former Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
sideman John Bigham on guitar and keyboards in 1989. The 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings
The Reality of My Surroundings
The Reality of My Surroundings is the third full-length album by Fishbone, released on April 23, 1991. It was the first Fishbone album to include former Miles Davis music director John Bigham , who joined in 1989 during the Truth and Soul tour.-Album information:Fishbone took the rest of 1989 off...
was a critical and commercial success, reaching #49 on the Billboard albums chart. One month before the album's release, the group played a memorable performance on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, with Moore doing a back flip into the camera pit a mere five seconds into their performance of "Sunless Saturday
Sunless Saturday
"Sunless Saturday" is a song by the Alternative rock band Fishbone from their 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings. It remains, to this day, the band's highest charting single....
" (a song which later featured an 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....
video directed by Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
). The song "Everyday Sunshine
Everyday Sunshine
"Everyday Sunshine" is a song by the alternative rock band Fishbone from their 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings.Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone is also the title of a documentary about the band.-Track listing:A Side...
" also became a modest hit on radio and MTV.
While the band retained their roots in funk and ska, the 1993 album Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
-Accolades:-Personnel:*Angelo Moore – saxophone, vocals*Walter A. Kibby II – trumpet, vocals*Kendall Jones – lead guitar, vocals*Chris Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals*John Bigham – guitar, keyboard*John Norwood Fisher – bass guitar, vocals...
it included songs with hard rock, punk, and heavy metal elements. At the time of the album's release, the band began to tear apart internally. Just before Fishbone joined the 1993 Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour, guitarist Kendall Jones, reportedly suffering from mental instability, quit the band; John Norwood Fisher
John Norwood Fisher
John Norwood Fisher is the bass player and founder for the band Fishbone. Fisher has played bass in the band throughout its history, even as other members have departed and returned...
tracked him down and after an attempt to help him was charged with kidnapping. A benefit concert to help with Norwood's legal expenses featured Porno for Pyros
Porno for Pyros
Porno for Pyros was an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992, following the initial break-up of Jane's Addiction...
, Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, and Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. Fishbone was then dropped by Sony Records. Around this time, Keyboardist Christopher Dowd left Fishbone and recorded with a band including Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
under the name Seedy Arkhestra, releasing the album The Puzzle, which included the anti-Fishbone track "Flog Your Dead Horse."
Post-Sony years (1995-2002)
Now a five-piece, Fishbone added more heavy metal and hardcore punk influences to their sound on the 1996 album Chim Chim's Badass RevengeChim Chim's Badass Revenge
Chim Chim's Badass Revenge is the fifth full-length album from alternative rock band Fishbone. It was the first studio album in three years following the departure of founding members Kendall Jones and Chris Dowd....
on Rowdy Records
Rowdy Records
Rowdy Records is a record label, distributed through Motown Records.-History:Formed in 1992 by producers Dallas Austin and L.A. Reid, Rowdy was initially distributed through Arista Records. At the time, Austin had gained notoriety for writing and producing hits for acts like Monica, Another Bad...
. The album did well in the underground music scene, but went largely unnoticed by the general public, peaking at just #158 on the Billboard albums chart. In 1996, the band contributed to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin, the tenth entry in the Red Hot Benefit Series of compilation albums, takes a post-modern look at the contemporary rock en Español scene...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
. By 1998, the band lost another founding member, drummer Philip "Fish" Fisher, who was later definitively replaced by John Steward. John Bigham also left the band to pursue his own career, later founding the band The Soul of John Black
The Soul of John Black
The Soul of John Black is an American alternative soul,blues,rock duo formed by John Bigham and Christopher Thomas.-History:John Bigham was previously a member of the band Fishbone and also worked with Miles Davis and Everlast, while Christopher Thomas had played with Joshua Redman and Betty...
; Bigham was replaced by former Sound Barrier
Sound Barrier
Sound Barrier was a heavy metal band from Los Angeles from 1980 to 1987.-Biography:Sound Barrier was most notable for the fact that all four original members were African American, which gained them significant publicity, but did not result in commercial success. They were signed by MCA Records;...
and Mother's Finest
Mother's Finest
Mother's Finest is a funk rock band founded in Atlanta, Georgia by Joyce Kennedy and Glenn Murdock in the early 1970s. The group charted with the singles "Fire" , "Baby Love" , "Don't Wanna Come Back" , "Love Changes" , and "Piece Of The Rock" in the mid to late 1970s.-History:Mother's Finest...
guitarist Tracey "Spacey T" Singleton. John McKnight (from Ben Harper
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
's band) joined on keyboards, trombone, and guitar after a short stint by Anthony Brewster. During the latter part of the 1990s, Fishbone was without a recording contract and earned their keep through constant touring.
Fishbone's maintained their dedicated fan base and achieved another major record deal with Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
in 2000. They were given the chance to record a new album with several special guests, including Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
, George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
, H.R.
H.R.
H.R. is the stage name of Paul D. Hudson, the lead singer of the hardcore punk band Bad Brains. His vocals can be quite diverse, ranging from a rapid-fire nasal whine, to feral growling and screeches, to smooth near-crooning or staccato reggae rhymes...
of Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
, and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is an Argentine ska band from Buenos Aires. Formed in 1985, they released their first album, Bares y Fondas in 1986...
. The resulting album, Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx
Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx
-Personnel:*Angelo Moore - saxophone, vocals*Walter A. Kibby II - trumpet, vocals*Spacey T - guitar*John McKnight - keyboards, trombone, guitar*John Norwood Fisher - bass guitar, vocals*John Steward - drums*Abe Laboriel Jr. - drums...
, was a critical success, but saw poor sales. The band was dropped from their label and headed back on the road. John McKnight left the band in 2001, and the group continued on as a five-piece. In 2002, on their own independent record label, they released Live at the Temple Bar and More
Live at the Temple Bar and More
- Personnel :* Angelo Moore - saxophone, vocals* Walter A. Kibby II - trumpet, vocals* Spacey T - guitar* John Norwood Fisher - bass guitar, vocals* John Steward - drums...
which contained all brand new original material recorded live throughout 2001 and 2002. This was later complemented by another live CD/DVD, Live in Amsterdam, containing most of their hits and filmed at the 2002 Cannabis Cup
Cannabis Cup
The High Times Cannabis Cup is the world’s preeminent Cannabis festival. Founded in 1987 by Steven Hager, the High Times Cannabis Cup takes place each November in Amsterdam. The event allows judges from around the world to sample and vote for their favorite marijuana strains...
Festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Recent history (2003-present)
In late 2003 Fishbone lost another founding member when Walter Kibby left the band (he returned in 2010). Tracy Singleton departed as well. Kibby and Singleton later formed the band Year Of The Dragon, releasing the albums A Time To Love Is A Time To Bleed (2006) and Blunt Force Karma (2009). Kibby has also released two albums with his band Dirty Walt & The Columbus Sanitation, To Put It Bluntly (2000) and Still Smokin' (2009). All are available on The IBCT, LLC.In (2009) Walter Kibby and Tracy Singleton both recorded tracks with Swade G aka Wade Antonio Kibby, younger brother of "Dirty Walt". These songs are on the album "Ghetto Life" which was released by Executive Producer Gregory Booth of Framed Records on April 20th, 2010. Walter Kibby recorded vocals and appeared in the video of "How Time Fly's" and Singleton laid down the melodic guitar riffs on "Angels Cry".
Founding members John Norwood Fisher and Angelo Moore, along with drummer John Steward, restarted Fishbone with Rocky George
Rocky George
Rocky George is an American heavy metal guitarist who has been a member of several notable musical acts. George's guitar playing career began in 1982 when he joined a local punk rock band called Pap Smear. He became lead guitarist of Suicidal Tendencies in 1984 and stayed with the band until their...
of Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
and Tori Ruffin of The Time
The Time (band)
The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...
on guitars (though Ruffin left soon thereafter); and Dre Gipson on keyboards. In 2005 John McKnight returned on trombone and guitar. Trumpet players during this period were Andre Holmes, Curtis Storey, Fernando Pullum, and Mervin Campbell. This line-up recorded the first Fishbone studio album in six years, Still Stuck In Your Throat
Still Stuck in Your Throat
Still Stuck In Your Throat is a 2006 studio recording from Fishbone. It was their first album since Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx had been released six years previously. It is also the first album to feature Rocky George , Dre Gipson and Curtis...
, in April 2007 with producer David Kahne
David Kahne
David Kahne is an American record producer. Kahne started his musical career as a working musician and then became notable for his role as in-house producer and engineer at 415 Records, the first American new wave music label, and for his subsequent roles as Vice President of A&R at Columbia...
, who worked on the band's early albums. Music videos were recorded for the cover song "Date Rape
Date Rape (song)
"Date Rape" is a song by the band Sublime originally recorded for their 1992 debut album, 40 Oz. to Freedom. It was first released as a single in 1991, but did not become a hit until four years later, when the Los Angeles radio station KROQ began adding it into their playlists and it quickly became...
" by Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
, and for the song "Let Dem Ho's Fight."
In 2008 and 2009, original members Walter Kibby, Christopher Dowd, and Kendall Jones joined Fishbone on stage on various occasions, most notably for the shoot of the Pepsi "Pass" commercial, which aired in January 2009. In April 2008, Stephan Kraemer directed the shoot of the band's first official live CD/DVD in Bordeaux, France. The DVD Fishbone Live
Fishbone Live
-Fishbone:*Angelo Moore – Vocals, saxophones, theremin*Andre´ "Padre" Holmes – trumpet, Vocals, guitar*Rocky George – guitar*John McKnight – keyboards, trombone, guitar, Vocals*Dre Gipson – keyboards, Vocals*John Norwood Fisher – bass guitar, vocals...
was released on May 10, 2009.
The band was deeply involved in the making of the documentary film, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler. The film debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 19, 2010 and is currently playing at film festivals around the world. A trailer for the documentary is now on youtube.
According to The Pier Magazine, Fishbone has been in the studio writing and recording a new album, which is due for release sometime in 2011. However, in late January 2011, John McKnight confirmed that he has again left Fishbone. During the Winter 2011 tour, Tom "Tom-Bone" Ralls, formerly of Weapon of Choice, filled in on trombone. Tori Ruffin also briefly returned to play guitar in place of Rocky, who was unable to tour.
After the Winter tour, it has been confirmed that Jay Armant, a former student of Fernando Pullum, has joined as the new trombone player.
Fishbone's new album "Crazy Glue" was released on October 11th, 2011, including new tracks "Flutterbutter" and "Weed,Beer,Cigarettes."
Film and television appearances
- The band is featured in the 1987 movie Back to the BeachBack to the BeachBack to the Beach is a 1987 comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903...
, performing a rendition of "Jamaica Ska" with Annette FunicelloAnnette FunicelloAnnette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
singing lead vocals. - Fishbone appears in the 1988 John CusackJohn CusackJohn Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
/Tim RobbinsTim RobbinsTimothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the former longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...
film TapeheadsTapeheadsTapeheads is a 1988 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman. The film stars John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Sam Moore, and Junior Walker. The movie was produced by Michael Nesmith, who is seen briefly in the film as a bottled water delivery man.-Plot:...
as "Ranchbone" in the bar scene, playing the song "Slow Bus Movin' (Howard Beach Party)". They supplied an incidental score for the film as well. - In the 1988 blaxploitationBlaxploitationBlaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
-spoofParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
I'm Gonna Git You SuckaI'm Gonna Git You SuckaI'm Gonna Git You Sucka is a 1988 blaxploitation parody film written by, directed by and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. Featured in the film are several black actors who were part of the blaxploitation phenomenon; including Jim Brown, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas and Isaac Hayes...
, members of Fishbone appear on the street as hecklers of Antonio Fargas' character Flyguy, and also as a "back-up band". - Angelo Moore, John Norwood Fisher and John Steward appear in the 2006 film IdlewildIdlewild (film)Idlewild is an American musical film, released August 25, 2006, written and directed by Bryan Barber. The film stars André 3000 and Big Boi of the hip hop duo OutKast, and Idlewild features musical numbers written, produced, and chiefly performed by OutKast...
as members of the band led by Rooster, the character played by Big BoiBig BoiAntwan André Patton , better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André...
of OutKastOutKastOutkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
. - In 2007 Fishbone appeared in the David ArquetteDavid ArquetteDavid Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
movie The TripperThe TripperThe Tripper is a 2007 slasher film which was directed by David Arquette and stars Jaime King, Thomas Jane and Lukas Haas.-Synopsis:The film is a nostalgic homage to the exploitation films of Wes Craven and Tobe Hooper that follows a group of free-loving hippies who escape to a modern-day Woodstock...
. - Fishbone shirts were often featured in movies and TV throughout the late '80's and early '90's, mostly as fashion choices by fans who were actors.
- Marlon Wayans (in the role of Seymour Stewart) wears a Fishbone t-shirt in Mo' MoneyMo' MoneyMo' Money is a 1992 romantic-crime-dramedy film, starring Damon Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Stacey Dash, and directed by Peter MacDonald. The screenplay was also written by Damon Wayans.-Synopsis:...
(1992).
- The characters Freddie and Lena of A Different World wore the shirts (both are fans).
- John CusackJohn CusackJohn Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
wears a Fishbone shirt in the film Say Anything.... (In that movie's iconic "boombox scene", Cusack is actually blasting Fishbone from the radio. Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's "In Your EyesIn Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel song)"In Your Eyes" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, 1986. It was not released as a single in the UK...
" was added later). - In the Movie Bull DurhamBull DurhamBull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
, Tim RobbinsTim RobbinsTimothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the former longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...
' character Ebby "Nuke" Laloosh is wearing a Fishbone T-Shirt with his suit while giving his first interview after getting called up to the big leagues. - In 2010's Hot Tub Time MachineHot Tub Time MachineHot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob...
, Cusack pulls out and clearly advertises a black T-shirt with the band's logo out of his character's suitcase. - In the TV show Northern ExposureNorthern ExposureNorthern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
, the character of Ed Chigliak (Darren E. BurrowsDarren E. BurrowsDarren E. Burrows is an American Actor / Director.Burrows was born in Winfield, Kansas, the son of actor Billy Drago. Burrows is best known for playing Ed Chigliak in the television series Northern Exposure...
) is frequently spotted with a Fishbone shirt under his leather jacket. - Early episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
had scenes filmed against a set of lockers that featured a sticker logo in almost every shot.
- Marlon Wayans (in the role of Seymour Stewart) wears a Fishbone t-shirt in Mo' Money
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
was played on to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
to the Fishbone song "Lyin' Ass Bitch". The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
drummer Questlove later explained that the playing of the song was "tongue in cheek". Fallon and the NBC network later apologized.
Current
- Angelo MooreAngelo MooreAngelo Christoper Moore is an American musician, best known for his work as the founding member, lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles alternative rock band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records spoken word poetry under the stage name of Dr. Madd Vibe.-Biography:In 1993 he released a...
(1979—) – 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...
, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s, thereminThereminThe theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, 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... - John Norwood FisherJohn Norwood FisherJohn Norwood Fisher is the bass player and founder for the band Fishbone. Fisher has played bass in the band throughout its history, even as other members have departed and returned...
(1979—) – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, 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... - "Dirty" Walter A. Kibby II (1979–2003, 2010—) – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, 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... - John Steward (1999—) – 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 ....
- Rocky GeorgeRocky GeorgeRocky George is an American heavy metal guitarist who has been a member of several notable musical acts. George's guitar playing career began in 1982 when he joined a local punk rock band called Pap Smear. He became lead guitarist of Suicidal Tendencies in 1984 and stayed with the band until their...
(2004—) – 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... - Dre Gipson (2004—) – 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...
, vocals - Jay Armant (2011—) – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, vocals
Past
- Kendall Jones (1979–1993) – guitar, vocals
- Chris Dowd (1979–1994) – keyboards, trombone, vocals
- John "JB" Bigham (1989–1997) – guitar, keyboards
- Philip "Fish" Fisher (1979–1998) – drums, vocals
- Anthony Brewster (1997–1998) – keyboards
- Dion Murdock (1998) - drums
- Tracey "Spacey T" Singleton (1997–2003) – guitars
- Tori Ruffin (2003–2006) – guitars
- Curtis Storey (2005—2007) – trumpet, vocals
- André "Padre" Holmes (2004–2005, 2007–2008) – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, 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...
, guitar - John McKnight (1999–2001, 2005—2011) – 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...
, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, guitar, vocals
Studio albums
- In Your FaceIn Your Face (Fishbone album)In Your Face is Fishbone's first full length album released in 1986.The album contains a mix of ska, reggae, soul, punk and funk, but very little of the hard rock and heavy metal sound the band would adopt in coming years...
(1986) - Truth and SoulTruth and SoulTruth and Soul is the second album by alternative rock band Fishbone. It was released on September 13, 1988. The album features a wide array of genres including punk, ska, reggae, soul, hard rock, funk, blues and heavy metal...
(1988) - #153 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 October 29, 1988 - The Reality of My SurroundingsThe Reality of My SurroundingsThe Reality of My Surroundings is the third full-length album by Fishbone, released on April 23, 1991. It was the first Fishbone album to include former Miles Davis music director John Bigham , who joined in 1989 during the Truth and Soul tour.-Album information:Fishbone took the rest of 1989 off...
(1991) - #49 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 May 18, 1991 - Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the UniverseGive a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe-Accolades:-Personnel:*Angelo Moore – saxophone, vocals*Walter A. Kibby II – trumpet, vocals*Kendall Jones – lead guitar, vocals*Chris Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals*John Bigham – guitar, keyboard*John Norwood Fisher – bass guitar, vocals...
(1993) - #99 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 12, 1993 - Chim Chim's Badass RevengeChim Chim's Badass RevengeChim Chim's Badass Revenge is the fifth full-length album from alternative rock band Fishbone. It was the first studio album in three years following the departure of founding members Kendall Jones and Chris Dowd....
(1996) - #158 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 8, 1996 - Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends NuttwerxFishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx-Personnel:*Angelo Moore - saxophone, vocals*Walter A. Kibby II - trumpet, vocals*Spacey T - guitar*John McKnight - keyboards, trombone, guitar*John Norwood Fisher - bass guitar, vocals*John Steward - drums*Abe Laboriel Jr. - drums...
(2000) - Still Stuck In Your ThroatStill Stuck in Your ThroatStill Stuck In Your Throat is a 2006 studio recording from Fishbone. It was their first album since Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx had been released six years previously. It is also the first album to feature Rocky George , Dre Gipson and Curtis...
(2006)
Live albums
- Live at the Temple Bar and MoreLive at the Temple Bar and More- Personnel :* Angelo Moore - saxophone, vocals* Walter A. Kibby II - trumpet, vocals* Spacey T - guitar* John Norwood Fisher - bass guitar, vocals* John Steward - drums...
(2002) - Live in Amsterdam (CD/DVD - 2005 - recorded live in November 2002)
- Fishbone LiveFishbone Live-Fishbone:*Angelo Moore – Vocals, saxophones, theremin*Andre´ "Padre" Holmes – trumpet, Vocals, guitar*Rocky George – guitar*John McKnight – keyboards, trombone, guitar, Vocals*Dre Gipson – keyboards, Vocals*John Norwood Fisher – bass guitar, vocals...
(in Bordeaux) (CD/DVD - 2009 - recorded live in April 2008)
EPs
- FishboneFishbone (EP)Fishbone is the recording debut of alternative group Fishbone. This six-song EP was released in 1985 and captures the band at the height of their early funk/ska era. The track Party at Ground Zero remains one of the band's most popular tracks...
(1985) - It's a Wonderful LifeIt's a Wonderful Life (EP)-Personnel:*Angelo Moore: saxophone, vocals*Walter A. Kibby II: trumpet, vocals*Kendall Jones: guitar*Chris Dowd: keyboard, trombone, vocals*John Norwood Fisher: bass guitar*Philip "Fish" Fisher: drums...
(1987) - Set the Booty Up RightSet The Booty Up RightSet the Booty Up Right is a five-song EP released by the alternative/funk/rock band Fishbone in 1990. It was recorded shortly after the band hired former Miles Davis music director John Bigham on guitar and keyboard...
(1990) - Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Friendliest Psychosis of AllFishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Friendliest Psychosis of AllFishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Friendliest Psychosis of All is a three-song EP released by alternative rock band Fishbone in 2002...
(2002) - Crazy Glue (2011)
DVDs
- The Reality of My Surroundings - Past to PresentThe Reality of My Surroundings - Past to PresentThe Reality of My Surroundings - Past to Present is a career retrospective of the alternative rock band Fishbone. The video includes live shots and commentary from the band, as well as all of the band's promotional videos from MTV...
(1991) - Critical Times - Fishbone's Hen House SessionsCritical Times - Fishbone's Hen House SessionsCritical Times - Fishbone's Hen House Sessions is a 2001 DVD release by Fishbone recorded at Hen House Studios, a free community recording studio in Venice, California....
(2001) - Live in Amsterdam (CD/DVD - 2005 - recorded live in 2002)
- Fishbone LiveFishbone Live-Fishbone:*Angelo Moore – Vocals, saxophones, theremin*Andre´ "Padre" Holmes – trumpet, Vocals, guitar*Rocky George – guitar*John McKnight – keyboards, trombone, guitar, Vocals*Dre Gipson – keyboards, Vocals*John Norwood Fisher – bass guitar, vocals...
(in Bordeaux) (CD/DVD - 2009 - recorded live in April 2008) - Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (Documentary - 2010)
Compilation albums
- Singles (Japan only) (1993)
- Fishbone 101: Nuttasaurusmeg Fossil Fuelin' the FonkayFishbone 101: Nuttasaurusmeg Fossil Fuelin' the FonkayFishbone 101: Nuttasaurusmeg Fossil Fuelin' the Fonkay is a two-CD 1996 compilation album by the alternative/funk/rock band Fishbone. The first disc contains album tracks from the Fishbone albums up to 1993. The second disc contains B-sides, alternate versions, EP tracks, demos, and other...
(1996) - The Essential Fishbone (2003)
Appearances on soundtracks and "various artists" compilations
- "Jamaican Ska", with Annette Funicello, on Back To The Beach Soundtrack (1987) (Fishbone appear in the film)
- "He's A Fly Guy", with Curtis Mayfield, on I'm Gonna Git You Sucka soundtrack (1988) (Fishbone appear in the film: they are outside the prison when Flyguy gets out)
- "Slow Bus Moving" on Tapeheads soundtrack (1988) (Fishbone appear in this film: they are in a bar playing this song)
- "Skankin' to the Beat" on Say Anything soundtrack (1989)
- "Swim" on Last Action Hero soundtrack (1993)
- "Let The Good Times Roll" on The Mask soundtrack (1994)
- "Fled" on Fled soundtrack (1996)
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Main. Rock | US Mod Rock | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1985 | "? (Modern Industry)" | - | - | - | - |
| 1985 | "Party At Ground Zero" | - | - | - | - |
| 1986 | "When Problems Arise" | - | - | - | - |
| 1988 | "Freddie's Dead Freddie's Dead "Freddie's Dead" is a song by Curtis Mayfield. It was the first single from his 1972 soundtrack album for the film Super Fly. The single was released before the Super Fly album, and in fact before the film itself was in theaters. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S... " |
- | - | - | - |
| 1989 | "Ma and Pa Ma and Pa "Ma and Pa" is a song by the Alternative rock band Fishbone from their album Truth and Soul.-Charts:... " |
- | - | - | - |
| 1991 | "Fight the Youth" | - | - | - | - |
| 1991 | "Sunless Saturday Sunless Saturday "Sunless Saturday" is a song by the Alternative rock band Fishbone from their 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings. It remains, to this day, the band's highest charting single.... " |
- | - | 7 | - |
| 1991 | "Everyday Sunshine Everyday Sunshine "Everyday Sunshine" is a song by the alternative rock band Fishbone from their 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings.Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone is also the title of a documentary about the band.-Track listing:A Side... " |
- | - | 14 | 60 |
| 1993 | "Swim Swim (song) "Swim" is a song by the Alternative rock band Fishbone from their album Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe... " |
- | - | - | 54 |
| 1993 | "Unyielding Conditioning" | - | - | - | - |
| 1993 | "Servitude" | - | - | - | - |
| 1996 | "Alcoholic" | - | - | - | - |
| 2000 | "The Suffering" | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | "Party With Saddam" | - | - | - | - |
External links
- Fishbone.net – Official band website
- FishboneLive.org – Collaborative Fishbone encyclopedia (semi-official)
- Fishbone at Legacy Recordings
- Fishbone on the Live Music Archive – Fishbone's section of archive.org's free live concert recordings.